Melee / A Stranger in a Strange Land

"I don't know. The High Priest is usually elusive, appearing only when he wants to see you. He will naturally appear before you when he wants to."

If He doesn't want to see you, there's no point in looking for him.

Suika nodded. She had originally wanted to secretly ask the High Priest if Acahualla had become like Kjerag because it was protected by it.

However, some doubts remain. Since it's Beast Lord rather than a "deity," can it really do such a thing?

If He can, then what about the other Beast Lord?

Since the high priest wasn't there, she suppressed her curiosity and started chatting with Tomimi.

The main issue was that Tomimi asked about Rhodes Island and Gavial.

Although Suika hadn't been on Rhodes Island for long, she was quite familiar with Gavial.

Because the other person is arguably the doctor who enjoys exercising the most.

Outside of work hours, he's either studying or exercising; his self-discipline is frightening.

And coincidentally, Suika's "guardian," Hoshiguma, not only shares a love for exercise but is also an instructor sent by Lungmen to Rhodes Island.

The two had a lot in common, both in work and in their personal hobbies, and naturally became familiar with each other over time. As a result, Suika also became quite acquainted with Gavial.

The letter to Tomimi was written on a sticky note by Gavial on the spot after he learned of her travel plans.

At first, there were only a few words on it, just asking Tomimi to take care of Suika. It was only Suika said that since it was a rare letter back home, she should write more that Gavial wrote more.

After hearing what Suika said, Tomimi suddenly asked...

"Do you think I can become an operator at Rhodes Island?"

Suika wanted to say that of course you could, and indeed she went to Rhodes Island with Gavial afterwards.

But not now.

After all, in the storyline of "The Great Chief," we'll still need you to be the local guide.

If you leave, who will contact Zumama (the Anaconda) and Yinamu (the future king)?

So now Suika needs to appease this little fangirl and number one admirer of Gavial.

"No need to rush. When I came here, I think I heard the Doctor mention that Rhodes Island seemed to have plans to come here. Although I don't know when, if there's a plan, it will definitely be implemented."

Currently, the people with the closest ties to this area are Gavial and your tribe.

"If you also go to Rhodes Island, then Rhodes Island won't have enough influential locals to help them establish themselves here."

After hearing what Suika said, Tomimi calmed down.

Chapter 537 Melee

After hearing what Suika had to say, Tomimi regretfully gave up her idea of going to Rhodes Island.

Because Suika is right, if Rhodes Island really wants to establish contact with Acahualla, Gavial, who has already gone far away, is clearly not of a high enough standing.

Only by staying here and supporting her can Gavial's ideas be implemented.

This is something only he, as the chieftain of the Gavial's Will, could do.

If I were to relinquish my chieftainship and leave, would Gavial then have to humbly beg Zumama for help upon my return?

Tomimi would never allow this.

Seeing that Tomimi had given up on the idea Suika breathed a sigh of relief.

In her view, the connection between Rhodes Island and Acahualla is not just these few operators, but also the resources here.

After all, Rhodes Island's potions require a lot of medicinal materials, but Rhodes Island's production is limited, so it has to purchase them from outside.

Since Rhodes Island knows it can produce high-quality blocking drugs from certain medicinal materials, even if it can't produce them itself, the price of these medicinal materials will definitely rise.

Therefore, having your own medicinal herb production base is very important.

Acahualla just happens to be a perfect fit for Suika.

This area is sparsely populated, with abundant vegetation and fertile land.

Moreover, the area has abundant sunshine and rainfall, making it a suitable growing environment for many medicinal herbs.

If Rhodes Island maintains a good relationship with this region, it can at least greatly alleviate Rhodes Island's medicinal herb crisis.

"Want a drink?" Seeing that Tomimi was a little emotional, Suika Ibuki Gourd.

"Hmm? Give me a drink!"

Tomimi did not refuse.

Suika poured her a glass of red wine.

"This is called red wine, right? I've heard that guy Yinamu mention it."

"It's so sour and astringent, do people outside like to drink this stuff?"

After taking a sip, Tomimi put the glass on the ground in disgust.

"Hmm, is it possible that people who like to drink red wine do so because they eat too much meat and too few vegetables and fruits, and they have no choice but to use the acidity and astringency of red wine to neutralize the taste in their mouths?"

Suika doesn't actually like red wine very much.

This stuff sounds sophisticated, but it's neither as refreshing as beer nor as potent as spirits.

However, the advantage of this stuff is that the alcohol content is neither too high nor too low, so even people who don't drink much can have a few sips.

Furthermore, the acidity of red wine can mask the taste of alcohol to some extent.

"Hmm, aren't vegetables and fruits everywhere?" Tomimi blinked.

"Not all places outside are as fertile and resource-rich as Acahualla."

"As far as the eye can see, Iberia to your east is a desolate wasteland; you can't even see a blade of grass, let alone a tree."

Suika said that Tomimi was going too far, implying a "let them eat meat porridge" mentality.

Tomimi smiled and said, "Of course I know the outside world is different from Acahualla. I'm the chief, I have that much insight."

After saying that, the two of them burst into laughter.

"Shall we try some other wines?"

"How much can this gourd hold? I'll bring you a bottle of our local fruit wine later; I guarantee it'll taste much better than your red wine."

"Don't underestimate this small gourd of mine; it can hold enough wine to fill the entire ocean."

How big is the ocean?

"I don't know, but I'll never finish drinking it in my lifetime."

At night, a huge bonfire illuminated an open space in the Gavial's Will Tribe area, making it as bright as day.

Several Adaklis danced around the fire, while Suika, carrying Ibuki Gourd, wandered around pouring wine for those nearby.

"Those thick-tailed dancers have no grace at all. Let them see the power of us thin-tailed ones."

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the crowd, and then several people jumped onto the stage and started a dance battle with the dancers who had been dancing earlier.

Upon closer inspection, the tails of those who came up on stage were all long and thin, making them look more like lizardmen compared to the Adaklis who had the thick tails at the beginning.

Suika glanced at Tomimi not far away and found her looking completely unfazed.

Suika looked in the direction of the dance battle.

When the person with the thick tail was dancing alone, she thought their dance looked a bit stiff.

But compared to the Thin Tail faction, the dances of the two sides were strangely harmonious.

To be precise, both sides were performing war dances. Without comparison, these dances lack momentum and can look rather strange.

When the two sides meet forehead to forehead like fighting cocks, the momentum of the war dance immediately rises.

Seeing this, the people below began to cheer, which intensified the atmosphere above.

Seeing this, Suika picked up the sake pot, poured a large bowl of white wine, and slammed it on the table.

"Fine wine is for heroes; the winner gets to be a real man and drink baijiu, while the loser goes to drink some weak fruit wine!"

Although they didn't want to admit that fruit wine wasn't as good as baijiu with Suika, winning or losing was more important at this moment.

Amid cheers, more than a dozen people from both sides went up, and the war dance accompanied by shouts raised the atmosphere even higher.

Then... the two sides started fighting.

Of course, no one used weapons or resorted to dirty tricks; it was just a clash of fists and a contest of muscles.

"They've started fighting, shouldn't we do nothing?" Suika asked Tomimi, who was standing in the crowd.

"No need. They always find an excuse to fight at every banquet. It's a tradition, and everyone's used to it. Don't worry, they know what's important," Tomimi said calmly.

The reason she admires Gavial is that Gavial, as a female Adaklis, single-handedly defeated all the challengers at the festival.

Even though the other had a thin tail while she had a thick one, she still admired the other's dashing figure in battle.

Half an hour later, the battle ended, leaving only one contestant with a thick tail standing on the open ground, his face bruised and swollen, raising his hands to welcome the cheers of the crowd.

Then, excitedly, he picked up the bowl of liquor and downed it in one gulp, before collapsing to the ground with a thud under everyone's gaze.

Suika covered her eyes, unable to bear looking at it.

After such strenuous exercise, his blood and energy were already high, but such a long battle had pushed his spirit and stamina to their limits. That bowl of strong Burning Knife must have weighed at least half a jin. If he could still stand after gulping it down, Suika would have to wonder if she had poured him fake liquor.

Then Suika saw several people who looked like tribal shamans go in, look around, and after confirming that everyone was alright, she waved her hand, and everyone carried them aside before continuing the banquet.

Suika couldn't help but marvel at how Acahualla, despite its primitiveness, had managed to maintain its independence and autonomy within Sargon, and there was a reason for that.

The phrase "the whole nation is a soldier" can be used to describe the tribal members here.

The powerful individual combat strength, coupled with the complex environment, meant that even the king could not easily conquer this place.

Even though other neighboring countries coveted this rich rainforest, Acahualla had Sargon behind him, which unexpectedly ensured that the pristine rainforest region was safely preserved among the various powers.

Chapter 538 Alone in a Foreign Land

Without the dancers from the front, Suika felt it wasn't quite as exciting.

Suddenly I remembered that I have a band.

With a snap of her fingers, the musical instrument appeared out of thin air and began to play, much to the astonishment of those in Gavial's Will.

Since it was Terra who came, and most of the instruments she carried were from Iberia, she played the famous allegro piece – the Fool's Song.

As for the singing, it was naturally the countless Little Suika flying in the air, mingling with the musical instruments.

Most people would be afraid and terrified if they saw so many clones in the sky.

But this is Acahualla.

Faced with the musical instruments and Little Suika in the air, the drunken Adakris stood up again and began to revel.

After the lively feast, the sober people gradually went back inside, while the drunk were left unattended in the square.

Anyway, the weather here is warm enough that sleeping on the ground won't have any effect.

After the banquet, Suika found Tomimi sleeping on a rock, a smile on her lips, as if she was having a sweet dream.

Just moments before, Tomimi picked up a glass and drank the hot fruit wine—a mixture of Suika and fruit wine—that had been heated up. Then, in a daze, she pulled out a picture of Gavial, looked at it, and lay down on the ground contentedly, peacefully drifting off to sleep.

Suika carried her to her house before returning to the treehouse.

However, Suika is quite energetic right now and has no intention of sleeping at all.

She sat atop the tree canopy, holding Ibuki Gourd, and looked up at the Twin Moons in the sky, humming a lullaby.

"The sound of the ringing sound of the bell insect..."

Right after she finished singing, she heard soft applause behind her.

Turning my head, I saw the high priest standing on a tree branch.

"It's a good song, but it conveys a sense of sadness and loneliness, which doesn't quite match the style of tonight."

The high priest adjusted his glasses and then commented.

"Haha, I just suddenly felt like singing. There's a saying that goes, 'The loneliness felt amidst joy is the most real.'"