Fairy Tale Town 2

The mage stared at her steadily. "It seems our spellcasting systems differ greatly. You need to adapt again."

Fairy Tale Town 2

"In Kanado, spellcasters who wield Arcane energy are called Arcanists, while those who believe in the Light God and use divine arts are called Divine Casters. This has been the most widespread classification across the continent for nearly three hundred years. Terms such as mage and priest may only be found in fragments within ancient books that have not yet been destroyed."

"Believe me, Elur, if you rashly call a Divine Caster a priest, he will fly into a rage. Priests are merely low-ranking clergy of the Holy See; you can see them in any small rural chapel. Divine Casters, however, are respected high-ranking clergy who serve in the central churches of each diocese, while high-level Divine Casters answer directly to the temples."

"As for why mages were driven out and branded evil, that cannot be explained in a few words. Besides, I am a mage. Are you sure you want to believe everything I say?"

Odovish's tone did not fluctuate much. This was not the first time Elufiel had heard the phrase "evil mages" from him, and apart from faint mockery, she could not discern any other emotion.

"Odovish, first of all, I do not believe there is any distinction of high or low, noble or base among spellcasters. Every profession has its own value. Mages deal damage to enemies, priests are the foundation of healing, warriors charge fearlessly, knights protect the team, while rangers handle reconnaissance and assassination. Those are the rules I am familiar with. I have my own judgment. I will not easily place my trust in one side's unilateral claims, nor will I blindly conclude that either side is wrong." This was what Elufiel told the mage. She did not know what had happened in this world, but she would observe with her own eyes and listen with her own ears until she found the answer.

"You will learn." Odovish said, "But before that, can you tell me what drove you mad? I need to make sure nothing unexpected happens on the road ahead."

An embarrassed expression appeared on Elufiel's face. The warmth indoors had stopped her skin from looking so deathly pale, but only barely; a rosy, healthy complexion would never appear on her face. "Well, it is a racial affliction. Where I come from, the High Elves who branched off from the Night Elves all suffer from magic addiction. Those elves who suppress it by drawing out magical energy formed the Blood Elf race. And I am a Blood Elf."

"Blood Elf?" Odovish repeated the term, which did not exist in the common language of Kanado.

Elufiel nodded. "Yes. The Elvish you mentioned before is similar to our Thalassian, the language of the Blood Elves. We call ourselves the Sin'dorei. I suppose the elf races here are different from those where I come from as well? Could you give me a brief introduction? If I have the chance, I would like to see the elves here."

Odovish pulled out a stool and gestured for Elufiel to sit. Then he put away the white crystal supporting the magic array, walked over to the door, and rang a bell. "Do not worry. I will explain everything you want to know, but before that, perhaps you need some food."

At the mage's words, Elufiel thought of another question. She took out a gold coin and asked, "Can this be used?"

After ordering the meal, the mage sat across from her. He took the coin from her hand, examined it for a while, and said, "This is your currency? The pattern is very exquisite. In Kanado, plain pure gold and silver coins are accepted by every nation, though there are certain standards for their purity. Have a dwarf recast this one, and it can be used."

"That is good. I was worried I would end up penniless." Elufiel smiled.

The innkeeper, Paul, soon brought over the food: mushroom soup, two portions of roasted meat from some unknown creature, and some dry bread.

After the innkeeper left, Odovish set the crystals back in place as he explained, "Roasted rabbit legs. The Green Forest produces a kind of short-haired rabbit. Its meat is very delicious, and it is one of the local specialties."

Elufiel tried some. "It tastes a little like juicy wolf meat."

Seeing Elufiel eat so earnestly, Odovish said with some surprise, "I thought elves preferred vegetables. The elves of Kanado can roughly be divided into two types. One is the Light Elves. They have pale skin and pointed ears, and their features resemble yours, though their ears are not as long. The Light Elves are further divided into Moon Elves, Forest Elves, and so on. Some are skilled with bows, while others excel at nature magic. Druids are a profession unique to elves. The Light Elves now live in the Elf Forest of the Sunset Mountains, in the western part of the continent."

"Mm, clearly I am not like them. What about the other kind?" Elufiel asked.

Odovish said, "The other kind of elves are called Drow, also known as Dark Elves. They live in dark underground cities. They are more slender and smaller than Light Elves, with blackish-gray skin and red eyes. Drow usually have white hair, though some have other dull hair colors. Ancient mages have confirmed that Light Elves and Dark Elves share the same origin. The Book of Magic records that the Dark Elves were cursed and exiled by the Elven Queen. Carrying deep hatred, they rose again in the underground cities, which are now entirely the domain of the Drow."

"What made the Elven Queen curse and exile them?" Elufiel was deeply interested in the elves of this world.

"To this day, it remains a mystery. Even many elves themselves do not know, but the hatred has been passed down from generation to generation. However, Light Elves rarely travel the continent now. The only ones widely known are the dangerous and vicious Drow. Every year, many mercenaries venture into the underground cities, and some Drow come to the surface after accepting assassination missions." Odovish seemed very familiar with these matters. Not only did he explain the basics to Elufiel, but he also expanded upon many other subjects. Finally, he asked, "Then what about your race? Eluer, you said Blood Elves branched off from Night Elves. Why was that?"

Elufiel pondered for a while, then told the mage a story. Though it was already a simplified version, it still took quite some time, including the two of them checking the meanings of certain words.