Chapter 171: Playing the Host

“I see.”

Ye Xingyao nodded with a look of partial understanding, deciding to keep an open mind and take in the wonders of the Elf Forest.

This world was magnificent and mysterious. In human cities, most people with superpowers were able to shine brightly, and as for magical girls… they were probably just a type of superpower, right?

Meanwhile, the elves possessed this rich inherited legacy and powerful magical talent. The elven world must be vastly different from the human world, and as someone who had grown up human, it was absolutely impossible not to be curious about such things.

Following Ilaira as she wove through the woods for a while, the slightly damp air carried the scent of soil and leaves. This refreshing sensation was nothing like being in a park.

After walking a few dozen more steps, the view opened up…

Well, no, it didn’t really open up. Ilaira simply stopped at a certain spot, and the girls followed suit.

“My, it’s been so long since I’ve been back here.”

A trace of nostalgia appeared on Yi Lin’s face. Those who were a bit older always had their moments of reminiscing about the past, while for the younger girls…

“Xiaoyue, Xiaoyue, what’s it really like inside the Elf Forest?” Ye Xingyao sidled up next to Yi Shiyue, pressing close to her ear and asking curiously.

“Not too sure about that. I’ve been outside for as long as I can remember.”

Yi Shiyue gathered up her slightly disheveled hair, tidying it for her as she answered with a hint of helplessness.

“Mm, sorry about that.”

Ye Xingyao played cute, feeling like she might have made her girlfriend recall some unpleasant memories.

“I don’t mind.”

Just as these two beautiful girls, one in black and one in white, were immersed in their little moment together, Ilaira glanced at them with a hint of envy, then inconspicuously nudged Yi Lin’s shoulder and whispered:

“Aren’t you going to do something about them?”

“Me? Why would I do anything about them? If they’re happy doing that, let them be.”

Yi Lin looked up and swept a glance at her, answering in a slightly annoyed tone.

She hadn’t been by their side anyway. That the young man and young woman’s feelings had changed was already something she had expected, and now that the young man had become a young woman, seeing the two of them continue to be so close seemed perfectly fine to her.

“If you’d like to stay here this time, we would be more than happy to have you.”

Ilaira paused, steering the topic away from the Star Elf and Moon Elf romance, and turned her attention back to Yi Lin and Yi Shiyue.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m doing just fine living outside. As for Xiaoyue… you’ve seen it yourself, haven’t you?”

Yi Lin shrugged. Honestly, if it weren’t for her granddaughter, she wouldn’t have bothered dealing with the Elf Forest at all. The past couldn’t just be let go like that.

Oh, right, and now there was also a young Star Elf girl to consider.

“That’s true enough. Alright, we should head inside now.”

Ilaira nodded in agreement, then raised her voice a little and clapped her hands to draw the girls’ attention back to her as they each did their own thing.

Then, she took a pure white stone from her collar and poured her magic power into it. The stone quickly began to seethe like boiling water, emitting a wispy white mist that enveloped everyone within it.

As the mist entered their noses, it wasn’t irritating like ordinary smoke or making their throats itchy. Instead, it was quite refreshing, carrying a comfortable aura of magic power.

The mist gradually grew denser, and before long, the girls could no longer be seen through it. After another moment, the mist slowly dissipated, and the spot was as untouched as if no one had ever set foot there.

For the girls, it felt more like a blur of mist, and then they sensed themselves being lifted from their original spot and transported elsewhere, only unable to see their surroundings through the haze.

Fortunately, this white mist came and went quickly. Not much time seemed to pass before the inner scenery of the Elf Forest came into view.

The grass beneath their feet was firm yet soft. Stretching out before their eyes, the ankle-high green meadow was adorned with countless colors—flowers rarely seen or even named in the human world. Was this what it meant to be the Elf Forest, after all?

Looking further into the distance, towering trees that pierced the clouds could be seen, along with signs of elves living there.

Everything was so unreal it felt like it could only exist in a dream, yet having never seen such sights before, they probably couldn’t even have dreamed up something this beautiful.

“Xingyao, is that a butterfly?”

Fumier tugged at Ye Xingyao’s skirt and pointed excitedly at the colorful butterflies fluttering among the flowers.

Such things were nowhere to be found among the Blood Elf clans, and even their collection of books rarely depicted these “fragile little creatures,” so ever since arriving here, all things full of life felt novel to Fumier.

“It is. Does Fumier want to go catch butterflies?”

Ye Xingyao responded gently. If Ye Xingling were standing here, she’d probably be stuck on the thought of “Just who is more like your sister, her or me?!”

But unfortunately, Ye Xingling wasn’t here, and the only girl receiving Ye Xingyao’s gentle affection was Fumier.

“Never mind, let’s wait until we find a place to settle down first.”

What made Fumier most endearing was never her cute appearance, but her almost too-clever obedient personality, along with the innocence she occasionally revealed.

“Alright, once we’re settled in, your sister Xiaoyue and I will take you to catch butterflies.”

Ye Xingyao patted Fumier’s little head. If there was nothing to worry about and everything was safe, she would love to treat this trip like a vacation.

She was a slender young woman around twenty years old too! What was wrong with having a bit of a girlish heart?

“Miss Xingyao is right. Once we’re settled, we can do anything. Hehe, I highly recommend the nighttime scenery of the Elf Forest.”

Ilaira smiled and nodded, gesturing for the girls to follow.

“Just ahead is the village of the Forest Elves. The vast majority of those living in this Elf Forest are Forest Elves, with a small number of Earth Elves. As for us Moon Elves… we’re quite few in number now. The only newly born young Moon Elf is Ina, the sole one left.”

Ilaira introduced the current state of the Elf Forest as they walked, like a devoted tour guide. Upon hearing her words, Ina shyly lowered her head a little, only to realize that the other girls weren’t paying attention to her at all, so she sulked off to the back of the group.

“The place we’re hosting you all is in our Moon Elf village. It’s also the most prosperous area in this Elf Forest, with a good number of books and rare fruits and vegetables.”

“If possible, please do stay in the Elf Forest for a day or two. Let us properly play the part of hosts.”