Volume 4: How big is the heart, how vast is the earth Chapter 126 Teacher Ayun's Style
General Kleist's handsome face almost cracked...
Evelin quickly added, “The teacher said he would think about it in the next chapter.”
Crest: “…” If you ask the Elf General whether he is satisfied with this explanation, the answer is definitely no… But how can he still be so nagging!
General Kleist calmed down and really didn't want to see the mysterious man created in this article being ruined by the original author, so he asked, "Evelyn, who will draw the illustrations for this travelogue?"
Evelyn let out an "eh" and looked confused - damn, she was so excited about the two travel notes that she forgot about the important illustrations!
"I 'll draw it." General Crest said solemnly. He had realized that after Evelyn became a disciple of the Snow Wolf tribe's teacher, her descendants had become unreliable. He couldn't let that ideal man be wasted by this master and disciple!
Which elf who can live for hundreds of years is not versatile? Crest not only has first-class martial arts, tactics, and appearance (his round chin does not affect his appearance), but also has made great achievements in the field of art. He is particularly good at figure drawing, calligraphy and poetry. He immediately asked his wife to prepare pen, ink and manuscript paper for him so that he could depict the mysterious man who made him yearn for in the travel notes.
On the quiet streets of an unknown town, a man looked sideways, a black half-cloak with a hood covered the upper half of the man's face, the gray-black leather armor was stretched out into hard and smooth curves by his strong and powerful body, and his slightly bent figure looked like a beast ready to attack; under the shadow of the hood, a faintly visible eye had a sharp and cold look, an indifferent expression, the corners of his lips were like knives, and his slender and powerful fingers blocked the completely hidden left eye, as if blocking the peeper's sight, or as if measuring where the peeper's neck should be cut.
"...The general's characters are still so brilliant. You should be the one to draw the illustrations for this travelogue. The characters on paper seem to have souls." Evelyn clapped guiltily.
Kleist looked at her with disdain, carefully rolled up the illustration he had drawn, and tied it lightly to the original manuscript with a ribbon. Then he sat back and picked up the second manuscript and started.
Then he saw his name.
“If you weren’t used as the prototype, Teacher Ayun would have used Hailin as the protagonist.” Evelin said sadly.
"..." General Kleist was speechless for a while, and had to endure the discomfort and lower his head to read the manuscript.
Without any redundant descriptions or whining, "The Elf Ranger and His Snow Wolf Friend's Journey to the Continent" begins with the two protagonists crossing the western continent on a small airship and encountering a strong storm. They landed in an unknown mountain area with great risk, and their supplies were lost and food was scarce. They had to survive in the wild in the desolate mountains...
The two hungry people made a lot of jokes in their search for food. First, the snow werewolf Hongye grabbed a fat insect and handed it to the elf ranger, saying, "Just remove the head and you can eat it." The elf ranger was scared and ran away. Then the ranger found edible wild vegetables and cooked them into soup, forcing the snow werewolf to drink it while pinching his nose. The light-hearted and funny scenes not only eased the tense atmosphere at the beginning, but also indirectly showed the deep feelings between the two people.
After introducing the characters and backgrounds of the two protagonists, the next part is the story of dealing with the local indigenous dwarf village. To sum up, it can be summarized as follows: the villagers accept the request for help, and they can't bear the dwarves' poverty and help them. The conservative dwarf village chief doesn't trust outsiders and demands to drive them away. The two protagonists try to gain the support of the villagers, and the workers transform the hillside into terraces. A long paragraph describes the difficulties encountered in the transformation of the terraces and the solutions thought up by the clever elf ranger. After the terraces are formed, a water wheel is built to solve the irrigation problem...
The combination of the snow wolf Hongye's powerful non-human stamina and hands-on ability with the elf ranger Crest's clever brain, overcoming difficulties and solving problems step by step is the deepest pleasure of this travelogue. The elf general, who has no feelings for dwarves and has no close friends with the snow wolf tribe at all, became more and more excited as he read, and the corners of his mouth could not stop curling up... He even felt that if he was really "Ranger Crest", it would not be a problem for him to help the dwarves he had never taken seriously.
In this process, many funny scenes are cleverly set up in the text, which always make the readers laugh. If the elf general had not tried his best to control his laughter, his laughter might have alarmed his wife in the living room outside.
Xiao Yun could do other things, but he definitely didn't have any literary skills. But there was one advantage to living in an era of information explosion in his previous life. He had access to online novels, comics, movies, and games, so he knew very well how to attract readers' attention through popular stories - that is, to infinitely strengthen the sense of immersion, so that readers can immerse themselves in the protagonist's shoes. We don't care about artistry, sensibility, or literary quality. As long as readers can empathize with the protagonist, this popular story is considered successful.
Then, the routine excitement is inserted into the plot... The villain who is the antagonist must be the most prestigious person in the chapter, and then this villain is strongly beaten in the face by the low-key and powerful protagonist. This kind of reversal and counterattack plot is popular among people in all worlds.
As for the practical and personal opinions sandwiched between the texts, that is a matter of personal opinion... Anyway, whether it is practical or personal, it can add depth to the article and make the fictional story seem like the truth.
After reading 30,000 words, Kleist put away the manuscript and looked at Evelin reservedly and with a sharp gaze: "Who will illustrate this article?"
Evelyn understood and respectfully made a gesture of invitation.
Before the new trade route was opened, it would take some time for Ananas City to contact the Bards Association. Now that the association has applied for a permanent base in the city, it is much easier . General Crest came with the manuscript and his illustrations. After reading them, the person in charge of the association's base patted his thigh and opened the contact mirror to negotiate with the headquarters, and immediately stuffed the two travel manuscripts into the current issue of "Travels of the Continent".
The elves were very reliable, far more reliable than the sluggish Adventurer's Association. Five days later, Evelyn returned to the Snow Wolf Tribe in high spirits, carrying several sample copies of the new issue of "Travels on the Continent" with her.
"Today, this travelogue will be sent to every corner of the continent by the Bards' Guild. Teacher, our names will be seen by countless people!" Evelyn was so excited that she held her hands to her heart, her face flushed.
"Oh, that's great." Xiao Yun said casually and calmly opened the sample issue.
The elves were very meticulous in their work. The only monthly magazine in the entire continent was very beautifully made, and the paper used was also very particular. When one opened the cover, the first travelogue published was his work.
Although Xiao Yun did not recognize the common characters in the sample magazine, the illustrations of this travelogue were enough to reveal everything... The protagonist was drawn like a black version of Assassin's Creed, and a weird square kitchen knife was drawn on the waist very "faithfully to the original" - except for the kitchen knives used at home which were of this shape, Xiao Yun really didn't believe that there would be anyone on this continent who would carry such a square knife when going out.
"What's written on it?" Xiao Yun asked, pointing at the text above the illustration page.
"This row of big characters is the title, 'Travels of the Gourmet Hunter Continent'. Below it are the authors. The first row is your name. Original author: Ayun of the Snow Wolf Clan. Author: Forest Elf Evelyn (*////▽////*)." Evelyn said shyly and excitedly.
Xiao Yun nodded with satisfaction. The elves were still very principled. They did not forget to mark the Snow Wolf author's name as he requested, and placed it in such a conspicuous position.
After turning over the page of unfamiliar text, Xiao Yun was even more satisfied when he saw the frontispiece of the next agricultural promotion article... The illustration of this article showed two people standing side by side. One was a lightly dressed elf ranger, and the other was a burly man with snow wolf ears carefully painted on both sides of his head. This was a good promotion~
"The painting is very vivid, especially our people. Who painted this?" Xiao Yun asked with great interest.
"It was drawn by General Kleist himself!" Evelyn said excitedly.
Xiao Yun: “…” That guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes really has the nerve to draw the protagonist with the same name as himself to be so handsome.
Okay, since Hongye is also drawn very handsomely, I'll forgive him.
"Teacher, the Bards' Guild hopes that the manuscript for the next chapter can be submitted as soon as possible to avoid hasty revisions like this time. There is no time to carve color plates for the inner page illustrations, so they can only be in black and white." Evelyn said again.
"Oh... I got it. I'll deal with this matter later when I have time. I'll go see how the sweet potatoes are doing, and you can catch up on the homework you missed these few days." Xiao Yun patted his butt and stood up to leave.
Evelin quickly jumped onto the kang table and grabbed the corner of Xiao Yun’s clothes: “Wait a minute, teacher, generally speaking, manuscripts published in travel notes are submitted one month in advance, and it’s too late now!”
"We made it in time before. Even if we're ten or twenty days late this time, it will still be in time. Besides, I can't make up so many stories at once. Let me think about it for a few days." Xiao Yun slapped her paw away.
Evelin leaned over the table and hugged Xiao Yun's waist: "That was a temporary addition - don't lie to me, you can come up with a story right away if you want!"
"Can you be a little more polite and reserved? It's not nice to hug each other like that!" Xiao Yun scolded, "My brain needs a rest, too. Come on, let go. I'll go get some materials first."
"Source?"
"Yes, in the next Elf Ranger's Travels we will write about how Crest and Hongye taught poor people without fields to grow hydroponic sweet potatoes. It's very practical and can solve people's livelihood problems. Okay, let go, I really need to go collect materials~"
“You’re trying to trick me again! You know best how to grow sweet potatoes, there’s no need to collect materials!” Evelin hugged him tighter.
Xiao Yun: “…” Evelyn, the elf, is harder to fool than Balk, the stupid dragon. Worry!
In the winter, the noodle factory still had to start work every other day. Balke, who was diligently extracting moisture from vermicelli, suddenly felt a little unhappy for some reason.
"...Is Auston secretly scolding me again?" Balk scratched his head in confusion.
The headquarters of the Bards' Guild on the continent of Bloomfield is located in the ice-free port in the northern part of the southern continent, the famous commercial center city of Valentine.
Valentine City belongs to the most powerful country in the Northern Federation of the Southern Continent, the Kingdom of Kronin, which has the largest land area in the Southern Continent and a population of nearly 50 million. With such a large population base and the hard work of the Kronin royal family, the country is at its peak and has many elites. Nearly 30% of the powerful marine corps and patrol teams stationed in various places of the Lamia Merchant Corps come from Kronin. There are also many Kronin people in the free forces such as the Spellcaster Association, Alchemist Association, Bard Association, Adventurer Association, Hunter Association, etc.
After it started snowing on the grassland, Isaac's small team boarded the Adventurer's Association's ship and returned to the warmer southern continent. When the northern continent was already covered in ice and snow, it had just started snowing in Valentine, the commercial center city at the northernmost end of the southern continent.
This year's adventure was fruitful, and Isaac simply used the team fees paid by everyone in the team to rent a small building in the busiest commercial district of Valentine as the team's base. The rent of this place is not cheap, more than 20 gold coins a year, which is also expensive for Isaac's small team; but since they want to recruit reliable new teammates in Valentine City, they have to spend money, and living in the commercial district has other advantages. At least they can be the first to know the price changes in the market, so as not to be deceived and fooled when trading.
In the Oak Tavern, Isaac and Alex were chatting with a plant hunter.
It is not easy to invite this plant hunter girl. Such talents who gave up their main combat jobs to take a side job are extremely popular in any team, because they can prevent the team from missing those valuable but inconspicuous treasures when passing through certain special areas. In order to get a chance to have a drink with this girl, Isaac paid a full thirty silver coins to the intelligence merchant.
But unfortunately... Isaac got the news too late. This plant hunter girl from Kroning had just accepted an invitation from a big team a day ago. Upon learning the purpose of Isaac and Alex's visit, she shook her head apologetically, got up and left leisurely.
"It's Theodore again. The alchemist we had our eyes on last time was snatched away by that guy. Could it be that the bastard is targeting us specifically?" After the plant hunter left, Alex couldn't help but complain.
"It's not hard for a small team like us to hire an alchemist. Even if it wasn't Theodore, there would be other big teams that would help." Isaac sighed and took a big gulp of wine. "Besides, Theodore's team brought back two living chimeras and stole the show. It's obvious to choose them or us."
The muscles on Alex's cheeks twitched, and he said unhappily, "Hey, what should we do then? Should we pick up people on the street?"
If there is no individual adventurer that is favored by any team and cannot even afford to hang out in a tavern, he can only wander the streets hoping to meet a team leader who is not picky about people. However, such people are generally weak and cannot play a big role even if they are invited to join the team.
Isaac shook his head. "We don't have the manpower to take care of the newcomers. Forget it. I'll go find the intelligence dealer this afternoon."
Ali cursed the black-hearted and unreliable intelligence dealer in a low voice, took two bites of the side dish and slammed the table angrily: "It's too disgusting. They dare to sell this kind of barbecue for twenty copper coins a plate. They are not even worthy of carrying the shoes of the Snow Wolf Tribe. The free kimchi is ten times more delicious than this!"
Just as Alex slammed the table, an even louder slamming sound came from the bar. Alex was startled and turned his head to see a burly barbarian adventurer with a red nose yelling at the waiter, "I came here because I heard that the Oak Tavern is the best tavern on this street, but you don't even have cold rabbit!"
The waiter was probably used to seeing drunk people, so he said lazily: "The drinks in our Oak Tavern are the most exquisite on this street. We never mix water with our drinks, and we never mix sour drinks and sell them to customers. As for the rabbit meat you mentioned... there are plenty of them in the woods outside the city. You can catch them and roast them yourself."
"I'm talking about eating the rabbit cold! Who wants to eat that smelly rabbit meat!" The adventurer was furious and slammed the table again.
"You can eat it hot or cold if you like. Anyway, I have never heard of any tavern on this street using rabbit meat to fool customers. Maybe you can look for one in the straw hut in the downtown area?" the waiter said mockingly.
The irritable barbarian rolled up his sleeves and prepared to overturn the bar. The waiter's face changed drastically and he hurried out. The adventurers sitting nearby picked up their drinks and snacks and changed seats to watch the fun. At this moment, someone pushed open the double doors and ran in, shouting into the store with a look of surprise: "Arudo, there's a tavern over there that has launched cold rabbit. They're preparing it at the door. Come on!"
The barbarian adventurer's sturdy arms had grasped the edge of the bar, but he immediately let go when he heard the words, turned around, and strode away with his companions.
"Eating rabbit cold? Can rabbit be eaten hot or cold?"
"I've never heard of it. What is it?"
"Is this guy here to cause trouble? Rabbit meat is not as delicious as beef."
The customers in the store were talking to each other. The person sitting near the door stood up curiously and walked out to look outside. After a while, he said to his companion in surprise, "There are so many people gathered there, and there is a fragrance coming over. It smells really good!"
This man's companions also walked to the door, and then this group of people ran away like the previous barbarian adventurers...
There is no one who doesn't have a strong curiosity when it comes to making a living as an adventurer. The customers in the store looked at each other and stood up one after another...
Most of the guests left at once, and the envoy who had been in the mood to mock the barbarian adventurers could no longer sit still, and also ran out...
Isaac and Alex had been eating the delicacies of the Snow Werewolves for more than half a year, and they didn't believe that anyone except the Snow Werewolves could make more delicious food. They sat down and finished their wine before getting up to go out. Then... As soon as they walked out of the tavern door, they smelled a stimulating, familiar and moving aroma coming from the street next to them.
"The Snow Wolf Tribe came to Valentine to open a store?!" Alex shouted in surprise, and ran away pulling Isaac.
It was obviously too late for them to set off now, as the door of the shop selling "cold rabbit" was surrounded by people, and rows of heads and buttocks blocked them from the outside.
"Is it that exaggerated? It's just a side dish!" Alex tried to squeeze in several times but failed. Instead, he was pushed out by the generally strong adventurers with his buttocks. He was very angry.
"It's just a small dish. You're really ignorant." A fat man with his hands on his hips said sourly.
Ali saw that the man was wearing an apron and knew that he also opened a shop on this street. He asked curiously: "Why, can you make this cold rabbit?"
"It's clearly written in the travel notes, any fool would know it." The fat shop owner looked unhappy and spoke in a bad tone.
"Then why don't you do it?" Alex pointed at the dense crowd.
The fat shop owner was silent for a moment, and said reluctantly: "I just sent someone to catch rabbits."
Ali didn't think these clumsy guys could make the Snow Wolf Tribe's delicacies, and he was about to mock them. Isaac stopped him and looked at the fat shop owner in confusion: "Are you talking about the travel notes that teach people to make cold rabbits?"
The fat shop owner was probably in a bad mood because he saw that the business next door was too good. He didn't bother to reply and just turned around and left.
"What's wrong with this guy!" Alex cursed.
"Wait..." Isaac looked at the crowd again and found that many of them had books tucked into their arms.
The adventurers are rough and brutal, but most of them are literate. After all, you can't make it in this business by brute force alone. If you are illiterate, you can't understand the treasure map you find, not to mention being cheated by unscrupulous merchants when selling your gains.
Adventurers often criticized the overly flowery wording in the travelogue of the continent published by the Bards' Guild, but the travelogue did often mention information that was useful to adventurers and had a certain market among adventurers. When Isaac and Alex trotted to the bookstore, the store was crowded and business was no worse than that of the tavern next door.
"Isn't this Mr. Isaac? This issue of 'Travels of the Mainland' just arrived this morning." The boss knew Isaac and handed him the brand new book with a smile.
Alex was illiterate and stood at the door with a bored look on his face, not bothering to go in. Isaac paid the money and walked out to open the book on the street. He was stunned by the frontispiece of the first travelogue.
The exquisite illustrations in the mainland travel journal are one of the selling points of this publication. The elves with superb painting skills will draw monsters with special shapes. Many new adventurers rely on the illustrations in the travel journal to identify their prey. But this is the first time that the focus of the description is placed on a character, and a character whose face is covered by a cloak and whose race cannot be seen.
As soon as he opened the page again... Isaac stopped in his tracks, and read on along the beautifully printed text in amazement, not wanting to take his eyes away.
"What's it written, Isaac?" Alex waited for a while and found that Isaac refused to move, so he asked curiously.
"It's a very interesting story." Isaac said casually.
"Read it to me." Alex said.
Isaac took Alex to the wall next to the bookstore and turned back to the beginning to read to Alex. The lack of redundant descriptions, the catchy words, the smooth and straightforward plot with a brisk rhythm quickly attracted Alex's attention. He usually had little patience when doing things, but he managed to maintain a high level of concentration and finished listening to the not-so-short story. When Isaac read the last sentence, he still looked unsatisfied: "Is that all? Is that all? Who is this man?"
"No." Isaac flipped to the back and took a look before turning back, letting out a sigh. "This travelogue is really unique. It actually describes the entire recipe of a famous delicacy in the story. It's so detailed that I'm afraid others won't be able to learn it."
"Who wrote this travelogue? I really want to eat cold-cooked rabbit now. Why don't we go to that store and queue up?" Ali asked anxiously.
Isaac flipped back and looked at the frontispiece carefully, and was stunned: "Ayun from the Snow Wolf Clan...?"
"It's indeed a travelogue written by the Snow Wolf Tribe. I said that no one else could make such delicious food. Come on, Isaac, let's line up." Alex became even more anxious.
Isaac raised his head and looked at his companions, extremely entangled and inconceivable: "Aren't you curious, Alex? We all know that the Snow Wolf Tribe can cook delicious food, but writing a travelogue... isn't this too weird?"
Ali stamped his feet: "Do you want to go eat or not? If you don't go, I will!"
In the St. Bridget's Palace, Prince Carlisle smiled and shook his head. He looked helplessly at Tim who came to him with the travel notes. "The teacher's style is really... too obvious. This travel note must have been dictated by him and then written by the forest elves. Only Teacher Ayun would ignore literary and artistic qualities and only care about whether the article can convey his ideas and purposes."
"The spices will sell well next year." Tim said with a smile what Carlisle couldn't say.
