Chapter 314 - 256: Then Settle Down Here_1

Words : 1998 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

Chapter 314: Chapter 256: Then Settle Down Here_1"What are we waiting for? Aren’t you going to invite your ladies to join us?" Gaven urged from the side. His insistence wasn’t merely to attend the demi-human banquet but also to further foster the relationship between the demi-humans and the Fae Race. Their cooperation had only just begun; they couldn’t maintain this state of being in the same place yet not recognizing each other. If he didn’t continue to push things along from behind, relying solely on them, there was no telling when they’d act. "No need to call them, they’ve been here for a while," Nicole pointed at Thornspike. Suddenly, an irrepressible wave of mischievous laughter bubbled up from Thornspike’s branches. One by one, petite figures appeared atop them—hundreds of Pikespirits, primarily from Nectar Village, with others from different villages supplementing their numbers. Clearly, they had been there for some time, likely since the moment Gaven arranged for Thornspike to carry the wine. Their curious nature, drawn to the excitement of bustling scenes, led them to gather where the action was. Accustomed to this, Gaven spoke with severity, "You may join the banquet with me, but there is one condition: no invisibility, no pranks." Nicole muttered under her breath, "That’s not one condition, that’s clearly two conditions." seaʀᴄh thё NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Anyone with objections can refrain from attending," Gaven added sternly. "No, no objections, absolutely none, let’s go," Nicole reassured him repeatedly. No matter if others had objections, she definitely couldn’t afford any; otherwise, Gaven would surely make an example out of her. This was the price one paid for being too familiar. A heavy-duty truck, in the hands of an ordinary person, was an extremely cumbersome item. In the hands of Thornspike, it was like a toy car, no matter how full the load; a rope tied to its behind felt light as air. The Pikespirits were lazy as well, not even bothering to fly—they called over friends and merrily sat on Thornspike’s branches, swaying comfortably back and forth. Thornspike showed no impatience with these natural companions crowding upon him; on the contrary, he seemed to enjoy their company. Treants and the Fae Race represented one of the most common symbiotic relationships in nature. Many Fae built their communities directly upon the Treants themselves. The Pikespirits were no exception, spurning the carefully prepared rooms Gaven had arranged for them at the manor. They preferred to gather and stay on Thornspike or went directly to visit the Gnomes. The relationship between the two different Fae groups was harmonious. The towering figure of Thornspike was quite conspicuous, even in the night, and the demi-humans stationed at Anbao Boat Village noticed them from hundreds of meters away. The Demi-Human Chief, Avery, hastened to greet them, accompanied by a handful of demi-humans. From afar, Gaven greeted them with a smile, "We’ve come uninvited; I hope we haven’t caused any trouble." "Lord, why would you say that?" Avery responded with a smile, "This is a great honor for us. Had you not been so busy, we would have invited you to our banquet long ago." "Actually, my visit this time is specifically to apologize. We had an agreement, so why have you become invisible again?" Gaven noticed an absence of activity behind him, and looking back, all those Pikespirits had vanished once more. Nicole reappeared on Gaven’s shoulder, sticking out her tiny pink tongue with embarrassment, "It’s just habit, just habit. Everyone come out, come out. Otherwise, don’t blame me for sending you back and not allowing you to attend the banquet." Giggle! Laugh! Laughter that couldn’t be suppressed emanated from Thornspike as the Pikespirits flapped their wings, emerging one by one from invisibility, shy as new brides just stepping through the door, with most of their bodies hidden behind Thornspike. This scenario deepened Gaven’s understanding of the shy nature of the Fae Race. No wonder in his previous life, having lived in Felen for many years, he had fought and taught all manner of demons and Devils, yet had so little to do with the Fae Race. If these Fae were so elusive even around kind people, let alone someone from his previous life who was steeped in dark mires and firmly in the lawful evil camp, it would be a miracle for the Fae to give him the time of day. In this life, it seemed that the Fae Race was so common, so easy to interact with. That was mainly thanks to the Golden Milestone of Destiny, and secondarily to the contract with the Supreme Fairy Wilderness. Once they had all reappeared, Gaven resumed the earlier conversation, "I believe you must have sensed it, but I also have a group of Fae workers who have been working with you. They are too shy to meet with you face-to-face, often playing pranks behind your backs, and even sneaking into your banquets to take your food without asking." Though Avery was already aware that Gaven had a group of Fae workers, seeing the actual number of Fae on Thornspike still shocked the Demi-Human Chief. Not to mention employing Fae to work for them, under normal circumstances, even catching sight of a Fae was not an easy task. In the Three Rivers Region alone, there was a group of Gnomes that had been neighbors with them for many years. Apart from Druids and lost children who had interacted with them, most demi-humans had never had the chance to see them. All the more, it solidified Avery’s suspicion that this Lord was not ordinary but surely a significant figure from the Elf community. With myriad thoughts swirling in his mind, the Half-Person Chief nonetheless kept a composed and smiling demeanor as he replied, "Lord, you are too modest. It’s our honor to have them attend our banquet, not to mention they did not come empty-handed. Our children have all accepted their gifts, which makes them our guests." "A banquet without wine isn’t really a banquet, so today’s drinks are on me," Gaven said with a smile, gesturing to the cart of dark grape wine behind him, "and consider it a celebration of our initial successful cooperation." "This is indeed too precious. We can’t accept it," Avery said, shaking her head emphatically, "Lord, you might not know that your Weizemay black grape wine has become quite famous outside. It has a nickname, ’Ghost Grape Wine,’ and costs ten Gold Coins per cup—when you can even find it. "Traders are spurring their horses, rushing this way. In a few days, those wine merchants will have trampled down the doors to your vineyards. You should keep it for selling, Lord," Avery continued. Most of the time, Anbao Boat Village didn’t act collectively but split into countless small fleets, living in groups of three or five on the Ashaba River. The news of Weizemay Manor’s recovery and the re-signing of the employment agreement with the boat village... ...spread to every Demi-Human’s ears as ships passed by. New houseboats joined Anbao Boat Village every day, and with their arrival came news from both banks of the Ashaba River. Over the past ten days... ...the recovery of Weizemay Manor and the unearthing of a batch of uniquely flavored black grape wines from the cellars, had not only spread throughout Battle Valley but also across most of the Valley. Those who had tasted the wine revered it as "Ghost Grape Wine," claiming that drinking it felt like being embraced by a ghost. This startling reputation did not deter tasters; on the contrary, it piqued the curiosity of even more seekers of the novel, willing to pay exorbitant prices. "Miss Regina’s actions were indeed swift; she has effectively marketed our black grape wine," Gaven remarked, unable to hide his admiration. He wasn’t surprised by the information the Half-Person Chief had disclosed. Including the moniker of "Ghost Grape Wine," because this was a gimmick he and Regina had agreed upon half a month ago, a ploy to attract more attention. "So, Miss Regina has been helping you market it all along. No wonder," Avery realized with sudden clarity. The Valley had been abuzz with news of Weizemay Manor’s recovery quite soon, and there must certainly have been someone stirring the pot behind the scenes—it turned out to be the Princess of Battle Valley. Lady Estelle had mentioned this at their first meeting, but until now they had taken it as just bluster. Seeing now that she had been speaking the truth, they realized their own perspective had been too narrow. "No matter how the outside price varies, wine is meant to be drunk," Gaven said, undisturbed by the news, and unwilling to change his initial decision. For him, the cart wasn’t just filled with wine but also goodwill and courtesies meant to strengthen their relationship; monetary value was secondary. "No, this won’t do; the gift is simply too generous..." Avery kept shaking his head. A cart of Ghost Grape Wine, by current market value, could easily be worth at least ten thousand Gold Coins, the equivalent of three brand new houseboats. What would be consumed wasn’t merely wine, but Gold Coins. It was not something they could afford—it was meant for the wealthy elites of Sambia. "Once a gift is given, there’s no taking it back," replied Gaven, not giving Avery any chance to argue, "From now on, the wine is yours. Whether to drink it is up to you. But we’re definitely attending this banquet. What are we waiting for? You’ve been watching others perform their dances for days; don’t you want to let them enjoy our own ’Fantasy Aerial Dance’?" His last few words were clearly addressed to the Pikespirits. This struck a chord with the Pikespirits, who had been eager for their turn. Without needing any prompting from Gaven, Nicole took the initiative to ascend into the air and said, "Come, brothers and sisters, let’s not let Lord’s kindness go to waste. Play the music, sing, and dance!" It was easy once someone took the lead. Following Nicole’s aerial somersaults and dancing, the other Pikespirits left Thornspike and joined her formation. The procession grew as it entered Anbao Boat Village, apparently attracting some Pikespirits who’d snuck into the festivity on their own and were now prompted by their kin to come out. "Mom, Dad, come look! That’s the lady who gave me an apple the day before yesterday. I told you Pikespirits were real, but you didn’t believe me—do you believe it now?" "They really are Pikespirits. I didn’t think there would be so many." "Such beautiful people, such wonderful dances. Are we sure we’re not dreaming?" "Even in dreams, I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful or dances quite like these." "This is truly magical." The fantastic scene of dancing Pikespirits in the sky left the Demi-Humans spellbound, wondering if they were dreaming as they forgot their own dance moves. But they were soon infected by the Pikespirits’ cheerful rhythm and began dancing along. In the sky, on the boats, on the water’s reflection... ...figures danced gracefully, enriching the dreamlike scenery even more. This preemptive celebration left the Half-Person Chief Avery with no choice but to accept Gaven’s gift while expressing his gratitude profusely, "Lord, we’ve been looked after in so many ways, allowed to harvest wild vegetables on your land, and even the various game from your vineyards given to us for almost nothing. This is the first time we’ve experienced what it’s like to have meat at every meal for ten days straight. And now to accept such valuable grape wine from you. You are the most kindhearted and generous Lord I have ever met in my life, bar none. Living under your rule would be the happiest of affairs." Gaven half-seriously, half-jokingly invited them, "Then stay here and settle down. I guarantee you can live like this every day."

Chapter 314 - 256: Then Settle Down Here_1

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