Chapter 55: Alton

*Clatter! *

The metal pot bottom collided with the small stones in the soil, making a crisp sound.

The iron pot emitting the aroma of food landed heavily on the meadow.

"Eat quickly, I stewed it for a long time, it must be delicious!"

What appeared before Xia Nan's eyes at this time was a small person whose height just reached his waist.

A pair of light brown eyes shone slightly under the twilight of the sky; the skin was fair and translucent, and on the short brown curly hair, he wore a pointed soft hat decorated with feathers.

Alton,

Halfling, and also one of Xia Nan's companions for this mission.

Unlike the "Dwarves" he had seen, who were like sturdy tree stumps flattened and pulled horizontally; nor were they like those gnomes with big heads and light bodies.

Although halflings were also short, with a height of only three or four feet as adults.

But the body proportions were more similar to humans.

At the same time, their limbs were covered with brown-brown fluff like small animals.

However, Alton before his eyes seemed to be a "Lightfoot Halfling" in their race.

Making the fluff all over his body much less, and the furry part was probably only on his two legs—after all, he was wearing thick linen pants, so Xia Nan just guessed so.

"Radish, honey, and even a little secret pepper I brought out from the village."

"This taste, you must have never tasted it!"

Alton held the pot lid in one hand and his waist in the other, his smiling face full of proud expression.

Xia Nan hurriedly gnawed two bites of the meat jerky in his hand, pretending to be about to be full, while recalling the information he had learned from various places about "halflings" during this period.

Compared to dwarves, who had many dwarf subspecies such as "Hill Dwarves," "Mountain Dwarves," and "Gray Dwarves" based on different living environments, clans of origin, and other factors.

The halflings on the Aifala continent were mainly divided into two types, namely "Strongheart Halflings" and "Lightfoot Halflings."

The former had denser hair and a slightly sturdier body.

They were keen on comfortable home life and would often choose to settle down in one place and live for a long time.

Harmonious neighborhood relations, a warm fireplace, and a piece of freshly baked walnut pie were what Strongheart Halflings pursued.

In contrast, Lightfoot Halflings were more keen on traveling far.

They didn't deliberately pursue any goal, just enjoying everything interesting during the journey.

In most cases, the only ones willing to leave the community and become adventurers rushing between various missions were the "Lightfoot" type.

It is worth mentioning that compared to the love-hate relationships between major "subspecies" of major races on the continent, the relationship between Lightfoot Halflings and Strongheart Halflings was very good.

Although they would sometimes have conflicts because of their different pursuits, with their family-like way of getting along, it was just like daily bickering between brothers and sisters, not serious.

He couldn't escape it in the end.

When Alton looked at him with those shining big eyes, with an incomparably expectant and eager look to get his approval.

He still agreed to taste a bite.

*Sshh—*

The taste was unexpectedly good.

A variety of seasonings mixed together, unexpectedly neutralized the conflicting tastes between each other, leaving only a gentle and comfortable fragrance in the orange-red soup.

Plus the meat chunks that were fat and thin, stewed until soft and rotten, and the radish slices soaked with soup...

With a hint of surprise in his eyes, Xia Nan gave Alton a "thumbs up" gesture, and praised:

"The taste is indeed okay, not much worse than the food in the tavern."

And for Xia Nan's praise, Alton also very much in line with his racial characteristics, maxed out the emotional value.

Laughing happily and heartily:

"Hahaha, thank you! It's not that good."

While adding two more scoops to his bowl.

It wasn't that Xia Nan had any prejudice against Alton, it was just that the personality the other party had shown in these two days was truly too "distinct."

Like most Lightfoot Halflings, he was easygoing and open, full of curiosity about everything encountered on the journey, and keen to try all kinds of fresh things.

Whether it was the specific operation mode of the carriage wheels, or the forage cost of the pack horse for a day...

From the front to the back of the caravan, almost everyone had been enthusiastically pulled by him to chat a few words.

He had tried driving the carriage, and had also learned the technique of setting traps from a certain adventurer with a relatively kind attitude, but the final result was often not as expected.

Even a bit superstitious—

Xia Nan witnessed Alton taking off his hat and bowing to a certain inconspicuous bush on the side of the road.

According to him, this was paying tribute to one of their halfling gods, the nature goddess "Xi La Pei Li Luo Er" who held the authority of agriculture and climate.

In short, although it looked a bit strange in some parts, Alton, at least for now, was a pretty good person.

*Gurgle—*

Adam's apple rolled.

Xia Nan scooped two mouthfuls of stew into his mouth, chatting casually with Alton beside him.

"So, do you believe in the agricultural goddess of your race?"

There were many gods on the Aifala continent, and the pantheons were complex and complicated, and there were not a few overlapping authorities.

Just for the halfling race, there were seven gods in charge of different fields protecting them.

They were called the "He Yin" pantheon by them.

—"He Yin" was the halfling's self-proclaimed name for their race, which originated from rural slang and gradually spread to all parts of the continent.

Xia Nan was therefore also a bit curious about how halflings themselves viewed these direct gods who were as kind as parents but difficult to contact.

Unexpectedly, regarding Xia Nan's doubts, Alton shook his head.

The family-like community relationship of halflings made them treat the gods who protected their own race as part of the family.

Under these circumstances, wanting halflings to offer their own sincere devotion like those priests outside was not quite appropriate.

"So, you..."

Just when Xia Nan thought that the other party, like himself, had no god to believe in.

Alton smiled slightly.

He took out a coin that emitted a metallic luster from his waist bag.

*Ding—*

Fingertips exerted force, and the coin popped high.

Spinning, falling.

Alton opened his fingers, and in his palm, the coin was face up.

Revealing the pattern carved on its surface:

A long-haired woman with a blurred face but vaguely discoverable smile at the corners of her mouth.

"Lady of Smiles,"

The goddess of luck who holds the authority of "fate"—

【Tymora】

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 56 =====

(End of Chapter)