Chapter 1325: Probing, Performing

As for the appearance of that investigator Tuofu, it was not that important to Xia Duo; while the other party was indeed a Moon Elf he could relatively accept, that was all there was to it.

Compared to the other party's status, the factor of appearance could almost be ignored.

Just as Xia Duo entered the courtyard and cast a scrutinizing gaze at the Cormanthor investigator, he also felt a gaze from the other party that was similarly filled with scrutiny.

Yet the feeling that gaze gave him was much milder than the "condescension" he had expected before coming, which also caused Xia Duo to change the attitude he had initially prepared.

He came before Tuofu with composure, performed a standard greeting between peers of the Elves, and then spoke:

"I heard the Territory had a guest from Cormanthor. Seeing Lady Tuofu now, I realize what a noble guest it is; the Moon Crown Family will have successors for the next thousand years!"

Tuofu was noncommittal toward such flattery, but she was still quite satisfied with Xia Duo's attitude; she was seen gracefully plucking a flower from a plant that had just grown.

She held it with both hands and presented it to Xia Duo, saying in a playful tone:

"You are the new student Iolum has taken—Xia Duo?"

"It is I."

Xia Duo picked up the fresh flower Tuofu had offered, tucked it behind his ear, and then said humbly: "Could it be that Lady Tuofu has heard of my shallow reputation even in Cormanthor?"

Unexpectedly, this caused Tuofu to burst into a giggle, "If your reputation counts as shallow, then there aren't many people in all of Netheril who can claim to have a profound one."

Subsequently, she changed the subject, "Lord Xia Duo, your Elvish is spoken quite well, it just lacks a bit of the flavor of Nature."

What Xia Duo spoke was Standard Elvish, similar to the standard Mandarin of his hometown; when Elves speak Elvish themselves, they always add various accents, or vary the pitch, or even use some special rhetoric.

Forming a unique language with highly personal characteristics.

In Netheril, interpreting Elvish is a very professional skill. However, being able to communicate normally with an Elf is already considered superior to the vast majority of humans.

Xia Duo was not exactly proficient in Elvish, but at least it would not be the way he was currently presenting it; he could very clearly perceive the various emotions and metaphors in Tuofu's words when she spoke.

This was intentional on his part, as he hoped to make the other party reveal more information beyond the literal meaning during his conversation with Tuofu.

And he did indeed gain something.

Looking at Tuofu's slightly regretful expression, Xia Duo sighed: "Human life is very short, far inferior to the Elves who are a long-lived race. We humans tend toward pragmatism; I am already very satisfied to have learned this inherently excellent new language."

Hearing these words from Xia Duo, Tuofu's eyes lit up, emitting a slightly bewitching radiance, and her whole person seemed to become brighter, "So, Lord Xia Duo yearns for Elf culture?"

"Yearning is not quite the word; it is more out of a desire to understand the neighbors around me," Xia Duo replied slightly coldly.

Understood only from the literal meaning, while these words revealed distance, they also conveyed a sense of yearning. If it were spoken in the exclusive Elvish that blends personal emotions and personal information, many things could not be masked or hidden.

However, Tuofu did not seem to care about this point, instead revealing an expression as if she had only just realized it, surprised:

"Almost forgot, Lord Xia Duo, you are an Easterner, different from the average Netherese."

In these words, Xia Duo heard arrogance, and he also heard respect, and even more, it hid a probe—a probe into his attitude toward Netheril.

But Xia Duo just acted as if he didn't understand, following the other party's words and saying: "Has Lady Tuofu met other Easterners?"

"Of course I have. Currently, at least tens of thousands of Easterners live in Cormanthor. Many of them are engaged in professions related to art, and they are highly respected in Cormanthor and even the entire Elf World."

So that was it; it seems a large group of "fellow countrymen" had already paved the way for him in advance.

However, Xia Duo did not take Tuofu's words entirely to heart; "there are Easterners respected in Elf society" and "Easterners are respected in Elf society" are two completely different things.

He did not yet fully understand the situation in the Main Plane, but in the Projection Plane, he had seen plenty of Easterners engaged in the planting industry that even Elves despised, keeping company with Druids, almost reduced to the bottom of society.

The few Easterners who had gained the respect of Elf society could not represent the whole.

Easterners are also humans, and there is a natural barrier with Elves. In fact, in the eyes of many Elves, Easterners are more like a type of high-level pet that comes with a legendary halo.

The respect they obtained did not come from the craft itself, but from the "masters" behind them, and the mysterious ancient Eastern kingdom that had yet to be explored.

Xia Duo did not know Tuofu's true attitude toward Easterners, but just judging from the current exchange with the other party, perhaps there was goodwill and respect, but that was all there was to it—whether it was an act remained to be seen!

Even if it were true, I respect you, but that doesn't stop me from finishing you off when there is a conflict between the two sides!

When it comes to grand narratives involving nations and races, the warmth displayed by individuals always seems very ridiculous.

Xia Duo did not expose Tuofu's hypocritical warmth; in order to obtain more potential information inadvertently revealed in the language, he would patiently continue to chat.

"Lady Tuofu, do you know Master Mu Yan?"

"Of course I know! Master Mu Yan has entered and exited the palace many times to perform before the Crown King, but it is a pity I have only seen one of his performances, and it was not his most famous 'Epic of Daxia'!"

(The "Daxia" in Elvish and the "Daxia" of Daxia Territory are not the same word; the former is the name of the hometown translated by Mu Yan, while the latter is taken from a word in Elvish, with a pronunciation similar to "Daxia" in Chinese, meaning "Yong Zhe Kai Tuo Zhi Di".)

After Tuofu finished speaking, she actually hummed a ditty that was clearly not of Elven style as if no one else were around. The song, which should have been vast and distant, was hummed by Tuofu in a light and delicate voice; although slightly frivolous, it also had a unique flavor.

As a human, Xia Duo just listened quietly, but Aoruipusi, who was also an Elf, forgot that Tuofu, who was humming at the moment, had an extraordinary status, and actually chimed in and hummed along.

Is this going to be a concert?

Xia Duo complained in his heart, but he did not interfere.

The addition of Aoruipusi caused the originally slightly frivolous melody to quickly become heavy. Even Xia Duo, who did not have a high appreciation for songs, felt at this moment that he was surrounded by a vast and distant atmosphere.

It was like an ancient Eastern elder slowly unfolding a long epic scroll before him.