"Sister Moumou, my name is Sara!" The little girl also enthusiastically raised her hand and introduced herself.
"Hello, little Sara!" Taken in by the girl’s innocent appearance, Tangmo couldn’t help but bend over, smiling as she greeted her.
"You’re from the Ancient States, aren’t you?" Hearing Tangmo’s introduction, Yila instantly became interested in her.
"Yes." Tangmo nodded.
"So that’s what people from the Ancient States look like." Yila scrutinized her for a moment, then commented.
Though they were of the same Human Race, due to religious differences, there was scarce interaction between the people of the Ancient States in the south of the continent and the Human Race of the north. The most recent instance of exchange and cooperation happened thirty years ago in the Otherworld War. The people of the Ancient States had agreed to join forces with the northerners in Yazhi City for this war, which the Otherworld folk dubbed the Prophetic War, in response to a prophecy.
Over two hundred years ago, an oracle from the Otherworld foretold the opening of the Otherworld Gate in Yazhi City before her death, predicting the descent of both disaster and fortune upon the mortal realm. To prevent the disaster and seize the fortune, for the first time ever, the various races and nations of the Otherworld joined forces to form the Otherworld Allied Army.
But the result was predictable. The Otherworld Allied Army invasion of Australia was crushed by the U.S. military, scattering their forces. It was only due to their advantageous position in the Second Otherworld War that forced Earth to compromise, or else the entire Otherworld would have been doomed to live in fear of the unknown forever.
"It’s my first time in the north, so I made a specific trip to see the High-peak people’s country," Tangmo said with a smile.
"We just entered spring, so it’s not a good time to visit Ronisca," Yila responded.
"Based on what you’re saying, wouldn’t you happen to live in Ronisca?" Tangmo asked tentatively. She noticed that Yila was not a dwarf, but likely a human.
"Oh, my husband’s a dwarf. I moved to Helros when we married, so I suppose that makes me a Roniscan as well," Yila quickly explained.
"I see." Tangmo nodded, her confusion instantly cleared up. No wonder she saw a familial resemblance when looking at Sara. It turns out she, too, was half-dwarf.
"Speaking of which, I’m technically also a person of Odelanqi." When this topic came up, Yila was lost in thought, her gaze lingeringly looking towards Yazhi City.
"Why did you decide to marry into Helros?" Tangmo asked, hoping to coax some information out of her.
Yila turned her head to look at Tangmo, and without any reserve, let out a sigh and said, "About thirty years ago, the Otherworlders came through the Otherworld Gate and arrived at Yazhi City. They ended up sparking a war with the Allied Army. The village I lived in was located near Yazhi City and ended up becoming the battlefield between the two forces..."
As she narrated, her gaze started to dim, "The Otherworlders used powerful magic that echoed with deafening roars, causing explosions everywhere, and many people perished: the Otherworlders, the Allied Army soldiers, and my own family."
Tangmo nodded, understanding that Yila was probably referring to the barrage of artillery deployed by the multinational force. The indiscriminate bombardment covered all areas, not only affecting Otherworlders but probably also causing collateral damage to the multinational force.
"At the time I thought I was going to be killed by the Otherworlders’ magic too, then the High-peak people’s fleet arrived. They launched relentless attacks on the Otherworlders. The massive explosions struck fear into the hearts of the Otherworlders. They quickly abandoned their gear and fled from here and I was saved by the High-peak people."
Her account slightly confused Tangmo. If she analysed it correctly, it should have been the multinational force battling the Otherworld Allied Army here, followed by the arrival of the High-peak people’s airfleet to drive off the multinational force.
"At the time, I was just six years old, and when the High-peak people saw that my family was gone, they took me to Helros to be cared for. After I grew up, I married a High-peak person, and then came Sara..." On the mention of her daughter, a gratified smile unconsciously rose to Yila’s face, and her eyes regained their brightness.
Tangmo nodded, it made sense now. When she had been talking to the mother and daughter previously, she had felt that their Tasta language was a little awkward.
"What brings you to Yazhi City this time?"
Unable to resist, Tangmo asked this slightly intrusive question, but it seemed Yila had no intention of concealing her purpose, and openly stated, "I run a tavern in Helros. The main reason I came to Yazhi City this time is to procure some goods. Of course, it’s also for Sara to come home."
Tangmo nodded at this. She could see in Yila’s eyes that she held nothing but love for Sara when she looked at her. Reflecting on her own upbringing, fatherless and motherless, she found herself feeling inexplicably suffocated.
"Sister, are you a mage?" Sara asked, bouncing about as she raised her hand.
Tangmo’s heart skipped a beat, wondering how she could know that she was capable of magic. Seeing that she didn’t reply, Yila gently pushed Sara’s hand down, then apologetically explained, "I’m sorry, this little miss has never met a mage before, so she tends to ask everyone she meets if they’re a mage."
"So that’s how it is." Tangmo forced a smile and felt a quiet relief.
"Has Sara never seen a mage in Helros?" Tangmo asked casually.
"Well," Yila nodded, "The Dwarf Race isn’t well-suited to learning magic, so I haven’t seen many Dwarf mages. I have seen some Human mages, but most of them are just apprentices who can perform some simple magic."
It’s normal for Yila not to have seen a master mage, as most of the human mages are controlled by the Church Court. They mostly have an official set-up, so they couldn’t possibly have the chance to wander around. As for those unsuccessful mage apprentices, most of them belong to declining nobility and don’t have the resources to study magic at the Magic Academy.
The Dwarf Race’s low adaptability to magic is a fact well-recognized on the Continent. Although they are a subspecies of the Elf Race, they did not inherit the magical adaptability of the elves.
Though Tangmo is a Dwarf hybrid, she is an exception. Even before her birth, she had undergone genetic modification with Earth’s biotechnology, giving her astonishing adaptability to magic. One could say that Tangmo is an artificially modified magic prodigy.
Of course, Tangmo is the only one in the Academy who has received such distinction. In the future, the mass-produced hybrid races basically just underwent simple adjustments and were not modified as extensively as Tangmo, so their adaptability to magic will still depend on their racial lineage.
"I’m sorry, please don’t let others hear this. I’m worried we might encounter members of the Heresy Tribunal Army," Tangmo hastily looked around and said uneasily.
"I’m so sorry, I almost forgot your identity." Yila apologized.
Tangmo is a Southerner. If she is also a mage, she would undeniably attract the attention of the Church Court’s Heresy Tribunal Army. These people often go to the south to eradicate heretics. Their combat power is extremely strong. If they ever crossed paths, Tangmo would surely be in big trouble.
However, the Church Court’s people seldom interact with those of other races, let alone board an Airboat of the High-peak people, so there’s no need to be extremely anxious.
Of course, Tangmo isn’t worried. This was just a lie Luo’er taught her to better conceal her identity. As for the Heresy Tribunal Army, she has never seen them since she entered the Otherworld, so there’s no need to worry too much.
"Are all these people headed to Helros?" Tangmo asked, pointing to the passengers on the deck.
"Yes, they’re mostly adventurers going to Helros, as well as some merchants," Yila replied honestly, "It’s still early spring, so there aren’t many people travelling to Helros yet. By summer, this airboat will be used solely for transporting passengers."
As Tangmo was observing these people, she noticed a few Dwarves whispering to each other as they moved from the cabin to the deck.
"Are they also passengers?" Tangmo asked, pointing at them. She remembered that crew members on her airboat all had uniforms, but these Dwarves were wearing thick everyday clothes.
"Oh, they’re not High-peak people, they’re Copperbeard people." Yila glanced at the group of Dwarves and replied.
"Copperbeard people." Tangmo fell into thought. She vaguely remembered that like Elves, Dwarves were also divided into three tribes: the High-peak people, the Zhuyan People, and the Copperbeard people.
These tribes were named differently. The High-peak people were named so because their capital, Helros, was a city built on top of a mountain and they have a strong fascination with the sky. Hence, they were called the High-peak people.
The Zhuyan people were named for their country, Baales, is situated in a desert wasteland. The rock layers here are rich in oxides which turn red when exposed to sunlight. Therefore, the Dwarves residing here were referred to as the Zhuyan People.
The name ’Copperbeard people’ originated from their physical appearance. Traditional Copperbeard men intentionally grew their beards until they curled and hardened. This was seen as a symbol of masculinity in the eyes of the Copperbeard people.
Though they were all Dwarves, the High-peak people lived in the northeastern corner of the Continent, while the Copperbeard and Zhuyan people lived in the south end of the Continent. They hardly ever interacted with each other. Therefore, it was quite a rare sight for Tangmo to see other Dwarf tribes on an airboat of the High-peak people.
"Ah, so they’re Copperbeard people. I didn’t realize." Tangmo scratched her head.
"Sometimes I can’t tell either, but Copperbeard people like to keep a big beard, so they’re still easy to recognize," Yila assured her, laughing.
"It seems that different Dwarf tribes get along well. I wonder if I’ll come across any Zhuyan people. I really want to know what they look like," Tangmo mused, turning to look at Yila, only to find her staring blankly at her.
"What’s wrong, did I say something wrong?" Tangmo asked nervously, observing Yila’s reaction.