Lux had a bit of trouble sleeping that night.

  She was lying on a grass-woven mat with a cloth blanket on the second floor of Sylvie's hut. Even though it was made of dried grass, it wasn't prickly at all, and the cloth of the blanket was also very comfortable, even a little soft to lie on. Nearby, there was an insect-repelling lamp, which seemed to use dried flowers and herbal extracts turned into an oil and placed inside a crystal lamp. The crystal emitted something that kept insects away all night (Lux had said she wasn't afraid of insects, but Sylvie had still earnestly warned her that the insects here at night were terrifying, so she lit the lamp anyway).

  Lux couldn't sleep. Partly because she had napped during the day, but mainly because her mind was crowded with too many thoughts. These chaotic thoughts were rubbing and jostling against each other in her brain, making Lux unable to lie still.

  The Hero, the rebels, being an assistant to an elven mercenary, the elven celebration, and...

  'Maybe I should write a poem to express my feelings right now, since I'm going to be a wandering bard,' Lux suddenly thought.

  It seemed like a good way to relieve her anxiety and racing thoughts.

  But she had never written anything before. The first poem she had ever heard attentively was Sylvie's recitation of "The Lost Hero."

  It could even be said that her understanding of this world was quite shallow. Lux didn't even know how many countries there were on this Continent of Divine Grace.

  Her knowledge of other races and civilizations came entirely from what she had picked up on the streets.

  Lux felt like the stories those people spread were mostly lies.

  Those thugs on the street even claimed that elves were beautiful but cold-blooded and cruel, and that elves were monsters with many arms.

  Lux now felt that none of that was true. It was all made up by those idle street people.

  But everything has to start somewhere, especially since Lux had promised Sylvie that she would become a wandering bard.

  She could try to summarize the methods of writing poetry.

  First, you need to have emotions, scenery, and express your feelings, especially with depth.

  Lux felt like she had plenty of emotions right now.

  Then, Lux slowly got out of bed and went to the window.

  She was staying in the room next to Sylvie's. Sylvie had said that this room was usually used to store spices and low-purity magic crystals.

  Lux couldn't recite anything loudly right now, as that would disturb Sylvie next door, so she could only compose in her mind.

  Black sky,

  Wind goes by.

  I look at it,

  That black pit.

  Bugs cry,

  Makes me sigh,

  My head itches,

  My head hitches.

  Itch, itch, itch.

  Lux took a deep breath. She realized that writing poetry was actually quite simple. Not only had she described the scenery well, but she had also used the buzzing of insects to reflect her inner turmoil, and finally, the itching of her scalp to express her worries about the future and the hardships of fate. She had even managed to write her first poem!

  'Maybe... I have a talent for this?' For a moment, Lux felt like the world had shrunk, because she had become a giant, standing between mountains and valleys, unleashing her emotions, just like those wandering bards who traveled far and wide.

  Lux felt a bit better and went to bed.

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  The next day, when she met Sylvie, Lux passionately recited the poem she had created the night before, with intonation and rhythm, her eyes closed (because Lux felt that reciting with her eyes closed was more effective). When she opened her eyes, she saw Sylvie covering her mouth and trembling. Lux asked uncertainly, "Sylvie, are you alright?"

  "I... I... I'm fine," Sylvie replied, still shaking. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed by your poem."

  "Really? So, how was my poem?" Lux was still a little unsure.

  "It's a very good start," Sylvie said, having finally swallowed something down. Then she nodded at Lux. "Lux, I believe you will become a great poet."

  "Really?" Lux was finally convinced. "It seems I really do have some talent." With that, she felt a bit happier. This way, she could fulfill her promise to Sylvie. But then Lux saw Sylvie's trembling get worse as she covered her mouth. 'Is she really that happy for me? But she shouldn't be happy.'

  After breakfast, Sylvie wrote a letter and tied it to the leg of a bird with several long, colorful feathers on its head (Lux had seen similar birds when she was lost in the forest, and had even eaten some, but this bird had much larger and more vibrant feathers on its head).

  Then Lux stayed there for two days. During those two days, Lux helped Sylvie grind herbs and water and plant flowers in the flower fields.

  There was a small garden a bit away from the hut. Sylvie said that the soil was particularly good there, and it was close to a water source, so she planted flowers there. However, she didn't plant any Everfragrant Flowers needed for the Aethelfleur Skirt. But Sylvie happened to have a supply of flower seeds, and they would bloom in about three months.

  Besides that, Lux also took walks with Sylvie by the river and in the fields. They talked about many things. Lux learned about the basic layout of this world: the various human kingdoms in the southeast, the Dwarven Kingdom in the north with its many massive structures, the Orcish Empire in the northwest that revered battle, and the mysterious marine regions in the far west inhabited by fish-people and sea-people (Lux also learned that the sea-people were characterized by their blue skin), as well as about the Theater Capital.

  Sylvie said that her knowledge of these places came from newspapers sold by merchants who came by every six months and from some ancient books. She had never left here, so she didn't know what it was really like outside. However, the Theater Capital was a treasure trove of theater and art. Countless poems and songs flowed towards that city like countless streams converging, and the Theater Capital was the origin of countless forms of beauty and fashion. It could be described as a dazzling jewel embedded in this continent.

  Lux could hear the overflowing longing in Sylvie's voice. Lux asked her why she couldn't go there to see it for herself, and Sylvie replied that she had certain duties she had to fulfill.

  During this time, Sylvie also sewed Lux a change of pants and a top, and she also made a cloth bag that could hold quite a lot of things.

  And when that day came, when Sylvie received the letter brought back by the bird with the colorful feathers on its head, Sylvie informed Lux that they would be traveling to the capital of the elven kingdom, Radiant Glade.

  "Do you really need to bring so much stuff? And so much food? They wouldn't starve me there, would they?" Lux asked, looking at the backpack that was almost bursting at the seams.

  "These are soap and flower honey liquid for bathing, and a towel and bath towel, and tooth-cleaning tree branches (a type of branch with stiff bristles, used with a medicinal herb powder called tooth powder) and tooth powder, and some ointment to prevent insect bites, and enough flower cakes to last a week, and..."

  "Sylvie, I'm very grateful, but I think this is way too much stuff, especially so many cakes and dried vegetables. They wouldn't let me starve there, would they?" Lux said, lifting the bag and feeling that the current weight would have been impossible for the pre-Purple City Lux to carry.

  "These are all quite important. We don't really use currency here. Instead, we use contribution points. Lux, you don't even have a crystal disk yet, so you probably won't be able to buy anything in Radiant Glade," Sylvie's thoughts were indeed thorough. Lux learned from her that elves carried a dish-shaped object bound to their identity, which recorded contribution points that could be used to exchange for goods. Lux was curious about this magical device, but she would have to wait until she arrived in Radiant Glade to get her own temporary crystal disk.

  "And I'll send you some food every other week. Also, if there's anything you want to eat, you can write me a letter. Oh well, Lux, you can't read, can you? Never mind, I have a magic voice recorder. You can record your voice and tell me..." Sylvie took out a delicate little box with a transparent glass exterior and a magic crystal inside, carved into the shape of an ear.

  "Really, it's not necessary. I'll buy my own food when I get there. I should be able to earn enough points in the first week," Lux replied.

  "The food in Radiant Glade is a little special..." Sylvie said, adding a slightly worried reminder. "Sending things from here takes a while, so you'll have to tell me two days in advance."

  "Really, it's not necessary. But can I have this voice recorder? I can use it to share what's happening with me over there," Lux said.

  'And of course, if I get any inspiration and create some poems, I can recite them and share them with Sylvie,' Lux thought.

  After Sylvie gave Lux a few more instructions, she and Lux left the hut and walked to a post station. This was an elven post station. The elves stationed there stared curiously at Lux, then looked at the letter Sylvie presented with a strange expression. Finally, they registered it and brought out a carriage pulled by a scaled horse (though the carriage was small, Lux felt it was more exquisite than the carriages merchants used to ride in Purple City). The driver of the carriage was a plant person. He was a male plant person with a small head, a completely purple body, and green plants growing on his shoulders (judging by his face, he also had a small blue mustache). His clothes were very simple and clean. Lux didn't want to discuss him through the thin walls of the carriage, so she chatted with Sylvie about other things and traveled to Radiant Glade.