Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos

Chapter 69. Verdantia's Mansion and Mother.

Cinderielle had to take a carriage from Fortuna City to a neighboring city. Verdantia's house was quite far away from Fortuna City, unlike Cinderielle's parents, who bought a residence in Fortuna City to help her attend the Academy she was currently attending. Verdantia's parents just sent her over there in carriages.

With the carriage ride prepared and a few weeks of vacation still at their disposal, Cinderielle seized the opportunity to venture to Verdantia's place. The prospect of getting to know each other better was a needed one if she wanted to speak about Liu Shu.

From the quality of the wood and metal used for the Carriage, Cinderielle could tell that Verdantia's family was anything but simple. She had always given that aura of not being a normal person.

Her attitude was polite yet elegant. When she spoke, her word choice was casual, but there were times when that classiness of high-born people showed up.

Cinderielle's family was the most common type. Her parents had a decent income, and her house was big enough for them to live comfortably. She could afford some luxuries during her childhood, and she never had any real hardships.

Looking across her, she saw Verdantia carrying a few books with her. Interestingly, the books were about a wide variety of themes: potion-making, creature summoning, politics, Woodcrafting, economy, basic infrastructure, self-sustainable energy sources, and much more.

There were around 25 books with complex and diverse themes. "Do you like to read?"

Verdantia looked up from a potion-making book, and her verdant green eyes looked around before she answered. "I don't dislike it. I've gained a few interesting hobbies lately, though."

Cinderielle smiled and teased. "It feels like you are trying to learn how to lead a city or something of a similar nature."

Verdantia smiled calmly. "Why might Miss Cinderielle be curious about my interests?"

Cinderielle crossed her arms with a laugh. "It's not quite nice to be on guard with a guest, right?"

Verdantia lifted an eyebrow. "What if I don't treat you like a guest, Miss Cinderielle?"

Cinderielle snorted. "Don't try to scare me. We both more or less know why we are having this meeting. I'll wait to ask more direct questions later. However, know that I can tell why you are like you are and what your general intentions are."

The voluptuous woman placed the book aside after leaving a page marker between the page she was reading and looked at Cinderielle seriously. "Miss Cinderielle. The reason I've invited you was to show your faith and intent to speak and reach a conclusion. I didn't want to stay in Fortuna City because of several reasons, but the main one is that Fortuna City is..." Verdantia paused and said meaningfully. "...guarded."

Cinderielle's orange eyes flashed with deep thoughts. 'While it was expected, this is nothing but an admission about or confirmation of my doubts.'

Verdantia continued. "So, Miss Cinderielle, let's wait until we reach my residence, and we can speak in private."

The journey was a few hours, and by the time they arrived, it was near lunchtime. After they stepped down from the carriage, Cinderielle's mind was not focused on her increasing hunger. Instead, she was looking at the large mansion with her mouth agape.

The large building, made of beautiful wood branches, was crowned with several large canopies that provided natural shade while allowing sunlight to pass through. It felt as if the manor was a mix of several trees whose trunks interlocked to form a building-like shape.

Verdantia spoke when she saw Cinderielle's startled expression. "Our house was built by using our family's hereditary skills to manipulate life. I am a Life-related sylvan, and so were my mother, grandmother, and previous generations. Moreover, our family has never mixed with human lineage, making us pure Sylvans."