Chapter 159 - A Fantastic Fairy Banquet

"How is it? Delicious, isn’t it?" Nicole, seemingly out of nowhere, flew beside Gaven with a proud face. "This is a special product of Nectar Village, Dragon Oak Honey, made exclusively from the pollen of Dragon Scale Oak flowers. Wait until you try our Dragon Oak Honey Wine—I guarantee that once you’ve had it, you’ll never forget it.""Certainly, certainly. But before that, I need ropes—lots of sturdy ropes," Gaven directly asked Nicole, who was the bona fide princess of Nectar Village.

"The only thing Nectar Village has more of than honey is ropes. Come with me," Nicole said confidently, leading Gaven into a tree hollow.

The hollow was in a Dragon Scale Oak, the natural kind, and Gaven had no trouble entering. In fact, even a Giant Dragon could squeeze in without any difficulty.

There were bundles of ropes piled inside, which seemed to be of the same essence as the hanging lantern-house.

These ropes were clearly not twisted but grown, sprouting directly from the Dragon Scale Oaks, dotted with fine Red Copper Dragon scales.

The soft woody interior of the vines was extracted, leaving only the tough, flexible outer skin. Gaven gave it a strong tug; there was no sign of it breaking or tearing.

Nicole let out a proud chuckle, "Lord, rest assured, the Dragon Scale Ropes produced by our Nectar Village are absolutely reliable. They can hold three to five hundred kilograms without any issues. Spring Bud Fortress even makes large purchases from us."

"Your Nectar Village truly embodies the old saying of living off the land; your lives have fully integrated with the Dragon Scale Oaks," Gaven couldn’t help but express his wholehearted admiration. "About the cost..."

"Lord Gaven, you are the savior of Nectar Village. How could we possibly charge you? Feel free to use the Dragon Scale Ropes here. I guarantee no one in the village will object," Nicole said generously with a wave of her hand.

"Alright, we’ll return them in full after use, and if needed, we will certainly come to purchase more," Gaven said without ceremony, summoning a team of Erde to carry the ropes away.

Soon, Gaven felt the exceptional destiny bestowed upon him.

The entire Nectar Village, from top to bottom, held him in high esteem.

At the fairy banquet, he became the sole protagonist. All the Pikespirits swirled around him, not to mention the Young Red Copper Dragons, even Brolan of the Autumnbreeze led by Stelina was left out in the cold.

Fortunately, Yaling had a cold nature and didn’t care much about fame, showing little discontent.

As for Aivensa, she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

The fairy race was renowned for their singing and dancing, and the Pikespirits were among the best. It was just to her liking. She engaged in the exchange of knowledge on poetry and chant, and even the lure of various delicacies decreased significantly for her.

"It’s starting, it’s starting," said Aivensa, who had transformed into a little girl, sitting next to Gaven with uncontainable excitement on her face. "The legendary Fairy Dance." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs NovᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt

A dozen Pikespirits with butterfly wings took to the air. They wore uniform Radiance Cloth costumes for the performance, emitting a soft glow, led by Nicole herself.

As these Pikespirits flew, they left behind long, comet-like tails that twinkled like scattered rain—it was Fairy Dust.

Legend had it that a pinch of Fairy Dust could grant ordinary people the temporary ability to fly, and could lead to confusing or sleepy states for those the Pikespirits didn’t like. It was an exceedingly rare magical material and one of the reasons why Pikespirits were often imprisoned by Mages.

The dancing Pikespirits would appear and disappear in the air, sometimes aligned in neat formations, stirring up even more Fairy Dust as they moved.

The meticulously choreographed dance, fused with the Pikespirits’ natural magic abilities, culminated in an enchanting performance of the Fairy Dance.

Even Gaven, with his extensive experiences, was left utterly awestruck.

Such a dance, in any race, was of the highest caliber—endlessly fascinating and utterly entrancing.

"Another one, another one," Aivensa clapped her little hands insistently, her shouts mirroring what Gaven had prepared for her in the Eagle Cliff Burrow.

"Another dance," Gaven corrected beside her.

"It’s all the same," the Young Red Copper Dragon showed no intention of correcting herself.

There was no need for the Young Dragon’s instigation; the Pikespirits’ dance showed no sign of stopping, one unique performance followed another.

Each piece was a combination of splendor and fantasy, unmatched in their visual appeal.

All the spectators present were utterly captivated.

"How was it? Did I dance beautifully?" Nicole, having come down from the aerial dance floor, was panting lightly, her round face flushed and shining like a ripe apple—whether from exhaustion or excitement, her sparkling big eyes were nearly brimming with joy.

"More than beautiful—I have never seen such an extraordinary dance. I could watch it a hundred times and not grow weary of it," Gaven praised sincerely from his heart.

"If you like it, I could dance for you every day," Nicole said with a hint of shyness in her excitement.

If it weren’t for the fact that she was only one size larger than his Spirit Crystal Servant, her obvious infatuation might have made Gaven suspect that she had developed feelings for him.

"To be able to see such a dance every day would indeed be the happiest thing in my life," Gaven thought fleetingly, eyeing Nectar Village for his own interests but still lacking a good opportunity—until she voluntarily came to him. "But don’t you need to be on duty at Spring Bud Fortress?"

Nicole, oblivious to Gaven’s ulterior motives, blushed deeper, but her eyes were brimming with joy, clearly misunderstanding Gaven’s true intent. Excitedly, she replied, "It’s fine. My duties to Spring Bud Fortress are completely voluntary. Lord Virginia is very kind and never forces us. If I withdraw, other sisters from Nectar Village will take my place."

"I see," Gaven agreed openly, "if you could visit my tribe as a guest, that would indeed be a most desirable event."

"Great," Nicole took the initiative to ask, "may I have the honor of dancing with you?"

"Dance? Us? How?" Gaven looked at himself and then at Nicole’s petite frame, laughing, "You can’t expect me to dance with your hand on my finger, can you?"

"That’s easy." Nicole flew into the air, twirling, as a soft glow of magic passed by.

When the light faded, the tiny Pikespirit was gone, and in its place a delicate and graceful young girl appeared.

Compared to the tall Stelina, Nicole, although still somewhat petite—just about one meter fifty—was slender but well-proportioned, with thinness where it should be and curves where they ought to rise, like a bud poised to bloom.

Her round face was endearingly plump, and her large, sparkling eyes were a bit intimidating, yet proportionate, lending a cartoonish charm; behind her, a pair of proportionally enlarged butterfly wings constantly fluttered, dazzling onlookers.

The clothes woven from Radiance Cloth hugged her body tightly, shimmering with a gentle, sun-like radiance that wasn’t blinding, making her look like a little fairy stepping out of a dream.

Gaven lost his composure as he surveyed her, and a deeper blush spread across Nicole’s cheeks; however, her adventurous nature prompted her to float forward and reach out her delicate hand, saying, "I would be honored if Lord Gaven would oblige."

Pikespirits are also skilled in Alter Self?

Gaven realized he knew too little about the Fairy race.

No, it should be said that he had slightly underestimated the Pikespirits.

After all, their stature was somewhat unimpressive.

The commotion caused by Nicole’s transformation was quite significant; the boisterous atmosphere of the entire reception halted, and all eyes were drawn to the two of them.

In the few seconds Gaven hesitated, the embarrassment on Nicole’s face was fading, replaced by a paleness of uncertainty, and tears were gathering in her large, luminous eyes, as if she was on the verge of crying.

This made Gaven wonder whether, if he refused her in public,

Nicole might break down and cry on the spot.

Gaven merely hesitated for a moment before taking Nicole’s small hand and standing up, "I must warn you upfront that I can’t dance, so if I step on your feet, don’t blame me."

The Pikespirit girl’s hand was boneless, soft and delicate, not as bony as it looked, and felt cool, moist, and silky but not sticky, invoking in Gaven the irresistible sensation of jelly.

Nicole, having succeeded in her invitation, immediately brightened up, her sweet smile reappeared as she said confidently, "Don’t worry, just follow my lead, and I guarantee you won’t step on my feet."

Nicole’s light steps drew Gaven forward.

As they walked, Gaven realized that he was no longer just walking, but flying.

Tiny specks of Fairy Dust, released with the fluttering of Nicole’s butterfly wings, surrounded him.

The legend was not just a legend after all; Fairy Dust truly had the magical power to enable flight.

The dance Nicole invited Gaven to was no ordinary one, but an aerial ballet.

Once Nicole’s invitation was accepted, the music of the reception changed instantly from lively to a soft, romantic melody, and the other Pikespirit dancers stepped back, leaving the space clear for the young couple swirling in the air.

The Pikespirit girl was an excellent dancer. Even though it was Gaven’s first attempt at this unique sky dance, under her guidance, he managed to perform impressively.

Of course, for the most part, he was simply serving as a human tool, accompanying Nicole’s dance steps.

Honestly, Gaven quite enjoyed the sensation of flying and dancing freely in the air, especially when an adorable fairy circled around him continuously, making it all the more wonderful.

However, this wonderful sensation did not last long; with a puff, the beauty before him turned back into a little beauty again.

Gaven uncontrollably descended back to the ground.

"I’m sorry." The Pikespirit girl stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, "My powers are still a bit weak, and I can’t maintain Alter Self and Fairy Dust for too long at the same time."

It was then that Gaven noticed Nicole’s face was pale and her features bore an undeniable exhaustion, clearly due to excessive energy depletion.

"It’s alright," Gaven sincerely said, "These few minutes have been the most unique dance of my life. Thank you for the wonderful experience. Why don’t we continue with our conversation and have some more to drink?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Nicole exclaimed eagerly, "I’ve been wanting to taste Dragon Oak Honey Wine."

"You haven’t tried Dragon Oak Honey Wine?" Now it was Gaven’s turn to be surprised.

"Father says it’s too strong and never lets me have it," Nicole pouted, expressing her dissatisfaction with her father’s restriction.

"Then you must try it; it is your village’s specialty after all, and it does have a very unique taste." Gaven had already had several glasses of the Dragon Oak Honey Wine.

The taste was indeed unique, sweet on the palate but not cloying; after swallowing, it turned into a warm flow that spread from the stomach throughout the body. The sensation of elements converging like when he first tasted the Dragon Oak Honey, resurfaced and was even more intense, with a barely audible Giant Dragon’s roar in his ears.