Chapter 6: The Land of Holes

The movement formation brought Samuel and Ella to the middle of a vast forest.

Ella was very curious when she saw the hundreds of years old trees in front of her. She subconsciously reached up to touch them, feeling the firm and rough crust.

Each of her arms does not necessarily cover the entire tree.

"Sneezing!" Suddenly Ella had a runny nose.

A pure white fur coat was quickly draped over the small girl's shoulders. Samuel smiled gently, tying a bow tie to secure her shirt.

Ella looked at the lily family crest embroidered on the inside of her dress, and once again understood that the Duchess's concerns were never superfluous.

For some reason, Ella felt a little homesick. The pale purple eyes became dreamy.

Samuel immediately noticed the change of emotion in Ella's eyes.

He patted the girl's head, then asked: "Still homesick?"

Ella nodded without hesitation.

She added: "But I'm not asking for it."

"I know. You're a good kid."

Samuel continued to mess around with Ella's bright blonde hair before putting on her beanie and gloves.

"Even though it's spring, it snows all year round. This land of Holes is like an icy fortress." Samuel said.

"This is it, Holes!" Samuel used his hands to illustrate the name of the land in sign language for Ella.

The little girl smiled slightly at the Archmage's lovely actions. Ella followed Samuel, quickly memorizing the sign of the name of the land.

Samuel was satisfied with Ella's expression. He thought to himself that perhaps he had found a good student.

Currently, thanks to the advantage of being an adult, Samuel is still much taller than Ella. He reached forward to brush away the thick layer of snow on a low canopy.

When Samuel traced the foliage, an ancient character appeared on the tree trunk.

"This is the rune that Kunan used to create a protective barrier around Holes, people without permission won't be able to break through the barrier. Not only here, but scattered throughout this forest, there are many trees like that. It is these runes that help the Holder dwarves protect his home." Samuel slowly explained.

"Is it because you did?" Ella was a little curious.

In the original, it is mentioned that Samuel is the author of the barrier that protects the Holes region. But a dark event happened, leading to the destruction of the Holder dwarves.

The Archmage Samuel Kime was mysteriously killed causing the barrier to be destroyed.

Samuel released the branches to return them to their original state. He looked at her proudly and asked.

"Yes, are you proud to have such a talented teacher as me?"

Regarding this question, Ella declined to answer.

She quickly changed the subject.

"If there's already a protective barrier, how do we get inside? Even if master created an eternal barrier, he wouldn't be able to easily destroy it?"

Ella hid the rest of the sentence in her heart. Except in case the owner of the barrier dies, the seal will collapse automatically.

Samuel foresaw that Ella would ask that. But he did not answer her immediately.

He looked up at the sky and narrowed his eyes as if searching for something. The corner of his mouth immediately curled up when he saw a large eagle flying by.

Samuel whistled, calling the eagle. The bird quickly recognized the old friend, turned the wind, and rushed towards him.

"Hello, this is my apprentice, Ella. Ella, this is Mun, it will help us through the barrier." Samuel once again taught Ella how to sign the eagle's name.

This eagle is so smart, it seems to be able to realize Ella can't talk. When the little girl greeted it with sign language, the eagle retracted its wings and bowed before her as if in greeting.

"Maybe he likes you!" Samuel laughed.

Ella looked at Samuel suspiciously. How did he know the eagle liked her, she wondered?

"Mun's owner is an eccentric person, even the eagle he raised is exactly like its owner. Even though I have never been greeted by Mun, you are the first!"

Samuel tied a small tube to the eagle's leg, and then he released it. His eyes did not leave Mun's figure until it disappeared behind the tall treetops.

"He's the man in charge of transporting people in and out of the Holes. I've sent him the news, it won't take long for him to get here. Do you want to bet with me?"

Ella tilted her head in confusion, asking him: "What do you want to bet on, Master?"

Samuel tapped himself on the forehead. He forgot to add the subject to his speech, making the question obscure.

"It's my fault, do you want to bet how long it takes for Mun's master to show up?" Samuel desperately expected an answer from Ella.

Ella didn't take long to think. But she was not one to act without calculation.

The girl began to inquire: "What is the bet?"

Samuel dropped ten sparkling purple gems into Ella's hand, cheerfully telling her: "If you win, they're all yours, if you lose, you lose nothing."

Looking at the round and transparent gems in her hand, Ella couldn't help but be surprised. Regardless of their market value, their purity and flawless appearance alone tell them they're worth a fortune.

Yet Samuel could easily take them out to bet with a child.

After all, how much is her master's fortune?

"Ten minutes I guess!" Ella replied.

Samuel smiled triumphantly, pointed to one side, and said: "You lost, he came."

As soon as Samuel finished speaking, from behind the dense trees of the forest appeared a large cart pulled by four mules. Accompanied by a very heavy swearing with an annoying hoarse voice.

"Mother, goddamn old Samuel. Can't he forgive my old, sickly body?"

If the shuttle didn't call Samuel an old man, Ella herself might have forgotten that her master was more than five hundred years old. She raised her head to look at Samuel, only to see him happily extending both arms to greet his friend who had just arrived.

"Otton, how are you?" Samuel smiled.

Otton was an old man of the dwarves with small stature. The beard on his body was white and his skin was also wrinkled following his age.

He sat in front of the cart, driving the donkeys with a long pole. The eagle named Mun, proudly perched on top of the leading donkey.

Otton quickly dodged Samuel's warm embrace, shouting angrily.

"That old donkey get out of the way!"

Samuel laughed amusedly at Otton's evasive attitude. He didn't try to hug him anymore.

Samuel took a few steps back, revealing the small girl behind him.

"Otton, don't say vulgar things anymore, it's still childish here!"

Otton didn't seem to care about Samuel, still mumbling curse words until he glanced over. Her mouth opened wide and couldn't close, her trembling fingertips pointed directly at Ella.

“That girl… That girl…” Otton couldn't finish his sentence.

Samuel stood behind Ella, placing his hands on her shoulders as if encouraging. He silently shook his head at Otton, as well as answered his question.

"No, she's not her. This is my disciple, her name is Ella."

Ella didn't understand why the two's attitudes became somewhat agitated. Following Samuel's gaze, Ella grabbed the hem of her skirt and bowed to Otton.

"She can't speak." Samuel informed Otton with his mouth.

Otton was calmer than before, seeing Samuel say that, he was stunned for a moment. Sophie is Samuel's younger sister and also a friend that Otton cherishes most.

Although the two are very similar, Sophie Kime is a perfect young woman without flaws. Sophie's voice was comparable to the song of a nightingale at the beginning of a bright spring day.

Everything about that girl is amazing.

"Is that so! What a pity." Otto smiled sadly.

They have the same face, but they're not the same person. Unfortunately!

"Let us enter the barrier first!" Samuel said.

Otton nodded, cleared his throat, and said loudly: "In the name of the great Archmage Samuel Kime, I grant you permission to enter the God-blessed land of Holes."

As soon as Otton finished speaking, Ella felt her body become very comfortable. At least she didn't have to gasp as she had just arrived.

Perhaps it was because the barrier was repelling outsiders that it put an invisible pressure on her.

He easily lifted Ella and sat her neatly inside the trunk of the cart. Then he quickly climbed up, sitting next to Ella.

When the girl wanted to return the gems to him, Samuel said: "Keep these gems carefully! That's our toll!"

Somehow Samuel pulled out a map drawn on a goatskin and spread it out in front of Ella. He pointed to the land of Holes that lay in the north, almost at the edge of the Lani continent.

For Samuel, Ella's knowledge of this land was still very limited. He wanted to explain to her in detail where they were going to stay long-term.

With the goatskin map, the geographic introduction is easier than ever.

Even though Ella knew everything, she still pretended to be attentive. You can't say you've read them through the original, can you?

Samuel used the land of Holes as a landmark, introducing her to the remaining lands.

Located at the northernmost tip of the Lani mainland is the Holes, after the thousand-year-old glacial mountains that surround the Holes's outer ring is the Ocean of Bone. Outside that ocean, there was nothing but endless cold, so Holes could be said to be the northernmost point of the Lani continent.

East of the Holes and in the northern part of the mainland was its neighbor, the Amory Vampire Empire. The Vampire Empire consists of many countries, large and small, in which most of the inhabitants are vampires, with only a few humans living in harmony.

This is almost a forbidden place for humans, when they don't want to become a vampire's meal, it's best to stay away from Amory.

Head down south to the very shores of Hutan, the human settlement, the Federation of Magnus. The original abode of Ella and the human protagonists. Here, humans used powerful divine power to create a barrier to protect themselves from the land of Amory.

Completely separate from the devil's land, this is what the people of Magnus always whisper to each other when it comes to Amory.

At the end of the Lani continent lies the vast Werewolf Kingdom of Farrer. The werewolf's arch-enemy. Never before have these two subjects been able to peacefully talk to each other.

Perhaps that's why God arranged for these two opposing forces to live in the two most distant regions in the Lani continent.

The geography lecture had not ended when Otton called out: "Here we are!"