The Aborigines were extremely surprised about too many things.
Just seeing just how they dealt with the half-orc was shocking, to be honest.
Gill and the others being so friendly and not tying up the orc was already inconceivable to them—especially after finding out they didn't register him as a slave—but now they saw little kids fearlessly approaching the half-orc as if it was an old friend.
First of all, instinctive reactions generally didn't lie, especially not from children. From their interactions with the Half-orc, they were genuinely only curious and friendly.
It was far from what they knew about how such creatures interacted in human villages.
Because orcs and half-orcs were so much stronger than humans, they were greatly feared in human territories. If they became slaves, then they were hated, abused, and revenged on for acts that had nothing to do with themselves.
It was simply not in the aborigine's concept to see a half-orc walking around leisurely around a human territory.
The atmosphere in the territory was quite different, too. They could see these people's temperaments were happy and even a bit carefree.
It disoriented them who were used to gloomy atmospheres—especially in villages without backing.
Gill and the others' cheerfulness was understandable as they were strong and were Elementalists, but these people… they had the level of children.
How do they look so… happy?
"What kind of territory is this?" Veronica asked, and Cassandra smiled in response.
"A curious one," she said, "To be able to produce so many novel things, their heads must be full of weird ideas as well."
The two friends looked at each other in excitement. How long had it been since they'd seen something interesting?
She turned her head to Gill, wondering if he could guide her around. The man naturally saw this and blushed a little, clearing his throat. "I promised my mother I'd go to her when I return."
'Can I meet her?' she wanted to ask, but seeing that he didn't offer, she kept her mouth shut. However, she did tentatively hold the side of his palm, which he didn't pull away.
The two of them just stared at each other for a while and Gill opened his mouth to say something. Cassandra's purple eyes dilated and her heart lifted, waiting for his next words.
However, almost immediately he retracted and gently shifted to turn away.
"Well, I… uh, I'll go now," he said, turning to the other soldiers. "I'll leave them to you," he said, scurrying off as if he was being chased.
And he left like this, leaving poor Cassandra behind.
Eagle sighed. Despite his caustic personality and playboy looks, he knew Gill was not really smooth with women. He was quite awkward and it was both pitiful and amusing to watch.
Anyway, the man with aquiline features turned to the guests with a smile, "We have a travel agency here," he said, pointing in a direction.
The aborigines followed his fingers to a small building abutting the wide main road.
'Did roads have to be so large?' The aborigines thought. But… it looked good and was comfortable to walk in, so they didn't speak out.
Also…, what unique buildings.
They had never seen such a streetscape before. For one, such a combination of wood and stone was something they had never seen before. The structures looked both stable and light at the same time.
The streets were framed by the uniform trees and plants that lined the avenues. There were shrubs and flowers located in equidistant spots, matching well with the colorful passage.
The intricacies were fascinating.
Eagle smiled and explained the function of the guides. "See that building at the intersection? The one with 'Glorious Hospitality' written on it." He paused, making sure most knew what he was referring to. "They can give you the sort of guidance around the territory that you like. For a price, of course."
On cue, several people emerged from the building, heading towards the entrance to greet them.
"Welcome, Guests!!"
There was a group of them, moving toward different people in their team. They came in a bit strongly that the guards were just about to put out their weapons in defense.
Fortunately, the newcomers stopped about a meter away, just far enough for the Aborigines to feel comfortable.
There were people who talked to the girls, the guards, and there was also a group that went straight to the half-orc (note: the animal lovers).
"We have various tour packages!" They said to varying 'targets', "Would you like the food tour, the garden tour, the luxury tour, or the Altera Grand tour?"
The novel terms definitely piqued the guests' interest. "What is the difference? How do we choose?"
"Tell us what you want to see and we can help you~" One said and another nodded.
"You can even choose more than one! It's totally up to you!"
A cute young lady walked forward and looked at them amicably. The two women stared at the girl who was definitely was no lady, but had the confidence that was so charming to see.
"My name is Lulu, and I'm your guide today!"
The two looked at each other before looking back at their guide, and introducing themselves.
"Let me tell you a little something about the tours:
"The Food Tour focuses on taking you to a culinary adventure of our village! We will take you to our various restaurants and food stalls—guaranteed to give different tastes.
"Even if our village is small—I assure you: This place could bring your tastebuds to nine heavens!"
"The Garden Tour focuses on the beauty of nature in our village. As you can see, our territory takes good priority with trees and plants. We will take you to explore meticulously manicured gardens, lush parks, and vibrant botanical gardens! This is perfect for those who just wish for a serene escape!"
"The Luxury Tour, on the other hand, is tailored for those with especially discerning tastes. We will take you to the upper-tier facilities of our village—guaranteed to bring novel experience, even if you are from a town!"
"And, of course, there's Altera Grand Tour, which comprises all of them~"
"Wow, that is so interesting!"
"It is, it is!"
"Actually, there are still a lot of things still being erected, but we have a lot to offer even at this time!"
At this, a lot of the guides slumped and looked at each other.
"Too bad our hotel is still under construction." Another person sighed. "Would have been great to welcome our first Aborigine guests there. How awesome it would've been to greet our first Aborigine guests that way?"
"Well, we're already going fast enough, don't be too choosy."
"That's true, that's true."
The person beside him also sighed, "Premium Inn is fine," he said, "At least it's right next to the Master Cooke's restaurant."
"Hmm. Made sense."
"Hotel?" Veronica asked, quite curious. "Restaurant?" A restaurant of Gill's people, she knew, must be quite good.
Even simple barbeque was heavenly, what more for properly-prepared food?
They couldn't help but recall Mao's 'thinking-about-food-out-loud' sessions. He was very very descriptive and their stomachs often grumbled after his soliloquy.
"Yes, we have various restaurants to choose from. Some of them offer various themes, while some specialize in certain regions of our home countries. There are also restaurants that use mostly indigenous products! We have built a partnership with a few and you're sure to love them!"
"Hotels are a more exclusive accommodation for guests," Lulu answered, "It's difficult to explain for now, but all facilities are upgraded. I'll be glad to give you a tour when it's done!"
"Sure."
Lulu smiled.
Secured: Return Client!
"So… have you chosen your tour?"
"Yes. We choose the Altera Grand Tour." The purple-haired woman said, "Can you tell us more about it?"
"Of course, beautiful miss!" The guide smiled, making the other two women smile back, "It's a tour combining all the packages and would last a couple of hours for three days.
"Included in your package is your accommodation (Premium Inn), the lunch starting tomorrow and the next three days, and a guided tour with a personalized guide (me).
"The charge is on a per-person basis at 20 gold!"
This was, of course, the non-Terran rate. Must milk these rich aborigines well!
Sure enough—"It's not that expensive." Cassandra mumbled and Veronica nodded. "Considering the inclusions…"
"Please note that because the Territory is still in development and a lot of buildings are still under construction."
"When we can offer more buildings, the fee is naturally more expensive."
The two girls nodded in understanding.
Indeed. No matter what, it was still a small village after all. How many places could it offer?
Although they were curious, they both lived in good towns and had even experienced cities, their expectations for a village were not too high. At best, the place had great food and was very beautiful in a quaint way.
And they would be proven wrong very, very, quickly.