Forest Crown Town has become much livelier in recent days.
Gauss and the other two searched for a while before they managed to rent enough rooms at a four-story treehouse inn.
After putting down their luggage and paying for a bath in the bathroom on the first floor, the three of them stepped out onto the streets refreshed.
The town had grown into a dazzling spectacle for newcomers.
Apart from the various green plants and trees, one of the elements that captured attention was the multi-dimensional transportation system, with walkways and corridors creating a complex three-dimensional network.
The locals came and went in a hurry, walking as if on flat ground, but as outsiders, they had to remain cautious at all times.
Stepping onto the walkway, one could easily lose their direction if not careful.
"It seems like there are a lot of Druids here."
Gauss turned his head to look at Aaliyah beside him.
Druids are easy to identify, whether from their appearance and attire or the unmistakable natural aura they exude.
Moreover, many Druids seemed to have integrated into local life, dressed indistinguishably from the locals.
"Staying here for a while might help in understanding nature better, right?" Aaliyah speculated.
The natural aura in Forest Crown Town was indeed much denser than in other towns, even more so than the so-called forest capital, Barry.
The latter, after all, was too large, and apart from the core area near the Mother Tree, the outer city and Weng City resembled ordinary bustling cities.
Forest Crown Town, however, truly coexisted with the forest, a town that grew out of nature.
Even its residents were mostly Hunters, lumberjacks, herbalists, fur traders, carpenters, and similar professions.
"Let’s head to the tavern to gather some intelligence first."
Upon arriving in an unfamiliar land, the tavern was the best place to collect and explore information.
Along the way, constantly inquiring from others, the three of them found a bustling tavern.
The building was supported by three sturdy tree trunks as load-bearing pillars. Pushing aside the curtain of thick vines, the spacious tavern was filled with a clamor of voices.
Hanging above were mushroom lanterns emitting a soft yellow light, bundles of dried herbs, smoked meat, and various oddly shaped beast bone decorations.
The walls were not built with bricks and stones but formed by the natural bark of ancient trees, with some tiny glowing moss growing in the crevices, providing additional illumination.
Rough-sawn logs and tree stumps made up the natural tables and chairs, their surfaces covered with a thick layer of transparent varnish.
Most of the empty seats were occupied by foreign Adventurers. They wore diverse attire and equipment, their faces marked with the dust and travel-weariness from the long journey, carrying the curiosity and freshness of first arrivals.
The discussions centered on topics like "11th Outpost," "Demon Surge," "Escort Mission," and so on.
Gauss and the others found a corner seat, discreetly observing the Adventurers inside the tavern.
In no time, the fruit wine and food they ordered were brought over by the waiter.
"Enjoy!"
The fruit wine was a jug of faint red wine brewed from local forest berries, sweet and sour in taste, with a unique plant fragrance and very faint alcohol content.
The food was a large portion of stew served in a wooden tub, containing large chunks of unknown beast meat, plant roots, mushrooms, and brightly colored leaves for garnish, its aroma inviting and price very affordable.
While quietly enjoying the food and drink, Gauss perked up his ears like a keen hunting dog, capturing useful bits of information from the surrounding cacophony.
"Damn! The bugs in that hellhole are overwhelming! My leather armor is almost in tatters!" A burly man with a scar on his face took a large swig of wine, complaining to his companion.
"Be content, at least it’s not fatal. I heard a team from Black Water Town ran into a pack of frenzied Horror Claw Wolves in Weep Valley. They lost two people before they managed to escape..." His companion lowered his voice, not looking too pleased either.
Participating in such frontier events, everyone was in the same boat, and no one would gloat over other teams’ losses, as they might be the ones facing danger next.
"Looks like we should avoid Weep Valley..."
At another table, a group of Adventurers who seemed more astute were also quietly discussing missions.
"...The rewards for escorting supplies have generally increased by thirty percent, yet there’s still a shortage of people. We need to hire a decent Caster or Ranger to scout ahead, otherwise, this money is hard to earn."
A few veterans were sitting at the bar; a curious young Adventurer was inquiring about intelligence on the outpost from one of the experienced-looking veterans.
"What’s going on at the 11th Outpost?"
Facing the eager young Adventurer, the veteran accepted the drink and tobacco handed over by the other, using a dagger to pick up a piece of meat from his plate before eating it. "The walls are up, but it’s far from peaceful."
"On night watch, we constantly hear something calling in the forest, not the usual wolf howls or bear growls, but something indescribably eerie."
"Patrols have to double their caution every time they go out."
"...And, it’s not just beasts and monsters. Some say they’ve seen ’things’ that shouldn’t be there, like... wild men entwined in thorns roaming the forest."
Gauss and the others were not among the first batch of Adventurers to arrive in Forest Crown Town, so at this point, some had already gone on some quests to the 11th Outpost and returned to Forest Crown Town for a short rest.
These pieces of information were hardly secrets; any Adventurer who went there could learn them, so the Adventurers in the tavern had no intention of hiding anything.
As a result, Gauss and the others easily gathered a lot of intelligence.
"Seems like the situation isn’t that simple?" Aaliyah murmured.