The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 82 - The Strawberry Revelation

"Yes."

Panpan responded almost immediately, her tone calm. "We don’t have Rifts in Vensalor Island. That’s why most of us have no experience doing Rift Expeditions. Only the fighters, most of them do it in areas like the Dissidia Kingdom."

Tave nodded slowly, absorbing the information. Then he tilted his head slightly and asked, "What about you?"

"Hmm?" She glanced back at him.

"I mean... Do you already have a team? A set Rift tier? Any plans?"

Panpan let out a soft laugh and bowed her head slightly, her cheeks tinting just the faintest bit.

Why?

Tave wondered for a second if he’d gone too far with the questions. He knew he could get a little too curious sometimes. But Panpan had been answering everything with such ease.

"Sorry if I’m asking too much," he said quickly.

"Not that," she replied gently. "Forgive me. I just... I don’t have much experience, Tave. So I’ll be going for the lowest tier possible. Maybe Tier 4."

Tier 4? The lowest?

That alone told him plenty. For Panpan, someone likely already in the Gaia Master stage, Tier 4 was the bottom of the ladder.

"I’m still a Gaia Master," she continued softly. "And I really need this expedition. I just hope I won’t slow the others down."

She paused, then added, "And... no. My team only has four people so far. Lady Elincia said we’d need six more. if that’s even possible."

Okay. Panpan’s team still needed six more people. Tave knew what that meant. He had a chance.

If the Rift Expedition was planned to begin within a week or two at the latest, then he had time. Enough to find an opening, to prove his worth. Not just to Panpan, but maybe even to Elincia if needed.

And Tave had leverage. He wasn’t just another Gaia Guardian with raw ambition. He had two elemental affinities, a Sigil, a Relic, and most importantly, Fang.

That alone was practically the power of two Gaia Guardians in one slot.

He wasn’t dead weight. Not even close.

Plus, his skillset naturally leaned toward scouting, a role that every Rift team desperately needed. If he could present that properly, he’d have more than a fair shot at joining them.

"I’d like to introduce you to some food around here, Pan," he said with an easy smile.

"With pleasure," she answered kindly.

Now... What kind of food wouldn’t elves have?

Sure, they ate meat. But their diets leaned far more toward fruits, fresh greens, and subtle herbal preparations. Strong spices? Rare. Deep frying? Probably unheard of.

And sweets?

Forget it.

Something like ice cream? That simply didn’t exist on the Floating Island.

Perfect.

Time to give this elf girl her very first taste of it.

Tave took Panpan on a small food tour, sampling grilled sausages, flame-roasted meats, all the things that made Deadbay’s market streets alive with scent. And through it all, she ate with such delicate grace, never rushing, never messy. Even eating, she looked like she belonged in a royal painting.

As expected, the closer they walked, the more distance the locals kept.

No one dared step too near. Everyone in Deadbay knew what the Vensalor Kingdom was, and what it represented.

You didn’t provoke elves.

Especially not forest elves who might be strong enough to level a small city block if you annoyed them.

And then.

"Take it, Pan," Tave said with a grin, holding out a single scoop of strawberry ice cream in a small wooden cup.

She blinked at it curiously, examined it for a moment, then picked up the tiny spoon and took her first bite.

She froze.

Tave chuckled at her expression, the subtle widening of her eyes and the slight gasp she didn’t mean to let out.

"How is it?"

"Woah... Tave... what is this? It’s so sweet and delightful!" she said, laughing softly.

"Don’t be surprised. I’ve got more to show you," he replied, clearly enjoying her reaction.

She nodded repeatedly, her smile widening with every second. "I really like many things in this city already."

This elf girl...

Tave’s thoughts drifted as they continued walking side by side through the city’s winding streets. The market had begun to calm, the afternoon light warming the cobblestones, but his attention was elsewhere, fixed quietly on the girl beside him.

Panpan.

She was unlike anyone he’d met since arriving in this world.

So far, most people he’d encountered were hardened, blunt, or carried a constant edge. Either through training, trauma, or pure survival instinct. But Panpan... was different.

There was a softness to her. Not weakness, but grace.

Every word she spoke was chosen carefully, her tone always gentle, her manner never rushed. There was something refined in the way she walked, spoke, and smiled. As though she carried her own quiet rhythm, untouched by the noise of the world.

She didn’t just exist calmly. She radiated calmness.

Tave found himself wondering... freeweɓnovel.cøm

Could she be part of an important family in the Vensalor Kingdom?

It wouldn’t surprise him.

Vensalor’s nobility was vast and deeply layered. Noble houses, warrior clans, and spiritual lineages all tied to the floating island’s ancient traditions. He had only written out the most important names in his notes, royalty, military heads, Echo-bearers. The rest had been left vague.

Now he was starting to realize. Living in this world meant meeting the details he never wrote.

Panpan might be one of those missing names.

***

They reached the moment where Panpan asked to visit a place she herself had mentioned. A request that, at first, seemed a little strange.

She wanted to see what Vensalor Island looked like from Deadbay City.

That alone was reason enough for Tave to take her somewhere... familiar.

The same spot where Lily had brought him on the very first day he’d arrived in this world. A quiet, open vantage point that offered a clear view toward the distant sky, toward the floating island suspended above the world like a drifting sanctuary.

Only this time, their arrival was met very differently.

The tower guards reacted immediately, moving quickly to greet them, standing a little straighter, speaking a little softer. It was clear they’d recognized Panpan.

In Deadbay City, and in most parts of the Dissidia Kingdom, the forest elves of Vensalor were treated as honored guests, respected, protected, and revered. Their political ties to the kingdom ensured they received the best treatment wherever they went.

The guards simply saluted them with deep bows, offering no unnecessary questions, and granted the two passage without hesitation.

Tave led Panpan up the stairs of the tower, all the way to the uppermost level.

Panpan stepped closer to the edge, her hands resting lightly on the stone railing. The breeze swept gently across her face, and as it did, the hood of her robe slipped from her head, revealing her golden, wavy hair as it danced freely in the wind.

Tave stood quietly beside her, his gaze following the same distant line toward the floating island. A thought crossed his mind

"I want to visit that island," he said quietly, almost to himself.

Panpan turned toward him, tilting her head slightly. "Really? Then come. Join us when we return later."

Tave blinked, then turned to her and laughed. Not mockingly, just amused.

It wasn’t her words that made him laugh. It was the way she said it. So casually, like it was the most normal, most possible thing in the world.

This girl really was that genuine, wasn’t she?

He smiled at her, softer this time. "You say that like it’s easy."

Then he turned back to the view. "So... what do you do up there, Pan? Tell me about the island. The one everyone says is so beautiful."