chsdbacks Chapter 474 Listening to Grandma tell stories of the past~
Chapter 474 Listening to Grandma tell stories of the past~
Chapter 474 Listening to Grandma tell stories of the past~
The Crown Snowfield is freezing cold and almost devoid of vegetation.
As far as the eye can see, all that can be seen is a vast expanse of white snow. Occasionally, there are a few crooked trees, all bare and without a single leaf.
Resources are extremely scarce.
Even in the slightly warmer Frozen Village, getting fresh vegetables and fruits is undoubtedly a difficult task.
The villagers mostly eat stored dry food or cured meat, or occasionally fish caught by digging holes in the glacier.
Fresh leafy greens? That's a luxury.
However, this was by no means a difficult task for Xia Chi.
Previously, he could send the incredibly fast Milton to the nearest town market, "Dragon Transport," and back.
It's even more convenient now.
Just go directly through Hoopa's ring.
To be honest, it's not much different from Doraemon's Anywhere Door...
"So, please, Hoopa."
After making his request, Xia Chi looked at Hu Pa solemnly.
The little guy is most susceptible to the "You are really important, only you can do this" approach.
Hoopa puffed out her little chest, conjured a golden ring, and proudly declared, "Leave it to Hoopa!"
Its voice was full of pride, and its little face was full of confidence, as if to say, "Watch me!"
To Kanna's even greater astonishment, the magic ring grew larger.
Then, a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, and different kinds of meat continuously emerge from them.
One after another, they gushed out in a rush, like a magic trick.
Kanna stared, her eyes wide with amazement.
What... what kind of operation is this?
She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming.
Finally, someone even fell out...
Yes, alone.
A man wearing a short-sleeved shirt suddenly fell out of the circle and landed on his backside.
He looked around in bewilderment, completely unaware of what had happened.
He was selling vegetables at the market just a moment ago, how did he disappear in the blink of an eye...?
A gust of cold wind blew by, and he shivered.
Hoopa's magic ring has somehow connected to some region, perhaps where the weather is warm and pleasant.
But this is a frozen village on the edge of the Crown Snowfield.
That is, the fireplace was burning inside, so the temperature was fairly warm.
If you were to land in an area where temperatures can easily drop to minus 30 or 40 degrees Celsius... you'd be guaranteed to suffer from hypothermia immediately.
Xia Chi awkwardly stuffed a large amount of Alliance Coins into his hand.
He didn't even know the exact amount, but it was enough for this guy to sell vegetables for a year.
Then he quickly gave Hupa a wink.
Hupa then realized what was happening, raised her little hand, and started spinning the ring.
The golden halo shone again, pointing at the still bewildered man.
Whoosh! The bewildered man was pulled back into the ring.
The room returned to silence.
Xia Chi rubbed his temples helplessly and looked at Hu Pa.
Hupa blinked her big eyes, looking completely innocent.
"Don't bring people over next time."
Xia Chi instructed, "Just throw the money over there... got it?"
Hupa nodded, his little head looking very serious.
However, judging from the slight curve of its lips, this mischievous little guy who loves to play pranks probably didn't listen.
Or rather, they listened, but would like to try again next time.
With the ingredients in hand, the next step is cooking.
With both Chef Fa and Latias present, Connor's kitchen immediately became bustling with activity.
Kanna volunteered to help as well.
"I'll do it! I want Brother Xia Chi to try the traditional curry food from Dongning Village!"
She rolled up her sleeves, her little face full of fighting spirit.
The blue cotton bird chirped on her shoulder, as if cheering her on.
Xia Chi smiled and did not stop him.
With Latias watching over him, he naturally felt at ease and went with her.
Xia Chi and the remaining elves waited for dinner in the warm little house.
The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, crackling and making a warm, cozy sound.
Lao Mi lay in front of the fireplace, enjoying the warmth of the fire.
Bictini was playing and frolicking with her newly acquainted companion, Hoopa. Xia Chi hadn't been wrong at first.
These two like-minded little guys became close friends very quickly after meeting.
When stagnant waters and low mountains meet their own kind, it's a case of "it's like that."
Seeing that the elves were adapting to their new ways, Xia Chi sat down next to Grandma Kanna, preparing to ask the old woman about the Calyre Crown King.
He hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to start the conversation without seeming abrupt, but the old man spoke first.
"Young man, why would you choose to come to such a remote place?"
Xia Chi was slightly taken aback, then smiled.
He was just thinking about how to start the conversation, and this was a perfect topic to start with.
To be honest...
Xia Chi spoke frankly, "I did come to the Crown Snowfield for some business."
He hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing his words, before asking, "Perhaps you have heard of the legend of the King of Abundance?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Grandma Kanna's expression changed slightly.
A complex emotion flashed in his cloudy eyes.
It's like pondering, or perhaps reminiscing.
She remained silent for a moment.
The room fell silent, with only the crackling of the fire in the fireplace.
Orange-red flames licked the firewood, occasionally scattering a few sparks that fell into the ashes and were instantly extinguished.
Warmth flowed gently through the small space, dispelling the chill brought by the howling wind outside the window.
Xia Chi did not urge him, but simply waited quietly by his side.
He knew that the old man from Dongning Village still knew some things about the Crowned Flower.
But some stories take time to unfold.
The Firestorm Beast lay back down at the old man's feet, the flames on its neck now a calm orange-red.
But its little eyes still occasionally glanced at Miaoha, maintaining a subtle wariness.
Miaoha didn't care at all. She leaned lazily against the wall, her tail swaying idly, her gaze fixed on the firelight in the fireplace, lost in thought.
After a long while, the old man slowly spoke.
"I never imagined that there would still be young people in the Eastern Empire who knew of the existence of the King of Abundance."
Grandma Connor said softly, her gaze still fixed on the snowy scene outside the window, but what she saw in her pupils seemed to be not the white snow, but some distant scene.
"Even among our generation, few people know of its existence anymore."
Xia Chi listened quietly without interrupting.
He knew that at this moment, all he needed to do was listen.
Grandma closed her eyes and began to speak slowly.
A strange expression appeared on that wrinkled face, as if he were reminiscing or dreaming.
"When I was very young, my grandmother told me that the Crown Snowfield... no, the Crown Plateau, was not as cold and barren as it is now."
She paused, her voice becoming even softer.
"On the contrary, it was an incredibly bountiful place, like paradise."
"At that time, I couldn't understand how such a cold place could be associated with 'abundance.' All I saw was snow, ice, and howling winds."
"My grandmother then told me the legend of the King of Abundance."
She opened her eyes and looked at the firelight in the fireplace.
"He was a benevolent king; when he raised his right hand, flowers would bloom and grasses would grow lush and green; when he raised his left hand, the fields would become fertile and the crops would yield a bountiful harvest..."
The old man's voice carried a hint of reverence, a memory etched in his blood and passed down through generations.
"Under its rule, the Crown Plateau is the richest place in Galar. No matter how powerful the enemy, the king will ride his two divine horses and defeat them."
"But..."
Her voice lowered.
"From some unknown day, the king disappeared, and his magical flower that brought abundance no longer bloomed."
The fire in the fireplace crackled and popped, as if providing accompaniment to the story.
"At that time, the people living on the Crown Plateau thought that they had offended the king with their disrespect, so they built the Crown Temple for him and offered sacrifices to him."
Grandma Connor shook her head and sighed.
"But the situation has not improved. The climate on the plateau is gradually returning to cold, and the vegetation is beginning to wither."
She let out a long sigh, as if she were expelling all these old stories at once.
"What happened next was inevitable. People began to leave this place where miracles no longer occurred, one group after another, year after year... In the end, only the people of our village remained."
She gazed leisurely out the window, her eyes piercing through the glass, through the swirling snowflakes, and landing on some unseen place.
He said softly, "Soon, even Frozen Village will probably cease to exist..."
1
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Only the fire in the fireplace was still burning, crackling.
Xia Chi remained silent.
He looked out the window at the world covered in white snow, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
The outline of this story is quite similar to the background story of the Lady Crown in the game.
In fact, the Crowned King at that time did not want to abandon his people.
However, the blooming of the "Radiant Flower" requires an extremely high amount of energy—not just energy, but also faith and willpower.
It is difficult to make the Brilliant Flower bloom continuously.
In addition, defending against external enemies also requires a considerable amount of energy.
In those years, the enemies of the Crown Plateau never ceased their attacks.
Every battle depletes its power.
Each time a glorious flower blooms, it also consumes its power.
It needs time, and more faith, to recover.
It's a pity I didn't live to see that day.
The people and spirits of the Crown Plateau left in disappointment.
Perhaps, the next glorious flower is only a little time away from blooming...
Xia Chi thought to himself silently.
But it's hard to say that the people at Wang Guanyuan's place were wrong.
They just lacked a little patience.
In those days, survival was the top priority.
The land is no longer fertile, crops no longer yield abundant harvests, people need to eat, and elves need to survive.
Leaving is the most rational choice.
Nobody did anything wrong.
From what was once the richest place in Galar, it has fallen to the point of being almost deserted.
This is indeed a regrettable story.
Xia Chi followed Grandma Kangna's absent-minded gaze and looked out the window at the world covered in white snow.
The snow is still falling, swirling and fluttering.
That turnip—
No, where is that legendary King of Abundance hiding now?
Is it deep within the Crown Temple?
Or is it some unknown cave?
Or perhaps it lies dormant in some corner of this snowfield, waiting for someone to awaken it?
Xia Chi didn't know.
But he had a gut feeling that he would gain something from this trip to the Crown Snowfield.
As the two remained silent, a strange sound suddenly came from the direction of the kitchen.
"Hmm...Dinner's ready!"
The voice was muffled, as if the mouth was stuffed with something.
Xia Chi turned his head to look.
Then he saw a funny scene.
Connor poked half her head out of the kitchen, her cheeks puffed out like two squirrels that had stolen some nuts, her mouth stuffed full as she chewed.
Clearly, this girl sneaked a lot of food while she was in the kitchen.
A blue cotton bird landed on her head, chirping, with a grain of rice still stuck to its beak—it must have been quite involved.
Latias peeked out from behind Kanna, a helpless smile on his face.
Xia Chi shook his head, both amused and exasperated.
This child...
He called out to his companions, "Let's go, let's eat first."
Miaoha lazily stood up, flicked its tail, and headed towards the restaurant.
The restaurant is small, with a long table taking up almost the entire space.
But at this moment, the table is completely filled.
In the center is a large pot of steaming curry stew, with potatoes, carrots and meat chunks bubbling in the golden curry sauce, emitting a rich aroma.
The surrounding area was filled with various dishes.
Kanna was already seated at the table, her cheeks still moving, but when she saw Xia Chi and the others come in, she immediately waved and called out, "Come on, come on, eat it while it's hot!"
Xia Chi smiled and sat down in the seat opposite him.
The elves found their seats and took their places.
The long-awaited liveliness made Kanna very excited today.
She chattered incessantly as she ate.
"Brother Xia Chi, do you eat curry where you're from?"
"Brother Xia Chi, what's the name of this pink one? It's so cute!"
"Brother Xia Chi, that blue one is so big! How much can it eat?"
The questions came one after another, like a machine gun.
Xia Chi answered each question patiently, as if she were coaxing her younger sister.
During the meal, Victini and Hoopa played and frolicked.
These two little ones are the most restless; they started making a fuss after eating for only a short while.
Hoopa secretly moved the macarons in front of Bictini with a ring—it was its favorite dessert.
Victini discovered this and angrily chased Hoopa all over the house.
"Tini! Tini, Tini!"
[Mine! That's mine!]
"I just borrowed Hoopa to take a look."
Hupa chuckled and darted in and out of the ring, as agile as an eel.
The two little ones chased each other, their laughter and shouts adding boundless vitality to the dinner.
Kanna watched them frolic, her smile never fading.
Xia Chi smiled and shook his head, letting them do as they pleased.
It's good to have a lively atmosphere.
This home, this village, desperately needs some liveliness.
Just then.
A small thing quietly emerged from the shadows.
It was an extremely small movement, so subtle that it was almost imperceptible.
But Xia Chi noticed it.
His senses were incredibly sharp; even while he was eating, the power of his wave guides enveloped the entire space like an invisible spiderweb.
He could sense even the slightest fluctuation of energy.
He glanced sideways at the little guy emerging from the shadows.
Then, his pupils contracted slightly, revealing himself to be Cosmog.