“It’s no problem. This little bit of moisture will dry up in a flash with a bit of Magic.”
As if to prove the truth of her words, Fina reached out and snapped her fingers.
nazLiuli then watched as the soaking wet hair on Fina’s head dried instantly.
“I thought that as a Mermaid, you’d be used to your hair being wet, Fina.”
“Maybe in the water, but once on land, having wet hair really is a bit uncomfortable. Plus, it’s just inconvenient if only the hair stays wet.”
“Ah, Princess. Are you here to see Fina?”
While she was talking with Fina, Aili also walked out after finishing her bath.
Unlike Fina, Aili had properly wrapped a bath towel around her body.
“Yes, I was a little curious if Fina could adapt, so I came to check. Since everything is fine, I’ll head back now.”
“Ah, alright.”
Liuli felt like Aili had something she wanted to say, but for some reason, she didn’t speak up.
Liuli didn’t know if she should ask at this moment, but she figured if Aili didn’t intend to tell her, there was no need to ask.
……
After returning to her Room, Liuli found that Serveyia had already made the Bed and was sitting by the bedside waiting for her.
“How is it? Is Fina settling in?”
“She seems to be adapting quite well from what I saw, though she really should change that habit of not wrapping herself in a towel after a bath.”
“Well, wearing too many clothes underwater is uncomfortable, so most of the Mermaid Race doesn’t like wearing much to begin with.”
Serveyia didn’t have much of a reaction, as if she didn’t find anything strange about what Liuli said.
“Besides, I’ll tell you a secret, Little Fox. Most Beastman races actually don’t like wearing too many complex clothes. While it doesn’t cause any real problems, if they had a choice, they would probably choose to wear something more revealing. It lets them stay closer to nature.”
“But Sofia’s clothes look perfectly normal to me.”
“Merchants are different. They have to appear before people frequently. If their attire isn’t up to standard, their credibility will naturally drop. Besides, any Beastman who comes to Saint Laia — or rather, to Human society — has basically put in a certain amount of effort to integrate. Adapting their dress code is just one of the most obvious ways.”
“That sounds like a lot of work. But is Human society really that attractive?”
“Some Beastman tribes aren’t very developed, so there’s a natural attraction. Even for developed tribes, the allure of Saint Laia is sufficient. Although Saint Laia Academy maintains a very tolerant attitude toward the traditions of various Races, Students still have to interact with those from other backgrounds. So, they at least restrain themselves in public. However, in front of acquaintances or in their private spaces, these Students usually let their true natures show.”
“You know so much, Serveyia…”
“If you had taken the same classes as me, Little Fox, you would know just as much. After all, before I met you, I was always being raised as an Heir. While this knowledge might seem a bit disorganized to an ordinary person, it’s common sense that a leader of a nation must master.”
“But can a person really master so much knowledge? And not just knowledge, but martial prowess too. A person’s time is fixed. Serveyia, are you actually a genius?”
“It’s because I don’t have to go to school like you do, Little Fox. All the knowledge I need to master is taught to me by specialized private Teachers. Not to mention, I don’t need to master these things deeply; I only need a general understanding of them.”
“I see…” Liuli had always known being an Heir wouldn’t be easy, but she felt learning so much knowledge was still too exhausting. “What are our plans for tomorrow?”
“We’ll probably wander around the Royal Capital. As the Royal Capital of the Elf Race, this city still has quite a few sights worth seeing.”
“The Royal Capital? I thought this was the only city the Elf Race had.”
“How could it be the only city, Little Fox? Although the population of the Elf Race isn’t that large, it’s not something a single city can accommodate. Not to mention, Elf houses are basically these wooden cottage styles, so a single room can’t hold many people. Furthermore, Elves generally live together in units of families or families. Several families form a village — it’s roughly like that.”
“But if that’s the case, can the Elf King’s decrees actually be carried out?”
Although Liuli didn’t really understand how a state machine operated, she felt that if a country’s residents were too scattered, there would surely be all sorts of problems in executing policy.
“I’m not actually sure about that myself. After all, that almost touches upon a nation’s core secrets. But I suspect it’s either because the Elf King’s policies are things the Elves themselves are eager to achieve, or the overall quality of the Elf people is very high. Regardless of the reason, it’s a bit counterintuitive.”
To be honest, Liuli was still a bit unwilling to believe that every member of a race could have such a high standard of conduct that they would all follow their leader’s example perfectly.
‘If it were just one village, maybe it would be possible, but an entire nation? Is that really possible?’
“So, even if I wanted to ask the Elf King, I wouldn’t get any information, right?”
“If Seth were the sole decision-maker, he might tell you given his personality. But he has the Elder Council behind him, and his duties won’t allow him to say those things.”
“So, Seth was actually elected by the elders to act as a figurehead?”
“Oh? You figured it out, Little Fox.” Serveyia wore an expression of surprise, seemingly not expecting Liuli to make such a judgment.
“That’s right. People’s requirements for a leader are often very comprehensive, but in times of Peace, those requirements basically focus on being kind, gentle, and empathetic toward the people. While there are people skilled in various affairs within the Elder Council to ensure the rationality of decisions, nothing is more easily accepted by everyone than a kind and empathetic leader.”
“Mm, it’s lucky it was Master Seth who welcomed us, otherwise I don’t know how awkward the atmosphere would be.”
In Liuli’s impression, members of the Council of Elders were always the type of people who were solemn and calculating.
If she really had to deal with people like that, she feared she wouldn’t even have a chance to hold her own.