Various odds and ends of items on the table moved by themselves, as if there were some invisible little people holding them up underneath, and then flew out of the window one by one.
This strange sight is not unfamiliar to the locals, but outsiders are amazed by it.
"Brother, it seems like your luck is about to change. Why don't you buy us a drink?"
"One cup is not enough! Two cups per person! Hahahaha!"
The local men whose personal belongings were taken away by the elves were all smiling.
"How is it? Has the problem been solved for you?"
Joe Butran turned and said to the female bartender with a smile.
The female bartender nodded twice and gently pushed the hair hanging behind her ears.
The old drinkers started to make a fuss when they saw the female bartender's actions.
"Bertha is shy! Here comes the signature move!"
"Get lost!"
The female bartender picked up some ice cubes from the side and threw them at the crowd that was making a fuss.
"Tell me, what do you want?"
The female bartender put her hands on her hips, puffed up her cheeks and blew a breath and said.
"I want all the information you find useful about Iceland, a guide who is familiar with the dangerous places like glaciers and volcanoes, and a room where I can think quietly.
It would be even better if a delicious meal could be provided.
I won’t stay long, I’ll be gone in a day or two.”
Jobtran said straight to the point.
The female bartender bit her lip.
"Providing information and finding you a tour guide is not a problem, but the room..."
Seeing the expression on the bartender Bertha's face, Jobtran knew that she felt a little embarrassed about this.
"If it's inconvenient, I can stay in a hotel alone."
The female bartender saw the indifferent expression on Joe Butran's face, and thinking of his bravery in driving away those bullies just now, she nodded resolutely.
"It's okay, you go up first. Here's the key to the room. Go to the end and it's the one on the left."
Bertha carefully took out a small silver key and handed it over carefully.
Jobtran took the key from Bertha and found that it was still slightly warm. It was obvious that Bertha had kept it in her underwear.
"I'm not in a hurry to go up. Tell me first, what happened just now?"
“As long as someone calls out with all their heart, the spirits of nature will appear and take away some odds and ends.
We call this phenomenon gifting.”
"Gift?"
“Well, a little gift for the elves.
The elves will take whatever they like, except for anything with a living creature, which they may want."
"Is it the labor fee for a trip as an elf?"
“No, according to legend, this is just the preference of the elves.
The more valuable the item is, the sooner the owner will move it.”
"Like what?"
"When a distant relative dies and leaves you a large inheritance, or you meet the love of your life, or you get something you've wanted for a long time, all these signs prove that this is a gift from the elves."
Hearing this, Joe Butran nodded. He finally understood what a gift meant.
"No wonder the guy whose keys were taken away was so excited."
Jobtran murmured.
"In local legends, are all elves kind?"
asked Joe Butran curiously.
There have always been different versions of the various Icelandic folk legends, and when Jobtran himself came to Iceland, he naturally wanted to find out the truth.
"Most elves are kind, but they can be naughty."
The female bartender, Bertha, put her finger on her chin, thought for a moment, and then replied.
"Naughty?"
Jobtran was a little surprised by Bertha's use of the unique adjective "naughty".
“Well, they like to mess around and do whatever they like.
For example, when they pass by a rapeseed field and think the yellow rapeseed flowers are ugly, they will change the yellow into their favorite color.
This is a very common phenomenon in Iceland.”
Bertha's answer reminded Jobtran of the black man who advocated free-spiritedness, but it sounded like the elves here seemed to be more free.
"Besides elves, are there other legends in Iceland?"
“There are too many, too many. I suggest you find Elder Bazel from our village, who is an expert in this area.
Stranger, I still don’t know your name.”
Bertha lowered her head and uttered the following words.
"Jobtran G. Rossat. A private investigator passing through."
Joe Butron replied with a smile.
"Well, be back before ten, Mr. Jobtran. I'll be closed after that time."
After saying this, Bertha turned around and continued to greet other guests.
A slightly drunk guy walked up to Joe Butran and patted him on the shoulder twice.
"Cold beauty Bertha! You are in for a treat tonight. Hiccup!"
After hearing this, Joe Butran was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and stood up to leave the Ice Flame Bar.
The midday sun is very scorching, and it feels like being roasted by fire when it shines on your body.
Joe Butran asked several passers-by on the roadside.
But what lingered in Jobutran's mind was a reminder from a passerby:
"Elder Basil is a very good man, but his temper is as strange as an elf.
But his wine is delicious.”
Jobtran could not forget the expression of the passerby at that time, which was a mixture of awe and fear.
He followed the instructions of passers-by and came to where Elder Bazel was.
It was a mushroom-like hut that looked pitch black on the outside. The chimney on the top looked like a crooked tree, which looked a bit funny.
Outside the cottage is a well-tended flower and vegetable garden, planted with many pansies of different colors.
There seems to be a beautiful butterfly hidden in the middle of the petals of each pansy, flapping its wings among the petals with the breeze.
Blue and white, yellow and brown, purple and black, all kinds of colors are mixed together to form a small patch of bright flowers.
Some local celery is planted in the vegetable field, and green vines of loofah are coiled on the fence.
Elder Bazel stood beside the flower bed, holding a kettle in one hand and the other hand behind his back.
He was wearing a linen top, off-white shorts, and a pair of light slippers.
He has sparse white hair. Although he looks old, he is radiant and appears to be very energetic.
Elder Bazel lowered his head and looked quietly at every flower in the flowerbed with an indescribable tenderness in his eyes. In his eyes, these flowers were like his most beautiful and moving lovers.
Jobtran stood outside the fence, without saying anything or making any movements, also waiting quietly.
After a while, Elder Bazel noticed Jobtran standing stupidly outside the fence and smiled.
"Come in, polite stranger."
"As you wish."
Jobtran opened the fence outside the yard and then gently closed it.
"Come with me."
Elder Bazel shook his head, put down the kettle, put his hands behind his back, and walked slowly in front.
Jobtran was not in a hurry and only followed three steps behind Elder Bazel.
Elder Bazel did not take Jobtran into the hut where he lived, but walked around the hut.
It turns out that there is another small world behind the cabin.
A hand-built pavilion, a wooden table, and some comfortable wooden chairs.
"sit."
Elder Basel picked a chair and sat on it.
Joe Butran sat down obediently opposite him.
"Go ahead. Only young people who don't know any better would come to an old man like me who already has one foot in the grave for advice. Do you have any questions for me?"
Elder Bazel stroked his goatee and said with a smile.
“I have so many questions, I don’t know where to start.”
Joe Butran put his hands on his knees and answered honestly.
He looked like a bad student being scolded by his teacher in school.
"Haha, don't be so reserved, just ask whatever you want to ask.
As long as it is about Iceland, there is nothing that I, Elder Bazel, don’t know.”
Elder Bazel smiled as he picked up the sealed bucket on the table and poured a cup of brown liquid.
He poured a full glass for Joe Butran and pushed it in front of him.
"Try to drink."
Joe Butron picked up the cup and took a sip.
It tastes refreshing without being bitter and goes straight down your throat.
“Is this craft beer?”
“It’s not just craft beer, it’s also an exclusive secret recipe.”
Elder Bazel showed a proud expression.
“Beer out there only uses malt, hops, yeast and water, but I also add honey and coffee beans.
Well, stranger, now that we have had our fill of wine, tell me why you are here."
After Elder Bazel boasted about himself for a while, his expression immediately became serious.
"I want to know all about Iceland's legends and the latest mysteries."
“How much do you know about Iceland?”
"Not much, just some very basic knowledge, for example, I know that Iceland is a country with many volcanoes and frequent geological activities."
"Then it seems you don't know anything about Iceland."
Elder Bazel crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows.
“Our ancestors were Vikings, or in other words, pirates.
I discovered this charming island and decided to settle down here.
But this island is far from as simple as people imagine. "
"Like what? Nature's spirits?"
Joe Butran guided.
Elder Bazel gave Jot Brown a cold look.
"Don't interrupt me. If you want to hear the story, just listen carefully."
After hearing this, Jobtran finally understood why people respected Elder Bazel and feared him at the same time. It turned out that once this man started talking, he would talk nonstop, but the wine here was indeed as unique as passers-by said.
“A long, long time ago, our ancestors set foot on this strange and desolate land.
They found that there were scenery as peaceful as heaven, but also natural dangers as terrifying as hell.
The land here is fertile and has abundant natural resources, so they began to build their own homes on this land.
But this place is far from as beautiful as people imagined at that time.
Because this is the territory of giants."
"Are you talking about the giants in Greek and Roman mythology?"
Elder Bazel was obviously a little unhappy after being interrupted by Jobtran again, and poured Jobtran another full cup.
“Drink it!”
Joe Butran drank the second cup with a mixture of laughter and tears.
“It’s the giant in Beiou mythology!
Boy, do you know the story of Norse mythology? "
Elder Bazel asked.
"I don't really understand. I am a believer of the Holy Light Society."
Joe Butran scratched his head, which was why he took the trouble to come and ask.
“In mythology, our world is built on the World Tree, from which nine great worlds extend, including Asgard, where the Aesir live, and Middle-earth, where we humans live.
Among them live different creatures including Frost Giants, Aesir, Vanir and dwarfs.
Ymir, the ancestor of the Frost Giants, gave birth to the gods, but ironically, the Frost Giants are also the gods' greatest enemies.
What's even more despairing is that our Iceland belongs to the territory of one of the frost giants who fell into Middle-earth.
My old father often told me not to go to the Blue Lake because it was where the Frost Giants rested. The Blue Lake became so blue because of the skin dropped by the Frost Giants.
My old father is already very handsome, the best-looking man in the village and the strongest hunter.
I don’t know why I didn’t inherit his shortcomings. I’m still so handsome. No, I’m even more handsome than my old father.”
As Elder Bazel was talking, he strayed off topic and began to reminisce about trivial matters of the past and then started to brag about himself.
This made Jobtran helplessly pay the price of drinking a full cup again and interrupt Elder Bazel's recollection of the past.
“Ahem, according to legend, the volcanoes in Iceland were created when the thunderbolts summoned by Thor to attack the frost giants pierced through the earth.
The most terrifying volcano among them is called the Eye of Hell. Thick smoke will never stop billowing out of the crater, and large amounts of hot magma and lava will spray onto the ground as the earth shakes.
I heard that one can see the abyss from the crater of this volcano that never goes out.
I haven't been there, but that's what the legend says.
And because of the Eye of Hell, many creatures from the other nine kingdoms will come to Iceland.
There are actually many bottomless pits on the endless plain. According to legend, they are the residences of elves and dwarves.
People often fall down out of curiosity and never climb up again. This is the glacier in Iceland."
Although Elder Bazel's long explanation was fragmentary, it also provided a lot of information that Jobtran needed.
The most crucial of these seems to be the Beiou myth.
"Elder, what is this natural spirit?"
Joe Butran asked with all his might, his stomach already feeling a little full.
I guess I can't drink another one or two.
"Those are the elves from Alfheim. They do exist, but we just can't see them."
"It is indeed a product of Beiou mythology. It seems that I have to go to the Investigation Bureau branch here."
Jobtran thought to himself.