[What’s she making this time?]
[Sylvia seems to know everything!]
[My Sylvia is so smart!]
[Erin, it’s only you who calls her that way, right? We’re friends with Sylvia too!]
[Right, it’s only you who calls her that way.]
The voices of the fairies, chattering noisily, seemed not to reach Sylvia, who, with a flushed face, diligently stacked the snow bricks. She meticulously raised the snow bricks while surveying the small clearing.
She first secured the largest space to use and connected pathways to create other spaces. Watching the igloo shape quickly rise due to magic, Sylvia wore a satisfied expression.
She raised walls for a space conceptually similar to a living room, as well as for a room for the group, Felix’s room, and her own room, finally sealing the spaces perfectly.
She didn’t forget to drill small holes here and there with ice magic to ensure fresh air could circulate, making the igloo’s exterior more solid. The entrance was made long to prevent snow from getting in.
“Wow!”
“Really amazing!”
“But won’t it be cold since it’s made of snow?”
“I’m a bit worried about that too.”
“Miss Sylvia, I’m hungry.”
While everyone was proud, there were voices of concern about the house being made of snow and the rumbling sounds of hungry stomachs. Sylvia floated up again to take one more look at the practically well-constructed igloo.
Felix approached her, his robe fluttering. The robe he wore instead of armor was identical to hers.
“This is called an igloo. It’s made of snow but it’s supposed to be really warm.”
It was also her first real-life encounter with such a structure. Sylvia’s eyes sparkled as she descended.
“Shall we go in then?”
Sylvia slowly moved towards the entrance.
“Wow.”
She was very pleased with the space, which was larger than expected.
Sylvia dug a hole with earth magic. Then, she took out firewood from her spatial bag and piled it in the hole. After lighting the firewood, she took out a large pot.
“Wow.”
“It really keeps the wind out well.”
“It’s surprisingly warm, isn’t it?”
The people who had followed her in commented one after another.
“It’s really fascinating.”
“Right. It’s truly amazing.”
They touched the snow walls they had made, marveling at them. Felix also looked around the inside of the igloo, his eyes shining.
Firstly, intending to address their hunger, Sylvia took out some dried scorched rice. She boiled the scorched rice in the pot and then took out a table.
She placed spicy cucumber salad, chive salad, and radish salad on the table, and took out preserved food she had made when she found soy sauce. She created a pickling sauce by mixing soy sauce with sugar, vinegar, a bit of wine and ginger juice, and a pinch of salt, and prepared various side dishes.
With pickling sauce, she made side dishes with ingredients like bracken, perilla leaves, angelica tree shoots, dandelions, garlic shoots, peppers, green onions, garlic, onions, and lotus root; the possibilities were endless.
The rewards for her diligence were well received. When there was no time for elaborate meals, there was nothing simpler than eating scorched rice with savory side dishes.
“It smells really nutty, doesn’t it?”
The members gathered around the pot, peering inside and commenting. Sylvia, who had neatly placed the side dishes on the plates, smiled and spoke up.
“Let’s eat now.”
“Yay—! Miss Sylvia!”
Sylvia smiled broadly as she saw people naturally preparing spoons and bowls.
“What’s this?”
Felix, who had been curious for a while, stared intently at the dark side dishes and asked.
“With scorched rice, it’s really delicious.”
Sylvia brought out cool barley tea and warm barley tea, scooping the boiling hot scorched rice into bowls and distributing them to everyone. Felix, who had already found a seat, had the steaming scorched rice in front of him and was gently blowing on it.
The interior, made up of white walls, was unique. The feeling of having hot food in front of them in a space that looked like it would be cold to even glance at was peculiar.
Sylvia scooped up a full portion of scorched rice for herself and naturally took a seat next to Felix, picking up her chopsticks.
She had tried making preserved food with Galbus oil, and interestingly, it tasted like soy sauce when eaten as is, but the flavor subtly changed once it was boiled.
However, her wish was fulfilled with the soy sauce she found at the second lake. She picked up a piece of bracken, folded it neatly, and placed it on top of the scorched rice. She scooped a big spoonful, blew on it a few times, and then directly put it into her mouth.
“Phew.”
She chewed, releasing hot steam.
“Hmm!”
A nasal hum naturally escaped her.
No matter how warm the robe was, her exposed face and ears quickly felt warmed.
“Hot, hot.”
“It’s really hot. But it’s delicious.”
“It’s savory.”
“What’s this side dish? It has a spicy taste.”
Holding up garlic shoots, Dennis asked.
“That’s garlic shoots, the flower stem of garlic. It has a pungent taste similar to garlic, right?”
“Do you eat that part as well?”
Garlic was also a variety found here. Of course, it was treated as a precious herb eaten only by the nobility, but Sylvia thought of garlic as a vegetable.
Why? Because garlic tastes good even when just roasted.
“Of course! It’s very good for the body, especially good to eat in winter like now.”
With that, she picked up the sour and spicy pickled garlic shoots soaked in soy sauce and placed it on her scorched rice.
“Mm!”
For the first time since coming to this place, or rather, in a long time, she shivered as she devoured the soy sauce preserved food.
Felix found it pleasant how even a spoonful warmed him up inside. Cutting through the biting wind to gather snow and build a house was unfamiliar but fun, and eating hot food right after seemed to multiply that joy.
Following Sylvia’s lead, he too picked up the side dishes and placed them on his scorched rice, then took a big scoop and put it into his mouth.
“Mm.”
The bland scorched rice and the salty side dishes matched very well.
“Mr. Jordan, there’s more scorched rice. Shall I scoop some for you?”
“No, I’ll get it myself.”
Jordan finished scraping his nearly empty bowl and stood up. As soon as he rose, people extended their bowls towards him.
“Hey, mine too!”
“Jordan, please get mine as well.”
In truth, Jordan, the youngest in the knight order, busily moved around filling up his seniors’ bowls with scorched rice before he could fill his own.
After Sylvia had lightly finished a bowl and stood up, she asked Felix.
“Do you want me to get you some more?”
“Yeah.”
Seeing him eagerly eating the remaining scorched rice made Sylvia wait with a smile.
Sylvia quickly took the empty bowl he extended, filled it to the brim, and handed it back to him first. She also filled her own bowl generously, placed it on the table, and then took chestnuts out of her spatial bag. Using wind magic, she swiftly slit the shells and tossed them abundantly into the fire.
Returning to her seat, Sylvia picked up the spicy cucumber salad along with the chive salad and ate them with the scorched rice. While they were eating silently, a chestnut, even though slit, flew towards the table with a pop, having been roasted and ejected by the fire. She quickly caught it with wind magic.
“Miss Sylvia, what is that?”
Isaac looked on with curiosity.
“This is a chestnut, and it’s delicious when roasted! Especially, it tastes best when eaten in winter!”
“Wow!”
The people cheered and started to finish off their bowls. Sylvia was inexplicably exhilarated. Somehow, being lost and facing winter here didn’t seem entirely bad.
“There are so many foods that taste great in winter! Let’s try making them all!”
“Wow! Miss Sylvia, you’re the best!”
“You’re truly amazing, Miss Sylvia!”
In a buoyant mood, Sylvia grew a mandarin orange tree and a Hallabong tree using plant magic.
The moment Felix saw the Hallabong, his eyes changed. He quickly used wind magic to bring a Hallabong to him, silently peeled it, and popped a piece into his mouth.
“Mm.”
Felix loved this fruit called Hallabong. The fragrance, taste, and texture, all were to his liking, even more than oranges. Waking up to the cold in the morning had put him in a very poor mood, but now it was completely the opposite.
Building a snow house, discovering that hot soup could be so delicious, and enjoying a tangy dessert…
It was so enjoyable that he suddenly felt a sense of fear. For a moment, his deep black eyes sank in thought as they looked at Sylvia. The mere thought of her not being by his side sent shivers down his spine.
“Siri.”
He abruptly offered her a peeled Hallabong. He intensely watched her red lips take a bite, then blinked his eyes widely.
He seemed to realize something at that moment.
That he was already fond of her.
It was a secret affection that even he had not noticed until now.
Only in such everyday moments, among familiar people, did he suddenly come to understand.
‘Ah, you have become someone indispensable to me.’
With her by his side, his natural daily life was finally complete.
‘Yes, you are precious to me, the only one…’
The entirely white walls surrounding them, the brightly burning flames, and the green leaves filling the space were a very unusual scene, and the emotions he felt were unfamiliar as well.
But that would be only for a moment.
The awkwardness he felt now would soon turn into familiarity.
[What’s she making this time?]
[Sylvia seems to know everything!]
[My Sylvia is so smart!]
[Erin, it’s only you who calls her that way, right? We’re friends with Sylvia too!]
[Right, it’s only you who calls her that way.]
The voices of the fairies, chattering noisily, seemed not to reach Sylvia, who, with a flushed face, diligently stacked the snow bricks. She meticulously raised the snow bricks while surveying the small clearing.
She first secured the largest space to use and connected pathways to create other spaces. Watching the igloo shape quickly rise due to magic, Sylvia wore a satisfied expression.
She raised walls for a space conceptually similar to a living room, as well as for a room for the group, Felix’s room, and her own room, finally sealing the spaces perfectly.
She didn’t forget to drill small holes here and there with ice magic to ensure fresh air could circulate, making the igloo’s exterior more solid. The entrance was made long to prevent snow from getting in.
“Wow!”
“Really amazing!”
“But won’t it be cold since it’s made of snow?”
“I’m a bit worried about that too.”
“Miss Sylvia, I’m hungry.”
While everyone was proud, there were voices of concern about the house being made of snow and the rumbling sounds of hungry stomachs. Sylvia floated up again to take one more look at the practically well-constructed igloo.
Felix approached her, his robe fluttering. The robe he wore instead of armor was identical to hers.
“This is called an igloo. It’s made of snow but it’s supposed to be really warm.”
It was also her first real-life encounter with such a structure. Sylvia’s eyes sparkled as she descended.
“Shall we go in then?”
Sylvia slowly moved towards the entrance.
“Wow.”
She was very pleased with the space, which was larger than expected.
Sylvia dug a hole with earth magic. Then, she took out firewood from her spatial bag and piled it in the hole. After lighting the firewood, she took out a large pot.
“Wow.”
“It really keeps the wind out well.”
“It’s surprisingly warm, isn’t it?”
The people who had followed her in commented one after another.
“It’s really fascinating.”
“Right. It’s truly amazing.”
They touched the snow walls they had made, marveling at them. Felix also looked around the inside of the igloo, his eyes shining.
Firstly, intending to address their hunger, Sylvia took out some dried scorched rice. She boiled the scorched rice in the pot and then took out a table.
She placed spicy cucumber salad, chive salad, and radish salad on the table, and took out preserved food she had made when she found soy sauce. She created a pickling sauce by mixing soy sauce with sugar, vinegar, a bit of wine and ginger juice, and a pinch of salt, and prepared various side dishes.
With pickling sauce, she made side dishes with ingredients like bracken, perilla leaves, angelica tree shoots, dandelions, garlic shoots, peppers, green onions, garlic, onions, and lotus root; the possibilities were endless.
The rewards for her diligence were well received. When there was no time for elaborate meals, there was nothing simpler than eating scorched rice with savory side dishes.
“It smells really nutty, doesn’t it?”
The members gathered around the pot, peering inside and commenting. Sylvia, who had neatly placed the side dishes on the plates, smiled and spoke up.
“Let’s eat now.”
“Yay—! Miss Sylvia!”
Sylvia smiled broadly as she saw people naturally preparing spoons and bowls.
“What’s this?”
Felix, who had been curious for a while, stared intently at the dark side dishes and asked.
“With scorched rice, it’s really delicious.”
Sylvia brought out cool barley tea and warm barley tea, scooping the boiling hot scorched rice into bowls and distributing them to everyone. Felix, who had already found a seat, had the steaming scorched rice in front of him and was gently blowing on it.
The interior, made up of white walls, was unique. The feeling of having hot food in front of them in a space that looked like it would be cold to even glance at was peculiar.
Sylvia scooped up a full portion of scorched rice for herself and naturally took a seat next to Felix, picking up her chopsticks.
She had tried making preserved food with Galbus oil, and interestingly, it tasted like soy sauce when eaten as is, but the flavor subtly changed once it was boiled.
However, her wish was fulfilled with the soy sauce she found at the second lake. She picked up a piece of bracken, folded it neatly, and placed it on top of the scorched rice. She scooped a big spoonful, blew on it a few times, and then directly put it into her mouth.
“Phew.”
She chewed, releasing hot steam.
“Hmm!”
A nasal hum naturally escaped her.
No matter how warm the robe was, her exposed face and ears quickly felt warmed.
“Hot, hot.”
“It’s really hot. But it’s delicious.”
“It’s savory.”
“What’s this side dish? It has a spicy taste.”
Holding up garlic shoots, Dennis asked.
“That’s garlic shoots, the flower stem of garlic. It has a pungent taste similar to garlic, right?”
“Do you eat that part as well?”
Garlic was also a variety found here. Of course, it was treated as a precious herb eaten only by the nobility, but Sylvia thought of garlic as a vegetable.
Why? Because garlic tastes good even when just roasted.
“Of course! It’s very good for the body, especially good to eat in winter like now.”
With that, she picked up the sour and spicy pickled garlic shoots soaked in soy sauce and placed it on her scorched rice.
“Mm!”
For the first time since coming to this place, or rather, in a long time, she shivered as she devoured the soy sauce preserved food.
Felix found it pleasant how even a spoonful warmed him up inside. Cutting through the biting wind to gather snow and build a house was unfamiliar but fun, and eating hot food right after seemed to multiply that joy.
Following Sylvia’s lead, he too picked up the side dishes and placed them on his scorched rice, then took a big scoop and put it into his mouth.
“Mm.”
The bland scorched rice and the salty side dishes matched very well.
“Mr. Jordan, there’s more scorched rice. Shall I scoop some for you?”
“No, I’ll get it myself.”
Jordan finished scraping his nearly empty bowl and stood up. As soon as he rose, people extended their bowls towards him.
“Hey, mine too!”
“Jordan, please get mine as well.”
In truth, Jordan, the youngest in the knight order, busily moved around filling up his seniors’ bowls with scorched rice before he could fill his own.
After Sylvia had lightly finished a bowl and stood up, she asked Felix.
“Do you want me to get you some more?”
“Yeah.”
Seeing him eagerly eating the remaining scorched rice made Sylvia wait with a smile.
Sylvia quickly took the empty bowl he extended, filled it to the brim, and handed it back to him first. She also filled her own bowl generously, placed it on the table, and then took chestnuts out of her spatial bag. Using wind magic, she swiftly slit the shells and tossed them abundantly into the fire.
Returning to her seat, Sylvia picked up the spicy cucumber salad along with the chive salad and ate them with the scorched rice. While they were eating silently, a chestnut, even though slit, flew towards the table with a pop, having been roasted and ejected by the fire. She quickly caught it with wind magic.
“Miss Sylvia, what is that?”
Isaac looked on with curiosity.
“This is a chestnut, and it’s delicious when roasted! Especially, it tastes best when eaten in winter!”
“Wow!”
The people cheered and started to finish off their bowls. Sylvia was inexplicably exhilarated. Somehow, being lost and facing winter here didn’t seem entirely bad.
“There are so many foods that taste great in winter! Let’s try making them all!”
“Wow! Miss Sylvia, you’re the best!”
“You’re truly amazing, Miss Sylvia!”
In a buoyant mood, Sylvia grew a mandarin orange tree and a Hallabong tree using plant magic.
The moment Felix saw the Hallabong, his eyes changed. He quickly used wind magic to bring a Hallabong to him, silently peeled it, and popped a piece into his mouth.
“Mm.”
Felix loved this fruit called Hallabong. The fragrance, taste, and texture, all were to his liking, even more than oranges. Waking up to the cold in the morning had put him in a very poor mood, but now it was completely the opposite.
Building a snow house, discovering that hot soup could be so delicious, and enjoying a tangy dessert…
It was so enjoyable that he suddenly felt a sense of fear. For a moment, his deep black eyes sank in thought as they looked at Sylvia. The mere thought of her not being by his side sent shivers down his spine.
“Siri.”
He abruptly offered her a peeled Hallabong. He intensely watched her red lips take a bite, then blinked his eyes widely.
He seemed to realize something at that moment.
That he was already fond of her.
It was a secret affection that even he had not noticed until now.
Only in such everyday moments, among familiar people, did he suddenly come to understand.
‘Ah, you have become someone indispensable to me.’
With her by his side, his natural daily life was finally complete.
‘Yes, you are precious to me, the only one…’
The entirely white walls surrounding them, the brightly burning flames, and the green leaves filling the space were a very unusual scene, and the emotions he felt were unfamiliar as well.
But that would be only for a moment.
The awkwardness he felt now would soon turn into familiarity.
