Jewel magic was a unique element that appeared only in the Visconti ducal family. It was a magic not found anywhere else, not even in the Corpora Empire.
Lucino rose abruptly from his heavy chair and strode across the office.
“Aaron, prepare the carriage.”
“I’ve already prepared it, Your Grace.”
As Lucino placed the unopened letter in his jacket’s inner pocket, he thought.
‘Could there have been a bastard child?’
To get accurate information, heading to the royal palace seemed the fastest option.
***
[Wake up, you sleepyheads!]
Sylvia woke up with a start at the sound of Eryngium’s voice shouting in her ear.
“What, what?”
The sunlight piercing through the tent seemed to indicate that morning was well past.
[Wake up, Sylvia.]
[Asta is hungry…]
At the feeble voices of the fairies, Sylvia tried to scramble up, but…
“Go and find something to eat yourself.”
A cold, abrupt voice followed, and then a whirlwind swept through the tent.
[Aaah!]
[Felix!]
[That’s too mean! Asta is sad!]
Sylvia snapped to her senses at the fairies’ receding voices.
“Again!”
Felix, who had once again sent the fairies flying out, leisurely got up. The sparse sunlight streaming in made the contours of his face even more distinct.
“Just sleep more. You need to recover.”
He said, wrapping his long arm around her waist. Then, he tucked her between his legs and wrapped her up with his limbs. Sylvia, who had been uncomfortable with his persistent clinging since before falling asleep, struggled and protested.
“Get your arm off! And your legs too! It’s so heavy I could die!”
At her words, Felix widened his eyes and just lifted his head to slowly scan her body. His slowly moving black pupils somehow made her feel embarrassed.
“Why! Why are you looking at me like that!”
An annoyed Sylvia snapped at him, and Felix asked with a tone and expression of disbelief.
“If my legs are heavy enough to kill you, how weak are you? Is it hard for you to even walk? Then how do you cook?”
The way he took her words literally and looked surprised made Sylvia find him even stranger, but his expression seemed so sincerely puzzled that it angered her even more.
“I’m hungry! Let me go!”
As Sylvia tried to escape with wind magic, Felix firmly held her arm and said.
“Before that, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Huh?”
“It’s about how to draw on the power of the Black Dragon. Normally, it’s a skill only taught to the direct descendants of the Capitis royal family.”
“What?”
“So, if you feel like your magical power is running out, you can draw on the magic power of Aethernum and use it. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Huh? Uh, no…”
Confused by the content and his position, Sylvia blushed and stammered a response. Felix grabbed her arm, lifted her onto his legs, and sat down leaning against the bed.
Sitting down on his thighs, facing him, was both absurd and embarrassing, and the fact that it was a skill only taught to the Capitis royal family made her feel faint.
With a dazed expression and her eyes rolling around, Felix continued speaking while poking her cheeks with his fingers.
“When your magic starts to decrease, do you feel empty inside? Actually, you’re supposed to stop at that point. But we can draw on the power of Aethernum and use it.”
He grabbed Sylvia’s hands, suspended in mid-air, placing one over his heart and the other over his stomach, and continued the explanation.
“You must be connected to the heart as well. You need to feel that flow. Call Aethernum to your heart, then draw the magic here, to the stomach.”
He tapped near his heart with her right hand and rubbed his stomach with her left hand. Sylvia’s face turned even redder at the feeling of his firm abs under her palms.
“It might not be possible to master it all at once, but since you have been granted permission by Aethernum, you should be able to do it soon. Of course, those who haven’t been granted permission couldn’t even attempt it. Are you listening to me?”
“Yes!”
Despite not having listened properly, Sylvia responded loudly.
“Ha, haha.”
Knowing her condition or not, Felix suddenly burst into laughter. Then, he abruptly hugged her.
“Ah, Sylvia. It’s really fortunate that you’re safe.”
Felix showed a somewhat different demeanor than usual, and Sylvia could only hug him back. His voice seemed genuinely relieved.
***
It was fortunate that she had finished shopping before the incident occurred. As they emerged from the tent, the troupe members crowded around.
“Miss Sylvia! Are you alright?”
“Miss Sylvia! Please, rest some more!”
“We will catch a wild boar for you!”
“We are confident in our roasting skills.”
Sylvia was touched by Hubert and Dennis coming up to encourage her to rest more. But the sound of their stomachs rumbling only made her laugh.
“I’m fine now. I’m really sorry for causing you worry.”
All the members flailed their hands in front of her as she bowed in apology.
“Oh, why do you say that!”
Jordan leaped up, responding. Sylvia smiled broadly and suggested.
“Let’s eat first, we’re all hungry, aren’t we?”
At her words, all the members swallowed their saliva. They hadn’t had a meal since lunch the previous day.
Sylvia searched for her subspace leather backpack, and Jordan brought it to her. Receiving the backpack, Sylvia stood alone in the open field under the hot sun. The members stepped back, seeing she was about to do something.
She found a cypress barrel in her subspace. As she wished, the cypress barrels began to appear one after another. Having not consumed proper protein during the winter, she easily decided on the menu.
She brought out various cuts of beef for grilling, such as tenderloin, sirloin, chuck flap tail, skirt, and fan steak, and simultaneously began to cultivate cabbage, lettuce, perilla leaves, peppers, garlic, green onions, onions, and wasabi.
The plants growing around her were all fresh and luscious. The red beef, marbled and seasoned with salt and pepper through the magic of wind, looked delicious even raw.
Glass jars popped out from the subspace bag in a line. They contained pickled radishes, wrapped radishes, and sweetened radishes. She thinly sliced the thickly grown green onions with the magic of wind to make green onion salad.
She thinly sliced onions and cabbage and marinated them in mustard soy sauce. She ground wasabi and mixed it with mayonnaise, and cut garlic and peppers into bite-sized pieces. She made a sauce with finely ground salt, pepper, sesame oil, and pepper-infused oil, and began grilling the tenderloin.
Sylvia, swinging her arms and unfolding circles of fire, water, wind, and plant magic, was a spectacular sight. As the members couldn’t take their eyes off her, Felix asked in a soft voice.
“Isn’t Siri cute?”
In front of the astonishing magic, Felix seemed to see only Sylvia, asking in a voice filled with ecstasy. The members vigorously nodded in agreement.
“Yeah!”
Among the burly, muscular men, how could Sylvia not be cute? But it seemed that wasn’t the correct answer, as a chilling voice lowly resounded.
“Cute?”
The sensation alone was enough to give shivers, and Dennis quickly corrected himself.
“She is not cute!”
Yet, that answer too seemed incorrect as an even lower voice followed.
“Really, are you all blind?”
As everyone was at a loss for what to do and clamped their mouths shut, Felix casually crossed his arms and said.
“Well, she doesn’t seem cute in your eyes. Then, don’t stare too much. She’s already small, and if she disappears because of you, will you take responsibility?”
Felix spoke in a whisper, but his voice carried a chilling eeriness that was laden with dread, leaving his subordinate unable to breathe, responding in a voice as tiny as an ant’s.
“Yes…”
Not only Hubert, but the other members also turned around as soon as Felix’s words ended. Only Felix was looking at Sylvia, smiling blissfully.
It seemed the mark was not for nothing.
In his eyes, only Sylvia shone brilliantly. Even magic that shone brighter than her seemed to appear black and white in his view.
Sylvia turned her head towards him, who was wearing a thick smile.
“Let’s eat, Feri.”
***
The Croban mercenary group exclaimed in amazement at the luxurious meal before them. Juicy beef, as well as fresh vegetables, welcomed them with a variety of side dishes.
“I’ve never seen this before?”
“What’s this? Soup and this are… radish?”
“Let’s try it.”
John picked up a bite-sized piece of radish with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
Jewel magic was a unique element that appeared only in the Visconti ducal family. It was a magic not found anywhere else, not even in the Corpora Empire.
Lucino rose abruptly from his heavy chair and strode across the office.
“Aaron, prepare the carriage.”
“I’ve already prepared it, Your Grace.”
As Lucino placed the unopened letter in his jacket’s inner pocket, he thought.
‘Could there have been a bastard child?’
To get accurate information, heading to the royal palace seemed the fastest option.
***
[Wake up, you sleepyheads!]
Sylvia woke up with a start at the sound of Eryngium’s voice shouting in her ear.
“What, what?”
The sunlight piercing through the tent seemed to indicate that morning was well past.
[Wake up, Sylvia.]
[Asta is hungry…]
At the feeble voices of the fairies, Sylvia tried to scramble up, but…
“Go and find something to eat yourself.”
A cold, abrupt voice followed, and then a whirlwind swept through the tent.
[Aaah!]
[Felix!]
[That’s too mean! Asta is sad!]
Sylvia snapped to her senses at the fairies’ receding voices.
“Again!”
Felix, who had once again sent the fairies flying out, leisurely got up. The sparse sunlight streaming in made the contours of his face even more distinct.
“Just sleep more. You need to recover.”
He said, wrapping his long arm around her waist. Then, he tucked her between his legs and wrapped her up with his limbs. Sylvia, who had been uncomfortable with his persistent clinging since before falling asleep, struggled and protested.
“Get your arm off! And your legs too! It’s so heavy I could die!”
At her words, Felix widened his eyes and just lifted his head to slowly scan her body. His slowly moving black pupils somehow made her feel embarrassed.
“Why! Why are you looking at me like that!”
An annoyed Sylvia snapped at him, and Felix asked with a tone and expression of disbelief.
“If my legs are heavy enough to kill you, how weak are you? Is it hard for you to even walk? Then how do you cook?”
The way he took her words literally and looked surprised made Sylvia find him even stranger, but his expression seemed so sincerely puzzled that it angered her even more.
“I’m hungry! Let me go!”
As Sylvia tried to escape with wind magic, Felix firmly held her arm and said.
“Before that, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Huh?”
“It’s about how to draw on the power of the Black Dragon. Normally, it’s a skill only taught to the direct descendants of the Capitis royal family.”
“What?”
“So, if you feel like your magical power is running out, you can draw on the magic power of Aethernum and use it. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Huh? Uh, no…”
Confused by the content and his position, Sylvia blushed and stammered a response. Felix grabbed her arm, lifted her onto his legs, and sat down leaning against the bed.
Sitting down on his thighs, facing him, was both absurd and embarrassing, and the fact that it was a skill only taught to the Capitis royal family made her feel faint.
With a dazed expression and her eyes rolling around, Felix continued speaking while poking her cheeks with his fingers.
“When your magic starts to decrease, do you feel empty inside? Actually, you’re supposed to stop at that point. But we can draw on the power of Aethernum and use it.”
He grabbed Sylvia’s hands, suspended in mid-air, placing one over his heart and the other over his stomach, and continued the explanation.
“You must be connected to the heart as well. You need to feel that flow. Call Aethernum to your heart, then draw the magic here, to the stomach.”
He tapped near his heart with her right hand and rubbed his stomach with her left hand. Sylvia’s face turned even redder at the feeling of his firm abs under her palms.
“It might not be possible to master it all at once, but since you have been granted permission by Aethernum, you should be able to do it soon. Of course, those who haven’t been granted permission couldn’t even attempt it. Are you listening to me?”
“Yes!”
Despite not having listened properly, Sylvia responded loudly.
“Ha, haha.”
Knowing her condition or not, Felix suddenly burst into laughter. Then, he abruptly hugged her.
“Ah, Sylvia. It’s really fortunate that you’re safe.”
Felix showed a somewhat different demeanor than usual, and Sylvia could only hug him back. His voice seemed genuinely relieved.
***
It was fortunate that she had finished shopping before the incident occurred. As they emerged from the tent, the troupe members crowded around.
“Miss Sylvia! Are you alright?”
“Miss Sylvia! Please, rest some more!”
“We will catch a wild boar for you!”
“We are confident in our roasting skills.”
Sylvia was touched by Hubert and Dennis coming up to encourage her to rest more. But the sound of their stomachs rumbling only made her laugh.
“I’m fine now. I’m really sorry for causing you worry.”
All the members flailed their hands in front of her as she bowed in apology.
“Oh, why do you say that!”
Jordan leaped up, responding. Sylvia smiled broadly and suggested.
“Let’s eat first, we’re all hungry, aren’t we?”
At her words, all the members swallowed their saliva. They hadn’t had a meal since lunch the previous day.
Sylvia searched for her subspace leather backpack, and Jordan brought it to her. Receiving the backpack, Sylvia stood alone in the open field under the hot sun. The members stepped back, seeing she was about to do something.
She found a cypress barrel in her subspace. As she wished, the cypress barrels began to appear one after another. Having not consumed proper protein during the winter, she easily decided on the menu.
She brought out various cuts of beef for grilling, such as tenderloin, sirloin, chuck flap tail, skirt, and fan steak, and simultaneously began to cultivate cabbage, lettuce, perilla leaves, peppers, garlic, green onions, onions, and wasabi.
The plants growing around her were all fresh and luscious. The red beef, marbled and seasoned with salt and pepper through the magic of wind, looked delicious even raw.
Glass jars popped out from the subspace bag in a line. They contained pickled radishes, wrapped radishes, and sweetened radishes. She thinly sliced the thickly grown green onions with the magic of wind to make green onion salad.
She thinly sliced onions and cabbage and marinated them in mustard soy sauce. She ground wasabi and mixed it with mayonnaise, and cut garlic and peppers into bite-sized pieces. She made a sauce with finely ground salt, pepper, sesame oil, and pepper-infused oil, and began grilling the tenderloin.
Sylvia, swinging her arms and unfolding circles of fire, water, wind, and plant magic, was a spectacular sight. As the members couldn’t take their eyes off her, Felix asked in a soft voice.
“Isn’t Siri cute?”
In front of the astonishing magic, Felix seemed to see only Sylvia, asking in a voice filled with ecstasy. The members vigorously nodded in agreement.
“Yeah!”
Among the burly, muscular men, how could Sylvia not be cute? But it seemed that wasn’t the correct answer, as a chilling voice lowly resounded.
“Cute?”
The sensation alone was enough to give shivers, and Dennis quickly corrected himself.
“She is not cute!”
Yet, that answer too seemed incorrect as an even lower voice followed.
“Really, are you all blind?”
As everyone was at a loss for what to do and clamped their mouths shut, Felix casually crossed his arms and said.
“Well, she doesn’t seem cute in your eyes. Then, don’t stare too much. She’s already small, and if she disappears because of you, will you take responsibility?”
Felix spoke in a whisper, but his voice carried a chilling eeriness that was laden with dread, leaving his subordinate unable to breathe, responding in a voice as tiny as an ant’s.
“Yes…”
Not only Hubert, but the other members also turned around as soon as Felix’s words ended. Only Felix was looking at Sylvia, smiling blissfully.
It seemed the mark was not for nothing.
In his eyes, only Sylvia shone brilliantly. Even magic that shone brighter than her seemed to appear black and white in his view.
Sylvia turned her head towards him, who was wearing a thick smile.
“Let’s eat, Feri.”
***
The Croban mercenary group exclaimed in amazement at the luxurious meal before them. Juicy beef, as well as fresh vegetables, welcomed them with a variety of side dishes.
“I’ve never seen this before?”
“What’s this? Soup and this are… radish?”
“Let’s try it.”
John picked up a bite-sized piece of radish with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
