Chapter 9 | The Seventh Witch

...

Crackle!

The firewood in the fireplace crackled, sending sparks flying that burned out and turned to ash before they could hit the floor.

Shulim had been staring at the hearth fire for several days now.

“Where on earth are the fire elements?”

“Mother said that depending on the environment, the elements present would vary. This should be the place with the most fire elements, so why can't I see them?”

As Shulim crouched motionlessly in front of the hearth, Yamen approached behind her with a hesitant look.

“Um... I say, Shulim...”

“Is something wrong, Brother Yamen?”

Shulim turned back to look at Yamen.

“It's just... well, could you not use the fireplace in this kind of weather? It's really hot. Honestly, it's boiling!”

Thud!

Right then, a massive fist came down on Yamen's head.

“Ow!”

Clasping his head, Yamen collapsed to the floor.

Behind him stood Rezerian, cracking his knuckles with a fierce expression.

“Dad, what was that for?!”

“You dare ask what for? Even I didn't say a word, so what are you complaining about, brat?!

“Shulim is working so hard. As her older brother, even if you can't set a good example, why must you disrupt her?”

“Ah, how am I being a bad example?”

Yamen looked aggrieved and muttered under his breath, “Besides, it's perfectly normal for a beginner to take half a year just to get started with magic. Why can't she just take her time? What's the point of rushing anyway...”

“Huh?!”

Yamen's words struck Shulim's heart like a bolt from the blue.

Taking half a year... just to get started?

Instantly, Shulim felt the world spinning around her. Her mind involuntarily flashed back to the lake, where Semilis was rolling around laughing.

She'd been tricked...

Shulim realized she had indeed been tricked by Semilis!

That fairy definitely knew how difficult it was to learn magic and how much time it would take.

Seeing Shulim's complexion turn pale, Rezerian glared fiercely at Yamen.

“Shut your trap, brat!”

He then turned to Shulim, keeping his voice as gentle as possible.

“Shulim, don't pay any attention to him. He just loves to spout nonsense! More importantly, it's just a fireplace. Besides, Dad has been craving some grilled meat lately. Can you guess what someone sent us today?

“It's a huge piece of Horbivelo steak!”

“Really?!”

Yamen asked excitedly, completely forgetting the bump on his head for the moment.

Shulim was also temporarily distracted by the topic of delicious food, no longer dwelling on her magic troubles.

...

In the yard, Lorenz the butler had already prepared a wooden table for the picnic.

Shulim and her family sat around the wooden table.

Beside the wooden table sat a charcoal brazier. On top of it was a grill loaded with sliced steaks. Jessica, tongs in hand, kept turning the meat. The sizzling, golden-brown steaks continuously dripped juices onto the hot coals, sending up hissing sounds and filling the entire yard with a delicious aroma.

“Thank you for waiting!”

It didn't take long before Jessica served the first batch of grilled meat onto the table.

Lilia immediately distributed the meat onto the plates in front of everyone.

“Hehehe, eat to your heart's content!”

Rezerian chuckled and said, “The pasture in our fief's village did very well this year, so there's plenty of steak to go around today!”

The Hayeral family currently held three villages as their fiefdom. One village grew a large amount of fruit, bringing in a decent income every year through winemaking. Another grew ordinary grain crops, though it still provided the Hayeral household with plenty of fresh food every year.

The final village was where the bulk of the Hayeral family's income came from.

This village featured a massive pasture that raised many Horbivelos, which were domesticated herbivorous creatures and one of the primary sources of meat for the local population.

Relying on the sale of Horbivelos, the Hayeral family brought in a substantial annual income, which allowed them to maintain a basic noble lifestyle despite the modesty of having only three villages.

Originally, their ancestor Orubet Hayeral, who had received a hereditary honorary Knight title as a Guardian Knight, possessed fiefs comparable to those of a Count. However, it was a pity that in this world, it was no easy task for a noble to protect everything they owned.

Compared to Orubet, whose powerful strength stood at the pinnacle of A-Class, his descendants lacked such talent. Throughout the three-hundred-year history of the Hayeral family, only a few had barely reached B-Class strength to briefly restore some of the family's fortunes, while the rest were mostly mediocre C-Class.

By a few decades ago, the Hayeral family had reached a point where they could barely even maintain their final manor. The family head of that time—Rezerian's grandfather—resolutely made the decision to cast aside everything that had become a burden and petition the Empire to join the pioneer lands.

As it turned out, that decision successfully allowed the Hayeral family to survive once more.

The development of the Mente mining district and the establishment of the corresponding pioneer villages went smoothly. For their meritorious services in pioneering, the Hayeral family was granted a village as their fief here.

Since then, through the efforts of two generations—Rezerian and his father—the fief had increased to three villages.

Although it paled in comparison to their ancestor's golden era, this was already a chance for renewal that the Hayeral family had found in a desperate situation. Many nobles, and even some founding heroes of the nation, had vanished into the long river of history without ever getting such a second chance...

“Wow~!”

Hearing Rezerian's words, the children of the Hayeral family cheered.

Then, they could not wait to dig into the grilled meat on their plates with their knives and forks.

“De-lish~!”

“It's so good!”

“Jessica, your cooking is amazing!”

“Hehehe~!”

Pleased with the praise, Jessica rubbed her nose happily and rolled up her sleeves.

“Of course! As the daughter of an innkeeper, this cooking is a piece of cake! Leave everything to me from now on. I'll grill the most delicious Horbivelo steaks you've ever had!”

Energized, Jessica began grilling the second round of meat.

Shulim carefully cut off a small piece of steak and popped it into her mouth.

“Mmm~!”

A blissful expression immediately washed over her face.

“Sho delicious!”

“It's literally like it's dancing on my tongue. I feel like I'm floating!”

The delicious food swept away all the despair Shulim had felt, leaving her feeling more relaxed than ever before.

Slipping another piece of steak into her mouth, feeling the lingering heat of the fire intertwining with the tender texture of the meat, Shulim narrowed her eyes in bliss.

“Such... such deliciousness! It feels like the whole world has turned joyful!”

Overwhelmed by the deliciousness, Shulim felt the world around her transforming. It grew brighter and more vibrant. Even the flames in the charcoal brazier flared up high, their red light wildly... dancing?