And the thought of the fairy who seemed pleased to see the water magician crossed her mind.
“She probably wanted to go and see him, even though she didn’t say it out loud.”
Though they might have experienced some unexpected things, and even hardships together up until now, Sylvia wanted to fulfill the fairy’s request.
“Right, I still need money. If I earn a little more… And if I become skilled enough to survive outside the castle walls…”
Then, I’ll personally go to find the protagonist.
“Oh, this fruit would be great.”
The fruit that immediately came to her mind grew rapidly with her plant magic. Like an arrow leaving a protest alone, the tree grew rapidly, and a delicious purple fruit began to bud.
Thump, thump.
Sylvia picked one fruit and lightly used wind magic to round its surface. Then, she twisted it with both hands and popped it open.
“Mangosteen is so delicious and easy to eat. Those who have tried it know.”
She gently tasted the garlicky-shaped fruit and put it into her mouth.
“Mmm! It’s so refreshing and sweet. I remember how surprised I was when I first tried this in Vietnam. Now I can enjoy it in Korea too, how wonderful.”
Mindlessly popping the fruit into her mouth, Sylvia spoke with a foolish expression.
“Snap out of it. This isn’t Korea, you know?”
Perhaps because she was living too comfortably, she sometimes forgot that this place was a world from a novel.
“It took too long.”
Realizing that she was running late for her appointment, Sylvia quickly used the wind magic to pick all the mangosteens.
“If I couldn’t use other elements’ magic, I would have sweated a lot picking these one by one and putting them in my spatial bag. Ah, I made the right choice by inscribing magic circles for other elements. It’s so convenient.”
While muttering to herself, Sylvia used wind magic to levitate the freshly picked mangosteens in the air. Then, she took out a woven basket from the kitchen and placed all the fruits inside it. She also added the tomatoes and oranges she had previously picked and stored in her spatial bag.
“I’m sorry, did you wait for a long time?”
Hubert had completely emptied the juice and snacks she provided. He was so absorbed in the unique texture of the food that he had forgotten where they were. He was in the middle of eating a dried date when he saw Sylvia rushing out of the kitchen, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“Well, not really.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, he waved his hands and denied her assumption.
“Phew, that’s good. Can you please hold the spatial bag for a moment and come this way?”
“Sure, of course.”
Hubert readily stood up and followed Sylvia as she led him to the kitchen. Looking at the fruits piled up and the wooden boxes, he couldn’t help but ask.
“What exactly is all this…?”
Approaching the square box, Sylvia opened it and showed it to Hubert.
“This is a complimentary lunchbox I made for you. Please try it and let me know if you’d like to use our service again. And these five bottles contain different juices: plum and pear, apple, carrot and celery, and cucumber and kiwi. Please share them with others.”
Trying to explain everything in a hurried manner, Sylvia noticed that Hubert seemed a bit dazed, unable to fully understand her words.
“And this purple fruit is eaten like this.”
Using a small knife from the kitchen, Sylvia made a circular cut around the center of the mangosteen, carefully removing only one side of the peel.
“See? You peel it like this… Ah, could you open your mouth a bit?”
Hubert, who had been absentmindedly listening to her explanation, was taken aback and jumped in surprise at Sylvia’s sudden request.
“Wh-what?”
His voice turned upside down, clearly showing how startled he was.
[What is this? Why did you make so many?]
Erin, who had tasted the juices and food that Sylvia made while spending time together, had been beside Hubert all along and now curiously approached her. Although she couldn’t speak to her directly since there was someone else present, her round turquoise eyes conveyed the message.
“Could you please open your mouth?”
Hubert’s eyes widened, but his lips remained pursed tightly. Sylvia could understand his hesitation and recalled what Erin had said tearfully when she first sent him to Hubert.
[Are you sending this for Felix to eat?]
Erin, with a touched expression, tightly held her two tiny hands together.
“Please open your mouth a bit.”
With a slightly blushing face, Hubert obeyed her and slightly opened his lips.
“Take a gentle bite with your lips and pick out the juicy part.”
Following her instructions, Hubert applied some pressure with his lips and gently took out the soft, snowy-white part of the mangosteen.
The taste of the fruit, its sweetness, and the tender texture that seemed to disappear as soon as he bit into it left Hubert astonished. His azure eyes widened even more.
“How is it? Delicious, right? There’s more in those bags over there, and the oranges you bought last time are also there.”
Sylvia pointed to the lined-up bags on the wall, finishing her explanation.
Continuing to recall the brief explanation in his mind, Hubert marveled at the food, fruits, and juices prepared in the kitchen.
“When did you do all this?”
“It didn’t take much time. I had already picked the fruits beforehand.”
Following Erin’s advice, Sylvia decided it was best not to reveal that she used magic from other elements and gave a vague response. Hubert held her hand tightly and expressed his gratitude with an emotional voice and expression.
“Thank you so much!”
Surprised by the firm grip, Sylvia felt a bit embarrassed and turned her gaze away.
“No, since you came to visit again, let’s consider this as a celebration for becoming a regular customer.”
“Yes, I’ll become a regular customer.”
His azure eyes formed crescent moons. The warmth and genuineness in his eyes were like a calm blue sea. Sylvia was busy trying to calm her pounding heart because of the firm grip on her hand.
‘Wow, indeed, he’s an important supporting character by the protagonist’s side. Amazing.’
Sylvia thought to herself, amused by the thought of Hubert’s importance in the story.
With a professional smile, Sylvia politely said, “If I’m not at the gate next time, you can come to my house.”
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy the food.”
They exchanged farewells again, and Hubert released her hand that he had been holding. He then took out his own spatial bag and put everything inside.
“How much should I pay you?”
Sylvia calculated in her mind while appealing with a strong look that she was willing to accept any amount.
“Just pay for the fruits and juices. Just give me 2 copper coins.”
She thought to exclude the lunch box as it was a free service, but Hubert objected and clapped his hands, insisting on giving her 5 copper coins instead. Sylvia happily accepted it since she had been selling the fruits cheaper than what the nobles’ alley offered.
[Sylvia.]
As soon as Hubert left, Erin appeared and clung to her.
[Thank you.]
With all her heart and soul, Erin expressed her gratitude for the lunch box.
“Felix won’t eat it. But, why are you thanking me?”
[Even so, among all that, there might be something that Felix can eat.]
Erin’s heart sank, thinking about Felix and the other fairies who were probably close by. Witnessing her sadness, Sylvia asked her.
“Do you really think you shouldn’t go see them? You said you missed them,” Sylvia said as Eringium fluttered and perched on her forehead, looking weak as she shook her head.
[I messed up. If I go there, I’ll probably be scolded by the other fairies.]
“What do you mean you messed up? You were in a frenzy when everything went according to that Black Dragon’s will,” Sylvia replied.
[I don’t know!]
Without realizing it, Eringium had grown attached to Sylvia, making her reluctant to leave. So she came up with excuses to stay by her side a little longer, but Sylvia noticed her intentions.
“Okay, okay. I got it, so try this.”
Sylvia brought out the dish she had set aside while making the lunchbox and presented it beautifully in the living room. She also placed a very small dish with Eringium’s share on the table.
Eringium, who was clinging to her forehead, quickly flew to the table and sat down. Normally, she wouldn’t have eaten human food, but what Sylvia made was different.
Taking a bite of the delicious ratatouille, she moved her adorable lips enthusiastically.
[Try it!]
Seeing the little fairy with her lavender hair shaking her head and calling out, Sylvia smiled brightly. If she had been alone, adapting to this world and dealing with loneliness might have been difficult. However, thanks to Eringium, she had overcome those challenges more quickly than she could have imagined.
With a serene smile on her face, Sylvia followed Eringium’s lead and blew on the hot ratatouille before taking a bite herself.
“Um, delicious!”
★★11. Croban Mercenaries★★
The return of Hubert to the Croban mercenary group caused a stir. The reason behind the commotion was none other than the mysterious wooden square barrel. Hubert quickly distributed juices and lunchboxes to his comrades and grabbed some fruits before hurrying to meet Felix.
“Your Highness, Hubert has returned.”
Felix, who showed no difference in posture from when he was outside, raised his eyelids.
“Outside, call me the Captain, Hubert.”
They had defeated many enemies in the Kingdom of Capitis and secretly crossed over to the Corpora Empire. They assumed false identities and transformed into a mercenary group. The Corpora Empire was an ideal destination as it accommodated many mercenary groups due to the Masutovell.
“First, please try this.”
Hubert took out a mangosteen and demonstrated how Sylvia had shown him.
Felix, for the first time, showed curiosity as he looked at the unfamiliar fruit. He was particularly pleased that he could peel and eat it by himself, something he had avoided due to food trauma, like a compulsion.
Holding the fresh mangosteen in his hand, Felix quickly sliced it with a dagger and briefly showed a hint of emotion in his otherwise black eyes. He then ate the white flesh and the emotion disappeared.
[Looks delicious! Is it tasty, Felix?]
The joyous and welcoming fairies, who were always happy to see Felix eat something, flew down from the trees.
“Well, take a break and enjoy,” Hubert said.
Seeing Felix eating with ease and comfort, Hubert felt relieved and decided to step back. He knew that Felix tended to eat less when people were around.
Once Hubert disappeared, the fairies became more animated.
[The scent is incredibly sweet.]
[Oh, I want to try it too, Felix.]
[I’m a little curious too.]
Daisy, Clover, Poppy, Aster, Calmia, and Lupinus all gathered around the opened mangosteen, eager to try it. Felix glanced at them and then handed one mangosteen to each of them.
“Go ahead and eat.”
[Thank you!]
The six fairies eagerly shared the white flesh among themselves.
[It’s delicious!]
[So sweet!]
[I’ve never tasted something like this before!]
[What is this? It’s even more delicious than flower nectar!]
[Awoo, Calmia, this is amazing.]
[The taste is really good.]
Listening to their lively chatter, Felix thought of the missing lavender-haired fairy.
Eringium.
Three years had passed since Eringium disappeared, and she still hadn’t returned. Felix couldn’t help but worry, wondering if she couldn’t come back or if something was preventing her from returning.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted among the members of the Croban Mercenary Corps.
“What is this? Can I try this, Lieutenant?”
Denis showed great curiosity as he opened the lid of the lunchbox.
“Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
All ten members gathered around, marveling at the sight. Seeing their reactions, Hubert shrugged and handed over the wooden container filled with juice.
“Let’s try this first.”
“What is this?”
Approaching with curiosity, like a pack of wolves, each of them held out their individual cups.
“This is plum juice.”
Hubert conveyed exactly what Sylvia had said, raising an eyebrow.
“What does it taste like? I’ve never had anything like this before. It’s the first time I’ve tasted something like this.”
“Fruits can be this delicious… I wondered why our Commander wouldn’t eat meat and still had such strength… No, it’s not like that. This fruit juice is as delicious as meat!”
The eyes of the Croban mercenary members burned at the glass of fruit juice.
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