“What now?”
The vendor was visibly annoyed at being forcibly turned around. Sylvia crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly.
“Look, selling on the streets isn’t illegal. I heard it myself at the Visconti family a few days ago. And about the trade ethics? How many of the fruits I sell are even the same variety as yours?”
“What! Young people these days! I was trying to end this nicely, but this won’t do! Come with me! I’ll take this matter straight to the Visconti family!”
Sylvia cut her off, extending a hand to stop the tirade.
“Enough! Whether I sell fruits or give them away, that’s none of your business. If your fruits taste better, people will buy yours. Otherwise, they’ll buy mine. And to be precise, I’m selling lunchboxes, not fruits. The fruits are just a service! A service, not for sale, so there’s no reason for you to be involved!”
“A service! How can you afford to give away such expensive fruits as a service! Are you mad?”
The idea of offering fruits as a service was incomprehensible to the vendor, who yelled in disbelief.
“Yes, fruits can be expensive. I understand it’s hard to own land for fruit cultivation within the city. But that doesn’t mean you should sell them at such high prices, right? From what I’ve seen, you’re overcharging. Who would buy fruits 50 times more expensive than a steak? Isn’t that too much, especially for just one apple?”
The prices were outrageously high. Sylvia, shocked by the prices when she first visited the fruit shop, had withdrawn her hand from an apple she intended to buy.
Such absurd pricing was astonishing even to Sylvia, who wasn’t fully acquainted with the local cost of living, especially when compared to the price of a steak she had just before.
Caught off guard by Sylvia’s assertive response, the vendor’s face reddened as she spluttered incoherently.
“You! You!”
“Yes, what is it?”
“You, I’ll report you to the Visconti family!”
The constant threats to go to the Visconti family were grating on Sylvia’s nerves. Frightened once by the sight of a snake, she was wary even of a well rope, feeling uneasy just hearing about it.
“Why would you report to the Visconti family? Can you even enter there? The security is extremely tight. And reports should be made to the authorities, where the public servants are.”
“Ugh.”
The vendor, who thought flaunting connections with the nobility would intimidate Sylvia, was frustrated by Sylvia’s unyielding attitude. But with no comeback left, she could only turn away with a flushed face.
As the vendor hastily retreated, Sylvia watched her go before moving on herself. She was relieved that the encounter hadn’t escalated but worried about the vendor’s next move.
However, Sylvia resented the intrusion into her business. It wasn’t just interference; it bordered on harassment. Of course, Sylvia wasn’t one to be easily intimidated.
[Sylvia! You’re really brave!]
Feeling Eryngium fluttering in her teal hair, Sylvia opened the front door.
“Ah, I don’t know anymore. Maybe I should just join the Croban Mercenary Group?”
[Are you going to Felix?]
“Hmm… I was planning to help Felix anyway. But I was worried that if my skills weren’t up to par, I’d just be a burden like when I first came here.”
[No way! Sylvia, you’ve become strong now!]
She laughed at the sight of Eryngium flitting in front of her like a cheerleader.
“Got it. Ah, let’s not do this now. I should go to the library and see if there are any better magic circle books. I need to prepare properly. And buy more ingredients.”
Though she hadn’t rested properly, Sylvia decided to head out to the library on a whim. There, a librarian, now quite familiar to her, provided information.
There are lower, intermediate, upper, and top-level magic circles. The top-level and upper-level ones are not for lending. However, upper-level ones related to attack magic can be borrowed.
Disappointed by the librarian’s words, Sylvia was fiddling with a top-level book when the librarian made an offer.
Normally it wouldn’t be allowed, but she could take the necessary top-level magic circles by drawing them. He assured her he could take care of it, so she shouldn’t worry.
Grateful, Sylvia pulled out a bunch of fruits from her bag and handed them over. With the paper lent by the librarian, she drew top-level fire, water, wind, and for the first time, earth magic circles.
After visiting the market and feeling exhilarated, Sylvia decided to eat first. She started boiling water with a water magic circle, and vegetables began to grow around her.
She cut large pieces of onion, radish, garlic, and leek with roots and put them into the boiling water. She adjusted the heat to let it simmer gently. She harvested shepherd’s purse with wind magic, washed it, and prepared the batter with flour, eggs, water, and shepherd’s purse juice.
After letting the batter rest in a bowl and preparing the vegetables, she cut carrots, onions, potatoes, and shepherd’s purse into bite-sized pieces. Normally, she would have used anchovies, but with no fish in sight, she opted for a simple flavor.
She strained the vegetable broth to clear it of solids and set it to boil again. She then added sliced carrots, potatoes, and onions to the simmering broth. With wind magic, she easily spread the dough, sprinkled some flour, and cut it thinly into noodles.
Using wind magic, she fluffed the noodles and added them to the boiling broth.
Seasoned with salt and pepper, and with a generous amount of shepherd’s purse added at the end, the shepherd’s purse kalguksu was complete.
[Sylvia, the scent is really unique. What plant is it?]
Hanging from her head, Eryngium showed interest. Sylvia stroked its small purplish head gently and responded kindly.
“It’s called shepherd’s purse, a plant that usually grows in spring. It tastes great and has a nice aroma, so it’s one of my favorite ingredients.”
[It smells like herbs.]
Eryngium sniffed, intrigued by the distinct aroma of shepherd’s purse.
She then used wind magic to bring the dish to the table, filling a bowl specially for Eryngium. She also cut it into sizes that Eryngium could eat, generously filling the fairy’s own dish.
As she sat down at the dining table, Sylvia said,
“Eryngium, it’s hot, so don’t eat it with your hands.”
[Got it, Sylvia.]
The fairy settled down, looking at its own tiny bowl with a bright smile. Sylvia chuckled at the sight of Eryngium’s minuscule spoon.
Using cypress chopsticks, she scooped up a large portion of noodles, cooling them with her breath. The pale green hues looked deliciously appetizing. Her appetite awakened, Sylvia opened her mouth wide and slurped the noodles, exhaling deeply as the hot steam filled her mouth.
“Ah, hot.”
[Whew, whew.]
The fragrant aroma of shepherd’s purse filled her mouth and nostrils. The rich flavor of the savory and slightly sweet vegetables was profound.
Continuing to blow on her food, Sylvia quickly devoured half of the kalguksu from the large wooden bowl. Then, she pulled out her secret weapon, the chili paste, from a cypress wood container in her spatial storage.
She mixed her homemade chili powder with minced onions and garlic, broth made from meat, and ginger juice. Then, she added Galbus oil and stirred well. The aged chili paste achieved a fiery yet savory flavor.
The moment the chili paste was added to the plain vegetable broth kalguksu, the flavor transformed completely. It felt like eating an entirely different dish, and Sylvia quickly moved her chopsticks.
“Spicy, really spicy.”
The bright red chili peppers were not only beautiful but also exceptionally spicy. The long-missed spiciness somewhat alleviated her homesickness. As she continued to eat, the fairy, having finished its own bowl, became curious about Sylvia’s spicy shepherd’s purse kalguksu.
[The color is so pretty! Can I try some?]
Worried but tempted by mischief, Sylvia said,
“Pretty, right? The pink broth with green noodles. Want to try?”
Eryngium, unaware of her intent, eagerly accepted the offer.
[I want to! Let me try!]
Watching the fairy flutter up with its bowl in hand, Sylvia barely concealed her laughter.
Still, she had a conscience and only added a tiny amount to Eryngium’s bowl. The fairy, intrigued by the unfamiliar colored food, gleefully scooped it up with its spoon and popped it into its mouth.
After the first bite, Eryngium’s face unexpectedly turned bright red.
[Whoo, whooaaah.]
And then it burst into tears. Sylvia, not expecting the fairy to cry, panicked and gently cradled Eryngium in her hands.
“Are you okay?”
[Whaaah!]
Unable to respond, the fairy’s lips were swollen and red as it cried big tears, looking pitiful. Sylvia, regretting her prank, gently comforted the fairy with gentle pats.
“I’m sorry, was it too spicy? I apologize.”
Gently wiping away the tears with her fingers, Sylvia soothed Eryngium.
[Sylvia, I’m mad at you!]
As the fairy tried to fly away, Sylvia gently wrapped her hand around it to catch it.
“I’m sorry, truly. I’ll give you something sweet instead. Please forgive me just this once, okay? I’m really sorry.”
[Something sweet?]
“Yeah, just a moment.”
Sylvia took out a meringue cookie from her spatial cypress container. They were made especially small and colorful for Eryngium. While the fairy was still dropping tears on her palm, Sylvia gently rubbed its cheek with her finger and coaxed,
“Open up, ah.”
Seemingly forgetting she had been tricked earlier, the fairy opened its mouth wide, and Sylvia placed a meringue cookie inside.
Crunch, melt.
Though it seemed hard at first, the cookie quickly dissolved in the mouth, making Eryngium’s eyes widen in surprise.
[Wow…]
Delighted by the sweet taste, Eryngium’s face brightened.
[Sylvia, give me more. More.]
“Here, open up.”
[Ah…]
Watching the fairy’s mood lighten, Sylvia looked on with a tender expression. Forgetting her own kalguksu, she kept feeding the bird-like fairy more meringue cookies.
The fairy, smiling broadly and expressing its delight, appeared incredibly adorable. Watching Eryngium flutter and soar with exaggerated movements, Sylvia concluded her day.
She hoped to continue living this happily, just like this moment.
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