Flustered, Sylvia blinked rapidly and rubbed her eyes with her fingers.
“You eat it by yourself.”
Trying to hide her own embarrassment, she spoke in an oddly blunt tone.
“Pfft.”
Suddenly, Felix burst into laughter. Not only him, but the children who had been busily eating sweet potatoes around them also started laughing.
“Look at sister’s face!”
“Gyahahaha.”
“Sister’s face turned black!”
Sylvia, who had been earnestly peeling sweet potatoes, had her hands full of soot. Embarrassed, she had touched her eyes, nose, and cheeks with those hands, leaving her face a mess.
“Why?”
Flustered, Sylvia brushed her face with her hands, but it only made her face blacker, making the children laugh and enjoy the moment even more.
“Tch, always so clumsy, Siri.”
Felix approached her with a trying-to-hold-back-laughter expression. His pale face was flushed, looking even healthier than before. His face, much changed from the first time, now radiated more brilliance.
His long eyelashes fluttered as he carefully examined her face, then bit his lip. His already red lips turned even redder. Felix raised his hand to her face and gently rubbed the black soot off with his finger.
Staring at him with dazed eyes as he carefully rubbed off the soot, Sylvia suddenly shivered and got annoyed.
“Ah, really, what are you doing!”
Unable to hold it in any longer, Felix bent his head down and his shoulders shook with laughter.
“Kuk, keke.”
“This is really!”
Feeling both annoyed and embarrassed, Sylvia stood up abruptly. Then, the children said with innocent voices,
“Sister became a cat!”
“It’s true! Cat whiskers!”
“A patched cat!”
“Gyahahaha.”
Felix had skillfully smeared soot on Sylvia’s cheeks with his hands, drawing three lines on each side. The black soot clustered on one side of her eye and cheek matched her cat-like eyes very well.
“You! I’ll never call you Feri!”
Sylvia pointed at him and laid down a weak threat before storming off into her makeshift home, fuming. Felix beamed with a broad smile at the nickname she had finally given him.
“Siri, wait.”
He followed her quickly with a bright smile. It wasn’t just the children who were laughing. The Croban mercenary group and the Nakri mercenary group, pretending not to watch but actually keeping an eye, also reached for the roasted sweet pumpkin potatoes, unable to wait any longer after the children had their share.
“Wow, this is really sweet!”
The lively voices and the clear laughter of the children filled the clearing.
★★53. Second Winter★★
The second winter had arrived, and Sylvia, having provided the necessary crops, fruits, and vegetables needed here, was preparing to leave. Before her departure, she prepared a hearty meal of samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) to ensure everyone was well-fed.
The meat supply she had prepared had run out. Beef was already gone, and there wasn’t enough pork for everyone, leaving only chicken.
She generously added ginseng, dried jujubes, and chestnuts to the pot and cooked it thoroughly. The fully cooked large chicken was transferred to a wide wooden bowl, and glutinous rice and rice were added to the broth to make porridge.
The villagers, children, and the members of the Croban and Nakri mercenary groups all finished their warm meals and began to dismantle their tents. The children, already tearful, clung to Sylvia, unwilling to let her go.
“Kids, these are dried fruit chips. And these are raisins and dried plums, and this is the dried sweet pumpkin potato you ate yesterday, and here are dried persimmons. Eat them when you’re feeling peckish. Got it?”
“Sister, can’t you just not go?”
Noel, with tears brimming in his emerald eyes, pleaded.
“Noel…”
It was heart-wrenching, but she could no longer delay her departure. Winter was approaching in just a couple of days.
Sylvia had prepared with all her might and resources, hoping the people here could safely get through the winter. Now, without Sylvia and the Croban mercenary group, they lacked the supplies to last the winter.
They needed to stop by the nearest castle to procure food supplies. Surviving this long was largely thanks to Sylvia’s efforts, which would have been impossible otherwise.
The children competed to grab onto Sylvia’s robe and legs, refusing to let go.
“Whimper!”
Noel, who finally burst into tears, was followed by a cascade of crying children, leaving Sylvia sweating profusely in a quandary.
Then, Bern and his wife hurried over and peeled Noel away.
“Noel, if you do that, the magician will have a hard time. Come here.”
Despite her mother’s words, Noel did not let go of the robe’s hem with his little hands.
“No, nooo, huh, huh.”
“I want to go with sister!”
The children collectively threw a tantrum, making it difficult for the parents to separate them. Sylvia could do nothing but stagger. That’s when Felix appeared, extending his arm to grab Sylvia’s waist and hoisted her up.
He lifted Sylvia onto one of his shoulders and looked down at the children. The children looked up at Sylvia, who had slipped from their grasp, in dismay.
“I will take this sister away.”
Without properly explaining to the children, as he spoke bluntly, they all burst into loud crying and sat down on the ground. Sylvia, with a face full of bewilderment, could only look down from his shoulder. The children only raised their cries of sorrow, looking up at Felix standing solemnly.
During a brief lull in the chaos, Sylvia handed Bern a subspace bag.
“Here is some dried beef. You can eat it as it is or slightly grill it over fire. I’ve stacked plenty of firewood behind the house, so check it from time to time, and don’t forget what I told you yesterday.”
She had informed them about the location of traps for coconut crabs, as well as the location of mussels and oysters, and how to eat them. Bern, his wife, and everyone else deeply bowed to Sylvia.
“Thank you so much. We will never forget this kindness.”
Not only food, but Sylvia had also detailed about food poisoning prevention, nutrients, the importance of not eating just one thing, the importance of fruits and vegetables, and especially emphasized on the storage of seafood.
“Please stay healthy. I will definitely come back again.”
Sylvia bowed to the people. Felix spoke to them.
“I hope you get through the winter well. I will definitely come back for you.”
Bern felt a surge of emotion seeing Felix speak with a completely different expression than before.
He felt grateful to Sylvia for leading them but also deeply appreciated Felix for silently supporting and sustaining them from behind.
“Yes… I understand.”
His reassuring words seemed to warm the emptiness in their hearts. As soon as the farewells were over, the Croban mercenary group and the Nakri mercenary group began to mount their horses. They too had to hurry before winter. Ethan mounted his horse and spoke to Felix.
“Are you going to the state of Caudatismum?”
Felix lightly nodded in agreement to his question. Ethan wondered why Felix was not returning to Carpasinus Castle but instead going to the state.
“Why there? Wouldn’t it be better to return to Carpasinus Castle?”
Sylvia trembled slightly at his words, reminded of the trouble she had caused. Felix pulled her close as he answered.
“We only plan to procure food, so the nearest place is best.”
“Well, if that’s the case, the state is indeed the closest…”
They planned to give directions to the Croban mercenary group on their way and then part ways.
“Well, if the Croban mercenary captain says so, then it must be. We’re going back to Carpasinus Castle to spend the winter. We’ve already booked accommodations.”
“I see.”
They exchanged light conversation and slowly drove the horses. Then, a loud voice came from behind.
“Magician!”
Rio, who had not been seen until the moment of parting, was running towards them with a desperate expression. Sylvia, who had turned her back to check on him, asked Felix.
“Please stop for a moment.”
He immediately pulled the reins to halt the horse.
“Huff, huff.”
Rio had reached right in front of her and took a moment to catch his breath. Then, lifting his head, he looked up at Sylvia with a desperate voice and asked.
“Can I trust you?”
Since then, Ryu had not been seen at all. He hadn’t shown up for meals, which was worrying, and sure enough, his face had become much gaunter. With a roughened face, he waited for an answer.
Sylvia responded with a calm smile.
“There will never be a time when I lie to you, Mr. Rio.”
She roughly knew what he had been through. The pain of losing a family does not easily disappear. It might even come to mind until the moment of death. Rio, whose complexion had improved slightly, bowed deeply.
“Thank you so much for your help… I wish only blessings on your path ahead.”
Seeing the expression of wishing blessings, Sylvia smiled softly.
“I wish you too are filled with blessings, Mr. Rio.”
After she finished speaking, Felix left a light nod as a goodbye. He too was one of his people, so he couldn’t hate him outright. It wasn’t him to blame, but rather, it was right to clean up the trash that was sprawling in the kingdom.
With a stern expression, Felix cut off and started to run, leading the Croban mercenary group that followed him.
Though uncertain about the journey ahead, Felix had made up his mind.
With Sylvia by his side, he would eventually make it.
Whatever that may be.
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