Clumsy and Silly

The night was as dark as ink, quietly seeping across the sky. The last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by the distant mountains, and the wilderness sank into profound silence. Only the rustling of unknown insects in the grass broke the stillness.

The earth dragon came to a halt in the twilight, white breath puffing from its nostrils. They were already far from Calais City. The uneven ground was strewn with rubble, while the damp air carried the scent of rotting leaves and marshland. Deep within the forest, nocturnal monsters let out ominous growls.

Any adventurer with even a little experience would rather travel farther than make camp here.

Mosquitoes, monsters, treacherous terrain... With all these factors, getting any proper rest was practically impossible.

But Xia Lun clearly didn’t see it that way.

They were already here, after all.

Aina said nothing. She merely raised a hand slightly. Mana surged through the air, and an invisible ripple spread outward from her.

In an instant, the surrounding shrubs, brambles, and even several trees as thick as bowls were pressed into the earth as though by an enormous hand, vanishing beneath the ground with a series of muffled booms.

Luo Lun’s figure had disappeared without anyone noticing. He had naturally gone to gather firewood, while Xia Lun began setting up the tents. Xia Yi scampered over to help.

“Help” was a generous way of putting it. Xia Yi couldn’t actually do much. He simply followed behind Xia Lun, watching as his father took a tent out of his spatial ring. Once mana was infused into it, the tent’s supports began to transform and expand on their own, like an inflating structure.

Then Xia Yi moved from Xia Lun’s left side to his right, watching his father work and trying to look as though he were busy too.

“Heave-ho!”

At last, Xia Yi imitated his father and gave the fully erected tent a hearty slap. He nodded in satisfaction.

“It’s up!”

If Liyana had been there, she probably would have been quite proud. Xia Yi had clearly mastered the essence of slacking off that she had passed down.

With Little Lan’s help, Mo Lini set up the cooking pot. Before long, Luo Lun returned, and Liyana began preparing dinner as well. Humming an unfamiliar elven tune, she took various ingredients out of her ring. Her knife flashed, and the ingredients fell neatly into the pot one after another. Before long, the aroma of meat stew drifted throughout the camp.

Xia Yi smacked his lips. He hadn’t been especially hungry to begin with, but after smelling that, he felt he could eat quite a bit more.

“Give it a taste.”

Liyana ladled out a spoonful of steaming-hot broth and, without blowing on it, stuffed it straight into Little Lan’s mouth.

“Mmm... It probably needs a little more salt, along with some other spices.”

As a slime, Little Lan didn’t find the broth too hot. The heat quickly dispersed throughout her body.

Besides, Little Lan’s sense of taste was different from that of ordinary humans. Still, by analyzing the components in the food, she could determine its general flavor.

“Who would have thought that the creature best suited to becoming a chef in this world might be a slime like Little Lan?” Mo Lini couldn’t help but sigh at the sight.

Little Lan’s abilities were perfectly suited for tasting and preparing food. She could even precisely control the proportions of various ingredients. Though, when most people thought of such an application, they would probably think of alchemy rather than cooking.

If those witches skilled in concocting potions learned that a creature like Little Lan existed, they would probably fight tooth and nail to get their hands on her.

“No!”

Liyana suddenly let out a shout, startling both Mo Lini and Little Lan.

“What is it?”

“That little one can never become a true chef!” Liyana declared with utmost seriousness. “Food made solely by calculating its components cannot be called cuisine! True cooking is infused with the chef’s heartfelt desire for others to taste it! It is the hope of seeing smiles bloom on the diners’ faces! It is a love for the ingredients and for the cooking process itself! That is where the soul of cuisine lies!”

“Uh...” Mo Lini looked rather baffled.

It wasn’t the first time Liyana had suddenly gone off on an incomprehensible tangent.

After all, she had lived for so long that it was understandable if something was a little off in her head.

Few people in the group could follow Liyana’s train of thought.

But there were a few who could.

“Oh!”

Xia Yi let out a cry of surprise, as though he had suddenly understood something. He clenched his little fists, his face flushing red with excitement.

“Aunt Liyana! I want to learn how to cook!”

Liyana froze for a moment, then threw her head back and burst into hearty laughter.

“Good! Looks like you really understand me, kid! Hahaha! From now on, you’ll learn how to cook with me!”

Xia Yi imitated Liyana, placing his hands on his hips and throwing his head back in laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“Hahaha!”...

Their ceaseless laughter echoed across the open clearing.

“But aren’t you still using Little Lan’s abilities to cook?” Luo Lun remarked out of nowhere.

Liyana and Xia Yi instantly fell silent.

Xia Lun moved closer to Aina and whispered, “Is it really okay to let the boy keep hanging around with Liyana?”

“Let him be. He looks quite happy right now.” Aina narrowed her eyes as she watched the two of them in the distance.

“That’s true...” Xia Lun’s gaze remained somewhat worried. “I’m just afraid Liyana will turn him into an idiot.”

“It’s fine. He’s cute when he’s a little silly.” The corners of Aina’s lips curved upward. “Just like you, Xia Lun.”

“Aina, what did you say?” Xia Lun couldn’t help pointing at his own cheek. “Am I silly?”

Aina stuck out her little tongue.

“I feel like you’re not always the brightest.”

“I can’t pretend I didn’t hear that,” Xia Lun said with an exasperated laugh.

Aina shook her head in feigned regret.

“See? You say that, and then you refuse to admit it.”

“Then do you think you’re smarter than me?”

“Of course.” Aina proudly puffed out her small chest. “Can you understand those complicated magic circles and spell circuits?”

“No...” Xia Lun admitted without hesitation.

“See? That proves I’m smarter than you.”

“But magic isn’t everything.” Xia Lun argued back, somewhat unwillingly. “Aina, you don’t understand how to interact with people or build relationships, either...”

“With my abilities, do I need to?” Aina sat upright with perfect composure, smiling lightly at Xia Lun.

“Uh... no, you don’t.”

Aina continued, “Then do you want me to lower myself to the level of those mediocre people and build relationships with them?”

“No...”

Aina was his treasure, belonging exclusively to him. She should never have to become tainted by the dust of the world.

“Exactly.” Aina’s tone rose slightly. “Xia Lun, I thought all of this through long ago... You’re simply not as smart as I am.”

“All right...” Xia Lun realized he had no way to win the argument.

“But don’t worry, Xia Lun.” Aina stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead against his chest. “Even if you’re clumsy and a little silly, I’ll never dislike you.”