Money The Hard-Earned Money of My Subordinates

The lingering glow of the setting sun bathed Buena Village in a warm, orange-red hue.

Wisps of cooking smoke curled upwards from the rooftops of every household, filling the air with the savory aroma of dinner. For the villagers who had toiled all day, this was the most comforting moment of all.

Before a secluded courtyard in the southeast corner of the village, Felsy stood at the doorway. She wore a beige cotton dress, a thin woolen shawl draped over her shoulders. The evening breeze ruffled her silver hair. Like a breathtakingly beautiful sculpture, she silently gazed down the small path leading toward the mountain forest.

Although her face maintained its usual aloof, unapproachable expression, the hand unconsciously gripping the hem of her shawl betrayed the unrest in her heart.

It is so late. Why has he not returned yet?

That foolish human... could he have actually been eaten by a magical beast?

If he were dead, what should she do as his wife?

Felsy could not help but ponder the customs of normal human society.

Should she slaughter all the magical beasts in the area to accompany him in death? No, that would cause too much of a commotion... Perhaps she should just slaughter half the mountain's worth.

...It seemed the great Witch did not quite understand human customs after all.

Just as Felsy was mentally outlining Forest Annihilation Plan B, two figures finally appeared at the end of the road.

One large and one small, walking one after the other.

It was none other than Lynch and Kuma.

Seeing that familiar figure walking with a brisk, lively step, Felsy's tense shoulders instantly relaxed. A flicker of relief, one she did not even notice herself, flashed in her eyes.

"I am back!"

Before Lynch had even reached the doorway, he spotted his wife waiting for him and immediately waved excitedly.

"Felsy, the wind is strong outside. Why did you come out? Did I not tell you to stay inside where it is warm?"

Lynch quickly stepped forward. Though his words were scolding, his tone was full of tender concern. Freeing one hand, he naturally tucked away the stray hairs that the wind had blown across Felsy's face.

"I am not cold," Felsy replied faintly, though her gaze fell upon the large pile of items Lynch was carrying.

It was a massive animal pelt, still reeking of blood, along with four enormous bear paws.

Felsy's pupils contracted slightly.

A Phosphor Fire Brown Bear?

As a Witch who had once stood at the pinnacle of the world, she recognized the creature at a single glance. This was a Tier Three magical beast possessing a faint trace of demonic bloodline. Its thick hide and tough flesh meant that ordinary swords and blades could not harm it in the slightest.

While to her it was merely a grunt she would not even bother looking at twice, to Lynch, it should have been an insurmountable behemoth.

Her gaze bypassed Lynch and landed on Kuma, who was trailing behind him.

Kuma immediately stood at attention. Though she dared not speak, she frantically transmitted a message to the great Witch using the Scorched Earth Guard's unique encrypted eye-contact communication:

(Eye signal: Blink the left eye twice, roll the right eye once.)

Translation: Reporting to My Lady! That human is an absolute monster! He instantly cast arcane magic and one-shot this bear! He did not even need to chant! He is unfathomable! Extremely dangerous!

Felsy received the signal, feeling a slight shock in her heart.

One-shot? Lynch?

She re-evaluated the man standing before her, who was currently giving her a foolish grin.

At this moment, Lynch's face was covered in dirt, and his sleeves were dotted with grass clippings. He looked no different from the mild-mannered apothecary he always appeared to be.

"We had great luck today!" Lynch hoisted the bear paws like he was presenting a prized treasure. "Right after entering the mountains, we ran into this big guy who threw himself right into our line of fire... er, I mean, we managed to take care of it by a stroke of luck. Tonight, we are having braised bear paws! It will help nourish your body!"

A stroke of luck?

Felsy sneered inwardly. Could a Tier Three magical beast really be killed by mere luck?

It seemed this man was indeed hiding something from her.

However...

Felsy looked into Lynch's clear eyes, which were brimming with genuine concern.

Something soft within her heart stirred, bringing about a strange, unfamiliar feeling.

Well...

Regardless of what power he was hiding, at least up until now, the kindness and affection he had shown her did not seem fake in the slightest.

Since they were both wearing masks, she might as well continue playing along.

"Mhm," Felsy nodded. "You have worked hard."

"Not at all, not at all!" Lynch chuckled, then turned to look at Kuma. "By the way, I really have Kuma to thank for today. This little girl is incredibly strong. She helped me carry the medicinal herbs the entire way and did not even flinch when we ran into that wild beast (though Lynch felt it was because he had one-shot the monster, Kuma had indeed stood her ground). She is a dedicated and excellent guard."

With that, Lynch pulled five silver coins from his pocket and held them out to Kuma.

"Here, this is the payment we agreed upon. Take it, you have earned it."

Kuma stared at the five silver coins, her hands trembling.

This was the rent! It was the family property that the great Witch had explicitly ordered to be recovered!

She accepted the silver coins with trepidation. Then, before Lynch could even react, she spun around and offered the silver coins to Felsy with both hands, adopting an extremely sycophantic posture.

"Big Sister Felsy!" Kuma called out sweetly (this was the form of address Felsy had previously demanded). "Big Brother Lynch treated me so well and even bought me delicious roasted meat. I cannot possibly accept this money! Since we are family... er, no, since we are neighbors, it is only right that we help each other!"

"Please, you take it! Consider it my tribute... ahem, consider it grocery money for Big Brother Lynch!"

Lynch: "???"

Is this kid foolish? Five silver coins! That is enough to sustain an ordinary family for an entire month! And she is just refusing it?

"We cannot do that..." Lynch began, attempting to intervene.

However, Felsy reached out with perfect naturalness, plucked the five silver coins from Kuma's hands, and smoothly slipped them into her own pocket.

Her movements were so practiced that it was almost heartbreaking.

"Since it is Kuma's earnest gesture, we should accept it," Felsy said mildly. "We will simply invite her over for dinner next time."

"Ah? But..." Lynch scratched his head, feeling that something was slightly off. However, since his wife had spoken, he found it hard to argue. He could only sigh. "That kid Kuma is just too sensible, so sensible that it breaks my heart."

Standing off to the side, Kuma forced an obsequious smile, while crying rivers of tears in her heart:

Waaah, my secret stash... The great Witch truly is a ruthless exploiter! She will not even spare her subordinate's hard-earned blood and sweat money!

...

Night fell.

Inside the small wooden cabin, a warm yellow magic lamp was illuminated.

The rhythmic chop-chop-chop of vegetables being diced and the bubbling sounds of a simmering stew drifted from the kitchen.

Lynch was showing off his culinary skills, carefully preparing the precious bear paws.

To remove the gamey odor, he specifically blanched them using his treasured yellow wine and ginger. Then, he placed them into a clay pot, adding honey, bay leaves, star anise, and several herbs known for nourishing vitality, leaving them to simmer slowly over a low fire.

Felsy sat at the dining table, watching his busy back as he worked in front of the stove.

Meanwhile, Kuma obediently squatted in the corner peeling garlic, looking exactly like a thoroughly tamed little lackey.

Is this child truly so starved for affection? Lynch wondered to himself. He simply assumed that his brave display earlier today had won Kuma over, or perhaps that Felsy gave the girl a sense of warmth and familiarity.

But Felsy was clearly someone burdened by a curse, an existence that struck fear into the hearts of the villagers.

Could it be that she was insensitive to curses because she was a beastkin?

Lynch couldn't figure it out, so he had no choice but to focus on cooking for now.