Translator: SumTLMan
Eureka’s ears perked up, eager to hear Angel’s response.
However, Angel remained silent. Instead, Auchanchan, perched on Ollie’s shoulder, spoke up. “That tree, the one matching the color of my dress, is called a Milk Fruit Tree. A gentle incision would let out a rich milk sap, a taste that is simply heavenly.”
“Once mature, the tree bears milk fruits. The taste of these fruits is even more marvelous, whether consumed directly or used as a raw ingredient for pastries.”
“Most importantly, frequent consumption of the milk from the Milk Fruit Tree greatly benefits one’s health. Especially for girls, it can make their skin even smoother.”
Auchanchan’s eyes sparkled as she described the benefits, inspiring a sense of longing in Ollie.
“These flowers are also very important. Different colored flowers can be combined with the tree’s sap to create various flavors. See that dark brown flower that looks like a tiny bee? That’s a cocoa flower. Its color may not be appealing, and it doesn’t have much of a scent, but when combined with the tree sap, it creates a very tasty milk drink. It’s rich and aromatic, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.”
As the others marveled, only Leon and the head maid Mana shared a secret smile. It appeared that no matter how mature Angel seemed, his tastes remained constant. He had gone to great lengths to grow a tree that could provide him with delicious milk.
Angel saw the teasing look in his brother Leon’s eyes and felt wronged. He hadn’t sought out this tree and its flowers. He had brought it back from afar because the tree’s sap was beneficial for health…
“Master, hearing Auchanchan talk about it makes it sound truly delectable,” Ollie, the maid, swallowed, her eyes pleading as she looked at Angel.
“The Milk Fruit Tree is not mature yet, so it can only produce a limited amount of sap each day.”
Upon hearing this, disappointment filled Ollie’s eyes. If the amount of sap produced was small, according to their hierarchy, she probably wouldn’t get a share.
Yet the very next moment, Angel’s words sent her spirits soaring once again.
“Although it’s limited, it does produce some. Why not distribute it evenly among the females present?” Angel didn’t explain why only the women would get a share, but Leon suspected that it was Angel’s way of getting back at him for snickering earlier.
The women present cheered instantly. The men, although regretful, graciously accepted the situation in the spirit of gentlemanly deference.
Angel temporarily granted ownership of this grove to the moon bellflower fairy. As nature spirits, they were closest to nature and could take better care of these precious trees and flowers. Therefore, it was the moon bellflower fairy who was in charge of distributing the tree sap to each woman, including the task of flavoring the sap with different flowers.
Since no one knew what flavor the flowers would produce, they had to choose randomly.
Naturally, Ollie chose the combination that Auchanchan had strongly recommended: tree sap with cocoa flowers.
She took the cup from the hand of the moon bellflower fairy, inside of which already contained a pale golden milk essence. When mixed with the dark brown cocoa flowers, it transformed into a bizarre light-brown fluid.
At first glance, it didn’t look appetizing in the slightest, it even resembled a watered-down waste product.
As Ollie hesitated, the voice of Auchanchan echoed by her ear. Turning her head slightly, she saw Auchanchan’s encouraging expression, one specifically used when sharing food, telling Ollie, “Quickly, have a sip, it’s really delicious!”
Ollie forced out a chuckle, nodding stiffly.
By this time, others had already begun expressing their surprise, singing praises about the taste of the milk essence in their cups. Even the head maid Mana, after consuming the milky concoction, seemed to glow with satisfaction.
Encouraged by the praise of those around her, Ollie bravely tipped the cup to her lips.
A delightful taste flooded her throat, a sweet, dreamy flavor that brightened Ollie’s eyes in an instant.
It was as if she was immersed in a brilliant food fantasy, complete with a milk spring, fragrant bread trees, meat vines hanging by the spring, and sticky syrup dripping from leaves.
Everything was so splendid.
The sense of joy brought about by the food was something Ollie had never experienced before.
Once the daze passed, Ollie realized that she had drained the cup of all its cocoa milk essence.
“It’s good, isn’t it?” Auchanchan was eager to hear Ollie’s thoughts.
“Oh wow!” Ollie’s eyes sparkled, “It’s really so delicious!”
“I told you so. Actually, cocoa milk essence is just the fifth best tasting, there are several more flavors that are even better than this!”
“Really? There are other delicious combinations?”
“Of course.” A smug expression crept onto Auchanchan’s face. She thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of Ollie eagerly questioning her, “In fact, if you use red sugar gulu flowers in combination with…”
Auchanchan’s words were interrupted when she noticed Ollie’s expression freeze. Following Ollie’s line of sight, she saw the woman in the black gauze dress who had jumped onto the tree earlier flying down and landing beside Angel. The woman took out a cup and handed it to the moon bellflower fairy, seemingly also preparing to have a taste.
All eyes turned towards the scene, each individual carrying a formal and cautious demeanor.
This strange occurrence piqued Auchanchan’s curiosity. It seemed that every time this woman appeared, the atmosphere turned chilly. Who exactly was she?
Auchanchan stealthily whispered into Ollie’s ear.
Ollie, however, responded with a timid whisper, “She is a distinguished guest, we mustn’t offend her.”
A distinguished guest? Auchanchan remained somewhat puzzled.
At this juncture, Angel directed his gaze towards Eureka, who accepted the milk potion from the moon bellflower fairy without pairing it with any flower and drank it directly.
Upon finishing, she casually savored a fresh flower, seemingly confirming something in her mind.
“Both of these are indeed starter magical plants, but it seems they lean more towards gastronomy than potion crafting?” Eureka whispered to herself, then suddenly looked at Angel, “I’ve never seen these two types of magical plants before. I’m curious, where do they originate from? Could it be that the Frost Moon Alliance has conquered a new Pan-dimension?”
After a moment of silence, under Eureka’s scrutinizing gaze, Angel quietly responded, “These magical plants were cultivated by Lady Gloria.”
“Diamond Barbie Gloria? The gourmet wizard of True Knowledge level?!… Yes, it makes sense. Only a True Knowledge wizard who has embarked on the path of creation like her would specifically cultivate gastronomic magical plants.” Eureka paused in her realization, “You know her?”
Angel replied, “My mentor knows her.”
On hearing this, Eureka seemed to find it plausible that the Phantom Master knew Gloria. However, the fact that Angel had access to Gloria’s magical plants and had casually transplanted them to the mortal world hinted at something more complex.
With a complicated look in her eyes, Eureka gazed at Angel, “It seems you have more secrets than I imagined.”
After she finished speaking, Eureka turned and vanished into the night, leaving behind only a whispered statement in the air, “I’m quite satisfied with today’s hospitality…”
Once Eureka disappeared, no matter what Angel thought, at least the atmosphere at the party once again grew lively.
That night, everyone in Pat Manor had a great time.
By the end, the majority of the guests were lying intoxicated on the lawn, even Leon, who claimed to never get drunk, was grinning foolishly with a flushed face.
Angel, however, hadn’t consumed much alcohol. As a seeker on the path of truth, he habitually maintained absolute rationality. He instructed the head maid, Mana, to escort Leon to his bedroom while he, under the moonlight, moved towards the Ice Chamber.
The Ice Chamber was pitch-black. Angel lit a few glow stones, their faint green light slowly blending with the icy blue of the coffin.
Angel leaned against the icy coffin, gazing at the emaciated face of Jon. After a long silence, he let out a soft sigh.
Jon used to love such gatherings before his health declined. He was in the prime of his life then, but unfortunately, he was too young.
Angel knew that Jon, during his time on Earth, was a scholar specializing in plant research. Would he be pleasantly surprised if he woke up and saw the Milk Fruit Tree?
Would Jon’s heart surge with joy if he knew that the Kulakuka tribe, a group resembling the mythical fairies of Earth, resided in the Pat Manor? Would he, like Angel, yearn to witness more of the wonders this world has to offer?
As well as Jon knew Angel, so too did Angel know Jon. Given Jon’s nature, the answer would undoubtedly be affirmative.
However, to turn these aspirations into reality, Jon needed to survive.
Angel let out a long sigh, “I will show you everything.”
Rising from his seat, Angel prepared to leave. But halfway through, he remembered something.
In truth, upon his return to the Old Land Continent, Angel had prepared a myriad of things for Jon. Most of them were useless while Jon remained unconscious, but one item seemed particularly fitting for the present situation.
Angel sat back down beside the ice coffin and took out a spherical object from his bracelet.
The surface of the sphere was riddled with irregular holes, making it resemble a piece of wood gnawed by bugs.
Indeed, these holes were created by bugs, but they weren’t signs of decay, rather the tunnels of the bugs’ activity. This sphere was a bug nest.
—The Softworm Nest.
The Nest, along with several Softworm eggs, was a welcoming gift from Canter, the head of the House of Lilith, also known as “Like the Night”.
Softworms were valuable magical insects. To Angel, they were not particularly useful. However, if he could hatch a special type of Softworm—the Morphing Softworm—that would be greatly beneficial for him.
The Morphing Softworm, a creature that had not been seen for many years, had a special trait. If its skin was grafted onto another being, that being could quickly learn the spell of metamorphosis.
Angel had kept the worm nest in his bracelet with the hope of hatching a Morphing Softworm. However, he did not place much importance on such an unconventional method of learning, hence, he neglected the Softworm nest after storing it in his bracelet.
Now, as he took out the Softworm nest, his intention was not to check whether the eggs had hatched, but to extract a different tiny creature that had made the nest its home.
The Dreamweaver Ant.