Chapter 41: Night

Chapter 41: Night

The meal was a chaotic affair, but in the end, everyone ate their fill. Ye Tian tidied up with resignation and called for the group to press on; there was simply no helping it, the road ahead was still long.

Mina, unable to wield battle energy or magic, had only the stamina of an ordinary girl—no match for Aransa or Taya, who had just begun to cultivate inner strength. Rolora, being an assassin of considerable rank, was even more robust than the thief Aransa.

The result was that the group hadn’t traveled fifty miles before night fell. Glancing at the forest as dusk draped its shadows, Ye Tian shook his head helplessly and found a good spot to set up camp once again.

This time, luck was on their side—Rolora managed to hunt a few frost rabbits, a lowly magic beast that could only emit a puff of icy mist to disorient enemies before fleeing. In terms of combat, it was barely above zero—essentially, a rank one.

Ye Tian decided against roasting rabbit this time; too much barbecue wasn’t good for anyone. Using a tree stump as a cutting board, he expertly butchered the frost rabbits into eight pieces—tonight’s dish would be spicy rabbit!

Before their departure, Ye Tian had the General Store prepare some ingredients and dry foods. Though the staff had no idea why he wanted these things, they had complied, so Ye Tian’s bag was well-stocked with chili peppers and garlic. As for peppercorns, people here tended to use other spices as substitutes—though the taste was somewhat lacking, it was convenient, and Ye Tian had prepared a few small bottles in his pouch as well.

Once everything was ready, Ye Tian lit the fire, heated the oil, and began to make the spicy rabbit.

Mina and Rolora watched from nearby. Aransa was practicing her horse stance, while Taya went off to meditate. The life of a mage was not an easy one—constant meditation was needed to strengthen the mind; otherwise, they would lack the power to cast advanced spells.

When the oil was hot, Ye Tian tossed in the meat and began to stir-fry with practiced, fluid motions. Soon, a large bowl of aromatic, spicy rabbit was ready. Ye Tian cleaned the pot, boiled some water, and threw in a handful of dried mushrooms—he intended to make a soup as well.

“Rolora, could you fetch some bird eggs for me?” Ye Tian suddenly thought how much better the soup would be with eggs.

“I’ll be right back.” With that, Rolora vanished—night was always the assassin’s domain.

In the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, Rolora returned, cradling several eggs the size of steamed buns. “These are from nightingales—they taste quite good,” she said, passing them to Ye Tian.

“Is that so? Excellent.” Ye Tian cracked the eggs into the ladle and poured them into the soup.

“Gehr, what’s this?” Aransa eyed the dark, spicy rabbit suspiciously.

“Try it—it’s a bit hot!” Ye Tian warned.

“It smells delicious.” Aransa cautiously speared a piece, gave it a tentative lick, and exclaimed, “It’s so spicy!”

“It’s really spicy,” Taya said, sticking out her tongue. Elves usually ate light, mild foods—this was her first time encountering something so numbing and fiery. “But it’s delicious,” she added, reaching for another piece.

“Mmm, it’s so spicy I can’t stop eating!” Aransa fanned her tongue but kept right on eating.

“So, do you like it?” Ye Tian asked.

Mina nodded calmly. “How did you do that?” Rolora wondered aloud, recalling the scene. She couldn’t replicate it herself; something was missing.

“I’ll teach you sometime,” Ye Tian said with a smile, rising to serve the soup.

“It’s delicious!” The soup Ye Tian made was nothing like theirs—it had a depth and warmth. At first, everyone hesitated, but after tasting a sip, they couldn’t stop.

“Gehr, why is your soup so good?” Aransa asked contentedly, sipping the last drop and patting her full belly. “If I keep eating like this, I’ll get fat,” she said, cradling her cheeks.

“It’s fine—a little weight is healthy. If you’re as skinny as a bamboo pole, a gust of wind would blow you away and you’d fall ill,” Ye Tian replied, setting down his bowl with a satisfied sigh. “Rest for a bit, then back to your horse stance.”

“Oh, alright,” Aransa muttered reluctantly.

“Endure hardship to rise above the rest,” Ye Tian reminded her. “Someday, you’ll thank me.”

“I hope so!” Aransa pouted, swatting away Ye Tian’s mischievous hand from her hair.

After dinner, Ye Tian tidied up and prepared warm bedding for the girls. He leaned back against a tree, gazing up at the starry sky as the night wind howled, unfazed by the chill.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asked, turning to Taya, who sat beside him.

“I can’t sleep,” she replied, wrapping herself more tightly in her blanket. After a moment’s hesitation, she spread it out and pulled Ye Tian under it with her.

“Hey, hey, men and women shouldn’t be so close!” Ye Tian protested.

“What do you mean?” Taya asked, puzzled.

“Just that men and women are different,” he explained awkwardly.

“It’s fine. Back in the village, we did this all the time,” Taya said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “What are you thinking about so intently?”

“The future,” Ye Tian replied softly.

“The future? What about it?” Taya perked up, interested.

“How I’ll get home,” he said.

“Home? You don’t know where it is?” Taya asked, her voice tinged with sadness.

“Heh, let’s not talk about that. By the way, why would an elf go to a human magic academy?” Ye Tian had heard from Gray that elves were now rarely seen on the continent, having supposedly all moved to the Elven Forest—though no one knew where that was.

“I’m searching for an answer,” Taya replied quietly, her voice heavy with sorrow.

“May the Goddess of Nature grant your wish,” Ye Tian said with a smile.

“Gehr, I feel at ease when I’m with you. It’s strange,” Taya said, smiling.

“Maybe I’m just too good a person,” Ye Tian said shamelessly.

“You really have a thick skin!” Taya blushed. “Thank you, Gehr, thank you.”

Ye Tian said nothing, just continued to gaze at the stars.

Taya stared at him in silence, then slowly, ever so gently, leaned her head on his shoulder. “Gehr, wouldn’t it be wonderful if this moment could last forever?” she whispered.

“All good things must come to an end,” Ye Tian replied.

“All good things must end…” Taya echoed in a melancholy murmur, an ache piercing her heart. “Gehr, do you think you’ll leave us someday?” she asked.

“I will,” Ye Tian answered.

“Why?”

“Because someone’s waiting for me.”

“Is she your family?” Taya asked.

“She is—she’s my only family. If it weren’t for her, I might already be dead. No matter what, I have to find her—I must!” Ye Tian’s voice was resolute.

“The Goddess of Nature will bless you,” Taya said, looking at him.

“Thank you.” Ye Tian kept his eyes on the sky.

Taya sighed softly and leaned her head on his shoulder once more. Perhaps, just for this moment, he was hers alone.

The next morning, when Taya opened her eyes, Ye Tian was already gone. Only the scent of him lingered in her blanket. She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

“Taya, you’re awake? Come have some breakfast,” Aransa called, poking her head in.

“Good morning, Aransa.” Taya stretched, feeling much lighter at heart. “What delicious things do we have?” she asked, eyes twinkling.

“Morning. Are you feeling alright?” Ye Tian asked, setting the table with knife and fork; they weren’t used to chopsticks.

“I’m fine,” Taya replied, eyeing Ye Tian with a smile. “Wow, that porridge smells amazing!” She took a sip and sighed with satisfaction. “Delicious.”

Ye Tian smiled. “Go wash up first. A young lady should care about her appearance.”

“What’s the point? I was born beautiful!” Taya declared proudly.

“Haha, someone’s got bags under her eyes,” Ye Tian teased.

“Where? Where?” Taya exclaimed in alarm, setting her bowl down to search frantically for her glass mirror.

Ye Tian chuckled and sat down to eat. Mina sat beside him, occasionally breaking off pieces of bread and handing them to him. In this world, Ye Tian had never seen steamed buns—not even dumplings—only a soft, fluffy bread that, once dried, became quite hard.

“Master, please have some tea.” Rolora, seated next to Mina, handed over a cup of black tea. Mina accepted it and passed it to Ye Tian.

“You drink it—I'm not used to it,” Ye Tian said.

Mina nodded and sipped it herself.

“Oh, Kachis black tea! Not bad,” Aransa chimed in. “May I have a cup?” Rolora poured her a fragrant cup of tea. Aransa received it politely, thanked her, inhaled the aroma, and sipped slowly. “Delicious.”

Rolora glanced at Aransa but said nothing. The group finished breakfast happily.

“By the way, Mina, I’ll teach you a breathing technique. Try it, and if you can’t handle it, be sure to tell me, alright? You must tell me, Ro—”