Ghost Fire Family

Lunch had been filling. Afterward, everyone went to the sitting room to digest and chat.

Russell merely spoke briefly about how it felt to live in his fief. He had only stayed there for one day, so there was not much fresh to say.

Most of the time, Old Madam Ingrid and Meryl were the ones chatting.

Russell always felt there was a whiff of gunpowder between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, though both were restrained and never confronted each other directly.

Baron Roman seemed completely unaware of it.

However, Russell felt that the Baron might have known and was simply pretending otherwise. After all, before such an age-old problem caused any real damage, there was no need to make things difficult for himself. Happiness should come first in life.

"Don't neglect your Battle Aura training. Your talent is average to begin with. If you don't cultivate diligently, your achievements will be limited."

"I understand, Father."

"I had Carter prepare a batch of Magic Potions for you. Take them back and drink one each day. Don't refuse; this is also your grandmother's wish," said the Baron.

Old Madam Ingrid turned to him. "That's right. The family isn't short of money. Naturally, Magic Potions should be saved for Little Ghost Fire."

"Of course, I won't refuse." Russell smiled.

He did not covet the Baron's wealth. After all, as the second son, he was not entitled to it. But since the Baron was willing to give it, he could hardly refuse.

"Little Ghost Fire has become sensible." Old Madam Ingrid smiled. "You used to be rather stubborn, but now you're utterly lovable."

Meryl smiled as well. "Mother, Russell is already grown up. He's no longer the Little Ghost Fire you speak of."

"How is he not Little Ghost Fire? In my heart, Russell and his brothers are all Little Ghost Fires."

"Little Ghost Fire is, after all, a teasing nickname given by outsiders."

"We are the Ghost Fire Family. So what if others tease us a little? It doesn't cost us a copper coin. If anyone refuses to accept it, have Lord Ross breathe dragonfire on them. He'll burn them clean to ashes." Old Madam Ingrid teased.

Meryl narrowed her eyes and said, "Other families may have dragons too."

The Shadowflame Grand Duchy had two earls and five barons. Every one of their families possessed Wyverns, some even more than one.

These magical creatures were standard equipment for High Nobles.

Without Wyverns, a fief could not be kept safe.

"We wouldn't be afraid even if they have dragons. Whoever calls us the Ghost Fire Family, we'll curse them right back. Every family has a nickname. Doesn't your Monochoria Family also have the nickname Little Bird?" Old Madam Ingrid said, refusing to yield.

Monochoria was a blue flower shaped like a bird. Thus, the Monochoria Family was also called the Bluebird Family, and was sometimes teasingly referred to as Little Bird.

Likewise.

Fluorite Mushroom was a mushroom that emitted a greenish glow at night. It liked to grow on tree trunks, and from afar looked like a floating ghost fire.

Thus, the Fluorite Mushroom Family was also called the Ghost Fire Family, and its descendants naturally acquired the nickname Little Ghost Fire.

Of course, there were also the nastier nicknames Green Ghost and Green Ant.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law mixed arguments into their teasing and hostility into their jokes, but this did not affect Baron Roman or Russell in the slightest.

"Oh, right." Russell said, "Speaking of Magic Potions, I nearly forgot. I brought a small gift for Grandmother, Mother, and Laura."

He called over the Male Servant Ram and took a small pouch from him.

Russell pulled out three pearls from the pouch. They had all been taken from the giant river clam that morning, their pearly white surfaces gleaming with a gentle luster. On closer inspection, one could sense faint magic flowing endlessly within them.

He gave the egg-sized pearl to his grandmother, a slightly smaller one to his mother, and a smaller one still to Laura.

"Wow, Brother, what is this?" It was Laura's first time seeing pearls.

"Pearls. Gems nurtured inside shells."

"What a rare treasure. Grandmother hasn't even given you a gift yet, but I've received one from you instead." Old Madam Ingrid could not resist beautiful pearls and could not bear to put hers down. "Little Ghost Fire, where did you find these?"

Baron Roman was curious as well. "Pearls really are rare."

"I picked them up from the river this morning." Russell roughly explained how he had wanted to eat freshwater seafood but had ended up finding pearls instead. "I never expected one river clam to be so large. It actually produced five pearls of different sizes."

Two smaller ones remained in the pouch.

"Brother, your luck is incredible!" Laura said enviously.

Old Madam Ingrid laughed. "Our Ghost Fire Family has always been lucky. Back then, Little Ghost Fire's great-grandfather found Lord Ross, and now Little Ghost Fire has found pearls. It shows that the Grand Duke's dragon has always watched over us and blessed us."

Baron Roman was speechless. "Listen to yourself."

A Wyvern and several pearls were utterly incomparable.

After giving away the pearl gifts and receiving a batch of Magic Potions, Russell felt it was about time and prepared to rise and take his leave.

Meryl asked before anyone else could, "Russell, will you stay at the castle tonight?"

"Uh, no, Mother."

"Ah, all right."

They had only been apart for one night, yet Meryl already missed her son.

Baron Roman rubbed his wife's shoulder and comforted her. "It isn't far away. It's practically right under our noses. What is there to worry about... Russell, go back. Govern your fief properly, and don't neglect your Battle Aura training."

"Yes, Father."

"Why are you leaving so soon?" Old Madam Ingrid muttered. "All the Little Ghost Fires have grown up one by one."

"Grandmother, I'll come visit you often." Russell smiled.

Laura also came over. "Russell, when will you take me to Wuyou Snake Manor to play?"

"Next time. When I have time, I'll come pick you up... Grandmother, Father, Mother, no need to see me off. I'm leaving."

With a wave, Russell left Fluorite Castle in dashing fashion.

Once he passed through the stone archway outside the castle, he could not help letting out a long breath. Fluorite Castle always made him feel constrained.

Fortunately, Lord Ross had gone off somewhere and was not in the castle today. He would not cast that gloomy glance at him, or Russell would have felt even more awkward.

The sun hung westward, while the horses headed south.

After galloping down Charcoal Ash Avenue for two hours, Russell returned once more to his loyal fief, Wuyou Snake Manor.

"Master, welcome home." Butler Morris led the Male Servants and Maids to greet his return at the gate.

There were few servants, but the proper etiquette could not be neglected.

"Where are Teacher Charles and Teacher Eric?"

"The two gentlemen have gone to inspect the manor."

"Hmm, Morris, I won't return to the manor house yet." Russell turned his horse around and set off again with four Knight Retainers, beginning his first inspection of his fief along the paths within the manor.

Not far from the manor house lay Bean Wheat Tunic.

Half the serfs of Bean Wheat Tunic grew lentils, while the other half grew wheat. There was also a small market in its center. Most of the serfs throughout Wuyou Snake Manor lived close together around this Small Market Town.

There were no crisscrossing streets, only a Charcoal Ash path running northwest to southeast, with serf homes distributed along both sides.

Most were wooden houses, interspersed with a few two-story stone buildings.

The arrival of the five riders quickly startled the serfs in the Small Market Town. Then the Serf Manager who had met Russell yesterday took the lead in kneeling on the ground.

"Welcome, Master!"

"Master has come to inspect the manor!"

"Praise the Master!"

With a rustle, the serfs fell to their knees across the ground. The scene was chaotic, yet as though by mutual understanding, they cleared the Charcoal Ash path and did not hinder Russell's party from riding through.