Mushroom Bird

"Young Master Russell, please give me the reins."

"Young Master Russell, let me remove your cloak for you."

"Good afternoon, Young Master Russell. Madam was asking about you just now—whether you'd returned."

All along the way, the servants of Fluorite Castle warmly welcomed him, took Russell's horse away, removed his cloak, and handed him a towel to wash his face and wipe his hands.

The moment he entered the castle hall, where the fireplace was burning, it felt as though he had stepped straight from winter into summer.

The travel-worn exhaustion left him entirely, and he once again became the radiant, handsome second son of the baron.

"Young Master Russell, Master is in the study upstairs. Madam is teaching Miss Laura how to check and keep accounts. When Madam learned you had returned, she asked that you come see her." By the hall corridor, old Butler Carter, a ring of keys in hand, gave a proper bow.

When it came to etiquette, Butler Carter never tolerated the slightest breach.

"Alright, I'll go right away." Russell smiled faintly and naturally returned Butler Carter's bow.

The curve of his smile, the angle of his bow, the force behind every movement—it was as if he had been trained with calipers. Flawless.

The bearing of a gentleman!

That was what nobles valued.

His predecessor might not have excelled at cultivating battle aura, but he had never neglected his noble etiquette lessons. After fully inheriting those memories, Russell handled them just as easily.

Butler Carter watched Russell go up to the second floor, the smile on his face never fading. It was a heartfelt smile, like that of an old father watching a child gradually grow up.

He had never married and had served the Fluorite Mushroom Family since childhood.

The young masters and young ladies were like his own children. He had watched them grow up and had long regarded Fluorite Castle as his home.

Only after Russell's figure disappeared around the staircase corner

did he put away his smile and return to being the imposing chief steward of the castle. Carrying his ring of keys, he inspected every corner of the castle and the servants at work.

"Wipe higher up. Don't leave dust in the high places," he said to a Male Servant polishing a pillar.

The Male Servant immediately replied, "Yes, Butler Carter."

"Make way, make way." At the corridor corner, a young rough-working Maid hurried over carrying a basin of water.

The moment she saw Butler Carter, she jumped in fright and nearly spilled the water.

Butler Carter frowned and reprimanded her, "How many times have I said it? Once you come to work at Fluorite Castle, you must get rid of all your bad habits. Daisy, this is Fluorite Castle, the most prestigious place in all of Guangguang River Valley. Stop being so clumsy!"

"Y-yes, sorry, Butler Carter. I'll definitely correct it." Daisy shrank her neck and apologized quietly.

Then she turned sideways and quickly slipped around Butler Carter.

Butler Carter shook his head at the sight. The newly recruited Maid's standards were worrying.

Second floor.

In Madam's room, Russell walked in and saw his mother teaching his younger sister how to review and record accounts.

"Young Master Russell." Several Maids attending nearby immediately greeted him.

Russell nodded to them, then looked at his mother. "Butler Carter said you wanted to see me. Is something the matter?"

"Come over. Sit and talk."

"Alright."

Russell sat in a chair beside her, and a Maid brought him tea.

His eleven-year-old sister Laura pursed her lips and smiled at him. She had recently lost one of the pointed teeth beside her front teeth, so she didn't dare smile with her mouth open.

Russell returned her smile.

Looking at her grown youngest son, Mother said, "Your father and I discussed it several times. You suggested moving to Wuyou Snake Manor, and we think it can wait a little. First, we need to fully staff the manor annex with servants and assign your retainers. It's neither particularly far nor particularly near, but it still takes two hours on horseback."

"I can ride back and forth every day. I'll treat it as battle aura training," Russell said.

Moving out of Fluorite Castle was already one of his fixed goals. Setting aside how awkward he felt living with the whole family, simply being watched by Lord Ross made him uncomfortable.

"Are you really that eager to leave home?" Mother asked with a touch of grievance.

"Uh..."

Seeing Russell at a loss for words, Mother suddenly smiled. "Never mind. Children have to leave home once they grow up. If you want to move there, then move there."

"Mm."

"Come back for lunch every day from now on."

"Alright." Seeing the faint wrinkles already appearing on his mother's face, Russell nodded solemnly.

His elder brother Roland served in the Dragon Blood Knights at Shadowflame Castle, while his elder sister Rowena had already married. Only he and his younger sister Laura remained at home.

And now, he too was leaving home.

For his mother, Meryl Rainflower, this truly was another painful farewell. But Meryl came from a noble family and understood that young eagles had to weather storms before they could become mighty eagles, so she did not stop Russell's decision.

Mother and son, brother and sister, chatted together for a while.

Before long, Butler Carter entered. "Madam, Young Master Russell, Miss Laura, dinner is ready."

"Where is the baron?" Meryl asked.

"Master has already been informed. He'll be down shortly."

"What could possibly be in that study to keep him there all day?" Meryl complained as she rose. "Mr. Carter, don't tell me he can actually read those massive tomes. I don't believe it."

Butler Carter offered a polite smile without answering.

The dining room was also on the second floor. There were no electric lights, but many wall lamps had been installed along the walls. Glowing gemstones were set into these lamps, casting soft, lasting light that kept the dining room bright without hurting the eyes.

Outside, the sky had already begun to darken.

Looking out from the dining room window, Russell could see the nearby tower, with Clay Dragon Ross crouched atop it.

It could sleep in that position all night long.

Before the baron arrived, two unexpected guests came to the dining room.

One was a palm-sized, plump green bird whose markings resembled those of a Fluorite Mushroom. The other was a palm-sized cartoonish little doll with transparent wings on its back and a cluster of small blue flowers blooming atop its head.

The little doll was pointing at the fat green bird, squeezing out tears as it wailed loudly.

"Luorui, you're bullying Tess again!" Meryl said sternly.

The green fat bird called Luorui was the origin of the Fluorite Mushroom Family's surname: a Mushroom Bird, a magical mushroom-type sprite.

The little doll being bullied, Tess, was a Rainflower Sprite, likewise a magical plant-type sprite.

They were magical creatures, just like Wyverns.

Born from plants and mushrooms, they could plant medicinal plants of their own species anytime and anywhere, providing the baron's family with an endless supply of magical output.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp!" Luorui, the Fluorite Mushroom Bird, landed on Meryl's shoulder and chirped as if arguing back.

The Rainflower Sprite Tess landed on Meryl's other shoulder. One chubby little hand rested on her hip while the other pointed at Luorui, the Mushroom Bird, as she loudly wailed.

No one could understand them.

Russell did not understand the sprites' language. In truth, no one could understand it, because sprite cries were not actually a language.

Watching Luorui and Tess quarrel, Russell clicked his tongue in amazement.

Even after accepting that this world had dragons and sprites, he was still awestruck by these wondrous little creatures no matter how many times he saw them.

Dragons produced metals and gemstones.

Sprites produced medicinal plants—every kind of plant-based medicine and mushroom-based medicine.

"Unfortunately, the family only has two sprites, and Father has only promised to give me three Spirit Worms. If I want a sprite, I'll have to cultivate one myself." Russell sighed faintly.

Sprites evolved from Spirit Worms.

But the odds of a Spirit Worm evolving into a sprite were incredibly slim. This generation of the Fluorite Mushroom Family had only cultivated one mushroom-type sprite, Luorui.

As for Tess,

she had been part of Meryl's dowry when she married into the Fluorite Mushroom Family.