Lina's Family Dishes

Afterward, the three of them chatted for a long time in Ye Wei'an's room, ranging from childhood anecdotes to the local customs of Suzar.

Unbeknownst to them, the evening glow outside the window had already stained half the sky red.

Lina stood up and suggested with great enthusiasm, "We've been so busy talking that time has flown by; it's almost time for dinner. Young Master, I haven't slacked off on my culinary studies in these four years. Since you're back, I must personally cook a dish to welcome you home! Trust me, you'll definitely fall in love with it this time."

"No! Absolutely not!"

The Spellfire Sorcerer, who remained unmoved even by the berserker Grumman, suddenly sprang from his chair as if struck by a powerful Fear spell.

"Lina, really, there's no need! You're a head maid now, practically a supervisor; just let the cooks handle such things. Please, don't tire yourself out!"

Ailian's reaction was the complete opposite of Ye Wei'an's; the girl even swallowed a mouthful of saliva in anticipation.

"Young Master, why are you still like this?" Lina paused, pouting with a sense of grievance. "Why have you never liked the food I make since you were little? They are clearly my most heartfelt creations. Look at Ailian, she eats them with such relish every time."

Ailian nodded vigorously from the side.

As Ye Wei'an looked into Lina's expectant eyes, memories from the original owner surfaced—images of "delicacies" filled with horseradish, pickled fish, and some sort of unidentified fermented matter—causing his stomach to suffer a faint, involuntary spasm.

"It... it's not about the taste." Ye Wei'an avoided her gaze, racking his brain for a lie. "It's mostly a problem with me. I've grown accustomed to the bland diet of mages in Suzar, and my digestion has weakened. I'm afraid my stomach can't handle the... the wild, untamed style of Rashemen cuisine right now, really."

Lina sighed in disappointment and did not press the matter further.

Muttering that "the climate of Suzar really makes people delicate," she bustled off to the kitchen to supervise the cooks.

Only when that gray figure disappeared at the end of the corridor did Ye Wei'an collapse back into his chair, drained of strength.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with lingering fear, "Phew... that was close. I almost died in my own home."

Ailian, who was lamenting that she wouldn't get to taste Lina's cooking, remarked, "Young Master, aren't you being too dramatic? Lina's cooking is clearly amazing! The way she clashes various spices to create complex flavors makes every bite a surprise. I truly—love it."

"A surprise? More like a shock." Ye Wei'an glared at her. "Complex and clashing flavors don't mean it's good; it's a disaster! Not everyone has a stomach like yours that can digest steel."

Speaking of which, he immediately recalled some sanity-shattering scenes from the original owner's memories:

"Do you remember that time a few years ago? We finally managed to get a batch of dried squid in the castle, and I got a few pieces. Seafood like that is delicious with simple preparation. But what did Lina do? She threw in so many strange seasonings... licorice, horseradish, cinnamon, pepper... and a huge pile of boiled, mushy red cabbage. Then, she had a sudden stroke of inspiration and added a giant spoonful of sheep eyeballs!"

As Ye Wei'an spoke, his body shivered involuntarily. "When she brought that dish out, those deep-purple squid tentacles were twitching like tentacles due to the bubbles, and the plate was densely packed with dead, staring sheep eyeballs... That wasn't a dish; it was an Outer God summoned by a cultist! How could any normal person eat that?"

"I could eat it," Ailian said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, even licking her lips in reminiscence. "You didn't touch a bite that time, so I ended up eating the whole thing myself. You have no idea—the way the eyeballs popped, paired with the slight bitterness of the licorice, was actually really intense..."

Ye Wei'an was left completely speechless. He looked at the little maid whose palate had gone completely off the rails and sighed heavily.

"Fine, say no more. I don't understand you 'Lovecraftian' cuisine enthusiasts. Once I have my own territory, I'll designate a 'special kitchen' for you all, so you don't go around polluting the main one."

For the next while, Ye Wei'an sat quietly in his room reading.

It was the textbook he used at the Battlemage Academy: Introduction to the Eight Schools of Magic (Beginner's Guide).

In the original owner's memories, these dense arcane models and obscure spell grammars were like heavenly scripts.

But now, everything was different.

Because he possessed the power of Spellfire.

Spellfire was the most primal power of the Weave, and as a wielder, his understanding of the essence of magic was profound.

Just like someone accustomed to reading source code looking at a simple script, the problems that had once plagued the original owner became perfectly transparent to him.

Even though his profession was a sorcerer who cast spells by instinct, the insight granted by Spellfire allowed him to navigate these mage texts with ease.

Ailian wasn't idle either; she was practicing monk combat techniques in the spacious living room, throwing punches and kicks.

"Young Master, do you think I could punch through iron armor now?" Ailian asked, turning back excitedly while wiping away sweat.

"If you want to stain my carpet, feel free to try," Ye Wei'an said without looking up. "Before that, learn how to restrain your aura. Don't let yourself be seen through at a glance like you were today."

Just then, the door was tapped lightly.

"Young Master Ye Wei'an, dinner is ready. The Lady invites you downstairs to dine." The servant's voice sounded from outside.

"Alright, I'm coming."

Ye Wei'an immediately put down his book and prepared to head downstairs.

As Ailian helped him adjust his attire, she whispered a complaint, "Young Master, are you really going to eat at the same table as those people? Just thinking about facing that hypocritical face makes me want to throw up the candied fruit in my stomach. And that Lucas... he'll definitely be there too."

"It's the first day back home after a long journey; dinner must be eaten with the 'family'," Ye Wei'an replied flatly.

When Ye Wei'an stepped into the dining room, Lady Elena was already seated at one side of the long table under the brilliant alchemical chandelier.

Beside her sat his twelve-year-old half-brother, Lucas.

Though young, Lucas had a sharp, bitter look in his eyes. At that moment, he was giggling as he reached out to pull the hair of a maid serving the plates.

The maid kept her head down, her body trembling, not even daring to dodge.

Seeing Ye Wei'an enter, he shifted his interest.

The maid, as if granted a reprieve, fled immediately.

Lucas spoke up instantly:

"Oh, isn't this our 'noble' mage brother? I heard that in Suzar, besides burning money, the only thing you learned was how to bully farmers holding hoes once you got back home? By Sharess, if I were you, I'd hide in my room studying those moldy old books instead of coming out to ruin everyone's appetite."

Before Ye Wei'an could speak, Lady Elena scolded from the side, "Luke, mind your manners. Regardless of anything else, he is still your brother!"

Even if she had known nothing about Ye Wei'an's situation at the start, an afternoon was enough for her to pry information out of the soldiers under his command and figure out exactly what he had been doing in Firefall Town.

Although she did not know how strong his magic was, Selina was certain that this bastard son was completely different from how he had been four years ago.

When facing enemies, he could be described as decisive and ruthless, yet in other situations, he appeared smooth and tactful.

Such a dangerous man was definitely not someone her son, who only knew how to bully those at home, could handle.

She did not want Lucas to go and provoke him.

Lucas had originally been wearing a smug expression, but the moment he heard his mother speak, he immediately shut his mouth.

Ye Wei'an could see that his terrified silence was not born of respect, but rather a physiological reaction to being under long-term, high-pressure control.

"Sit, Ye Wei'an." Lady Elena turned her head, her face once again wearing that impeccable, hypocritical smile. "Lucas is still young and has been spoiled by me; please don't take it to heart. May Sharess bless us, our family can finally sit down and have a proper meal together."

"You are too kind, My Lady. It is a good thing for a child to be lively, but that is only tolerable within the home. If he were outside and accidentally provoked someone he couldn't afford to offend, that would be unfortunate." Ye Wei'an pulled out a chair and sat down in a leisurely manner.