The journey from the Shirone Kingdom to the Holy Saint Millis involves passing through the Kingdom of Wanglong, a superpower ranked third in overall strength.
And it also involves passing through two small countries.
The Kingdom of Zika and the Kingdom of Shanakya.
Like the Shirone Kingdom, they are vassal states of the Kingdom of Wanglong, small countries on the edge of the conflict zone.
The further south you go, the farther you get from the conflict zone, and the more peaceful the scenery becomes along the way.
The kingdoms of Zika and Shanakia are located on plains, and their main mode of production is agriculture.
Vast rice paddies stretch out on both sides of the road. When the wind blows, the golden-green rice waves surge one after another, and the air is filled with the fragrance of rice and the moist scent of soil.
As Luo Ge sat in the carriage, looking out at the endless rice paddies, he had a fleeting feeling of being transported back to the countryside of his past life.
In his previous life, his hometown was also in the rural south, and he had seen such golden rice fields when he was a child.
Upon arriving here, Luo Ge discovered that Nanahoshi Shizuka had a particular fondness for the rice sold at the market.
When they passed a market, she made Luo Ge stop for a moment, ran down and bargained with other people, and finally successfully bought two bags of rice to carry back to the carriage.
Nanahoshi said it was meant to be used to make rice balls.
Luo Ge looked at the Japanese high school girl. She had looked frail before, but she was full of energy while carrying a whole bag of rice, as if she had inexhaustible strength.
The way their eyes shone made Luo Ge sigh, "The islanders really do have an ingrained obsession with rice."
The sky gradually darkened.
The afterglow of dusk dyed the rice paddies a vibrant orange-red, and wisps of smoke rose from the distant farmhouses.
Luo Ge had his hired coachman park the carriage at the town's post station, and then found the nearest inn to stay at.
To save on unnecessary expenses along the way, he lived frugally and only booked two rooms.
He shared a room with Nanahoshi, Lilia and Aisha shared a room.
As before, Nanahoshi slept on the floor, while he slept on the bed.
There was an open space in the hotel courtyard where Luo Ge practiced his sword alone before it got completely dark.
The Phoenix Elegant Dragon Sword drew sharp arcs in the twilight, its wind whipping up fallen leaves that danced in the air.
He quickly became drenched in sweat from practicing, but his movements showed no sign of stopping.
Lilia stood in the hallway, clutching a clean towel, watching him quietly.
As she looked at it, she became somewhat stunned.
Luo Ge practicing his sword, his focused expression, the crisp and clean movements of his sword, and his face slightly flushed from exercise...
For a fleeting moment, she saw a glimpse of Paul.
No.
Lilia quickly shook her head inwardly. Although she was unwilling to admit it, the young master Luo Ge was now even more manly than Master Paul.
Paul's features are more rugged, while Luo Ge's features are much more delicate, somewhere between the delicacy of a boy and the sharpness of a young man, like a perfect blend of the two.
Luo Ge sheathed his sword, let out a long breath, and turned to see Lilia standing on the veranda.
"Oh?"
"It's Lilia."
Lilia quickly walked over, holding a towel in both hands and offering it to him with utmost respect. "Young Master Luo Ge, please use this towel to dry yourself."
"Thank you, Lilia."
Luo Ge took the towel, wiping his sweat as he said helplessly, "You don't need to be so polite. Just treat us like family."
Lilia shook her head, her tone firm. "How can that be? Neither Aisha nor I are just maids in this house. That's Lilia's principle."
Luo Ge glanced at her, knowing that Lilia's stubborn personality couldn't be changed overnight.
So I simply stopped saying anything.
Just then, Aisha suddenly ran out from the other end of the corridor, holding something wrapped in oil paper in her little hands. She trotted over to Luo Ge, tilted her head back, and held it high. "Big brother! This is rice ball that Sister Nanahoshi made. Please enjoy!"
Luo Ge looked down at the oil paper package, then at Aisha's expectant little face, and then glanced down the corridor.
Nanahoshi was standing not far away, pretending to admire the scenery, but his peripheral vision clearly showed him glancing this way.
Lilia stood beside them, her hands clasped in front of her, not moving first.
"None of you have eaten?"
Luo Ge asked.
Aisha shook her head. "Although Aisha also wants to eat, I still want my older brother to enjoy it first."
"How could I possibly accept this!"
Despite saying that, Luo Ge didn't stand on ceremony any longer. He skillfully unwrapped the oil paper package, revealing several round rice balls inside, sprinkled with a layer of fine salt, which looked quite presentable.
He took a bite, chewed it a couple of times, and suddenly froze.
The warmth and softness of the rice melted in my mouth, with just the right amount of saltiness and a hint of sweetness.
To be honest, this food wasn't considered particularly delicious in Luo Ge's previous life in the great land of China.
But in this other world, it's considered a delicacy.
Nanahoshi finally moved closer, her hands clasped in front of her, looking at him anxiously. "How is it? Does the rice ball suit your taste? The seasonings in this world are incomplete, so I can only try my best to make it according to my memory..."
Luo Ge took another bite and nodded seriously. "Not bad, Nanahoshi, you're great."
Nanahoshi's face flushed red.
She turned her head away, the color of her ears clearly visible in the twilight, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl upwards.
Luo Ge's words seemed to dispel all the fatigue she had accumulated from her travels over the past few days, instantly maximizing their emotional impact.
"Hmm... what are you still standing there for?"
Luo Ge waved to Lilia and Aisha, "Let's dig in!"
The group then sat down at the stone table in the courtyard and shared the rice balls.
Lilia and Aisha also raved about it after trying it.
Aisha chewed her food while showing her two little fangs, and said to Qixing in Nanahoshi voice, "Sister Nanahoshi, please teach me how to make rice balls!"
Nanahoshi was taken aback. "You want to learn?"
Aisha nodded vigorously and explained seriously, "Yeah, I think my brother really likes it. If Aisha learn how to cook it, I can cook for him every day!"
Looking at her little face, which was filled with thoughts of her brother, Nanahoshi felt a pang of sadness.
That guy Luo Ge.
How can there be such a cute little sister? It's not fair, it's really not fair at all.
Even though we're all reincarnated from another world, I can't learn magic, I can't even hold a sword properly, and surviving is a struggle for me.
But not only does Luo Ge have a family, he's also doing very well in this other world.
The sense of disparity is just too great.
As she was feeling dejected, Lilia suddenly coughed softly beside her, her tone somewhat stern. " Aisha, don't cause Miss Nanahoshi any trouble."
"It's alright, Miss Lilia."
Nanahoshi snapped out of her reverie and patted Aisha's little head. " Aisha is so cute. Let her study with me from now on. Aisha is a smart child, so she'll definitely learn very quickly."
"In that case, please join me," Lilia suddenly said, adjusting her glasses. "Perfect timing. If Miss Nanahoshi doesn't mind, I'd also like to learn Nanahoshi cooking skills, that unique style."
"Hello!"
Luo Ge, who was listening nearby, suddenly interjected, "Um, Nanahoshi... can I join too?"
"Ha?"
Nanahoshi turned to look at him, her expression filled with disbelief.
no?
Why is this guy joining in the commotion, just blindly getting involved?
Lilia and Aisha were already a bit too much for her to handle.
Seeing the suspicious look in Nanahoshi's eyes, Luo Ge narrowed his eyes slightly. " Nanahoshi... why are you looking at me like that? Actually, I'm quite talented at cooking, you know?"
Nanahoshi looked him up and down, her eyes filled with undisguised suspicion. "You're good at killing people with a sword, but... are you really good at cooking? You're not going to set the kitchen on fire or something, are you?"
"Hello!"
"Hey, that's really going too far."
" Nanahoshi, you underestimate me, woman."
Lilia whispered from the side, "Young Master Luo Ge, why waste your time on such trivial matters? Leave these things to me and Aisha."
"Mmm, dear brother..."
Aisha joined in, hugging and shaking Luo Ge's arm. "If Nanahoshi Stars can do it, Aisha can do it too when she learns. When Aisha grows up, she definitely won't lose to Nanahoshi Stars."
Seeing the unwavering determination of Lilia and her daughter Aisha, Luo Ge could only sigh helplessly, "Since you put it that way, then... I'll wait and see. Aisha, you'd better grow up quickly."