However, because they require Spellcasters to manufacture, these pre-made goods are quite expensive on the market, and are considered a luxury among Adventurers. But with the sponsorship from the Border Count, such supplies are just everyday items at home.
Gleaming Scale Serpent finished tidying up the tableware and looked toward Hero's back.
"Your Majesty, aren't you going to rest?"
"I just want to sit alone for a while," Hero lightly shook her head.
Gleaming Scale Serpent said nothing more, bowed respectfully, and left.
"I understand. Please call me at any time if there's something you need. The standby state of an Elemental Spirit is different from the rest and sleep of living creatures, so you don't need to worry about disturbing my rest."
After that, a soft glow enveloped him, and the dignified middle-aged Housekeeper vanished in an instant, transforming into a gleaming Ice Crystal Core and gently drifting back to the ice house.
Turning to watch the stable trajectory of Gleaming Scale Serpent's Crystal Core returning to the ice house, Hero's expression also carried a hint of sentimentality.
It was just a normal snake before; how things have changed…
But, in truth, the same applies to herself; she has been through a lot and has become much stronger.
Hero turned her gaze back, looking towards the sea of beautiful, water-like stars; her Emerald Eyes slightly narrowed, memories surging in her heart like a tide.
Many people feel uneasy in the night, fearful of the unknown lurking in the darkness, but she never felt scared.
Not because her Perception was so strong that she could see through the darkness, quite the opposite; ever since she was a child, she loved to sit quietly in a dark room, wrapping herself in a blanket.
There was no other presence around, nothing could be seen, nothing could be heard – in the Silent darkness, there was only herself, alone.
It was during these moments that she could faintly feel everything that composed her.
The throbbing of her heart, the pulsation of life, the flow of Magic Power, and from even deeper within, the breath of everything in the world...
The existence known as "herself" was like an amusement park buried with countless mysteries, which would only open its gates to her during the quiet depths of the night when her eyes were closed.
Even though she was just nesting in an empty blanket, she could feel many things.
The younger her did not understand that this was actually a premonition of an Awakening of Talent; if a Magician with decent skills had observed this scene, they probably would have been excited to invite her to reincarnate into a Magician.
But as she grew older, her love for the night gradually deteriorated… or rather, disappeared.
It's not so much that she stayed in the dark room because she was enamored with the tranquility of the night, but rather she did not want to face the reality of the daytime.
She didn't want to see the look of disappointment in her parents' eyes, didn't want to face her brother's indifferent attitude…
Although the troubles of that time seem too naive and insignificant compared to the three or four curses she bears now, for the girl back then, just that amount of trouble was enough to crush her not-so-strong Spirit, making her lose hope for the next day.
It was only in the solitude of the night, hidden in her blankets, that she could feel a moment of peace.
And it was in such darkness that a Sky Blue friend knocked on the tightly closed door of her heart, rekindling her expectations for the daytime.
Her friend's face can still emerge distinctly in her mind without any fading, but now when she thinks of her, her heart no longer feels that suffocating grief and a sense of emptiness as if everything was lost.
She's been through a lot, adventured with new friends, helped many she wanted to help, and earned the trust and love of many. Each of these encounters filled the void in her heart, preventing her from drowning in past sorrows.
Yet, her dear friend's time had stopped with her death… perhaps even earlier, the moment she was captured by Goblins.
But her own time continues forward. After she Determined to eradicate Goblins and became the Hero, she embarked on a journey even she had never imagined, experiencing many spectacular events.
If seen through the eyes of others, compared with the ordinary times spent in the safety of the city, discussing troubles with friends, her life after becoming the Hero would probably appear ten times more thrilling.
Besides exterminating Goblins, she's also found other future goals: to study in the Capital, to become a qualified Knight, to embark on a pilgrimage touring the Kingdom...
In that future journey, she will undoubtedly experience even more.
Whether it's sadness or joy, that fulfillment will far surpass the flimsy past she had with just two people.
Looking at the adjoining starry skies before her, Hero's gaze softened, and she whispered lowly.
"It would have been nice to see this scenery together with her."
[Hero awakened Elemental Power: Spirit (Temperance)/Dark (Desire)]
[ Hero's Perception, Intelligence will gain a minimum boost of 50, the probability of Curse activation will decrease, and she can learn Spirit Magic]
[Hero's affinity with Dark Element increases, Pure Fluid will be able to digest Pollution and is Perceptive to stimuli, allowing her to learn Dark Element Magic]
[Hero gained a Special Skill/Reversed Skill (with every activation of a Special Skill, the next can only be a Reversed Skill)]
1. Restraint Bonds/Indulgence's Delusion (Suppresses enemy's attributes/Enhances enemy's attributes, with added Berserk)
2. Eternal Silent Night/Joyous Honey Night (Curses won't activate at night, area under Magic Suppression/Integrates and releases Curses)
3. Tuning Balance/Carnival Horn (Every two turns, randomly half the attributes will be reduced by half, the other half doubled/Two turns, Universal Attributes doubled, followed by exhaustion)♛
4. Heart of Oath/Dark Desire (Can sign an unbreakable contract/Will provoke the strongest desire in the other party)