Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 310 (Part 1):

Soon, the meal was prepared. Although there were many people, it didn’t require tremendous physical labor or preparation.

Because Terra and Azer were mages! They freely demonstrated the privileges of spirit mages.

Without any special equipment, flames rose in the kitchen to cook the food.

On the cutting board, knives moved on their own, slicing ingredients. Frying, cooking, all of it was done by invisible hands.

Befitting a spirit mage household, it was quite a spectacle to see food plates flying through the air without servants.

Alea marveled at the sight from a distinctly magical perspective.

“It’s difficult to achieve such delicate control with magic. As expected of spirits…”

“Is this how humans usually prepare meals? How fascinating.”

Igrelle, who had only seen things far removed from the ordinary human world from the start, seemed to be under some serious misconceptions.

Soon, a bountiful table was set in the yard, and the meal began.

“Oh, this is delicious!”

The cooking at Sian’s house was excellent. It was different from what they ate at Ethan Kudrow’s mansion, but while the food there was prepared with professional skill for noble banquets, this was completely home-style cooking.

There weren’t many dishes, but each one was superb.

The spicy roast pork that whetted the appetite, potato and eggplant gratin baked with plenty of tomato sauce and topped with cheese, asparagus soup with melted butter for a rich and deep flavor served with freshly baked bread, and a salad dressed with tangy lemon vinaigrette were all exquisite.

Even the picky Alea emptied her plate without a word. Rather than being made with extraordinary culinary skill, it was a case where the cooking was simple, but the inherent flavors of the ingredients were excellent.

Charlotte asked in her characteristically serious tone:

“The vegetables are really fresh. Did you grow them yourselves?”

Terra smiled gently.

“It’s the power of spirits. When earth spirits breathe life into them, even dying trees can be revived, and tiny seeds can grow into towering trees overnight.”

She went on to say that although there was a field in front of the house, it hardly needed tending.

Terra, who had contracted with the powerful earth spirit, constantly summoned spirits to look after the field or do household chores.

Perhaps because of this, her hands were as delicate as those of a noble.

“It’s a small village, but it seems well-maintained. I didn’t see any impoverished people, and everyone seemed to live comfortably.”

Villages usually have rich and poor.

But the people of Greencana all had healthy complexions and wore clothes that weren’t just single colors, but had decorative elements.

The colorful roof colors and the fact that people could pay attention to things other than just survival indicated that the overall standard of living in the village was high.

“The land around here is fertile, and there’s plenty to be found in the forest. With just a minimum of diligence, there’s no worry of starving to death.”

One has to work to get something, but there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. In places other than Rodril, there are many cases where people work but can’t get anything, so being born and living in a place where you don’t have to worry about starving to death could be considered lucky in itself.

Asuka muttered:

“Being a spirit mage seems really useful. At least you don’t have to worry about starving to death wherever you go.”

A spirit mage of Sian’s level could cultivate crops even in a desert. If they were to farm, it would probably always be a bumper year.

Charlotte, true to her status as the Duchess of Renosa, asked with scholarly curiosity:

“A village like this could be called a paradise. Don’t outsiders come in?”

“Greencana doesn’t accept outsiders. Unless they marry someone from the village.”

They also controlled rumors about the village. Since the people of Greencana tended to be exclusive, the secrecy of Greencana was maintained quite well.

Azer spoke up seriously from the side.

“The power of Earth Spirit can be used for good, but it can also be used for the opposite. If used badly, it can be incredibly destructive. That’s why Rodril always has to maintain distance from the human world. To avoid being swept up in the waves of the mortal world.”

Humans cannot survive without food. The Earth spirit contracted by Rodril is the most powerful spirit on earth that can be handled by human power.

It’s possible to grow crops and make the land prosperous, but it’s also possible to kill crops and drain life force as if in a drought.

The power was so great that it could even wither an entire country, which was problematic.

If that power were to be linked with the powers of the human world, it was unclear what the repercussions would be.

This time, Helmut asked. There was something that didn’t align with the common sense of the human world as he knew it.

“You have such strong power that many would covet, so why do you live in such a small village? Wouldn’t having power make it easier to protect yourself?”

Even if they didn’t create a country, wouldn’t it be easier to protect themselves if they had many people under them, in case of conflicts with groups or countries coveting their power? Instead of hiding like this.

However, Terra shook her head.

“That’s the life of nobles who seek power. It’s not the life of spirit mages.”

Even though they weren’t fugitives living in hiding like Antiol or Heike, who were named as enemies of the Temple, Rodril was still a mage—an exceptionally powerful spirit mage.

If a city were to form here and an army were to be created, even the neighboring countries that had left them alone until now would feel threatened.

If it came to conflict, they would need even more power and military strength. The small, peaceful village of Greencana would disappear.

Rodril didn’t wish to be affiliated with any faction, only to live here in harmony with nature. That was the life of a spirit mage.

“Having less means you don’t have to fight with those who have more. But we can’t be looked down upon either. Until now, that balance has been well maintained.”

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