"Mhm... I slept so comfortably..."
Early in the morning, Castorice slowly sat up from the bed.
She stretched and muttered to herself.
Although this house was a treehouse, the bed wasn't a pure wooden bed; it was covered with many soft pelts. Lying on it was no worse than the soft mattresses from the world of Special Abilities.
Coupled with the occasional chirping of insects and birds outside the house, it made Castorice feel extremely comfortable, and she had fallen asleep quickly last night.
Afterward, she stood up and began to wash up.
Although she didn't know why there was no bathroom in the house, water could still be drawn in the kitchen.
"Your Excellency Castorice, are you awake?"
Just as she finished washing up, Shalin's voice came from outside.
Hearing this, Castorice looked down through the window next to the sink and immediately saw Shalin holding a basket under the tree.
At this time, Shalin also saw Castorice, so she first waved at her, and then took the elevator up to the treehouse.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The wooden door of the treehouse was knocked on. Castorice opened the door, and as expected, Shalin was outside.
"Good morning, Your Excellency Castorice! I brought you breakfast!"
As soon as the door opened, Shalin spoke with a voice brimming with enthusiasm, gently placing the basket on the small table inside the room as she spoke.
"Thank you, Shalin. Sorry to trouble you so early."
Saying this, Castorice stepped forward and curiously lifted the linen cloth covering the basket.
At that moment, a warm aroma mixed with grains, honey, and baking instantly permeated the air.
Inside the basket, a large bowl of porridge enveloped in a soft magical halo was emitting steam. Arranged neatly beside it were five golden omelets, as well as five round buns with slightly browned crusts dotted with small dark purple berries.
"This is Windwhisper Nectar Wheat Porridge," Shalin introduced enthusiastically, pointing at the bowl of porridge. "It's boiled with Windwhisper flower dew collected in the early morning and golden wheat. It's very nourishing for the stomach. These are Mosslight Mushroom Omelets; the mushrooms inside grow in Dawnlight Moss and are especially delicious."
As she spoke, she picked up a bun.
"And this, Barnacle Berry Jam Bun. The jam inside is made from barnacle berries unique to the forest. It's sweet and sour, perfect with bread! These are all very popular breakfast items among our Moon-marked Clan. Your Excellency Castorice, please have a taste!"
"They sound delicious. Thank you, Shalin." Castorice returned a sincere and gentle smile. "Wait a moment, I'll go get a bowl to portion out the porridge."
But just as she turned and took a step toward the kitchen, Shalin's slightly confused voice came from behind:
"Your Excellency Castorice, I'm keeping this porridge warm with preservation magic. The temperature is just right for eating now; there's no need to divide it out to cool down."
Hearing this, Castorice paused slightly, then turned her head back in puzzlement:
"Hm? Cool down? I just wanted to scoop a small bowl out for myself to eat. What does that have to do with the temperature?"
"Eh?" Seeing this, Shalin blinked her large emerald-green eyes, looking even more confused. "But... all the food in this basket is for you alone."
"..." Castorice's body instantly stiffened. Then, with some disbelief, she cast her gaze toward the basket again.
Five solid buns, five plump omelets, and that massive bowl of porridge, larger than both of her hands combined...
"This... Miss Shalin, are you sure... these are all just for me?"
Castorice's voice carried a hint of shock, because no matter how she looked at it, this was enough to feed several elves, right?!
"Of course I'm sure!" Shalin nodded vigorously, her expression extremely earnest, even carrying a hint of taking it for granted. "Last night, I saw that Your Excellency Castorice had such a good appetite at the banquet and ate so much food, so I specially prepared some more to bring over."
Speaking of this, she tilted her head slightly, looking at the basket, her tone even revealing a bit of regret.
"I originally wanted to bring a bit more of other things, but unfortunately, the basket just couldn't fit anymore."
...Could she say that those foods back then were actually all eaten by Pollux?
However, Shalin's words reminded her; she could just let Pollux take care of this food.
Seeing this, Castorice put on a smile again and said:
"Then thank you, Miss Shalin."
As she spoke, she conveniently picked up a Barnacle Berry Jam Bun from the basket and took a gentle bite.
"Mhm, delicious."
In an instant, the crispy outer layer and soft inner bread, mixed with the sweet and sour berry jam, melted on the tip of her tongue. Blended with the aroma of wheat, it tasted exceptionally delicious.
"I'm glad Your Excellency Castorice likes it."
Hearing the praise, Shalin immediately revealed a happy smile.
Then, she took the opportunity to sit down on the chair beside her, resting her chin on her hands, and asked somewhat curiously:
"What are Your Excellency Castorice's plans for later? Do you need me to accompany you for a stroll nearby?"
These words reminded Castorice of the Aura of Death she had sensed at Crescent Lake last night. She put down the bun and said softly:
"I want to go to Crescent Lake to take a look, and I also want to know what Crescent Lake looks like during the day."
"Crescent Lake..." Shalin nodded thoughtfully. "During the day, Crescent Lake doesn't look much different from an ordinary lake. The water is very clear, but it's shaped like a crescent moon and sparkles under the sunlight. It's still very beautiful."
But just as she finished speaking, she lowered her head, her tone holding a bit of disappointment.
"However, I have to go on patrol duty in the western part of the forest with Sister Nimue later, so I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you there."
"It's fine, your duty is more important." Castorice shook her head, smiling reassuringly. "You go ahead and get busy. I know the way."
"Alright!" Shalin immediately perked up, stood up, and waved at her. "Then I'll go to my duty first. Goodbye, Your Excellency Castorice!"
After saying that, she left the wooden house and subsequently disappeared into the forest.
Seeing Shalin leave, Castorice's first reaction wasn't to set off for Crescent Lake immediately either. Instead, she grabbed a bowl from the kitchen, scooped a small bowl of porridge for herself, and after grabbing an omelet in passing, threw the rest, along with the basket, to Pollux.
...
Crescent Lake.
At this moment, Castorice was holding a water dipper in her hand exactly the same as the one from last night.
"Mhm, it seems that Aura of Death is still here, only it appears to be much fainter compared to at night."
Castorice closed her eyes, feeling the Aura of Death coming from the water, and muttered to herself.
Afterward, she opened her eyes and began to look toward the center of Crescent Lake.
"Could the source of the Aura of Death be the center of the lake?"
She looked at the distant center of Crescent Lake and muttered to herself.
"But... how should I get over there?"
As Castorice spoke, she suddenly saw a small boat sailing on Crescent Lake not far away.
"...Is it that much of a coincidence?"