The system needed a bit.
"Function can be activated after repairing and updating the system."
Tenno sighed. If he could scan souls, maybe he would be able to tell if other people transmigrated... Ah, well, it wasn't that important anyway.
Even though he was disappointed, he soon moved his mind to other topics. For example, the harvest event in a few weeks. Yes, it was another festival, but this time he wanted to help a lot in the kitchen and researched a few dishes he could make.
When Bang Cheng heard what Tenno planned, his ears and three tails perked up in excitement. Tenno wondered a bit if having tails was hygienic in such a busy kitchen, but considering that chief Bang was a spirit he wasn't sure if he could lose fur...
While he was preparing everything for sweet baked chestnuts, Lou came to him. Her brown hair had gotten longer, the elven ears pointier and her blue eyes had a purple glint.
"Can I help you in any way?"
"Where are Wen and the others?"
"Oh, they are collecting berries."
"Ah."
"So?"
"Help me wash the sand."
"... Wash sand?"
"Yes. I'll put the sand in the wok, warm it up with sugar and then bake the chestnuts inside it. It'll be very tasty."
"If you say so..."
In the end, the elven child helped. Tenno took a closer look at her face, comparing her to the princess. Her face wasn't as round, her skin pale and the lips slightly red. She looked pretty... normal.
Princess Sunset looked actually pretty normal too, but her brown hair and eyes were traits of the royal family, making it rare for vampires. And even by earthly standards, if she grew up she would be very beautiful, Tenno reckoned.
Lou... Well, elves were known for being pretty.
Mer was like many vampire women very elegant, and other women... Well, maybe the head maid? But he didn't really remember her... His interest in females was really low! But he didn't need to think about that, it would still take a while until he was legal...
He almost sneered at himself, but held back since he had to concentrate on his work.
At the evening of the festival, everything was brought into a hall in the palace. Tenno something missed out on this and was left alone in the kitchen. He went into an empty stone room, usually used for baking, and began testing his fire ability.
At first, it was just a wild fire ball that he could divide into multiple smaller ones. He began to control those, make formations and figures with them, making bigger and smaller ones, shaping one like a cube, one like a pyramid. With a different thought, he made compressed fire needles, a fire whip and the biggest thing: a fire cage. The walls were thin, it was a hollow fire cube with fire so hot that it would melt armor.
His control had become incredible after spending so much time in the kitchen. He just wasn't used to having such abilities, so he worried about forgetting them in crucial moments...
He felt that about a third of his energy was exhausted. He left the room and intended to eat a bit lye bread, when he saw a head peaking around the corner. It was the princess.
Fire was his element, it didn't make him sweat, so there was no trace of his experiments left on his body.
"Princess, what are you doing here?"
"I was searching for you."
She came in, looking around curiously. She wore the same dress she had worn in the library.
"Sorry about last time. I panicked..."
"Oh, it's alright. Want some?"
"Thank you!"
"... are you really a princess?"
"I might not act like one, but my birth certificate says I am born one." she shrugged.
Tenno grinned. She just seemed so... casual. The more he thought about it, the more he laughed.
Sunset was stunned. Seeing him laugh, showing his pearly white teeth and looking at his twinkling eyes, she was... enchanted. No wonder the maids talked about him like he was one of the princes! He was just an otherworldly existence!!
"W-what's so funny..."
"Ah, sorry..." He was still grinning from one ear to another.
Sunset went a bit pale and scratched her nose.
"Hey, are you alright...?"
Seeing the worried look in his eyes, she nodded and sighed. "My blood circulation is bad, so I get pale instead of red... When I get red, it's bad."
"Oh."
"Don't worry, I can handle it."
He raised an eyebrow. This princess really didn't seem like a child. On the other hand, neither did he. Mori... Yes, Mori still seemed like a child.
She took a lye bun out of the basket and began to eat it with tiny bites.
"So you really came here for me?"
"Yes."
"But... Your siblings...?"
"Oh. Well, most of my brothers aren't here, or I feel like there's no point in talking to them. My sisters... I hate my younger sister." she wrinkled her nose. "But my older sisters are alright. Faye Everrain, July Evergreen... The oldest one is Eliza."
"What is her title?"
"Ember."
"Huh."
"Yeah, it's a bit... weird. On the other hand, they plan to give me the title Enigma, so who am I to complain..."
"Your siblings are quite old, right?"
"Right. The oldest is... like, almost 8 thousand? It's so weird that he's almost as old as my father... Ah, well, at least I don't have to deal with too many of those brothers of mine."
"Is it really that bad to have siblings?"
"They are your strongest enemy and best friend."
"So it's complicated."
"Yes!" she laughed.
'Cute...'
They talked about this and that until the basket was empty, the sky getting bright and a guard and maid franticly calling for the fourth princess.
"Ah, I have to go."
"Oh."
"Thank you for your time. I hope we can talk more often."
"Yeah, me too."
"Then, maybe we'll see each other in the library. Until then!"
"Take care!"
She disappeared like she had never been there.
'System, did you scan her?'
"Positive. The fourth princess of the kingdom of Cure was born with a special constitution. She can accumulate curses and use them to her benefits."
Tenno didn't know how to react to that. The fourth princess was cursed? But... Oh, maybe she was actually way older...? He didn't know, and the system didn't say any more either.
The princess seemed to be a bit lonely in the palace. Her siblings were way older than her, maybe from different wives, and she wasn't... normal. But he liked that. It was like a magnet pulling in metal, like a bee coming to the flower.
When he went back to the dorms, he met Mori. He told him that he had talked a bit with the princess.
"She is so gorgeous!"
Tenno tilted his head a bit.
"We talked a bit about the festival, and she complimented my interest in plants and my dance from last time..." Mori blushed.
The Ifrit thought about his conversation with Sunset, which had been around 3 hours long. She liked talking about many things, but Mori somehow got the impression that she was shy? After thinking a bit more, Tenno came to the conclusion that she probably didn't know what to talk about with Mori and had just been polite.
The dryad didn't know anything about the encounter of his friend. He also didn't really know what it meant to have a crush, so he denied most of the things Tenno guessed correctly.
Towards the end of autumn, it was the birthday of the fourth princess. However, she just wanted that the servants could rest a bit more on this day. No grand event or party, no guests even though many wanted to come. Her father didn't want he to be surrounded by a bunch of people that wanted money, favor and so on.
Winter came to the kitchen together with Zora Marov. The vampire noble with red eyes was naturally good looking, and made Bang Cheng sweat. Not because he was attracted to her, but because she was his boss and not to be messed with. She didn't often visit the other kitchens, her domain was the royal one, so it was unknown why she was here.
"Boss, what are you doing here~?"
"I heard about Yan Biao from the brats in the other kitchens. He kept them all away from this kitchen."
"He did?"
"Yes. Do you know why?"
"Because he doesn't like them all that much? I'm sorry, better ask him yourself~..."
Zora Marov stared at him.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry boss!"
"Stop it. I want to teach him a bit."
"Oh~?"
"I know what he is. Ainsworth said that the boy should train. You did talk with the king, right?"
"Oh, about the reason?"
"Yes."
"We did, we did. If he trains, will he be able to keep the princes at bay?"
"There's more to him than it seems. He is a perfect seedling, Laguna is talking to the other one."
"Mori?"
"Mhm."
"Did you also talk to other kids?"
"No. Those two boys are the first ones, apart from you know who."
"But...?"
"Yes, the time and all that, I know, but it's better to start now. They have so much potential. Ainsworth has found a few good ones, but they aren't quite there yet. They need more time, but if they compete with the other three..."
"You can't compete with you know who. That would be even Ainsworth's death. So make it two~."
"Got it. Well, we'll reduce it to 500. The others will be more integrated into their work."
Bang Cheng hummed. "But the kids that you probably want have very advanced thinking. Do you think they'll just blindly follow?"
"No. But that's what the teaches and you know who's education are for."
"You people are horrible~..."
"It's our job. And it could have been yours if not for..."
"I'm happy here. Having to deal with the royals is a headache for me. After all, I'm not a noble, unlike you, boss."
Zora shook her head. "Where is he?"
"Will arrive at four."
"So late?"
"Is a kid, needs enough sleep to grow. Plus, it's winter."
"Oh yeah... Guess I'll help then."
"Okay boss~!"
So when Tenno came to the kitchen, he met Zora. He barely remembered her...
She asked him if he would like to be her student.
He politely declined.
She asked if he wanted to learn from her how to control his abilities.
"Why didn't you say so from the beginning?"
"Because then Ainsworth will teach you and not me."
"Ainsworth?"
"The head of the royal guards. He's very strong, but no one knows what he looks like under his armor."
"So he can teach me?"
"Yes. Would you like to meet him?"
"Hm... Not yet. Or maybe later. I still want to work in the kitchen."
Zora smiled and said that she would inform Ainsworth. Tenno nodded.
"Hey, where's your friend~?"
"Hibernating."
"Oh."
"He's a dryad after all..."
Chief Bang nodded. It was just a bit surprising... "Then shouldn't he be in one of the greenhouses?"
"Oh, he stands in old man Fus garden."
'Are you serious...'
As Tenno say Bang Chengs look, he laughed, saying it's alright, everything will be well, he takes care of his friend.
Chief Bang sighed. These kids...
The first event of the winter was at the start the winter solstice. Contrary to the other festivals, this one was very calm and quiet. If the night was clear, the people would look at the stars and let sky lanterns fly.
In this night, Tenno sat beside the tree that Mori had transformed into and let two lanterns fly. It looked very beautiful.
"We've come far, Mori. Don't worry. No matter what, we'll be friends."
A white cloud left his mouth as he closed his eyes and made a wish to the stars.