Alyssa was initially taken aback, and then a tinge of sadness flickered in her eyes. She quickly blinked several times, attempting to conceal her emotions. "Is this how you're going to take revenge on me now that your motives have been laid bare?" Alyssa's voice quivered slightly with agitation. She then made an effort to lower her voice and said, "I don't want to bring up this topic again, and you know full well why! Don't go poking at old wounds!"
Aurelio averted his gaze and fixed his eyes on the dial of the wall clock. After a long silence, he said, "I made that suggestion with good intentions. But you just jumped to conclusions so readily, assuming that everything I had in mind was solely for my own gain!" For a moment, Alyssa was at a loss for words on how to respond.
"Of course I have my own reasons. I simply want to sit here and work on my magic calculations," Aurelio stared intently at her and spoke a bit more rapidly. "But does that mean that when I showed concern for my cousin, it was all just pretense?" He paused briefly, then lowered his voice and continued, "People are always prone to making such assumptions, and that's precisely why many are hesitant to offer suggestions. If a proposal happens to benefit the person making it, does that automatically make it selfish?" Resuming his normal volume, he added, "Besides, you don't have a scar. That wound hasn't healed in the slightest."
"It'll be okay eventually..." Alyssa gave a bitter smile and let out a soft sigh. "Well, what about you, Aurelio? What's your reason for staying away from home?"
Aurelio was startled and replied, "I'm going to the kitchen. I'll relieve you when I come back." His voice wasn't particularly loud, but it carried a somewhat assertive tone. Without waiting for her response, he had already made his way through the corridor behind the counter and entered the kitchen.
With a flick of his hand, he sent out a spark that ignited the oil lamp in the kitchen. Then he walked straight over to the stove. After ensuring the kitchen utensils were clean, he added some firewood to the furnace and used magic to kindle the fire. The magical flame was so powerful that it burned brightly and vigorously without the need for any additional bellows.
May and June were typically the seasons for harvesting broad beans, but Ventona, which had been under siege all this time, was suffering from a shortage of supplies. All that was available in the kitchen were last year's dried broad beans. Aurelio shook his head in resignation, scooped up a handful from his pocket, carefully washed them, and then dropped them into a pot filled with water. Next, he added a few slices of salted meat. He placed the lid on the pot, adjusted the air vent of the stove to a smaller opening, and then left the kitchen. It had become unbearably hot in there after the fire was lit, making it impossible to stay any longer. Fortunately, this salted meat and broad bean soup, a favorite among the Serenians, didn't require constant supervision. All he needed to do was return in about ten minutes to turn off the fire.
Aurelio made his way back to the foyer just in time to hear the half-hour chime of the wall clock. He immediately rushed over to the counter and roused Alyssa, who had already dozed off. "Go back to sleep."
"I can't. I still have to be on duty," Alyssa said as she rubbed her eyes. "I can vacate this spot for you." With that, she started to stand up.
"Go to the kitchen and keep an eye on the stove for me," Aurelio said as he headed towards the door.
"What do you mean? What are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to ask the general to issue an order for you."
"Why would the general listen to you?" Alyssa shook her head repeatedly.
"Do you want to find out?"
The two of them stared at each other impassively for quite some time. Seeing that Aurelio's gaze remained unwavering, Alyssa finally relented and said, "I'll do as you say."
"Leave the paperwork to me. I'll take care of it for you."
"Never mind about that."
"Why not? Is it something confidential?"
"No," Alyssa smiled. "You don't have any experience in handling this kind of work."
"I'll admit that," Aurelio didn't press the matter further.
"Anyway, thank you. You can use the paper, but it'd be better if you write smaller and use as little paper as possible. Paper might become a scarce resource in the future," Alyssa instructed. After gathering and organizing some documents, she took them with her and went back to her room to rest.
"Alright, time to get started," Aurelio thought to himself. He took a sheet of white paper from the stack that Alyssa had left behind. Picking up a quill pen, he dipped it thoroughly in ink and then made the first stroke, writing a complex formula on the paper.
It was nearly a thousand years ago that humans first began using magic. The initial method of using it was discovered quite by accident by a few curious Serenians. For the people of this country, their history of using magic was almost as long as that of the Republic. However, back then, only a very small number of people were capable of casting spells. Casting a spell required several minutes of deep concentration and contemplation, and the effects of the magic were often less potent than a simple punch.
The incantations used to guide spellcasting were knowledge that humans didn't master until five hundred years ago. Since their invention, though, these incantations had undergone a series of refinements. By now, each incantation was the result of meticulous consideration and refinement. Every element within them had been precisely calculated and modified numerous times. Magicians had devised countless mathematical methods specifically for calculating magic.
What Aurelio was engaged in at the moment was precisely this kind of intricate calculation. He would spend a long time pondering before making each stroke with the pen. Every time he completed a line of the formula, he would immediately verify it three times. Only after confirming its accuracy could he proceed to the next step. The calculations related to magic had to be precise, and there was no room for carelessness. Even the slightest oversight could prevent the attainment of the intended goal. At best, the effectiveness of the spell would be significantly reduced, and at worst, it could lead to a serious accident.
Accidents were not uncommon in the academy. Although most of them were relatively minor, resulting in only minimal damage to property or minor injuries to a few individuals. However, Aurelio had witnessed a particularly severe accident once: half of a building had been shaken to the ground, a gaping hole had been blasted in the academy's outer wall, and over ten people had been injured in the incident. Having witnessed such a catastrophe, anyone would be left with a lingering sense of unease and would naturally become extremely cautious.
Aurelio had been poring over his calculations at the desk for quite a while. Just as he was feeling satisfied with the progress he had made, the wall clock standing beside him suddenly chimed, ringing eleven times in succession. His train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the sound of the bell, and it was only then that he realized he had completely forgotten about the pot of broad bean soup.
He sprang up from his seat and rushed straight towards the kitchen. Standing outside the kitchen door, he didn't detect any smell of burning, which put his mind at ease. "As long as it's not burnt, there's still hope," he thought as he pushed open the door.
To his surprise, there was a figure in the kitchen. He hadn't anticipated this at all before opening the door, and he couldn't help but be startled. He took a hasty step back in alarm, and then he was astonished to discover that although he quickly regained his composure, his mind had already initiated the spellcasting process on its own, and he had almost recited half of the "lightning strike" incantation. Once he managed to calm himself down, he finally got a clear look at who the person was and promptly halted the spellcasting.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was just about to ask you the same thing! You pushed the door so hard that you gave me a fright," Gloria said as she placed her hand on her chest. She was still wearing the nightgown from the previous night – a long, white silk nightgown that reached down to her ankles, with her dark green hair flowing loose and looking a bit tousled. Clearly, she had just woken up from sleep.
"Sorry. I was at the counter the whole time. How come I didn't notice you?"
"I greeted you when I passed by. You just seemed to be completely oblivious, sitting there with a furrowed brow, writing something odd one stroke at a time. Were you the one cooking the beans here?"
"To be precise, it's bean soup."
"There's hardly any soup left," Gloria pointed at the pot. "If I'd been a bit slower in turning off the fire, there wouldn't even be any beans left. You really should be more careful with the fire, you know!"
Aurelio stepped closer and saw that the soup in the pot had mostly dried up and the broad beans were cooked to a very soft consistency. He let out a soft sigh and scooped up a ladle of water from the water tank beside him, about to pour it into the pot.
"Wait, what are you adding water for?" Gloria reached out to stop him.
"I think... there's still a chance to salvage it," Aurelio said.
"Of course there is! I've got an idea. What do you think? Do