NOVEL NEXT Chapter 45
Warm sunlight streamed through the wide window, gently settling on the table nearby.
There sat a little girl, sipping a cup of tea, gazing outside at the scenery with a distant expression, lost in thought.
I cautiously made my way over, the heavy weight of the tray providing reassurance to my careful steps. I concentrated on keeping it steady as I approached the table.
Slowly, I set the tray down on the table. She sensed my presence and turned to look at me.
“Today’s lunch!”
I placed a gigantic plate from the tray in front of her. There, rested a steak, a colossal chunk of meat that was about the size of her upper body.
The butler standing next to her laid down a knife and fork beside the dish. She held them in both hands and gazed at me. Her emerald eyes sparkled with curiosity, asking me to explain how to eat it.
“First, why don’t you try the meat?”
The steak was cut into manageable sizes, expertly tailored to make it easy for her to eat. She lightly sliced a piece with the knife and popped it into her mouth.
After a few chews, she let out a small gasp of delight. A delicate flame sprang from her slightly parted lips. Seeing that, her eyes widened in astonishment. The flame vanished into thin air without causing her any harm.
It was a natural flame originating from the meat, infused with the traits of the Flame Toad. It took a lot of effort toensure that flame was revived.
The meat, being incredibly tough, required meticulous slicing. I did this while utilizing magic to bind the fibers back together, preserving its texture as much as possible. This process was repeated thirty times to ensure the meat became tender.
Then, I cut it into a thick steak form, using magic alone to heat the outside until it was crispy while keeping the inside nice and soft.
The result was a tender representation of monster meat, retaining its magical flavor that could be revived as flame.
“I used herbs from the magic plants near the lava swamps to spice it up. It should clear your mind and greatly increase your resistance to fire.”
“Mmm, it’s delicious.”
She started stuffing her mouth with the meat, seemingly too lazy to bother with the knife and just skewering it with her fork instead.
To keep her rhythm of eating from being interrupted, I seized a moment while she chewed and added, “It’ll taste even better with the accompanying purée.”
Next to the gigantic steak, there was a flower-shaped purée. Upon hearing my suggestion, she lifted it with her fork and took a moment to sniff it.
Her face scrunched a little as she caught the scent.
“Ugh, smells like potatoes.”
She shot me a sideways glance while still holding it. I simply smiled back at her. After a moment’s hesitation, she combined the purée with her meat and popped it into her mouth, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Wow, this is even better!”
Well, of course it was. I had painstakingly perfected that flavor combination. This purée contained vegetables I had grown myself. They were starlight potatoes, the most common ingredient at the university, easily grown anywhere as long as they had starlight.
One of my Shadow Dolls dedicated a whole day tending the fields just to cultivate these potatoes, pouring energy into them to help their growth.
The starlight potato purée produced through that effort boasted a taste that was on a different level compared to the ordinary. The gentle power of starlight enhanced the meat’s robust flavor even more.
She opened her mouth wide, flames bursting forth once more. But this time, the color was different. It glowed with a beautiful golden hue.
That was the color of the starlight potatoes. Anticipating that she would enjoy it, I designed it to have a visual appeal as well. Indeed, she looked very pleased upon seeing it.
“This is fun!”
As she munched on the meat with the purée, she released flames that erupted beautifully into the air, scattering vibrant colors everywhere.
I quietly observed her. Once she had consumed about half of the meat, I presented a small dish that remained on the tray before her.
“Now, would you like to drizzle this sauce on it?”
Inside was a thick, dark essence swirling, more resembling mist than sauce. She looked at me with skepticism again. This time, I just smiled and remained silent.
She brought the strange sauce to her nose to sniff. But there was likely no scent to detect. Recognizing this, she frowned a little.
“It looks really weird…”
After a moment of hesitation, she poured the sauce over the meat. It drifted like mist over it and quietly seeped into the meat.
As the sauce penetrated, the meat’s vibrant red changed to a dark hue. I could practically feel her disgust radiating off of her.
Inside, I chuckled. I had anticipated her dislike; this was a sort of prank. However, I could guarantee the taste would still be good.
Hesitating a bit, she speared a piece with her fork and took it to her mouth. Eyes closed, she began to chew. Once, twice, thrice. And the meat slid down her throat.
She slowly opened her eyes again, drizzled more sauce over her meat, and took another bite. Once more, once more—down it went. Her face lit up with wonder.
“What is this…?”
She looked at me curiously. I produced the ingredients for that sauce from my pocket and displayed them to her. They leaped up and settled on the table.
They began to move slowly around. It was the shadow of a Flame Frog. Using magic, I lifted it into my palm. My Shadow Tree absorbed it without a hitch.
“This sauce is made by gathering the shadows of thirty Flame Frogs and simmering them over a long time. Alone, it has no distinct flavor, but once it meets the original meat, it brings forth a deep, rich taste.”
She drizzled the sauce again and chewed the meat.
The sauce didn’t just coat the meat. It seeped between the layers that I had painstakingly sliced earlier. With each chew, each flavor burst forth, enhancing the meat’s taste.
She silently polished off the meat. After a while, she leaned back against the chair, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Her belly was slightly rounded. It’s hard to believe she consumed all that and barely seemed full. How did her insides work?
If she was satisfied with the meal, she gave me a thumbs up.
“Very good. I didn’t expect this from the shadow, but well done!”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
I bowed my head politely.
It was only after reaching this level that I realized. Professor Heisen had already anticipated that the shadows would be a springboard for my growth.
She probably noticed it even before I passed the university entrance exam. That’s why she told me to attend her class. A deep sense of respect welled up within me.
With a very satisfied expression, she began gazing out the window again. I stole a glance outside, but all I saw were clouds. I couldn’t fathom what she was looking at.
From her lips, thin flames began to emerge. The flames rose from the meat she had eaten. Red, golden, and black flames entwined together, forming a dragon as it mingled with her magic.
She sent it soaring out the window, starting to play with it in mid-air. Meanwhile, I cleaned up the table.
Just then, one of my Shadow Dolls cautiously approached. It was the very first one I had created, named Unit 1 in its honor.
Unit 1 was holding a tray, which had a beautifully crafted dish resting on it. It placed the tray neatly on the table.
I carefully picked up the dish. If a hint of magic mixed in, it would change the flavor, so I always had to be careful.
“Dessert after the meal.”
She, busy handling the flames, looked at me again. The flaming dragon flew past the clouds. I gestured toward the dish on the table.
It held about twenty tiny tarts. The butler quietly arrived to serve another cup of tea beside it.
She picked one up and naturally followed it with a sip of tea to cleanse her palate. Her eyes closed as she savored the taste.
The tarts weren’t intensely flavored. They were simple, made using various mountain fruits collected while traversing this giant mountain.
But that was enough to elevate the tea’s aroma. It seemed I had succeeded in my intention; she wore a very satisfied smile.
She enjoyed the snack slowly while taking in the view outside. The butler poured her another cup of tea.
I observed the butler closely. The dragon-like shadow butler exuded restrained magic. In fact, it occupied the largest territory within my Shadow Tree, easily dwarfing others by about a hundred times.
From what I had felt after being promoted and nurturing my powers, I estimated that my Shadow Tree could simplify around five hundred dolls, but this one claimed a fifth of them.
I narrowed my eyes. That doll, no matter how I looked at it, felt stronger than me.
And that made sense. The magic here was dense, five times that of the fourth or fifth floors.
Once the shadow gained a personality, it devoured magic explosively, putting its full effort into serving the professor.
She hated moving, so it had learned to imbue the bed with several spells, and whenever the professor had work, it would check things first.
Considering its will, it was almost on par with me and the professor. All the dolls bestowed with shadows showcased such individuality.
But the capacity was a problem. Including all the dolls I had made until now, I only had about a hundred slots left available. To make more room, I would need to expand the shadow of the tree further.
The professor’s joy seemed to have infused into the surrounding magic, causing it to fluctuate wildly. I found myself chuckling at the exhilarating scene.
Only after growing to this level did I realize her true strength. Her presence enveloped the entire tower and extended far beyond this mountain.
I couldn’t even imagine how far it reached. The surprise I felt when I first sensed this power echoed still. After all, you only see as much as you know. There were surely still many things I had yet to uncover.
“Just a bit more.”
She pointed at the tarts. A few remained, and she gazed at them with disappointment. Anticipating this, I had already sent Unit 1 to fetch more.
Recognizing my signal, Unit 1 returned with more tarts. Setting them before her, she broke into a bright smile.
As I continued to attend to her, suddenly, I felt a connection stirring. It originated from my Shadow Tree. Riding that flow, I sensed Kashian’s doll shining with intent.
It relayed that an issue had arisen with the magic circle in the tower, as ذكرت Kashian. I furrowed my brow, lowering my head to her.
“Excuse me, may I leave for a moment?”
She waved her hand. I stepped back, distancing myself from the table. Her butler could manage her care while I was gone. I tucked Unit 1 into my spatial pocket and departed.
I had invested two hours preparing this lunch. Seeing her satisfied was enough to confirm that my efforts in learning to cook weren’t in vain.
I looked down at my hands, suppressing a wry smile. The connection to the Shadow Dolls enabled them to learn a bit of what I had mastered.
The same went for cooking. As I became more proficient, they became more skilled. They were gradually growing. To perfect their wills, I would need to continue honing such skills.
As they became flawless, my workload would surely lessen. Even now, simple tasks were being handled by the Shadow Dolls. Thanks to that, I had time to focus this much on cooking.
Following the signal, I soon laid eyes on Kashian. She was clapping her hands and playing with a Bear Doll in the central hall on the second floor. I sparked my magic softly to signal my arrival, causing her gaze to turn towards me.
At that moment, she flinched back slightly. A sharp blue energy brushed past me like a blade. Upon recognizing me, she scattered that magic into the air, waving at me with a smile.
“Here, there’s a gap formed between the floors.”
She pointed to the stairs leading to the central hall. It was a corridor leading to the upper levels. Upon checking the magic circle, I confirmed her words; indeed, there was a tiny gap.
It must’ve appeared about two weeks prior. Two weeks ago, a small skirmish had taken place here. Certainly, that was when it occurred. I quickly erased the error and asked.
“How did you discover this?”
Until I checked the magic circle, I had no idea there was a gap here. The fact that there had been no reports about it for the past week implied that others were unaware as well.
“Um, it felt a bit ticklish? Every time I walked past, it felt off.”
She scratched her forehead with her finger as she spoke. To detect such abnormalities with only her senses was rather impressive.
“Thank you for letting me know.”
“Uh-huh, you take care too, mister.”
She waved goodbye as she turned to leave. The Bear Doll followed closely behind her. She never left it out of her sight, not even when she entered the lecture hall. The doll hadn’t suffered a scratch in that harsh environment. That spoke volumes about her strength.
I also left that space, heading for my workshop. Inside, my Shadow was carefully handling an enormous doll. Upon spotting me, it sparkled with enthusiasm.
“Unit 0, are we ready?”
It nodded with a grumpy face, still looking displeased with its name. But what could it do? I was going to call it that regardless.
A name bestowed upon the very first shadow, the source of my inspiration. It came to mind quite naturally when I thought of something familiar. Eventually, it too resigned to it.
I glanced up at the doll Unit 0 was tinkering with.
It was my turtle. The one that had saved my life multiple times and brought me to the university. I owed it a great deal.
Its sheer size meant I had to invest significant effort into its shadow work. And even that wasn’t enough to be satisfied.
I owed it a debt of gratitude. I had thoroughly prepared for this. Not just to form its personality, but also to ensure it could possess strength akin to a butler.
Imagining it coming to life brought a smile to my face.