The main course for dinner that day was a large salt-grilled fish.
“Wow, such a big fish!”
It was a type of fish Adriana had never seen before.
“This is called a reteora,” explained Baise, the mother of the two girls.
“They get nice and fat in the summer. It’s delicious when you sprinkle it with oil and salt and grill it.”
It was a hearty dish, fitting for a seaside village.
“Oh, it’s delicious!”
Adriana took a bite and immediately fell in love with the flavor.
“...The salt is wonderful, too. Wait... is it more than just salt?”
As Adriana murmured to herself, Maruru smiled and answered her.
“Your palate is sharp, Ado. You see, there’s ground herb powder mixed into this salt.”
“Oh, I see!”
Salt was a precious commodity inland, but in a coastal village like this, it was a common seasoning.
“Hmm? Salt?”
(The sea... seawater... Could it be?)
An idea struck Adriana, nearly making her jump out of her seat, but she managed to restrain herself.
(That was close. Anyway, I’ll find out tomorrow.)
Unaware of Adriana’s inner excitement, the Village Chief’s family continued their dinner in a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
(A family, huh... I’m a little jealous...)
Kururu turned to her with a bright smile, perhaps sensing her distraction.
“Hey, hey, Ado! Once you finish those forks you were talking about, will it be easier to eat this reteora, too?”
“...Yeah, I think so.”
Her response was delayed for a split second, but Kururu didn’t mind, immediately latching onto the answer.
“Really? I can’t wait!”
“Now, Kururu, be a bit quieter while we're eating.”
“That’s right. Try to be more ladylike.”
Because she was making such a fuss, Kururu was gently scolded by her mother, Baise, and her older sister, Maruru.
After dinner, under a sky that was still dimly lit, preparations for the bath began.
In this area, plenty of water could be obtained by digging wells, so every household had its own bath, however small.
Watching the preparations, Adriana reasoned that since they were near the ocean, the humidity remained high year-round and the sea breeze left the skin feeling sticky—factors that likely contributed to the popularity of bathing.
When she tasted a drop of the water, it was slightly salty. Being so close to the coast, salt must have dissolved into the groundwater.
It would be much like bathing in a saline spring.
Seeing Meuto, the Village Chief and head of the household, start to prepare the firewood, Adriana stepped in to offer her assistance.
“Oh, if you’re heating the water, I can do it.”
“Eh?”
“‘Heat.’”
She used Craft Magic: Heat, a spell designed to warm an object.
Within a minute, the water had reached the perfect temperature.
“Ado, that’s incredible!”
Kururu hopped up and down, practically vibrating with excitement.
“Thank you, Ado. That really is amazing.”
Maruru appeared calm on the surface, but her face was slightly flushed.
“Thank you, Ado-chan. Magi truly are impressive, aren't they?” Baise said in her gentle, easygoing tone.
“You’ve been a big help, Ado,” Meuto added, finishing the thanks.
“No, it’s the least I can do while you’re taking care of me,” Adriana replied, feeling a bit bashful.
“Ah, that’s the spot.”
As expected, soaking in hot water felt wonderful.
While she made an effort to keep herself clean using Craft Magic like Cleanup, actually soaking in a hot bath washed away her fatigue and allowed her to relax mentally.
“Thank you very much.”
Since she was the guest, Adriana was offered the first bath, and she expressed her gratitude afterward.
“Don’t mention it. We should be the ones thanking you for warming the water,” Baise said with a soft smile.
While the rest of the family took their turns in the bath, Adriana ordered F-002 to head to the ship and retrieve a set of materials—including magi-crystals and link boards—necessary for the magic tools she was planning to create.
“I’ll start crafting tomorrow.”
Muttering to herself, Adriana looked up at the night sky where the stars had begun to twinkle.
That night, she spent a long time talking with the family.
“Wow, so your father was a great teacher, Ado.”
“He taught in the royal capital, didn’t he? No wonder you can do so many things.”
The conversation was between the women of the house; the Village Chief had already retired for the night.
“...But he passed away, didn’t he? It must be lonely for you, Ado-chan.”
Hearing Baise’s kind voice, Adriana thought to herself that this must be what a mother was like.
Without realizing it, her eyes kept drifting toward Baise.
She forced her gaze away before replying.
“Yes... well... I’ve gotten used to it by now.”
It was half-truth and half-lie.
She had accepted being alone, but loneliness was still loneliness; it wasn’t something one ever truly grew accustomed to.
However, Adriana didn’t like showing her vulnerability to others.
She forced a smile and said, “...I set out on this journey alone to explore the possibilities of magi-craft, just as my father intended.”
“Wow, that’s so brave!”
“You’re such a good girl, Ado.”
Surprisingly, Adriana was the one most startled by her own words.
To explore the possibilities of magi-craft.
She hadn’t actually set out with that specific thought in mind. But hearing it aloud, it felt strangely right.
Her father’s wishes, and the wishes of the person her father had called his ‘most beloved’—those legacies she had heard so much about.
What Adriana, the one carrying those legacies, ought to do.
Now that magi-craft had reached a stable form, she felt that searching for new possibilities was exactly the path she should be on.
“Keep working hard.”
“...I will.”
Baise’s gentle encouragement struck a deep chord in Adriana’s heart.
“Oh? Ado, are you crying?”
“...Huh?”
Before she knew it, a single tear had escaped and rolled down her cheek.
Adriana did not know her mother.
While the female disciples of her father, Shuuki, had been very kind to her, it wasn't the same.
Growing up without a mother’s affection, Adriana felt the warmth of the ‘mother’ she had never met in Baise’s voice.
“Oh, uh, haha... no, it’s nothing.”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, but more tears immediately followed.
“...That’s strange...”
In that moment, something soft and warm enveloped Adriana.
“It’s okay to cry when you’re sad.”
Baise’s tender voice finally caused Adriana’s composure to crumble.
“Ugh... hnn...”
As Adriana wept, trying to muffle her voice, Baise held her close and gently stroked her back.
That night, Adriana slept in the same room as Baise.