Chapter 641: Break Time
“The tremors of the earth usually occur due to battles between powerful Spirits. A larger wave of destruction is happening in the Spirit Realm, and it’s affecting us here. That wave can even crack spells and curses,” Haulon explained.
“Crack?”
“Sometimes it’s called a crack, sometimes a break. Either way, it causes malfunctions, and maintaining it can be quite a hassle.” Haulon sighed.
“The Earth Spirit doesn’t move much; it’s a stable type of Spirit. So, when we want long-lasting magic, we often bury items for the spells,” he continued.
I see. Both the Law of the Dawn and Haulon’s Secret of Teleportation must involve something buried.
“Is there any countermeasure?”
“The best way to keep it intact for as long as possible is to engrave it in stone or bury it,” he said.
That sounds like a tedious countermeasure.
“Isn’t it said that ‘the Earth Spirit rarely fights with other Spirits, and while there are compatibility issues, it has an accepting nature’? Such a broad-minded Spirit,” Dinozzo said while flipping through a book.
“The trust in the Earth Spirit is strong.” It seems I’m the only one who finds it shaky.
Hmm?
By the way, have I ever told everyone about Pal? I wonder how she fared in the Cute Contest…
There’s no way she’s causing tremors just by participating, right, Earth?
“Well, for now, let’s confirm the location of the Magic Stone,” Retze said, closing the book he was checking.
“Right. Let’s tackle what’s in front of us first.” Haulon reached for the mountain of documents.
“I wish our Ancestors had left clearer markers where they buried things.”
“Burying it is already defying the unchanging curse of the Land of Ruin, so let’s cut them some slack.”
While sipping coffee, everyone was checking the documents. There were various complicated things written, but I pulled out anything related to the Magic Stones and tossed them to Haulon, who could make sense of them.
Some of the writings were difficult, but there were also documents that looked like codes from Haulon’s Ancestors, making it quite a challenge.
“Gene can read the clan’s code normally…”
“Well, yeah.” Haulon looked at me with an indescribable expression.
But, I mean, Japanese just comes to mind naturally. It seems like the Language system is determining the language based on specific rules, so the text isn’t really a code at all!
…Since the stares are getting intense, I should take a break and serve some food.
“Let’s eat! Instead of moving the documents and making a mess, wouldn’t it be faster for us to just move?” I corrected myself, looking at the scattered papers on the table.
Some relevant sections were opened, so moving them could lead to confusion.
“How about we move to my house?”
“Sure! I request meat!” Dean suddenly perked up.
“This precious mountain of wisdom is far too complicated for me; I was just about to take a break!” Chris flashed a bright smile.
“Even though it’s a rare opportunity, my eyes are getting a bit tired.”
“Indeed, a proper break enhances efficiency,” Ash and the Butler, who had been quietly reading, agreed.
We set the books aside and stretched, yawning as we all moved to my house.
Since Dean requested meat, I decided to keep it simple today with steak. I grilled a ribeye steak, known as a tomahawk, which is a bone-in cut between the shoulder and sirloin.
I was careful with the heat, seasoning it with salt, pepper, and rosemary, then splashing some wine and grilling it with garlic. Dean likes his meat with a bit of chew, so I had to resist the urge to fuss over it too much.
It’s a meat feast! I don’t mind that at all. It’s bigger than my face!
“Oh! What a wonderful smell!” Dean exclaimed, clearly in a good mood.
While not as enthusiastic as Dean, everyone else also had a good appetite, making it rewarding to serve them. The Butler was a bit of a light eater, but he sought out delicious food, making it rewarding to cook for him too.
I prepared a light consommé soup, grilled vegetables, onions, carrots, potatoes, asparagus, and mini tomatoes. I paired it with bread and a robust red wine.
The meat and grilled vegetables were served on a wooden platter that resembled a cutting board, accompanied by a hefty knife that was more than just a dining knife.
“The vegetables are so vibrant, even though it’s meat,” Chris remarked.
The sides for the meat here also featured grilled vegetables, but having just onions or turnips felt a bit lonely.
“It looks delicious, but could I have half—no, a third?”
“Shall I share with Note? I’ll make it a bowl.”
“A bowl, you say? May I request the same?” The Butler was familiar with my occasional bowls.
So, even though it was a special tomahawk steak, I sliced it and arranged it over rice, drizzling sauce on top. The remaining third of the meat? I’ll gnaw on that right off the bone!
“Wow, that looks delicious too,” Dean said, alternating his gaze between his meat and the finished bowl.
“Dean, want some? You can have both, right?” Dean had the biggest appetite among us.
“Yeah!” He replied happily.
“May I also have half in a bowl?”
“I would like that too!”
Requests for half steak and half bowl started pouring in. While the tomahawk steak is a romantic choice, practicality wins out when it comes to stomach capacity.
Dean could handle it easily, but balancing romance and reality is tough!