Taste of Magic: Ambassador's Voice

Chapter 212 – Harsh Winter

Several weeks pass. Sunglow became encased in a thick layer of snow, and the water in the harbor slowly began to freeze over. Most days, people could be seen shoveling snow away from the road or their yards, only for a fresh layer to appear overnight. Aeriganta was busy doing the same thing in the harbor, constantly keeping clear paths for the ships to pass through.

Melina, too, would often have to shovel snow together with Adrien and Roxie to save Gilbert from putting any strain on his already aching joints and back. She hated it. There was always more snow to clear, and she had plenty of other tasks that needed her attention.

The flow of customers in the bakery had slightly decreased over winter, since travelling to Sunglow was far too troublesome. However, Sunglowers were as eager as always for the fresh bread and pastries. Melina changed her tactics over the winter a little.

First, all of the ice-cream desserts were gone. Nobody really wanted to eat anything cold in this cold weather, with a few rare exceptions. They could always make a special order if they wanted to. All of the expensive opera cakes were also taken out of the regular assortment.

Instead, she focused on cheaper and more rustic pastries—sparkle meringue pies, cream puffs, muffins, and chocolate cakes. Many of her fresh Human Realm fruits had to be replaced with things like caramel, chocolate, or a Monster Realm ingredient. Fresh strawberries just weren't available in winter.

Melina did consider ordering some from the south, but it would be incredibly expensive, not to mention that it was not guaranteed that the fragile berries could survive the long journey. If a merchant happened to arrive in Sunglow carrying a stock of fruit, then she would buy it.

But overall, it was a rather calm time in the bakery, giving Melina more time to work on her classes, mainly the baking class, but also the magic class. She was pushing Leon and Adrien to their limits.

This annoyed the younger boy immensely, often saying that he did not need such complex magic. Leon was clearly frustrated, too, especially when Melina would train them in pinpoint defense. In short, Melina would fling snowballs at them from various angles, and they would have to defend, using as small a shield as possible.

This way, they would conserve more mana, albeit Adrien complained that he didn't mind using more mana for a bigger shield. But Melina insisted. She wanted these two to be as adept at magic as possible.

Her cooking classes were also progressing steadily. Some cooks had already mastered many Monster Realm ingredients, and Melina was teaching them more finicky ones to work with, like glassberries and zephyr root. In either case, it felt like these cooks were close to being released back to their workplaces. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

"Good job, everyone! You've all come leaps and bounds since the beginning of class. Admittedly, I've learned just as much from you as I have taught you, so thank you for that," Melina said sincerely.

Her students—human, elves, and drow alike—all clapped. She had grown rather close to the people, and it was actually sad to consider that she might never see some of them again. Still, Melina was more than eager to see how her knowledge of the Monster Realm ingredients would spread through Alemahria and perhaps even outside of it.

"There's a little more practice to be done, but I've decided that I'm going to officially approve you all as passing this class on the day of the Ice Festival," Melina announced.

"Excuse me, but what is the Ice Festival?" One of the cooks from the southern region asked.

"Ice Festival is a celebration hosted during winter to brighten things up, so to speak. Up until now, it had only taken place in Fenrora; however, this year we're going to host it in Sunglow as well. The Duke himself has approved of it," Melina announced.

Loud cheers came from her students.

In reality, Melina didn't know much about the Ice Festival herself, having never experienced it. But according to Alistair, it was a grand celebration hosted during the coldest winter months. During it, artists and sculptors and even mages come from all corners of Alemahria to create sculptures made entirely of ice. Meanwhile, food vendors, cooks, and even local business owners would set up stands much like during the Summer Festival.

"We're going to open a Baking Hall for business during the festival, and you all will have a chance to sell the pastries you make and see how the larger public likes them. From today forward, I would like you all to start thinking of what would be your special pastry, your signature Monster Realm dish if you will. I'm obviously going to help you work on it, but all the earnings you make, you'll be able to keep," Melina announced.

Another round of applause. Everyone was clearly excited for a chance to earn some money. Melina wasn't sure if she would participate in the festival. Her goal was to prepare for Heiliger's eventual arrival along with the forces from the Church.

It was unlikely that they would come during this weather. The cold was too dangerous for those who didn't know how to deal with it. It would be a huge advantage for Sunglowers, and Heiliger was unlikely to give it to them. So Melina predicted that she had time until the snow melted in the spring.

Nonetheless, there were still a lot of things she had to do. Improving her skill was one of them. For now, she was trying to keep this ability a secret. She had told Arianne and given her some of the simpler spells to try with her adventurers. But they were sworn to complete secrecy. This information couldn't reach Heiliger's ears.

After the class was over, Philip came over to Melina, looking somewhat nervous.

"What is it, Philip?" She asked. Did he not like the idea of participating in the Ice Festival?

"I… I might be overstepping my bounds, but I would like to ask a favor from you. Or rather, your fiance," he began, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

Melina narrowed her eyes. What would he want from Alistair? Melina couldn't just promise to help Philip by using Alistair's name. That way, many people would try to get to the Sinclair family through her. She would have to firmly reject her.

"Please! Hear me out before you say no. I'm… afraid this is my only chance…" Philip said, his eyes filled with desperation.

"Very well, but I shall make no promises," Melina said and motioned him to follow her into the office, two Sinclair guards following behind them inside.

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These days, Melina always had a guard or two with her. After the incident with the Su Xien mage, Alistair insisted that she be guarded by the best Sinclair soldiers at all times, the only exception was Melina's and Alistair's bedroom.

"So what kind of favor do you wish to ask of me?" Melina said, sitting down behind her desk.

While Philip was certainly one of her best students, and actually had taught her a good deal about baking himself, she still couldn't just blindly agree where Sinclair family was concerned. She would become part of the family in the future, and as such, she had to act cautiously and protect them as much as they were protecting her.

Philip eyed the guard nervously, but after a deep breath, said. "I'd like you to send an invitation for Lady Anne Yernou. To the Ice Festival."

Melina blinked. An invitation was not something she had expected. She racked her brain, as the surname Yernou seemed familiar. Was it one of the other ducal houses?

"Anne Yernou… Is she a noblewoman?" Melina asked.

"That's right. She's the daughter of Viscount Yernou. I… I would like to see her at least one more time," Philip said, downcast.

Melina's heart ached for the man. He had fallen in love with a noblewoman, yet securing a marriage with her was all but impossible. Frankly, Melina didn't even know whether the woman even had the same feelings for Philip, nor did she dare to ask.

However, inviting Lady Yernou to the Ice Festival was certainly not a ludicrous request. After all, the Duchess would be inviting nobles to the Sunglow anyway, trying to split the festivities between Fenrora and Sunglow by setting up portals between the two places.

"Lady Yernou would have been invited anyway," Melina said plainly. She wanted to be a bit kinder to Philip, as he came to her with a request only a noble could fulfill; she had to reply as a noble. It was important to show distance on these occasions.

Well, if it weren't for the guards, Melina would be far more relaxed, but she was aware that if she made any mistakes, those would be reported back to the Duchess. She didn't want to disappoint her future mother-in-law.

"I-Is that so?" Philip asked, looking both surprised and relieved. "I… That's good to know. I guess I troubled you for no reason at all."

Melina smiled. "It's no trouble at all. I suggest you start thinking of a dish that you'll present during the festival. These kinds of events have a lot of power and potential for your future."

Philip nodded, his confidence returning. "I'm going to make a pastry, they'll never forget."

"Please don't put me out of business," Melina chuckled.

"I'm not holding back. Perhaps you, too, should consider something new," Philip said, and with a polite bow, left her office.

Melina pondered it for a moment. It was tantalizing, creating her masterpiece, which would combine all of her skills and knowledge into an ultimate package. But she shook her head.

"Let's go to the Town Hall. I'm sure Alistair would appreciate some help with all the paperwork," Melina said to the guards.

"Of course, Miss Melina," they replied in unison.

The last few weeks had proved to be incredibly busy for Elowen. He had been carrying messages to and fro the Monster Realm, regarding the Church, Melina's plans, and the newest ability she had discovered. He had planned to depart for Euroa a week ago, but it had to be postponed because of heavy snow.

He also had to bring Melina's spell-filled pastries for the Monster Lord for examination. Lord Eidranis wasn't at all pleased to learn of this fearsome ability. Elowen didn't blame him—she could essentially create a whole army of mages with pastries alone. Truly horrifying, especially if this knowledge got into the wrong hands.

But on the other hand, Lord Eidranis was delighted to hear that Melina was intending to destroy the Sacred Treasures. They had never served their true purpose and instead were used as a knife against the Monster Realm. He was more than eager to offer any aid necessary to assure their destruction, including the letter that Elowen was currently carrying.

"Oh, I can't wait to see Euroa!" Leliana said excitedly.

Currently, they were on a carriage, heading into the forest. This time, Leliana refused to let him alone. During summer and autumn, she was busy at home, keeping their farm in peak condition and taking care of her family. But it was winter now. There wasn't much she could do.

Also, Melina promised to check in with her family while she was gone. Repayment for all those times Leliana had watched over Mango.

"I'm going there for an important task, you know. Not for sightseeing," Elowen grumbled.

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport. It'll be my first time in an elven city. Is this where you grew up?" She asked, hooking her arms around his.

Elowen cleared his throat, all too aware of her proximity. "I've spent most of my childhood here."

"You're going to show me all the nicest places," Leliana cheered.

Elowen sighed. He would likely have to take Leliana to his home and leave her with his family. This thought filled him with dread. What will his parents say about their relationship? He would never regret choosing Leliana, but his parents would likely worry.

When they finally reached the elven city, the young woman was filled with awe and wonder. She looked around, asking about how things worked and how they made everything look the way it does. Even in winter, Euroa looked beautiful, even if it was a bit more noticeable against the white snow.

Other elves regarded Leliana curiously. An excited human constantly asking questions and often squealing in delight wasn't something they saw every day. After a brief tour of the city, Elowen finally brought her to his childhood home.

"What's this place?" Leliana asked, pointing at his rather humble home.

"My home," he said curtly.

Leliana looked at him thoughtfully, understanding the significance of the encounter ahead of her. She took a deep breath, doing her best not to appear nervous, but she saw that her hands were trembling ever so slightly.

"Let's go then!" She said firmly, putting on a bright smile.

Elowen smiled at her. This is why he loved Leliana. No matter what was ahead of her, she faced it with strength and, as he had learned lately, with a smile. With a determined nod, he knocked on the door and waited.

Half a minute passed before his mother opened the door. The silver-haired elf smiled at him, pulling Elowen into a hug.

"My son! Have you finally decided to return home? Is your mission in that human city finally over?" She asked impatiently.

"I'm afraid not, Mother. I have to speak with the council, and in the meantime, I'd like you to host Leliana," Elowen said, stepping away from his mother and pointing at Leliana.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am!" Leliana said and bowed politely.

Elowen's mother inclined her head in greeting. "Nice to meet you, too, Miss Leliana. I'm Fernia, Elowen's mother."

Fernia looked confused at first as to why this human girl was together with Elowen. But once she noticed him take hold of Leliana's hand, realization dawned on her.

"Son, you…" She began but hurriedly stopped her, plastering on a polite smile. "Don't worry, Elowen. I'll treat Miss Leliana to some tea and lunch. You must be hungry."

"I'd greatly appreciate it, ma'am," Leliana said, her hand trembling in Elowen's palm.

"Wonderful. It will take me some time to prepare it, so… Elowen, why don't you go deal with the business you have with the council?" Fernia urged.

"But I—" Elowen wanted to object, worried about leaving Leliana and his mother alone together.

"Go ahead. It was urgent, wasn't it?" Leliana said, letting go of his hands. It appeared that the red-haired woman was determined to face this challenge head-on.

"Very well," Elowen conceded, but shot a warning glance at his mother before leaving. He hoped that she wouldn't say anything harsh to Leliana, just because she was a human.