Chapter 4159: A Better Life (Part 2)

"I love my privacy, and I barely know our guide." Lith replied. "Let’s see how he does his job, or if today was just a fluke. If we are satisfied with Elfiam’s services, we can talk about it."

Elysia and Valeron too appreciated their meal, but the baby girl found herself envious of her brothers. She could only eat small portions of solid food, whereas Valeron and Raldarak ate the same dishes as the grown-ups.

Sure, Ral did it only through Kamila’s mouth and digestive system, but Elysia still found it an unfair privilege.

"No fai!" She grumbled, pointing at Valeron’s kid-sized dishes. "I wan oo!"

"When you grow up, young lady." Kamila tutted. "Spices are too strong for you, and you can’t eat anything that might get stuck in your throat."

"Fae!" Elysia breathed a lick of Origin Flames to point out the obvious solution.

"Wood." Kamila pointed at the even more obvious problem.

Elysia looked at the table as if it had betrayed her before slouching her small shoulders in defeat.

"Fai. No po." She sighed deeply.

"I’m sorry, but are you really talking with that child?" A flabbergasted customer asked.

"Yes. She’s very smart for her age." Lith said, cutting the conversation short and focusing on his plate to avoid being recognized.

The customer had many questions, but seeing that his neighbors were ignoring him, he kept them to himself.

"What’s the program for the afternoon?" Solus asked.

"That’s my time, so you can do whatever you want." Lith replied. "Kami, I, and the kids will take a stroll in a park. I’m tired of being locked up in stuffy buildings filled with old junk."

"How is that different from all the time you spend in your lab?" Kamila asked.

"Because I do something interesting and I can leave whenever I want without being glared to death." Lith replied, making the others chuckle. "I won’t need Elfiam aside from suggesting a good place for me. You can have him take you wherever you want, Solus."

"Thanks, but I like my privacy as well." Menadion said. "I’d rather spend some time alone with Solus without someone listening to our every word."

The meal was delicious from the appetizers to the dessert, something that reflected in the tip Lith gave the waiter and Elfiam, who was waiting for them outside.

"What’s your name, miss..." Lith asked the plump woman.

"Amryn Sarn." She replied, puffing out her chest at the mention of her last name. "I inherited both my name and the Pride from my grandfather."

"I bet he must have been a good man." Lith nodded. "Can I write in this space with magic?"

Lith traced a small rectangle on the wood with his finger.

"Of course." Amryn replied. "Having the Supreme Magus sign my establishment with magic is the greatest honor I could ask for."

"Hold that thought." Lith extended his hand, and Amryn shook it, remaining surprised when he didn’t let go.

Lith studied the scene through Solus’ eyes and used air magic to carve it in the wood down to the smallest detail. He even carved a small frame around the picture, making it almost look like a painting.

Lith wrote "From Lith Verhen to Amryn Sarn. Thank you for sharing with me the magic of your kitchen" in the bottom right corner.

"It’s lovely. Thank you so much." She started to sob. "Please, come back whenever you want. You’ll always be my honored guests, and no matter what you eat, it will be on the house."

"Can I have it in writing?" Lith asked, making Kamila burst in a nervous laughter as she pushed him outside.

"I heard about Magus Verhen being... peculiar, but I thought they were just rumors spread by envious nobles." Elfiam could barely contain his hilarity behind his smile.

"If by that you mean he’s stingy, then yes." Kamila grunted. "One of the most ’peculiar’ men you’ll ever meet."

"What are our plans for the afternoon? Do you need to rest?" The youth took a deep breath, taking in the delicious smells wafting out of the Pride of the Empire and dreaming of the day he could eat there too.

"Now that you mention it, yes." Kamila yawned.

Between the long morning and the excellent food, she felt sleepy. Elysia and Valeron were way ahead of her and had already dozed off in their stroller.

"Then let me bring you back to your hotel..." Elfiam raised his arm to call a stagecoach, but Lith stopped him.

"We are planning on sightseeing Amrok on our own later, and won’t need your services." Lith said. "I’m going to bring my wife and kids to a green area when they wake up. What’s the nicest and least crowded park you can recommend to us?"

"Griffon Park." Elfiam replied. "It’s quite vast, and at this hour, there shouldn’t be too many people. It’s your best shot at privacy."

"Do you need directions, or can you find your way, Rhona?" Solus asked.

"It’s been too long since the last time I came here." Menadion shook her head. "Take us to Valeron Park first and then to Waterway Central, Elfiam."

"Are you sure?" The youth’s professional smile faltered in surprise. "That’s quite an unusual destination."

"Solus and I are Forgemasters." Menadion explained. "We are interested in studying the original infrastructures that the first Royal Forgemasters exported to the rest of the Kingdom."

"I see." He nodded in understanding. "It’s an excellent choice, and you won’t have to deal with crowds. Do you need help to get the necessary clearance?"

"No, thanks." Lith replied. "There are few doors my uniform can’t open."

A long carriage ride brought them to a green area that extended as far as the eye could see. Lith estimated with the Eyes of Menadion that it occupied the equivalent of several city blocks put together.

"This is Griffon Park." Elfiam said. "It was originally called the Garden of the Gods, but the people of Amrok changed it to honor the First King. He didn’t plunder the city’s riches after he stormed the gates, and forbade his soldiers from harming the civilians.

"Valeron could have razed Amrok to the ground and made an example out of it for all the other countries that planned to attack his newfound Kingdom, yet he chose mercy. He chose to learn from our history instead of erasing it in revenge."

Valeron Griffon was famous for never having started a war during his reign. He just developed and nurtured his lands, attracting the envy and greed of his neighbors. They attacked the Kingdom to steal its riches, and ended up being conquered instead.

"For that, the people of Amrok will always be grateful to the First King." Elfiam explained while another carriage ride led the group to an unremarkable two-story building of grey stones. "This is the Waterway Central. We can go back to the Unicorn’s Pot."

"Finally, you speak my language." Much to Elfiam’s and the coachman’s surprise, everyone got out of the stagecoach, and Lith paid the fare.

"I thought you wanted to go back to the hotel and rest." The youth scratched his head in confusion.

"That’s the idea." Lith drew a circle in the air with his index and middle fingers, opening a Warp Steps.

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