Mr. Essel’s business was fuel.
He dealt with lamp oil, firewood, coal, and compacted peat.
Although not a large store, considering that he traded essential goods, the sales seemed steady.
Inspector Jaguar informed me about the local circumstances.
He also had a tidy house in a quiet, upscale residential area in Londia City.
“Kimberly, are you really going to be okay?” I asked.
“You’re persistent, Barton. I’m not the type of person to get caught by humans,” Kimberly replied.
“You were caught and put in a cage, though…”
“Not getting caught twice is the point! Well, wait for the good news. Don’t forget Fuyu’s dinner.”
It’s not like I forget it all the time.
It only happens when I happen to get involved in an incident.
After seeing Kimberly fly towards the house, turning transparent again, I returned to the prison.
When I visited with dinner, Mrs. Fuyu was waiting for me as usual, sitting properly.
The only difference was that she started welcoming me with a smile when I arrived.
The dinner menu was still simple, with bean soup and bread, but today I added some apples I bought in town for her personally.
“Mr. Wolf, there’s an extra dish today compared to usual. What’s the reason behind it?”
“I bought it while I was in town. That’s for you.”
“But…”
Cutting off Ms. Fuyu’s attempt to decline as usual, I added,
“I am most delighted when I see Ms. Fuyu enjoying the food. It becomes troublesome if you always hold back.”.
“I see…”
“Besides, Ms. Fuyu, you have been teaching me magic spells. It’s also a way for me to show my gratitude, so please eat without reservation.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll gratefully accept it. Oh, by the way, I thought it was about time to try writing a new spell, so I prepared it.”
A piece of paper was handed through the iron bars, densely filled with words without any gaps.
“It seems to have more words than usual.”
“Light magic requires longer incantations.”
This spell was known as “Flash”.
“I heard from Kim that the guards often engage in conflicts. However, it wouldn’t be appropriate to use offensive magic. I thought this type of magic would be just right for you, Mr. Wolf”
“Flash” was a basic light magic that dazzled the opponent’s eyes. However, it didn’t hold much meaning when used outdoors during the daytime.
“The surroundings are already bright, so people’s eyes have adapted to the light. However, in dimly lit prisons or during the night, its effect is tremendous.”
“Thank you. Once I finish the scroll I’m working on, I’ll make this one right away,” I replied.
At first, I would stay up all night, pouring all my energy into writing scrolls. However, recently, I had slowed down the pace of scroll creation. Staying up too late would hinder my work. So, I dedicated the time before bed to making scrolls, managing to complete around two per week.
Among the scrolls I had were three for body enhancement, two for fire magic (basic), and three for healing magic (basic).
I should be able to start working on the “Flash” in about the day after tomorrow.
“I brought holly since there are no more flowers. Oh, by the way, those berries are bitter, so please don’t eat them,” I said.
I arranged glossy green leaves in a vase, and among the leaves were several red berries.
“Holly… It resembles the holly from my hometown. It seems slightly different, though,”
“Oh, so there are holly plants in the celestial realm as well,” I said.
“Yeah. Some people even make bonsai out of it.”
“Bonsai?”
“Even though Mr. Wolf is knowledgeable in the celestial language, you’re not familiar with bonsai? Bonsai is…” Ms. Fuyu started to explain.
The conversation shifted from bonsai to winter tales to discussions about books. And just like that, time flew by in this special underground cell.
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