Dinner was simple, consisting of ham, steaks, fresh fish, vegetable salad, buttered bread, and plain apple cider. Servants had already lit the candles in the room, and the wooden table, which had a hole in it, was laden with food. Ryan and Teresa sat on one side, while Aurora sat on the other. Ryan also noticed that Teresa's formal apprentice, Emma, stood behind Aurora like a maid.
No, not like a maid—she was a maid. Apprentices of the Garland Council witches all started as servants or maids to their mentors. Reality isn't a fairy tale; girls with magical talent don't receive a letter of acceptance from some castle in the sky and get to enjoy a carefree academy life. It's not like that at all.
After entering the council, apprentices begin as servants and maids. Many apprentices work as such from youth until old age, mastering only a few minor tricks and one or two small spells.
After a significant number of apprentices are weeded out, the remaining ones may finally receive magical education and training. Even then, life is not easy; they must assist their mentors while receiving education. This has been mentioned before, so it won't be repeated here.
Only a large number of witch apprentices who advance to the elite level and become official witches gain some degree of freedom. They must start taking on apprentices and accepting tasks assigned by the council or other nobles, earning their own living expenses and research funds. Every witch is a major spender; it's estimated that it costs at least seven to eight thousand gold crowns to advance a witch to the legendary level, possibly even reaching the threshold of the sanctuary level. It's not unusual to spend ten thousand or even forty to fifty thousand crowns.
For instance, why was Veronica able to advance so quickly during the decade after she sought out Ryan?
Ryan was willing to invest heavily. He poured enormous sums into helping Veronica build a wizard's tower, equipping it with everything she needed.
He even humbled himself to seek the guidance of a Supreme Archmage (referring to Teclis) to teach Veronica magic and managed to procure a large number of magic books for her to study.
Additionally, he continually infused his own psychic energy into Veronica's body, helping her cultivate. With Ryan's psychic support, it was difficult for Veronica to be corrupted by the Winds of Magic or suffer negative effects.
As for the "special method," you understand.
Thus, raising a witch is indeed an extremely costly endeavor.
Similarly, the rewards for successfully nurturing a witch are also astonishing. What a powerful witch can do has already been discussed, so it won't be repeated here.
In short, this brat Ryan is truly impressive. He could afford Veronica's enormous expenses even when he was just a baron. Later, when he became a count, he could even support two witches at once. Watching Ryan and Teresa dine, Aurora's thoughts raced. No matter her opinion of Ryan, she couldn't deny her satisfaction with this son-in-law. In fact, if it weren't for her consideration of Teresa and Ryan's relationship, the Empire's Chief Royal Wizard Gailter and Speaker Margarita would have already made their move.
"Mother, what's wrong? You've hardly eaten anything." Teresa took the buttered bread from Ryan and pushed a bowl of soup toward him. The sorceress was hoping to enjoy the warmth of a family meal but noticed that Aurora had barely eaten.
"I'm just not very hungry." Aurora forced herself to eat a few more bites, then managed a smile and shook her head. "You two go ahead."
Ryan frowned slightly at this, but before he could say anything, Teresa jumped in. "Mother, is it that you're not used to the food here?"
Aurora remained silent.
Ryan chuckled to himself. "Not hungry" was just an excuse. The real reason was that Aurora, having lived in luxury for decades, was accustomed to a lavish and refined lifestyle. This small village in the Duchy of Bastogne, despite the villagers having offered their best food, couldn't satisfy her.
The witches of Garland all loved luxurious lifestyles. The only difference was that Veronica, having experienced hardship in her early years, could accept both good and bad conditions. Teresa, after being educated by Ryan several times, could temporarily endure when necessary. But Aurora simply couldn't accept it; she had lived this way for decades, demanding the finest food and the best living conditions.
This isn't a flaw unique to the witches of Garland. The Empire's high wizards and academy heads also had private kitchens and special food supplies, depending on their needs. The Lake God Witch, Morgiana, was another example. Spellcasters always had privileges.
This time, Ryan had deliberately not allowed Aurora to bring her private kitchen, and by the time of their return, the Saint Witch's special provisions had long been exhausted.
After dinner, the servants came in to clean and clear the table.
Outside, snow was falling heavily, once again blanketing the ancient lands and villages of Bastogne in a thick layer of snow. The fields and forests were covered in white, and in the dark night, apart from the torches outside and the patrolling soldiers in the village, the night sky and distant forests were all pitch black.
Ryan stood alone by the window, gazing at the snowy landscape. His figure was as straight as a pine tree. The Duke of Mousilon said nothing, seemingly deep in thought.
Teresa stood up, walked over to Ryan, and closed the window. "Ryan, the snowstorm outside is fierce. Why are you standing by the window?"
"I was just thinking," Ryan shrugged.
"If you need to think, don't do it by the window," Teresa said as she pulled Ryan toward the fire in the center of the large room. She lowered her voice, "Mother has something she wants to discuss with you."
"What is it?" Ryan turned his attention to Aurora.
"It's like this." Aurora crossed her long, slender legs in front of Ryan, her black silk stockings catching his eye. "Ryan, there are quite a few unmarried nobles and knights in your territory, right?"
"Yes, that's correct." Ryan nodded.
"So, could you do me a favor? I have many formal witches and even female council members who are also unmarried," Aurora said calmly. "Could we... organize a party? A singles party?"
"Uh..." Ryan's expression turned strange. He shook his head repeatedly. "Aurora, do you know Sally?"
"Yes, why?" Aurora's mature and beautiful face showed a hint of surprise. "A formal witch in the council, Sally Kohler. What about her?"
Ryan chuckled and began recounting an old story. Back when he was a ranger knight in Nord, one of his colleagues had pursued this formal witch. Seeing that his colleague was a kingdom knight, the witch agreed to give it a try.
Their first meeting went well, and they both felt it was worth exploring further.
Then the knight's nightmare began.
The witch had high expectations for romance. She demanded that they exchange love letters daily. One time, when the knight was away on a campaign and couldn't write, she gave him the cold shoulder and insisted he apologize with a bouquet of flowers.
Nord only had three warm months a year; the rest was freezing cold. Where was he supposed to find flowers?
When the knight couldn't produce flowers, the witch remained angry. In the end, the knight had to sneak into the royal palace's magically protected garden (which had a magic circle created by Aurora) and, risking execution, picked a few roses. Only then was she satisfied.
Later, a famous Imperial theater troupe came to Nord. A ticket cost ten gold crowns, but the witch insisted on attending. The knight, after much thought, reluctantly paid. However, because he hesitated, the witch ignored him for five or six days. On the day of the play, the knight personally rode with his retinue to her residence and pleaded for nearly two hours before she finally agreed to go, by which time the play was already halfway over.
After the play, it was late, and snow had begun to fall. The witch insisted that the knight display chivalry and escort her home. The knight, without a cloak, was drenched in snow.
The next day, the knight predictably fell ill and was admitted to the hospice of the Lady of Mercy.
"That's... a bit much, isn't it?" Aurora and Teresa frowned upon hearing this. Teresa, in particular, was quick to comment. "Didn't she visit your colleague?"
"Oh, she visited," Ryan nodded with a smile. "She went to the hospice of Shallya, sat by my colleague's bed for two minutes, and offered some comforting words. I was there too."
As he continued, Ryan's expression grew more nuanced. "You know, the way Ms. Sally looked during that visit, she was moved by her own compassion. Her words were full of the joy of being loved. I could tell that by continually putting my colleague through the wringer, she felt deeply fulfilled."
"But my colleague wasn't a fool. After that incident, he found an excuse to say it wasn't working out and ended the relationship. Then dear Ms. Sally went around angrily proclaiming that my colleague was a scumbag, the worst of men."
Aurora: "..."
Teresa: "..."
After a pause, Aurora finally sighed and rubbed her forehead. "No wonder Sally is almost forty and still single."
"After that experience, I lost all goodwill toward you Garland witches," Ryan said with a smile. "I thought back then, 'I'd rather be with anyone but one of those witches.'"
"But wait," Aurora quickly seized on the inconsistency. "Then why did you later choose to partner with Veronica? Isn't that contradictory? Where's your knightly honor?"
Ryan shook his head with a bitter smile. "People can't resist the allure of what they once swore off, but please, let me explain first."
"As a man, I have two
main criteria for choosing a partner: the first is based on consumption, the second on assistance."
"The consumption-based criterion is purely biological. I don't need her to accomplish anything for me—fair skin, long legs, high heels, glasses, that's my biological preference. In this case, I don't have high expectations from the woman, as long as she's obedient and fulfills my physical and emotional needs. In return, I'll show her affection, indulgence, care, and a certain degree of tolerance."
Hearing this, Aurora, who wore gold-rimmed glasses, blushed deeply. Teresa, recalling her own style preferences, also nodded shyly. "So, Veronica fits your consumption criterion?"
"The second criterion is based on assistance," Ryan continued without addressing Teresa's question. "Here, it's simple—I need the other person to be able to help me in adventure, war, or governance. In this case, the biological aspect is less important. However, I must emphasize that in this scenario, I won't be a pushover, won't offer affection or indulgence, and certainly won't dish out money without reason. We are both independent individuals with no defined roles, standing as equals."
"The witches of Garland can neither meet my consumption needs, as they value independence and have their own careers and magical studies, nor can they fulfill my assistance needs, as they enjoy being spoiled, pampered, and indulged as noble spellcasters, not ordinary people."
"Only Veronica is different; she's... unique." Ryan concluded, "Besides her, Sulia is also one of a kind, fulfilling both my needs. So when François proposed the engagement, I agreed without hesitation. Now, it seems like Olica and Emilia have also become like that; who knows how that happened."
"And what about me?" Teresa asked, feeling a bit dissatisfied. "Am I not worthy?"
"That's not it," Ryan said, smiling as he watched the flames crackle in the hearth. "When I first learned that you were my partner, I was reluctant. But I later realized that although you have a bit of a princess complex, you're mostly tolerable. We could get along, but as for a relationship, I wasn't interested. In fact, if you hadn't come to my territory to find me, we would have remained just friends for life."
"You sure think highly of yourself, Ryan. Do you know how much courage it took for Teresa to come here to find you?" Aurora retorted angrily. "Do you really think you're that impressive?"
"How impressive am I? Aurora, you can go to the Old World and ask anyone. How impressive am I?" Ryan sneered at his mother-in-law. "Why is it that you Garland witches can be picky, but I can't have my own standards?"
Aurora was momentarily speechless.
"Mother!" Teresa always found herself in a difficult position. Why did there always have to be so much tension between Aurora and Ryan?
"Aurora, I have to say, the marriage market is essentially men competing for women and women competing for men," Ryan stood up. "It's not about men and women fighting each other."
"So, does that mean you'll agree to host a singles party?" Aurora asked impatiently, feeling a bit muddled by Ryan's lecture.
"The reputation of the Garland witches in my territory isn't great," Ryan shook his head. "I admit that much of it stems from men who tried to pursue these witches and apprentices but failed, venting their frustrations by spreading rumors and slandering you. They want to see your reputation damaged to make themselves feel better. I'll deal with that, but at the same time, the complaints and dissatisfaction from some minor nobles and old guards about their poor experiences with your witches are also part of the problem."
"I'll strengthen our management," Teresa said earnestly.
"Good, mutual understanding is important. When the time is right, I'll arrange something." Ryan nodded, then added, "By the way, Teresa, Aurora, I have a request. Could you help me with it?"
"What is it? If my mother and I can do it, we certainly will," Teresa responded seriously.
"Could you help me set up my own intelligence department?"
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