Seraphina woke before dawn the next day.
She stepped onto the cold floor with her small bare feet. A sudden shiver woke her completely.
This was not a dream.
The man named Adam had given her a real home where no one would drive her away.
She could no longer just wait for charity. She wanted to do something for this home as well.
Relying on the vague memories in her small head, she slipped into the kitchen. It was as magnificent as a temple. Those cooking utensils gleaming with cold metal light were stranger to her than legendary dragons.
She had never cooked before.
But she had seen the women in the village turn flour into bread.
She began to copy them. She mixed the dough and kneaded it. Then came the fire.
The problem lay in starting the fire.
She attempted to light the wood in the fireplace. However, the unruly warm current in her body began to cause trouble again.
Whoosh!
A small wisp of golden flame shot from her fingertips. It instantly devoured the entire pile of firewood and the flames soared to the sky.
Seraphina was startled. She lost her grip on the dough and it fell directly onto the ground.
She flusteredly tried to send the dough into the fireplace to bake. The overly vigorous flames licked it once. The dough carbonized instantly and turned into a piece of black charcoal emitting a pungent burnt smell.
"I... I messed up."
The little girl looked at the mess before her eyes. Her nose soured and a layer of mist quickly covered her blue eyes.
"Are you blowing up the kitchen?"
A calm voice suddenly sounded behind her.
Seraphina trembled in fright and turned her head slowly.
Adam was standing there before she knew it. His black robes were spotless and looked completely out of place in this smoky kitchen.
Interesting. Performing a spontaneous explosion for me first thing in the morning?
Adam remained calm inside.
Carrying a small sun inside her body yet wanting to challenge delicate work like embroidery. Her brain is somewhat touched by naivety.
He looked at Seraphina. She looked like she was about to cry as she pinched the corner of her clothes and lowered her head. She looked exactly like a kitten that had done something wrong.
"I... I wanted to make you breakfast." She said faintly.
"Make me breakfast?"
Adam paused for a moment.
I have not needed to eat for a long time... However, this sentiment...
He extended a finger expressionlessly and pointed at that piece of charcoal.
The charred shell peeled away like sand in the next second. A rich milky aroma instantly dispelled the burnt smell.
A piece of white bread with a golden crust and perfect fluffiness floated quietly in midair.
"I don't need to eat." Adam retracted his hand. "Furthermore, you are the first person in history to bake bread with holy magic. Congratulations."
Seraphina looked at the magical bread and asked in a small voice, "What is... holy magic?"
"The power you were born with." Adam spoke concisely. "A stupid and crude power. You cannot even keep a fire burning steadily yet you want to cook?"
Was that too harsh? She looks like she is going to cry again.
Adam felt a thump in his heart as he saw the light in the girl's eyes dim instantly.
Tsk. Troublesome. Raising children is truly not my profession.
He cleared his throat and turned to walk outside.
"Follow me. Rather than wasting time blowing up the kitchen, it is better to first learn how to master this power."
Seraphina paused for a moment before she quickly trotted to catch up.
Adam brought her to a massive domed space.
"Training grounds." He pointed to the center of the empty ground. "Stand over there."
Seraphina stood there obediently and looked at him nervously.
Adam did not speak. He raised his right hand. A strand of black magic thinner than spider silk extended from his fingertip.
A smooth mirror-like cut appeared silently on a granite target half the height of a person a hundred meters away.
The upper half of the rock slid down slowly a few seconds later. It shattered into rocks on the ground.
Seraphina opened her small mouth into an "O" shape.
Done. This posturing was perfect.
Adam was very satisfied with his effect.
He took out a thick book with a strange black cover from thin air and threw it to Seraphina.
"Hold this."
"Basic Energy Control Manual for Demon Realm Creatures - Young Dragon Edition." Adam spouted nonsense without changing his expression. "Consider cooking again only when you can condense your light into a needle and pass it through the pages without igniting them."
He turned and walked away after speaking.
The theory should be sound... probably. If she breaks from training? I will just fix her again.
Seraphina began her hellish training in the days that followed.
She could not understand a single word in the manual. However, that move by Adam seemed to trigger a certain feeling in her mind. She felt that she was born knowing how to use this power.
The traning process was extremely painful. Uncontrolled magic burned her meridians.
Once, she forcibly condensed a thread of light. The magic went berserk in her body. Her throat tasted sweet and she sprayed a mouthful of blood on the ground before blacking out.
Adam still held the book on the distant throne.
However, a tiny crack silently spread on the hard obsidian armrest of the throne.
Her injuries would disappear every time she woke up. A piece of white bread was always placed beside her.
Late at night, she was too tired and fell asleep hugging the manual on the cold stone bed.
Adam put down the book on the throne. He walked to her side and gently covered her with his wide black outer robe.
Sleeping like a pig. Zero vigilance. Is this how my killer behaves?
He gazed at her peaceful sleeping face for a moment. The corners of his mouth seemed to relax slightly when he returned to the throne.
This strange tacit understanding made her feel incredibly at ease.
---
One month later.
Hum!
A golden thread of light the thickness of a hair finally condensed tremblingly at Seraphina's fingertip.
Success!
She was ecstatic. She suddenly looked up at the figure on the throne. Her blue eyes were bright and written with "Look at me! Praise me!".
Adam did not even lift his eyelids. He simply turned a page of his book.
...One month?!
Adam unconsciously pinched wrinkles into the corner of the book page in his hand.
With this talent, even the Ancient Dragons would have to call her ancestor! Giving her my broken manual is practically an insult.
He forcibly suppressed the waves in his heart.
Steady, Adam. You are the cold Demon King. You cannot make a fuss. Praise will make her proud... But I really want to rub her head and say 'Good job'! No, hold it back!
He only spoke plainly, "The light thread is too thick. It is unstable. You are still ten thousand miles away from a needle. Continue."
The light in Seraphina's eyes dimmed instantly.
She let out an "Oh" and lowered her head to continue her bitter practice.
Adam blocked his face with the book. However, the fingertips of the hand resting on the throne's armrest tapped a brisk, tune-less rhythm on the obsidian.
…..
Six years passed unknowingly.
"Take this sword!"
A crisp shout exploded.
Seraphina moved as fast as lightning. She held a longsword composed entirely of holy magic in her hand and stabbed straight at Adam's chest.
She had grown much taller. The cowardice from before was long gone from her face. Now her face was filled with high-flying confidence.
Adam still sat on the throne. He had not even changed his posture.
Just as the sword tip was about to touch his clothes, he extended two fingers and clamped them casually.
Ding!
The violent holy magic was cut off by his fingertips. It let out a mournful cry before collapsing with a bang, turning into sky-filling golden spots of light.
"Not bad."
Adam looked at her and finally uttered his first positive evaluation in half a year.
Not bad? It is more than just not bad! This sword strike is comparable to the top Temple Knights of the human kingdoms! It has only been six years! My raising plan is seamless! She will become the strongest Saintess and then... perfectly end me.
The little bit of pride in Adam's heart instantly became a mix of complex flavors when he thought of this.
"Of course!"
Seraphina put away her offensive stance. She placed her hands on her hips and raised her chin high like a little peacock that had won a fight. "I am super powerful now! I can make those bad boys in the village cry for their mothers with just one hand!"
She leaned in front of Adam and looked up. The expectation in her blue eyes almost overflowed. "I have trained very well already, right? Can we go out? I want to see the outside world!"
Adam looked at her spirited appearance. He retracted his hand, stood up from the throne, and turned around.
"Ok."
The answer was crisp and neat.
Seraphina almost jumped up in excitement. "Really? Where are we going?"
Adam did not stop his steps. He only left her a view of his back and a place name.
"Otilia"