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"Who would had known Cooking Magic from all things would be so damn complex! It is easier to just bring fire out of thin air than enhancing the flavor of cooking!" I complained, as I was sitting surrounding a big table where all my family was enjoying a meal.
The stew I had cooked ended being eaten by Ignatius and my familiars, who seemed to lack a good sense of taste and ate it all. Maybe just to make me feel better with myself… Furoh and everybody is way too nice with me.
"What are you talking about, Sylphy? The stew was delicious…" Said Beelzebub. "I've never eaten something so succulent and deliciously aromatic before! The purple color was really good."
I guess I could believe Beelzebub's words, he was a fly demon after all, so maybe he enjoyed disgusting things like what I did… Ah, I don't know if that would come out as racist. I better keep it for myself.
"I-I'm glad you enjoyed it." I sighed, petting his head. "I can give you more of this whenever I fail again."
"Ohh! That would be nice! The flavor reminded me of the delicious Creature Stew my mother used to make when I was a little child…" Beelzebub sighed while recalling his past.
"I see…"
"I also ate my portion!" The small Baby Dragon Ignatius said, slapping the air with his tail.
"Fooo!" Naturia also ate it, despite it being poisonous. I saw her HP go down a bit, but I healed her in time. She was reluctant about eating I though.
"I-It was delicious…" Said Alice, trying to force herself.
"Honestly it was better than what I used to eat." Said Furoh.
He was someone that grew in trash and the abandoned streets of the Demon Continent, so I can see that his palate is quite… wide.
"It is pretty obvious that you guys ate it just to make me feel good…!" I sighed. "Well, I appreciate it."
I ended petting all my spirits for a while, until I finally decided to resume my cooking. My mother had reprimanded me that I shouldn't rush things ahead and that if I wanted to use Cooking Magic, there was another option, using a Magic Item.
"As I told you before, dear, you're still too early to use Cooking Magic, Ninhursag is teaching you the basics of Compound Magic, right? The combination of elements is something incredibly complex. Cooking Magic combines a wide variety of them. You must first master the ability to combine them to try out Cooking Magic… Of course, there are shortcuts." She said.
"Yeah, like the Magic Items, right?" My father wondered. "Oh man, this bird's meat is tastier than I had imagined." He said while chewing a big roasted leg covered in seasoning.
"Magic Items can do Cooking Magic?!" Wondered Aquarina.
"Can they?" Wondered Zack. "I am not really that interested in cooking to be honesty. Roasting meat and boiling vegetables is all I need to know about."
"But what if you become a father and want to cook for your kids, Zack? You need to prepare for that one day." Said my father.
"Huhhh… No way. If that ever happens I'll just tell my wife to do it." Sighed Zack.
"A man can conquer a woman's stomach if he cooks delicious food. Do you think I just gained my wife just by my good looks? Women expect more of you if they want to have kids with you, Zack." My father began talking to Zack as if he were his son. I really couldn't complain, it was obvious my father wanted a boy too. Maybe if he's lucky, the child my mother has will be a boy.
"ANYWAYS." My mother said. "There are various Magic Items you've already seen, right? Those that enhance your magic power or can even let you conjure magic spells by infusing Mana into them. Your sword, your clothes, and everything new you got from that Dwarf are Magic Items as they grow stronger and have magical effects when you infuse Mana into them." Said my mother. "Of course, there are also more complex Magic Items such as special Accessories, they often come in two varieties of appearances, accessories of small size that are easy to carry such as bracelets, rings, or earrings and necklaces, or wands and staffs for easy conjuration."
"Oooh… Is your Staff a Magic Item, mom?" I wondered.
"Yes, my Staff is a very powerful Divine Grade Magic Item I acquired from a Dungeon of the Gods, a Trial made for us to acquire powerful Weapons… In the future, you might be thrown into such Trials by the gods, as you've already been chosen… sadly." Sighed my mother. "This is why we need to make you and Aquarina was strong as possible for the future you've been put into. We'll do everything we can to not endanger your lives but… ultimately, when you grow up, you'll have to take a decision of what you want to do. We'll raise you well, but what you want to be… it is all up to you, dear."
"I see…" I sighed. "W-Well, can you tell me more about the Magic Items and your Staff?"
"O-Oh, right, I guess I went out of topic once more." My mother apologized. "As I said, my Staff is a Divine Grade Magic Item named Aether, the Staff of Oblivion. It has several enchantments of divine level and even hundreds of Spells of high Tiers imbued into it. It was thanks to this Staff that I was able to use stuff like Creation Magic or high Tier Magic that would take a big burden on my body and soul. Magic Items, the stronger they are, can share the burden of your Magic and Techniques." Said my mother, as she enlightened me once more.
"Indeed, we designed your sword so it could take part of your burden too." My father said. "Haven't you noticed that the better you got at using the sword, the less tired you felt?"
"T-That's right… So it was the sword this entire time…" I muttered, looking at my sheathed sword.
Magic Items were truly amazing.
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