Chapter 14: The Will-o’-the-Wisp Family

Lunch was satisfying, and afterward everyone retired to the living room to digest and chat.

Russell briefly shared his experiences of living in his fief, though he had only been there for a day and didn’t have much to say.

Most of the time Lady Ingrid and Meryl were in casual conversation.

Russell sensed a hint of tension between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but both were quite reserved and didn’t engage in direct confrontation.

Baron Roman seemed unaware of this.

Russell suspected, however, that the Baron might be aware of it but chose to ignore it. After all, such a timeless issue was not worth the trouble, as long as it didn’t escalate into a destructive situation. Life was meant to be enjoyed.

“Don’t neglect your martial arts energy practice. Your talent is average, and if you don’t work hard, your achievements will be limited,” the baron advised.

“I understand, Father,” Russell replied.

“I have asked Carter to prepare a batch of mana potions for you. Take one each day. Don’t refuse; it is also your grandmother’s intention,” the Baron said.

Lady Ingrid turned and added, “Yes, the family isn’t short of money. Mana potions should of course be reserved for our little will-o’-the-wisp.”

“Of course I won’t refuse,” Russell smiled.

He didn’t covet the Baron’s wealth, being the second son. However, since the Baron was willing to provide, he didn’t feel right refusing.

“Our little will-o’-the-wisp has become sensible,” Lady Ingrid smiled, “He used to be a bit stubborn, but now he’s quite endearing.”

Meryl followed with a smile, “Mother, Russell has grown up; he’s no longer your little will-o’-the-wisp.”

“How is he not? In my heart, Russell and his brothers are all my little will-o’-the-wisps.”

“The nickname is just a jest from outsiders.”

“We are the Will-o’-the-Wisp family. What is the harm in others making fun of us? If anyone is unhappy, let Ross release a breath of dragon fire and they’ll be burned to ashes,” Lady Ingrid joked.

Meryl narrowed her eyes and said, “Other families might have dragons, too.”

The Grand Duchy of Shadowflame had two counts and five barons, each with wyverns, sometimes more than one.

Such magical creatures were the standard for great nobles.

Without Wyvern, it was impossible to protect the safety of the territory.

“Even if they have dragons, we’re not afraid. If anyone mocks our Will-o’-the-Wisp family, we’ll mock them back. Every family has nicknames. Your Rainflower Family is also called the Bluebird Family, isn’t it?” Lady Ingrid replied.

Rainflower was a blue flower that resembled a bird, hence the nickname Bluebird Family, sometimes jokingly referred to as “little bird.”

Similarly,

Fluorescent Mushroom was a mushroom that glowed green at night and looked like a floating will-o’-the-wisp from a distance.

Thus, the Fluorescent Mushroom family was also called the Will-o’-the-Wisp family, and their offspring naturally earned the nickname Little Will-o’-the-Wisp.

Of course, there were also more derogatory nicknames, such as Green Ghost and Green Ant.

The playful yet contentious banter between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law didn’t affect Baron Roman and Russell.

“Oh, right,” Russell said, “speaking of mana potions, I almost forgot. I brought a small gift for Grandmother, Mother and Rora.”

He called the male servant Lam and brought over a small bag.

Russell took three pearls from the bag, freshly harvested from the large clam that morning. The pearls gleamed with a warm, lustrous light, and one could feel the faint flow of mana within them.

He gave the largest pearl to his grandmother, a slightly smaller one to his mother, and the smallest one to Rora.

“Wow, brother, what is this?” Rora asked, seeing pearls for the first time.

“Pearls, gems nurtured inside clams.”

“What a rare treasure. Grandmother hasn’t given you a gift yet, but you’ve already given us one,” Lady Ingrid said, unable to resist the beauty of the pearls.

Baron Roman was also curious: “Pearls are indeed rare.”

“I found them this morning in the river,” Russell explained, mentioning his desire for freshwater delicacies and the unexpected discovery of pearls, “I didn’t expect one clam to be so large, producing five pearls of varying sizes.”

There were two smaller pearls left in the bag. 

“Brother, you are so lucky!” Rora said enviously.

Lady Ingrid smiled, “Our Will-o’-the-Wisp family has always been lucky. Back then the little will-o’-the-wisp’s great-grandfather found Ross, and now the little will-o’-the-wisp finds pearls, it shows that the dragon from the Grand Duke’s family has been watching over us, blessing us.”

Baron Roman was speechless, “You make it sound like it’s the same thing.”

A wyvern and a few pearls were incomparable.

After giving the pearl gifts and receiving a batch of mana potions, Russell felt it was time to leave.

Meryl asked first, “Russell, are you staying in the castle tonight?”

“Uh, no, Mother.”

“Oh, all right.”

Just one night apart, and already Meryl missed her son.

Baron Roman patted his wife’s shoulder, comforting her, “It’s not far, right under our noses. What is there to worry about… Russell, go back and manage your fief well. Also, don’t neglect your martial energy practice.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Why so soon?” Lady Ingrid muttered, “The little will-o’-the-wisps are all growing up.”

“Grandmother, I’ll visit often,” Russell said with a smile.

Rora also came over and said, “Russell, when are you going to take me to Black Waist Snake Manor to play?”

“The next time I have time, I’ll come and get you… Grandmother, Father, Mother, no need to see me off, I’m leaving.”

Waving, Russell left Fluorescent Castle with a carefree air.

Once outside the stone arch, he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. Fluorescent Castle always made him feel trapped.

Fortunately, Ross wasn’t in the castle today, so he didn’t have to worry about the wyvern giving him a creepy look, which would have made him even more uncomfortable.

With the sun setting in the west, Russell and his entourage headed south.

After two hours of riding along the Charcoal Ash Road, Russell returned to his loyal fief, Black Waist Snake Manor.

“Welcome home, my lord,” Morris, the butler, greeted him at the gate with the male and female servants.

Though the number of servants was small, proper etiquette could not be neglected.

“Where are Charles and Eric?”

“The two gentlemen have gone to inspect the estate.”

“Well, Morris, I won’t be returning to the guest hall,” Russell turned his horse and, accompanied by the four armored knights, set off again to inspect his fief for the first time.

Not far from the guesthouse of the manor was the village of Bean Barley.

Half of the serfs in Bean Barley Village grew lentils, and the other half grew wheat. The village also had a small market in the center. Most of the serfs in Black Waist Snake Manor lived near this small market, closely packed together.

There were no crisscrossing streets, just a northwest-southeast charcoal road with serfs’ houses lining both sides.

Most were wooden houses, with a few two-story stone buildings.

The arrival of the five horsemen quickly alarmed the serfs in the small market. Then a serf steward, who had met Russell the day before, led the way and knelt on the ground.

“Welcome, my lord!”

“The lord is inspecting the manor!”

“Praise the Lord!”

The serfs knelt in a flurry, the scene chaotic, but they all seemed to have a telepathic connection and made way for the charcoal path, allowing Russell and his entourage to pass unimpeded.