The fire in the house blazed merrily, casting a red glow on half the floor.

Listening to the crackling of the firewood, and gazing at the howling northern wind and swirling snow outside the window, Aqima felt warmth coursing through her entire body. Perhaps it was a consequence of constantly scavenging for food in garbage heaps as a child, but her hands would always develop frostbite, crack, and peel during winter. This hadn't improved after moving to Sleeping Island; on the contrary, it had worsened due to prolonged contact with the salty seawater.

But now, her fingers had only a few shallow cuts, no blood, and she felt no pain—although, compared to the hardships she had endured during her days of wandering and begging, frostbite wasn't unbearable, no one would dislike having less pain. This feeling of complete comfort was something she had almost forgotten.

The living environment in Neverwinter City truly possessed an indescribable magic. Even the most ordinary dwelling was vastly different from those in other towns.

Take this brick house, for example. The walls were coated with thick mortar on both sides, and every corner of the windows was tightly connected to the bricks. Even if the wind and snow outside were severe, the interior wouldn't be significantly affected. Otherwise, it would be difficult to maintain enough warmth with just a fireplace. In an ordinary house in Gold穗 City, it would probably be drafty everywhere, with doors and windows howling.

Additionally, the fireplace had flues built into it, which could channel some of the heat under the bed in the adjacent bedroom. By the time the fire was extinguished late at night, the bed would still be warm.

And this was just a small part of what she had discovered. Similar details were everywhere in Neverwinter City, and the longer she lived there, the deeper the feeling became—sometimes Aqima couldn't help but wonder if this city wasn't built because people needed a place to settle.

It was a paradise born for enjoyment.

As for why it was built in the Western Territory, the most severely affected by the Evil Moon, it was probably due to the intense contrast: the warmth felt in a place of eternal spring was obviously not as impressive as the warmth under the ice and snow. The more impossible something was, the more worthy it was of praise when achieved.

For a moment, she almost believed this idea herself.

"The soup is ready, dinner's on," Doris said, walking out of the kitchen with a pot of thick soup, and placing it on the low table in the living room.

"...Thank you," Aqima said, handing her a cushion. She sat down at the table herself.

Two dishes and a soup, all made primarily with mushrooms—this Western Territory specialty, called Bird Kiss Mushroom, had an excellent thick texture and rich juice. It didn't require any extra seasoning, just a sprinkle of salt, and it was delicious no matter how it was prepared. But she also knew that this was actually the cheapest ingredient in Neverwinter City, with its price not far from wheat.

"Hehe, I took advantage of the market's clearance sale and bought a whole bunch of mushrooms to hoard at home," Doris said happily. "Even if there's a food shortage this winter, these mushrooms should be enough for us to survive until spring. Although the taste won't be as fresh if they're stored for too long, at least they'll fill our stomachs."

Aqima scooped up a spoonful of soup. In the firelight, the specks of oil floating on the soup's surface reflected a golden sheen, making it look quite tempting. She put it in her mouth, and the full, savory aroma instantly filled her oral cavity, flowing all the way down to her stomach with the hot soup, warming her entire abdomen.

It was still an impeccable taste, but she no longer had her former appetite.

After only two spoonfuls, Aqima put down the small bowl in her hand.

"What's wrong?" Doris quickly noticed her strangeness.

"I was thinking... was the decision that day wrong?" Aqima said in a low voice after a long silence, "Leaving here should have only been my plan, but now it has caused everyone to lose the opportunity to have a better life with their long-lost relatives. If Bai Li and the others hadn't broken free from the Sleeping Spell, they might already be living in big houses with heating, instead of several people squeezed into a small house, without even enough space to turn around."

"Why are you suddenly saying this..." Doris was stunned for a moment, then comforted her, "No matter how small the house is, it's still a place to shelter from the wind and rain. Besides, their relatives will gradually move out after saving up for the down payment. Although it's not as good as the Sleeping Spell's residence, I think it's pretty good for two people to live in. Compared to when we were wandering—"

"But it's not the same as before!"

She interrupted Doris, her tone even a little irritable.

Aqima had miscalculated her ability, and also miscalculated the situation—she used to be able to lead everyone to scavenge in garbage heaps for half a day, or fight for food with a pack of wild dogs, but how could she possibly bring herself to do such a thing now? Even if the other sisters didn't care, she certainly didn't want Tili and her group to laugh at her.

She submitted several job applications to the city hall in the manner of ordinary residents, but none of them were approved. The Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Industry were recruiting only strong adult males, which meant that she couldn't even apply for the lowest-paying jobs at construction sites and kilns. Apart from that, most positions actually required literacy, and those with slightly better pay even required a primary school diploma. Even the clerks at the city hall advised her to complete her studies at the academy first, so as not to delay her promising future.

Currently, out of the six of them, only Doris and Bai Li had unstable jobs: the former was employed by the Witch Alliance, performing secondary enchantment on the enchanted copper rods created by Mystery Moon Miss, with a salary close to those of the witches living in the castle, earning about thirty or forty silver wolves a day. Unfortunately, this job wasn't available every day, and there might not even be one in a week during slow times.

The latter was working as an assistant in a tailor shop. Since it had nothing to do with her abilities, the remuneration was basically the same as that of ordinary people, ranging from fifteen to twenty silver wolves a month, depending on the specific working days.

And the other sisters had also encountered the same predicament as herself.

In other words, the living expenses of the six of them all fell on Doris and Bai Li.

Because of this, the warmer and more comfortable the life was, the more guilty Aqima felt—she had flatly rejected Wendy's kindness at the beginning because she wanted to prove to that Nightingale guy that she was by no means a coward, and that she could go her own way even without relying on the Sleeping Spell. But now such a situation undoubtedly made her feel extremely embarrassed.

Therefore, there was a hint of impatience in her voice.

However, as soon as the words left her mouth, Aqima regretted it, "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," Doris took her hand, "I know how you feel, and what I want to say is that everyone decided to leave the Sleeping Spell together because they agreed with your ideas, and it's not anyone's fault. As for small things like living expenses, you don't need to worry about them at all. You've paid so much for us before, can't we repay you a little now?"

"Saying repay, I didn't do it for your repayment."

"Then we're the same, okay?" Doris blinked.

"But..." Aqima didn't know what to say for a moment. Looking at the sincere face of the other party, she suddenly felt something churning in her eyes—this feeling, which hadn't appeared for a long time, was as unfamiliar as a rusty iron lock, and it was even a little sour when opened again. But she tried her best to restrain it. As a leader trusted by everyone, the words she had just said were already a gaffe, and she couldn't allow herself to make another mistake.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" She quickly turned her head away, pulled her hand back, and stood up, both asking and concealing.

"It's me, Wendy," the other party replied, "His Majesty Roland wants to talk to you."