Draden had already completed his morning exercises and was making breakfast for himself, Leah, and Coradine, when the little girl in question wandered into the kitchen.

  "Daddy, why's everything sparkly?" She pointed to the faint glow lingering on the walls where the wards had been reinforced.

  The glow had been more intense the night before, but had already dimmed a fair bit during the night. It would fade even more during the day until it was no longer visible.

  Draden glanced at the kitchen wall and smiled, crouching to her level. "Grandpa Marcus and Grandma Coradine made the house extra safe last night. Like a magic blanket. The glow you see is just an aftereffect that will fade today."

  Her eyes widened, a goofy grin spreading as she twirled, arms outstretched. "Leah's house is magic! Can Leah make walls sparkle, too?"

  He chuckled, the sound easing the knot in his chest. "Someday, sweetie. This is a different form of magic that requires a lot of studying. So maybe when you're bigger. Now, breakfast, oatmeal with honey and berries."

  Leah climbed onto her stool, swinging her legs as Draden ladled the oatmeal into a bowl. The grains were creamy, cooked slowly to a soft texture, and the cinnamon added a warm spice on the tongue. She took in the gloopy mixture with a doubtful glance, before hesitantly spooning up a bite.

  The honey's sweetness worked well with the tart juice of the berries. The qi from the oatmeal and cinnamon was subtle and seemed to add to the flavor instead of pushing it aside. She made a few indistinguishable sounds of happiness as she ate, her body wiggling on the stool.

  Draden wiped away the juices that leaked from her mouth with a thumb, his heart swelling at her simple joy.

  Coradine entered, her robes pristine as she took her seat beside her student.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask,” Draden began as he dished her up some breakfast. “What were the results of your meeting with Dajra and Mirna yesterday?”

  Coradine took a tentative bite of the food, hesitant not because of its looks, but because of how much qi it might contain. The meals Draden cooked for himself and his daughter could be dangerous for others to eat.

  “Mirna didn’t like it but admitted that it made sense. Dajra told us that it confirmed suspicions she had long held, just hadn’t possessed the ability or possibly true desire to confirm. Up until recently, he has been more or less in control. It was at the restaurant during your grand opening that she truly understood how much he had changed.”

  Draden nodded. That was completely understandable. Families were often the most blind to the changes of those they loved. “Did you talk about what needed to be done at all, or what?”

  She shook her head. “No, we’re going to do that today. Dajra is going to invite Mirna’s mother for the discussion today, and we’ll broach the topic then.”

  “Alright, well, I’ll be doing some shopping in the market for a bit after I drop Leah off at school. We used a lot of what I had in stock last night, and it all needs to be replaced. I also need to speak with the baker, Elmsworth. We’ll need more bread, and I forgot to tell Alice last night. After that, I need to stop by and speak with the construction crew who built the restaurant for me. I want them to build a couple of carts for me.” He sighed.

  It was going to be a busy day. That was just everything he needed to do in the morning. Once he got back, he needed to start preparing everything for dinner, in bulk. Screw it, he was just going to order as much as the refrigerator could safely hold. The water he was using to keep everything inside it cold was pretty cool. So he wasn’t worried about spoilage like he had been in the beginning.

  The proof-of-concept period was over; it had been proven to work. It was time to actually start using it to its fullest.

  Coradine nodded, and after eating another bite of oatmeal, told him her own plans for the day. “I believe I will stay here this time. I need to start mapping out everything for the upgrades to the wards. Only once that is done can we start designing the new wards. Marcus should be arriving in an hour or so as well, and we should have an estimate on the number of mana crystals we’ll need when you return. Then, if you have the funds, we’ll buy them when we go to our meeting and pick up Leah from school.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” He glanced at his daughter, who was eating her oatmeal without complaint, but didn’t seem to be enjoying it as much as other foods he had made. “I’ll get her cleaned up and then we’ll head out.”

  ***

  Draden was sucking on an almond snack ball as he walked alongside his daughter. His stomach rumbled at the taste, but he forced himself to keep eating them. It had only been a few days, but he was already growing sick of continually eating them.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Daddy?”

  “Hmm?” He asked, looking up at Leah, who was sitting on his shoulders.

  “How come Winnie can’t use magic like Leah, and how come the others can’t see her friends?”

  His brain ground to a halt and seized. This was one of those questions that you never wanted to hear as a parent. How was he supposed to answer her? This was one of those questions that could change everything if he answered it wrong. It might ruin their friendship or encourage his daughter to look at her friend differently. It might make her think that she was better than others (which she was, to him at least) or that she was different. There were many different options, and not all of them were good.

  Of course, it was also possible that he was simply overthinking things.

  “Err, not everyone can become a mage like you and your mother, or a cultivator like me. Of those that are, it is common for them to awaken to their powers and abilities when they are a few years older than you and Eowin. That’s why it’s so important that you need to keep your ability to use magic a secret at the moment. Eowin might still awaken as a mage. I actually think it’s highly likely that she will, but it probably won’t happen for another couple of years.”

  Judging by how receptive the young girl was to the energy inside the food he made, the odds were definitely good that she would awaken. Whether that was as a mage or as a cultivator was another matter entirely.

  “Oh,” She said simply, and leaned forward onto his head. “Then what about Grandma Coradine and Grandpa Marcus? How come they can’t see my friends? They’re like super old and are mages.”

  “Maybe your friends are just shy and don’t want to show themselves to other people?” He replied, hoping desperately that she would buy that answer.

  Leah’s head bobbed in a slow, thoughtful nod, her expression serious as she processed his words. "Okay, Daddy. Leah will tell her friends to be extra shy around everyone but her and Winnie. It's our secret."

  He smiled, a genuine warmth spreading through his chest that momentarily pushed back the chill of the previous night’s encounter. Her simple acceptance was a balm to his frayed nerves. The world could be complicated and dangerous, but in these moments, with his daughter’s small hand in his, it felt manageable.

  Their arrival at the school was marked by a palpable tension that Draden hadn't felt before. Standing near the gate was Dajra, her arms crossed, her expression a mask of stern authority. She was speaking in low, clipped tones to two men in the ornate livery of a noble house—not Tavian's, but another local prominent family he recognized from his mercenary days. The men looked uncomfortable under her unyielding gaze, their usual arrogance wilting.

  Dajra’s eyes flicked toward Draden as he approached, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. He gave her a subtle nod of gratitude before turning his attention to Leah.

  "Alright, sweetie, have a good day," He said, crouching to give her a hug. "Listen to your teachers, and I'll see you this afternoon."

  "Grandma Coradine and Grandpa Marcus are picking me up," She reminded him, her voice filled with a bubbly excitement that was a stark contrast to the grim atmosphere.

  "That's right," He chuckled, kissing her forehead. "I’ll pack extra golden rings for you, them, and Winnie. So don't worry, you won't starve."

  She giggled and ran off to join the other children, her bright presence a small sunbeam in the otherwise tense morning. Draden watched her go, then looked at Dajra.

  “Do I need to be worried?” He asked.

  "They're getting bold," She murmured, her voice barely audible over the chatter of the children. "Ever since your opening, it's been a constant stream of inquiries and 'polite' requests. My brother's foolishness lit a fire under them all."

  "I'm sorry you're having to deal with it," He said, his voice laced with frustration.

  "Don't be," She replied, her gaze sharpening. "This school is under my protection. And that includes your daughter while she is here. You handle things on your end. I'll handle them on mine."

  With that, she turned back to the two guards, her voice once again dropping to a level of quiet intimidation that left no room for argument. Draden lingered for a moment longer, then turned and headed toward the marketplace. He had a busy day ahead, and he couldn't afford to waste a moment.

  The marketplace was as chaotic as always, with the sights, sounds, and smells all mixing together in a dizzying manner. Draden navigated the throng with a newfound purpose, his senses on high alert. He was no longer just a father and a chef; the instincts of the cultivator mercenary were stirring, sharpening his awareness of the faces in the crowd, the hushed conversations in the alleyways, the glint of steel at a man's hip. He made his way to one merchant after another, settling the bill each time from the restaurant’s recent earnings and ensuring they knew where to deliver everything.

  After ensuring he had purchased enough to fill the fridge, he sought out the construction foreman who had built the restaurant, a burly, good-natured man named Brin. After asking around, he found him overseeing a new build near the city's eastern wall, the rhythmic clang of hammers filling the air.

  "Draden! Good to see you!" Brin boomed, clapping him on the shoulder with a hand the size of a small ham. "Heard the place is a massive hit! The wife won't stop talking about that chili."

  "I'm glad to hear it," Draden smiled. "I actually need your help with a new project. I'm looking to build two food carts and have a takeout window installed at the restaurant."

  He quickly sketched out his idea on a spare piece of parchment, detailing the insulated compartments for the carts and the simple sliding window for the restaurant. Brin studied the drawing; his brow furrowed in concentration.

  “I think I understand what you’re intending with this, and it’s smart," He grunted, a grin spreading across his face. "Serve the folks who can't get a seat. The window's easy enough. The carts… We'll need good, seasoned wood and some metalwork for the insulation. It'll take a few days, but we can do it. Do you want us to add a similar insulated item next to the window? Payment in food, I assume?" He asked with a waggle of his brows.

  “And coin," Draden confirmed with a chuckle. “And yes, let’s add one to the window as well. I hadn’t thought about it, but it would be nice to have one there.”

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