Chapter 3943: Poison and Medicine (Part 2) They could run, play, and improvise magical contests without bothering anyone or getting scolded for the noise they made. "You’ve got nothing to apologize for, sillies." Elina kissed them both on the forehead. "I love spending time with Garrik and Ryla, and I understand that our home is too small to host the Ernas. "I’m not blaming you for being wonderful friends to Jirni and Garrik. Even if there was no bounty on my head, if I had to choose between living in Lutia alone or at the Mansion with our family, I’d always pick the Mansion." Once they returned home, they faced the hurdle of space. The Fastarrows had gone to their own place, but there were still too many people. Elina could cook enough food for everyone, but there wouldn’t be enough space at the table to sit. "Leave this to me." Baba Yaga conjured a dimensional spell, tripling the size of the dining room. "I got the rest." Orion took chairs and tables out of his dimensional amulet and lined them up with the Verhen’s table. "I won’t let you do everything by yourself, Elina." Jirni shapeshifted his clothes into a day dress with an apron and walked toward the kitchen. "I’ve enjoyed your hospitality for too long. Please, allow me to return the favor." "Are you sure?" Elina didn’t know how to turn Jirni’s offer down without sounding rude. "Lith and I make a great team. We can whip up a feast with ease." After experiencing Solus’ and Ripha’s cooking, Elina didn’t like strangers approaching her stove. With her manicured hands and perfect hairdo, Jirni looked like the epitome of a noble dame. Educated, sophisticated, and incapable of boiling an egg without burning the water. "I may not be a Magus, but my magical powers are more than enough to handle kitchen duty." Jirni replied. "Besides, I would love to help you cook for our families. Yet your home, your rules, Elina. I’ll step back if that’s what you want." Jirni bowed her head and waited for the answer. ’If I say yes, I might have another case of the Menadion, and lunch will be ruined.’ Elina racked her brain for a way out. ’If I say no, I get to cook with Lith, but I will humiliate Jirni in front of her family.’ "Then I’ll be in your care, Jirni." Elina said. "You can start by cutting the vegetables." Her brain was still yelling at her, but her heart couldn’t bear shaming her friend and fellow mother. The best compromise Elina could come up with was giving Jirni simply tasks and playing by ear based on the results. "Don’t be modest, you are a much better cook than me, Elina." Jirni inwardly congratulated herself for another plan well executed and stepped to the chopping board. "Do you want them round or do you prefer a specific shape?" "Like what?" Elina asked. "Like a star." A few swift movements of Jirni’s knife and an entire carrot had been cut into many five-pointed stars. "A bunny. A swan. A Dragon." For the most complex forms, Jirni peeled and cut the vegetables with air magic, cutting off just enough to give them a definite shape without too much waste. "A Dragon!" The kids and Leegaain cheered from the dining room. "Dragons it is." Elina nodded. "Once you are done with that, please, prepare the broth-" "What’s next?" A wave of Jirni’s hand had filled the pot with water and added the necessary ingredients. A snap of her fingers conjured a good, controlled fire from the stove. "How did you know my recipe for the stew?" Elina asked in disbelief while Jirni stirred the pot and seasoned it with salt. "I watched you cooking, dear." Jirni replied. "I see." Elina nodded. "Now, to prepare the meat..." She was still talking when Jirni finished carving the meat into the shape of flames and added it to the pot. "Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t ask you what shape you preferred. I didn’t mean to go over your head, I just thought that flames fit well with the Dragon vegetables." Jirni said. "I’m not angry. I’m surprised." Elina smiled, inwardly sighing in relief. "I didn’t know you were such a skilled cook, Jirni." "Me neither." Friya slapped herself to make sure it wasn’t just a dream. "Mom cooks?" Quylla said with such utter disbelief that even Morok found it rude. "That was a very rude thing to say." Morok said. "And that’s coming from me." "Why are you so shocked?" Orion asked. "Who do you think prepares all of your birthday cakes and comfort foods?" "The house chefs?" Quylla replied. "Are you telling me or are you asking me?" Orion said. "Mom? Is that true?" Friya stood up. "You can cook?" "Of course, I can, silly." Jirni snorted. "Have you ever doubted I know my way around knives?" "No, but-" "As my mentor used to say, the kitchen is the progenitor of all alchemical labs." Jirni cut Friya short. "After careful preparations, you mix different things together and follow precise ratios and timings. "Cooking requires discipline, attention to the details, and a pinch of improvisation. If you think about it, it’s not much different from magic." "When you put it this way." Quylla nodded, wondering how rusty her cooking skills had gotten. ’The last time I cooked was during the mission at the Feymar mines. Back then, Phloria was still alive and had yet to Awaken.’ She thought. ’Gods, it seems a lifet-’ "You are a Healer, Quylla." Jirni derailed her daughter’s train of thought. "You should know that the difference between poison and medicine is often in the dose." Suddenly, everyone didn’t find Jirni’s cooking skill so surprising. The precision with which she measured condiments and spices became ominous, and somehow Lith could hear the shrill cackle of a witch from a children’s movie. Jirni turned out to be an amazing cook and the meal delicious. After the end of the meal, Lith had the kids train their magical powers by washing the pots and dishes and sweeping the floor. "Five minutes." He checked the results, finding everything spotless. "It’s an excellent time." "How long did it take you at our age, Uncle Lith?" Leria asked. "Two minutes, but I never cleaned after so many people." Lith replied. "Yes! It’s a new record!" Aran said. "We did it! We beat Uncle Lith!" Leria replied. Silverwing waited for the kids to stop celebrating their small victory and fishing for praise before approaching Lith. "Can we talk for a minute, please?" "For you, I have two." Lith smiled not to spoil the mood, but it didn’t extend to his eyes. They moved to Solus’ room, where Solus and Baba Yaga waited for them. "Is this an ambush, an intervention, or what?" Lith asked in surprise. "Or what." Silvering replied. "Please, sit down and listen." She then explained her struggle to achieve her apex form. Lith asked Solus’ same questions and received the same answers. "I see." He pondered. "Why are you telling me this?" "I need help." Silverwing sounded like she was asking for a big loan. "Your help. I’d like to access your research about human evolution and all the data about your life force."