Magic spread underwater, and slender strands of magic quickly enveloped half of the lake's surface.
After sensing a bit, the strands of magic gathered and directly caught a fish of moderate size.
Roa pulled the fish out, and once it was on land, it struggled incessantly.
Similar to fish from the previous life, but also somewhat different, this fish, while not a giant in the entire lake, could be considered a king-level creature compared to those from the previous life.
The fish was also quite confused, inexplicably caught and brought ashore.
Roa walked over to the fish's location, examining it closely.
The dorsal fin was long, with some small protrusions; it felt like if one were to accidentally touch it, there was a high probability of getting cut.
The body was spindle-shaped, with gill slits on both sides of the head, and the skin was tough and dark gray, with tooth-like scales making it appear rough. The tail was strong and powerful, asymmetrical and upward-curving, with pointed fins, a protruding snout, and a crescent-shaped mouth with triangular sharp teeth.
The more Roa looked, the more familiar it seemed, but he couldn't quite place why it felt so familiar.
Of course, when the fish saw Roa, it flopped towards him, opening its large tooth-filled mouth.
Roa's mouth twitched; well, he had caught a carnivorous creature.
However, in this world, fish of this type made up the majority.
Without further ado, Roa slapped the fish to knock it out, then gathered magic into a knife and directly severed its head.
Beard once said that you could eat it even without the head.
For unknown creatures, the head was likely the part that couldn't be eaten.
Blood flowed out from where the fish's head was severed, and Roa disdainfully kicked the fish's head away, which landed on the lake's surface and was instantly swallowed by a rather sizable creature.
Roa couldn't help but sigh, "The resources here are truly abundant; no need to bait."
In the previous life, this would be a must-visit spot for fishermen.
Of course, even if one caught a fish, it was uncertain who would eat whom.
Magic flowed, transforming into earth elements, and finally, a cooking platform rose before Roa, where he placed the fish.
With practiced skill, he scraped off the fish's scales; after all, it looked tough and meaty. For such creatures, not removing the scales generally made it hard to cook thoroughly. At least this way, it wouldn't be unevenly heated.
Next came gutting the fish and removing its innards.
After tidying everything up, he used water magic to rinse it, trying to wash away the blood.
What remained was just the fish's white flesh.
To be honest, it looked quite good.
But looks can be deceiving; the real test would be in the tasting.
Gathering dry wood around, he thought about the cooking method and decided that grilling the fish was quite feasible.
Roa wasn't a culinary master; he could only be considered somewhat skilled, able to cook a meal that wasn't too bad in his previous life.
Grilling fish was a technical task, but as long as it was cooked through and a bit of salt was added, it wouldn't taste too bad.
With that in mind, Roa used magic to skewer the fish and began roasting it.
Fearing that he might burn it, he adjusted the temperature carefully by hand.
Once the fish was dealt with, it was time for rice.
The key to cooking rice was controlling the heat.
He washed the rice clean, placed it in a pot, and used water magic to pour in the right amount of water before starting to heat it.
Roa multitasked, constantly adjusting the heat, and eventually succeeded in cooking both the rice and the grilled fish.
Looking at the fragrant rice, Roa revealed a genuine smile.
He took out a food box and filled it with rice, sprinkling salt over the fish. This salt was different; compared to the coarser salt, the salt he used was plump and free of impurities.
Coarse salt was dug from brine pools, which contained a lot of bitter brine components. While not harmful to humans, it was still unpleasant to eat.
The coarse salt sold by the Shirone Kingdom had quite a few impurities.
Coarse salt dissolved in water, then limestone was used, heated with charcoal or oil to turn it into quicklime. After adding water, it became lime milk, and then the saturated lime milk solution was added to the coarse salt solution, resulting in impurities that were filtered out before distillation.
What remained was genuine refined salt.
Of course, this salt was still inferior to that of the previous life, but for the present, it was quite good.
After roasting it a bit longer, he tore off a small piece of fish and tasted it; it was indeed quite good.
The meat was delicious, and the fishy smell wasn't too strong, barely within an acceptable range. Although the seasoning was simple, it still had flavor.
The skin was charred on the outside and tender on the inside, making it crispy to eat.
If I had to rate it out of ten, I could give it a six. If I had the seasonings from my previous life, it could easily reach an eight.
He divided the fish into two portions, placing one in Roxy's bowl and keeping one for himself, then closed the food box and swaggered away.
Arriving at Roxy's room, he found her engrossed in a magic book.
Roa placed the food box in front of them and smiled at Roxy, saying, "Try my cooking."
Opening the food box revealed yellow rice and steaming fish.
Using universal magic, he conjured two chopsticks and handed them to her, watching her expectantly.
Roxy frowned instinctively when she took the chopsticks, and Roa quickly realized, then used magic to create a spoon for her.
In medieval Europe, everyone was accustomed to using knives, forks, and spoons; chopsticks were not common in this world.
"…I mean, do you just eat it like this?" Roxy hesitated, looking at Roa with uncertainty.
Roa remained silent, simply nodding.
"Um…" With a subtle expression, Roxy slowly took a bite. It was clear she didn't fully trust Roa, but that was to be expected; he hadn't shown any particular talent in this area.
The grilled fish mixed with rice was delicious, and after just one bite, Roxy didn't say another word.
She quickly devoured the food at an astonishing speed. While she didn't look like she was about to burst into tears, she did let out a satisfied burp.
Roa wasn't idle either, enjoying his bowl of grilled fish and rice.
Not sure if it was because Roxy was particularly hungry, but before he had finished, he noticed her eyes were already fixed on the food in his hand.
Roa was puzzled; he had a large appetite, and this amount of food was hardly enough to fill him up. He was only eating a bit to encourage Roxy to try his cooking.
But it seemed she was still wanting more.
After hesitating for a moment, Roa asked Roxy, "So, do you want some more, Master Roxy?"
Roxy nodded, then shook her head.
Roa was left bewildered.
What did that mean? Yes or no?
However, he had nearly finished his meal, and it felt a bit impolite to offer her his leftovers.
After thinking for a moment, he stood up and said to Roxy, "I'll make you something delicious tomorrow. This bowl of rice isn't much; I'll prepare a good meal for you tomorrow."
It turned out that Roxy was someone who loved good food.
But thinking about it, it's normal for people to eat more when they encounter delicious food. Given the poor culinary standards of this world—no, this country—being able to enjoy such a meal was indeed a happy thing.
He decided to find a disciple to pass on his culinary skills, making them Roxy's personal chef.
Then he would promote the culinary arts of the Roa family.
After all, Roa couldn't stay here for long. Since Roxy didn't plan to leave, he could only accompany her for a while.
Once everything here was settled, he would prepare to embark on a new adventure.
But for now, there was something more important.
After finishing the meal, Roa turned his attention to Roxy.
Roxy's face immediately flushed, and she averted her gaze, gently nodding and saying to Roa, "Then, let's go."
Naturally, it was time to take a bath and complete the remaining tasks.
Roa teased, "Master Roxy, you're really cute. I can hardly wait."
Roxy became furious and ignored Roa, pulling out her clothes from her suitcase.
A short-sleeved shirt, cute white underwear, a change of robe, and a pair of undergarments, along with some inner armor.
Seeing the inner armor surprised Roa a bit; his gaze instinctively darted to her chest, pondering that she didn't seem like someone who would wear inner armor, especially given the soft touch he felt at noon.
Roxy didn't notice Roa's gaze, or perhaps she simply didn't want to acknowledge him.
Otherwise, if she caught sight of his puzzled expression again, she would surely become angry.
After gathering her change of clothes, Roxy intended to take Roa to the bathhouse.
The Royal bathhouse was quite large, divided into three tiers: one for maids, one for court magicians or knights, and the last for the Royal family.
Naturally, the male and female bathhouses were separate, but only by a wall.
Roa arrived at the second tier, but when he walked in, it was quite crowded.
Instinctively, Roa frowned, but after thinking it over, he relaxed.
Most of the people were training knights, which was normal.
Just as he was about to enter, he sensed a powerful energy fluctuation from the adjacent area.
Of course, the adjacent area wasn't the women's bath.
Roa suddenly remembered something.
Oh right, he needed to find support for Roxy.
This power should belong to Prince Zanoba Shirone.
He was currently bathing next door.
Should he go over?
After some thought, Roa decided to try going next door.
Compared to the bustling atmosphere here, next door was likely just Zanoba Shirone alone.
Bathing didn't take too long, and with the steam in between, it was impossible to discern the other person's appearance.
Thus, Roa stepped back and walked towards the next room.
Of course, no one was crazy enough to have a guard stationed at the door to check if Royal family members were entering.
Even first-time visitors would be informed of the specifics.
Upon entering, he was greeted by a hot spring that was twice the size of the previous bathhouse.
In the center sat a person; who else could it be but Zanoba Shirone?
Roa walked in, stripped off his clothes, and placed them on a nearby cabinet-like structure.
Zanoba seemed to sense something, suddenly turning his head to look at Roa, staring intently at him.
Although obscured by steam, such an obvious gaze could be felt even by a blind person.
After undressing, Roa walked towards the hot spring, dipping his foot in to test the water temperature, which was around fifty degrees Celsius—not too hot.
He boldly lay down in the water, but Zanoba continued to stare at him.
Roa's purpose this time, aside from bathing, was to establish contact with Zanoba.
Seeing him staring, Roa took the initiative to speak, "Hey, what are you looking at?"
"This prince remembers that there doesn't seem to be anyone like you in the Royal family; after all, they all look like fat pigs," Zanoba replied.
Due to the refreshing nature of his response, Roa was momentarily taken aback, then burst into laughter, "Do you know who I am?"
Zanoba shook his head and walked towards Roa, honestly saying, "No, are you an invader? No, an invader wouldn't come here to bathe, right?"
Roa, seemingly oblivious to Zanoba's approach, continued, "I am the god of figurines in ancient Greece. Oh, you might not know what figurines are; they are dolls."
At first, Zanoba showed little interest, but upon hearing Roa's words, he suddenly shuddered, raising his gaze and swimming towards Roa.
Just when he thought the other party was about to launch an attack or do something.
Suddenly, the other party grasped Roa's hand tightly, tears streaming down their face, their "watermelon head" swaying slightly with Zanoba's movements.
Roa's face was filled with question marks. The other party's grip was very strong; although he could feel their sincerity, it was a bit excessive, and it actually made his hand hurt.
With a blank expression, he activated his dragon blood, reinforcing his magical power once more, shook off Zanoba's hand, and angrily said, "If you want to talk, just talk. Don't get physical."
Zanoba was somewhat surprised that the other party could shake off his hand, but after the surprise came wild joy. It seemed he thought of something and suddenly stood up, revealing his second brother.
He reached out his hand, grabbing something from the shore.
Then, to Roa's astonishment, the other party directly pulled out something resembling a doll.
However, compared to the Roxy doll, this doll appeared very crude. Although Zanoba held it carefully in his hands, it still couldn't change the fact that it was poorly made.
With a proud smile, Zanoba said to Roa, "Well then, great deity, although this prince doesn't know what ancient Greece is, in light of your status as the god of dolls, let me show you my masterpiece."
After saying that, he presented it to Roa as if holding a treasure.
Roa hesitated for a moment but still accepted the doll from the other party.
Although the doll was extremely simple, it had its merits in certain aspects.
For instance, the clothing, or the fact that it was immediately recognizable as a person.
Roa thought for a moment, said nothing more, and set the doll aside, saying to Zanoba, "Now, let me show you what a real doll looks like."
The doll he had painstakingly crafted did not receive the deity's acknowledgment, but Zanoba was not angry; instead, he looked at Roa with curiosity.
Then, Roa began to replicate the craftsmanship of the Roxy doll.
Although it was a bit strange to do this in a bathhouse, he had nothing else to do, and this time, perhaps he could gain the other party's trust.
The Roxy doll 2.0 version was born.
The duration wasn't long, but the steps involved were extremely complicated.
Under Zanoba's astonished gaze, Roa demonstrated silent magic and an extreme level of control over magical power.
The soil gathered in his hands, then he controlled it with fine threads, constantly modifying the doll's facial expressions, then the lower body, the clothing—every movement was refined, perfectly showcasing the spirit of craftsmanship.
Of course, it was not entirely appropriate to invoke the spirit of craftsmanship here.
After the finished product was made, he handed the Roxy doll to Zanoba, saying, "This is another deity, called the Roxy."
Zanoba was taken aback, carefully examining the doll in his hands, reaching out to feel the texture of the clothing, staring for a full ten minutes without speaking. Zanoba's expression was like that of someone examining an extremely precious piece of art, his demeanor very serious.
Suddenly, Zanoba spoke, "This prince believes you. Such a divine creation cannot exist in this world. At first glance, this looks like an ordinary magician holding a magic wand. However, this doll possesses a sense of movement. Look at the ripples of the robe's hem. It clearly depicts the moment when the character steps forward with one foot and raises the wand forcefully to point ahead. Also, you can see the wrist and ankle peeking out from the robe's cuffs and hem!"
The more Zanoba spoke, the more excited he became. A strange flush appeared on his face as he continued, "The exposed skin is minimal. Although it's rare, it naturally conveys a sense of sensuality. Moreover, just from this part, one can tell that this magician girl is too slender, and the robe hides a figure that is definitely not full. Even though the clothing is so loose, it can still be seen!"
Roa was somewhat surprised that the other party could completely restore his thoughts when creating the Roxy.
It must be said that Zanoba had some talent.
Zanoba continued, "The person who made such a thing cannot simply be described as a genius; he is a god."
Receiving such praise from Zanoba, even Roa felt a bit shy. Could he really be worthy of the title of a god?
In fact, Roa thought of himself as just an amateur.
After Zanoba finished his compliments, he spoke in a strange tone, "But why does this doll look so familiar?"