Descending the stairs, Cana was greeted by the natural ambiance of the pub. The common noise of customers clattered alongside the usual sound of utensils. Just one thing caught her attention—they were all sweating, though a glance at the food on their tables showed it wasn't spicy at all.
She headed directly into the kitchen, finding only Letty's husband inside. The other helpers were busy hauling the supplies that seemed to have just been delivered.
"Hooh!" Letty let out a heavy breath, fanning herself. "Why does it feel like we've got a hot spring in here?" She turned to Cana the moment she spotted her. "Oh, don't you feel hot in your room? It's already late in the morning. And how about Erus? Isn't he home yet?"
"Ah, I don't feel hot at all. And Erus is upstairs, sleeping."
Letty frowned, touching her temple in confusion. "Sleeping at this hour?" Erus never slept during the day at the inn. "That's new," she told Cana.
"Well, he's running a fever, so he should be."
Letty's eyes widened. "Running a fever?"
Did she hear that right? The famous Solari was down with a fever for the first time! Letty grabbed Cana's arm and guided her further into the kitchen, where no one could overhear them except her husband.
"Cana, how sure are you that Solari is sick?" Letty whispered.
"I know my Master well, Letty, and this isn't the first time he's had a fever."
Not entirely convinced, Letty just nodded her head.
"Could that be the reason it feels like we're burning in hell in here?" Sebastian, Letty's husband, joined the conversation.
Letty punched his shoulder lightly. "He is sick, and you're trying to blame him?"
"No, of course not. I'm just trying to figure out why the temperature suddenly rose only inside our inn, but not outside," Sebastian reasoned.
Then, they both looked at Cana.
Cana met their gazes with an innocent look. Telling them the exact truth would only breed a curiosity that might lead to a greater danger—not for Erus, but for Letty's family.
"I don't think so. He was just sleeping to get some rest, and his fever already went down last night." A white lie from Cana, while she also asked herself if it was really that hot, because she felt completely fine.
But she could see the aura being emitted by her blue flame on Erus. It was all over the building. So, could it be her fault?
Then, her eyes caught the contents of the rock basin the helpers were carrying. It was smoking a little and emitting a sharp coldness. That was ice.
Letty immediately ordered the helpers to put the basins on the kitchen table and prepare glasses and big pitchers of water to serve the customers. Ice was pricey, but they couldn't afford to lose customers, so they chose to spend the money. However, the ice couldn't withstand the intense heat and was melting fast.
Feeling guilty, Cana moved to help them, guiding them on how to properly use the ice so it wouldn't melt so quickly. Casually touching the rock basins, the ice inside formed back into its original state, becoming firmer.
Sebastian and Letty stood to the side, stunned by what Cana had just done. They had no idea she was an ice user, as this was the first time she had ever shown the ability. The other helpers were equally amazed, knowing it was a rare power to possess—one that mostly belonged to noble families.
"You're an ice user?" Sebastian couldn't stop himself from asking, though the answer was quite obvious.
Cana nodded. It was better to let them know than to have anyone dying here before Erus could even recover his lost energy.
"Bring the other basins here. I'll store the remaining ice so you won't need to buy any from outside," Cana told Sebastian.
"Are you sure, Cana? You don't have to do this. We know an ice ability can drain your energy fast." Letty's voice and eyes were full of concern.
Cana looked at Letty with puzzled eyes. An ice ability could drain her energy fast? She wasn't even using her energy for this.
"Don't worry. I know when to stop, and I really just want to help."
Letty sighed but nodded in the end. In the short time she had spent with Cana, she had learned one thing: once the girl's mind was set, she would definitely go for it. Even Solari was no match when she insisted.
Sebastian gestured to the helpers to just follow whatever Cana said, which they did. Even Letty and Sebastian became her assistants.
Then, after finishing all the easy work of preserving the ice's life, Cana proceeded to add a new menu item to the pub's list. Meanwhile, Letty remained right beside her, becoming increasingly vigilant, fearing that Cana might collapse at any moment.
They were all confused when Cana asked them to line up all the big drinking glasses on the long kitchen table. She then placed a single ice cube into each one, keeping her audience amazed as the ice instantly crushed into tiny pieces without her chanting a single word. Next came a small amount of sugar, followed by the fruits sliced into tiny bits that she had ordered the helpers to prepare in advance. Finally, she poured a sufficient amount of milk into each glass—though she had no idea what kind of milk it actually was. Tasting it once was enough to confirm it was safe and best to use. It might have been even better if it were condensed milk, but that would take far too much time to make. The last thing she did was pack more crushed ice right on top.
"It's like the cold dessert, but it looks more amazing," one of the helpers commented, her eyes bright with excitement.
"And there's so much ice, too!" another followed.
It seemed people in this world absolutely adored ice.
"Have a taste," Cana said, handing Letty a glass. "Then, you create a name for it."
Letty took the glass with a trembling hand, her fingers instantly registering the intense, biting cold radiating through the thick glass. She swallowed hard, her eyes darting from the colorful layers of fruit and milk mixing with the shaved ice up to Cana's completely unbothered face. The girl wasn't even sweating, which finally answered Letty's curiosity. A power that could freeze a whole basin in seconds and crush solid ice without a single spoken incantation should have left any mortal noble gasping for air on the floor. Yet, Cana stood there like she had done nothing more than pour a cup of water.
Steeling herself, Letty lifted the spoon and took a small portion, ensuring she got a bit of everything—the crushed ice, the mysterious milk, and the sweet fruit.
The moment it hit her tongue, Letty's eyes widened, her entire body going rigid.
It wasn't just cold, but an absolute explosion of textures. The ice was so finely shaved that it melted instantly on her palate, carrying the rich, creamy sweetness of the milk and the sharp, fresh burst of the fruit straight to the back of her throat. The oppressive, suffocating heat that had been leaking down from the second floor seemed to vanish entirely from her senses in a single second. It was a flavor so pure, so perfectly balanced, that it felt completely out of place in a dusty, rowdy mortal pub.
"By the gods..." Letty breathed, her voice barely a whisper as she stared down at the masterpiece in her hands, feeling a coldness that was a bit numbing to the tongue. "This... this isn't just a dessert, Cana. This is Heaven's Palate."
Sebastian, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, practically snatched a spoon for himself, digging into the same glass Letty was holding without a second thought. A loud, rumbling groan of pure satisfaction escaped his chest, his eyes popping out. "If we serve this to the merchants outside, they'll empty their pockets before they even finish the first glass! We could charge triple for this!"
Letty barely heard her husband's excitement. She was still looking CAna, a deep, reverent awe settling into her chest. This girl was a walking enigma and capable of doing anything, just like her master. No wonder Solari was fonder of her than any other mortal woman. Cana truly deserved such attention from him.
And just as Letty was thinking about Cana's master, another male helper came rushing into the kitchen looking for Cana.
"What is happening?" Letty asked nervously.
"Mr. Solari is upstairs, and I think he is looking for Ms. Cana. He was scanning the whole pub, and he looked mad," the helper said quickly, as if breathing were not an option for him.
"What?" was Cana's only reaction. Instead of questioning the helper further, she immediately stepped out of the kitchen and headed directly for the stairs.
True to the helper's words, Erus was indeed standing upstairs, his eyes fixed heavily on the pub below. He looked a bit sluggish, his presence weighing down the space.
The moment he saw Cana, his eyes glued onto her until she reached the top of the stairs.
"Do you need anything?" she asked, checking his pulse and his neck, completely unbothered by the public display of care.
"Can I take a bath now?" It was a question Cana did not expect.
"Oh. That, yeah. But warm water only," she said, taking his arm to guide him back to his room. "How does it feel inside your body now?"
Touching the skin beneath his left ear, Erus answered, "I feel like I could go hunting again for days. But I feel really sticky now. I've been sweating for hours."
Cana smiled and began preparing his change of clothes for after his bath.
"Cana, it's following me!"
Startled by Erus's sudden shouting before he could even leave the room to bathe, she looked at him, confused. Realizing it was just the Reaper's spirit trailing behind him, a smug look crossed her face. Well, considering the Reaper's massive size, she couldn't exactly blame him for being tense.
"Just go ahead and take a bath already. Only we can see it, so there's nothing to worry about."
"No way in hell am I bathing with this creature. It looks like it's going to eat me alive!"
Cana laughed so hard she almost bit her tongue. "Why are you so afraid of it? Is it your first time seeing someone who has the same crimson eyes as yours?"
"I'm not afraid. I'm annoyed."
"Really? Well, I'm not allowing it to merge with you again until you've fully recovered. You've got no choice but to endure it."
Erus ignored her words, turning his sharp glare toward the Reaper instead. "Will you stop staring at me?"
"Hey, Erus can't hear you yet. Blabbering at it is just a waste of breath," Cana said.
"W—What did you say? Was it talking to me, and you can hear it?"
Suppressing a smile, Cana nodded.
Erus sighed heavily. "The hell!"
Mistaking the Reaper for a familiar, he thought he had finally gotten one, yet he still couldn't even hear a single word it said.
"You," he pointed a threatening finger at the Reaper. "While I take a bath, don't look at me, or I'll gouge out your eyes," he firmly warned.
Cana stayed silent, thoroughly enjoying the scene of a man feared by everyone acting like a scared child toward a mere artifact that had come to life.
After Erus left, Cana quickly cleaned up the mess in the room and changed the bedsheets before heading back down to the pub. She smiled, seeing the place lively again and everyone thoroughly enjoying the new menu item. However, the entire tavern fell dead silent the moment they noticed her presence, none of them having any idea what could have happened upstairs.
"Why did they suddenly quiet down?" she asked the helper nearest to her.
"We just... we can't get used to how casual you are with Solari. We honestly thought you died up there," the helper answered truthfully.
The comment made Cana chuckle, stunning the onlookers because her laugh sounded like that of the elven beauties. "Your thoughts are futile." Then, she turned to the customers. "Just enjoy your food, and we will always serve you the best. Erus is mine to handle. Okay?"
Without a second thought, the pub geezers nodded in unison, making her look like their alpha in that moment. Some of them even coughed out their food and drinks upon hearing what she had just said.
Clearing up what was supposed to be a non-issue, Cana headed back to the kitchen to lend her aid. Entering the room, she was greeted by the sight of boiling water and several helpers drinking from glasses of hot water. The scene managed to both amaze and confuse her at the same time.
She thought they were hot, so why on earth were they boiling and drinking hot water now?
Then she caught the way the other helpers were looking at one of the glasses of Heaven's Palate she had made. They looked terrified.
Weren't they all excited just a while ago?
"Is there a problem here?" she asked, startling every breathing creature in the kitchen.
"Ca—Cana! It's good you're back so fast," Letty said, also holding a glass of hot water.
"Why? What's the problem?"
"Mm... please, don't feel bad about what I'm about to say," Letty said humbly, placing the glass of hot water on the table before clasping her hands together.
Cana nodded. She was certain Letty wouldn't do anything foolish.
"The ice you made is a bit too cold for us to handle. I think you've overdone it."
Hearing Letty's words, Cana looked down at the remaining glasses of Heaven's Palate. They didn't look like what Letty was describing. Plus, it didn't even seem that cold. Or was it just her?
She paused for a while, scanning the people inside the kitchen. Then, she let out a long sigh.
Cana got it now. They were far lesser than Erus. They had clear meridians, but very little room for growth.
"I'll adjust it then," she told them.
True to her words, she made adjustments to the ice's temperature that they didn't even think were possible. Cana then had Letty and one of the helpers test the glass with the adjusted temperature. They both nodded in unison, feeling that the temperature was no longer biting to their touch.
Meanwhile, Cana was left puzzled. Having clear meridians or not shouldn't have been an issue when dealing with normal ice, yet these mortals treated it like it was almost going to freeze them to death. Even the blue flame that was supposed to be for Erus alone had been felt by them down here.
Were these people originally just this sensitive to temperature? If that were the case, did that mean Erus was just completely insensitive?