Yiyi was the only sensible person in that party of players.
Annan was relieved when Lin Yiyi intervened.
The food in the Duke’s Mansion was delicious, but it wasn’t exactly extravagant — a serving of pan-seared lamb chops, a plate of sliced sausages, a small plate of pickles, followed by a bowl of salad, a bowl of stewed pears, and a dish similar to buns filled with a fish and egg mixture.
Most of them were served because of Annan.
After all, Annan was going through puberty. He held a Silver Rank combat profession. Even without much exercise or battle, the daily workout and the winter cold were enough to have him eating the equivalent of two adult-sized meals.
Regarding Ivan’s current health condition, the doctors had warned him that he could only consume steamed or stewed meat — fried, grilled, or raw food was strictly prohibited. He shouldn’t overeat, nor was he allowed to eat cold food.
Food like buns was food specifically arranged for Ivan. It was later spread to the Austere-Winter folk.
It was less taxing on Ivan’s body since it was leavened, made of fermented dough. Plus, Ivan himself despised wasting food. Even if his physical condition weren’t great, he would still try to finish any leftovers.
Therefore, Winter’s Hand, who was responsible for taking care of Ivan’s body, was meticulous with Ivan’s diet. They would rather serve a lesser portion rather than serving too much food.
The “bun” filled with meat and eggs would ensure nutrition without over-serving. A plate of these buns and a few slices of pickles constituted Ivan’s meal, and it was designed to be as low in oil and salt as possible.
Forget about the Grand Duke. Even the noble and ordinary businessman who didn’t even have a manor would not have such a simple diet.
However, Ivan didn’t have the slightest dislike for this simple food.
Not only was Ivan eating carefully and seriously, but he also ate at a slower pace.
Mainly when chewing, it took quite a while to swallow.
It wasn’t that he was an old man with missing teeth.
Instead, Ivan’s body was frail, and he lacked muscle strength.
Not only did he need a walking cane to move around… Even spending too long eating would leave Ivan feeling tired.
Although he was just middle-aged, his eating habits, movement, and sleep schedule were similar to those of an elderly person. Only Ivan’s neat, pearly white teeth could prove that he was not yet an old man.
Annan heard from Aunt Zoya, the “ring finger”, that Grand Duke Ivan usually ate a bun the size of a fist and a bowl of pear stew without sugar. Since Ivan ate two buns that day, his appetite was considered excellent.
The reason behind it should be Annan’s rare presence at home.
Although Ivan didn’t have any expression on his face and he didn’t feel any joy in his heart, his appetite had improved.
As a member of the Austere-Winter Family, Ivan couldn’t eat cold food.
In a way, it felt like an insult.
However, Ivan obeyed the doctor’s instructions to live longer.
That was because Austere-Winter Dukedom couldn’t be without him.
Grand Duke Ivan’s body was already overburdened.
In the past two weeks, he had multiple dreams where he transformed into a dragon, soaring the skies with his kin… but every time, he woke up just in the nick of time, choosing to return to his own body.
Ivan knew that it was the Old Grandmother calling him.
The [Austere Winter’s Blood] flowed in his body.
That was genuine dragon blood.
A mortal’s heart and muscles simply could not bear the great power of the dragon’s blood. This was the truth about Ivan’s incurable disease.
His spirit would likely turn into a dragon if he were to pass away. He would return to the Old Grandmother’s realm, becoming her envoy.
When Ivan became the envoy of an upright deity, Ivan would regain a healthy and robust body. He wouldn’t have to live in such struggle and pain.
Just like his father and grandfather.
Deities chose their envoy in different ways. However, in general, the envoys of the deities were those They loved the most.
For example, the Red Knight chose His envoys from “chevaliers” who had demonstrated valor on the battlefield and died without fear or remorse for their deaths. Even if they were just mortals in their lifetime, they would become immortal Silver Rank “chevaliers” once they became an envoy.
Meanwhile, the Silver Sire would select astute bankers or legendary merchants — usually, they were His popes and cardinals or major merchants from other nations.
In their lifetimes, they might have made important discoveries or had “sales” experiences referenced in legends. But without a doubt, they were among the most brilliant and discerning individuals in the world.
If they didn’t offend Silver Sire, they would be promoted to “managers” after death, gaining immortality in another sense. Their job was to help the Church of Silver Sire continue to expand its territory or run various local businesses.
Another name for them was “Silver Guide”. In fact, there was also a summoning ritual called “Summon: Silver Guide”.
However, the ritualists summoned the Silver Guides not to let them help in the battle but to let them help in starting a business.
In the same way, there were Mysterious Lady’s “Classical Scholars” and Grail-holding Lady’s “Desire Evoker”. When the ritualists summoned them, it was not for them to be enforcers.
In theory, any deities could have their envoys. The ritual that gave birth to the envoy was part of the deity’s power. They could respond to rituals in their respective realm on behalf of the deity. Their main role was essentially customer service.
Of course, some deities were more withdrawn and preferred to avoid being surrounded by envoys all the time.
For example, Bell Ringer Oik did not have an envoy. The Paper Princess liked to travel alone and did not recruit any envoy.
If the deities did not specifically retain souls to create envoys, these souls would have been “buried” by the Bone Burying Grandma. Over the course of twelve years, they would have gradually settled and returned to the world’s origin. This could be seen as a kind of “reincarnation,” though there was no direct connection between the previous life and the next.
If the souls of the deceased failed to return, it could be seen as a depletion of the world’s fundamental forces – after all, there was an output without any return. From this perspective, the existence of “undead” could be considered a kind of smuggling.
Envoys were a type of undead too. The only difference was that their deities had made up for this loss of power, thus legitimizing their existence.
“Annan.” Ivan hesitated for a long time, but as he watched Annan eating, he made up his mind. “I have heard our grandmother’s call. I think it’s about time for you to take the three-color scepter.”
“Because I’m about to transform into a dragon.”
Annan stopped eating after hearing this.
He took a deep look at Ivan.
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