Chapter 12 - Her Family
"Here is your refrigerator!" Seraphina eagerly clasped her hands. "This is a historical innovation that may overturn the market! With the Icrea stone that powered ice magic, one might store food at a low temperature much like the Northerans kept theirs under the winter snow! It\'s really amazing how can you come up with this splendid idea!" she exclaimed, her eyes blazing.
"Let\'s just say I\'m a natural genius," Malaya answered with a beaming smile. "However, without your skill, I wouldn\'t be able to turn this concept into a reality."
Malaya walked up to the two-door refrigerator and opened it, feeling the cool wind from the interior. It appeared to be far better than she had hoped. There was no need for electricity because it was powered by magic. It seems to have an infinite supply of electricity for power.
\'Ah.\' If magic existed on Earth, she would not have to worry about power costs and would be able to use the endless air conditioners for the whole summer.
"Is it really okay if I acquire the patent for this wonderful work and just give you ten percent of the revenues every year?" Seraphina inquired. "If these are mass-produced, they might earn a great deal of money."
"It\'s okay, you\'re the one who made it, not me. But retain the ten percent at yourself for the time being. And as long as you keep where the idea originated from a secret, things will be fine." Malaya said.
"If you said so. I respect your wishes." Seraphina then shifted to her left side. "Then what are you going to do with this cylindrical metal? They are a total of one thousand, precisely as you asked. I really regret making tin that might have been used to make copper coins for all of this."
\'My lady bought a whole mine just to make this? What\'s the use of these things?\' Rein glanced at the metal-like cups on the table.
"My lady is this a new kind of cup to use! They certainly looked shinier!" Dorris picked one and shook it up and down.
They both glance to a table where there are tin cans placed. "Those are not simply metals or cups. They are called cans." Malaya picked one and observed it. "They can be used perfectly to preserve food."
"These, to preserve foods?" Seraphina asked with confusion.
"Yes. Just like this refrigerator. And they are much easier to carry around too, especially these cans, they can preserve acidic foods such as tomatoes very well." Malaya said. "With these two, our preparations for food are almost complete. Please deliver these to our residence now Dorris."
"Yes!" Dorris nodded her head and a magic array was formed under the refrigerator. In an instant, it disappeared. The next thing they did was put the three cans on the table on the wooden craters that already had the other cans. Dorris focused her hands on them once again and just like what happened to the refrigerator the cans disappeared.
"How convenient," Seraphina said.
\'True. Dorris\' teleportation magic was very reliable.\' Malaya couldn\'t help but smile. But she could see that Dorris was already tired. At best, she could only use her teleportation three times a day. More than that would lead her to collapse.
"Thank you for your hard work Dorris." Malaya patted her back. "Now there is only one thing we need to do, Rein have you got all the things I told you to get?"
"Yes, Milady. They are already at your residence warehouse."
"Great!" Malaya turned to Seraphina. "Now that everything is settled, please accept this full payment of the services you have provided us."
Rein stepped in and handed a pouch of coins which Seraphina just pushed back. "I don\'t need it anymore but in exchange..." She rushed in front of Malaya and held her hands.
"Tell me what are these things you mentioned? Are you planning to create something new again? Why aren\'t you telling me? Please tell me?!" She bombarded Malaya with a number of questions one after another.
Malaya gently put away Seraphina\'s hands. "First of all, well yes. You could say we are planning to create something. But it was some kind of food."
"Food!" Both Seraphina\'s and Dorris\' eyes sparkled.
\'Why did Dorris join her too? Good grief.\' "You can come with us if you want to. It will be much easier to see rather than explaining. Dorris..." Malaya turned to Dorris. "Let\'s go now to the residence."
"It\'s already prepared!" Dorris happily exclaimed as she gestured to the magic circle now.
\'That was fast.\' Malaya and the others stepped on the array and they disappeared in an instant.
---⚓⚓⚓---
When they opened their eyes again, Malaya found herself staring at the vast blue ocean. The cold breeze dampened her face as she smelled the salty smell of the sea.
"It\'s been a long time since I returned here," Malaya spoke with nostalgia. She was standing currently on a cliff and below them were the roaring waves of the sea.
"Not really that long, Milady. You\'ve been here just last week." Dorris said.
\'Way to ruin a moment.\' "Yeah. Thanks for reminding me, Dorris." Malaya said but her usual smile looked a bit strained.
"Pfft." Malaya glared at Rein who looked like stopping himself from laughing. Then a towering shadow of a huge ship passed through them.
"Wow! So this is Marina Island!" Seraphina looked around. "That\'s one hella huge ship!"
"It\'s a ship belonging to the navy. You see the dark blue flag with the mark of an anchor and sun together, that\'s the symbol of the naval army of Marina." Rein explained.
"Is this your first time being here?" Dorris inquired.
"Yes, it is!" Seraphina\'s eyes sparkled with wonder and excitement.
"We could have sightseeing later after we are done with our work today," Malaya said. "Let\'s go now." Malaya then walked towards a huge rock. She was going to press her palm on it but she paused midair when she saw that the two rings in her finger became one.
\'Ah. That ring, I used to heal Kayden. I hope I won\'t encounter any one of them or it will be just painful to make some kind of reason why it is gone.\' She pressed her palm on the rock and the single ring with blue gemstone on her index glowed. A small magic circle with an anchor image came to a view where Malaya pressed her palm.
Then moments later, a huge door glowing with blue light appeared in front of them. "Let\'s enter now," Malaya said as she retreated her hands. She walked towards the door that opened up itself. The three followed behind her.
They appeared inside of a huge mansion. One thing that was very noticeable was the long staircase and in the middle and on it where a huge statue of a woman with a trident, water was coming out from the trident, forming a fountain.
"MALAYA!" Malaya immediately became pale when she heard that shout. She immediately stepped aside when her sister came running to her. A loud sound of someone falling was heard behind.
"My, my, dear. Your sister just came home and you are already causing some trouble for her in front of her guests."
"Mother, I\'m home." Malaya was panicking inside her mind. \'Why are they here? I thought they were on a vacation in some faraway land.\' She tried to hide her fingers so that they won\'t see that she doesn\'t have the ring that they gave her.
"Meanie! How can you evade your sister like that!"
"I\'m home, Cynthia." Malaya smiled at her eldest sister. Cynthia Drenaya Marina. Her hair has the same dark blue but her eyes are in a shade of pink.
"It\'s unfair! How can you smile like that as if nothing happened." Cynthia whined but she received a smack in her head from a fan.
"Have some manners," Veronica Echeas Marina opened her fan and covered her mouth with grace. She is Malaya\'s mother. She has bright red hair and pinkish eyes.
"What\'s this ruckus all about?" They all turned to the one who was descending the stairs. "I see so it\'s you. You should have been to school. What is this that I hear, you ask your school to have a one-month leave?" Darren Cherrio Marina, the second son of Duke Marina.
Since their father passed away and their eldest brother Jules disappeared, he became now the head of the family. He has the same features as Malaya, the only difference is his eyes are in a shade of darker blue.
He gazed at Malaya with coldness.
"Brother, I\'ve returned." Malaya bowed. Of all the people she didn\'t wish to meet today, her brother was definitely on the number one list.
Everyone could feel the quick change in the mood and the heavy atmosphere that surrounded the air.
"You still haven\'t answered my question."
"I\'m now planning for my trip. And I have completed all of my tasks when I requested a leave." Malaya didn\'t raise her head to gaze into her brother\'s blue eyes. His hatred-filled eyes.
"This voyage again! You know that\'s an impossible dream of yours. None have ever gone past the Red Current and make it out to the continent. Do you think a magicless person like you will ever make it there! That is why our father and Jules..."
"Darren! That\'s enough!" Both Malaya\'s mother and Cynthia shouted at the same time.
"It\'s alright mother, Cynthia. Everything he said is true." Malaya looked intently at his brother\'s eyes this time. "I know what I did and I\'m ready to make it up with my life through this voyage. I apologize brother but no matter what you say, I will do as I wish." Malaya turned around. Her voice sounded sullen but firm.
"Dorris, Rein, Seraphina. Let\'s go." Malaya started walking away heading to the front door. The guards opened the door for her and the three followed without uttering a single word. "It\'s nice to see you again brother, after all this time. I hope you had a great day \'cause you completely ruined mine." Malaya completely went out and the door closed.
\'Most of the transmigration stories don\'t have a happy start and that is also the same as mine.\' Malaya looked above. The skies were clear and yet her heart was clouded with a heavy feeling.