Chapter 40: The Golden Sugarcane Is Ripe

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Golden Sugarcane Is Ripe

Since there were quite a few elderly males in the Golden Dragon Clan, Ophelia boiled three massive pots of prickly ash water. By the time evening arrived, the concoction was finally ready.

"Tyler, go fetch a few wooden buckets." Ophelia scooped up a spoonful of the prickly ash water and brought it to her nose. The spicy, aromatic scent wafted out, its mere smell enough to make one feel warm all over. "Have the elderly males come over and get the water."

"Got it." Tyler stood up from his spot in the kitchen and walked toward the adjacent stone house.

Because roasting meat in the kitchen inevitably caused a bit of a commotion, Laxus had arranged for the elderly males’ living quarters to be situated right next door. Thanks to Ophelia’s early warnings, the mountain stockpile of firewood and daily necessities was more than sufficient.

Tyler strolled up to the door of the stone house and called out loudly, "The Princess has boiled prickly ash water. Hurry to the kitchen and fetch some."

A roomful of elderly males sitting in a circle exchanged bewildered glances. They all wondered what prickly ash water could possibly be. They had lived for more than half their lives, yet they had never heard of such a thing. Still, driven by curiosity, they followed Tyler to the kitchen.

The moment they stepped inside, it felt as though they had entered a misty wonderland. However, this white vapor seemed to have eyes of its own, wafting with pinpoint accuracy into the noses of the elderly males and making them sneeze uncontrollably.

"Princess, what exactly is this prickly ash water?" an elderly male with snow-white hair asked curiously, staring at the reddish-brown liquid steaming in the stone pot. In just a few short minutes, the fumes had turned his eyes red, and his sneezes followed one after another.

"It’s prickly ash water. It’s used to dispel the cold," Ophelia explained patiently. "If you soak your feet in it before bed, you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep."

Several of the elderly males looked at one another in doubt. They had sought out many clan doctors to treat their joint pain, yet no one had ever found a cure. They all wondered if this strange-smelling water could really dispel the cold and treat their ailments.

Viner, the elderly male who had previously gotten into an argument with the younger males, stepped forward. "Let’s give it a try. The Princess wouldn’t harm us." Although he had never heard of this "prickly ash" either, he figured things couldn’t get any worse. They might as well try it. If it worked—even if it only slightly eased their pain—it would be worth it.

Seeing Viner speak up, the other elderly males didn’t hesitate any longer. It was just soaking their feet in hot water, after all; it wasn’t as if they would lose a layer of skin. One by one, they held up their wooden basins to receive their share of the prickly ash water.

Back in the elderly dormitory, over two dozen males aged over fifty sat on wooden stools. Wearing expressions akin to marching toward their deaths, they slowly lowered their legs into the wooden buckets. At first, they were a bit apprehensive, sharply pulling their feet back the moment they touched the scalding water. But when someone finally plunged their feet all the way into the bucket and let out a sigh of comfort, the others gradually felt reassured enough to submerge their own feet completely.

"Phew, it actually feels pretty good."

"Yeah, my body feels so warm after soaking. It feels like my leg pain has gotten a lot better."

The next day, Ophelia was awakened by the chatter of the elderly males outside her stone house. She walked out and comfortably stretched her arms. Seeing her emerge, the elderly males gathered around with beaming smiles.

"Princess Ophelia, that prickly ash water of yours is amazing! My legs didn’t hurt as much when I slept yesterday. I was finally able to get a peaceful night’s rest."

"That’s right! Last night was the best sleep I’ve had since the rainy season began."

"The Princess is incredible to know that prickly ash can treat joint pain."

Feeling the approving gazes of the elderly males, Ophelia actually felt a bit embarrassed. She awkwardly scratched her head and chuckled softly. "You have dedicated your lives to the tribe. It is only right that I help you. From now on, I will boil prickly ash water for you every day. Just come and fetch it every evening."

Grayson, the clan doctor, had overheard the entire exchange. Naturally, he knew that the elderly males’ joint pain had improved thanks to the prickly ash water. Pursing his lips, he stepped forward. "Princess, since the prickly ash water is so effective, could you give me some prickly ash so I can study its medicinal properties?"

Although the Beast World had already discovered some herbal medicines capable of treating illnesses, they were far from enough. Grayson came from a family that had produced clan doctors for several generations, and he personally loved studying herbs. Now that he knew these small red granules could treat joint pain, he naturally wanted to understand their medicinal properties.

Ophelia was naturally generous. "Of course. If your medical skills improve, it will be a blessing for our Golden Dragon Clan."

"Princess, how did you know that prickly ash water has the ability to dispel the cold?" Grayson asked earnestly.

"I heard it from an elderly Wolf Beast back when I was in the Snow Wolf Clan," Ophelia replied, her azure eyes darting around slightly as she lied without batting an eye.

That evening, Grayson also joined in the work of boiling the prickly ash water.

Five days later, the rain was still pouring.

The sugarcane and pears in her farm space were fully grown. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was around, she entered the space, used the sickle provided by the system to chop the sugarcane into thirds, and hid them along with the pears inside a clay vat to avoid drawing attention. The next day, she nonchalantly pulled a dozen stalks of golden sugarcane out of the vat, acting as if they had been there all along.

In the kitchen, Ophelia grabbed a sharply honed Bone Knife and forcefully chopped into the middle of a stalk of golden sugarcane.

"Tyler, do it like me, and then use the knife to peel off the sugarcane rind," she instructed.

After speaking, Ophelia held the knife in one hand and stood the sugarcane upright with the other. She slid the sharp blade between the tough rind and the pulp, flicked her wrist slightly outward, and a whole strip of rind peeled off effortlessly.

Tyler followed her example. At first, he was a bit clumsy, and the rind would break off halfway down. But after peeling three to five stalks, he got the hang of it. Combined with his immense male strength, he ended up peeling them incredibly fast and clean.

Seeing the firelight glowing in the kitchen, Ali came over out of curiosity. Her almond eyes widened when she saw the long, golden stalks in Ophelia’s hands.

"Ophelia, what is that in your hand? Is it edible?" she asked.

"This is golden sugarcane, and it’s very sweet. Do you want a taste?" Ophelia handed her a piece of peeled sugarcane.

Ali, who was a foodie by nature and placed immense trust in Ophelia, bit into it without a second thought. She took a huge bite of the sugarcane. After chewing twice, the sweet juice exploded on her tongue, filling her entire mouth with its rich sweetness.

"Ophelia, this is so delicious!" Ali chewed with gusto, letting the sugary juice soak her mouth as clear droplets trickled from the corners of her lips.

The look in her eyes as she stared at Ophelia grew even more adoring. Ophelia always had fresh, interesting, and delicious things on hand. She was simply amazing!

Before long, all the juice had been sucked out of the sugarcane. The entire chunk was reduced to a tiny, tough wad in her mouth. Thinking nothing of it, Ali tried to swallow it down like she normally did with food. She gulped a couple of times, only to feel a prickly sensation scratching at the back of her throat. She tried swallowing with more force, but it only triggered a violent fit of coughing.