According to Lucian, Votara was once a huge kingdom that rivaled a nearby empire. Over the last century or two, they have lost much of their lands which have since become greatly disputed territories between the surrounding countries. There had been attempts to reclaim the lost lands made over the years but they often failed or had unlucky outcomes for the expeditions. Other countries have tried as well, but met the same fate, leading it to be seen as a no man's land.

Votara's former size seemed to have taken up a large portion of the continent, stretching from beyond the Lazarus mountain chain, to the Montlis Ocean. It had been filled with many of the richest material and resource locations on the continent, which had made the country rich. Now the country was little more than the Loxley Forest, a collection of villages and hamlets, Mythras and wilderness. Ruins dotted the landscape, sticking out like bones from a carcass, and were considered an ill-omen by the locals. The handful of noble families that remain in the country have been stating their distaste for many things the crown has done, and an uprising seems imminent.

Lucian didn't know many of the specifics of the local area, since he came from another continent and had been sent here to be a royal slave by his temple. He spent much of the time dwelling inside the wagon and studying the history and general culture than geography.

Humanoid-centric kingdoms and empires seemed to be the norm for both his continent and this one. He mentioned he came to Reine from across a vast ocean that was filled with wonder and danger.

While it seemed human-focused, non-humans lived in Votara. They were often seen as weaker by the more populous humans and were turned into slaves or lower-class individuals.

Just as there didn't seem to be a strong unifying merchant guild or service that regulated currency and trade, there wasn't one for mercenaries. There were mercenary companies, some quite famous even, but unless they were being paid or hired they didn't do anything unless they were personally involved. There was no real standing army anymore and each city had to almost protect itself. The roads were dangerous to travel, filled with monsters and bandits driven by necessity more than greed lately. There was no organized guard or militia in the towns and villages either.

It was anarchy under the guise of a dying monarchy, and Serena suspected she could reap a bountiful harvest of resources if she played her cards right.

She didn't have a particular desire to rule, though she wouldn't mind it if it came to it. Being an advisor to the Imperial family alongside Veles had taught her much including how it was best to have someone else take on the appearance of the ruling. Someone had to rein in their insanity and whims to prevent the mighty empire from collapsing in on itself.

In many ways, what Veles taught her was how to rule from the shadows. If you appear to be weaker or forced into something, people tend to be more lenient. A misguided second in command, or how it seemed, could easily be the ruler or worse while the ruler was a figurehead.

With a country in such dire need of stability, it wouldn't matter where it came from. Though, she would prefer working in the shadows to not draw a target on her back.

Sometimes along with their discussion, there was a conversation about common skills regarding crafting. It seems if someone acquired a [Basic Crafting] skill, they would be able to formulate ideas in their mind when they looked at potential material.

Say if they needed a basket but all they had was some durable long clumps of grass. Their mind would come up with some ways to create a grass basket. It wasn't an automated process and they had to focus on the task, but they were confident about it.

Basic Crafting opened up a lot of skills by just learning the most general Trade skills. They all started with Basic or Novice followed by the specific trade or crafting/gathering skill.

It made sense for this world, and it would be useful, but Serena hated it.

Just the mere idea of it seemed to be an insult to all her hard work and the time she spent developing her crafting and gathering skills. She didn't like it is so easy, or even possible for that matter.

It made things seem effortless and if anyone could potentially learn these skills, then how would that affect the value of her merchandise.

That's what she was really worried about.

The food they had stored away in some magically enhanced storage boxes and cabinets would last for a while. Ravana had spoken up for the first time in hours to inform her of the preservation runes that were engraved everywhere. They would be useful for her travels and ingredient hunting.

They had some fresh meat that Lucian promised her was venison and rabbit, but the dried jerky was more plentiful. There were some eggs, some wheat, various vegetables and fruits, and other stables like milk and flour. The ingredients that had to be in the fridge were placed in a box that emitted ice elemental magic. Ice and frost-covered them just enough to keep the ingredients chilled for travel. It also helped with keeping any bugs from getting into the food as well.

As the afternoon slowly came to an end, Serena went into the small kitchen within the wagon and began to make a hearty rabbit stew with some of the vegetables they had.

Rabbit meat was something she often had when she was out harvesting ingredients or hunting animals and monsters for material and food. It was always deliciously sweet with a flavorful, slightly gamey character, and was something that could be easily hunted in warmer months. She had tried roasted and braised rabbit, but one of her favorite ways of eating it was as a stew. Rabbit meat needed a good amount of liquid to retain moisture so stews were perfect for that, something she learned through trial and error. When it was cooked slowly, it became a tender, juicy, and delicious meal.

Thankfully, there was some dry red wine in one of the cabinets so she would be able to make one of her favorite rabbit stews.

If she remembered right, she would need a three-pound rabbit, some of the all-purpose flour, some butter, celery, onions, salt, black pepper, a bay leaf, chicken or vegetable broth, and carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, the dry red wine, and cold water.

After double-checking all the ingredients they had, Serena was relieved that she did; 't need to divert from her planned meal.

As Serena gathered the pots and pans, along with the ingredients, she would need for this meal, the blue screen appeared once more.

Through trial and error, and the passion for a good meal, you have unlocked [Basic Cooking] and [Rustic Cooking] Skill and Perk. [Basic Cooking] is the introductory skill and knowledge that many learn at some point in their lives. From this first step, they begin to experiment and learn how to cook new things. Rustic Cooking is a Perk gained by one's in-depth knowledge and skill for cooking that reminds one of home and hearth. The ingredients of which are often farmed fresh or come from hunted animals.

Her pleased smile faltered at the knowledge flooding her mind. It wasn't something that could be done without thought, but it seemed that she would be more confident with measuring out the ingredients at least. When it came to measuring time and knowing when things were done, it seemed to be more instinctual.

Serena shook her head and put the pots and pans on a portable stove top. Between the ice box and the portable stove and oven, were a few counters that she used to chop her vegetables. The celery was chopped roughly but still in amounts that could be avoided when it was cooked. Next, the onions were thinly sliced as the carrots were diced. Four large potatoes were peeled and diced into nice chunks that would melt in their mouth later on.

A pale blue flame burst to life below the pot and pan and she felt mana around it, signaling that a rune activated it.

Finally, she sliced the mushrooms and sauteed them in oil.

Following all that prep, she dredged the rabbit meat in flour while some butter was being melted in one of the pots. Once done with the dredging, Serena carefully browned the meat on all sides.

Once the meat was browned, she added the other ingredients aside from the carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. The bubbling liquid was soon brought to a boil with the power of magical fire.

The magical flame shrunk, bringing it down to a simmer, and Serena placed a cover on top.

Glancing at a rather elaborate wall clock, one that seemed too expensive just like everything else in the wagon, Serena saw that it was about 6:30 pm. It would take two hours to cook the meal to the point of adding the other ingredients. After they were added it would need another half hour of cooking to finish. Dinner would be about 9 PM then, and then they can settle in for the night.

"I didn't expect that you knew how to cook, Lady Serena," Lucian said as he watched her work. "It's rare to see someone of your stature do so."

"My brother taught me to be self-sufficient when possible. He taught me a lot of basic skills from sewing to cooking, to survival and camping. Knowing is important if not essential." She looked up from stirring the soup with a spoon and met his eyes. "If there isn't anything else that needs doing while my food simmers, perhaps you could tell me more about yourself? You've told me little since our first meeting."

"I am unworthy of your attention," Lucian muttered under his breath before looking away from her.

Serena frowned at him, her mind racing as it tried to figure out what to say. "If I didn't see you as valuable and important, or t the very least interesting, I wouldn't be so stressed with trying to find a way to help you." Her voice was quiet but firm as she continued working on her soup.

Lucian sighed at her words. "Please my lady, there is no reason to concern yourself with me. I am deeply honored by your care, but I don't want you to become filthy due to interacting with me."

Does he genuinely believe this or is he just trying to distance himself from me? Serena thought to herself.

She paused for a moment when he mentioned being dirty, wondering if he had been talking about something other than physical dirtiness. She decided that maybe if they talked more in-depth about things then there would be less confusion for both of them. Serena smiled slightly and put down the spoon before speaking up again. "I don't think you are dirty. Quite the opposite. I feel you are very pure-hearted in ways."

"You're wrong about that," Lucian said quietly, his voice low as his gaze remained focused on the pot of soup simmering over the fire. His hand moved up and rubbed his neck tensely where his collar was tight around it and his skin was pale and smooth against the fabric and cloth underneath it.

Serena blinked and looked away from him after seeing how uncomfortable he was becoming at her words. "It would seem that I need to give you a reason to care about yourself or at least to be able to imagine a better life."

He started to laugh madly while shaking his head at her words. "My lady, you have no idea what my situation is like!"

Her eyes narrowed at this sudden behavior change but she kept quiet instead of pressing further.

After a long time, he stopped laughing abruptly, looking down into the soup with a thoughtful expression on his face. He shook his head again before sighing deeply, his shoulders slumping as if all of his tension had been released by this small action alone. After taking another deep breath, Lucian spoke softly. "I am an outcast, Lady Serena. A fey changeling that had been given to a high-class establishment as a future exotic entertainer shortly after I was switched with a human babe as a newborn myself. All I knew was slavery, even as I was given the highest education to better please my potential clients. I have always been filthy, and not even when the temple bought me did that change."

"I will make sure that you will be happy to be alive, one day." She said firmly, though there was still sadness in her voice despite her determination.

That seemed to take him off-guard as the unhinged laughter began again. This time it sounded more like he wasn't trying very hard at keeping himself under control. She could practically hear the smile in his voice. "You are so kind."

No, I'm not.

She noticed that Lucian kept strangely looking at her like he wanted something from her. His gaze shifted away slowly until his eyes were focused on the soup.

"The magical fire here speeds up cooking time. It looks about ready. We should inform that suspicious man it's time to rest for the night. "

Lucian looked out the window and continued loudly, "Stranger, we should rest for the night. Dinner is already finished."

Serena looked at the time and saw it was 8:30 PM. She must have been enthralled in Lucian's laughing fit to miss the passing of time.

She cursed at herself for missing this time to search through their supplies but she could do it tomorrow. Dinner was going to be awkward enough, and she had a conversation with Ravana after this.