Positive little sun, magical girl, I am awesome

"Dingling--dinging--"

It was already the third day of the journey. Lilith sat in the carriage, boredly counting the regular sound of horse bells outside. She still had the book "A Brief History of Gaia" in her hand, but she couldn't read a single word. This was her first time traveling far away from home, and she was a little excited.

She opened the window and looked outside. A wave of heat hit her face. In such a hot summer, the knights escorting them were still meticulously wearing armor. She was shocked and retreated back into the carriage.

"Is father's rule so strict?" she casually asked Ram who was accompanying her.

"The Viscount does not employ any knights, but he does have some mercenaries to take care of his daily security. These are the Countess's personal knights, specially sent here to ensure your safety." The head maid said word by word.

Lilith raised her eyebrows. She had never expected this stepmother to be such a powerful person. Not knowing if it was just a show of power, she only replied cautiously, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, mother."

"This is as it should be. You are the daughter of the lady, and you should be educated and protected by her." Ram saw Lilith rummaging around in the car again. "Even this car was specially prepared by her to pick you up."

"The magic pattern too?" Lilith was interested. This was her first time to come into contact with a magic creation. In such a hot summer, it felt like entering an air-conditioned room in the future, and it was a completely silent version. She was really curious for a long time. After finding that Ram did not restrict her words and actions, she couldn't help but touch it everywhere, trying to figure out the principle of this car.

Ram motioned for her to look up, and she looked at the roof, only then did she realize that some of the circles of patterns that looked like decorative patterns were carefully engraved.

She raised her hand and touched it, and indeed felt the cold chill seeping out from these unrecognizable symbols.

"If I learn it, can I draw one in the Shelley family's brewery? Then everyone won't have to work day and night to make wine before the Shelley fruit spoils." Lilith muttered.

"It's a good idea, Miss. But the drawing of magic patterns is very complicated, and only magicians who are proficient in this field can complete it. And--" Ram lifted the blanket on the ground, revealing a small secret compartment. "The power of the magic pattern will dissipate over time. If you want it to keep running for a long time, you need magic stones to charge it." She opened the secret compartment, and inside was a box full of tiny magic stones. The stones were shining, and the light around them seemed to bend and change constantly. Lilith felt a little dizzy after just one look.

"But the Philosopher's Stone is only for use by the Church of Light, the nobility, and the Mages Guild. Commoners are not allowed to touch it. If you use it in the brewery, it may cause trouble for them." Ram closed the secret compartment and put the blanket back on.

Lilith turned her back and curled her lips secretly. What? It sounds like just a new energy battery, but there are restrictions on its usage. If it could be used in industry and agriculture, perhaps the world would have developed rapidly long ago.

"Such a good carriage must have cost a lot." Lilith asked casually, staring at the magic pattern on the roof.

"The annual income of an ordinary farmer is probably enough to run this car for three days. But you are a lady, so this is nothing." Ram said with her head down.

"It's really expensive..." Lilith sighed while stroking her fingers. I just don't know what price she needs to pay for such an expensive gift...

She lay back on the soft couch prepared for her in the carriage and asked, "Is there anything that mother likes? I am a little worried that there is no birthday present prepared in advance." She was really curious about her stepmother.

Ram looked up at the leisurely Lilith, and did not see any fear in the little girl. A little girl who had just turned twelve left her hometown alone and embarked on a journey with a group of strangers. She did not cry or make a fuss, and did not seem to have any resistance to Mrs. Taylor. She really did not look like a child who grew up in the wild in the countryside. If she was not really naive to the point of being stupid, then she was a little too smart...

"You seem to be only interested in your mother's affairs, Miss." Ram did not answer Lilith's question immediately. "If you want to know anything about Mr. James Friar, you can ask me."

Lilith smiled and said, "Thank you, but I already know my father well enough. He doesn't like me and doesn't want to see me. This is enough for me to know."

"..." Ram didn't expect the child to be so blunt.

"But fortunately, he is not a stingy person." Lilith thought for a moment and added. She had seen the account book kept by the housekeeper. Compared with the expenses sent by the cheap old man every year, the revenue of the brewery was simply a drop in the bucket. Every year, Mary could save a considerable amount of gold coins for Lilith's small treasury.

"...Mr. Freyr is indeed a generous and responsible gentleman. He is deeply loved by the residents of the territory." Ram nodded. She wanted to say that the Freyr family was a happy family that everyone in Tanding County envied, but when she thought about the person she was talking to, she swallowed it back. "I believe that after this meeting, your relationship will become closer and closer."

"Do you know the Taylor family, Miss?" Ram returned to the issue of Lilith.

Lilith shook the brief history in her hand and said lazily, "All I know is limited to this book. I know that the Taylor family was once a king-supporter, and that they had produced more than one of the Empire's First Knights, and assisted many Bishops to ascend the throne." Lilith blinked. "That's all."

Ram nodded proudly. "Yes, the Taylor family is a family of knights. Every member of the Taylor family must be able to hold a sword since they can walk, with the goal of becoming the first knight of the empire."

"But..." Lilith interrupted, opened the "A Brief History of Gaia" and quickly flipped through the pages, "I remember the last name of the knight of Bishop VII. It was Luo, Luo..."

"Russell."

"That's right! Russell." Lilith looked up with a smile after checking, but found that Ram's face did not look very good at this moment.

"Master Taylor... that is, Madam's father, was recognized as the strongest knight in the empire at that time, and he almost never lost in the arena. However, the situation at that time changed a little..." Ram seemed unwilling to elaborate on this. "Master chose to give up the honor and passed the title to Madam, and then became a wandering knight."

Lilith blinked. There was gossip, but people didn’t want to talk about it. What a pity.

"Although the lady did not inherit the mantle of a knight, she still grew up holding a sword. So the things she likes are only related to swords." When Ram mentioned the Countess, his eyes became much softer.

Lilith raised her eyebrows. This was something she had never expected. She felt that her stepmother was a bit cool.

"Do you like swords? I'll remember that." Lilith nodded. She smiled and looked at Ram who was sitting in the corner. "Thanks for your company along the way, Ms. Ram. If it weren't for you, I would have to grope my way forward like a blind man. You are really an honest and kind head maid."

Ram smiled back and said, "This is my duty. I sincerely hope that you can get along well with the lady and the young lady. They are all very good people. Tanding County is your real hometown. You don't need to feel uneasy."

Lilith smiled, picked up the book and covered her face with it, closing her eyes and taking a nap. She didn't recognize that Tanding County was her hometown.

Seeing that Lilith had no intention of continuing to ask questions, Ram also closed his eyes and rested.

The carriage fell silent.