As night fell, the moon shone with sparse stars, and the moist sea breeze blew over the beach and into the spacious treehouse, covered in vines, bringing wafts of refreshing essence.
"Dinner's ready!"
With a clear shout, the Great Witch Circe pushed open the wooden door and brought dish after dish of hot food to the table.
There were fresh and delicious seafood like fish, shrimp, clams, and crabs, roasted two-legged flying dragon that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and a thick soup mixed with wild vegetables and mushrooms from the forest, emitting waves of fragrance... The lavish meal before their eyes was indeed saliva-inducing.
However, seated on one side, Luo En swallowed saliva as he looked at the full spread on the table, his expression as if facing a formidable enemy.
What day was it today that it had suddenly become so extravagant?
Could it be his last meal? He had just stepped on a minefield in the afternoon.
Just as Luo En's suspicion arose, Circe, who had set down the plates, glanced at the wayward disciple beside her. Then, with the moonlight behind her, she looked towards the sandy beach along the coast and couldn't help but mutter to herself.
"How fast time flies, sixteen years in the blink of an eye."
"Indeed."
Luo En's tense face gradually relaxed, and his eyes shimmered with reminiscence.
He remembered—this seemed to be the day Circe had picked him up from the beach and brought him home.
—It was also another kind of birthday.
No wonder he had forgotten this detail...
Luo En knocked on his head, feeling slightly at ease, and with a smile, he picked up the knife and fork, cut off a thick slab of roasted dragon meat, and passed it courteously to his teacher, adding his heartfelt well-wishes.
"Thank you for raising me all these years."
"I never thought you'd actually survive..."
As she revisited the past, the straightforward Circe also couldn't help feeling emotional.
"Aww!"
Before the Great Witch could say more, Luo En's forehead veins throbbed involuntarily, and he stuffed a large piece of roasted dragon meat from the fork into the Great Witch's mouth, giving her a physical "deep throat" to silence her non-stop chatter.
It was just like bringing up exactly what should not be mentioned.
As everyone knows, during the Age of Greek Gods, there was a fine tradition of family backstabbing; being kind and filial was the basic practice, and not slaughtering a few relatives on the way out was almost shameful.
In such a harmonious context, expecting profound bonds and affection between parents and offspring was sheer fantasy.
Therefore, once offspring were capable of independent living, they were typically kicked out of the house by their elders to fend for themselves.
Circe was no exception and was also an early product of emancipation.
So for a witch who had lived alone since childhood, educational concepts like "teaching tirelessly," "gentle guidance," and "tailored instruction" were simply non-existent.
Naturally, the way she raised and taught Luo En followed this excellent family tradition.
Such experiences as being chased by Magic Beasts that hadn't eaten for days, playing underwater hide-and-seek with sea monsters, or stealing sheep from the neighboring Cyclops were all part of Luo En's upbringing.
Although this woman was often heavy-handed and it was hard to say she qualified as a nurturing mother or teacher, after more than ten years of companionship, they had developed a deep affection for each other.
She was probably the closest person to him since he had come to this world.
"Forget it, let's just throw it away," whispered a despaired Circe.
Luo En's trip down memory lane was interrupted by the mumbling in his ear.
Turning around, he saw Circe about to toss that brown-black cake out the window.
"What's the rush? A bit of a charred taste can make a cake even more delicious."
Standing beside her, Luo En without further ado snatched the cake that was about to be thrown away, broke off a piece, and started to chew on it.
Circe froze, then snapped back to reality, turning her head to stare at Luo En in astonishment, her eyes shimmering with a surprise as if things had taken a turn for the better.
"You ate it? You really ate it! How does it taste?"
"Hmm, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, not bad," said Luo En, as he chewed and swallowed with some difficulty, offering an honest opinion.
Despite the fact that it bore little resemblance to the soft and sweet cake he remembered, the perfect char gave it a flavor reminiscent of creamed cornbread.
"If you like it, eat more!"
Circe's voice sounded exceptionally cheerful, her face beaming as she eagerly broke off a large chunk of the cake and handed it over to her beloved pupil.
Luo En accepted Circe's kindness, calling out familiarly,
"Teacher, the taste is really not bad, you should eat, too."
"No need, it was made especially for you. I'm satisfied just watching you eat," Circe said, waving her hands dismissively and then dragging over a chair to sit on, resting her chin in one hand, her youthful cheeks lifted in excitement as she watched her pupil with great interest.
That look she had, seemed somehow... extraordinary?
All of a sudden, Luo En, about to lift another piece of cake to his mouth, froze halfway, his voice gradually turning dry.
"What did you add to it?"
"I spent a long time perfecting the filling syrup! It's the Hygieian Porridge 2.0 version!"
Circe waved her little arms excitedly, proudly presenting her creation.
"Not only did I infuse the unique rye fragrance of that thing into the cake, but I also developed over a dozen different flavors based on the various ingredients like honey, fruit juice, and cheese..."
As the Great Witch prattled on, Luo En felt his head spinning, his body and limbs shriveling up.
"Gurgle..."
With a strange noise squeezed from his throat, the world went dark for the victim, who, overwhelmed by an indescribable frustration, lost consciousness into chaos.
Amidst the chaos of falling dishes, Circe hopped down from her chair, reached into the pile of clothing on the floor, and excitedly pulled out a pink and tender little piglet.
"Ahahaha, try not sleeping with me now, no running away this time!"
As the quiet moonlight retreated, the night grew dense and, on the island of Aiaia, the Witch of the Eagle, holding onto her captured prize, bounced happily toward her bedroom.