Soon, our food began to arrive, one plate after another.
Mom examined the bread, admiring the crispy exterior and soft, fluffy inside.
"This is baked perfectly..." she said with genuine appreciation.
"Thank you, Miss Westberg. We bake it ourselves," the waitress replied politely before leaving.
Lily eyed the soup warily. "So… this is Orc Meat? Isn't an orc a monster?"
"Try it. You'll love it," I answered with a smile as we all dug in.
"Mmm… it _is_ good, Big Bro," Lily said, already halfway through her first bite.
"Eat slowly. It's not going to run away," I said, glancing at her concernedly.
Miss Sera chuckled softly. "It's fine, Alve. We're all family here, after all."
While we continued eating, Dad took a sip of his cold ale. "This is good. I can see why you always order it."
"Oh! Let me try it too!" Lily said, grabbing her mug of cold ale. She took a sip—and immediately grimaced. "Yuck…"
"I told you, you wouldn't like it," I said, trying not to laugh as I kept eating.
Mom sighed and slid her mug of herbal buttermilk across the table. "Drink this instead. It has a lighter taste."
"Okay..." Lily muttered, visibly sulking.
Miss Sera smiled. "Alve, you and your little sister are completely different."
"Is that a compliment or something else?" I asked, confused.
"No, no—it's a compliment. You also have a wonderful personality, even if it's hidden behind that poker face," she teased, barely holding back a laugh.
Great. She's enjoying herself at my expense again.
As the meal continued, Lily suddenly asked, "Big Bro Alve, since this world has magic… does that mean _I_ can use it too?"
I shook my head. "No. Our bodies reject magic naturally. You won't be able to use it."
"But I heard _you_ can," Lily pressed.
Before I could reply, Miss Sera cut in. "That's because your brother's an idiot."
"Huh?" Lily blinked.
"The way he uses mana is dangerous. It damages his body every time he does it. Don't ever try to copy him," she warned, then softened her voice. "Still… there might be a way. If we're lucky, we could find a method for _you_ to use magic safely."
She looked over at me. "Alve, I'm pretty sure you've already started to figure something out, haven't you? A way for your sister to access mana without harming herself?"
I nodded. "Well, technically I don't _use_ magic. I control mana directly. But yes… I _do_ have a theory."
"You control mana directly?" Miss Sera echoed, then gave a short laugh. "Never mind. I knew you'd figure something out. If it's _you_, I believe it."
She smiled brightly at me.
Looking at her, I wondered why she looked so proud. After all, it was just a theory—it might not even work.
But still… it felt nice to be believed in.