[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-born-as-a-witch":3,"chapter-born-as-a-witch-born-as-a-witch-chapter-254":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Born as a Witch",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1702401,2172,"Chapter 254: Relaxing with pan Lyron","born-as-a-witch-chapter-254",254,"\u003Cp>As the sun began to dip lower, streaking the sky with orange and rose, Lyron sprang to his feet, flute tucked under his arm. His eyes twinkled mischievously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve tasted the fruit of my vines,\" he said, lifting a golden cluster high. \"But now—you will see their true gift.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stamped one hoof against the ground, and the vineyard seemed to shimmer. The grapes in their baskets glowed faintly, as though responding to his call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How do you make wine, you ask? Not with barrels and presses—no, no, no!\" He wagged his finger dramatically. \"Not here. Here, wine is born of song, laughter, and a little forest magic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia tilted her head, curious. \"You’re telling me all it takes is music?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lyron grinned. \"And dance!\" He lifted his flute and blew a playful tune, light and quick, like birdcalls chasing each other through the trees. The grape clusters in their baskets trembled, rolling gently as if alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dance, my friends!\" Lyron urged, clapping his hands. \"The grapes must feel your joy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maelin, laughing, was the first to jump up. She grabbed Patricia’s hand, dragging her into a spin beneath the vines. Their skirts swirled as they twirled, laughter bubbling like a spring. Renkai shifted halfway into his fox form, ears flicking as he grabbed Lira’s hand with a mischievous grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on, teacher,\" he teased, pulling her into the dance. \"Let’s see if your steps are better than your aim with grapes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fluffy darted between their legs, batting at swirling skirts and tails, mewing with excitement. Even Thalanir, usually so composed, shifted into his deer form and began prancing beautifuly in rhythm, much to everyone’s delight. Serelyth stood back at first, arms crossed, but when Lyron gave her a daring look, she finally sighed, then spun once with such grace that the ground itself seemed to hum in approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they danced, Lyron’s flute grew louder, his tune brighter. The grapes in the baskets burst—not with mess, but with light. Streams of shimmering juice rose like liquid stars, swirling together above the group. The air filled with the sweet, heady scent of wine, rich and magical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look!\" Lira gasped, pointing upward. The glowing streams coiled and twined in midair, forming a shimmering sphere that pulsed with warmth. Slowly, the liquid poured itself into carved wooden goblets that appeared from the vines, each cup filling with sparkling wine that glowed faintly violet and gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lyron stopped his tune with a flourish and bowed deeply. \"Behold! Wine of laughter, wine of joy. Born not from toil, but from merriment. Taste, and you’ll carry the forest’s blessing in your veins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone raised their cups, eyes wide at the sparkling liquid. Renkai sniffed his, nose twitching. \"If this is half as good as it smells...\" He tipped the cup back in one gulp,as his eyes widened. \"Ohhh... it’s better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maelin giggled, taking a sip. \"It tingles like starlight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Serelyth tried, her expression softening into wonder. \"Strange... it tastes of fire, air, and water at once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira sipped last, and warmth spread through her chest like a gentle embrace. For a moment, the burden of relics, battles, and dangers melted away. She laughed—a pure, unguarded laugh she hadn’t heard from herself in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lyron raised his cup, eyes shining. \"To joy, to laughter, to life! May you never forget to dance, even in the darkest days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all clinked their goblets, laughter echoing through the vineyard. For that night, the forest itself seemed to dance with them—leaves rustling in rhythm, grapes glowing faintly under the stars, and the vines swaying as though they too shared in the merriment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the last of the wine shimmered into their goblets, the vineyard quieted again. The glow faded gently, leaving only the soft golden light of dusk draped over the vines. Everyone sat together among the baskets, sipping slowly now, content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia leaned back against the roots of an old oak, smiling. \"I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard just to pick grapes... and yet it feels like it wasn’t work at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because it wasn’t,\" Lyron said with a grin, twirling his flute idly. \"The forest gives when you give back. You laughed, you danced, you picked with joy. That is what feeds the vines.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai stretched, lying flat on the grass, his tail flicking lazily. \"If only all harvests were like this. I could get used to it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fluffy padded onto his chest and curled up, purring loudly. Renkai didn’t protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maelin plucked a grape from her basket and popped it into her mouth. \"Sweetest I’ve ever tasted. Almost too sweet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Almost,\" Thalanir said softly, holding his cup in thoughtful silence. His gaze lingered on the vineyard as if listening to the hum of life all around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira, sitting cross-legged with her goblet resting on her knee, felt something calm settle in her heart. She watched her friends laugh, tease, and rest with ease, their faces warm in the fading light. For once, there were no battles, no corrupted fog, no dangerous relics—just a simple day of work rewarded with the taste of joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth tilted her head toward Lyron. \"You live surrounded by this abundance. And yet you share it so freely. Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The satyr’s eyes twinkled, and for a moment his playful grin softened into something wiser. \"Because joy kept to oneself fades. But joy shared... it multiplies. Grapes grow sweeter when laughter fills the grove. Wine lasts longer when it’s poured for many. That is the forest’s law.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira smiled faintly at his words. She didn’t answer, but inside, she tucked them away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As twilight deepened, the group gathered their baskets and followed Lyron to a small clearing he had set with wooden benches and lanterns woven of vine. The soft glow lit their tired but happy faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They ate bread, fruit, and cheese Lyron brought forth from his stores, sharing stories under the canopy of stars. The vineyard was quiet now, vines swaying gently in the night breeze, as if singing them to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When sleep finally came, it was soft, dreamless, and kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning sun stretched golden fingers over the vineyard, warming the dew-kissed leaves. Grapes hung heavy and ripe, their skins glistening like jewels in shades of deep purple and bright green. Lira had never seen so many clustered together, and the sweet fragrance filled the air as if the forest itself had turned into a feast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan, already barefoot and humming, handed out woven baskets. \"Today,\" he declared, puffing out his chest, \"you are not warriors, not travelers, not even teachers. Today, you are grape pickers in the service of wine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others laughed, following him between the rows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai crouched low, his tail twitching behind him, sniffing the clusters with exaggerated seriousness. \"Only the best grapes for me,\" he muttered, before popping one into his mouth. The others shouted in mock protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thief!\" Lira giggled, swatting at him with her basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s quality control,\" he argued with a grin, juice staining the corner of his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They picked side by side, fingers brushing leaves, filling baskets slowly. The work was easy, almost playful. Raea made a game of seeing who could fill their basket first, while Pan kept sneaking grapes into people’s mouths, as if determined to keep everyone sticky with sweetness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At one point, Renkai shifted just enough into his fox form to leap gracefully onto the trellis, hanging upside down with grapes dangling from his mouth. \"Behold,\" he said dramatically, \"the Fox of the Vineyard, guardian of all fruit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone burst into laughter, even Lira, who shook her head and wiped grape juice from her hands onto her skirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By midday, their baskets overflowed. They gathered under the shade of the vines, eating handfuls of grapes and listening to Pan strum a rustic tune on his pipes. Juice stained their fingers, their lips, even their clothes — but none of them cared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was one of those rare days that felt untouched by worries, where time slowed and the world became no bigger than laughter, sunlight, and the taste of ripened fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When their baskets could hold no more, Pan clapped his hands together. \"Now comes the true art! Picking is for the patient, but stomping—\" he twirled, already tugging off his sandals—\"is for the free!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He led them to a wide wooden barrel tucked beneath the vines, half-filled with grapes already glistening from past harvests. With no hesitation, Pan leapt in, bare feet squelching deep into the fruit. Purple juice splashed out, staining the grass, and his laughter echoed through the vineyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on, don’t be shy! Wine made without dancing feet tastes like sadness!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai was the first to follow, vaulting in with an exaggerated leap. He landed with a splash that sent juice flying, some landing right across Lira’s cheek. She gasped, wiping her face, and he grinned at her mischievously. \"Whoops. Quality testing again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia, rolling her eyes, kicked off her boots and climbed in with grace. Soon, the three of them were stomping in rhythm, Pan piping a tune to match. The barrel sloshed and bubbled, their feet slipping and sliding, laughter rising with every splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come, Lira!\" Pan called, beckoning her. \"A teacher must know more than books—she must learn joy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hesitated, biting her lip, then finally kicked off her shoes. The moment her feet sank into the grapes, cool and soft between her toes, a strange giddy warmth bubbled in her chest. The others cheered as she joined in, stomping awkwardly at first, then matching the rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Juice sprayed, staining her dress, but she didn’t care. Renkai grabbed her hand, steadying her as she slipped. For a heartbeat, the world stilled, before Pan’s playful pipes urged them back into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the sun dipped low, their legs were sticky, their clothes drenched in purple, and their hearts light. Pan collected the juice with care, murmuring promises of a fine wine to come, but for the group, it was already enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For one perfect day, they had nothing but music, friendship, and the sweet taste of grapes lingering on their lips.\u003C\u002Fp>",1690,"2026-06-06T14:30:21.781Z",1,"novelbin.me","80dd8774342047eb93199b212adf4234ea61cff11cb965355b6d201741c01727","born-as-a-witch-chapter-255","born-as-a-witch-chapter-253",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fborn-as-a-witch-cover.jpg"]