Adam awoke feeling refreshed and energized. It had been a long time since he'd slept so comfortably. He mused that while he'd heard of people being picky about beds, he'd never encountered anyone particular about "body pillows".
Gently disentangling himself from Aqua, whom he had been holding, he rose to stretch his stiff muscles. He stepped out of the stable and began his exercises, facing the radiant morning sun.
Grasping his Black Nichirin Katana, Adam — shirtless and with eyes closed — commenced his new routine:
◈ Sun Breathing, First Form ⫸ Dance ◈
◈ Sun Breathing, Second Form ⫸ Clear Blue Sky ◈
◈ Sun Breathing, Third Form ⫸ Raging Sun ◈
His eyes still shut, Adam's sculpted body pulsed with vigor, veins visibly prominent on his arms and hands.
◈ Sun Breathing, Eleventh Form ⫸ Fake Rainbow ◈
◈ Sun Breathing, Twelfth Form ⫸ Flame Dance ◈
◈ Sun Breathing, Thirteenth Form ⫸ Dance of the Fire God ◈
After nearly 30 minutes of intense effort, Adam finally exhaled a fiery breath. The ground around him radiated heat, his footprints etched in near-perfect positions.
Sheathing his sword, he jogged a large loop through the beginner's village, both to cool down and to take a quick bath.
Upon returning to the stable, he found Kazuma and Aqua just stirring.
"Good morning, Aqua, Satou-kun."
"Good morning, Carter-senpai."
"Good morning, Adam. You're up early." Aqua mumbled groggily, stumbling into his arms.
"Wake up, Aqua. We have an important task today." Adam said, gently pinching her smooth cheeks to rouse her.
"Ouch…" She whimpered softly.
After a brief delay, the trio set out for the Adventurers' Guild, where they'd arranged to meet Megumin and Darkness early that morning.
"Hey, Darkness, Megumin, over here!" Aqua called out loudly, her sharp eyes spotting the two girls entering the guild.
Once everyone was seated, Adam said, "Great, we're all here. Let's have breakfast."
"Eh? Breakfast?" Megumin asked, surprised.
"Of course." He replied, waving over a waiter.
"I get that it's breakfast, but why?" Megumin's incredulity was evident.
As one of the poorest low-level adventurers, she could barely afford lodging, let alone food. To save money, she usually limited herself to one meal a day.
This lack of nutrition had left her thin and underdeveloped. She'd acquired her own 'airport' at a young age, much to her chagrin. She often found herself envying — and resenting — Aqua and Darkness's valleys and alleys day after day.
"How can you quest on an empty stomach? It's dangerous to be weak from hunger." Adam said, handing her the menu, "Order anything you like. My treat."
"Thank you." Megumin replied shyly, choosing a children's set meal — her recent fixation.
"Darkness, you've got a tough day ahead. Eat well." Adam encouraged, passing her the menu and suggesting high-calorie options.
"Hold on!" Kazuma interjected, slamming his hand on the menu, "Carter-senpai, you should know — our party's broke."
"What? How?" Adam was bewildered, recalling the ξ100,000 he'd left behind.
Including the {Purify Cemetery} quest earnings, they should have had at least ξ200,000. How could it all vanish in under a week?
"It's all Aqua's fault." Kazuma grumbled, "That idiot blew our savings on a single bottle of fancy sparkling wine."
"I see." Adam nodded, comprehending the situation.
So it was Aqua who had spent the money.
"I'm... I'm sorry." She apologized in a low voice, her eyes brimming with tears, "I know I was wrong."
True to her title as the Goddess of Water, her tears flowed freely. It explained her uncharacteristic silence during the meal, where she'd shrunk into the corner like an invisible person. She had been afraid of his scolding.
In the end, Adam realized it was his fault for entrusting the money to her. He had initially planned to give it to Kazuma for safekeeping but feared he might secretly indulge with the Succubus ladies. So he had given the savings to Aqua instead.
He'd forgotten that the Goddess lady herself was quite the problem child.
"No matter, I still have quite a few gold bars with me." Adam pulled out several finger-thick gold bars from his pocket and said generously, "Don't worry, everyone. Order whatever you want."
These gold bars were travel expenses given to him by the Demon Slayer Corps upon his departure. Rich families indeed gave generous allowances.
"And Aqua." Adam added, gently reprimanding her, "Don't spend money recklessly anymore. If I hadn't returned, you might have gone hungry."
Compared to her miserable experiences in the original story, Aqua hadn't suffered much with his intervention. However, this had also made her more arrogant and unrestrained. He made a mental note to find a way to curb her behavior.
Soon after, the waiter brought steaming hot dishes to the table. Everyone ate ravenously, clearing the table in no time.
"That was delicious."
"Indeed, it was tasty."
"I can't even remember the last time I had breakfast…"
After the meal, everyone lazily sprawled across the table while Adam exchanged the gold bars for Eris to settle the bill. He also accepted a quest.
"Alright, everyone, it's time for us to go!" Adam called out after a brief rest.
Although three of them — save for Darkness — seemed reluctant, they obediently followed him out.
"Well then... we're going for special training!" Adam announced, turning to Darkness, "Darkness, you carry Megumin on your back."
"Eh?!" Darkness and Megumin exclaimed in unison, shocked by the instruction.
He then proceeded to explain the purpose of this arrangement to everyone.
"Aqua and Megumin are our team's most crucial members. We rely on them for explosive output and healing, so they can't afford mistakes. Darkness, as a Crusader, your job is to protect these two! If anything goes wrong, you must immediately carry them away from the battlefield! Understood?"
"Understood, leave it to me!" Darkness replied, seeing the logic in this plan.
"You're also carrying a heavy shield, so we'll start with the lighter Megumin to help you get used to it."
Adam continued, "As for Aqua, I'll carry her."
Noticing everyone's puzzled looks, he explained.
"Though I'm a Sword Master, my talents allow me to serve as the team's secondary tank. In critical moments, I'll prioritize protecting my teammates."
"I see." Everyone nodded in agreement.
And so, Darkness hoisted Megumin onto her back, while Adam carried Aqua.
"Well then, let's go!"
The group ran out of the beginner's village, heading west.
As they ran, Kazuma's curiosity got the better of him, "Carter-senpai, what quest did you actually accept?"
He knew the cautious team leader wouldn't accept a quest beyond their capabilities, but the unknown task still made him nervous.
Adam, with a smile, didn't hesitate to answer.
"The quest I accepted is {Subjugate the Colony of Lizard Runners}!"
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