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The next day, early in the morning.
Lis, as usual, got up on time and, after dressing in simple and casual clothes, had Welf confirm that no one was tracking him before he left the mansion through the back door and headed towards Gedo Street.
Ordinarily, he would have enjoyed breakfast and then engaged in some light exercise in the courtyard and followed by learning some martial arts with Welf and the others for physical training.
However, today he had arranged to train with Ya'er in the morning, so Lis skipped breakfast in the mansion and brought some ingredients from the kitchen to prepare something to eat with his teammates.
But when he thought about it, it was quite interesting. He originally had no intention of joining a mercenary group, as his experience from his previous life meant he planned simply to accept some solo missions and complete them on his own.
Unexpectedly, he had ended up joining Ya'er's adventure team.
This must be considered the protagonist group, right? Even though he did not recall Ailina and Lunbos from his past life's memories, Arsen Hade would later become the leader of the Feis Kingdom's Golden Lion Knights, a very important and powerful figure.
Walking on the streets of Bright City that were just awakening, there were already many street vendors busily preparing for the day's business in the shops on both sides.
The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread, and already a crowd had gathered in front of the small shops, consuming simple breakfasts that cost two copper coins. Though it was just a few pieces of dark bread and vegetable soup, it was enough to fill the stomach and provide energy for a whole day's hard work.
Lis had eaten breakfast at these small shops in his previous life. While the taste was not great, the cheap price was a plus. If it weren't for the high hunger value of not eating in-game which continuously reduced health, he would have even thought of saving the money for food.
Though yesterday Ya'er had suggested that Lis could directly move into the adventure team's villa residence at night, Lis hesitated and then declined.
After all, many of his magical researches still needed to be performed in the laboratory of his own basement, so going home every day was better.
However, in the future, he might stay over at Gedo Street when necessary, so Lis still chose a room on the first floor of the villa.
The boys all stayed on the first floor, while Ya'er and Ailina stayed on the second floor.
Lis moved swiftly and arrived at the villa residence located in an alley off Gedo Street before long.
He used the key Ya'er had given him the day before to open the door and as he entered the hall, he saw Ailina sitting in a corner of the living room, applying something to her long bow, probably maintaining her treasured weapon.
Arsen, on the other hand, was sitting at the dining table biting into a slice of white bread with jam while flipping through a thick biography.
It appeared that Ya'er and the Dwarf Lunbos had not yet risen.
"You're here, Lis. That's early," Arsen said, greeting Lis as he walked through the door.
"Have you eaten? I have some bread prepared ahead of time."
Ailina looked up at Lis, said nothing, and continued caring for her beloved weapon.
"No, I haven't. But I brought some ingredients and was planning to make something myself. Would you like some too?"
Lis was somewhat speechless. You, Arsen, are also a young master of Duke Hade's family, yet you seem to lack the demeanor of a genteel noble, so different from how you were at the party the other evening.
But on second thought, that made sense. After all, Arsen was also a member of Yaya's adventure team, and there wouldn't be the luxury of good food and drink when completing missions and exploring secret realms outdoors; he must have gotten used to it.
"Would that be too much trouble for you?" Arsen asked, glancing at the white bread on his plate, seemingly realizing something, and asked with a hint of embarrassment.
"No worries, we're friends now, and that's one of the reasons why I joined our team," Lis winked at Arsen, and the two of them smiled simultaneously.
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They were both nobles from the Feis Kingdom, and the way they were getting along would no doubt seem very improper to those who strictly adhered to noble etiquette, but it must be said that the lightness felt in shedding one's dignity was indeed pleasant.
Without asking Ailina, Lis strode into the kitchen, took out the ingredients he had prepared earlier from his storage ring, and began to orchestrate a delightful symphony of cooking.
...
Soon, Lis had the breakfast for several people ready. He made his favorite chocolate, banana, and strawberry-flavored pancakes, coupled with bacon and eggs and a porridge of nuts and grains, a delicious and nutritious breakfast served fresh.
After bringing the breakfast out to the table, Arsen couldn't wait to sit down.
"Thanks," he said, but before he could finish, Arsen had already picked up a piece of chocolate pancake and started eating.
"Miss Ailina, would you like some as well? I made quite a lot. You should like the banana strawberry pancakes."
Elves, compared to grains, have a greater preference for all sorts of fresh fruits. Besides a few local varieties, fruits such as bananas are transported to Bright City along with the Gedo River by merchants using special methods, making them relatively expensive and unaffordable for the average citizen.
The Elf Ailina, thinking of the delicious fruit pudding from the night before, did not decline. She got up, sat down at the table, said "Thank you," and started to savor the delicious meal in an unhurried manner.
Lis watched as Ailina's distinctive pointed ears twitched gently; it seemed she also quite liked this flavor of pancake.
"Ahhh~ good morning~." At this moment, Ya'er, yawning, slowly came down from the upstairs, her cute pink pajamas slightly disheveled from a night of restless sleep, exposing her pale and delicate collarbone right in front of Lis.
Lis, unfazed, said to the still-drowsy Ya'er:
"Hurry up and wash up; I've already made breakfast."
Ya'er then smelled the aroma of the food and immediately woke up from her drowsy stupor.
"Ah, it smells so good," said Ya'er, eyeing the tempting breakfast on the table before rushing into the washroom. After a series of clattering noises, a neatly dressed Ya'er sat down at the table and began to join Arsen and Ailina in enjoying the feast.
"What about Lunbos? Should we call him to come eat breakfast?" Lis asked.
"No need, that guy loves to drink when he's got nothing else to do, and if he drinks too much, he'll sleep till noon. Don't bother with him," Arsen said dismissively, waving his hand.
"Alright then," Lis said, not making anything of it.
After breakfast, Arsen took it upon himself to gather the dishes and wash them in the kitchen, his actions betraying an evident familiarity with the task, as if it wasn't his first time doing so.
"I'm so full~" Ya'er leaned contentedly on the living room sofa, humming happily, while Ailina looked on somewhat helplessly.
"Now let's get down to business," Lis said, patting her shoulder with a somewhat helpless look, Wasn't it you who asked me to come over early? It's as if you, the one in charge, have forgotten all about it.
"Okay, okay," said Ya'er, as she took a white soft whip out of her storage ring and handed it to Lis.
"This is a whip I bought for practice before. You can use it for now."
Lis took the whip, and by touching it, he knew it was made from the hide of a special animal, very tough in texture, and by the looks of the craftsmanship, it was likely made by a master.
Before Lis could get used to the long whip, Ya'er pulled him out to the open space behind the villa, ready to start the day's training.