Chapter 106: A morning without training

Before leaving the Bridal Chamber, Adam finally headed for the bathroom.

After everything he’d learned since waking up, a quick bath wouldn’t hurt.

He crossed the large thermal room, but this time resisted the urge to take a dip in the pool.

If he actually went in, he knew perfectly well that a "quick bath" would likely last much longer than he anticipated.

So he simply washed, enjoyed the hot water for a few minutes, and then left.

The Chamber had already prepared clean clothes.

Adam put on dark trousers, a light shirt, and his four Progressive Charge Bracelets before joining the others.

A few minutes later, they crossed the threshold of the Bridal Chamber.

The passage to the manor reappeared before them.

The difference was immediate.

Where the interior of the Chamber still seemed perfectly isolated and peaceful, the manor was already fully awake.

Servants.

Guards.

Employees.

Messages.

Valoria’s daily routine continued without them.

Isadora needed only a few seconds to naturally resume her role as duchess.

She called out to one of the servants.

"Have breakfast prepared."

"Immediately, Your Grace."

"We’ll be in the dining room."

The woman bowed before leaving.

The group quietly entered the room.

But instead of sitting down at the table immediately, they took their places in the adjacent sitting area.

Adam was already mentally preparing to begin his usual routine.

Selene in the morning.

Elaria next.

Shiora.

Then Vespera.

He was even starting to organize the schedule in his head when Selene announced:

"No training today." "

Adam slowly turned his head toward her.

"Excuse me?"

She smiled.

"You heard me perfectly well."

"Are you sick?"

Selene narrowed her eyes.

"I can change my mind."

"No, no. Rest. Your health is important."

Elena stifled a laugh.

Isadora intervened before Selene could turn this day off into a punishment session.

"Today is for preparations. You’re leaving tomorrow."

Adam nodded.

He still had to buy what he would need, choose what to take, and learn several details about their destination.

Elaria had to organize the Artisans’ Guild before his absence.

Lyriana also had her own preparations.

Isadora continued:

"So you won’t be attending any of your usual training sessions." "

Adam almost felt his muscles thank her.

Then Vespera spoke.

"Except for mana compression."

He sighed.

"Obviously."

She remained perfectly serious.

"You will maintain it all day."

"Like yesterday."

"Not exactly."

Adam immediately recognized the tone.

A bad sign.

Vespera stood up.

"First, you will increase the compression to the new limit you reached yesterday. Only then will you maintain it."

Adam looked at the others.

No one protested.

Selene even seemed to agree.

"You have a very peculiar definition of a day without training."

Elaria replied calmly:

"Technically, you won’t be doing anything other than maintaining a state you’ve already achieved."

"Thank you, Elaria. That makes everything much more pleasant."

"You’re welcome."

Adam wasn’t sure she’d understood the sarcasm.

He sat up straight.

Then he closed his eyes.

The compression he was already maintaining was high, but not yet at the maximum he’d reached during his session with Vespera.

So he began to tighten his mana.

Slowly.

The circulation thickened.

The flow gradually became more viscous.

The pressure increased in his circuits.

This time, he already knew the feeling.

That made the operation simpler.

But not easy.

He increased it slightly again.

Vespera remained in front of him, attentive to the slightest change.

"Keep going."

Adam pushed harder.

The flow slowed.

He immediately adjusted his movement to avoid any blockage.

A little more.

Then—

"There."

He stopped.

The density was practically the same as it had been the day before.

His mana now resembled an extremely thick liquid more than the light flow he had experienced when he began his training.

Adam opened his eyes.

"Now, I suppose you’re going to tell me to move."

"Yes."

"And that I’m going to discover that walking has become difficult again."

"Probably."

"I appreciate your optimism."

He tried to stand up.

His mana fluctuated immediately.

Adam sat back down before the structure became any more disorganized.

Selene smiled.

"Very elegant."

"I remind you that you’re not training me today."

"I can still comment."

Adam ignored him.

He remained seated.

Breathing.

Circulation.

Compression.

Movement.

He began by moving his fingers.

Then his hands.

His arms.

His torso.

A few minutes later, he slowly stood up.

This time, the pressure remained stable.

He took a first step.

Then a second.

Another slight fluctuation.

Correction.

He continued.

As the day before, Adaptation seemed to be gradually rebuilding its automatic movements around this new density.

After about fifteen minutes, Adam could walk normally again.

He even made several quick arm movements without causing any noticeable variation.

Vespera nodded.

"Enough."

Adam exhaled.

"And now I’ll keep this until this evening."

"Exactly."

"Wonderful."

But despite his complaint, he had to admit that the progress was evident.

Just yesterday, this pressure had made him feel like he had to constantly monitor his every move.

Today...

Fifteen minutes had been enough.

Breakfast arrived shortly after.

The servants placed several trays on the large table.

Freshly baked bread.

Light soup.

Meat.

Cheese.

Some fruit.

Milk.

Tea.

Eggs.

Adam sat down and began to eat.

But his attention was soon drawn to the food itself.

Valoria’s breakfast was decent.

Nourishing.

Sometimes even excellent when the ingredients were particularly fresh.

Only...

It lacked variety.

More bread.

More soup.

More milk or tea.

He took a slice of bread.

I could make crepes.

The idea came to him naturally.

Then another.

Pancakes too.

He looked at the eggs.

Flour.

Milk.

Eggs.

A few more ingredients.

Nothing particularly difficult.

And why not make French toast too?

Or little brioches if he found the time.

His mind wandered.

Jams.

He would just need to find some good fruit and enough sugar.

Strawberries, berries, citrus fruits...

Or their local equivalents.

Then another idea appeared.

Do they have cocoa?

He hadn’t seen any yet.

But this world possessed enough unknown plants that an equivalent was perfectly possible.

And if he found cacao...

Hazelnuts or something similar...

He could make a spread.

Adam took a distracted bite of his bread.

His mind was already at the market.

Comparing the fruits.

The flours.

The oils.

The spices.

The dairy products.

Seeing if the yeast used here worked like the yeast in his old world.

Perhaps finding a different kind of honey.

Nuts.

Cacao.

Fruits he didn’t even know existed that could make better jams than Earth’s.

"Adam."

No reaction.

Elena looked at him.

"Adam?"

He finally looked up.

"Hmm?"

Several women were watching him.

Shiora smiled.

"Where were you?"

"Here."

"Your body, yes."

Selene gestured toward her face.

"Not your head."

Adam looked at his piece of bread.

Then at the table.

"I was thinking about dinner."

Immediately, several expressions changed.

Selene’s tail twitched slightly.

Shiora leaned toward him.

"Have you decided?"

"Not yet."

"So what were you thinking about?"

Adam pointed to the breakfast.

"About this, too."

Elena tilted her head.

"Breakfast?"

"I could make you some tomorrow morning."

This time, the reaction was immediate.

Eyes lit up around him.

Selene put down her cutlery.

"What?"

"Since I’m going to buy ingredients today, I might as well get what I need for tomorrow morning too."

Shiora asked:

"What are you going to make?"

Vespera chimed in:

"The same dishes as tonight?"

"No."

Adam smiled.

"In my old world, we had a lot more variety for breakfast."

He started counting on his fingers.

"Crepes. Pancakes. Different kinds of bread. Jams. Maybe a spread if I can find the right ingredients."

Elaria was immediately interested in the last word.

"A spread?"

"Something sweet that you spread on bread."

"With what?"

"It depends on what I find."

Adam raised a hand before the questions really started.

"I haven’t decided anything yet."

Selene protested:

"But you just gave several examples."

"They’re possibilities."

He gestured to the food on the table.

"I need to inspect the available ingredients first. The products of this world aren’t necessarily exactly the same as the ones I was familiar with."

Elaria nodded immediately.

"Makes sense."

"So I’ll decide at the market."

Elena smiled.

"I still want pancakes."

Selene chimed in:

"And I want a lot of meat for dinner."

Adam sighed.

"I should have kept this a secret until tonight."

Shiora smiled.

"Too late. The demand is there now."

"Don’t you dare start applying business principles to my dinner."

"I haven’t done anything yet."

The word "yet" didn’t escape anyone’s notice.

Breakfast continued in a much more relaxed atmosphere.

When they had finished, each began to prepare for her own duties.

Isadora had to return to the duchy’s administration.

Elena had to handle the initial preparations concerning the ancient bows and several military files.

Selene had the Adventurers’ Guild.

Vespera had the Mage Tower.

Elaria had to organize her absence before leaving the next day.

Lyriana had her own affairs to attend to and needed to finalize several details of the trip.

As for Shiora...

She was naturally headed to the Merchants’ Guild.

Adam stood up with her.

"I’ll stop by the market."

Shiora adjusted some documents.

"I just need to cross the marketplace."

"Then I’ll come with you."

They left the mansion together.

The streets of Valoria were already bustling.

The marketplace even more so.

Wagons were entering.

Others were leaving.

Employees were unloading crates.

Shopkeepers were opening their storefronts.

The smells of bread, spices, and fruit mingled in the air.

Adam and Shiora walked quietly side by side.

As often happened when he was with her, the conversation quickly turned to commerce.

Adam observed several large wagons loaded with fabrics.

"Imported?"

Shiora glanced briefly at them.

"Yes. From the south. Mostly lightweight fabrics and various dyes."

Another convoy was carrying large, reinforced crates.