"By Heavenly Father!"
Darko rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with astonishment.
"Roland, did you... grow taller?"
Only after hearing Darko's exclamation did Roland realize that his view was indeed slightly higher than usual.
He walked to the water vat beside the Training Ground and examined his reflection in the water.
His originally upright figure now appeared even more burly, and his shoulders were almost as broad as Darko's.
The most obvious change was his face.
The contours that had once retained a hint of youthful softness had now become sharply defined, and his eyes held an even keener edge.
This was clearly the effect of the attribute bonuses he had gained after taking up the Warrior profession.
Perhaps the additional bonus from [Tempered Steel] had to be included as well.
But Roland naturally had no intention of revealing that secret to Darko.
He merely smiled faintly and said casually,
"I've just been training harder lately."
Darko suspiciously stepped forward, circled Roland once, and looked him up and down.
"Are you sure you didn't sneak a beast's heart? I heard that's how the barbarian warriors in the north do it."
"Read fewer adventure novels."
Roland waved away his friend's wild imagination, set the short-handled axe aside, and accepted the waterskin Darko handed him.
"How come you have time to visit me today?"
As he spoke, Roland pulled out the wooden stopper of the waterskin.
He was just about to make a few more jokes when he suddenly furrowed his brows.
His nose twitched slightly, and he raised an eyebrow at Darko.
"If I remember correctly, Baron Foslin forbade you from drinking alcohol, didn't he?"
"Shh! Don't let old Charles hear you!"
Darko instantly became like a startled rat, hurriedly raising one finger to his lips.