A Leisurely Morning

The next morning, at dawn.

Li Si got up punctually as usual. Dressed in ordinary, lightweight clothes, he had Welf make sure no one was following him before leaving the manor through the back door and heading toward Ge Duo Street.

Normally, after breakfast at this hour, he would do some light exercise in the courtyard, learn a few martial techniques from Welf and the others, and train his body.

But he had arranged to train with Ya Er that morning, so Li Si did not eat breakfast at the manor. He brought some ingredients from the kitchen, intending to make something to share with his teammates.

Thinking about it, it was rather interesting. He had never planned on joining a mercenary group. With the experience he had brought from his previous life, he had intended to simply take on and complete solo commissions.

Yet he had unexpectedly joined Ya Er Adventurer Team.

This should count as the protagonist's party, right? Although Elena and Lunbos had not existed in his memories of his previous life, Yasen Hardt would later become the commander of the Fies Kingdom's Golden Lion Knights—a powerful figure of high status.

As he walked through the just-awakened streets of Can Guang City, quite a few merchants were already busy in the shops on either side, preparing for the day's business.

The scent of freshly baked bread drifted through the air. A crowd had already gathered outside the small roadside shops, eating simple breakfasts that cost two copper coins. Though it was only a few pieces of black bread and vegetable soup, it was enough to fill their stomachs and provide energy for a full day of hard work.

Li Si had eaten breakfast at such little shops in his previous life as well. The taste had not been great, but it was cheap. If going without food had not caused a character's hunger level to rise too high and continuously drain health, Li Si would even have wanted to save the money for meals.

Although Ya Er had said yesterday that Li Si could move directly into the adventurer team's villa base that evening, he had hesitated before ultimately refusing.

After all, much of his magical research still needed to be conducted in the laboratory beneath his own home. It was better for him to return home every day.

Still, he might stay overnight on Ge Duo Street in the future if something came up, so Li Si had chosen a bedroom on the first floor of the villa.

The boys all lived on the first floor, while Ya Er and Elena lived on the second.

Li Si walked quickly and soon arrived at the villa base in an alley off Ge Duo Street.

Using the key Ya Er had given him yesterday, he opened the door and entered the hall. He saw Elena sitting in a corner of the living room, applying something to her longbow. She was probably maintaining it.

Arsen was sitting at the dining table, gnawing on white bread with jam while flipping through a thick biography.

It seemed Ya Er and the dwarf Lunbos had not gotten up yet.

"Li Si, you're here. You're early," Arsen greeted him when he saw him enter.

"Have you eaten? I have some bread prepared in advance."

Elena raised her head and glanced at Li Si without saying anything, then continued maintaining her beloved weapon.

"No, but I brought some ingredients and planned to make something myself. Want some too?"

Li Si was a little speechless. Arsen was also the son of Duke Hardt, so why did he not seem to have even the slightest air of a noble young master? He was practically a different person from how he had been at the banquet.

But on second thought, it made sense. Arsen was a member of Ya Er Adventurer Team too. When they were out completing missions and exploring secret realms, they would not have the conditions to eat and drink well. He had probably gotten used to it.

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?" Arsen glanced at the white bread on the plate before him. He seemed to realize something and asked somewhat sheepishly.

"It's fine. We're friends now. Besides, this is one of the reasons I can join the team." Li Si winked at Arsen, and the two smiled at each other.

They were both nobles of the Fies Kingdom. To those who strictly observed noble etiquette, the way they interacted now would undoubtedly seem highly improper. But it had to be said that the lightness of letting down their guards felt quite nice.

Li Si did not ask Elena. He went straight into the kitchen, took out the ingredients he had prepared from his Storage Ring, and began playing a delightful kitchen symphony.

Li Si soon finished preparing breakfast for everyone. He made pancakes in two flavors he liked—chocolate and banana strawberry—along with bacon and fried eggs, as well as nut oatmeal porridge. A delicious and nutritious breakfast was freshly served.

Li Si brought the breakfast out and set it on the dining table, and Arsen immediately sat down impatiently.

"Thanks." Before he had even finished speaking, Arsen picked up a chocolate pancake and started eating.

"Miss Elena, would you like some too? I made plenty. You should like the banana strawberry pancakes."

Compared to grains, elves preferred all kinds of fresh fruit. Aside from several local fruits, fruits such as bananas had to be transported to Can Guang City by merchants using special methods along the Gedo River, making them relatively expensive and unaffordable for ordinary people.

Remembering the delicious fruit pudding from the night before, the elf Elena did not refuse. She rose and sat at the dining table, said, "Thank you," and began savoring the meal in an unhurried manner.

Li Si watched Elena's striking pointed ears twitch gently. It looked like she really liked these pancakes too.

"Ah~~~~, good morning~." At that moment, Ya Er slowly came down the stairs with a yawn. Her cute pink pajamas were somewhat disheveled, perhaps due to her restless sleeping posture the night before, leaving her fair, delicate collarbones completely exposed before Li Si.

Li Si's expression did not change as he said to the still sleepy Ya Er:

"Hurry up and wash up. I've already made breakfast."

Ya Er caught the scent of food then and instantly snapped out of her half-awake daze.

"Ah, it smells so good." Seeing the tempting breakfast on the table, Ya Er immediately rushed into the washroom. After a burst of clattering, she emerged neatly dressed, sat down at the table, and began enjoying the food alongside Arsen and Elena.

"Where's Lunbos? Should we call him out for breakfast?" Li Si asked.

"No need. That guy likes drinking whenever he has nothing to do. When he drinks too much, he sleeps straight through until noon. Just leave him alone." Arsen waved a hand dismissively.

"All right, then." Li Si did not mind.

After breakfast, Arsen took the initiative to gather the dishes and wash them in the kitchen. Judging from how practiced his movements were, he had clearly done this quite often before.

"I'm so full~" Ya Er happily hummed as she leaned back on the living room sofa, while Elena beside her looked somewhat helpless.

"Now that you're done eating, let's get down to business." Li Si patted her shoulder and said helplessly. Weren't you the one who told me to come early? How does it seem like you, the one in charge, have forgotten about it?

"Okay, okay." Ya Er took a white soft whip from the Storage Ring on her hand and passed it to Li Si.

"This is a whip I bought when I was practicing before. Use it for now."

Li Si accepted the whip. He could tell from the feel that it was made from a special kind of animal leather. It was exceptionally tough, and judging by its craftsmanship, it had likely been made by a master.

Before Li Si could even familiarize himself with the long whip, Ya Er grabbed him and pulled him to the open space behind the villa, ready to begin the day's training.