After that, I ate breakfast, changed clothes, and left the inn.
When I arrived at the Adventurer's Guild and headed out to the training grounds, Olivia-san was already there waiting.
"Huh, Olivia-san? Isn't it still a bit early?"
"It's fine. I just happened to wake up early. Besides, we're doing training for [Parallel Thinking] today, so I figured we'd want plenty of time. You can only train during the morning today as well, right?"
With that, Olivia-san gave me a detailed breakdown of [Parallel Thinking].
She explained that the key to acquiring the skill was learning how to hold multiple thoughts in your head at the same time.
As for the training method itself, it was identical to yesterday's session for [Mana Control].
"Even though the method is the same, your mindset needs to change. First, you prioritize thinking about [Parallel Thinking], followed by [Mana Control]. Lastly, you hold [Earth Magic] in your mind—that's the order you want in your head."
"U-Understood. I'll give it a shot."
It sounded daunting, but I decided to dive in anyway.
Keeping three separate thoughts running simultaneously in my mind, I began the training.
On top of that, Olivia-san would occasionally toss mental math problems at me that I had to solve on the spot.
◇
You trained in [Parallel Thinking].
Gained 1 EXP.
Progress toward acquiring skill: 23/100.
◇
◇
You trained in [Mana Control].
Gained 1 EXP.
Progress toward acquiring skill: 20/100.
◇
◇
You trained in [Earth Magic].
Gained 1 EXP.
Progress toward next level: 25/100.
◇
Judging that pushing past an hour in one go was impossible, I decided to take a break.
While I hadn't been able to check during the exercise itself, I had indeed steadily gained EXP for [Parallel Thinking].
"Looking at the EXP, it's already higher than [Mana Control]."
"I thought it would be. This training method isn't something just anyone can pull off. It's difficult unless you naturally possess great focus. Looks like you're one of the few who can manage it, Erik-kun."
"I'm glad to hear that, but it's seriously exhausting."
"Once you acquire it, though, a lot of things will become considerably easier. Plus, I'm sure you'll find uses for it outside of magic, too."
Encouraged by Olivia-san's words, I rested for about ten minutes before diving back into the training.
From there, I kept at it, taking short breathers whenever necessary.
◇
You trained in [Parallel Thinking].
Gained 1 EXP.
Progress toward acquiring skill: 67/100.
◇
◇
You trained in [Mana Control].
Gained 1 EXP.
Progress toward acquiring skill: 44/100.
◇
◇
You trained in [Earth Magic].
Gained 1 EXP.
Progress toward next level: 51/100.
◇
[Parallel Thinking] had accumulated EXP at a remarkably fast pace.
On the other hand, [Mana Control]—the second priority in my thoughts—hadn't grown nearly as much.
[Earth Magic], which sat in third place, showed better progress instead; at this rate, it looked like it would hit Level 2 first.
"[Mana Control] is really tough..."
"Well, look at it this way: it serves as great verification for your skill. [Fixed EXP] is a special skill that fixes the EXP you gain, but I wonder if it also reflects your personal feelings about what you're naturally good at versus what you consider a weakness?"
"...Honestly, I think that might be true."
Just as Olivia-san pointed out, whenever it was something I felt comfortable with, the EXP accumulated rapidly.
When dealing with things I struggled with, I probably harbored an unconscious mental block.
"Even so, the very fact that your EXP is increasing means you're guaranteed to acquire it eventually. That alone gives you far more hope than anyone else, which should make it much easier to keep up the training."
"You're right. If my EXP didn't budge at all, I'd definitely lose all motivation. But since it's steadily climbing, I can keep going."
With that, even though there was still about an hour left before noon, I asked to wrap up today's training session.
During our break, I had consulted Olivia-san about wanting to take on a quest.
Understanding that earning a living was crucial, she graciously let me off early.
"To earn enough to cover a few days, a high-paying quest would be ideal, but I wonder if there's anything I can finish in an hour..."
After parting ways with Olivia-san, I headed over to Reina-san's counter.
"Erik-kun, I have a quest ready for you. It pays well and suits you perfectly."
What she handed me was a housekeeping request from Marina-san—a job I had taken on multiple times before.
The reward was 3 silver coins.
Seeing that, I couldn't help but feel a little exasperated, but I was genuinely glad to have work available.
I quickly completed the paperwork to accept the quest and made my way over to Marina-san's house at a brisk pace.
"Erik-kun, it feels like it's been a while."
When I arrived and rang the bell, Marina-san came to the door to greet me.
"It has. I haven't been by recently, but how are things holding up inside?"
"Y-Yeah. I did try my best for a bit, you know?"
Marina-san looked slightly flustered by my question.
When she showed me inside, the place was moderately messy.
However, compared to past visits, it wasn't nearly as bad considering how much time had passed.
As for the dishes, she seemed to have given them a quick rinse after eating, so they weren't terribly greasy and were stacked relatively neatly.
"For now, will cleaning the living room and wet areas be enough?"
"Yeah. Please stick to those. The workshop is still manageable for now."
"Understood. I'll get to work right away."
With that, I set about cleaning Marina-san's house.
Thanks to [Cleaning: 4], I wiped away every trace of dirt and grime.
As for the wet areas, I scrubbed the stains from the sink, toilet, and bathtub until the porcelain shone.
Reina-san would scold me if I skipped lunch, so keeping the clock in mind, I worked as quickly as I could.
"Marina-san, I'm all done."
"Ah! As I thought, having you come over is an absolute lifesaver, Erik-kun! The smell was getting a bit strong and bothering me, but it's completely gone now! Thank you so much!"
Overjoyed, Marina-san beamed and tried to hand me an extra tip.
Normally, I would have politely declined on the spot.
Right now, however, I wanted to earn every coin I could to free up more time for training.
"Huh? You usually tell me you don't need extra right about now. What happened today?"
"Ah, well... I'm currently undergoing some training, you see..."
"I see! So you want to earn a bit extra to carve out time for your training. In that case, just take it. It's a token of my appreciation, after all."
"But I'm already receiving the proper quest reward, you know?"
When I hesitated, Marina-san smiled warmly and pressed the coin pouch into my hands.
"In my case, the reward listed on the quest is what I'd pay for an ordinary level of work. In my heart, I always hope you'll be the one to take it, Erik-kun, but there's no guarantee you will, right?"
"That's true. I can't always guarantee I'll be around to accept it..."
"If an ordinary person came to help with chores, they could never get the place spotless the way you do, Erik-kun. That's why I—and everyone else who's tipped you—are simply giving you a fair evaluation for work that goes far beyond our expectations. You really don't need to hold back. It actually makes me and the clients much happier when you accept it without hesitation."
"...Um, I'm sorry for being so stubborn about turning it down before. In that case, I'll gratefully put it to good use."
I accepted Marina-san's extra tip and bowed my head in thanks.
The bonus came out to 5 silver coins.
Returning to the Adventurer's Guild to finalize the paperwork, I netted a total of 8 silver coins for the job.
Afterward, I found myself eating lunch alone for the first time in a while.
I dropped by Frank-san's diner and ordered a meal.
He had treated me to staff food here once before, but the dish tasted even more delicious than I remembered.
"Erik-kun, what's on the agenda for today?"
After lunch, I met up with Philia at the Adventurer's Guild, and the two of us headed outside the city gates together.
"I'm thinking of trying something a bit challenging today."
"Meaning?"
"I want to fight a goblin."
When I said that, Philia looked surprised for a brief second before a confident smile broke across her face.
"I was just thinking it was about time we took that step, too."
"We'll never grow if we just keep running away forever. That said, we're not taking on groups right off the bat. Even if it takes time, let's track down a stray."
Having reached an agreement, Philia and I set off toward the forest.