After we decided to take a break, Philia headed home, saying she was going to relax.
As for me, since it was lunchtime and I felt like having something light, I decided to eat at Sara-san's cafe.
After lunch, I returned to the inn, went up to my room, and lay down on the bed.
"Spending an afternoon relaxing like this... I rarely ever did that, even back in the village..."
Home had been a place where I wanted to spend as little time as possible.
Back in the village, I only ever stayed inside when it was time to sleep or when the weather was terrible.
With that thought in mind, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"Yaaawn... That was a good sleep....Yeah. I feel much better than I did this morning."
I had no idea how many hours I'd slept, but upon waking, I pushed myself up in bed.
Standing up, I did a few deep knee bends and stretched my lower back.
It still ached a bit, but at this rate, I should be fully recovered by tomorrow.
"I really need to thank Olivia-san."
After our training session, Olivia-san had given me a recovery potion.
It was just a standard, commercially available potion and not extraordinarily expensive.
Even so, it wasn't the kind of price I could afford for everyday use.
Its expiration date was apparently right around the corner, and since she was planning on buying a replacement anyway, she had let me take it off her hands at a steep discount.
It would normally cost several silver coins, but she sold it to me for just a single silver coin.
Thanks to drinking it before going to sleep, my body felt noticeably better.
"Oh my, Erik. You're up from your nap."
Leaving my room, I headed down to the inn's ground floor.
Amanda-san called out to me from behind the reception desk, where she was working.
"Yes. Thanks to the potion and a good rest, I'm feeling a lot better."
"Fufu, that's wonderful to hear. Ted was worried sick, you know? He was agonizing over what to make for dinner tonight to help you get your strength back."
"I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm doing fine now, so please let Ted-san know too."
"Of course, I'll be sure to tell him."
After that, I used the restroom and headed back up to my room.
I considered leveling the ground out in the backyard since I hadn't been able to do it this morning, but then I remembered my promise to Philia.
"I promised I'd be in peak condition before we head outside the city tomorrow, after all."
I could still do training that didn't require moving my body, but there was no telling how that might affect my recovery.
So, I decided to stay put in my room.
Sitting down on a chair, I pulled up my status to check my progress.
✤
Name: Erik
Age: 10
Level: 3
Strength: 12
Mana: 12
Stamina: 12
Agility: 12
Dexterity: 12
Skills:
[Swordsmanship: 2] [Physical Enhancement: 1] [Cleaning: 4]
[Earth Magic: 1] [Parallel Thinking: 1] [Mana Control: 1]
Special Skill:
[Fixed EXP]
Divine Protection:
——
✤
"...To think I've grown this much in just about a month since leaving the village."
I muttered aloud as I stared at my status.
It had only been about a month since the blessing ritual and my departure from the village.
My level had only gone up by two.
In exchange, though, I had acquired six skills.
Two of them had already leveled up, with the highest reaching level 4.
"Coming to the royal capital was definitely the right choice."
Coming to the royal capital and becoming an adventurer.
Because I made that choice, I was where I was today.
Though it was a bit different from the adventurer life I had envisioned, I was thoroughly satisfied with my life right now.
"I have a wonderful inn to stay at, an incredible master, and a dependable companion. Even the people at the Adventurer's Guild are all so kind."
On top of that, everyone I'd met through my quests had been wonderful. I was truly blessed with good fortune.
Meeting such amazing people was entirely thanks to coming to the capital.
"I can't wait to see what kind of encounters lie ahead."
My journey as an adventurer had only just begun.
Philia and I had already discussed exploring a dungeon once we trained more and grew stronger.
I'd also heard from her that Alan would be finishing his training soon and registering as an adventurer, so we might soon be operating as a party of three.
I had no idea how Alan might impact the team dynamic.
Still, adding another person was bound to change things.
"Well, I am a little worried about whether he'll actually mesh with our party..."
Both Philia and I were cautious by nature.
Alan, on the other hand, sounded pretty reckless and rough around the edges from what I'd heard.
He had a habit of slacking off too, which was why he was late in passing his tests and hadn't become an adventurer yet.
"I'm a bit anxious, but I'm looking forward to it all the same."
We had made a promise, so I intended to take on at least one quest with him properly.
Reflecting on everything that had happened since arriving in the capital, I turned my thoughts toward my future goals.
"First, I need to hone my combat skills further. If something unexpected happens, I need to be able to survive."
I wanted to become stronger.
When it came to strength, it paid to be greedy.
Facing that elite goblin had shifted my perspective on that quite a bit.
Even so, I wouldn't push myself too far or do anything reckless.
"No rushing. Take it slow, and steadily grow stronger."
Having resolved that in my heart, I decided to catch another nap until dinner.