Two days had passed since the battle with the elite goblin.
Yesterday, my body was aching so terribly that I had decided to take the afternoon off.
However, thanks to taking the medicine properly and getting a solid night's sleep, I had made a full recovery.
"I really need to thank Olivia-san. She let me have such great medicine for next to nothing, after all."
Marveling at just how effective the remedy was, I gathered my laundry and stepped out of the room.
Then, before Amanda-san could come outside, I took care of my own washing first in the backyard.
"All right, finished!"
The moment I was done with the laundry, a notification window popped up at the edge of my field of view.
It displayed a message indicating that I had gained enough EXP in Cleaning for the skill to level up.
◇
You have trained in [Cleaning].
Gained 1 EXP.
To next level: 100/100
◇
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Level has increased.
To next level: 0/100
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When I checked it last time, the progress had stopped at 99.
With this level-up, my Cleaning skill had reached level 5.
"This is going to make house-chore requests wrap up even faster... but before that, I've got this backyard to handle."
Amanda-san had asked me about leveling the ground out back a while ago.
Since I took half the day off yesterday, I hadn't been able to get around to it.
Now, however, the rest had put me back in peak condition.
"First, I might as well clean the yard."
There weren't many large objects, but dead leaves and fallen twigs lay scattered all around.
I swept them into a pile, along with the stray rocks that would get in the way of leveling the ground.
Placing my hand on the earth, I channeled mana through my palm and poured it into the soil, just as I always did.
"Yeah, things are running smoothly."
Proper rest really made a difference in how well I performed.
With Parallel Thinking keeping my mind clear and orderly, I was able to maintain Mana Control alongside my spellcraft without breaking a sweat.
◇
You have trained in [Parallel Thinking].
Gained 1 EXP.
To next level: 37/100
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◇
You have trained in [Mana Control].
Gained 1 EXP.
To next level: 11/100
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◇
You have trained in [Earth Magic].
Gained 1 EXP.
To next level: 100/100
◇
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Level has increased.
To next level: 0/100
◇
I was completely absorbed in leveling the ground.
Watching the backyard transform into a neat, tidy space was genuinely satisfying.
Before I even realized it, I had smoothed out every last corner, so I brought up the screen to take a look.
There, a message informed me that Earth Magic had gone up a level.
"Oh, right. I had built up quite a bit of EXP..."
Suddenly, I remembered yesterday's progress.
The EXP counter had already surpassed 90 by the time I wrapped up my training.
Deciding to check my entire status, I pulled up the main screen.
✤
Name: Erik
Age: 10
Level: 3
Strength: 12
Mana: 12
Stamina: 12
Agility: 12
Dexterity: 12
Skills
[Swordsmanship: 2] [Physical Enhancement: 1] [Cleaning: 5]
[Earth Magic: 2] [Parallel Thinking: 1] [Mana Control: 1]
Special Skill
[Fixed EXP]
Divine Protection
——
✤
Everything had updated properly.
"Earth Magic is skill level 2 now, too."
Having confirmed the new skill level, I decided to test out some magic in the freshly leveled yard.
Right away, the speed at which I could manipulate mana was noticeably faster than when the skill was at level 1.
The volume of mana I could gather at once had also increased.
"I'd heard that as Elemental Magic skill levels rise, you can cast increasingly powerful spells, but experiencing it firsthand is something else..."
Feeling the practical difference for myself, I murmured to the empty yard.
After that, I continued my solo training out back until Amanda-san came by.
◇
You have trained in [Parallel Thinking].
Gained 1 EXP.
To next level: 45/100
◇
◇
You have trained in [Mana Control].
Gained 1 EXP.
To next level: 18/100
◇
◇
You have trained in [Earth Magic].
Gained 1 EXP.
To next level: 11/100
◇
In the end, I managed to push my EXP this far.
About an hour had passed between the moment Earth Magic leveled up and Amanda-san's arrival.
And during that single hour, my EXP had climbed significantly.
"Parallel Thinking is definitely pulling its weight."
The frequency of my EXP gains had noticeably sped up.
Judging by how smooth the process felt, I had no doubt it was thanks to Parallel Thinking.
"If it goes up this fast when I'm training by myself, wouldn't it shoot up even faster during lessons with Olivia-san...?"
While I was mulling over the possibilities, Amanda-san stepped out into the backyard.
"Oh my goodness, look at how lovely and clean it is!"
"Good morning, Amanda-san. I took care of leveling the ground like you asked while I was doing my morning training."
"Fufu, you truly are a boy of your word, Erik. Thank you so much, dear."
Amanda-san beamed, clearly thrilled by the backyard's transformation.
After that, I helped her finish up the remaining laundry, then went upstairs to hang my own clothes to dry in my room.
Once the chores were out of the way, I ate a hearty breakfast, strapped on my gear, and stepped out of the inn.
"My feet felt like lead yesterday, but it's amazing what a single day can do."
My fatigue was completely gone, and the weight of my gear didn't bother me in the slightest.
With a smile at the stark contrast to yesterday, I set off toward the Adventurer's Guild.