Vincent tied the rope to the cart's handles with a tight knot. Then he pushed the cart into the water.
*Splash
The cart floated, and luckily, the water didn't enter inside. Vincent forgot that everything inside could get wet the moment the cart floated or sank in the water.
[You were lucky this time. It would have taken some time to dry what's inside.]
-No comment.-
Vincent turned to the four girls behind him and said, "Hop in, girls. Let's go for a short boat ride."
Tulip nodded as if it was an order. Ester smiled with a bit of blush on her cheeks. Lupa and Tula acted like a bunch of excited kids, thrilled to cross the river. It felt like a short adventure to cross to the other side.
Vincent helped the girls board the boat cart one after the other. The cart sank a few inches in the water from the weight, but it wasn't enough for water to enter. The cart's sides floated a few inches above water level, enough for one or two more people to abord the floating cart.
Vincent jumped in the water and stayed swimming beside the cart. He wanted to make sure nothing bad happened and help at a moment's notice.
Koss instructed the three new recruits to start pulling the rope. Pull by pull, the cart approached the other side without a problem. The girls landed on the shore, all dried without a drop of water on their clothes.
The girls and Koss thanked Vincent for the idea. Koss then approached and whispered in Vincent's ear, "Tula is a slow learner. She learned how to swim when she was fourteen years old. Thank you for letting her cross with a smile on her face."
[Koss is quite a doting father. Not that it's bad, but I hope it won't cause misunderstandings.]
-I hope it will never arrive at that... also, I need to change my soaked clothes. I can't remove my shirt and show my Hero mark.-
Vincent telepathically said when noticing the new recruits and Koss changing to a dry set of clothes.
Vincent approached Ester, the clothing manager, and asked for a dry set of clothes.
Ester immediately nodded as she understood the reason and gave him a set of clothes. Vincent then walked away to change behind a tree.
"I didn't think Vincent was this shy, HAHA." Koss laughed.
"It's that... yes, he is shy. " Ester replied while averting her gaze. She felt a bit embarrassed from the lie while remembering the location of the Hero's mark.
The mark mustn't get seen, or the current situation would turn upside down. Koss displayed he wasn't a person they could beat as he excelled in intent manipulation.
Lupa raised a puzzled frown when watching Vincent hide behind a tree. He was never this shy with them.
Lupa shortly remembered how they should hide the mark on their bodies or trouble would follow. She quickly closed her mouth and breathed from her nose, not to let the small mark of the retainer on her tongue visible.
However, there wasn't any need for this because she was an energetic wolf girl. She always wolfs down the food in her hands and gulps water as if someone is about to steal it from her. A habit born from her will to survive.
Vincent returned a few minutes later. He became surprised by what his eyes saw.
Koss and Tula were together near the shore. It seemed he was taking advantage of the situation his daughter was suffering from. To regain an easy to impress young-minded daughter isn't a common occurrence.
The wages of ordinary classless jobs weren't sustainable enough, forcing most people to join the army. Risking their lives to become an adventurer wasn't an easy way to live since it depended on the commission available and their rank.
It made the saying, once a commoner, always a commoner.
Lupa was trying to find fish swimming about. Beside her stood three young men doing the same thing.
The new recruits wanted to taste different food as Ani Banana was their only food source. They stayed a bit far farther than Lupa as she scared them and searched for fish.
But try as they might, no fish was in sight. Vincent chuckled at the wolf girl wagging her tail to eat a fish.
Ester and Tulip were washing multiple clothes. Ester held some clothes with blood and dirt, while Tulip held a few dirty clothes with dirt.
[Those must be the clothes we previously wore. You know. I'm starting to depend on Ester.]
-Same here. I feel like I'm getting to know a side that is pleasant to have around.-
[But, pff... haha. It feels like everyone forgot about you. But worry not, Kazumi is here for you twenty-four-seven.]
-Thanks, my cute wisp.-
Vincent smiled at the peaceful sight in front of his eyes. Some smiled, some worked, and others searched for fish with their eyes ready to leave their eye sockets for a speck of trace.
'The adult mudcrab helped us in a way. Fish seems scarce in this world. Or at least in rivers.' Vincent pondered while approaching Ester.
"I wrung the clothes I wore. Do you need help?" Vincent asked while placing his previous damp clothes beside Ester.
"I'm fine. I can do this much since I can't help in a fight." Ester declined assistance. She wanted to prove her worth as a few thoughts of being unworthy lingered in her mind.
Vincent understood it was a job she decided to do. He had other things to worry about, namely the water supply. The job of a taxi and portable storage keeper.
Vincent went over to the cart. He took the barrels and began filling them with water. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind. To fill the cart with water and solve the problem regarding the dwindling drinking supply.
With food and water covered, their journey will become easier. So Vincent decided to ask if this idea seemed plausible.
-What do you think about filling the whole cart with water and store it?-
[Hmm... I like this idea. But I was about to think of this idea before you asked. Just to let you know.]
'Kazumi surely likes to show her all-knowing persona just because she can remember everything. Well, it's funny how I can understand she is nervous from her tone. And it's hard because of her telepathic voice.' Vincent thought with a faint smile.
Vincent then went over to Koss and told him about this plan. Koss couldn't believe the possibility of such a plan to work. Only after he remembered Vincent's strange and special magical storage could he agree to try without asking if his ears heard the plan correctly.
"Attention! New recruits form a line!" Koss shouted the order.
Shortly, three young soldiers stood in a line in front of Koss. Their battered faces look anxious, their hearts raced from worry, wondering if they caused a problem.
Their eyes secretly lowered and attentively peeked at the fists of discipline. Their minds and bodies could still feel the phantom pain. Fixing their nose wasn't a pleasant experience.
"Remove the equipment from the large bag. Then pack everything from the cart into our large bag. Later, use a rope and carry your armor on your back. You understand?" Koss ordered with an authoritative tone.
"Yes, sir, yes." The three new recruits accepted with a faint puzzled frown on their faces.
Later, a bag filled to the brim without the ability to close stood beside the empty cart. Koss wore his armor while the three new recruits hanged their armor pieces on their back with a frown.
Besides the large stuffed bag was a smaller bag with swords and shields the four soldiers carried. The large bag mostly consisted of empty bags and little to none supply of food and water. Tulip could carry such a large bag on her back without much difficulty.
[4x Barrel of water (Common Quality) gained.]
[1x Large Bag (Multiple Items) (Common Quality) gained.]
[32x Sticks (Common Quality) gained.]
[2x Bucket of water (Common Quality)]
[3x Great Yok Boar Pelt (Rare Quality) gained.]
Vincent stored everything but the cart. As the items dematerialized into green light, the area illuminated green during the time floating mana particles entered his hands.
Next arrived the big part of this plan. Vincent and Koss pushed the cart into the water. As the hand of the Hero touched the cart, intending to store the drowned cart, a mesmerizing sight appeared before their eyes.
The water illuminated green as if a strong flashlight hid under the river. Green mana particles floated about, and the water reflecting each tiny light as if a group of fireflies surrounded Vincent in the day.
Everyone gazed at this scene with awe. Lupa wagged her tail with the wish to jump on Vincent and embrace him in this unique moment, but she resisted the urge when noticing Ester glancing at her. The human decency instructor had to keep an eye on the impulsive wolf girl.
[1x Wood wheel cart of water (Common Quality) gained.]
[1x Wood wheel cart of water (Common Quality) summoned. x0 remaining.]
Vincent summoned the cart, presumably filled with water. He had a few doubts about this plan because the cart didn't have a lid to contain the water. So he focused on an invisible lid and hoped for the river water to get stored along with the cart.
Fortunately, a cart filled to the brim with water materialized. Tula quickly approached the cart and cheerfully said, "I want to swim in the cart like the icy fountain."
"Heh... you had fun while I had to apologize. " Koss sighed as an unhappy memory resurfaced. He approached Tula and warmly said while hiding his sour face, "That is drinking water, so no swimming in it, okay?"
"Okey, daddy. Tula is a good girl." Tula replied.
The drinking problem became resolved by the handy and portable Soul Dimensional Storage. Vincent stored the cart of water once again.
[1x Wood wheel cart of water (Common Quality) gained.]
Koss then approached Vincent. He decided Vincent was ready for the next phase of training.
"What do you say about starting the next phase? I can start teaching you the beginner forms to learn the Blood Tempered Body Trait faster."
"We soldiers are sometimes called brutes by nobles or by those that use mana since most soldiers can't use mana and those that can get promoted faster."
"I found it easier to temper the body while learning CQC. You would be able to build a good foundation and later be able to control Energy Flow much easier."
"I call it hit two buggers with one stone, haha." Koss smacked Vincent's back a few times while energetically laughing. He was certain Vincent would accept.