"Don't worry, Tula. I only need to get a good night's rest. " Vincent replied. He didn't want to add Tula and her family members to the worrying list.
A while later, Vincent lay on the bed without the strength to move. Yula and Tula also helped, but Lenn and Renn were nowhere to be seen. The twins were resting from a long day of working out and feeling sore all over their bodies.
*Pho, pho, pho*
Plow cutely barked and forced itself out of Tula's arms. The little blue fox fell on the bed and hastily went on Vincent's stomach after tumbling a few times because of its missing leg. Plow closed its eyes after a cute yawn and slept along with its future master.
Lupa didn't like how the sneaky little blue fox slept beside Vincent before she did. However, Ester placed her hand on Lupa's hip and said while leading her outside, "Let's leave them to sleep for now. We will come to sleep later."
"But, but Plow is a female!" Lupa felt wronged.
"Plow is an animal, and that is what Plow can only do. Are you an animal?" Ester whispered in Lupa's ear. Not a second later, Lupa wagged her tail and walked with Ester with a smile. The sneaky fox had no chance against her.
Later, Ester and Lupa spent some time talking with Yula and Tula. They explained what happened and then showed their adventurer's identification cards.
Lupa boasted how she had gotten the most stars in her rank. Lupa looked quite pleased to be the best.
It was quite an enjoyable women-only evening for Tula's mother. She got to know more about her daughter's saviors after this conversation.
Yula decided to hold a feast at about noon on the next day to celebrate her daughter's saviors on becoming adventurers. It was also to celebrate her daughter's return at the same time.
Yula wanted to stop feeling sad and make her children grieve less. As a loving mother, Yula thought it would be an excellent opportunity to honor her husband and brother-in-law for protecting Tula with their noble sacrifice.
Furthermore, it was also to help her sons and Vincent regain their strength with her cooking. A feast filled with many feelings and to support a new undiscovered future.
Yula is a great cook. She acquired the hunch to know what food her noble employers needed whenever she was on cooking duty as a maid.
Yula was always praised for her food as the hungry nobles seemed to eat and feel better afterward. In addition, Yula had a knack for balancing between meat, vegetables, and fruit for dessert.
The darkening skies soon became night, and it was time to call it a day. Tula went to sleep with her mother while Ester and Lupa in their current bedroom. When Lupa arrived, she glared at Plow a few times and then decided to sleep.
*Day 52 - Morning*
Vincent woke up and noticed he was alone in the bedroom. He pulled himself up and felt the sides of the bed weren't warm. Ester and Lupa had woken up much earlier than him, it seemed.
"Hmm? Where is Kazumi?" Vincent asked after not even Kazumi greeted him with the usual good morning and a tease.
Vincent got out of the bed and didn't feel tired nor sore. He felt like normal.
"Display stats. " Vincent commanded after fearing an additional age increase because of his quick recovery. Soon, he sighed in relief when his age didn't change.
Vincent looked at his hand and said, "Yesterday was a very eventful day, huh? I need to train with my new ability and, I must not forget, magic might be possible for me now because of Ester."
Vincent changed his bandages and wore clean clothes Ester or Lupa prepared and left on the nightstand. As Vincent was about to descend the stairs, a green wisp flew over and entered his body.
[Morning. Yula, Tula, Ester, and Lupa are preparing a feast for midday. So it is in about five hours or so. But, hahaha. Lenn and Renn are suffering from muscle pain. They must have taken your training instructions to heart. I heard Yula say how she found her children fainted in the yard from over-training.]
Vincent frowned when he heard this. He didn't think Lenn and Renn would train up to the point of fainting. Nevertheless, his heart felt a slight pang of concern when he had to face their mother soon.
Vincent entered the kitchen and saw four women preparing for the feast. Plow sat on the table alone as Tula was helping her mother cut vegetables. Plow sometimes nibbed on a small piece of bread beside it when feeling bored.
"Vincent is awake! " Lupa announced. Then she rushed in front of Vincent and said while touching his arms, "Are you in pain, my mate?"
"Thank you for worrying about me, my little wolf. Strangely I feel like normal, but the potion Gevan gave me might be the reason why." Vincent placed his hand on Lupa's head and lightly tussled her hair.
"That's great." Ester felt better after hearing Vincent's words. However, Ester had a hard time sleeping that night. Even after Kazumi decided to tell her not to worry by using Soul Visit, Ester kept an eye on Vincent's condition every time she woke up.
"Good morning, big brother Vincent. Tula is helping mommy make many, many food." Tula looked like she was enjoying herself since her mother allowed her to hold a knife under supervision. Tula wasn't permitted to hold a knife when she had a ten-year-old body.
Vincent smiled. The kitchen seemed peaceful and the food abundant. Vincent pondered if Yula used a lot of money, but Vincent's frugal sickness triggered, and he decided not to ask
.
Yula and Tula were cutting vegetables while Ester and Lupa cut what looked like a pig into pieces. Three beautiful young women made the nutritious feast, and a well-aged Yula in her mid forty's controlled the dishes with her perfectly balanced diet knowledge.
Vincent stepped back before his mouth started to drool and told them, "I will go out and look at the nearby shops for a while. But I won't be late for the feast for sure."
Lupa wanted to go with Vincent, but thinking about food made her slightly drool, sit next to Ester, and continue preparing the meat. Ester chuckled when Lupa chose food over alone time with Vincent.
*Middle-class district*
Later, Vincent walked the middle-class streets. The first shop he visited was a weaponsmith. Many weapons and armor filled his sight, but after Vincent asked for a quotation of the cheapest equipment that isn't enchanted by runes, his face turned sour, and then he quickly left.
'Ester has her Birth Gift sword, and Lupa has her claws. I have my tough gauntlets, so let's save money for other things... yes. I'll do that.' Vincent thought up an excuse, yet he had a valid point.
The cheapest sword with a toughness enchantment cost thirty silver coins, and it looked like it saw many fights. A brand new one would cost much more, Vincent concluded.
Kazumi laughed and rolled when she saw Vincent do this a few more times at different artisan shops. The mention of the words 'silver coins' was starting to make him frown in surprise, with a bit of hesitation or worry mixed in.
After a few more shops and a library with books priced slightly too high for his liking, Vincent stopped in front of a textile shop. The shop had a pillow with an attractive intricate design. Beside it was a handkerchief, and a woman's nightgown was matching the pillow's design.
A moment later, Vincent felt a tap on his shoulder, but Kazumi didn't warn him for some reason. When he turned his head, Abigail entered his view.
"Hey, Vincent. You look better than Ollie. Ollie is suffering from a bad stomach ache after drinking too many Minor Mana potions." Abigail said.
"That's bad. Tell Ollie I say hi and sorry then." Vincent apologized.
"Why if it isn't Abigail. Have you come to see your mother and aunt?" A man approached Vincent and Abigail from inside the shop. The old chubby man wore elegant clothes and appeared to be most likely the shop owner.
"Yes, I brought them some snacks. You know how they forget to eat if they start knitting something." Abigail joked.
"Hahaha, never in my life have I ever seen nor heard about such focused workers as them. Unbelievably, they can do almost anything if it can be stitched." The shop owner said.
"Is that true? I have a wolf that drops a lot of fur on the floor. I am wondering if it's possible to make clothing out of them." Vincent curiously asked.
Abigail curiously rubbed her chin after Lupa appeared in her thoughts. On the other hand, the shop owner raised a smile and smelled a new opportunity approaching his business.
"Welcome, valued customer. I'm Fabio of the Fabioso Fabric Company. It seems you know Abigail." Fabio extended his hand and gave Vincent a respectful handshake.
"Please, follow Abigail inside, and if your custom order can be made, call out for me and become Fabio fabulous, hehehe. " Fabio told Vincent to enter with an unexpected joke. Then he politely raised his hand to invite Vincent inside.
The shop owner Fabio treated Vincent with the utmost respect, unlike the previous shops. When Vincent raised a sour expression while hearing the prices, the shop owner's enthusiasm faded, and they quickly treated Vincent without respect. If you don't like it, then leave was what Vincent felt.
Vincent then entered the shop, and his eyes widened in surprise. The mother and aunt of Abigail appeared to be a pair of professional tailors.
Not only cushions or enchanting curtains entered Vincent's sight, but he also noticed a large frame fixed on the wall. However, the painting wasn't painted with ink. It was artfully embroidered by hand, displaying the talents of the tailors working inside.
"Mother, aunty, I brought you something to eat." Abigail greeted with a somewhat happy yet serious smile. It seemed she is worried about their wellbeing as even the shop owner Fabio, feels the pair of half-elves are workaholics when they get too focused on their work.
The pair stopped working and looked attentively at Abigail and the man behind her. Not a moment later, the two raised a smile and teased, "Ohh, my. Did you bring your boyfriend to meet us?"
"Shhh!!!" Abigail flustered and rushed to cover their mouths to stop them from speaking. Then she urgently explained who Vincent is with a pair of blushed cheeks.
Vincent simply stood where he was and smiled at the welcoming sight of a happy family. He looked around the large room and didn't see much other than a large loom machine with different string colors, a single-person mattress with a bedsheet half-done, and a half-ready sofa with a few parts still in its wooden frame.