Lys nodded, dipping his spoon back into the cooling soup. "Yeah, you’re right, Mom. Villagers getting so steady work without the hassle sounds good. And don’t worry about the monsters, Mom. I’m sure once the guild gets settled here, they will surely take care of them."
He kept his tone casual, not wanting to worry her more than necessary. The forest around the village had always been a bit wild, as he rembered from the original Lys’s mories.
So knowing the guild is making their branch here too, made his mind relax, just as the other villagers. As most of the Lys’s mories were now accessible to him now, he knew it, that if a monster wave were to start around this village, the peaceful life he was dreaming of might just crumble to dust. So, the guild couldn’t co soon enough.
Elara sighed, tearing off another piece of bread. "Just be careful if you go out of the village, Lys. We don’t need any more scares like before." Her eyes softened as she looked at him, a mother’s concern etched in her features. Mira, sensing the shift in mood, stayed quiet, focusing on her bowl silently.
The rest of the lunch passed in almost silence, broken only by occasional small talk. "This soup’s really good, Mom," Lys said at one point, aning it. The herbs added a subtle kick that made the simple al feel special.
"Thanks, honey. I picked up so fresh ones from the market this morning," Elara replied, a faint smile returning. Mira chid in with a quick "Yeah, it’s yummy," but her voice was subdued, still wary of any underlying tension from the night before.
-----
They finished eating without any major conversations, the clinks of spoons and the soft sounds of chewing filling the cozy kitchen. Once the bowls were empty, Lys stood up, stacking them neatly. "I’ll help with the washing," he offered, grabbing Mira’s bowl too.
Mira jumped up, eager to contribute. " too, Mom." Elara nodded appreciatively, and the three of them moved to the sink, a simple basin with another small mana pump nearby. They rinsed the dishes with a small bucket full of water Elara had collected earlier, scrubbing off the remnants of soup and bread crumbs. Lys handed Mira a cloth to dry, their hands brushing occasionally in the tight space. Elara washed, her movents efficient from years of habit.
"Thanks, you two," Elara said as they finished, wiping her hands on her apron. "Now, go rest up. I’ve got so nding to do." She shooed them out gently, her tone light, but Lys caught the way her eyes lingered on Mira, a subtle check-in that everything was okay, as Mira was too silent than usual in this lunch.
Lys headed to his room after that, the wooden floor creaking under his steps. He shut the door softly, sinking onto the bed with a sigh. The day’s events weighed on him: the chief’s insult, Sara’s anger, the mana stone dilemma. He needed a mont to center himself now.
Shutting his eyes, Lys focused on his mana breathing technique to gather so mana in his core.
As his breathing deepened, he was really starting to feel full now. Even after a full belly lunch, sothing felt empty in him. Now it was getting fulfilled.
He opened his eyes, and the familiar blue glow flickered in his vision. The system interface materialized, updating in real-ti as it sensed he was going to ask for it.
>
>
Strength: 28→33
Stamina: 39→45
Mana: 150/150
System Points (SP): 460
Active Targets:
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[Elara Veyne (Step-Mother)] – Difficulty: SS-Rank | Status: Cleaning the upper floors(Physical contact 0%) | Affection: 91 | Lust: 45%
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[Sara Thorne (Landowner)] – Difficulty: B-Rank | Status: Changing clothes(Physical contact 0%) | Affection: 76 | Lust: 65%
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[Mira Veyne (Step-Sister)] - Difficulty: S-Rank | Status: Coming down the stairs(Physical contact 0%) | Affection: 120 | Lust: 70%
-----
[Bertha Hale (Maid)] - Difficulty: D-Rank| Status: Washing Bed-sheets(Physical contact 0%) | Affection: 23 | Lust: 34%
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Passive Targets: Elowen Valtor
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Skills:
Basic Mana Breathing (Tier 1): Absorb mana through controlled breathing. Generates 1 mana per minute.
Basic Hunting (Tier 2): Improves tracking, stealth, and accuracy.
Basic Herb Knowledge(Tier 1): Gives the user knowledge about herbs with a screen telling him what those herbs do.
Basic Regeneration(Tier 2): Heals the user from small-level wounds overnight.
Enhanced Stamina Skill(Tier 2): Double the natural recovery rate of the user and gives the user more stamina than he currently has.
Appraisal (Tier 1): Displays the market value and hidden properties of items. Crucial for selling those wolf pelts for the maximum price.
Iron Skin (Tier 2): Passively hardens the skin to the density of thick leather, making the host resistant to shallow cuts and bruises.
Lys scanned the updates, a satisfied nod escaping him. His strength and stamina had grown many tis from before. Even though he hasn’t done any hard work yet. Who knows how it will grow once he starts doing so actual work!
’Not bad,’ he thought, exhaling slowly. The system was evolving with him, turning his actions into tangible power.
But it also reminded him that this system was the goddess’s "gift", a tool for breeding, wrapped in stats and quests. He wasn’t complaining; after all, it had saved his life and given him purpose in life when he didn’t have any. Still, the ethical edges blurred sotis.
After shaking those thoughts from his mind, he closed his eyes again and started filling his mana-core.
By the ti he finished filling his mana, feeling the subtle warmth spread through his veins, he heard a soft knocking on his door.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Co in," he called, opening his eyes and dismissing the system screen with a ntal flick.
The door creaked open, and Mira poked her head in, her red hair falling over one shoulder. She slipped inside, closing the door behind her with a quiet click. Without a word, she sat down on the bed beside him, close enough that their thighs touched. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, twisting the hem of her skirt.
Lys turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "What is it? You look like you’ve got sothing on your mind. Do you want to tell sothing?"
Mira hesitated, her cheeks tinting pink again. She glanced at the door, as if making sure Elara wasn’t nearby, then t his eyes.
"Rember how you said before that my crafts are great? Why didn’t I make more things? Well... I couldn’t. Because making bigger and more expensive things requires more coins, too. Which we didn’t have before." She paused, biting her lip, then rushed on. "So, I was thinking... can you buy so things for ? For to experint on them and maybe try to make sothing I’ve been thinking about for a while? What do you say?"
Lys’s heart ward at that. Mira had always been reserved as far as he saw himself after coming into this world, also from Lys’s mories. She has a habit of bottling up her desires so as not to burden the family. Seeing her ask for sothing outright felt like progress, a crack in her shell.
’Maybe yesterday night awakened sothing in her, removing so of her awkwardness with it,’ he thought, recalling their passionate and sexy monts. The closeness between them had changed her sohow, made her bolder.
He gave a genuine and encouraging smile to her. "Of course, Sis. That’s a great idea. Your crafts are amazing, you’ve got real talent, I tell you that. Just tell what you need."
Her eyes lit up, but she held back a full grin, still a bit shy. "Really? Isn’t it too much? I an, the items I’m asking for might be a little expensive, you know? Won’t that be too much?"
Lys shook his head. "Not too much at all. In fact, you can just co with now to the market to buy what you need." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I’ll also pick up so mana crystals for our house while we’re there."
Mira bead; her happiness flowed out of her, lighting up her face. "Whoa! That sounds aweso. We don’t have to haul a heavy water jar from the well, then."
Then she paused, her brow furrowing. "But... didn’t Mom say not to waste coins on mana stones? She seed pretty firm about it. Won’t she get angry at you?"
Lys hushed her gently, placing a finger to his lips with a mischievous wink. "Thats why I won’t tell her that. You also keep it quiet. Don’t let Mom know before I buy them. Or she might reject it outright. We’ll surprise her, show her it’s necessary, not a luxury."
Mira’s eyes widened, then she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. The sound was light and bubbly, easing the last remnants of tension from the room. "Okay, okay. I also like it."
They shared a quiet laugh, the bond between them getting more stronger than before. Lys stood up, stretching his arms overhead. "Alright, let’s head out before it gets too late. The market should still be buzzing, right?"
Mira hopped off the bed, her skirt swishing as she followed him to the door. "Yeah."
Both of them slipped out of the house silently, not alerting their mother that they were going toward the market.
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