Chapter 72: The End of a Long Day 1

Adam watched Vespera.

"I’m starting to understand why you’re all so strong despite your already absurd levels."

"Level is just a foundation."

She opened the door to the training room.

"Skills, techniques, experience, and equipment determine how that foundation is used."

Adam followed her.

"So two people at the same level can have a huge difference in power."

"Obviously."

"I wish the answer had been no."

They went back to the office.

Vespera retrieved several documents concerning the enchantments of the Valorian Games.

Then she filed the last of the diagrams away in her personal space.

Adam looked at the clock.

For once, they were only a few minutes over schedule.

"We’re almost finished on time."

Vespera turned her eyes to him.

"You seem surprised."

"Last time, we went over by forty-two minutes."

"Today, I scheduled the session to finish before we returned to the manor."

Adam remained silent.

Then he understood.

The evening.

Vespera.

The last woman in the group, still waiting her turn.

The dragoness immediately noticed the change in his expression.

A small smile appeared on his lips.

"You just remembered?"

"No."

She continued to look at him.

Adam sighed.

"Perhaps."

Vespera approached.

"So you really did have a busy day."

"Selene beat me for two hours. Elaria had me working in front of a forge. Shiora turned a few tips into a full-blown business campaign." And you, you just increased my compression before teaching me a technique that could break me if I misuse it."

Vespera thought for a moment.

"A productive day."

Adam looked at her for a long time.

"You certainly have a strange definition of the word productive."

She walked quietly past him.

"Let’s go."

They took the space elevator together.

As always, Adam felt his stomach protest during the ride.

When they appeared in the lobby, the receptionist greeted them.

"Good evening, Mistress Vespera. Good evening, Mr. Adam."

"Good evening."

"Good evening."

They left the Tower of Mages.

Night was beginning to fall on Valoria.

The first magical streetlights were coming on along the streets.

Adam walked beside Vespera.

Her body was exhausted.

Her arms still bore the fatigue of Selene and Elaria.

Her legs felt heavy.

Her mind had spent the entire day maintaining her compressed mana.

And yet...

The current compression already felt more stable than at the beginning of the session.

Adam noticed.

Then he immediately chose to say nothing.

Vespera turned her head slightly.

"You just thought again that your compression has become easier."

Adam stopped.

"Can you really read minds?"

"No."

"Then how..."

"Your expression."

Adam resumed walking.

"You’re all far too observant."

Vespera smiled.

They continued together toward the mansion.

And as Adam watched the lights of Valoria, he reflected on the technique he had just learned.

For now, mana enhancement was merely an incomplete tool.

Too dangerous to be truly useful.

But when he mastered every part of his body...

Muscles.

Skin.

Bones.

Tendons.

Joints.

Organs.

Mana circuits.

Then, mana wouldn’t just enhance his spells.

It would directly enhance his body.

And with Adaptation...

What now required several levels of concentration would likely, like its compression, eventually become as natural as breathing.

Adam glanced at Vespera.

Only one thought crossed his mind.

This progress was remarkable.

But he would absolutely avoid telling her until tomorrow.

When Adam and Vespera finally reached the manor, night had completely fallen on Valoria.

The magical lights placed along the estate’s pathways cast a soft glow.

Adam crossed the threshold with only one thought in mind.

Eat.

Take a bath.

And remain still for a few minutes.

His body had reached that strange limit where each muscle individually reminded him of everything he had done during the day.

His legs still bore the marks of training with Selene.

His arms remembered Elaria’s hammer.

His hands were slightly sensitive from the forge.

His mind had spent several hours absorbing Shiora’s business strategies while trying not to inadvertently give her too many dangerous ideas.

And Vespera had just taught him a magical technique capable, if misused, of causing him to destroy his own body.

All while keeping the Progressive Charge Bracelets.

And a mana compression that had once again become difficult enough to demand his attention.

Adam opened the dining room door.

As he expected, the others were already there.

Isadora was in her usual place.

Elena and Lyriana were seated not far from each other.

Selene was eating with the enthusiasm of someone who seemed to consider each meal a well-deserved reward after a battle.

Elaria still had several leaves near her plate.

Shiora was consulting a report while eating.

When Adam and Vespera entered, several eyes immediately turned in their direction.

Elena smiled.

"There you are at last."

Adam replied:

"Good evening."

Vespera inclined her head slightly.

"Good evening."

Selene looked Adam up and down.

"Still standing."

Adam looked at her.

"Thanks to a miracle I don’t yet understand."

"So the training was effective."

"That’s not what I said."

Elaria adjusted her glasses.

"But the fact that you’re still able to walk after the forge confirms an improvement in your endurance."

Adam remained silent.

Then he looked at Isadora.

"Can someone here just say good evening without turning my physical condition into an evaluation report?"

Isadora calmly took a sip of wine.

"Good evening, Adam."

He smiled.

"Thank you."

She added,

"You look exhausted."

Adam closed his eyes.

"I spoke too soon."

Several laughs echoed around the table.

Adam and Vespera took their seats.

Dinner truly began.

For a few minutes, the conversation remained light.

Elena spoke of some minor problems the knights had encountered in the merchant district.

Lyriana mentioned several reports from the agents tasked with monitoring the city entrances.

Selene briefly recounted how an adventurer had tried to tamper with the weight of a monster’s core by filling it with heavy resin.

Shiora immediately looked up.

"Does it work?"

Selene looked at her.

"No."

"Too bad."

"Shiora."

"I was just asking out of professional curiosity."

Then the conversation naturally turned to the day’s projects.

Isadora put down her cutlery.

"We’ve mainly been working on preparations for the Valoria Games and the Runic Calculator."

Elaria nodded.

"The prototypes for Reversi and Go are practically ready for limited production. The chess plans are also progressing."

Shiora smiled.

"And the marketing campaign is already underway."

Adam immediately looked up.

"I saw."

Selene laughed.

"She spent part of the afternoon sending employees all over town."

Shiora didn’t seem at all embarrassed.

"Adam gave me some excellent ideas."

Isadora looked at Adam.

"What did you do now?"

"I spoke."

"That was your mistake already," Lyriana murmured.

Adam glanced at her.

The dark elf gave a small smile.

Shiora continued proudly:

"Demonstration tables, different campaigns depending on customer categories, loyalty programs, tournaments, pre-orders, limited editions, social media endorsements, influence from public figures..."

Selene stopped eating.

"Wait."

She looked at Adam.

"You really taught her all that in one session?"

Adam pointed at Shiora.

"The problem isn’t what I taught her." The problem is, she turns every sentence into a business plan before I’ve even finished speaking."

Shiora smiled.

"It’s a skill."

"It’s terrifying."

"You already told me that."

"And my opinion hasn’t changed."

Dinner continued in this way.

The women explained the progress made during the day.

Isadora had begun identifying several underground spaces that could house the future secret laboratories.

Lyriana had already had the old service entrances checked.

Elaria was preparing several materials for testing different types of memory cells.

Vespera was working on runes capable of identifying the position of pieces on game boards.

Shiora was organizing production and distribution.

Elena was preparing a list of possible military applications.

And Selene...

Adam looked at her.

"What have you been doing for the project?" "

Selene took a bite.

"I trained the future lead tester."

"That doesn’t count."

"It does to me."

Then, naturally, came Adam’s turn.

Or rather...

What should have been his turn.

Selene began immediately:

"His weapon switching became much faster. By the end, he could chain several transitions together without completely losing his stance."

Elaria added:

"His hammer accuracy is decent for a first session. He’s learning quickly how to use the anvil’s rebound."

Shiora continued:

"He understands the business mechanics well enough to adapt the same strategy to different customer categories."

Vespera finished calmly:

"His mana compression has improved. So I increased it. He’s also capable of rudimentary strengthening of his leg muscles and skin."

Adam looked at them one after the other.

No one had asked him a single question.

"But I’m sitting right here."

Selene nodded.

"Yes."

"It’s my day."

"Yes."

"And you’re the one writing the report for me."

Shiora smiled.

"It’s more efficient. We each have the information about our respective areas."

Adam looked at Isadora.

"You’re really going to let this slide?"

The duchess thought for a moment.

"Their method does seem more precise."

Adam slowly put down his fork.

"I don’t even have a say in the summary of my own day anymore."

Elena laughed.

"You can correct the mistakes."

"How generous."

Lyriana murmured,

"There weren’t any."

Adam stared at her for a few seconds.

Then he shook his head.

"I’m surrounded by people who are far too organized."

"That’s not true," Selene replied immediately.

All the others turned their eyes toward her.

Selene thought for a moment.

"Very well. I am surrounded by people who are far too organized."

This time, Adam burst out laughing with the others.

The meal finally ended in a relaxed atmosphere.

But Adam could feel the fatigue starting to seriously catch up with him.

He stood up.

"I’ll let you continue. I’m going to take a bath."

Shiora raised a slight eyebrow.

Selene smiled.

Elena looked away, amused.

Vespera, however, remained perfectly calm.

Adam noticed all the reactions.

"A bath. Just a bath."

Shiora innocently placed a hand against her chest.

"No one said anything."

"Your faces speak volumes."

Lyriana calmly picked up her cup.

"You’re becoming observant."

Adam sighed.

"Good evening."

"See you later," replied Vespera.

The meaning of those few words was, of course, clear to everyone.

Adam bravely chose not to reply.

He left the dining room and went to his room.

Behind him, the conversation resumed almost immediately.

A few minutes later, Adam finally removed his Progressive Charge Bracelets.

The sensation was instantaneous.

His body seemed to become incredibly light.

After carrying their charge since morning, every movement without them felt almost unreal.

He also gradually released the mana compression.

Not abruptly.

Vespera had already explained to him that returning to normal circulation too quickly after several hours of high density could cause an unpleasant sensation.

So Adam slowly reduced the pressure.

The circulation relaxed.

His magical circuits finally ceased to be under constant strain.

He let out a long sigh.

"Finally..."

Then he entered the vast private baths that Isadora had designed.

The warm steam enveloped him immediately.

Adam slipped into the water.

His muscles relaxed almost instantly.

He rested his head against the edge of the pool.

And for the first time since morning...

He was doing nothing.

Absolutely nothing.