Chapter 240 Elrion's request
Chapter 240 Elrion's request
Adam smiled at the compliment and remained silent, although it was impossible to deny the impact of his presence. Since he started working, not even a day had passed, but there were already people who had become attached to him and came to the boutique just to see him. Without wasting time, the man also used this to garner more attention and money. By sheer will, customers willingly bought what he praised and even gave tips, which in most cases exceeded the amount of the entire purchase.
"Adam, your magical pet is very picky about food," suddenly came a complaining female voice from behind him. It was Valentina, holding Calissa in her hand, who refused to eat what was served to her.
"Valentina... I apologize for that. She's just too spoiled," Adam apologized with a smile. It seemed like his face was glowing.
"I-it's... it's okay! H-here, take her!" Valentina suddenly blushed heavily and immediately handed Calissa to him, then disappeared among the assortment of clothes. The man was left speechless, not understanding her exaggerated reaction.
"She should have gotten used to my appearance, shouldn't she?" he puzzled in his thoughts.
Fortunately, the girls were tactful enough not to mention it. They continued working until late evening, and although it was challenging due to the endless stream of guests, for once, Adam relaxed. This job suited him.
Closer to the evening, as it was time to close the boutique, Elrion suddenly approached him and asked to talk in private.
Entering Adam's room, they sat on the bed, and Elrion smiled, patting the mattress. He asked, "I hope it's not too hard. Sorry, it was the only one left. A new bed will be delivered soon, so you can sleep properly."
Adam waved his hands and awkwardly smiled, clapping his knees, "Boss, you've already helped me a lot. I can't let you spend more because of me."
"Nah. Nah. No need to continue; I've already ordered it, and it will be delivered tomorrow, so let's not discuss it anymore," said Elrion, laughing. However, a second later, he became more serious, patting Adam's shoulder and saying in a deep voice, "And also... I have to thank you for getting rid of the thieves. I heard everything from the guards. I was touched by your dedication, but please don't risk so much for ordinary fabric, understand? If you had encountered masters, it wouldn't have been pleasant."
"Uh... okay," the youth could only nod, refraining from reminding Elrion that he was in the exact spot where his wound was. Although it was somewhat painful, it was bearable.
After a brief pause, as if taking a moment before the next topic, Elrion pulled out an envelope from his pocket, resembling an invitation letter. He handed it to Adam and smiled, saying, "Open it."
"Okay," Adam replied and followed Elrion's words.
He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. It was addressed to Elrion himself, so Adam sent a questioning look to his boss as if asking, "Do I need to read this?" to which he received a carefree nod as if Elrion didn't care.
After obtaining Elrion's consent, Adam no longer tried to be polite, so he unabashedly began reading the letter.
(Dear Elrion,
It seems like quite some time has passed since you left the city of Clinton. A few noble ladies and gentlemen in our ordinary village have expressed their sadness and sincerely ask you to return, but, of course, it's entirely your choice. And so...
I'll get straight to the point. I would like to borrow your talent for a while. The capital will soon host a beauty contest, and I need to quickly secure a good look for the competition. Even a simple photograph will do, so there's no need to worry about moving to the capital.
Model requirements: be beautiful, tall, and sociable.
Clothing requirements: classic, graceful, elegant.
I'll be waiting for your response within five days of receiving this letter.
Noble Knight, Barbara Clinton.)
Having finished reading the letter, Adam politely handed it to Elrion, who also began reading. Then he placed the letter back into the envelope.
"Well, I already knew about her intentions, so I told you about this job earlier. It turns out you arrived at the most convenient time. It's fate, I suppose," Elrion said with a laugh, then clapped his hands. "Of course, I'm not forcing you. If you want to refuse, I'm always ready to accept your rejection. It won't affect anything, so don't worry. I'll still maintain my reputation, even if I reject Lady Clinton."
Ding!
[Task Received: Model Job]
[Description: The owner of the boutique "Crystal," Elrion, offers you to participate in an event.]
[Reward: Favor from Knight Clinton, Low-Quality Magic Crystals (x3), Defense Fan]
[Punishment: Decrease in Elrion's reputation, deterioration of relations with Knight Clinton]
"Hmm?"
Adam frowned, not paying attention to the essence of the task. He looked at the punishment and was surprised that such a thing existed. Considering that his intention to become stronger forced the system to transform, creating a task system, there was one "but" - he couldn't refuse tasks. He had no choice!
However, after reading the task, he had no reason to refuse, let alone fail the task. So, of course, he agreed.
"All right, of course, I'll participate. You've helped me a lot, so I'll do everything I can not to let you down," Adam said with a smile.
"Good! Excellent! Wonderful! Hahaha! We'll outshine them all!" Elrion loudly laughed, starting to dance a victorious dance.
"..."
Adam raised an eyebrow at such a reaction. "So, he was really worried that I might refuse?"
***
The next day started very early. Adam woke up from a meditative state and exhaled, expelling residues from purifying magical energy. He smiled, checking his magic core.
"Great! It's increased in size, even if just a little. Although I'm still far from the next stage of development, this is already good!" he thought and happily smiled, clenching his hand into a fist, causing a small, quiet explosion, yet still impressive.
This refinement technique was extremely cool. Despite focusing on magical energy and purifying it into "magic energy cubes," Adam was simultaneously improving his physical strength.
Although he lacked talent, according to the system's profile, he still had good efficiency in absorbing magical energy. Coupled with this wonderful refinement method, it was a win-win!
He got up and started stretching. Though it wasn't necessary for him, it was a habit ingrained in his mind. There was a crackling sound as he straightened his back.
"Oh? Is my physical development starting to return?" Adam thought, looking in the mirror they brought yesterday.
Upon entering this world, he acquired a new body, losing his previous physical development. Although he had muscles, it still didn't compare to his former shape. But now, sculpted muscles were starting to emerge, adding to his attractiveness.
"Okay, I've admired myself enough," he muttered and smiled.
"Agreed. Your self-satisfied expression is annoying. Dude, can you be less in awe of yourself? It's disgusting," a voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Calissa..."
This magical creature he encountered on his first day in this world had become so lazy over time that it was irritating. She slept all day, waking up only during meals.
"You sleep all day, and if you're active, it's only during mealtime. You're like a cat," Adam said, shaking his head. He approached the bed and picked up Calissa.
"What the hell, why are you picking me up, jerk? Didn't your mom teach you not to be so rude to a girl?!" Calissa angrily snapped and swiped her claws towards Adam's face, but he, with an indifferent expression, dodged it. This continued for a few more minutes until Calissa got tired. "Damn... if I knew you'd become so strong after starting the evolution path, I would never have told you about all this..."
"It's too late to regret now. Hehe..." Adam grinned and threw Calissa onto the bed, then started getting dressed. Ignoring Calissa's muffled protest, he put on his work clothes and was ready for the day. Approaching the door, he opened it and tilted his head, allowing Calissa to leap onto him. Then they left the room.
It was six in the morning, while the official working hours started at eight. However, Adam didn't particularly feel like sleeping, as with his current strength, sleeping only 6 hours a week would still keep his body in good condition.
First, he inspected the store for any problems or missing items, and if there were any, he immediately organized the distribution of the missing clothes. During the customer flow, any mistake could be the cause of a collapse. Although the villagers didn't have a lot of money to mindlessly buy clothes, the customer flow was still high. Adam was confident that if Elrion returned to the city of Clinton, located five hundred kilometers away, he could earn even more money.
But judging by the carefree attitude of the boutique owner, his goal was not to make money but to satisfy his desire to create. Sometimes, he even went out and gave clothes to low-income families for free, earning him a high reputation in the village of Bin, where he was respected as a virtuous person.
"His kindness is truly pleasing to the eye, but spending money to help the less fortunate without return... that's not my style," thought Adam with an indifferent face as he replenished the assortment.
As the mayor of the city of Sedion, he kept the city under strict control. Although he also desired prosperity, Adam never did anything for free. Even the schools he built were for the development of the city, but under a strict contract – students couldn't leave the city until they worked a specified period.
"Although, who knows, kindness can sometimes turn in the most unexpected ways. I just follow the most prudent path, knowing the pros and cons."
He shook his head and continued working.
"Either way, since I'm involved in this conspiracy, I must use everything to my advantage. First, I'll become stronger, and then..."
To be continued...