After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

"Hmm." Monica nodded gloomily.

Lin Da hesitated for a moment, looking at Monica's soft and adorable appearance, and added, "It's not that the captain doesn't like you, you are just too young. When you grow up, you can do those things too."

Even though Monica was already eighteen, her appearance and mentality were not mature enough, and Lin Da felt guilty.

"Really?"

"Absolutely certain."

Yay!

Upon hearing this, Monica's eyes happily curved into crescents, and her little white feet swung joyfully. Explore more adventures at empire

But in her mind, she thought that if Klrona could also become Lin Da's sworn partner, they could always be together. The innocent and kind-hearted Monica did not forget her newly made friend at such a time.

'It would be nice to become Lin Da's bride along with Klrona,' Monica innocently thought.

Lin Da brushed off the young girls and managed to get through the ordeal without any real danger.

Sigh.

Having a group of team members who like him was really troublesome.

Lin Da shook his head inwardly, hands on his hips, full of helplessness.

...

It was deep into the night before the celebration ended.

Lia, who prided herself on her drinking capacity, was finally knocked out by Lulu, her eyes dizzy, her head seeming to have a spinning yellow duck on top.

Lia had wanted to challenge Lin Da alone--but Lulu helped Lin Da ward off the drinks like an iron wall, and Lia, despite her efforts, failed and fell at the foot of the fortress.

'I heard that all beastmen have a high tolerance for alcohol, but this is something else. Although wheat beer is low in alcohol content, the quantity makes up for it; it would equate to three kilograms if it were liquor,' Lin Da thought to himself in amazement while he looked at Lulu, who seemed completely unaffected.

Then Tasya came downstairs, verifying that the celebration had ended, and began cleaning up.

"I'll take her home."

Lin Da rose and hoisted the heavily intoxicated Lia over his shoulder.

Lulu watched him and hesitated for a moment, but did not stop him.

Outside the villa, all was silent, under a sky full of stars.

Lin Da drove the carriage, the wind blowing against him sobered up much of his intoxication.

He glanced back at the girl's terrible sleeping posture in the carriage, the fallen orange shoulder strap, the vast expanse of white skin...His heart was filled with mixed emotions.

He had thought that leaving Snow Goose was the end of their relationship.

But unexpectedly, there was still a day when they drank together.

"I hope you can become a mature and excellent adventurer," Lin Da said, touching Lia's face. Not to mention, it was quite soft, a stark contrast to Lia's mouth that was unbearable when she spoke, typically a beauty when silent but intolerable when talking.

Elsewhere, at Snow Goose's villa.

The hall was brightly lit.

At times like this in the past, only Klrona's room would be lit.

The pink-haired loli claimed she couldn't end her day without gaming for a while, feeling as if she had wasted the day otherwise.

But today, Aiko hadn't slept, revisiting her role as cram student after a long time.

It was out of necessity.

Bervis looked at Aiko, who was deeply engrossed in her studies, with a gentle yet chilling tone:

"Can't you even solve such a simple magic problem? With your current level, you'd barely score 115 in the Magic Knowledge Class, only enough for a first-tier university. The empire's most famous academies require a perfect score of 120, Aiko. You could have achieved that before, couldn't you?"

"Not only have you fallen behind in knowledge classes, but you're also failing in noble etiquette, and your casting speed for the Light Arrow Technique isn't as fast as when you were seventeen... Aiko, be glad you won the wager, otherwise I would only give you one hour of rest a day and make you study until you bled."

Don't be fooled by Bervis's laugh; the veins on his forehead were nearly bursting.

Who wouldn't be smoked with fury to see their academically brilliant, genius sister turn into a lazy, limping, second-rate adventurer?

Bervis was sure, if their father saw Aiko looking like such a waste now, he'd definitely chop her up.

"Studying... haha, is studying useful? Can studying make me ride a legendary mount?"

Aiko couldn't take it anymore and slammed her feather pen into the trash can, her eyebrows furrowing in anger:

"Bervis, you study every day, but have you ridden a legendary mount? Let me tell you, if you weren't born with that, you'd never have it! Studying only makes me suffer!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Without studying, how can you become an elite?"

Bervis was about to use his elite theory to refute Aiko, but Aiko stood up swiftly, sneering as she looked into his eyes, "But I have a way, even without hard work, to ride a legendary mount."

"What way?" Bervis's curiosity piqued.

"First, cooking, mastering master-level cooking skills."

Aiko raised a second finger, "Second, exercise regularly to maintain a good figure. Third, take care of your skin daily to always look like an eighteen-year-old young girl."

"Fourth, have exquisite makeup skills and a sense of fashion. Even the elf princess, famed as the most beautiful on the continent, can't do without cosmetics and fancy clothes. She appears every time with well-thought-out light makeup, and those muscled-brain dead adventurers still think it's her bare face. Truly hilarious."

"Stop!"

Bervis interrupted Aiko's speech, utterly baffled, "Can all these things really allow you to ride a legendary mount?"

"Yeah."

Aiko said matter-of-factly, "Without mastering these, how can you make outstanding men like you?"

Bervis's face stiffened.

"You mean..."

"As long as Lin Da becomes my captive, I can ride a legendary mount."

Aiko proudly puffed out her chest, "Don't be arrogant, Bervis. I'm telling you, Lin Da is already diligently gathering fragments for a legendary mount!"

Bervis was dumbfounded.

Lin Da is working hard, what does that have to do with you?

Maybe he's out having fun with a bunch of beautiful girls and not even thinking about you!

It's over.

This sister of his was beyond saving!

To think she'd given up on hard work and was counting on marrying someone else for a turnaround.

"But—I think you're quite smart."

Bervis gave it a serious thought.

It seems Aiko's approach wasn't completely wrong.

If Aiko could capture Lin Da and turn him into her servant, it would be a huge win for the Holy Rock Adventure Team.

Only fearing that stubborn old-fashioned father... Bervis narrowed his eyes significantly as he looked at Aiko, "Then you'd better hurry, before you know it, Lin Da will be swept up by someone else."

"Too many wolves for the little meat." Bervis sighed, "According to the 195th Adventurers' Census, women outnumber men by 20%, which means there will be 20% female bachelors. Excellent male adventurers are highly sought-after, grab them while you can, or you'll have nowhere to cry when it's too late."

Aiko slumped back into her wheelchair, her face drooping melancholy, "I know, no need to rush me. Lin Da will definitely be captured by me."

"The last one standing... should definitely be me."

The last sentence, Aiko muttered softly to herself.

Ding-dong—

The doorbell rang.

"It's me, Lin Da, I've brought your Lia back."