Chapter 6: Tomorrow, Evening.
"I’ve read that many newbies jump right away into the dungeon, and it ironically leads to their death because huge variables stand in the dungeons, which could kill anyone if they’re not well-versed."
A smirk curled up on Sara’s face; she leaned into the couch before continuing. "I’ve never seen someone like you. Mostly new people want to grow strong and make big money, but you? You’re completely different. You’re thinking about survival, and only those who reach a high tier think like that."
Ethan raised a brow at her words; a feeling of confusion flickered past him. But the words Sara was saying weren’t blabbering; even Athena and Isolde gave a few polite nods, agreeing with her.
They were behaving like the saying that goes, ’Strong recognizes the strong.’ Ethan noticed the look on his wife’s face; it made him sure that Sara was correct.
His gaze swept across her face once before continuing. "You flatter me, Miss Sara." He said with a gentle smile.
Sara’s face darkened, and expressions turned serious. "I’m not trying to flatter you in any way. I’m just simply stating the true reality behind the deaths of newcomers, which occur every single minute."
Ethan looked at his wives once; a thought lingered inside his mind. ’Wait, if I go train with her... who will take care of these two? I can’t leave these two alone because they certainly can’t take care of themselves without me.’ He muttered inwardly.
Elina noticed the look on Ethan’s face; she instantly jumped into the conversation, which pulled Ethan back to consciousness.
"Mister, are you thinking about your wives?" She asked politely.
Ethan scratched the back of his head; a bead of sweat appeared on his temple. "Was I being too obvious?"
She shook her head lightly. "No, not at all. But the expressions on your face made it clear what you were thinking." She looked at them both and continued politely. "If you’re worried about your wives, I’ll take care of them."
Ethan raised his hand towards her and leaned forward a bit. "It’s fine—" Before Ethan could say anything, she continued. "Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not doing this to do you a favor. I usually wonder about what to do in the evening because I usually am free; that’s why I kept that proposal."
"I’ll be able to spend time with my fellow ladies, and you’ll be able to go and train with Sara." She said, a smile tugging at her lips.
"That’s so nice of you, Miss... uh?" Ethan tried to put on an act that he didn’t know her name, although he definitely did, since he saw it in a system window. But he couldn’t let the truth about his prowess come out, at least ’yet.’
"It’s Elina. My name is Elina, mister." She said softly.
Ethan crossed his arms, gave a faint yet polite nod in consideration, and continued. "Thank you for your offer, Miss Elina."
His attention turned to Sara, who had been sitting the entire time quietly, letting Ethan and Elina handle the conversation and finalize everything. "So, when can we start our training, Miss Sara?" he asked.
Sara leaned forward; her arms remained crossed as her grin widened even more. "You talk like a real man, huh? Never expected that you would want to start training right away." A loud chuckle resonated through her.
After composing herself, she placed a hand on her thigh and continued, "We can begin tomorrow evening. I have a dungeon expedition in two days, and I’ll be taking you with me. Don’t worry; it’s only a Green Gate, one of the easiest dungeons out there. It’ll be the perfect place for your first real experience."
"Well, I’m a B-rank adventurer, which might make you think, ’Why am I attempting such a dungeon then, right? Because it’s not a dungeon meant for me; it’s for the newcomers like you. When you reach B-Rank, you get assigned tasks such as these to protect the safety of new people." She explained everything thoroughly.
Athena and Isolde didn’t seem shocked at all, as if they knew about all this from before, and why would they not? Back in the day, they had worked with adventurers in many operations.
"Well then, let’s start from tomorrow," Ethan said as he clapped his hands.
The hours slipped by as they continued chatting with one another. Athena remained calm and composed throughout, chiming in now and then, while Isolde barely took part in the conversation, preferring to sit quietly and listen.
The sun had fully risen, and its rays stretched across the land, which made the temperature higher than ever. But the faint yet cool breeze entered through the windows, making the inside of the chamber turn cold.
Elina noticed the time; it had already been 1 PM, and they were still here, indulged in conversation.
She gasped, eyes widening slightly as she suddenly stood. Her unusual behavior made Ethan and his wives raise a brow in confusion.
"What happened, Miss Elina?" Ethan asked.
"It’s already been 1 PM, and we are still here. I had to get the milk from the milkman and also buy some groceries. If I don’t rush there right now, the shopkeeper will close the shop and go out to eat." She panicked.
Seeing her flustered reaction, Sara and Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle. Even Isolde and Athena, who rarely showed much emotion, had faint smiles on their lips.
Laughter filled the room for a few moments before Sara and Elina took their leave. After seeing them off, Ethan closed the front door, slowly turned to his wives, and asked, "So, should I go prepare lunch now?"
Athena eyed Ethan once and then shifted her gaze towards the windows. Isolde looked at him once and then gave a slight nod.
Their reactions made Ethan chuckle lightly as he marched to the kitchen to prepare lunch.