Noah used the portal and arrived back at the shop when Lola’s shift was nearly meant to end.
He spotted her behind the counter wearing what seemed like an apron—a crisp white garment that gave the shop a distinctly more professional appearance.
Noah chuckled before saying, "Where did you get this from?"
She looked incredibly cute in the uniform. Furthermore, she was no longer hiding herself under a cloak. She’d decided to wear a head scarf that simply covered her horns, while her tail remained concealed beneath her carefully arranged clothing.
"Why are you laughing at me?" Lola’s ruby eyes flashed with indignation mixed with embarrassment.
"I personally left to commission this apron from one of those human craftsmen, to make your shop more professional. I saw many ladies wearing these at their stalls yesterday, so I decided to wear one. I shall remove it since you don’t wan—"
She pouted as she attempted to untie the apron strings, her expression carrying wounded pride at his apparent disapproval.
"No, no, it looks really good on you. Keep it, thanks for taking care of the shop." Noah raised his hands to stop her from removing it.
She nodded with a smile that brightened her entire face, clearly pleased by his approval.
"Your shop is really magical," Lola began after tying her apron back. "The items just randomly appear on the shelves. I can’t even track where they come from. They just materialise out of thin air. Also, I’ve sold twenty loaves of bread and twenty bottles of iced tea throughout the night."
She launched into a detailed account of her evening’s work, describing each customer interaction with obvious enthusiasm. A guild member seeking healing supplies, a late-night mage needing mana restoration, several guards purchasing provisions for extended patrols, and various other nocturnal customers who’d discovered the shop’s unusual operating hours.
"The healing bread was particularly popular," she continued, her voice carrying satisfaction. "Word seems to be spreading about its effectiveness. Three different customers mentioned hearing about it from friends or neighbours."
Noah smiled through her report, not wanting to interrupt despite already knowing the sales figures from his system interface. Her genuine excitement about contributing to the business was endearing, and her insights about customer behaviour proved valuable for understanding market dynamics.
She’s really taking this job seriously. More than just going through the motions...she is cute.
His shelves were at full stock for everything—bread, iced tea, protein bars, energy drinks, and beef jerky, all displayed in neat arrangements. Clearly, the sales hadn’t come all at once, but at intervals that allowed the auto-makers to restock continuously throughout the night.
Perfect timing. The production systems kept pace with demand exactly as intended.
"And the energy drinks?" Noah asked, though he already knew the answer.
Lola’s expression dimmed slightly. "No sales on those, or the beef jerky and protein bars. The prices are simply beyond what those night customers can afford. But several people asked about them with obvious interest—they just lacked the necessary funds."
As expected. Premium items require premium customers.
Noah then told her that her shift was over and she could do whatever she liked for the rest of the day.
She nodded with understanding, then surprised him by settling into one of the customer chairs rather than heading upstairs or leaving the shop entirely.
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Don’t you want to go out or do something? Explore the human kingdom, maybe visit those craftsmen again?"
"Do what?" Lola’s smile carried familiar mischief as she leaned forward in her chair. "I would rather be next to you~"
She winked with the charm of a beauty who knew exactly how her flirtation affected people.
Noah rolled his eyes with exaggerated exasperation.
This succubus never stops teasing.
Despite his mock annoyance, Noah couldn’t deny that having Lola’s company had become surprisingly comfortable. Her presence added warmth to the shop that went beyond a simple business partnership.
At least she’s taking this seriously. And the apron really does make her look adorable.
"Whatever pleases you, you are free to leave whenever you want. But if you’re staying, I need your help with something."
Lola’s grin widened with obvious satisfaction at achieving her goal of remaining close to him. "Of course, boss. Whatever you need."
Noah’s heart sped up for a moment before he forced himself to calm down. The way Lola said ’boss’ with that particular tone made his pulse quicken in sinful ways.
"I need your help regarding my vitality. It’s extremely low compared to my other aspects, such as my mana, strength, or speed. How can I improve it?" He said, immediately trying to cloud those thoughts with his current problem.
Lola’s expression shifted from playful to genuinely interested as she processed his request. Her ruby eyes studied him with the gaze of someone assessing a serious problem rather than engaging in casual flirtation.
"I see, this is quite a common issue among people who focus heavily on offensive capabilities," she nodded with understanding. "The fix is pretty simple—you just need to temper your body."
Body tempering. That sounds... intense.
"What exactly does that involve?" Noah asked, settling into the chair across from her.
Lola leaned forward, explaining. "Body tempering is the process of conditioning your physical form to withstand greater stress and recover more efficiently. It’s different from simply building strength or speed."
She gestured toward his torso with her slender fingers. "Your current vitality means your body lacks the resilience to handle sustained damage or recover from serious injuries. Even with your impressive strength and agility, a well-placed strike could still prove fatal."
Exactly what I was afraid of..the glass cannon syndrome.
"The tempering process involves exposing your body to controlled stress, not enough to cause permanent damage, but sufficient to trigger adaptive responses," Lola continued. "Think of it like building calluses, but for your entire constitution."
Noah nodded in understanding. The theory of constantly putting your body under stress, in order to evolve, made sense in his mind. "What kind of controlled stress are we talking about?"
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