Chapter 149: Stock sold Lola then explained to him that after the foundation was now created, he didn’t need any more direct guidance and could simply practice the same technique until reaching apprentice rank in body tempering. "The circulation pattern you’ve learned is sufficient for novice-level development. Practice the same intensity daily, your body will gradually adapt and strengthen, as for duration, you can decide based on how fast you want your progress to be." she said, settling back into her chair with obvious satisfaction at his successful first session "But you must know that your body needs time to rest, that’s also a part of the training. If you keep beating your body up without letting it rest, then you will not help, but infact you will ruin your body." She continued before giving him a solution to the earlier problem. "If you really want to progress really fast, you can use the bread to increase your natural healing, which will help you practise more without having a negative side effect." Noah nodded in understanding; her words made sense. "You said that I can do this till Apprentice rank, I would need to do a different approach after reaching it?" Noah asked, wiping the remaining sweat from his forehead with a towel. "Yes, but it’s still too early to worry about that since you haven’t even reached novice rank yet," Lola replied with a dismissive wave. "Apprentice-level tempering involves more advanced techniques that you have no business knowing now. It’s far too complex for your current foundation." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢 Noah nodded, thanking her for the comprehensive introduction to body tempering. "I appreciate the guidance. This skill could make all the difference in dangerous situations." She smiled and winked with her otherworldly charm. "Anything for my boss~" Even in this world, Lola still managed to be one of the most beautiful beings he had ever encountered. She was simply too gorgeous for anybody to come close to her, but after thinking about it, it made sense. Lola was a succubus, and what kind of succubus didn’t have the charm that destroyed all others? especially if the succubus in question was a princess. The familiar flutter in Noah’s chest returned at her tone, but he forced himself to focus on business rather than the succubus’s charm. Noah immediately stood up and opened the door to the shop, officially resuming business operations after their training session. "Back to work. Time to see what the day brings." The familiar bell above the entrance chimed as the first customers arrived shortly after opening. Two men entered together, their bearing and equipment immediately identifying them as representatives from different organisations. One glance and Noah knew that they weren’t ordinary people. The first wore the blue and gold livery of the royal guard, his armour polished to mirror brightness and bearing the crown insignia that marked him as serving the royal family directly. His companion displayed the silver wolf emblem of Valeria’s guild. Both men approached the counter with a respectful tone, clearly aware of Noah’s reputation and important connections within the kingdom. "Master Noah," the royal guard said with a formal bow. "I’ve been sent to purchase supplies for our front-line division. We require twenty-four healing loaves and twenty-four mana restoration teas." The guild representative stepped forward with similar courtesy. "Guild Master Valeria has requested the same quantities for our active expedition teams." Noah smiled at the orders; he knew that those orders were coming today. After all, he had already agreed with Valeria and Elara the day before. "Absolutely. I have exactly what you need." He moved through his shop, gathering the requested items. Forty-eight golden loaves disappeared from his bread display while forty-eight crystal bottles of iced tea followed suit, completely depleting his current inventory. Unlike the regulated rationing system he’d maintained in the Demon Kingdom, where no individual was permitted more than a single item per visit to ensure fair distribution, here in Esta, he allowed bulk purchases. But that privilege came with an unspoken clause; it wasn’t available to everyone. Only two people had earned that trust: Valeria and Elara. If anyone else attempted to place such a request, he would deny them without a second thought. Because trust wasn’t given lightly. Not when it came to items that could boost mana, suppress exhaustion, and aid in recovery. Not when such goods could be easily hoarded or resold at extortionate prices on the black market. But Valeria and Elara weren’t driven by greed. He knew that. They weren’t merchants looking for mere personal profit. The financial transaction proceeded smoothly, both representatives paying without hesitation at five golden coins per item Before they left, the royal guard paused at the door with additional information. "Her Highness wishes me to inform you that she will visit shortly. She’s currently occupied with urgent kingdom matters but expressed a strong desire to visit you soon." Elara wants to visit. That could be about the Baron Richard investigation. The guild representative nodded in agreement. "Guild Master Valeria conveyed similar intentions. She’ll arrive once her current expedition planning concludes." Noah acknowledged both messages with courtesy. "Tell them they’re welcome whenever they choose to visit." Both men departed with satisfied expressions, their organisations’ immediate supply needs met through Noah’s convenient service. The shop fell quiet once again, leaving Noah alone with Lola and completely empty shelves. Forty-eight loaves and forty-eight iced teas sold. That represents serious progress toward my auto-maker upgrades. Noah approached his system interface with growing excitement, eager to check whether the substantial sales had triggered the advancement he’d been anticipating. After selling his entire stock of both items, Noah felt confident that significant progress had been made toward his production system upgrades. — Host: Noah Carter Age: 28 Shop Level: 2 Daily Revenue: $295,000 (or equivalent) Current Assets: $306,640.21 Shop Points: 2070 Attributes: Strength: 30, Vitality: 4, Intelligence: 20, Agility: 30 Skills: Swordsmanship(Level 8), Mana Control (Level 7), Wind Manipulation (Level 6), Aura (Level 5), Surviving on Ramen (Level 3), Cooking (Level 2), Programming (Level 2), Gaming (Level 2), Finance (Level 2), Body Tempering (Level 1), —