After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

"Captain, you're just too amazing!"

Monica's admiration for Lin Da grew even more.

That night, only Lin Da slept soundly.

If you're looking for the reason, it's probably because Lin Da, having consumed a Bronze Level Fruit of the World Tree, had incredibly good luck and gained 2 Skill Points.

Usually, it would take leveling up twice to acquire 2 Skill Points, but now he got them so easily that he couldn't help but wonder if he was a favored one by fortune.

With that, he had a total of 6 remaining Skill Points.

His Experience Points also surged by thirty thousand in three days, thanks to consuming the Fruits of the World Tree.

Plus, venturing out to defeat some Magical Creatures and fitting in some training whenever he thought of it...

Lin Da's experience bar at level 26 came to 33,301/250,000.

His Mystical Points were over 120 thousand.

One more step closer to Star Rank.

When he heard at the victory banquet that Abner was stuck at the 19th level "gate", Lin Da had some other ideas.

Like having the Phoenix Tail Flowers break the gate.

Like helping the White Dove Adventure Team.

But in the end, Lin Da gave up on these ideas.

In the game storyline, the potential of the White Dove Adventure Team was enormous; they would settle in the Royal Capital in the future, and their strength would become renowned throughout the empire.

It's best for him not to interfere and let them develop freely.

Otherwise, it could end up like Lia.

Under Lin Da's meticulous strategy, she might turn into a mindless, arrogant spirit.

Totally different from the mature and beautiful "Bursting Flames" in the game.

"Speaking of which, Lia hasn't forgotten, right?"

"We agreed when we came out from the Epic Monster expedition, that we would all go to the fireworks festival together."

Lin Da thought silently to himself as he looked out the night sky from his window.

Deep into the night.

The full moon hung high in the sky.

That night, apart from Lin Da, none of the others slept well.

Lulu was nervous about tomorrow's fireworks festival; even though Lin Da had complimented how lovely she looked in a yukata, she still worried about wearing it incorrectly—the yukata was difficult to put on with its numerous accessories, and it had been dressed by the shop assistants when she bought it.

And Monica, thinking of the teeming crowds at the Winter Festival, had her social anxiety flare up, curling up and trembling in her bed.

Tasya tossed and turned in her room all night.

When it finally came time to take off her maid outfit that had self-cleaning features and had been worn for three years, Tasya hesitated again.

The cold and ruthless Dark Shadow, or Lin Da who treated his team members well and was stable and gentle... Who was truly her master?

As for the last member of Phoenix Tail, Kafni was not going to the fireworks festival.

Kafni told Lin Da that she needed to rest.

But Lin Da always felt that Kafni had been sneaking around lately, zigzagging through the alleys, disappearing into odd places, and returning only in the dead of night.

Once he found out that there was a 'Muscle Frenzy Bar' nearby.

Apparently, a lot of gay men liked to go there.

It probably had nothing to do with Kafni.

After all, before Kafni became a girl, she claimed to be all man.

...

Aside from Phoenix Tail, in the rooms of Snow Goose and Ice Flower, two girls also had trouble sleeping.

Lin Da had yet to realize that his invitation the other day had led to a misunderstanding by the two girls.

He had invited the "Ice Flower" and "Snow Goose" teams.

Not Isa and Lia individually!

They had all misunderstood.

Thinking that Lin Da had some 'sort of intention'.

Winter Festival was also a couple's holiday.

It was said that the hookup rate on that day could reach 90%!

Although Isa and Lia were inexperienced, they were aware of this kind of common knowledge.

They worried Lin Da might have unscrupulous intentions, lusting after their bodies!

Even so.

Even so... they still accepted Lin Da's invitation.

In a room all white, clean and simple—a girl's boudoir—

Isa looked dazedly at the yukata on the table, silently deciding that this time she had to set clear boundaries with Lin Da.

She would express her feelings to Lin Da, get rejected harshly, and cut off these unrealistic hopes.

Isa believed that, with Lin Da's reputation and the level of affection he showed Lulu, he would surely reject her.

Then she could finally give up, focusing all her energy on the adventure team.

Isa thought that she might never meet an adventurer like Lin Da again.

Ever since kindergarten, Isa knew people were making sly comments that she would never get married.

Those people thought that she, always at the top of her class every year, was too outstanding, too ambitious, and that she would surely be unable to marry when she grew up!

I never expected they'd be right.

At 25 years old… and soon to be 26 after the Winter Festival, Isa was still a pitifully single woman!

Isa pursed her lips, picked up the carefully chosen bathrobe, and looked toward the trash can with a surge of impulse inside her—she was bound to be rejected by Lin Da one day or another, so what was the point of wearing such things?

Lin Da's gaze was always fixed on Lulu, Lia, and the others anyway. With so many girls around, he wouldn't even notice her, whether she wore the bathrobe or not.

Besides, Isa was what Fannis called a "flat-chested captain." She really didn't have much to show off. Wearing a loose bathrobe would only make it more of a magnifying glass moment!

Isa bit her lip, her right hand clutching the bathrobe, and with all her might, she threw it away.

Such things were completely unnecessary!

Yet.

Images that could only seemingly appear if a miracle happened floated through Isa's mind.

It was Lin Da praising her, saying she looked very cute in the bathrobe.

Even though she was flat-chested...

Isa slumped down in her chair.

She realized her right hand was still clutching the bathrobe tightly, not having let go at all.

Even Isa herself wasn't clear if she could calmly accept Lin Da's rejection tomorrow.

"If I cry, I'll bring shame upon the Ice Flower Adventure Team. I'm about to become the captain of an Iron Level adventure team, so I cannot afford to lose face like that."

Isa wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and showed a smile full of propriety in the mirror.

As the daughter of a knight, she couldn't lose her composure on any occasion.

Calm, confident, composed.

That was the daughter of a knight, the captain of the Ice Flower Adventure Team, Isa.

...

Late at night, in the villa of the Snow Goose Adventure Team.

Lia had a nightmare in her room, her small face twisted in agony, forehead slicked with sweat.

"—Lia, these are my wives, you should stop contacting me from now on, I'll be busy making babies with them."

"Making babies, won't you go on adventures anymore?"

"What's the fun in adventuring? I've already earned enough gold coins, from now on I'll enjoy life with them. Goodbye, Lia, I'm off to settle down in a rich city."

"Lin Da, Lin Da, come back, I haven't defeated you yet!"

"Come back, come back quickly!"

Lia chased the carriage, stumbling and tottering.

Ugh!

Gasping as if she were suffocating underwater, Lia opened her eyes and sat up with a start.

Only then did she realize that everything that just happened was a dream.

She'd dreamt that Lin Da married all the members of the Phoenix Tail Flower Team.

He cut ties with her and left White Dove City to live elsewhere.

Wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, Lia was still shaken.

The unfamiliar expression on Lin Da's face in the dream loomed before her eyes.

Kissing his wives one by one right in front of her!

Lia seemed to understand where her anxiety these past few days was coming from.

She couldn't bear to imagine Lin Da being taken by someone else, severing all ties with her.

"I should confirm it," Lia murmured to herself, clutching at her chest, "whether Lin Da still likes me or not."

At least while Lin Da hadn't left Snow Goose, Lia could almost certainly, or at least ninety percent sure, determine that Lin Da had some feelings for her.

But now, she couldn't quite see through Lin Da.

This night seemed especially long.

The girls spent it immersed in their respective sorrows.

Finally, came the next day at noon.

The agreed time to meet.

"Happy Winter Festival."

"Wishing you all Epic loot in the new year!"

"Happy holidays!"

There was cheerfulness in every street and alley.

It wasn't even evening yet, but some children had already started setting off miniature handheld fireworks.

The spacious commercial streets of the Inner City District were incredibly congested today.

Everyone swapped their everyday clothes for bathrobes and wished each other happy holidays.
Your next chapter is on empire

Women carried handbags and were dressed to the nines.

"Candied apples, fresh out of the pot, 10 copper coins each!"

"Cheese chocolate bananas, get them before they're gone!"

"Roasted sweet potatoes, mommy, I want a big roasted sweet potato, eat, eat the big one!"

Adventurers attracted by the savory smells crowded in front of each stall.

The shops were also packed to the brim.

Whether it was a clothing, equipment, or jewelry stores, all held sales events today, bustling with activity.