Mo Lini had gradually grown accustomed to life on the road.
It was hard not to…
Good food, good drinks, and the scenery of their travels every day. Whenever they arrived in a new city, Liyana would drag her out to buy piles of things, and they’d sleep in the finest inns on the softest beds.
No need to worry about being hunted down, no struggles to make ends meet—she didn’t have to do anything at all. As the team’s mascot, all she had to do was be cute and adorable… This was the most carefree period of her life.
Mo Lini felt like she could never go back now… Even if she were asked to return to Olifando to work as a music teacher, she wouldn’t be willing.
Teaching would mean exhausting herself trying to educate those students.
Now, Mo Lini exhausted herself thinking about what to eat next.
After several months on the road, she hadn’t lost weight—instead, she’d gained a little.
Mo Lini pinched the soft flesh of her belly beneath her clothes, where a bit of extra padding had appeared.
Her face tightened with determination. This couldn’t go on.
If she got fat and lost her charm, the one thing that gave her value would be gone.
Being a mascot… Mo Lini took it seriously.
Inside the carriage, Mo Lini carefully removed her boots, checking that they didn’t smell before stepping onto one of the seats. She hovered in the middle, tightening her core while bracing her hands against the cushioned seat opposite.
"Mo Lini… What are you doing?" Liyana asked, curious about her sudden strange movements.
"P-plank…" Mo Lini panted lightly, answering earnestly.
Liyana: "Why are you suddenly doing planks in the carriage? If the carriage stops abruptly, you’ll fall—heh, don’t worry, I’ll catch you."
"I think I’ve gained a little weight recently. I want to exercise more to slim back down." Mo Lini seemed to only hear the first half of Liyana’s words.
"Oh~" Liyana let out a long, meaningful hum.
Mo Lini: "Wh-what?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking… if you overdo it, you might end up looking like Musen." Liyana shrugged.
Mo Lini froze for a moment, as if picturing herself covered in muscles. Her face fell.
"Liyana, don’t scare Mo Lini… Normal exercise won’t turn you into something like me." Musen’s voice drifted out from the pages of a book, making the carriage feel a little more cramped.
"When I train, I absorb magic like a warrior—through my muscles," Musen explained.
Liyana blinked. "Then what’s the difference between you and a warrior?"
"Seems like there isn’t much… but my profession is a priest." Musen’s voice rumbled.
Liyana opened her mouth but didn’t say anything, clearly deciding not to argue further about his occupation.
Thud—
Mo Lini collapsed onto the soft leather seat, unable to hold on any longer.
"So… so tired." She wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead.
The carriage was still a bit stuffy, with not enough ventilation.
"Mo Lini… you only held it for a minute!" Liyana pointed out.
"Really? A whole minute? I’m amazing."
Mo Lini’s response took Liyana by surprise.
She was… impressively weak.
Mo Lini pinched her belly again, but it didn’t feel much different from before. She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
"Mo Lini… you don’t need to obsess over your figure. A little extra weight can still be cute," Liyana suggested. "You’re still plenty slim."
Mo Lini suddenly reached out and lifted Liyana’s shirt.
"Wh-what are you doing?!" Liyana yelped in surprise.
Liyana’s fair stomach had not a trace of excess fat, her toned abs perfectly defined—a slender yet powerful figure, nothing short of flawless.
A faint scar from an old injury added a touch of wild beauty.
Higher up, a strip of white cloth tightly bound her chest, pressing it into a breathtaking curve… As an archer, she needed to stay agile, and in battle, certain things could get in the way.
Mo Lini swallowed hard, envious.
"I… didn’t expect you to be so bold." Liyana’s cheeks flushed slightly as she slowly adjusted her clothes back into place.
Though she often teased Mo Lini, that didn’t mean she was the type to act recklessly.
In the last few decades, she’d only ever been with Delyan.
"Liyana!"
Mo Lini suddenly leaned in, staring intently into Liyana’s eyes.
If this had been the usual Liyana, she might have been thrilled. But today, Mo Lini’s sudden assertiveness left her feeling oddly flustered.
"Wh-what?"
"Tell me… how do I get a figure like yours?" Mo Lini pressed closer.
"Some… things are just genetics. You can’t force it." Liyana averted her gaze.
"But you never exercise, eat even more than I do, and still have abs!" Mo Lini pressed further, though she knew some things couldn’t be changed.
"Who said that?! I’m an adventurer! I just slacked off after meeting Xia Lun… Back then, I trained like hell!" Liyana retorted indignantly. "In the Libian Forest, I went through brutal training every single day!"
"What kind of training?" Mo Lini asked. "I want to try!"
Liyana smirked and leaned in to whisper into Mo Lini’s ear.
Mutter mutter, mutter mutter.
Mo Lini’s face gradually paled, and when she looked back at Liyana, there was a new flicker of admiration in her eyes.
Back then, the elves frequently clashed with the demon tribes—nothing like the relative peace now.
Liyana had endured the harshest training the elves could offer, the kind that few could survive.
Liyana grinned. "Still wanna try?"
Mo Lini shook her head like a rattle drum.
That wasn’t training—it was torture. Just hearing about it was enough to make Mo Lini spill every secret she knew.
For now… maybe she’d just forget about losing weight. She wasn’t that heavy anyway. She could just watch what she ate.
Starting tomorrow, no more hot milk for breakfast…
No, milk helped her grow taller. Better to skip a slice of bread instead.
And no sugar cubes in her milk when Liyana made it.
She shouldn’t just sit in the carriage all day either—she should walk around more. Maybe she could ask Liyana to teach her how to drive the carriage. That earth dragon seemed pretty docile; it’d probably listen to her.
And just like that, her weight-loss plan was perfectly settled!
Mo Lini finally relaxed.
Hmm… I wonder what’s for dinner tonight.