Chapter 124: Guardian
"Ta-dan! How do I look~?" asked Riko, emerging from the rest area in a multi-layer white and blue compression jersey, buruma-like shorts, and thigh-high leggings that seamlessly transitioned into aerodynamic, all-terrain footwear. All things considered, it wasn't much different from her Delver outfit without the jacket, the main difference being that it covered her upper back and part of her shoulders.
"It suits you well," affirmed Vahn, nodding approvingly before shifting his attention to Roxanne and Fran as they appeared in functionally identical sportswear. One thing of note was that thanks to the special sports bra she had been provided to facilitate ease of movement, Roxanne was now the most hydrodynamic member of the group.
Sporting a charming, narrow-eyed smile, Roxanne declared, "I will take Fran with me into the nearby forest for training. We'll be sure to return in time for lunch."
"Alright, have fun," said Vahn, offering a second nod before following the duo with his eyes as they departed. With the aid of his domain, he didn't need to lower his gaze to marvel at Roxanne's butt, but that didn't prevent him from stealing a brief glimpse before turning to Riko, finding her staring at him with a slightly accusatory look.
"What...?" asked Vahn, raising his right brow with a wry smile.
Ostensibly deciding against saying what was on her mind, Riko shook her head, adopted a smile, and stated, "I'm just wondering what we're going to do to improve my stamina. I mentioned it before, but I'm not much of a runner."
"There's a reason I chose this environment for your training," stated Vahn, explaining, "Even here in the valley, the air density is similar to being at an elevation of 2,500m. In other words, the air is much thinner than usual, so regardless of the exercises you do, you'll be enhancing your body's ability to process oxygen. It's called hypoxic training, and if we scale the nearby mountains, the effects will become more prominent."
Blinking in surprise, Riko asked, "We're going mountain climbing...?" before swallowing nervously. She was reasonably confident in her climbing skills, but only when it came to scaling down vertical cliffs. Deliberately climbing upward was something she and most Delvers endeavored to avoid except when it absolutely couldn't be avoided...
Shaking his head, Vahn responded, "You can relax. That's something for the future. For now, we'll stick to basic weight training, light jogging, and swimming. We'll move on to more advanced training methods once you've shored your stamina and built some muscle."
"As long as I don't become super muscular," appended Riko, adopting an awkward smile as she added, "I know I'm not the girliest girl, but I don't want to end up looking like Uncle Hablog. He's really strong and fast, but he's as big and round as a boulder."
"That won't be a problem," assured Vahn, resisting the urge to caress Riko's head as he gestured to the platform at the front of the rest area, extending away from it like a short pier. Riko was confused but started walking ahead, Vahn following close behind as he stated, "Our goal this morning is to circle the lake and return here before lunch. We can stop to rest as often as you require. Just give it your all in between."