Grocery Shopping

What's the first thing you can do the second you learn that a month from now, you would be going to the past or future without any way of learning what to do?

The answer is simple. Preparation.

For Vastarael, he focused more on one thing; food.

He was going to be sent to the past. Just like the way the academy test, he suffered on only one aspect; food.

Food was the only thing that made him struggle I. The academy test. If it wasn't for Chainless, he wouldn't be eating any food. He didn't know anything about what to eat. And since he didn't have time to know about the animals in whatever past he would be in, he decided to do one thing.

Buy all sorts of foods and place them in his inventory.

The inventory, given to Dynasty Richinaria by Dynasty Starisnova during Anamorsia's sixth birthday, was a marvel that Vastarael loved the most.

It had a lot of space and things never got spoilt on it. He remembered when he bought fish on a stall in Upper Rise and placed it in his inventory as an experiment.

A week later, it didn't rot. He gave it two weeks. A month. A year.

Five years. It still didn't rot.

The inventory ability preserved things to the same state they were. If they were hot, they would still be hot. If they were cold, they would still be cold. They would never rot at all or change temperature.

Never did he think that he would need this now more than ever.

So, he went on a large scale shopping with Adelasta, Iona, Chainless and Adelasta's maid, Lais. Adelasta was thinking the same way he was and they coincidentally met in a massive hyper market located on a district in Minafallen.

And so, they decided to go shopping together.

The shopping trip was unlike any Vastarael had ever experienced, yet in some way, it felt strangely comforting.

The hustle and bustle of the massive hypermarket in Minafallen, with its towering shelves stocked with every conceivable food item, seemed like a world of its own. It was no different from his home world though.

Yet, there was something oddly calming about the whole process. Perhaps it was the simple task of deciding what to buy, or perhaps it was the fact that he was preparing for an unknown future that left him feeling strangely at peace.

Vastarael walked beside Iona, who was eagerly showing him options for what they could buy.

Iona held up a package of dried fruits and looked up at Vastarael, her pale eyes scanning his face for any signs of approval.

"Fruits for traveling?"

Vastarael examined the package, intrigued by the dried fruits. He nodded thoughtfully, tapping his finger against his chin.

"It could work. They're light, they won't spoil, and they would offer a bit of energy."

"Good," she replied with a soft nod, before pointing towards a section full of nuts, seeds, and other high-energy snacks.

"These too?"

"Yes, definitely," Vastarael agreed. "Energy is key and these won't weigh me down either."

Meanwhile, Chainless floated ahead, her chains levitating four trolleys as she carefully examined various items on the shelves. Despite her silence, there was a strange sense of curiousity in the way she moved.

With each item she passed, her hands would hover over it, as if weighing whether it was worthy of the journey ahead. Her chains made a soft, melodic clink as they floated around her.

Adelasta walked quietly beside Lais, her usual cold, emotionless demeanor intact. Lais, the ever-vigilant maid, was content to follow, quietly observing her surroundings. Though neither said much, there was a certain solidarity in the silence between the two. They were used to being in the background, while others took the lead.

Vastarael glanced over at Adelasta and Lais, then back at Iona, before he corrected her.

"It's not the past I'm going to. It's an Epoch Cycle. You know, the whole time-travel thing where we're going to fix issues that might cause the world to break apart. So, just think of it as a mission, not a trip."

Iona blinked, her brows furrowing slightly, and nodded in understanding.

"Right. Epoch Cycle. Sounds... complicated."

"It is," Vastarael said with a small, tired smile. "And it's not just about fixing things. We're going to come back stronger, but we'll also face some challenges that I can't predict yet. I might land on a desert or in the middle of an ocean so I need it."

Adelasta, walking quietly behind them, couldn't help but overhear. She met his eyes for a brief moment, her usual coldness tempered with a faint, almost imperceptible hint of curiosity.

"Food is the least of your concerns," she said flatly, though the words carried a certain edge to them. "I would focus on the rest of your preparation. The real challenge will come when you least expect it."

Vastarael gave a short, dry laugh.

"You're right about that. But hey, food is an easy thing to control right now, so I'll take it."

He gestured toward the growing pile of items in their trolleys.

Iona nodded approvingly, adding more items to the growing mountain of supplies: protein bars, some hearty meals in cans, and even a few exotic fruits that seemed to have strange, glowing markings on their skins.

She seemed to know what he would need without him having to explain much, as if she had already anticipated his needs.

"These... will help you stay fueled for long hours," she said quietly, placing another item into the trolley.

As the shopping trip continued, Vastarael could feel the weight of the moment pressing on him. He glanced over at Chainless, who was silently inspecting yet another stack of preserved meat, and then back at Adelasta and Lais, both of whom were now examining some sort of spice mix on the far end of the aisle.

Adelasta's voice came again, this time with a touch of rare practicality.

"You should also get something to drink. Dehydration can be more dangerous than hunger."

Vastarael nodded, grateful for her advice, though he didn't show it.

"Right. And maybe some of those energy drinks as well."

"What about water?"

Vastarael summoned an orb of water on his hand with a smirk.

"Don't need it. But... there might be a time when I'm out of essence so let's buy those too. Iona?"

"On it."

Iona walked away wearing her maid outfit and headed to another section, leaving him with Chainless, who was also wearing a maid outfit. It was strange seeing an ancient being like her wearing a maid outfit. Her curiousity made him smirk.

[Veneri, you do realize that Chainless will go too, right?]

'What?'

[She's your First Sapphire so she'll go with you as well. So don't think about yourself too.]

Vastarael sighed deeply before facing Chainless.

"Hey Chainless, you do know that you'll be coming with me because you're my subordinate, right?"

Chainless' eyes lit up in utter excitement, which was rather surprising.

"So uh... get your own trolleys and out your own items too. You'll need them. I'll handle these ones."

Chainless nodded in approval as her sapphire chains stopped moving the four trolleys and ran to collect her own.

'She shares the inventory skill I use, right?'

[Yes,] Phaenora replied. [Rather, she has her own too. It's like you share a few abilities with those you make your subordinates.]

'Thanks for telling me. I would have forgotten about it.'

[That's what I'm for.]

Iona finally arrived with a lot of massive water bottles on a trolley.

"Will these do?"

"Yes. And unfortunately, Chainless will bo with me too so we'll need to—"

Iona interjected as she ran the opposite direction.

"I'll handle it! I'll help her choose so continue shopping, Your Highness!"

Iona vanished, leaving him alone with five massive trolleys now.

"What to do... what to do..."

To is surprise, he saw his five trolleys levitating in the air, supported by tiny strings. He turned to face Lais, who was busy showing Adelasta what spices to take as well.

'Did she do it on her one volition or did Adelasta ask her to?'

He shrugged as he went to the meat section. This time, he wanted to milk them dry. He would take everything he could have. After all, they won't spoil at all. He wasn't going to only eat vegetables and snacks, right?"