Shampoo is complete
The next day, Draco sat on the floor of the large training hall inside the Academy of Sina, sweat dripping from his forehead as he caught his breath.
The massive space was mostly empty at this early hour, with only a few dedicated students scattered across the various training areas.
His first lessons were scheduled to start during mid-day, so Draco had decided to arrive early and complete his daily mission before heading to class. The daily mission had become second nature to him, though it still left him thoroughly exhausted.
-----
Daily Mission:
100 Press-ups ☑️
100 Sit-ups ☑️
100 Pull-ups ☑️
10 km run ☑️
15 minutes of cultivation with a contracted Beast ☑️
Practice basic communication exercises with Zephyr ☑️
[You have received +2 EXP.]
[You have received 1 Stat point.]
-----
Draco allocated his stat point to agility once again. While part of him wanted to diversify his attributes more evenly, he knew it would be foolish at this stage. His current strategy was to focus primarily on agility while occasionally boosting strength and constitution when the opportunity arose.
I know I'll eventually gain more beasts and skills, and they won't all be agility-based. But for now, maximising Zephyr's effectiveness is the priority.
-----
Draco Von Ashblade [Awakened] EXP: 19/100
Title: None
Talent: Dragon Lord (SSS-Rank)
Strength: 13 / Agility: 17 / Constitution: 12 / Mana: 50
Beastmaster Manual: None
Skills: None
Stat points: 0
His skills and beastmaster manual sections remained empty, though Draco knew this was about to change.
Today was finally the day he would visit the resource centre's second floor to purchase the basic Beastmaster manual. With a week's worth of awakener allowance saved up, plus Glade's "generosity," he finally had enough funds.
As he prepared to stand up and head to the showers, Zephyr, who wanted to perch on his shoulder, suddenly took a detour and erratically flew away from him with an expression of pure disgust.
[Ew! Master, you stinky! (>﹏<)] Zephyr muttered, his tiny beak wrinkled in what appeared to be a frown as he hovered at a safe distance.
"Zephyr! Don't be rude," Draco protested, though he couldn't help but smile at his companion's dramatic reaction. "I just finished an intense workout that took nearly two hours. Of course, I won't smell like jasmine and roses. Besides, I was going to shower soon."
[Master go shower! The quicker the better! ಠ_ಠ] Zephyr declared imperiously, pointing one tiny wing toward the direction of the washrooms while maintaining his distance.
"You're being very dramatic about this," Draco chuckled, grabbing his large leather bag, which contained his towel and shampoo samples.
[I have a very sensitive nose! Master smells like… like… a wet dog that rolled in mud! (￣□￣)]
"I do not smell like a wet dog!"
[Yes you do! Even worse! At least wet dogs don't sweat first! ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ]
Draco shook his head in amusement as he made his way toward the academy's bathing facilities. "You know, for such a tiny creature, you certainly have strong opinions."
[Tiny but mighty! And my mighty nose says SHOWER TIME! ╰( ಠ益ಠ )╯]
The other students in the training hall turned to look as Draco appeared to be having a conversation with a bird, though they were used to seeing beastmasters talking to their companions by now.
As he walked, Zephyr flew in circles around him, maintaining exactly the same distance like a tiny, judgmental satellite.
[Master, after you become clean and smell nice again, can we go buy that manual thing? I want to see what makes it so special! (◕‿◕)]
"Yes, that's the plan. The basic manual should help us coordinate better and maybe even unlock new training methods."
[Ooh! New training! Will I learn how to go even faster? Or maybe how to glow like Master does when we use Super-Sonic?]
"I'm not sure exactly what's in the manual, but I hope it will help us both improve."
[Master's going to become super strong, and I'm going to become the fastest hummingbird ever! We'll be the best team in the whole academy!
＼(^o^)／]
Draco couldn't help but grin at Zephyr's infectious enthusiasm.
Despite the tiny bird's current complaints about his post-workout aroma, their bond continued to grow stronger each day.
The evolution requirements were progressing steadily, and soon they would have their first real advancement opportunity.
[But first, SHOWER! No more stinky Master! (>_<)]
"Alright, alright, I'm going!" Draco laughed, quickening his pace toward the washrooms while his tiny companion maintained his dramatically disgusted expression from a safe distance.
…
Inside the academy's bathing facilities, Draco found himself in a large communal washroom divided into individual stalls for privacy. The design was practical rather than luxurious, simple stone walls with basic drainage systems carved into the floor.
Each stall contained a makeshift shower head connected to a water crystal mounted on the wall. The magical device was a common sight throughout the academy, providing hot water on demand to anyone with even a basic amount of mana.
Draco entered an empty stall and hung his towel on a wooden peg. From his bag, he pulled out a small glass bottle containing a sample of his homemade shampoo.
Time to test this properly, he thought, examining the pale green liquid that had a pleasant, herbal scent even through the sealed bottle.
He placed his hand on the water crystal and injected a small amount of mana into it.
The crystal glowed softly, and warm water immediately began flowing from the shower head above. The temperature was perfect, it was hot enough to be comfortable but not scalding.
[Master, I'm waiting out here! Don't take forever! (￣▽￣)] Zephyr's voice echoed from outside the stall, though the tiny hummingbird was politely staying out of sight.
"Give me a few minutes, you impatient little bird," Draco called back, stepping under the warm stream of water.
The sensation was immediately refreshing after his intense workout. Sweat and grime washed away as he thoroughly soaked his hair and body.
After a few minutes of basic rinsing, he reached for his experimental shampoo bottle.
Moment of truth. Let's see if all that research and testing paid off.
He uncorked the bottle and poured a small amount of the shampoo into his palm.
The consistency was perfect, it was thick enough to stay in place but smooth enough to spread easily. The scent was subtle but pleasant, with the clean herbal notes of rosemary and the refreshing hint of mint.
Working the shampoo through his shoulder-length black hair, Draco was pleased to discover that it lathered beautifully.
The soapwort base created a rich, creamy foam that felt luxurious compared to the harsh soaps most people used. His hair felt clean without being stripped or damaged.
As he rinsed the shampoo out, the water carried away the last traces of his workout while leaving behind a subtle, pleasant fragrance.
His hair felt softer and more manageable than it ever had before, completely different to the usual rough texture that came from basic cleaning.
This actually works better than I hoped. Sina's market is going to love this.
After thoroughly rinsing and drying himself, Draco stepped out of the stall feeling genuinely refreshed. His damp hair caught the light streaming through the washroom windows, and the lingering scent of rosemary and mint created an aura of cleanliness around him.
[Master! Master! You smell amazing! (＾◡＾)] Zephyr immediately flew toward him, his earlier complaints completely forgotten.
[This is the best you've ever smelled! What did you do? ✧(◕‿◕)✧]
"I used that shampoo I've been working on," Draco explained, running his fingers through his clean hair. "Do you really think it's that much better?"
[SO much better! You smell like… like a garden after rain! And your hair looks all shiny and soft! ♪(´▽｀)] Zephyr flew in an excited circle around Draco's head before settling comfortably on top of his damp hair.
For the first time since Draco had awakened, Zephyr seemed completely content to perch on his head without any complaints about odor or discomfort.
[I like this smell much better than stinky workout Master. Can you always smell like this? (◕‿◕)]
"If my business plan works out, I'll be able to afford to use this shampoo regularly," Draco said, gently adjusting his position so Zephyr could settle more comfortably in his hair.
[Business plan? You mean you're going to sell the good-smell stuff to other people?]
"Exactly. People in this world have never experienced hair that smells and feels this good. I think they'll pay well for the opportunity."
[Master is so smart! You make things that smell nice AND help us get stronger! You're the best partner ever!]
Draco smiled as he gathered his belongings and prepared to leave the washroom. The successful test of his shampoo, combined with Zephyr's enthusiastic approval, gave him confidence that his business venture would succeed.
With Zephyr contentedly perched on his head, radiating satisfaction with his master's improved fragrance, Draco headed toward his first lesson of the day.