William looked thinner than before.
He hadn't been overweight to begin with, so now he appeared somewhat undernourished.
However, his voice was firm, and his complexion showed no signs of poor health. Above all, his energetic demeanor gave no impression that he was struggling.
While the shop wasn't quite as bustling as it had been during its economic peak, there were still plenty of goods on the shelves and customers coming and going. Business appeared to be going well.
Wataru and his group were promptly guided to a private room in the back, walking in a line. As usual, herbal tea was prepared, filling the room with a fresh, soothing aroma.
"You seem well. Have you lost some weight?"
"I hit rock bottom not long ago. But I have a family and employees to care for—I couldn't afford to wallow in despair. All that was left was to claw my way back up. I've been working like mad ever since. I suppose I did end up losing a bit of weight."
