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Brucie froze, his eyes widening. Upon realizing the implication, he hastily explained, “Your Highness, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t harbor such thoughts towards the Sword Saint.”
Su Mu let out an unforgiving snort. “Oh, so you’re saying my A-Bai lacks charm and can’t pique your interest?”
Cold sweat beaded on Brucie’s forehead. Perplexed by Su Mu’s deliberate teasing, he stammered, “Your Highness, that’s not what I meant. I merely… I merely deeply admire the Sword Saint’s strength. Downstairs just now, I witnessed her brilliant swordsmanship firsthand. My eagerness stems from a desire to seek guidance on swordsmanship from her.”
His words tumbled out quickly, a clear sign of his nervousness.
Su Mu ceased his teasing of the honest man and chuckled. “Don’t be so tense; I was just joking. To be honest, I’ve also been learning swordsmanship recently, and I hope to have the opportunity to learn from you as well.”
Brucie breathed a sigh of relief. “No problem at all! It would be my honor to assist Your Highness!”
Su Mu smiled and nodded.
****
Next was the short man with a slightly shifty appearance. He grinned, his eyes darting mischievously.
“Your Highness, my name is Lubo, and I’m a Thief. I specialize in gathering intelligence and handling certain unsavory tasks. I’m also a Gold-ranked adventurer.”
Su Mu stared at him, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Truth be told, among the five, this small man named Lubo was the one he valued most.
What he currently lacked wasn’t formidable combat power, but rather a sufficient source of information.
Lubo’s existence could perfectly help him fill some of that void.
Su Mu gently stroked Edwin’s soft, smooth cheek in his arms with his finger, then smiled at Lubo. “You seem to envy me greatly?”
Lubo’s smile turned lewd, and he spoke without reservation. “That’s right, Your Highness, I’m terribly envious.”
Su Mu replied in all seriousness, “There’s no need to envy. You’ll have your chance too. I’ll take you to the Illusion Paradise sometime, so you can experience their high-quality goods.”
Lubo was stunned. He hadn’t expected Su Mu, a prince, to utter such words so casually.
He was ecstatic, his grin stretching almost to his ears. “Thank you, Your Highness!”
Su Mu merely smiled and moved on.
****
Next was the charming elf lady, whose pointed little ears instantly revealed her identity.
The small elf seemed very nervous, stammering, “Su… Susumu-sama, I… I’m A… Allyfin. My… my profession is an el… Elf Sorceress. Please take good care of… Oof!”
She bit her tongue, burying her head like an ostrich. The tips of her ears flushed crimson, looking so translucent and inviting that one might want to take a bite.
Bigg, Brucie, and Lubo stared in astonishment at Allyfin’s demeanor, their eyes wider than brass bells.
Was this truly the aloof, sharp-tongued little elf who supposedly despised all men?
The contrast in her attitude was simply too great!
A wave of disappointment washed over them, and they collectively cursed in their hearts: ‘Oh! You damned fawning bastards! I’ll shove the manageress’s high heels right up their asses!’
Su Mu was also a little bewildered. When he had first seen the little elf enter with her tense expression, he’d expected another tsundere like his Linna. Instead, she had turned into this?
He smiled, reassuring her, “Miss Allyfin, there’s no need to be nervous. Please be more confident; you are very cute.”
Allyfin lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes casting a gaze of gratitude and adoration.
****
The last person was a woman in a red dress, her attire quite revealing.
When it was her turn, she kept her head down, not daring to look at Su Mu.
The woman was filled with immense dread.
This Second Prince’s formidable nature far exceeded her imagination.
During the introductions, he had, with just a few short sentences, managed to win over almost everyone’s hearts. What terrifying charisma and leadership!
A person like this was either a hero who would lead everyone to glory, or… a devil who would toy with them all!
“Your Highness, my name is Fukus. I am of the Foxkin race, and my profession is Illusionist. I hope Your Highness will take good care of me in the future~”
Fukus composed herself, forcing a seductive smile, and bravely looked up at Su Mu.
Her smile instantly froze.
She discovered that the man, who had previously been gentle and amiable, had suddenly turned cold the moment his gaze met hers.
Su Mu said nothing. The words ‘fox girl’ brought back unpleasant memories.
The thought of that perverse little fox who had spent half a month with him, only to betray him so easily, filled him with a surge of anger and distress.
Fukus bit her lip, her face paling. She cautiously asked, “Your Highness, did I say something wrong to displease you?”
Su Mu regained his composure and said, “My apologies. Due to certain past events, I am a bit sensitive about fox girls. It’s not directed at you, rest assured.”
With that, the introduction of all members of the Aha Adventurer Group was complete.
According to Edwin’s earlier introduction, although this adventurer group’s members were only Gold-ranked individually, their combined strength was comparable to that of a Hero-ranked entity.
After their self-introductions, Su Mu largely believed it.
This configuration, he mused, was already perfect.
He nodded with satisfaction and began to explain his commission. “Excellent. Let’s discuss my commission. I wish to hire all of you to operate as my underground force. What are your thoughts?”
The right to speak fell to Bigg; the others wisely remained silent.
Bigg pondered for a moment, then asked, “Your Highness, if I may ask, how long do you intend to employ us?”
“The current probationary period is two weeks. If your performance satisfies me, I will consider a longer-term employment. Of course, regarding compensation, you needn’t worry at all; it will only be higher than the vast majority of tasks you undertake at the guild.”
Su Mu confidently laid out his terms.
The members of the Aha Adventurer Group all showed expressions of excitement.
Bigg hesitated, then asked again, “And regarding our freedom, what are the most lenient conditions you can offer?”
After all, for adventurers, money was one aspect, but a free and unconstrained life was an even more crucial one.
Su Mu chuckled. “Talking about freedom is a bit amusing. After all, I won’t be shackling you all with handcuffs and leg irons. As long as you obey my commands and instructions, and diligently perform your duties, I will not interfere with what you do in your free time. I believe this kind of life is far better than struggling for meager rewards between life and death, wouldn’t you agree?”
Bigg nodded solemnly. “Yes, Your Highness, I have no further questions.”
With that, he exchanged glances with his companions, and they all spoke in unison, “Your Highness, the entire Aha Adventurer Group is at your command! From this day forth, we are at your service!”
Edwin rose from Su Mu’s embrace and produced a pre-prepared commission contract. She handed it to the members of the Aha Adventurer Group for their signatures.
Su Mu narrowed his eyes, revealing a cunning, fox-like smile. “Welcome to my ranks. May our future cooperation be pleasant.”
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read I Just Wanted An Ordinary Life This Time! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : I Just Wanted An Ordinary Life This Time
