It was only natural that the frail little mage lost her footing jumping down from the Griffin and stumbled straight into the arms of a certain beautiful girl.
"You scared me half to death — thank goodness you were here, or I definitely would have gotten hurt," said the mercenary young lady who could snap a Moonlight Wolf's neck with one hand, pressing a palm to her own chest with lingering fright.
"It's fine."
The close contact left Grace looking a little flustered. She turned her face away and quietly unclipped her Blackstone-grade Mercenary Badge, pinning it below a collar that left little to the imagination. Li Fei did the same. Two ravishing young women, each wearing a badge — one silver, one black — ascended the steps and walked through the doors of the Mercenary Guild.
In the old days, the Mercenary Guild's ranking system had resembled the Magic Academy's — five tiers running from Bronze to Gemstone, with membership open only to Transcendents. That changed when the noble lords of the Order alignment decided to stick their hands in.
They had realized that for low-difficulty, repetitive, trivial tasks, there was simply no need to dispatch Transcendents. Doing so only inflated labor costs and undercut the Guild's margins. And so, under the noble lords' tireless maneuvering, even the most stubborn old guard eventually buckled and made a decision that would have scandalized their ancestors: they opened Guild registration to "non-combat units," issued them Blackstone-grade badges — and, as it turned out, this had been entirely correct. The Guild reaped exactly the profits they'd imagined.
Beyond that, the Mercenary Guild had gradually rolled out a whole series of new policies: tiered commission structures, a gold-silver-bronze management hierarchy... More than a few famous mercenaries now walked around in equipment sponsored by noble houses, emblazoned with eye-catching insignia. The rest area in the main hall smelled of food, though the prices were several times higher than anything you'd find on the street.
The more Li Fei learned about the Continent of Enlos, the more she understood: the noble-class Transcendents had thrown themselves headlong onto the expressway of capital with zero hesitation. They'd pulled every underhanded trick imaginable, drawing enormous resentment and complaint — yet they had also injected fresh vitality into the continent. Many of the factions that had been quietly absorbed by the noble lords now wore a face of prosperity and growth, even if what lay beneath the surface had fundamentally changed.
"Such a ripe empire, ripe for the taking."
Li Fei muttered under her breath, taking Grace's slightly stiff arm and leading her toward an enormous luminous display board.
The board was clearly constructed from Transcendent materials. It displayed all manner of quest information in crisp detail — task descriptions, requirements, rewards — with old entries vanishing and new ones appearing in real time.
Of course, the board only showed a bare summary. Mercenaries who made their selection would get the full details afterward:
[Deliver goods to the Western District of Knight's Ridge. Travel expenses covered. Reward: 2 silver. Client: Sir Angell. Requirements: Reputation score of 90 or above.]
[Hire a girlfriend. Competitive rates. Client: Anonymous. Requirements: Beautiful, obedient, cool and aloof in demeanor. Must be willing to wear various outfits and accessories and sit for a spell-portrait. Reward negotiable. Preference given to: bunny-ear types, Eastern women, Blood Clan members, and elves.]
[Lost cat, please find. Reward: 1 silver. Client: Susan. Requirements: None.]
"..."
"Is everything really this cheap?"
Li Fei squinted her way through the listings and found nothing to her taste.
There were plenty of quests, but either she didn't meet the requirements, or the pay was too dismal. The only category she qualified for — and which had any room for negotiation on price — was the "companion girlfriend" service. But taking that job was less worthwhile than heading back to the Golden Kumquat Tavern and selling two more bottles of wine.
She had come here to take quests, yes — earning money and racking up real combat experience were part of it — but the most important thing was grinding EXP.
And yet no matter how long she looked, there simply wasn't a suitable commission in sight.
As for the "Kaname Madoka" alias — it wasn't time for that yet. Rashly picking up a high-difficulty quest under that identity was as good as asking to die. The cautious star courtesan intended to start with beginner-level tasks to warm up first, then swap identities once something genuinely worthwhile appeared.
"I'm going to swap my badge," Grace said suddenly.
Right — how had she forgotten she had a utility player right here?
The Mercenary Guild, for all that it was gradually taking on the shape of a noble enterprise, was still nominally the old guard's home turf at heart. Its practical edge remained: mercenary rank was determined entirely by personal contribution points and Sequence level.
Non-combat units, low-Sequence Transcendents, mid-Sequence Transcendents, and high-Sequence Transcendents corresponded respectively to the Blackstone, Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers. Beyond that, rank could only be raised by completing quests and accumulating contribution points — if those two conditions weren't met, it didn't matter if you had Grandmaster potential. It didn't even matter if you had Bai Mengtian's potential. It counted for nothing here.
The result was that both Special Enrollment students — the pride of the Magic Academy, girls showered with expectation — were still walking around with Blackstone-grade badges pinned to their chests.
"Wait, you already advanced to Sequence 9?"
Li Fei, who had received that very intelligence from Mama Nicole just that morning, performed a flawless expression of delighted surprise. She looped her arm through Grace's with cheerful enthusiasm. "I'll come with you."
Grace had been about to shake her off — but this person was simply too warm and too soft.
The two of them walked arm-in-arm toward the staff counter, looking for all the world like an affectionate campus couple. Their combined looks drew more than a few sideways glances from the mercenaries around them.
"Damn, even the women are pairing up with each other these days — what are us men supposed to do? What a waste," muttered a man nearby in chainmail, a longsword at his hip, glaring at the two with a mixture of envy and grievance.
"Heh, you just don't get it," said his cloaked companion, draping an arm over his shoulder with a sly wink. "This is great. Buy one, get one free."
"Ha — you're the one with the real vision."
The two shared a knowing smirk — which was promptly cut short by a resonant, gruff sound:
"Watch your mouths."
The speaker was a man radiating an unmistakably masculine presence — a square jaw, a tall frame, silver armor etched with overlapping battle-worn scratches that spoke of countless campaigns.
He frowned and rounded on his two companions. "Didn't you see the silver Magic Academy badges? What exactly do you think you'd gain by making enemies of them?"
"I was just talking," the first man said with an awkward laugh.
"What's there to be afraid of? A pretty face doesn't mean anything — who knows how she got into the Magic Academy. Some people's resumes are written on their backs."
The cloaked man was still feeling defiant. He kept talking, only dropping his voice a little. He didn't know, of course, that his slanderous little insinuation had actually come uncomfortably close to the truth.
"What they do is none of our business."
The silver-armored man turned his gaze to the cloaked man and softened his tone slightly. "Simon. Don't forget what happened last time, when that girl called Saya hunted us across half the city."
A few months back, Simon had approached a young woman named Saya to chat her up. When she turned him down, this mouth-with-no-filter had kept pushing — and the girl who had looked cheerful and cute promptly went nuclear. The whole group had suffered considerably before managing to escape with their lives, and only because she had chosen to let them live.
Only afterward did they learn: when Saya had been approached, she had stated clearly that "her heart belonged only to Irena." Simon had replied, "I don't mind if you both come." Saya had not taken this well. The consequences had been severe.
The silver-armored man genuinely could not understand how Simon had come out of that disaster and still refused to learn his lesson. If not for twenty-odd years of friendship, he honestly would have washed his hands of the man long ago.
"Brother Cowell."
A polite yet familiar greeting drifted over, accompanied by approaching footsteps.
The newcomer's appearance was distinctly odd. A smooth, pure-white mask covered his face entirely. Where the mouth should have been, an exaggerated arc curved almost all the way to the ears — like a laughing jester, thoroughly ridiculous. The eye openings were two curved slits that revealed a pair of brown eyes crinkled with a smile.
Below the mask was short black hair. Beneath a dark, long robe, the figure was lean and slightly slender, with fair skin. Judging by his voice and complexion, he was young.
"Sherlock's here!"
Cowell, who had the bearing of a natural leader, clapped the masked youth hard on the shoulder and laughed openly. "Still not bulking up, are you? Once this job's done, train with me properly."
"Spare me, Brother Cowell," Sherlock said, laughing and shaking his head. He greeted the other two men before asking, "When do we head out?"
"Just waiting on you. Let's move."
Cowell hoisted his heavy greatsword onto his shoulder. "Viranean."
"Isn't it called Viranean?" Sherlock asked, falling into step behind him, curious.
"That's the Common Tongue transliteration," Cowell said with a grin. "I did my homework. According to the locals, the place is called Turtle Island."
...
"Want a sip of mine?"
Li Fei held her mandarin fruit tea out toward Grace's lips. The straw still bore faint impressions from her own teeth.
Grace's badge had already been swapped to Bronze. While the exchange was being processed, Li Fei had bought two cups of fruit tea — out of her own pocket. Her. Own. Pocket. Her. Own. Pocket. HER OWN POCKET.
And fruit tea inside the Mercenary Guild was absurdly expensive — one silver coin per cup.
But there was no helping it. After all, the dynamic between a classmate and a client couldn't be treated the same way. The difference in status meant Grace was receiving treatment that number-one devotee Qin Zhihua, number-two devotee Hathaway, and ranks three through five and beyond had never been offered.
Of course, every gift from fate had its price tag written in invisible ink.
The unspoken rule — whether back home or on the Continent of Enlos — was that when dining with a beautiful woman, one should be prepared to foot the bill. Such was the accepted social contract in a world where beautiful women always had someone happy to inflate their worth. Against that backdrop, a beautiful woman who proactively paid — even for something as small as two cups of tea — made an indelible impression on whoever she treated. And if that person happened to be hopelessly smitten? The joy and gratitude would practically overflow their chest.
— Don't believe it? Try remembering how you felt the last time your school crush handed you a snack.
What's that? No such memory? How sad — cough, well, the feeling can be imagined well enough, can't it?
The typical play: spend almost nothing to manufacture an emotional impact, then invite your mark out shopping. "Happen" to notice something in a window display. At that point, she'd probably eat instant noodles for half a month to buy a semi-luxury item as a return gift, smiling even while it hurt. Add some well-timed physical contact and a suggestive hint about "stopping by your place afterward," and two or three months of instant noodles wouldn't be out of the question either.
"No, it's fine," Grace said, turning her head away, gaze evasive.
Oh? A blush? Today's young women really couldn't take the pressure...
Li Fei pressed in smoothly. "Then let me try yours — I've never tasted xuan-berry before."
Grace went quiet. Slowly, with the energy of someone moving through deep water, she lifted her cup.
And Li Fei moved even slower — gathering the hair on one side of her face with a deliberate sweep, leaning in close, exposing a pale and delicately shaped ear alongside the elegant, graceful line of her neck.
The xuan-berry tea was cool and refreshing on the palate, with soft, tender fruit pieces inside. The flavor was something like lychee — pricey, but genuinely excellent.
After sampling the tea, Li Fei made sure to bite down on the straw, leaving her own marks on it beside Grace's.
If you fall for me, it's going to hurt. I'm rather looking forward to seeing your face when that happens...
When she lifted her head, the faintly deep and calculating light in Li Fei's eyes gave way once more to its usual clear, radiant warmth. She rested her head against Grace's shoulder and swept her gaze over the Bronze-tier quest board — the listings that could be accepted as a team.
"Hm?"
A new line had just appeared at the very bottom of the luminous board:
[Accompany a herb-gathering party to Viranean. Reward: negotiable. Client: Qin's Apothecary. Requirements: Terrain Awareness.]
"It's a little warm today, isn't it."
The arm that had been linked through Grace's loosened with a perfectly natural ease. Li Fei raised her small hand and fanned herself lightly at the neck.
They say that warriors who had been forged through ten thousand battles — those who had pushed their martial arts to the absolute peak — developed a sensitivity as sharp as the first leaf falling in autumn. No scheme or stratagem could catch them off guard. And Li Fei, who had nearly been turned into star courtesan paste caught between the angel lady and Hathaway, had similarly honed her tea-ceremony instincts through that brush with mortality into something approaching divine premonition — an unerring sense of danger that steered her away from the threat of the proverbial cleaver.
Merely seeing Qin's Apothecary listed as the client had sent an inexplicable jolt through her heart. She promptly ended the close physical contact with Grace.
Then she glanced around — and quickly spotted a familiar silhouette emerging from a corridor deeper within the Guild, stepping out into the main hall and pausing there for just a moment.
It was a woman of timeless, classical beauty. A snow-white dress. Hair like a cascade of black ink. Standing still, she was like a scroll of freehand ink painting slowly unfurling — the scene within it, the waterways and villages of the river-south, tender and soulful and otherworldly all at once.
As if sensing Li Fei's gaze, the beautiful woman turned — and the face of the one she had been longing for stole her breath away. She raised a hand to cover her lips, her expression softening into something dazed and entranced:
"Fei?"
"Zhihua-jie."
Li Fei broke into a bright, sweet smile and quickened her steps toward Qin Zhihua — then threw herself into her arms like a swallow returning to its nest.
The smile was completely genuine. With Zhihua here, was there any shortage of high-paying, easy, safe, zero-barrier quests?
Grace was good for a laugh — but when it came to a truly reliable utility player, no one beat Zhihua.
"How are you here..."
The unexpected joy was almost too much. Qin Zhihua's heart hammered against her ribs. Her pale, delicate hands moved to gently stroke the silken hair at the back of Li Fei's head, the way one might handle a precious and irreplaceable jade artifact — unwilling to let go, yet afraid to grip too hard.
Two days ago, her sister-in-law's words of admonishment had made Qin Zhihua hesitate to seek Li Fei out on her own. And after Su Ling'er had passed along the news that Li Fei would come to the apothecary herself in the future, Qin Zhihua's heart had swung between sweetness and unease in equal measure.
The engagement with the Kong Clan weighed on her like a mountain — she had grown up hearing "obey your parents' arrangements" — and yet for the past two days she had still found herself standing at the window, gazing eastward time and again. She was not longing for home. She was longing for the person who lived to the east of her apothecary.
She knew perfectly well that Su Ling'er had just made a delivery; Li Fei couldn't possibly have come this soon. And yet she couldn't help herself. The anticipation and the anxiety churned ceaselessly inside her, day and night.
"Last night, a fairy came to me in a dream," Li Fei said with a sly smile, leaning in to whisper beside Qin Zhihua's ear — careful to keep her voice too low for Grace to overhear — "and told me to come to the Mercenary Guild at noon today, because my destined person would be waiting for me."
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