Cat-Eared Girl Maid Outfit? (Seeking Recommendation Tickets!)

Nora walked onto the street at night, her steps much lighter than usual.

She held the oil paper containing the five remaining meat skewers, which were still warm to the touch.

The thought that she would have an income of 10 silver coins a week from now on, and that she could have all three meals a day at Ron's shop, made her heart leap with joy.

Thinking this, her gaze fell upon the oil paper in her hand.

Her food for the future was finally secured...

Ron had said that the skewers wouldn't taste good once they got cold...

Nora hesitated, saliva secreting in her small mouth, and she couldn't help but lick her lips with her little tongue.

She unfolded the oil paper, subconsciously glanced around, then crouched in a corner and enjoyed the remaining skewers to her heart's content.

So delicious...

If only I could eat this every day...

After saying goodbye to Nora, Ron returned to the study on the second floor.

He was still feeling a bit dazed at this moment.

He had originally only sought out Nora, a stray child, because he needed a reliable employee.

After all, she had once helped him beat up three thugs in exchange for a barbecue, so her character was decent.

Who could have guessed that she was not only an Orc, but also a Cat-kin!

As a shut-in in reality and a gentleman on the internet, Ron had naturally seen countless women and dabbled in various niche tastes, and Cat-kin were certainly among them.

But those had only been 2D waifus; seeing a real, living Cat-kin suddenly appear before him left Ron struggling to process it.

Especially that pair of living, light-black cat ears—the fluffy sensation was truly tempting to reach out and touch...

This had absolutely nothing to do with the tasks issued by the system!

As a decent young man from his former world, Ron certainly didn't hold any prejudice against Orcs; his attitude toward Nora's identity as a Cat-kin was one of curiosity and welcome.

If he could get Nora to wear a maid outfit, revealing her cat ears and tail while working in the shop, wouldn't that be wonderful?

However, thinking of Nora's guarded expression, Ron dismissed the thought.

Working in the shop meant being in the public eye, so it was better not to expose her identity as a Cat-kin.

Although Ron didn't care about the opinions of others, there was no need for Nora to endure the cold stares of certain customers.

With this in mind, Ron left the study, went downstairs to the clothing store next door, and asked the owner if they had any ordinary staff uniforms.

The clothing store owner greeted Ron warmly and recommended several styles.

Ron picked one: a long-sleeved white shirt for the top and a loose, matching-colored long skirt for the bottom, which reached about to the ankles.

He then chose a work cap; the space inside the cap was quite large, making it less likely to press down on Nora's cat ears, which would be more comfortable.

Ron bought three sets of this simple uniform, intending to bring them back to the shop for Nora to change into when she came to work tomorrow.

What a pity, it would have been so nice if he could have bought her a maid outfit to wear instead...

Ron still harbored some fantasies in his heart.

Glorious Mercenary Group office.

Jasper summoned five trainee mercenaries and brought them to the training ground.

Holt was among them.

Jasper held the Golden Red Chrysanthemum in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the five people present as he asked, "I have reviewed your files. You are all veterans of our mercenary group; even the most recent arrival has been here for over three years."

"After failing to promote to a Tier 1 Warrior, you have all taken on administrative roles within the group, yet you still persist in tempering your bodies in the training ground every day."

"I have seen all of this."

Jasper started with some words to win them over, which moved the five men, all in their thirties and without hope of becoming Tier 1 Warriors.

Jasper was a big shot in charge of all affairs for the Glorious Mercenary Group in Chaos City; the fact that he had the time to pay attention to small fries like them touched them deeply.

Seeing that the effect was good, Jasper nodded slightly, lifted the Golden Red Chrysanthemum in his hand, and continued, "This time, the mercenary group has an opportunity for you, depending on whether you are willing to seize it."

"This flower in my hand is called a Golden Red Chrysanthemum. Both its leaves and petals have the effect of helping to condense a Battle Qi Vortex, which might allow you to promote to a Tier 1 Warrior."

"However, I must clarify one thing: I have only just obtained this plant, so I cannot guarantee its effectiveness, nor do I know if it is harmful to the human body."

"Therefore, you must think carefully before making a decision."

"If you feel your current position is good and don't want to take the risk, just say so, and I won't blame you. If you choose to try, the mercenary group will take responsibility should any accidents occur."

"I'll give you three minutes to consider."

With such a question placed before them, what was there to consider?

In a situation that was originally hopeless, they had persisted in training every day—wasn't it just to wait for a turning point like this?

And so, without waiting even a few seconds, all five of them expressed their acceptance.

Jasper distributed the petals of the Golden Red Chrysanthemum he held in his hand.

Not long after, waves of Battle Qi began to ripple through the training room.

Holt sat cross-legged on the floor of the training room, performing one standard training movement after another with a serious and solemn expression on his face.

As he performed these movements, he began to squeeze wisps of "qi" from within his body, guiding them to circulate throughout his entire being along his meridians.

What brought Holt joy was that after consuming the petals of the Golden Red Chrysanthemum, his body had gradually become full of vitality, as if a lion that had been sleeping for a long time had finally opened its eyes.

The amount of "qi" he squeezed out from within his body this time was far greater than any previous attempt!

One must know that for an apprentice warrior, the key factor in whether one can successfully condense a Battle Qi Vortex lies in the quality and quantity of their "qi."

The quality of "qi" mainly depends on the caliber of the cultivation technique, as well as the amount of time one has spent training.

As for the quantity of "qi," it requires long-term physical conditioning and a good state of health as a foundation.

Of course, if one's innate talent for Battle Qi is high enough, neither of these is a problem.

Holt cast aside all distracting thoughts and, following the cultivation technique provided by the mercenary group, guided the "qi" within his body step by step, letting it travel and weave through the meridians throughout his body.

Once his body had gradually adapted to the circulation of "qi," Holt began to control the "qi" throughout his body, guiding it toward his lower abdomen.

Following the instructions of the technique, Holt continued to perform various movements while condensing the "qi," squeezing out more to provide for the necessary consumption.

Time slowly slipped away.

A quarter of an hour later.

Whoosh—

Like a rising tide, a still-weak but very distinct ripple of Battle Qi emanated from within Holt's body.

Holt gradually ceased his movements, his clothes already soaked through with sweat, and he panted slightly.

His eyes were filled with pleasant surprise, and his eye sockets were slightly reddened.

Ever since he failed his promotion to a first-rank warrior years ago, he had never imagined that he would have a day where he successfully condensed a Battle Qi Vortex.

But at this moment, hope had become reality!

Almost one hundred thousand words now... I'm feeling a bit of that "hundred-thousand-word itch"... It seems I need recommendation votes to get through this...