A New Member Joins

A cold breeze swept across the grass, stirring a faint rustle. The sun rose over the horizon once more, heralding the start of a new day.

"Mm..."

Lize opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a dense scatter of golden light. She blinked, then realized it was sunlight filtering through the leaves outside the window. A faint fragrance drifted from the soft, fluffy bed. The girl narrowed her eyes and hugged the pillow in her arms. After a moment, she reluctantly climbed out of bed.

She finally had a home of her own.

Looking around the modest but cozy little room, Lize couldn't help feeling delighted. She had never imagined she would have a permanent place to live, but now it had become a reality. It meant that when she returned, she would no longer have to stay in the Mercenary Association's shabby guest rooms or at an inn. She also wouldn't have to worry, as she had before, about where to put the things she liked. Now, she had a room of her own, a home of her own.

On her first night in the room, Lize had been so excited that she tossed and turned in bed and didn't sleep a wink. Over the past few days, she had grown even fonder of the place and begun to devote herself to making it her own. The room had already been clean, but she'd cleaned it again and again. She had even brought in a few little flowers to decorate a vase.

"Mm..."

The girl stretched, raising both hands high, then changed her clothes and freshened up before leaving her room. At the headquarters, Lize now served as both housekeeper and maid. Of course, having a home of their own wasn't entirely a good thing. They could no longer simply wait for food to be served as they had at the inn; now they had to make it themselves. They also had to do their own cleaning. Rhode had considered hiring a few servants to tidy the place, but they were short on money, so they would have to make do.

Perhaps it was true that good fortune lifted one's spirits. Lize felt refreshed when she woke, and although she had spent all of the previous day working hard alongside Rhode, she didn't feel tired at all.

Speaking of which, how was Rhode doing?

After straightening her clothes, Lize went to Rhode's door and knocked softly.

"Mr. Rhode?"

There was no answer.

Was he not there?

Lize tilted her head, puzzled, and thought for a moment. She knocked again, but still got no response.

Just then, a bird cried outside the window.

After spending so many days with Rhode, Lize recognized the sound at once. It was the cry of a Soul Bird. She quickly went to the window and looked outside. Soon, she spotted Rhode.

He stood quietly in the overgrown garden, his right arm held out. A blue-green bird streaked forward from his hand, wings spread. A powerful gust burst from behind it, carving a deep furrow through the overgrown grass.

As soon as the blue-green bird flew away, Rhode made a gesture. In the next instant, the raging whirlwind transformed into a blazing inferno that surged forward. The scattering flames swiftly converged and coalesced, tracing a clear arc through the air before shooting back toward Rhode. Just as the surging wave of fire seemed about to swallow him, the crimson flames suddenly vanished, and a gleaming white sword burst out from within.

Whoosh!

A sweep of sword energy cut through the air. Blades of grass were sliced loose and swirled through the sky, catching fire in the searing energy. By the time they drifted down as specks of ash, the ground within three meters of Rhode had been reduced to barren dirt.

"Mr. Rhode."

Lize called out only after she saw Rhode put away his sword.

"Lize?"

Hearing her call, Rhode looked up and turned toward her, then gave a slight nod in greeting.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, sir."

Lize felt a little awkward saying that. According to custom, she should have called him Captain, but they were so close in age that it felt embarrassing. Besides, in Lize's heart, Carter was still her captain, and she couldn't yet bring herself to call Rhode that without reservation. Fortunately, Rhode didn't seem to mind such trivial things. When Lize had honestly apologized to him, he had accepted her explanation.

What a perfect man.

Looking at Rhode, Lize felt her heart skip a beat. Young and handsome—or perhaps beautiful—calm and composed, and unexpectedly diligent, too. A man like him would be every woman's ideal. Of course, she had to admit that he could be rather domineering at times, but that only made him more attractive.

If only she could...

At the thought, Lize jolted and quickly shook her head. Then she looked at Rhode, who had walked over to her, and held out a towel.

"Mr. Rhode, do you really think that old gentleman will come?"

Perhaps to hide her embarrassment, Lize quickly changed the subject. She had been here for quite some time and had met Old Walker many times, but she had never known the old man had such an unusual past. Rhode clearly knew all about it, though. Lize was used to his little secrets and didn't ask him about them.

"I don't know either."

Rhode took the towel and wiped the sweat from his brow before giving her an ambiguous answer.

"I've done everything I can. The rest is up to him. If he has even a little resolve, I think he'll come. Of course, it won't matter if he doesn't. Our plan won't change."

Rhode was as direct and calm as ever. He seemed entirely unbothered by the prospect of being questioned, let alone contradicted.

"I want you to be fully prepared, Lize. Pavel Cemetery is a very dangerous place. If only the two of us go, the danger will increase considerably. The situation could become even trickier than it was in Mist Town."

"Yes, I understand, Mr. Rhode. I'll be ready."

"Good. I'll head back, then. Breakfast... the usual."

"Okay."

Ever since they had moved into their headquarters, Rhode and Lize's routines had changed. They didn't have much money, and Rhode hadn't built a dining room, so for now they ate all three meals of the day in Rhode's study. They had gotten used to this way of life—habits really were frightening.

Lize soon went to make breakfast. After returning to his second-floor study, Rhode began thinking about what to do next.

Even as someone known as "a walking library," Rhode couldn't remember every detail of every quest. What he was doing now was writing down everything he could recall about the dangers they might encounter in Pavel Cemetery, then making specific preparations to counter them. After all, if they were lucky, three people would go on the mission; if not, there would only be two. Many of the ideas and tactics he had used as a player would have to be changed.

Rhode hadn't become the leader of the top guild on Dragon Soul Continent through talent alone. Hard work, meticulous observation, and the ability to adapt and anticipate in time were just as important. That was why, while others were still at a loss when facing a boss, Rhode had already led his team to cut through the fight with ease and claim the first kill and achievement.

The details decided success or failure. That had always been Rhode's guiding principle.

As Rhode focused on recalling the cemetery's specific dangers and threats, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Who was it?

The visitor was only knocking downstairs, but Rhode's senses were sharp enough to notice someone had arrived. After a moment's thought, he set down his pen and went out. Had Old Walker really been jolted into action by Rhode's harsh words? Had he come over on his own this early? That would be something.

Though he entertained the thought, when Rhode opened the door, he found reality differed from his expectations.

The person standing before him wasn't the down-and-out old mercenary. It was Hank from the Mercenary Association!

What was he doing here?

Rhode glanced curiously at Uncle Hank's awkward smile, then looked past him. Someone stood behind Hank, wrapped from head to toe in a cloak. Rhode couldn't see her face, but her figure suggested she was a woman.

What was going on?

"Uncle Hank, did you need something?"

"Yes, Mr. Rhode. Um... I was wondering if we could come in and talk?"

"Of course."

Rhode nodded and ushered them inside.

The moment he stepped into the hall, Old Hank's eyes lit up. Before coming, he had imagined that the headquarters of a mercenary group with only two members would be rather shabby. But seeing the clean, bright, spacious hall, which even had a touch of grandeur, immediately overturned his assumptions. He looked at Rhode with newfound admiration. Although Old Hank had never entered this haunted house before, he knew that an abandoned old mansion where many people had died could never have looked like this.

How had this young man managed it?

Only now did Old Hank become genuinely interested in Rhode. He had worked at the Mercenary Association for many years and met all sorts of people, but he had never encountered anyone like Rhode. At first glance, Rhode didn't seem much different from other young men, but now... it seemed Old Hank's judgment had been wrong.

"May I ask what brings you here, Uncle Hank?"

After inviting the two of them to sit, Rhode asked. At the same time, he glanced at the woman beside Hank. He was certain that Hank's visit had something to do with her.

Sure enough, when Rhode asked, Hank gave an awkward smile, then nodded and spoke.

"It's like this, Rhode. This young lady... wants to join your mercenary group."