A three-person team

Yang Tian froze again as he looked at the young mage before him.

So this is Lin Jialu?

Right, these two probably haven't fallen out yet!

Yang Tian thought to himself.

It seemed like quite a coincidence.

Seeing Yang Tian standing there in a daze, staring straight at Lin Jialu, Li Xin asked, "Hey, Yang Tian, what's with that look?"

Then Li Xin glanced at Lin Jialu. She wore a blue mage robe with a fresh blue dress underneath, her figure curving in all the right places...

Are all men really this shallow?

Li Xin muttered to herself.

Then, with even greater confidence, she thought:

If I didn't bind mine down, I'd definitely attract more attention than Jialu.

But Li Xin hadn't noticed that Yang Tian was looking at Lin Jialu with the same expression he'd worn when he first heard the name "Li Xin."

"Yang Tian, do we know each other?"

"You look surprised to see me."

Unlike the rather boisterous Li Xin, Lin Jialu was more perceptive, and she asked as she looked at Yang Tian.

"Right, you had that same look when you heard my name last time."

Li Xin caught on too. Yang Tian seemed to have reacted exactly this way before.

"Yang Tian, have you seen us before?"

Li Xin pressed him.

"Ahem, we should go complete our mission. Lin Jialu, it's nice to meet you!"

Yang Tian gave a dry cough and changed the subject.

Whether he knew them or not, this was their first meeting.

"It's nice to meet you too. A mission? What mission?"

Lin Jialu replied politely, then looked at Yang Tian and Li Xin in puzzlement.

Anything that caught Li Xin's interest seemed likely to be fun.

Although she was boisterous and could only become a Retribution Knight if she chose to be a knight, she was undeniably a friend worth keeping.

"We accepted a mission from the Adventurers' Guild to hunt second-rank demon beasts!"

"Jialu, there are only two of us in the team right now. Want to join?"

Li Xin took it upon herself to try to recruit Lin Jialu.

After all, with another mage, their attacks would pack more punch.

Even though Lin Jialu was still a Magic Apprentice, the spells she could cast were nothing to scoff at.

Those second-rank demon beasts were only equivalent to first-tier human professionals.

That would work. With a mage attacking from the rear, we'd have extra magic damage!

This would be my first time working with a mage, wouldn't it?

Yang Tian considered it as he looked at Lin Jialu.

Then he invited her too. "That's right, Lin Jialu. Why don't you join us and get some practical experience?"

When Yang Tian spoke, Li Xin gave him an odd look.

He hardly ever spoke normally, so why was he taking the initiative to invite Lin Jialu?

Could he like...

Suddenly, she felt a little down. Was it because she dressed as a man?

"Well... all right. With Li Xin around, nothing should go wrong!"

Lin Jialu hesitated for a moment, then agreed out of trust in her best friend.

And so, their team consisted of two Squires and one Magic Apprentice.

The three set off, leaving the Haoyue Branch Hall.

An oddly quiet mood hung over them along the way.

Then Lin Jialu moved closer to Li Xin and asked as they walked, "Hey, Li Xin, why have you gone quiet too?"

Looking at Lin Jialu's delicate face, Li Xin could only smile wryly.

She couldn't exactly tell her best friend that her roommate had feelings for her.

"It's nothing. I don't feel like talking!"

Li Xin forced a smile as she answered Lin Jialu.

Meanwhile, Yang Tian had already taken out the two swords he'd stored crossed inside his Space Bracelet.

"Uh, ordinary iron swords?"

Lin Jialu froze. Yang Tian had delicate, handsome features, and although he was a little shorter than her, surely he shouldn't have to use weapons as ordinary as iron swords.

Even a little money would be enough to buy a piece of alloy equipment.

"He doesn't have as much money as we do. Don't look so surprised!"

"I can never save any money, unlike a little rich girl like you!"

Looking at the surprised Lin Jialu, Li Xin spoke matter-of-factly.

Lin Jialu's father owned a magic shop and made quite a lot of money selling equipment.

As the young lady of the Lin family, this little rich girl received a substantial monthly allowance.

"What do you mean, little rich girl? Keep saying that, and I'll make you pay back the three hundred and one gold coins you owe me!"

Lin Jialu feigned anger.

"Hehe, I'm just telling the truth!"

Li Xin didn't mind. She'd borrowed that money fair and square, and Lin Jialu wasn't really asking her to repay it so soon. At least, she'd have to have the money first.

They soon arrived at Purple Star Town!

The distance was nothing compared with their usual training.

But Lin Jialu, a Magic Apprentice, was having a hard time. Accustomed to a pampered life, she normally had no need for this sort of physical training.

Besides, mages attacked from the rear.

Only knights, warriors, and assassins needed certain specialized training.

Mages, summoners, and priests only had to keep the rear secure and provide sustained support and attacks.

"Oh my, you're so young, yet you're out of breath after a few steps!"

Seeing Lin Jialu panting, Li Xin teased her.

Looking at the infuriating grin on Li Xin's face, Lin Jialu wanted nothing more than to freeze her into an ice sculpture.

"Big... brother, I'm a mage!"

"For a trip this far, you should've arranged a carriage for me!"

Lin Jialu had nearly blurted out "big sister," but corrected herself just in time. Then she complained with a face full of resentment. If she'd known, she wouldn't have tagged along.

Li Xin rolled her eyes at her best friend. "A carriage? One ride would cost me a whole meal!"

Lin Jialu could only laugh and scold her. "You're such a bottomless pit!"

"And you're a beanpole, you're so skinny!" Li Xin shot back.

Beside them, Yang Tian thought, These two bicker like this even when they're close. Once they fall out, won't they be itching for a fight every single day?

But he wouldn't let that man show up. The guy was an utter scumbag, actually two-timing them!

If I run into him, I'll definitely teach him a harsh lesson!

Thinking this way, Yang Tian had clearly already come to regard both girls as friends.

Some people, like Balza and Ye Hua!

Though they wore stern expressions, they truly had hearts worthy of respect.

But there was another particular kind of person who smiled kindly on the surface, yet could stab you in the back and show you what it really meant to hide a blade behind a smile!

"Li Xin, Lin Jialu, we've reached Purple Star Town. We should get serious now!"

"Even though this is a second-rank mission, third- or fourth-rank demon beasts can still appear under certain circumstances!"

Since these two treated him as someone their own age, Yang Tian naturally didn't want to keep calling them big sister. After all, he didn't think like a child.

He was simply too upright in the way he lived.

"All right, we'll listen to you!"

Li Xin had some confidence in Yang Tian's strength.

As a level-three Knight with over two hundred and eighty spiritual power, he was much stronger than either her, a Squire, or Lin Jialu, a Magic Apprentice.

Lin Jialu looked at Li Xin in surprise. It was rare for her to trust someone so much.

"By the way, if you're both Retribution Knights, who's going to protect me?"

Seeing the two swords on Yang Tian's back, Lin Jialu also assumed he was a Retribution Knight.

She already knew what Li Xin had chosen.

Li Xin gave a wry smile. "He's chosen to train as a Guardian Knight. Don't worry, someone will protect your rear!"

Li Xin's words carried a double meaning.

Something about that sounded off to Yang Tian, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Yet the way Lin Jialu rolled her eyes at Li Xin clearly suggested something was up.

Then Yang Tian looked behind Lin Jialu and seemed to... understand!

Please don't rush me. I'm already working hard on updates.