"Wait, ma'am—add Shika's name to it as well. Since she's joined the squad, we're all family living under one roof now." After careful consideration, Leo decided to win Shika over. Just as he had said, they were all human and would soon be comrades-in-arms sharing life and death. She held a certain status within the Rogue Encampment as well; using material benefits to bridge the gap would only bring advantages.
Gerdie remained her usual self, neither objecting nor agreeing, bringing the spirit of female modesty to its absolute peak.
Majesty had intended to oppose it, but the word "family" touched her heart, and she ultimately swallowed her words.
Shika was somewhat surprised, a flash of inexplicable emotion crossing her eyes before she laughed it off: "Don't think that adding my name to the house will help you woo me. I'm not that easy to trick."
"Alright, quit being cheeky. Go inside and pick your bedroom; I have things for you to do later." Woo you? Not a chance. What charm did a little brat have? Too young and flighty. He thought of Kyoko—too mature, not his style. Thinking it over, it was actually Inceyste who fit his aesthetics best; he had to admit, the Asian appearance was a huge bonus.
As soon as they reached the second floor, Majesty occupied the bedroom right next to the stairs. It seemed she was truly determined to go head-to-head with Shika, keeping an eye on her even while sleeping.
Shika was not to be outdone, choosing the room directly adjacent to Majesty's with an air of having nothing to hide.
The remaining two rooms on the opposite side were up for grabs, and the men each picked one at random.
Leo pulled out a pile of equipment: "Shika, see which of these items you can use."
Shika took one look at the mess of Blue and White gear and didn't even bother to flip through it: "We mercenaries can only use three types of equipment. My gear is all rare gold, and I just swapped my weapon for a Unique—it's much better than these. No need to change."
Weren't mercenaries supposed to be poor in the legends? Why was his own so arrogant?
"Exactly what level are you?" He didn't believe he couldn't intimidate her.
"Level 25. I've mastered Inner Sight, Slow Missiles, Dodge, Avoid, Critical Strike, Penetrate, Cold Arrow, Magic Arrow, and Fire Arrow. Nine skills in total. The number one genius Rogue in the Encampment," Shika introduced herself triumphantly.
"Fine, Miss Genius. Take these three Crystal Swords to the Blacksmith's Forge to add sockets. Remember, add four sockets to each one," Leo continued rummaging through the "trash" pile. "And this Grim Helm and this Light Plate—two sockets each, got it?"
"Gerdie, take all of this equipment to be processed—the old rules," Leo looked at the massive pile of gear; the drops from several thousand monsters were indeed a lot. "Shika, help her carry some. You're heading that way anyway."
Seeing both women leave, Leo knew it was time for his "tribulation." He looked at Majesty silently, waiting for her to speak.
"Brother, you don't have to be like this. I will always stand by your side. After all, I wasn't there and don't know the specific details of what happened. You are the captain and should have decision-making power. The result has already been produced, and saying anything now is useless. If there are major matters like this in the future, please discuss them with me first if there's enough time."
Leo was overjoyed. It was truly good to have a sensible sister. He bid Majesty farewell with a smile: "It's rare to be back; I should go get my equipment properly repaired. I'll head out first."
"Alright. Take my equipment along to be repaired too. Come back early." My silly brother's heart is so soft; I'll just have to worry a bit more for him.
After Leo repaired the equipment, he remembered he had one more important thing to do and walked toward the Monastery camp.
In Akara's shop, he looked at the Light Potions neatly displayed on the counter.
"Lady Akara, it seems you won't be needing my Light Potions here anymore." Leo was in a good mood. Although he could no longer exchange them for the specific things he wanted, the rollout of Light Potions would increase the overall strength of humanity.
Akara responded with a smile: "Hero, here is 100,000 gold. The Light Potions have sold very well since they hit the market, and everyone is safer when going out to train. Regardless, I must thank you again. If you have higher-grade potions in the future, remember to continue our trade."
Leo collected all the gold from the chest into his inventory and replied to Akara with a smile: "My Lady, you are too kind. I've also gained what I wanted from this trade. We are simply taking what we each need."
In the game from his past life, the inventory could hold at most a level times 10,000 in gold; at level 26, he technically should only be able to hold 260,000. But now, with the 100,000 in potion dividends, the 200,000 from looting Bonebreaker, and the 150,000 from monster drops, he had long since exceeded the limit. It seemed his gold capacity had evolved along with his large backpack.
Happily leaving Akara's shop, Leo decided to do something he loved.
Inside the tavern, Leo familiarly found an empty seat. First, he enjoyed three consecutive mugs, then found the most comfortable position to lean back.
This was what it felt like to be alive—listening to the laughter and chatter of the crowd while slowly savoring his wine. This dark world didn't feel so cold anymore.
"Big Brother! I haven't seen you for a few days. Where did you go to do great things?"
Leo looked back; that kid Sal was staring at his wine glass with glowing eyes.
"Come, sit down and have a drink." Leo signaled the bartender.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp... Haha! It's been a long time since I've had such a comfortable drink. You've certainly become famous lately, Big Brother."
Leo's eyes lit up. In this life, how many people can truly see past fame and fortune?
He signaled the bartender for more drinks: "What's the story? Let's hear it."
Sal wasn't polite either, greedily downing two mugs before picking up the last one to speak while drinking: "The time before last, you completed the Super Quest in the Den of Evil. Lady Akara opened a permanent quest here—whichever squad brings back the head of the Corpsefire projection, every member of that squad can obtain a Skill Book. Unfortunately, it can only be completed once, otherwise everyone could break through their potential limits."
After saying this, Sal took another sip: "And last time, Big Brother, you and your group sniped the Fallen army in the valley and ruined Bishibosh's plot. To be honest, if you hadn't held out, many of us probably would have become food for the Fallen. Now Lady Kashya has issued a quest—any squad that brings back the head of the Bishibosh projection can use the Waypoint to the Cold Plains for free."
Sal's love for wine was becoming more like Leo's. He finished the strong ale in one go and looked at Leo expectantly. A speechless Leo told the bartender to give the kid unlimited refills; if he drank himself to death, that was his own business.
Sal continued with a face full of happiness: "Big Brother, you're a big hero in the Encampment now. I wouldn't dare compare myself to you anymore, but..."
Leo was amused; here came the main act. This brat's troublemaking nature hadn't changed: "But what? Speak plainly."
Seeing Leo's half-smiling expression, Sal said cautiously: "While you were out doing great things these past few days, there's a woman in the Encampment who's quite unconvinced by you."
Great. It was the classic "brat gets beaten and goes to find his parent" routine. This trope felt a bit familiar.
Before he could deal with the brat, a female voice full of confidence rang out: "You two males over there—what are you doing acting so suspiciously?"
•
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