Chapter 168: I Repay The Favor (2)
Chapter 168: I Repay The Favor (2)
Chapter 168: I Repay The Favor (2)
Crisp.
The blue thread was cut and a red thread appeared.
It was natural.
J.L.s enemy, who had lost everything to Neubra, was now his enemy.
What about revenge?
Without a moment of hesitation, J.L. responded, If I follow you, revenge will naturally be achieved, wont it?
Thats right.
This is the last time. You can think of it as the last transaction I will make with my life.
Its not a deal, its a gamble.
You can view it as a gamble. However, if I lose again this time, I am prepared to die without any regrets. I no longer wish to be pitied.
Lucion questioned him further, And what about the honor of your family?
If I win, I will then go and propose a deal to you.
A sharp glint appearing in his normally blurry eyes.
Excellent, Lucion remarked, accepting the ledger and extending his hand. Welcome to Organization Ale, Mr. J.L.
Goosebumps appeared on J.L.s wrists due to the sudden respect.
But he smiled, awkwardly, and took Lucions hand.
* * *
Now Kran was in the North.
He had about two hours until he was supposed to return with Heint.
Since Lucion needed to introduce J.L. to the organization, he decided it would be best to have him meet the members quickly. Lucion and J.L. made their way to the building that the organization had temporarily rented.
Oh! Mr. Hamel, Ms. Rental!
Reint, who was guarding at the entrance, immediately welcomed Lucion and Hume.
How are you feeling? Are you still not feeling well?
No, I felt better earlier.
You certainly dont have a fever, I was really worried.
Did you catch Krans disease or something? Why are you all so concerned?
Lucion tried to suppress a laugh.
Then, do you have time to chat briefly today? Reint asked with anticipation.
If it was Heint, there was no need to worry as he kept promises.
A few minutes would be fine.
Oh, right. I heard from Peter, Reint suddenly lowered his voice and looked at Lucion with respect.
The gaze was too burdensome, so Lucion stepped back slightly.
What are you talking about?
The story of the great Hamel.
[Pfft. Was what Kran said true? It was just drunken talk, but now its prefixed with great. Its obvious without even looking. Hey, isnt our disciple suddenly becoming the hero of the organization?]
Russell, seizing the opportunity, teasingly chimed in.
Oh! Ratta loves that Lucion has become great and a hero! Hume said that heroes are supposed to be great!
[Did you hear what Ratta said? Great Lucion.]
The great Lucion!
Following Russell, even Ratta shouted happily.
Lucion looked towards Bethel, hoping she would intervene and put an end to the teasing, but before he could say anything, Reint directed his attention towards J.L.
Oh, who is this? Reint asked curiously.
Lucion spoke up, introducing J.L., This is Mr. J.L., the owner of the merchant who will serve as our information network and contact point from now on.
Reint held back what he wanted to say to Lucion and extended his hand to J.L. and introduced himself, Nice to meet you. Im Reint, a member of Organization Ale. I also serve as the escort for our current leader, Mr. Kran.
The leader of the organization wasnt Hamel?
Slightly surprised, J.L. smoothly smiled as if welcoming a customer.
Nice to meet you. Im J.L.
Well, Ill see you later, Mr. Reint.
Lucion slightly bowed his head to Reint.
No, no. Ill come with you, Mr. Hamel. You stay here and make sure to protect this place. Dont forget to shield yourself if anything comes flying at you.
After giving instructions to his subordinate, Reint smiled broadly and was about to ask the question he had been curious about right away.
Do you happen to know? Lucion asked.
However, Reint hesitated to answer, Yes, I am aware that you are a warlock.
Then thats good!
Upon Lucions response, Reint quickly took out his notebook and began asking the questions he had stored in his mind.
However, their discussion was interrupted by the sudden voice of a woman.
No! Dont do that! Thats why its broken, because youre using it like that!
Why is Miella here?
Lucion halted in his tracks upon hearing the familiar voice of Miella. Confusion washed over him.
Why was she here?
Wasnt she supposed to be back at the Chefran mansion in the west?
Russell immediately flew over and slammed his face into the wall.
[What? its really Miella, and Heroan next to her?]
Drurrrrr!
A shrill sound, similar to a drill, pierced through the air, causing Lucion to instinctively cover his ears.
His hands trembled involuntarily as the sound continued, as if someone was shouting directly at him.
Ooooh! Its a fun sound that Ratta likes!
Giggle.
Latta jumped up and down happily in the shadows, then looked at Lucion.
Lucion, Lucion. Ratta listened, and its not a bad sound, its just a funny sound.
Lucion tried to catch his breath.
Damn it. Im fine, Im really fine, why is my body reacting like this?
Mr. Hamel?
Unlike J.L., who was distracted by the strange sound, Reint, who was giggling, noticed Lucions abnormal symptoms.
Ah Its nothing.
Lucion lowered his hand.
The sound eventually ceased, and Heroans voice could be heard. Oh! So this is how you use it.
Yes! Thats it, you idiot! Why are you ruining it when I make it so pretty?
Lucion looked at Hume with disdain and pointed to the door.
The laughter from the organizations members subsided as they turned their attention to the door, which had suddenly opened.
However, Lucion had already averted his gaze, unaffected by the commotion.
Ms. Rental!
Upon seeing Hume, Miella rushed towards him with a smile, but then quickly rolled her eyes.
Her presence meant Hamels presence.
Didnt you go back to the West?
At Lucions voice, Miella squeezed her eyes shut and opened one.
Even through the mask, she could tell Lucion was slightly annoyed.
Well, I was planning to go back, but I had a reason. I tried calling you, but you didnt answer.
Ill go see Mr. Kran first, Lucion stated, keeping his composure, and gestured for J.L. to follow him.
Hes over there. Let me guide you.
As people started showing interest in Lucions arrival, Heroan hastily put down the magical item resembling a drilling machine and took the lead.
Ooooh! What is that? Ratta is so curious.
Rattas eyes sparkled as she looked at the magical item that Heroan had placed down.
I know where Mr. Kran is without you telling me.
Knowing Heroans intentions, Lucion didnt want to play along.
Come on, its been a long time since we met.
You contacted me two days ago.
Its different hearing your voice and seeing you in person. And you keep interrupting me before I finish speaking, which is quite unpleasant.
You should at least pretend to listen when someone is speaking. You talk too much.
Thats just Hamels misunderstanding. Im definitely not talkative Why are you following me?
Heroan glanced at Reint with displeasure, feeling distracted by his presence.
Hey, Quate.
Reint called out to Quate, but he was nowhere to be seen.
[He had fled through the window a moment ago].
Lucion almost burst into laughter at Bethels words.
Quate must have been quite distressed to make such a hasty escape.
Why are you calling him?
Heroan asked sarcastically, but Reint didnt flinch.
Hes my responsibility, so I call him.
Dont hook me up with him. Hes really annoying.
That item just now
Lucion was not the least bit interested in their bickering.
He opened his mouth to speak, then quickly shut it, remembering something Ratta had said.
[You dug your own grave.]
Russell giggled.
Heroan blinked as if he was surprised by the change in Lucions expression.
Yes! Thats a good question. That item that you just saw Its a digging item made by Miella. Once we get our hands on the entire headquarters, well dig into the central area of the central region and connect it with the rest of the headquarters. Theres a place in the middle of the central region where a lot of information is gathered, ah, did I mention that?
You mean an anthill.
In the central branch, the only place full of information was the ant cave.
Heroan.
Yes.
You mentioned before that you wanted to root out the corruption of the priests, right?
Yes, yes! Im dead serious about it. The mere thought of it fills me with excitement and makes my whole body tremble, Heroan exclaimed with enthusiasm.
First, prepare yourself so that you can root out the corruption when I give the signal. If were going to do it, lets ensure it spreads evenly.
Preparation is key.
When Lucion gave his permission, Heroan jumped up in joy.
Mr. J.L.
Perhaps due to the commotion outside, Kran came out of the room.
Good timing.
Lucion pointed at Kran and said, This is Kran, the leader of Organization Ale.
Is that person really the leader?
J.L. seemed to be looking at Lucion with a question he wanted to ask earlier.
Pleased to meet you. Im Kran.
Kran, holding back the urge to ask Lucion if he was okay, reached out his hand to J.L.
It was a merchant brought by Hamel.
After successfully acquiring the mines, there were numerous concerns about the next steps to take. However, luck seemed to be on their side.
* * *
Sigh Im exhausted.
Lucion slouched deeply in his chair.
After relaying J.L. and Kran, he stepped outside and was caught by Heroan and Reint, who were waiting for him.
Heroan, being Heroan, said what he had to say.
Reint was being Reint and asking the questions hed been holding back.
Lucion thought he was going to die because they were both telling different stories.
Peter, who had come out yawning in the middle, also joined them.
He would rather be peacefully sleeping.
The organization members, overwhelmed by the three individuals, even lost the will to try to strike up a conversation with him and didnt even come near him.
Ratta would have covered her ears for being too noisy.
Hume, unable to stand it any longer, was about to step forward, but urgently stopped himself as the three men were about to get into a heated argument.
In the end, peace came only when Kran took action.
It was the first time Lucion felt such relief due to Krans intervention.
It was noisy, wasnt it?
Miella brought the tea and set it down in front of Lucion and Hume.
[It was very loud.]
Russell nodded, and Bethel raised an eyebrow.
[Yeah, it felt like being in the midst of a bustling market.]
Yes, it was really noisy.
As Hume nodded slightly, Miella looked sorry.
Im sorry. I dont know what to say because its usually like this. Oh, Mr. Hamel, can you drink?
Miella asked, looking at Lucions mask.
When it cools, I guess.
Lucion said nonchalantly, but Miella felt bad that he couldnt drink tea in front of everyone.
She was tempted to tell him to take it off and drink comfortably since it could be kept a secret for a lifetime.
I must say, Im having a great time being a part of the organization.
However, Miella brought up another topic as she fiddled with her teacup.
Thats good to hear. I guess Ill have to keep going like this. I feel like Ill die if I get caught once.
Everyone is happy to see Hamel. It seems like everyone has a deep connection with Hamel.
Because I brought you all here. Oh, except for Mr. Reint.
No, everyone, including Mr. Reint, wants to repay the favor to Hamel.
?
Lucion tilted his head slightly.
Repay the favor.
It was a fair deal.
Miella burst into laughter as she saw Lucions tilted head and Hume nodding vigorously.
Look at this. Mr. Hamel is really indifferent to himself.
Yes? Lucion responded, looking at Miella with curiosity.
Its nothing.
Miella silently decided to keep the fact to herself instead of revealing it to Lucion.
Oh. How are you feeling?
But why are all of you acting this way? Did you make some kind of bet?
Miella chuckled, finding Lucions confusion amusing.
Like Mr. Kran, right?
Yes.
Thats to be expected, Mr. Hamel doesnt take care of himself.
I do it because I enjoy it.
I know, I know, but I cant help it. I think they all feel the same way, dont they?
Miellas lips curled up.
Its not that Lucion didnt notice.
As the days went by, Lucion couldnt help but notice the warmth in the eyes of the organization members, and even simple conversations with them brought him a sense of joy and contentment.
However, the feeling was so unfamiliar to Lucion that he found it difficult to fully accept.
Im sorry for not being in touch. What did you contact me for?
I was going to head west. But there are a lot of necessary materials in the central region, so I had no choice but to come back.
Miella started by explaining the reason she had returned.
As Lucions finger twitched, Miella spoke up again.
I know it was reckless. As you know, I cant even protect myself properly. Im aware of the expanding role Ill have in the future. But I wanted to repay the favor.
Miella took out a necklace from her bosom.
Oh! Its the necklace Ratta saw at the auction, um, Miellas necklace! Ahem. Ratta remembered it.
Ratta wagged her tail, reaching the end of the shadow.
However, as Hamel, Lucion had to act as if he was seeing the necklace for the first time, so he tilted his head slightly.
This is the item I mentioned before, the necklace I wanted to give to you, Hamel. It has the ability to absorb light and emit regenerative power, Miella explained, shaking the necklace gently.