Chapter 48

"Miss... she wishes to join your mercenary group."

As Old Hank spoke, Rhod shifted his gaze to the woman beside him. Under his scrutiny, she finally removed her cloak, revealing her true appearance.

She appeared to be a girl no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. Her delicate features, exquisite facial structure, and a head of beautiful, snow-white hair were particularly eye-catching. Her large, wine-red eyes sparkled with curiosity. She carried the confidence and pride characteristic of the nobility. From the finely crafted collar and the intricate patterns on her clothes, it was clear that she was the daughter of a noble family.

"Miss... is..."

Rhod frowned; he did not want any unexpected situations to arise.

"Hello, Mr. Rhod Elantris."

The girl extended her hand gracefully and smiled as she spoke.

"My name is Marin Sennia. As you have heard, I hope to join your mercenary group. I ask you to give me this opportunity."

"Marin Sennia?"

Upon hearing the girl introduce herself, Rhod was momentarily stunned, then his face showed a hint of surprise.

The name Marin Sennia was not unfamiliar to Rhod. In the game, this character was quite famous among players, even earning the nickname "Queen of Mercenaries." Rumor had it that this young lady was a magical prodigy who had broken through the Inner Circle Mage barrier at the age of nineteen and founded a mercenary group called "The Circle of Freedom." She was considered one of the most talented young women in the Duchy of Muun. However, she was not well-liked by players due to a peculiar quirk—she detested men.

This was evident in the game, where all the mercenaries in The Circle of Freedom were women, with not a single man among them. Male players who tried to join were all turned away, and even when the group posted missions, they were limited to female players. Male players who tried to hire mercenaries with their wealth were also rejected. This made many players hate her. Therefore, most people's opinions of this mysterious "Queen of Mercenaries" were not high, and some even despised her.

Despite being hated by many players, Marin's ending was a classic hero's downfall—facing the attack of the Night Kingdom, she and her subordinates held off the enemy for three days and three nights outside the Golden City. In the end, surrounded by enemy forces, she cast a suicidal forbidden spell, sacrificing herself for her country. In this sense, she was indeed admirable.

Although Rhod had heard of this young lady's name before, due to his "male" identity, he had never met her. Now, hearing that she was in Deepstone City and wanted to join his mercenary group, Rhod was quite surprised. Wasn't this young lady known for hating men? How could she come forward on her own? Or did she mistake him for a woman? That seemed unlikely.

Looking at Marin's extended hand, Rhod was puzzled. Could this be a case of a name coincidence? That didn't make sense; she was indeed a Sennia, and her attire clearly indicated she was from a noble family. However, the Sennia family was far in the Golden City. Why would this young lady, who should be attending the Royal Magic Academy, come to this remote and impoverished place, Deepstone City? Was she responding to a call to go to the countryside?

"I have heard of your name, Miss Sennia."

Rhod replied calmly, shaking her hand. He knew little about this legendary figure, not much different from other players, but he was aware of the general situation.

"If there is any offense, please forgive me, but... shouldn't you be at the academy right now?"

Upon hearing Rhod's question, both Marin and Old Hank's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise.

Marin found it interesting that the strange mercenary leader, rumored to be a noble, actually knew her identity and some details about her. Old Hank was surprised that Rhod had a connection to the nobility, something that had been speculated but never confirmed. Now, Rhod was showing his noble side, and such information usually circulated only among noble children. If Rhod were just a common mercenary, he would not have known such things.

"That's the case."

Perhaps confirming that Rhod was "one of them," Marin's initial reserve and pride dissipated.

"My mentor believes that my current strength has reached a certain level, and to continue improving, I need practical combat experience. Therefore, I asked Uncle Serek to give me this opportunity to come here for training."

So it was related to Serek.

Rhod finally understood. Clearly, the Sennia family had sent their daughter to this remote place out of respect for the master swordsman. However, before that, Rhod had some things to confirm.

"Miss Marin."

Thinking about this, Rhod withdrew his hand, his expression serious.

"Since Uncle Hank brought you here, I assume you have already learned about our situation from him. To be honest, we are indeed short-handed, but because of that, going on missions with us would be very dangerous, especially since we recently received a four-star mission. If something goes wrong, it could be catastrophic. In this situation, are you willing to risk your life to join my mercenary group?"

In response to Rhod's question, Marin lifted her chin slightly, revealing a confident and somewhat cunning smile.

"I understand your concern, Mr. Rhod. But for me, this is actually a good thing. Moreover, as a Middle Circle Mage, I am very confident in my abilities."

A good thing for her?

Hearing Marin's response, Rhod looked at Old Hank with confusion. In the game, he had never interacted with the "Queen of Mercenaries," and from their first meeting, he found her to be very independent and proud. However, her words left him puzzled. How could a mercenary group that couldn't even gather a full team be a good thing for her?

Old Hank, noticing Rhod's gaze, was in a difficult position. He was well aware of Marin's identity and influence. A noble child coming to a place like Deepstone City, though she was indeed strong, mercenaries often looked beyond just strength. Even if she were a powerful mage capable of slaying countless enemies on the battlefield, she was still a woman. If she were drugged and dragged to a bed by unscrupulous people, her magical prowess would be of no use. Therefore, Old Hank was very cautious, fearing that something might happen to the young lady, which would put him in a difficult position.

Moreover, the noble pride Marin displayed annoyed many mercenaries. Although Old Hank had tried to introduce her to several mercenary groups, they all rejected her, citing full rosters as the reason. After all, they were not on the same wavelength, and mercenaries did not trust nobles.

Marin was not stupid; she knew why they refused her, but her noble pride did not allow her to lower herself to please them.

Rhod's appearance gave Marin a glimmer of hope.

Hearing that he was also a noble, if true, he would likely be better than those uncultured mercenaries. Moreover, with only two members, his mercenary group was clearly short-handed. If they tried to claim a full roster, it would be a lie.

Rhod did not understand Marin's intentions, but Old Hank did, and it made him uneasy. Before coming here, he had warned the proud young lady many times that the Starlight Mercenary Group was not her best choice. They were too few, the missions too dangerous, and they even lived in a notorious haunted house in Deepstone City. Despite his efforts, the young lady did not listen. This made Old Hank privately complain that nobles were all proud and stubborn, just like Rhod and this young lady, making things very troublesome.

If possible, Old Hank would have reported this to Lord Serek, who would not allow Marin to take such risks. Unfortunately, Lord Serek was not in the Mercenary Association for the past few days, making him unreachable. Marin, however, saw this as an opportunity and ordered Old Hank to follow her demands while Lord Serek was away.

Heaven and earth, I really don't want to do this...

Old Hank could foresee the reaction of Lord Serek when he returned and learned of Marin's decision, but what could he do?

This was the sorrow of a commoner.

Rhod was not aware of Old Hank's internal struggle, but even if he were, he probably wouldn't care. Having a mage volunteer to join was a great opportunity. Even if Old Hank opposed, Rhod was determined to bring this future "Queen of Mercenaries" onto his team.

However, before that, Rhod felt he needed to clarify a few things.

"I can accept your joining, Miss Marin."

At this point, Rhod became more serious.

"But, I have a few conditions."

"Please state them."

Hearing Rhod's agreement, Marin's eyes lit up with surprise. She had come here to gain practical combat experience, but after arriving in Deepstone City, she felt like a caged canary, unable to act freely. This made her very dissatisfied, and upon hearing about Rhod and his mercenary group, she quickly realized it was a great opportunity.

Now, it seemed she was about to succeed.

"First, once you join the mercenary group, you will be my subordinate."

Rhod raised a finger.

"As a subordinate, you must unconditionally obey my orders. During missions, you cannot do anything without my permission. Even for something as trivial as using the restroom, you must report to me in advance."

"You!"

Hearing this, Marin's expression changed, but before she could say more, Rhod raised another finger.

"Second, although you will join our mercenary group, we are not familiar with each other. I do not believe you can coordinate with our battles. Therefore, I require you to follow my instructions completely during combat. You must do exactly as I say. If I do not need you to defend, even if the enemy is right in front of you, you must not move!"

At this point, Rhod lowered his hand.

"These are my conditions. If you can accept them, I welcome you to join my mercenary group."

"What if I violate them?"

The girl's face was now serious, her teeth clenched as she asked.

"I will immediately abandon you."

Rhod answered without hesitation.

"I have already said that this mission is very dangerous. If you do not follow my instructions, we may all die. I must minimize the risk of any unexpected situations. If your actions endanger us, abandoning you will be the only choice."

As Rhod finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall became tense.