Chapter 78

There is no place more comfortable than one's own home.

This was the first feeling Rod had when he opened his eyes. It was already morning outside, and the sun had just risen above the horizon. The warm, brilliant light shone through the windows, dispelling the shadows and cold in the old house. A new day had begun.

Although he had returned with a weary body just yesterday, Rod quickly changed his clothes and planned to practice his sword skills in the backyard. This was a habit he had in the game; every time he logged in, Rod liked to find a place to practice, warming up before doing anything else. This helped him get into the right state of mind and made his thinking more agile in battle. Now that he had been transported to this world, Rod had brought this habit with him—at least it made him feel more familiar and at ease.

The base was still quiet in the early morning. Rod's study and bedroom, the largest room, was located on the top right of the third floor. Marin, Riz, and Annie, the female members of the mercenary group, stayed in the guest rooms on the second floor, while old Walker was assigned to the east side of the first floor, which was originally the servants' quarters. Of course, this was only a temporary arrangement. Rod was not entirely satisfied with the layout, but with his current financial situation, he had no other choice.

As Rod just walked down the stairs, he heard an unusually lively voice.

"Ah, Captain, good morning. You woke up so early."

There was only one person who would speak like this here.

"You're up early too, aren't you?"

Rod shook his head and looked in the direction of the voice. When he saw Annie standing on the balcony, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Miss Annie, are you going out dressed like that?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing Rod's question, Annie tilted her head curiously. She wasn't wearing the light armor from last night; instead, she was only in a thin set of undergarments. The part above, in particular, was quite eye-catching. A gentle breeze blew, and the semi-transparent fabric clung to her body, revealing glimpses of her fair skin and a hint of pink...

"This is fine, isn't it? It's quite cool, isn't it?"

As she spoke, the girl stretched her arms, making a certain part of her body even more prominent... It had to be said, Annie's figure was indeed excellent, with all the right curves and angles. Combined with her lazy expression, it exuded a seductive charm.

"It's a bit too cool."

About a B+.

Glancing at the girl's chest, Rod, who had seen countless women, immediately made an assessment. He then shrugged and said,

"This is a mercenary group, after all. I hope you can be mindful of the impact."

"Ah... how boring. When Annie was in Markwhite, Dad always told me to be mindful. Now that I'm here, I'm still being told the same thing."

Hearing Rod's command, Annie pouted in dissatisfaction.

"Men are really strange, Captain. Even if Annie isn't completely naked, you still get excited, right? If Annie were a man, even if I were naked, I wouldn't be excited."

"......"

Although he had suspected it, Rod could now confirm that old Walker had brought him another big problem.

And just then, a savior finally appeared.

"Hmm... Miss Annie? Are you awake? I heard Mr. Rod's voice..."

Riz, rubbing her eyes and yawning, walked out of her room. When she saw the scene in front of her, her heavy sleepiness was instantly blown away.

"Annie, Annie, Annie! What are you doing?!"

"Hmm? Just coming out to get some fresh air?"

"You'll catch a cold! No, why aren't you wearing clothes?"

"Annie is wearing clothes? Look, look, isn't this a piece of clothing?"

"Ah, don't lift it up!! Mr. Rod is here! Please be a bit more proper!"

"Annie is being proper? I'm not taking off my clothes. It should be fine just to see this layer of fabric, right? The problem is what's behind it, isn't it?"

"That's not it!! Mr. Rod, please leave. Miss Annie, come with me. You can't go out dressed like this!!"

"But... it's so comfortable..."

"No means no!!"

Watching the reluctant girl being pushed back into the room by Riz to change, Rod shook his head, said nothing, and turned to leave—after all, seeing such a pleasant sight early in the morning was a kind of luck.

It had to be said, this girl was a very unique person. She was lively, full of energy, and very straightforward. Of course, after talking to her, Rod also discovered that Annie had a big problem: she almost never considered the other person's feelings when speaking, doing everything according to her own pace. To put it nicely, this was called being straightforward; to put it less nicely, it was almost like speaking without thinking, saying whatever came to mind. Rod finally understood why the two deputy captains of Markwhite wanted to kick this girl out...

Marin and Riz soon experienced this as well.

After the morning incident, everyone finally gathered for a leisurely breakfast. When it was just Rod and Riz, they would make do with something simple, but now that there were more people, Rod had no choice but to set up a dining table in the hall for everyone to eat together. Old Walker took over from Riz, responsible for everyone's meals. It had to be said, this old ranger was indeed a skilled cook, and the food he made even earned praise from Marin. Of course, if he could stop drinking from a flask at every meal, it would be even better.

"Today we'll take a break."

As he took a steaming piece of bread, Rod spoke about the day's plans, which had become a routine for the Starlight Mercenary Group.

"I need to go to the Mercenary Guild to gather some information. You can do as you please, but don't forget our current situation. Don't cause any trouble, and it's best to go out in pairs."

"The Mercenary Guild?"

Hearing this, Marin frowned. She picked up a napkin, elegantly wiped her mouth, and then asked,

"Is something happening?"

Rod shook his head. He wasn't sure what had happened yet, but he thought it would be a good idea to give Serek and the others a heads-up.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll just go and check the situation."

"Do you need me to go with you, Mr. Rod?"

"There's no need. You've been running around with me for so many days. You don't have to come today."

"Um... Mr. Rod."

At this moment, Riz timidly raised her hand.

"Do we need to prepare anything?"

"We'll set out again in a couple of days. Prepare by then."

"Okay, I understand."

As everyone was talking, Annie, sitting to the side, looked at one person and then another, and suddenly spoke up.

"Sister Marin, Sister Riz, Annie finds it strange. Why don't you call the Captain 'Captain'?"

"Huh?"

Hearing this, Marin and Riz were taken aback.

"In Annie's mercenary group, everyone calls the Captain 'Captain.' Why do you call the Captain by his name?"

"This..."

The two women looked a bit awkward, and even old Walker, who was sitting nearby, seemed uncomfortable. He quickly raised his flask to hide his expression. However, Rod quickly helped them out of this awkward situation.

"They each have their reasons. Marin is only temporarily joining our mercenary group, and Riz has her own reasons. In my team, I don't mind how you address me. As long as you like, it's fine. There's no compulsion."

"I see..."

Annie blinked her clear, green eyes, looked curiously at everyone, and then refocused on her food without saying anything more.

At this moment, the other three breathed a sigh of relief, but their expressions were somewhat complex.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

Riz quickly stood up, walked to the door, and opened it. She spoke softly to someone outside, then took a letter and returned to the group. However, the girl's expression was now a bit strange.

"What's wrong, Riz? What happened?"

Seeing Riz's expression, Marin couldn't help but ask curiously. Riz handed the letter to Rod and replied with a strange expression.

"Mr. Rod, this is an invitation from the Mercenary Guild. The President and Serek want you to go to the Mercenary Guild to resolve a dispute."

"Dispute?"

Rod was surprised. He didn't remember having any disputes with the Mercenary Guild.

"It's like this."

Riz's expression became even stranger. She looked worriedly at Marin and then at Rod.

"According to the messenger, the... Mr. Clinton from the Kingdom of Light came to the Mercenary Guild, claiming that Mr. Rod killed his subordinates and demanding an explanation and compensation..."

"Absolutely outrageous!"

Before Riz could finish, Marin slammed her hand on the table and stood up angrily.

"The despicable scoundrels from the Kingdom of Light. They sent people to assassinate us, and now they're turning around to accuse us! Do we have to be silently killed in the forest for them to be satisfied?!"

Saying this, Marin turned to Rod, her face filled with anger.

"Mr. Rod, let's go to the Mercenary Guild together! I'll make that despicable scoundrel understand that the people of the Moon Kingdom are not to be bullied!"

"Alright, Marin, calm down."

To everyone's surprise, Rod remained calm. He reached out to take the letter from Riz, opened it, read it carefully, and then put it in his pocket before standing up.

"Go rest. I'll go to the Mercenary Guild alone. I think there must be some misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?!"

Hearing this, Marin frowned in dissatisfaction.

"Mr. Rod, how can there be any misunderstanding? Isn't it obvious? The people from the Kingdom of Light won't let it go..."

"I have a different view on this."

Rod waved his hand, interrupting Marin's complaint.

"We have never done such a thing, so I think there must be some misunderstanding. After all, I have no knowledge of what Clinton is accusing us of."

"......"

Looking at Rod, who said this calmly and as if nothing was wrong, everyone was at a loss for words...