Chapter 57: Department Head
“Marlon, are you sure there’s an altar ahead of the fortress?” Mages’ hand trembled slightly as he reviewed the documents, and he furrowed his brow solemnly upon hearing Marlon’s account.
Marlon nodded respectfully, believing it more appropriate to come in person despite being able to report through the magic soundstone.
“Yes, there’s also a stone tablet on the altar, the text should be from ancient Sigril. We’re in the process of summoning relevant experts.”
“Is that so… Perhaps, this altar already has answers without needing decryption.”
“Captain, are you suggesting…”
“Hmm…” Mages pondered for a moment, then pulled out a map from the drawer.
“Drexus, Timir, now the Meteor Mountains… Perhaps there may be more altars related to the Oracle Book.”
Mages narrowed his eyes slightly, murmuring to himself.
“Building three altars for a mid-level sacred artifact, all within the borders of the Milik Kingdom, coupled with the recent major actions from above… Things are probably not as simple as they seem.”
“Hello, I am the branch manager of this mercenary branch, Tiska Kirik.” Appearing before Tyr was a woman with mature charm. Her silver-white long hair was dazzling, and her figure instantly revitalized Tyr, who was somewhat dispirited. The light in his eyes almost blinded the nearby Dragon Slayer.
“Hey! Answer me properly!” Dragon Slayer kicked Tyr’s leg angrily, bringing the overly excited man back to his senses.
“Oh, sorry, um… I’m Tyr, mercenary codename 123. Let’s call each other based on the situation.”
“Hehe, then let’s call you Mr. Tyr for now,” Tiska smiled slightly, seemingly unaffected by Tyr’s gaze, perhaps because she was accustomed to it. As a branch manager, she must frequently show herself, so being looked at with various expressions was nothing out of the ordinary.
“I heard from Dragon Slayer that, Director Kirik, you received an invitation from the Duke’s mansion, but why did you bring the two of us along?”
“Of course, it was Dragon Slayer who personally asked me to bring you along.”
“Who! Who asked you! I’m ordering you!” Dragon Slayer pouted, though he hadn’t reached the point of blushing, being exposed like this by Tiska did indeed feel a bit awkward.
Tyr scratched his cheek and nodded.
“Thank you both so much. Actually, Branch Manager, I’d like to bring one more person along, if that’s okay?”
“Is it one of your three followers?”
“No. They’ll probably come along too, but during the banquet, I’ll have them stay in the inn. They can join me when it’s over.”
“Well… if it’s just one more person, as long as you inform Marquis Mifitimu of it, it shouldn’t be a problem.” Tiska’s response was casual, suggesting that adding a few more people wouldn’t be an issue. Tyr couldn’t help but wonder about the relationship between the branch manager and Marquis Mifitimu. Speaking of Marquis Mifitimu, one couldn’t help but think of Duke Cyril. After all, the former was the seventh son of the latter, and due to being born late, he was the same age as Duke Cyril’s first grandson. This even led to some jokes at the time.
“Thank you very much.”
“So, who is the person you want to add?”
“An elf, but she might not be available anymore, so I may have to choose someone else.”
“An elf, huh? There’s a wind elf at the slave market recently. Is that who you’re referring to?”
“Yes, that’s her. I’ll go take a look first.”
“Well, there are still two months until the Duke’s banquet, so there’s plenty of time. No need to rush.”
“Ah, speaking of time, I actually have one shameless request,” Tyr said somewhat awkwardly. Tiska smiled softly, devoid of the arrogance one would expect from someone of his caliber as a “Emperor” level powerhouse, and calmly responded.
“It’s okay. Since you’re Dragon Slayer’s friend, you’re my friend too. I’ll help you as much as I can.”
Tyr was deeply touched by Tiska’s words, though Dragon Slayer protested, saying, “Who said this guy’s your friend!” with words that belied his true feelings.
“Thank you again. Actually, there’s a ‘Magical Girl Contest’ happening in the Duchy of Cyril soon, and the top three prizes include a recommended book from ‘Avalon’… I need that.”
“So, you went to check on Avalon after becoming an Iron-ranked mercenary, huh?” Dragon Slayer blurted out loudly from the side, but the other two completely ignored him and continued their conversation.
“I see. So, that wind elf is a contestant.”
“Yes.”
“Though elves are naturally talented as magic-wielding archers, considering the scale of the competition, I still think it would be better for you to choose a female magic-wielding mercenary of the same Iron rank.”
“But the ‘Shameless Contest’ has an age limit of under eighteen. After weighing the options, I still think it’s more reliable to go with the wind elf. However, if she’s already been bought, then I’ll have to settle for a female mage under eighteen.”
“Alright…”
“Oh, by the way, the contest starts in half a month, so I hope we can depart before then.”
“Of course, that can be arranged.”
“Thank you so much.”
“Don’t ignore me!” Dragon Slayer protested, standing between the two of them. However, because he was so small, his attempt to get attention seemed feeble and pale.
“Oh, by the way, Dragon Slayer, I’m very grateful for your willingness to use forbidden techniques in the tunnel. I want to express my gratitude to you formally.” Tyr finished speaking and bowed to Dragon Slayer, who quickly jumped backward in surprise.
“Oh come on, it was that kind of situation at the time. You’re making me feel embarrassed with this.”
“So our little dragon slayer can also feel embarrassed,” Tiska’s jade-like slender hand rested on the dragon slayer’s head, which immediately ignited the already irritated little girl. She swatted away the hand on her head and pointed at him, scolding.
“You little **, didn’t you say last time that even a gentleman is better than me? Since you said that, I’ll show you what a woman who’s more manly than men looks like!”
