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n?Harry spoke in fits and starts, “You see, miss, since you saved me from the jaws of the Winged Tiger, I suppose your strength must be close to that of a level 3 magus. Therefore, I would like to hire you for some time.”

n“To deal with Red Eye?” she queried.

n“No, no, no! There won’t be any need for you to take action. We have already reported the matter to the lord. It’s just that I hope you could protect my family for a while. You know, no one knows Red Eye’s true identity. Should he seek revenge, neither my family nor I, being ordinary people, would stand a chance.”

n“My fee is not insignificant,” Antalya said, picking up her teacup again.

nThen, catching a glimpse of a small head peeking from behind a door in the living room, she smiled gently, “Your daughter is very cute.”

nStartled, Harry turned to see the little head behind the door and smiled warmly, gesturing for the girl to come over.

nHesitant at first, the girl soon emerged from the room.

nShe appeared to be about five or six years old, dressed in a pink cotton dress.

nDue to her young age, her long hair seemed a bit yellowish, split into two parts and tied at the back of her head with blue ribbons, while a wooden rabbit-shaped hair clip adorned her forehead.

nPerhaps because there were strangers in the living room, the girl looked quite nervous.

nHer little face was taut as she rushed into Harry’s arms upon entering the room, staring at Antalya and Greg with wide eyes.

n“This is my daughter, Lilianne, Lilianne Hazell,” Harry introduced, holding the little girl before gently coaxing her, “Lilianne, come on, don’t be shy, say hello.”

n“Hello, sister!” Lilianne said to Antalya in a sweet, milky voice.

n“Hello, uncle!” She greeted Greg in the same tender tone.

nGreg stiffened instantly in his chair, while Antalya paused before her face broke into a mischievous smile.

n“Uncle…” Greg looked flabbergasted.

n“Do I really look that old?”

n“If you never bother with that beard of yours, don’t blame the little girl for her impression,” Antalya laughed.

n“Come on, I’m a dwarf, for goodness’ sake! Have you ever heard of a dwarf shaving his beard?” Greg protested.

nWhile Antalya and Greg bantered, Lilianne watched them timidly before piping up, “Sister, uncle, are you here to protect Lilianne?”

nWorried they hadn’t heard her, she repeated, “Sister, uncle, did you come to protect Lilianne? Daddy says there are bad people outside, and Lilianne isn’t allowed to go see mommy.”

nAntalya paused, then smiled softly, patting Lilianne’s little head, “Yes, we’re here to protect Lilianne.”

n“Thank you, sister! And, um, uncle too!”

nGreg wore an expression of resigned despair.

n“Daddy! With sister and uncle protecting me, can Lilianne go see mommy now?” Lilianne turned back, looking at Harry with hopeful eyes.

nHarry, with a tender gaze, gently stroked Lilianne’s hair, whispering, “If Lilianne wants to go, then we’ll go.”

n“Mmm, daddy, I’m sleepy,” Lilianne yawned.

n“Sorry, I’ll go put her to bed,” Harry said as he rose, carrying Lilianne towards the inner room.

nHarry retreated to the back room, leaving Antalya and Greg alone in the living room.

n“Boss, how much do you believe what Harry said?” Greg inquired.

n“Most of it, but certainly not all,” she replied.

n“He wouldn’t casually reveal everything.”

n“And his commission?”

n“We’ll take it, why not? I haven’t had a proper workout in a while,” Antalya said, brushing away a lock of hair that had fallen over her eye, her gaze dropping slightly.

n“Red Eye, huh? I’ve wanted to test myself against him for a long time.”

n“What about Howard and Ali? They’re still new, right? Is it okay to involve them in something this challenging right off the bat?”

n“Don’t underestimate those two; their abilities might not be inferior to yours. They each have their own hidden depths.”

n“Especially Howard, he’s not simple.”

n“Besides, I’ll make sure to explain the situation thoroughly to them. If they don’t want to take on this commission, they’re free to leave.”

nAfter about fifteen minutes, Harry returned from the back room, obviously having put Lilianne to sleep.

n“Sorry for that scene. She’s my only daughter, so I tend to spoil her,” Harry said, a touch embarrassed.

n“It’s fine. But… if you don’t mind me asking, Lilianne mentioned her mother… Have you and your wife separated?”

nAntalya asked hesitantly.

nNormally, she wouldn’t pry into personal affairs, but if she were to take on Harry’s commission, it was clear his wife would also be a part of who they were protecting. 𝑖𝘦.𝑐ℴ𝘮

nTherefore, she felt it necessary to at least understand the current situation between Harry and his wife.

n“No… it’s not separation. She passed away,” Harry said, his face showing a hint of sorrow.

n“I’m sorry… Please accept my condolences.”

n“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Harry waved off.

n“My wife passed away after a severe illness shortly after giving birth to Lilianne. In this world, living is hard for everyone, and dying might not necessarily be worse. It’s just sad that Lilianne lost the chance to know her mother so soon.”

nDespite Harry’s attempt to sound casual, Antalya and Greg could see a deep sorrow in his eyes.

nWere it not for Lilianne, perhaps this man might have followed his wife in death.

n“About that commission, will you take it?” Harry steered the conversation back on track after composing himself.

n“What’s the compensation?”

n“Those five kilos of Lorinda mushrooms, plus twenty-eight gold coins. That’s a total worth of sixty gold coins. With that amount, you could hire a team of experienced adventurers in Breeze City,” Harry explained.

n“But they might not actually guarantee the safety of you and your daughter,” Antalya spread her hands.

n“Just two preparatory-level magus could wipe out the adventurers you mentioned.”

n“Then why do you think you’re worth a higher price?” Harry asked.

nAntalya tilted her chin up, a playful smile on her face, “Because of strength.”

n“We are an adventuring group with two level 3 magus!”

nTwo level 3 magus, that was a force potent enough to potentially alter the dynamics of Breeze City.

nHarry thought Antalya was joking.

n“With all due respect, Miss Antalya, that joke is in poor taste.”

n“Do you think I’m joking?” Antalya smiled, pulling a small, intricate badge from her pocket and placing it on the table.

nGreg mirrored her action, setting down an identical badge beside hers.

nThe badge was about the size of an egg, oval-shaped, with a bronze material that gave it an elegant air.

nThe front was engraved with a towering spire reaching into the clouds.

nOn the back, three stars linked in a circle, with a mana crystal the size of a soybean embedded in the center, emitting a faint glow.

nNo explanation was needed for Harry to understand what lay before him.

nThis was a magus badge certified by the magus guild, only carried by those of preparatory-level or higher.

nTo Harry’s knowledge, the emblem for preparatory-level magus was a hexagram, while a level 3 magus was entitled to use a compound star.

nLevel 2 magus had concentric circles, and as for the legendary level 1 magus, it was said to be an ouroboros, symbolizing infinity.

nThis was Harry’s first encounter with such an item.

n“This should prove that my words are no falsehood,” Antalya stated, her voice carrying the weight of undeniable truth.

nHarry chuckled bitterly, “Miss Antalya, you’ve really kept me in the dark! Had I known you were a level 3 magus earlier, forget about market price, I would have given you my entire forty kilos at cost!”

nHe wasn’t lying.

nAn adventuring group boasting two level 3 magus was indeed worth such a concession to win over.

nWhether they could be swayed, however, remained to be seen.

nHis previous unawareness could only be attributed to their limited interactions and Antalya’s group’s exceptional concealment.

nWho could have imagined that a young tavern owner, appearing no older than eighteen or nineteen, was actually a level 3 magus?

nAnd that there was more than one in the tavern.

n“Forget about the forty kilos; Lorinda mushrooms aren’t that crucial to me. I only need about five kilos,” Antalya casually stated.

n“As for the compensation, fifty gold coins upfront will do for now; we can discuss the rest later.”

n“But remember, I’m taking on your commission because of your daughter. I don’t want a child to get hurt over some nonsensical reasons.”

n“Also, I have no intention of revealing my identity. Just say I’m a regular guest to others.”

nAfter hearing Antalya’s words, Harry sat stunned for a few seconds before abruptly standing up and bowing deeply to Antalya, “Thank you!”

nAntalya remained seated, unfazed.

nHaving extended such a significant favor to Harry, accepting his gratitude was the least she could do.

nShe took a sip of tea and placed the empty cup back on the table.

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