"Hmph, I'll forgive you this time."
Luckily, there was a lounge next to Muelsyse's office. After finding a set of clothes inside, Muelsyse shot a glare at Garde.
Not that she had any other choice—she couldn't do anything about him anyway.
"Garde, are you free this afternoon?"
"Yes, why?"
"Accompany me to a meeting."
"A meeting?"
"Yes, it's with several companies in the city to discuss the allocation of some mines. This was originally Saria's responsibility, but since she's not here..."
Muelsyse gave Garde a glance, then flicked her hair.
"Don't worry, I just need you to be there for presence, not to fight. If fighting becomes necessary, I'll pay you extra."
"That's fine with me."
Garde nodded. After all, he didn't have much else to do. Until Saria returned from the hotlands, he couldn't gain Rhine Lab's full trust anyway.
"That was quick."
Muelsyse was a little surprised. She'd heard it had taken Saria an entire month to persuade Garde to go to the hotlands.
Hmph, could it be that this guy actually likes me?
She muttered to herself inwardly and stole a glance at Garde. Although their initial meeting hadn't gone well, on reflection, she had been partially at fault too.
And Garde wasn't bad-looking or weak. If he really did like her...
'Muelsyse, what are you thinking? You don't have the luxury for romance right now!'
Throwing those messy thoughts out of her head, Muelsyse took a good look at Garde's bare upper body.
"That settles it. We're going shopping first!"
"Shopping?"
"Your clothes and pants—all of it needs to be replaced. You can't attend a meeting looking like this."
If possible, Muelsyse would have preferred to dress Garde in a Rhine Lab uniform. But none of their uniforms would fit him.
"That might be a problem."
"Why?"
"I'm here because two local Vouivre saved me. I've already promised to accompany them to the police station and the bank. I need a new ID and some spending cash."
"That's an easy fix."
Muelsyse took a photo of Garde with her communicator, then made a call.
"—Yes, exactly. Please help me arrange identity documents for this gentleman. Of course, he's not a suspicious person—you should already have records of him at the police station."
After finishing the call, Muelsyse handed Garde a card.
"This contains 100,000 Dinar. It's not much, but it should be enough for now. I've already spoken to the police chief—they'll help with your ID. Once we're done shopping, we can stop by the police station."
"Does Rhine Lab have a partnership with the police here?"
"We just sell them some potions—at half the market price."
"At such a low price, you still profit?"
"Of course! Do you know how low our production costs are? Three percent of the selling price."
Muelsyse scratched her head, looking slightly sheepish.
"Well, don't let that fool you—our upfront development costs are high. And since we rely on Melun City's minerals to make some potions, we have to secure a share of the resources here to avoid monopolization. It's mutually beneficial."
Pushing Garde toward the exit, she added,
"Alright, let's go get you some clothes. Don't be fooled by your decent looks. If you don't dress well, no one will take you seriously, even if you're handsome."
"Am I handsome?"
"Barely passing. You're still far from boyfriend material for me."
Who wants to be your boyfriend?
Garde almost said it aloud but stopped when they ran into Razer and Darina.
The two had been waiting in Rhine Lab's guest room.
"Garde, we were just about to look for you," Darina said, glancing at him and then at Muelsyse behind him.
"And who is she?"
"I'm Muelsyse, Director of Rhine Lab's Ecological Department. Were you the ones who saved Garde?"
Muelsyse smiled politely, but before she could say more, Garde pressed her head down to silence her.
"Miss Darina, Miss Razer, thank you for waiting. I haven't had a chance to thank you for saving me earlier. If you don't mind, could you show me around Melun City?"
"Oh, of course—"
Darina started to respond but froze midway, her eyes wide.
"G-Garde, you can talk now?"
While Darina was still processing the situation, Razer had already noticed something—but her focus wasn't on Garde. Instead, her eyes unconsciously swept toward Muelsyse, who stood beside him.
"Yes, Director Muelsyse helped heal my throat injury," Garde explained.
"Oh, so it was an injury and not..."
Darina hesitated to say "mute" but quickly realized that would be inappropriate.
Still, a handsome, strong, young, and wealthy man—whose only apparent flaw had now been "fixed"? How could someone so perfect exist in this world?
Darina glanced enviously at Razer beside her but noticed that Razer didn't seem as cheerful. It felt like she was caught in some sort of Cinderella-and-Prince scenario.
But when Darina looked at Muelsyse beside Garde, then at Razer, she couldn't help but acknowledge the glaring gap between them.
After all, one was the director of Rhine Lab's Ecological Department, while the other was a little-known mercenary. The two were in completely different leagues.
Not to mention, that woman named Muelsyse—whether she was a Liberi or of some other race—was undeniably stunning.
If only her chest and hips weren't so small, she'd be perfect.
Darina glanced at Razer's chest and hips, then at Muelsyse's "meager assets," and solemnly nodded to herself.
'We haven't lost yet!'
Luckily, Garde wasn't a mind-reader. Otherwise, he'd be curious about what odd thoughts were swirling in Darina's head. He certainly didn't have anything like that on his mind.
However, Muelsyse seemed to catch on to something.
Is this Vouivre girl seeing me as competition?
Please, I'm not interested in this troublesome crocodile man.
Still, as the dignified director of Rhine Lab's Ecological Department, Muelsyse didn't distance herself from Garde right away. That would make her seem insecure.
"Let's go buy some clothes—and while we're at it, stop by the supermarket. To be honest, since arriving here, I haven't had a chance to explore. I've nearly run out of the snacks I brought from Columbia!"
"Director Muelsyse, you like snacks too?"
"Miss Darina, as a local, do you know of any good ones? Especially sweets?"
"If it's sweets, I'd recommend Sworma Rainbow Candy—it's been very popular lately."
"How about cosmetics? The weather here is so dry I feel like I'm about to shrivel up."
"..."
Muelsyse's outgoing personality—whether genuine or feigned—quickly drew Razer and Darina, the local Vouivre, into a lively conversation.
Watching the two chatting away, Garde turned to Razer and asked, "What about you, Razer? Is there anything you'd like to buy?"
"...I'm not sure."
Razer rarely went to supermarkets. Most large ones were located in city centers, where prices were generally steep.
"I see. But if you're planning to go to Columbia, it's something you'll need to get used to. Think of it as practice in advance."
"Oh? Miss Razer wants to go to Columbia?"
Muelsyse chimed in, quickly understanding Garde's hint.
"If you don't mind, you can join our convoy back. For Garde's sake, we'll only charge you half price."
"Half price?"
Muelsyse's offer tempted Razer. If it had been free, she would've declined outright, but half price...
"Alright."
Razer made up her mind. Saving half the travel cost would certainly make her life in Columbia a bit easier and less constrained.
"By the way, Miss Razer, are you going to Columbia to study or work? If it's for work—"
Garde interrupted Muelsyse.
"Razer, you're aiming to join Blacksteel International, right?"
"How did you know?"
Razer was stunned. She had never shared this goal with anyone—not even Darina.
"I saw the recruitment flyer on your desk."
Garde gave an apologetic smile. His next words, however, made Razer nervous.
"But with your current abilities, getting into Blacksteel International might be quite challenging."
It wasn't that Garde wanted to discourage her. It was just that, in his eyes, Razer's current strength was only slightly above that of an ordinary person—not even meeting the minimum standards for a security operative.
"Razer hasn't even interviewed yet—how can you say that?" Darina retorted, clearly displeased. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she'd overstepped.
After all, Garde was no longer the penniless stranger they had rescued. He was now a collaborator with Rhine Lab—a big deal.
Garde wasn't offended. On the contrary, he was happy that Razer had such a loyal friend.
"I only said it would be difficult, not impossible. Improving her skills would certainly increase her chances, wouldn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, if Razer doesn't mind, I can help train her."
Garde's face lit up with a smile.
"Don't underestimate me—actually, I'm quite strong."
<+>
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