Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Louis Uses Himself as Bait, Inviting Tino People into the Game
"Still, still want to continue?"
The receptionist’s energetic face had already begun to look confused.
Originally, she thought it was just a Tree Demon at most, but unexpectedly, it turned into a "Sewer Giant Rat Mission Plus version."
She thought that was the limit, but Mr. Caesar went ahead and swept through all the newcomer missions?
As a result, when Louis rudely sat on one of the guild’s empty chairs, quite a few adventurers still came over to greet him.
Aside from the adventure groups, individual adventurers cooperating with other adventurers independently was also the norm.
In the guild’s view, this newcomer adventurer named Caesar seemed like he had potential, even if he had the tendency to show off.
As for showing off... how many adventurers don’t boast?
Even a seventy-year-old white porcelain lame Warrior dared to claim he’d hunted sub-dragons.
Not to mention that Caesar indeed brought out results, verified by the God of Contract.
That’s not an issue.
However, Louis totally ignored them.
He came to the guild today to do something very important.
He felt that "Sin of Greed" was starting to boil inside him again.
Just as Louis was in deep thought, the guild’s doorbell jingled.
A girl, in a panic, pushed open the door.
It was Grace, who had followed Louis to the Imperial Capital the previous night.
Her anxious little face was speaking with the receptionist about her father, hoping to post a mission in the guild and find a few more adventurers to help seek her father’s whereabouts.
She offered all her family’s available liquid assets, totaling 33 silver and 12 copper, earnestly hoping the guild could help her hire more people.
However, the receptionist shook her head in embarrassment:
"Miss, with 33 silver, even lowering the requirements to the white porcelain level, you can only get about ten adventurers."
"If you ask for more, no adventurer will take the job."
There were adventurers in the guild who started spewing vulgar and insulting words; Grace, who had never seen such a scene, was almost in tears.
Her pleading gaze frequently turned to the only adventurer she knew here.
"Mr. Caesar said that as long as I listen to him from now on, he has a great probability of helping me rescue my father..."
Louis saw that the atmosphere on the guild’s first floor had heated up because of Grace, even people on the second-floor railing began to poke their heads out.
It seemed some people were starting to have ulterior motives because of Grace’s anxiety.
He lifted his helmet and drank the tea that the receptionist had brewed for him, then walked over to Grace.
"You want to save your father?"
Louis’s voice was cold, leaving Grace a bit bewildered.
The Caesar she remembered wasn’t like this.
But she believed Mr. Caesar must be a good person!
So she lowered her head and softly said, "Yes, sir."
Louis quietly looked at the future Libra Saintess, feeling his blood vessels burning.
"Make her pay! Make her kneel for you, share in the pain of the guillotine!"
"Louis, repay her tenfold! A hundredfold! A thousandfold!"
"No, that’s still not enough!"
"You must humiliate her harshly, yet make her sincerely grateful to you!"
"You are the embodiment of greed; you should take everything you want!"
Louis’s face, hidden by his helmet, showed a soul-stealing smile.
The power of "Sin of Greed" surged violently!
The fire in his heart continued to burn!
But the clarity in Louis’s eyes was unaffected; he lowered his voice and deliberately spoke mockingly:
"Adventurers also need to live and take on the risks of adventure; a price too low is a disrespect to our lives."
"You can find someone to save your father, but relying on the kindness of others is not as good as relying on my mercy."
Someone on the second floor blew a whistle and shouted down:
"Why don’t you just follow this adventurer, and he might give you some charity, then you could have money."
Grace, somehow reprimanded by the Caesar she respected, looked up and stared blankly at him.
Stranger’s rumors didn’t hurt that much.
But a dagger handed by someone you respect made her lower her head.
Louis saw her expression and a touch of pity flashed in his eyes.
He whispered, "It’s okay; it’ll be over soon."
So he lifted his head and laughed loudly: "An adventurer’s task can’t be too cheap, but I’m willing to watch the fun."
"How about this, turn right when you go out, kneel every step along the road until you reach the White Tower Mage statue, this money, I can cover for you."
"100 Gold Coins, enough to hire any adventurer below the title."
"Go ahead, if you really want to save your father."
Suddenly, all kinds of murmurs rose loudly.
The Adventurer Guild was in an uproar!
Grace looked at Louis bewilderedly. When he uttered those last words, she noticed that Louis’ sharp voice had returned to its gentle tone.
"Mr. Caesar, are you telling me this is part of the plan?"
"If that’s the case, I believe you."
Kind-hearted Grace felt relieved when she realized Mr. Caesar wasn’t genuinely trying to humiliate her.
If doing this could truly save her father, then...
As a daughter, what’s there to hesitate?!
So she said, "I kneel!"
The situation spiraled out of control.
On this day, in November of the year 11470 during the Stardust Calendar.
The citizens of Tino witnessed a shocking sight.
It was a young girl in thin clothing, kneeling step by step, slowly making her way towards the White Tower.
Everyone was astonished and curious about the story behind it.
Upon inquiry, they learned about the hundred gold coin agreement between the girl trying to save her father and an adventurer in the Adventurer Guild.
The onlookers watched as the girl awkwardly kneeled along the long stone path, lamenting the hardships of life.
The Imperial Capital’s press nearby also dispatched people to investigate this news.
A two-kilometer distance isn’t long.
But Grace spent the entire morning walking.
Yet, when she completed the kneeling agreement, Caesar left her with a sentence:
"It’s your fault for degrading yourself; you can’t blame others. I won’t be giving the money."
And then, he disappeared in the astonished and growingly angry eyes of the guild members.
By afternoon, as soon as the news was reported, the majority of Tino’s residents were consumed by anger.
They began searching everywhere for the adventurer, Caesar, who had tricked people.
Like snowflakes, criticisms fell upon him; everyone hated him to the core.
Some kind-hearted people started actively going to the Adventurer Guild to publish tasks, contributing their bit to help the girl find her father.
Even the adventurers who usually worshiped money were incensed.
Many began breaking their limits, accepting tasks at the lowest prices, even rallying friends to prepare for a trip to Dragonbone Prairie.
Suddenly, Grace’s trouble in searching for her father was resolved.
Meanwhile, in a loft.
The three members of the Cat Cat Group and Grace were gathered there.
Grace, anxious, looked at Louis without a trace of timidity on her face, and said loudly:
"Mr. Caesar, I know you are helping me, but I just want to save my father, you shouldn’t bear this!"
"I will tell everyone the truth, I..."
Grace couldn’t sit still after realizing what Louis was trying to do, especially once it exploded.
Louis reached out and poked Grace on the head: "Don’t interfere."
A frightening speculation formed in his mind—
If Grace’s survival wasn’t an accident but inevitable, then the attack on Grace’s family was likely not by magical creatures.
But every diary recorded that Grace’s parents were killed by magical creatures.
The ones fearing Grace’s innate divine blessing might be those sowing chaos...
Like the undead they discovered recently.
However, undead like these magical creatures lack intelligence, and can’t consciously disguise as magical creatures to hunt others.
—Unless they themselves were under control!
And Limuru too.
The bloodline slime isn’t born just by feeding it dragon meat, even if the entire dragon were digested it might not succeed.
"Ah, Leader Alice, the blue sapphire baby dragon you’re seeking... might not even be alive!"
"I don’t have the evidence to prove all this, and I can’t possibly pull the Royal Guard to Dragonbone Prairie based on mere words."
"After all, who can predict the future?"
"So, let’s make one more preparation!"
"I can’t bet on your goodness, but I can wager on your intent to kill me!"
He faced Grace with a carefree smile:
"No matter, it’s just stepping into the game."
Fulfilling the great sin of greed!
Achieving Grace’s goal!
Making a move against the mastermind!
The strategy of one stone, three birds! I want it all!
"Besides, this was Caesar’s doing, what’s it got to do with me, Louis?"