Of course, not everyone was interested in this matter.
In the room, about a quarter of the people didn’t express an opinion, clearly…they had no intention of joining this so-called mercenary group, or rather, they were still observing.
This was quite normal.
Compared to Elea’s carefree, thrill-seeking attitude, these second sons and third daughters from noble families obviously had to think more about their own futures, plotting carefully.
After all, this matter would genuinely affect the course of their lives.
As for this situation, Mr. Blue Raven didn’t say much.
He didn’t try to incite or persuade them.
It seemed he genuinely wanted people to join voluntarily.
This surprised Elea a bit.
She had thought this guy, who seemed to enjoy being the center of attention, would give some manipulative speech to win over everyone in the room and establish himself as their leader.
“Pretty composed, huh? Or perhaps…”
The young lady scanned the people sitting near the head of the table, the main members of this gathering.
Whether it was the second son of Baron Curry’s family or her own cheap fifth cousin, they had already declared their intent to join the newly formed mercenary group.
Clearly, these influential figures had discussed this beforehand.
Most likely, after this mercenary group was established, they would be its key officers.
“Um…Mr. Blue Raven,” at that moment, a burly man wearing a bull-shaped mask, seated not far from Elea, suddenly stood up.
He hadn’t previously indicated whether he would join the mercenary group, but now he spoke loudly.
“If we join the mercenary group, how do you plan to…help us become stronger?”
This was a question everyone wanted answered.
“Combat! To become stronger, to survive in war, real combat is absolutely necessary.”
Mr. Blue Raven crossed his arms, his eyes behind the mask seeming to glint with a faint chill.
“I plan to take everyone who joins the mercenary group to the No. 13 Mining District.”
What?!
Everyone’s eyes widened slightly.
“What’s that place?”
Elea, completely unaware of any mining district, turned to ask Jenny.
“The No. 13 Mining District is a notorious abandoned mine. It used to produce coal, refined iron, and some crystals, but those resources were quickly depleted. Due to years of neglect, most prospectors have given up on that area,” Jenny explained, slowly rubbing a silver ring on her index finger—a subconscious gesture she made when deep in thought.
“I’ve heard it’s now occupied by stone rats and troglodytes. Normally, no one sets foot there.”
Huh?
Troglodytes…probably some kind of monster, right?
That place must be quite dangerous…
Elea glanced at the people seated around her—spoiled young masters and ladies.
What kind of combat ability could this group possibly have?
Taking such a big step right away…weren’t they afraid of overreaching?
But soon, Mr. Blue Raven resolved Elea’s confusion.
“Of course, when we go to the No. 13 Mining District, I suggest everyone utilize some resources and bring along capable guards! After all, it’s our first time, and I’m honestly a bit worried about accidents…”
Oh?
Up until now, Elea hadn’t thought much of it.
Whether it was Mr. Blue Raven’s proposal to form a mercenary group or the support from the noble heirs seated near the head of the table, it all seemed fairly normal—just a guy trying to rally a group of minor nobles to form a faction.
But at this point, Elea noticed something off.
This Mr. Blue Raven, or rather, these somewhat influential noble heirs, weren’t, as they claimed, simply trying to help everyone present.
Instead…they wanted to leverage the power of these “lesser” nobles to amass a force.
Think about it: after Mr. Blue Raven said this, which of the minor nobles joining the mercenary group wouldn’t, for the sake of their own safety, gather the strongest guard team they could muster?
One or two wouldn’t matter much, but there were over thirty people present.
Once combined, this would be a force to be reckoned with, comparable to a top-tier mercenary group.
With such a force, even if only temporarily, there would be plenty of room for maneuvering.
Elea lazily leaned back in her chair, her red eyes seemingly piercing through the darkness in front of her, catching Mr. Blue Raven’s eyes behind his mask and the slight smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.
Heh.
This “empty-handed wolf-grabbing” tactic was played decently, but it was still a bit immature, the methods a tad too hasty~
“Alright, there’s no point in saying more now. Those who want to join the mercenary group, come with me to register.”
Feeling he had said enough, Mr. Blue Raven stood up first.
At the same time, Nolan, wearing a golden mask, and the baron’s second son, wearing a wolf-shaped mask, stood up and followed him.
“Um…”
Seeing most people getting up to leave, Jenny’s heart wavered.
She had raised her hand earlier, but…going to the No. 13 Mining District?
That sounded a bit too dangerous, didn’t it?
She was just a socially adept young girl…why should she learn to fight?
This was just…
Sigh…
But before she could finish her internal complaints, the second daughter of Baron Litang, seated beside her, suddenly stood up.
“Let’s go take a look,” she said softly, prompting Jenny to instinctively stand up as well.
Huh?
Why…am I listening to her?
We just met, didn’t we?
Step, step, step…
As they walked out of the room, Elea glanced back at the seats.
Only two or three people remained seated, unmoving.
From this perspective…
Mr. Blue Raven’s plan is progressing quite successfully~
Success is good~
Success is good…
Elea really wanted to see what these guys were planning to do by gathering such a temporary force.
Maybe, just maybe, she could pick some fruit from this~
“Um…”
As Elea was scheming in her mind, Jenny’s voice sounded beside her.
“Miss Rick, are we…really going along with them? To be honest, I know absolutely nothing about fighting…”
Sigh…
The girl said, taking off her cat-shaped mask.
This Miss Jenny was a girl with short, slightly curly golden hair and soft features.
Her moist eyes, in particular, seemed to have the word “innocent” etched into them.
She was like a blank sheet of paper, untouched by any brush—the type that could most easily stir a man’s protective instincts.
However, from their brief interaction and the shrewdness hidden deep in her seemingly innocent eyes, Elea knew this girl was actually a “little green tea.”
“Hm? What did Miss Rick say?”
“Nothing~”
Elea waved her hand dismissively.
“This is indeed a good opportunity for training. If a war really breaks out in the future…it’ll be a time when everyone is too busy looking out for themselves.”
“And at that time…no matter how good you are at socializing or how wide your network is, what use will it be?”
“Y-Yes…”
Jenny instinctively lowered her head, a trace of confusion flickering in her eyes.
This was her greatest worry.
Her mother wasn’t the main wife of the household.
If a war really broke out…even her father might not be reliable.
What would she and her mother do then?
“Two methods~”
Before she could think it through, Miss Rick, standing beside her, spoke again.
“First, become stronger yourself. This is your chance.”
The red-eyed girl, still wearing her veil, pointed at the group walking ahead.
“And…the second method?”
Jenny asked instinctively.
“The second method…find a big sucker—cough—I mean, find a good man to protect you.”
As she spoke, Elea subconsciously reached out and pinched Jenny’s dazed face.
“Trust me, you’ve got a lot of potential in that department.”