Though she was privately given such a nickname, Jenny didn’t feel ashamed—she actually took pride in it.
If the young lady was the “Bloodblossom Demon”, then being called the “Demon’s Follower” herself was…well, quite appropriate~
At the moment, this so-called demon’s follower was smiling and responding to the people around her.
“Miss Jenny! Good afternoon!”
“Jenny! A new dessert shop just opened on Silver Street recently…If you have time…”
“Miss Jenny! Are you currently seeing anyone? Uh…would you consider me?”
Although she remained elegant and composed, things were clearly getting overwhelming—some of the questions were a bit too forward.
Too many people were trying to talk to her—not just comrades from the Blue Crow Mercenary Group, but also leaders from other well-informed mercenary groups, all stepping up to greet her proactively.
After all, everyone wanted to connect with the top dog in East County, the Marquis.
A chance encounter might turn into a golden opportunity for a meteoric rise.
Just like what happened with Jenny.
But the lively scene instantly calmed when Jenny spotted the veiled young lady walking toward her.
“Everyone, excuse me for a moment.”
Without any hesitation, Jenny pushed through the crowd and jogged toward Ireya.
“L-Lady…ahem, Miss Dingzhen!” she said with a smile, greeting this “Baron of Litang’s second daughter” in disguise.
She then glanced at the three guards following behind her.
Only three?
She thought the young lady would bring a whole squad of knights from the Marquis’ castle.
“Mhm~”
Ireya nodded slowly, satisfied with Jenny’s quick thinking.
“Young Lady, Nolan and Mr. Blue Crow weren’t in the Crystal Capital two days ago. Based on the information I’ve received, they just returned from outside the city this morning,”
Jenny quietly whispered as they walked closer.
Oh?
Ireya raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed Jenny was more efficient than expected.
If those two just returned today…it’s likely they were scouting out Mine No. 13 beforehand.
She’d have to observe Blue Crow’s comments later—that might reveal basic intel about the mine’s interior.
With these thoughts in mind, Ireya simply gave a slow nod on the outside.
“Let’s go in first.”
“Okay.”
Jenny nodded slightly.
To avoid revealing the young lady’s identity, she didn’t follow directly behind but walked alongside her instead.
To others, it just looked like a friend of Miss Jenny’s.
No one suspected she was a noble young lady.
After all, why would the “Bloodblossom Demon” appear at the mercenary guild?
She wasn’t lacking money, nor strength…
So naturally, all those eager to build connections with Jenny swarmed in like sharks that smelled blood.
“Oh, is this Miss Jenny’s friend? Hello! I’m the eldest son of Knight Mowen!”
“Pardon me, I’m the eldest son of Lord Riaoja…it’s a pleasure to meet you!”
“Uh…Miss, are you in a relationship? What do you think of me?”
Everyone crowded behind Jenny and Ireya, eagerly introducing themselves.
But the young lady soon noticed—
This time, the ones making conversation weren’t second sons or distant noble cousins—they were all eldest sons and daughters, heirs to their families.
What’s this?
A configuration upgrade?
The girl laughed silently to herself…with no intention of talking to any of them.
The mercenary guild wasn’t that big, so soon, they arrived at the meeting room door.
Creaaak—the door opened.
The inside looked just as it did before.
Only now, a few of the people seated no longer wore their masks.
After all, when registering for the mercenary group, they had to write down their real names.
Wearing a mask was no longer necessary.
“Oh? Miss Jenny! Heh…Miss Jenny is really popular these days! Come, have a seat!”
Before anyone else could speak, Blue Crow had already stood up, motioning for Jenny to sit next to him.
Although Blue Crow and Nolan hadn’t been in the city the past two days, they’d heard some things after returning…
They didn’t know the full story, but word was that Jenny had gotten close to the Bloodblossom Demon.
Seeing the people following her, Blue Crow and Nolan knew—it wasn’t fake.
Now…they had to find out if she had ambition.
Was she planning to compete with them for control of the mercenary group?
If Jenny really wanted to fight for dominance…that would be a problem.
While Blue Crow was thinking this, Jenny glanced toward Loki, the second son of Baron Curie.
“Mm mm!”
As soon as Loki met her gaze, he quickly shook his head, signaling that he hadn’t said a word!
“Hehe, you’re too kind, Mr. Blue Crow.”
There wasn’t time to exchange words with the young lady now—especially since she didn’t plan to reveal her identity just yet.
So Jenny just nodded and quietly sat at the seat beside the leader’s chair.
It seemed…this woman didn’t have any intention of competing with him for control of the mercenary group?
Blue Crow nodded slightly to himself in relief.
That was good—otherwise, with the overwhelming influence she currently held, he might really be pushed out of the leader’s seat.
“Well then, everyone, please have a seat…I didn’t expect so many to show up. It is truly an honor for me…”
Blue Crow didn’t sit down right away. Instead, he began with a few polite words.
After all…the turnout far exceeded his expectations.
And the guards these people brought with them—well, those did satisfy Blue Crow.
Some came with five or six guards; others brought more than twenty in their personal escort teams.
A rough estimate suggested that the total number of combat-capable members in the “Blue Crow Mercenary Group” had reached nearly 300—and at minimum, all of them were Bronze-ranked, leagues above the average mercenary!
Although they couldn’t all be commanded with a single word and each still acted independently…it was undeniable that this was a formidable force not to be underestimated.
Even if the cave dwellers inside Mine No. 13 were fierce, they couldn’t stand against such a force of elite guards!
“Excuse me, Mr. Blue Crow, what you said to my brother before—about the Kingdom going to war with the Highborns in a year—is that really true?!”
Once Blue Crow had finished his polite introductions, some of the eldest sons and daughters of the noble families who had never been here before couldn’t help but raise such questions.
“Sigh…As I said before, I wish this wasn’t true. But unfortunately…given your family statuses, you’ll probably start hearing rumors yourselves in a few months.”
Blue Crow seemed to be simply explaining, but in reality, he was subtly hinting that his identity and sources of information were far higher than they imagined.
Sure enough, after he said that, no one else dared to challenge him with more probing questions.
Still…the fact that there were more people than expected—and that their social status was higher—did bring a certain amount of pressure to both Blue Crow and Nolan.
But just as the two had said before: This was something that had to be done.
If they wanted to protect the things they cherished, they could only do so by growing stronger!
So, after exchanging a look, Blue Crow and Nolan gave a final pre-battle pep talk and began organizing the group for departure…
However…there was one rather awkward detail.
When it came time to board the carriages specially prepared by Blue Crow for the mercenary group—nearly two-thirds of the people followed Jenny.
As for him, the official leader of the group, only Nolan, Loki, and a few veteran members stayed by his side…
It made him look…almost like a commander without an army.
In response to this…
Blue Crow showed no visible reaction and continued to smile warmly—but…
The flash of cold hostility in his eyes was keenly noticed by Loki, who stood nearby.
Loki wasn’t particularly good at reading people’s expressions, but this kind of look—he had seen it many times in the eyes of his own elder brother.
That was the expression his brother would show whenever their father praised Loki instead of him—a mix of wariness and deep resentment.