“Bai Jie, it’s me!” Miao Qingzhu called out with a wave.
From the way she addressed Bai Jie, it was clear the two were acquainted.
Bai Jie paused, her eyes finally landing on Miao Qingzhu, who was walking ahead and leading Aya Tone by the hand.
Her professional smile softened.
“What’s a little rascal like you doing here?”
She had thought a big client had walked in so late at night, but it turned out to be just Miao Qingzhu.
A letdown, to be sure…
“Aren’t you happy to see me, Bai Jie? I brought you a surprise.”
With that, she pushed Aya Tone forward from behind her.
“Ta-da!”
“Look who I found outside!”
Bai Jie squinted, her mind racing to place the girl’s familiar face.
Her attention had been so captivated by the child that she hadn’t even noticed Miao Qingzhu at first.
“She is…”
Bai Jie pondered for a moment.
The little girl struck her as incredibly familiar.
As if she had seen her somewhere before…
A little girl with white hair, dressed in a hoodie…
“Oh my god!” Bai Jie exclaimed in shock.
Such an iconic look could only belong to their guild’s very own Silver-Haired Witch.
Forgetting her composure, Bai Jie vaulted over the front desk, grabbed Miao Qingzhu, and whispered, “Where did you find her?”
Just this morning, the branch president had announced in a meeting that their precious treasure would be arriving in the capital soon.
He had specifically instructed them to make sure she wasn’t led astray and taken home by some stranger.
And now, tonight, she’d been picked up by Miao Qingzhu?
Could this be the legendary luck of someone who hadn’t even left the novice village?
The “Witch of Strong Luck”—Miao Qingzhu!
“Bai Jie, let me tell you, this kid…” At the mention of this, Miao Qingzhu’s spirits soared.
She had been bottling it all up on the way here, and it had been agony.
Now that she finally had someone to vent to, the floodgates opened.
“Blahblahblah, mumble mumble!”
“Whisperwhisper…”
“…”
Listening to Miao Qingzhu’s assessment of him, Aya Tone’s expression darkened.
“Could you two please not whisper secrets right in front of me?”
‘My hearing is quite sharp, you know!’
Their “encrypted conversation” had reached his ears, every single word…
‘And what was that about being unable to find my own front door?’
‘Huh!?’
‘It was clearly the navigation’s fault, okay!’
‘Also, is it really a good idea to badmouth your own S-rank right to his face?’
‘I might actually get angry.’
“My apologies, my apologies.”
As a receptionist, Bai Jie did possess the necessary professionalism.
She pushed Miao Qingzhu aside, flashed in front of Aya Tone, and said with a smile, “Miss Aya Tone, welcome to the Capital Branch.”
“If there’s anything you need, just let your big sister know.
I’ll be sure to satisfy all of Miss Aya Tone’s requests.”
“Er…”
Her apology was so sincere that Aya Tone was momentarily speechless.
‘Wait, you’re apologizing that quickly?’
‘If I keep holding a grudge now, I’ll seem incredibly petty.’
“Ahem, I don’t mind…”
“Could you explain to me why the Capital Branch is built inside a university?”
Aya Tone was still bothered by the fact that he’d wandered in circles and still couldn’t find the place.
Couldn’t they just occupy a landmark building, like the Vermilion Bird Guild in Yan’an City?
‘It’s incredibly hard to find, you know!’
Bai Jie chuckled and explained, “It’s because university students are cheap labor.”
“You may not be aware of this, but…”
As a branch guild, their resources couldn’t compare to those of the White Tiger Guild, the dominant power here.
To stay afloat and turn a profit, they had to get creative with their personnel costs.
That meant reducing the cut for adventurers.
And where does one find people willing to work for practically nothing?
University students who have yet to leave the proverbial novice village, of course.
After all, most of these students are fledglings whose abilities have only recently awakened.
If they want to get stronger, they have to temper themselves in battle.
Even someone who awakens an S-rank ability can’t wield its full power without being forged in the fires of real combat.
Only through constant fighting can they quickly familiarize themselves with their own powers.
In turn, they can develop a fighting style that suits them.
And while the guild provides these opportunities, it also offers them protection.
After all, the purpose of setting up inside a university is to find cheap labor, not cannon fodder.
Ensuring the students’ safety is essential.
Otherwise, the higher-ups would surely shut them down.
With a deal this good, it’s worth it even if the students have to pay to take on missions.
For the guild, once they get past the initial “babysitting” phase, they’re home free.
And the most important part?
The Vermilion Bird Guild’s branches have no gender restrictions, unlike the headquarters, which is limited to female members.
A perfect production line for labor.
“Genius!”
Aya Tone was reminded of his own internship days, when he’d worked for half a year for just two thousand yuan.
That period was truly worse than a dog’s life…
You never saw a cent of bonus money, but all the dirty, tiring work fell on your shoulders.
And when you finally left, you’d get chewed out for your trouble.
Just thinking about it was infuriating.
University students really were easy to fool.
But now, on the other side of the equation, having become a leader himself, he found…
‘Damn, this feels good.’
‘Whoever came up with this method was a goddamn genius.’
Miao Qingzhu, a fellow piece of free labor: ‘Am I supposed to be hearing this?’
‘Someone, please stand up for me!’
Aya Tone didn’t linger.
Under Bai Jie’s guidance, he picked a random mission and left the branch with Miao Qingzhu in tow.
The S-rank dungeon wasn’t open yet.
The energy suffusing the capital was still rising steadily; based on the trend, it would likely be a few more days before it peaked.
‘Might as well use this time to earn some extra cash.’
Aya Tone thought to himself, ‘Now that I’m far away from Fire Finch, no one should know about the contract, right? Hehe.’
“Miss Miao, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to lead the way.”
The capital was huge.
Without a local to guide him, it would be easy to get lost.
Getting lost was a minor issue.
The real problem was that a certain someone had no money in his pockets and needed to find a “wallet.”
(＾－＾)
Miao Qingzhu’s heart leaped with joy.
A chance to do a mission with an S-rank powerhouse!
This was a wonderful opportunity that countless people could only dream of.
Even if there was no reward, just being able to watch would be enough.
You could learn so much from a master of that caliber.
Their methods for killing monsters and scouting for resources were things you couldn’t learn from a book.
Mastering these skills would surely allow her to stand head and shoulders above her peers!
“Leave it to me!”
Even if Aya Tone hadn’t asked, she would have stuck close to him anyway.
‘Haha, a thrilled heart and trembling hands!’
Miao Qingzhu was already mentally reviewing her own abilities.
‘I never thought I’d get to go on a mission with my idol.
I have to give it my all and make a good impression!’
****
In the capital, breakfast stalls opened for the day long before the sun was up.
Passersby would occasionally stop, drop a few coins, and then start another day in the life of a corporate drone with a bun in their mouth.
“Here you go! The fried noodles you ordered!”
“Wow, you’re a great cook, boss!”
Having wandered around all night, Aya Tone’s eyes lit up as he stared at the steaming hot fried noodles.
He hadn’t taken a bite yet, but from the aroma wafting through the air and its appearance, it was bound to be delicious.
“Hahaha, such a sweet-talker, little one.
Hold on! The boss will add an egg for you!”
The owner chuckled and shook his head, a flicker of pity in his eyes.
‘Such an adorable child.
How did she end up having to scavenge to get by?’
‘And with that dazed-looking older sister, too…’
‘Sigh, life is unpredictable.’
‘I should help where I can.’