Chapter 592 Accepting the Commission

Chapter 592 Accepting the Commission

?Harry spoke in fits and starts, "You see, miss, since you saved me from the jaws of the Winged Tiger, I suppose your strength must be close to that of a level 3 magus. Therefore, I would like to hire you for some time."

"To deal with Red Eye?" she queried.

"No, no, no! There won't be any need for you to take action. We have already reported the matter to the lord. It's just that I hope you could protect my family for a while. You know, no one knows Red Eye's true identity. Should he seek revenge, neither my family nor I, being ordinary people, would stand a chance."

"My fee is not insignificant," Antalya said, picking up her teacup again.

Then, catching a glimpse of a small head peeking from behind a door in the living room, she smiled gently, "Your daughter is very cute."

Startled, Harry turned to see the little head behind the door and smiled warmly, gesturing for the girl to come over.

Hesitant at first, the girl soon emerged from the room.

She appeared to be about five or six years old, dressed in a pink cotton dress.

Due to her young age, her long hair seemed a bit yellowish, split into two parts and tied at the back of her head with blue ribbons, while a wooden rabbit-shaped hair clip adorned her forehead.

Perhaps because there were strangers in the living room, the girl looked quite nervous.

Her little face was taut as she rushed into Harry's arms upon entering the room, staring at Antalya and Greg with wide eyes.

"This is my daughter, Lilianne, Lilianne Hazell," Harry introduced, holding the little girl before gently coaxing her, "Lilianne, come on, don't be shy, say hello."

"Hello, sister!" Lilianne said to Antalya in a sweet, milky voice.

"Hello, uncle!" She greeted Greg in the same tender tone.

Greg stiffened instantly in his chair, while Antalya paused before her face broke into a mischievous smile.

"Uncle..." Greg looked flabbergasted.

"Do I really look that old?"

"If you never bother with that beard of yours, don't blame the little girl for her impression," Antalya laughed.

"Come on, I'm a dwarf, for goodness' sake! Have you ever heard of a dwarf shaving his beard?" Greg protested.

While Antalya and Greg bantered, Lilianne watched them timidly before piping up, "Sister, uncle, are you here to protect Lilianne?"

Worried they hadn't heard her, she repeated, "Sister, uncle, did you come to protect Lilianne? Daddy says there are bad people outside, and Lilianne isn't allowed to go see mommy."

Antalya paused, then smiled softly, patting Lilianne's little head, "Yes, we're here to protect Lilianne."

"Thank you, sister! And, um, uncle too!"

Greg wore an expression of resigned despair.

"Daddy! With sister and uncle protecting me, can Lilianne go see mommy now?" Lilianne turned back, looking at Harry with hopeful eyes.

Harry, with a tender gaze, gently stroked Lilianne's hair, whispering, "If Lilianne wants to go, then we'll go."

"Mmm, daddy, I'm sleepy," Lilianne yawned.

"Sorry, I'll go put her to bed," Harry said as he rose, carrying Lilianne towards the inner room.

"We are an adventuring group with two level 3 magus!"

Two level 3 magus, that was a force potent enough to potentially alter the dynamics of Breeze City.

Harry thought Antalya was joking.

"With all due respect, Miss Antalya, that joke is in poor taste."

"Do you think I'm joking?" Antalya smiled, pulling a small, intricate badge from her pocket and placing it on the table.

Greg mirrored her action, setting down an identical badge beside hers.

The badge was about the size of an egg, oval-shaped, with a bronze material that gave it an elegant air.

The front was engraved with a towering spire reaching into the clouds.

On the back, three stars linked in a circle, with a mana crystal the size of a soybean embedded in the center, emitting a faint glow.

No explanation was needed for Harry to understand what lay before him.

This was a magus badge certified by the magus guild, only carried by those of preparatory-level or higher.

To Harry's knowledge, the emblem for preparatory-level magus was a hexagram, while a level 3 magus was entitled to use a compound star.

Level 2 magus had concentric circles, and as for the legendary level 1 magus, it was said to be an ouroboros, symbolizing infinity.

This was Harry's first encounter with such an item.

"This should prove that my words are no falsehood," Antalya stated, her voice carrying the weight of undeniable truth.

Harry chuckled bitterly, "Miss Antalya, you've really kept me in the dark! Had I known you were a level 3 magus earlier, forget about market price, I would have given you my entire forty kilos at cost!"

He wasn't lying.

An adventuring group boasting two level 3 magus was indeed worth such a concession to win over.

Whether they could be swayed, however, remained to be seen.

His previous unawareness could only be attributed to their limited interactions and Antalya's group's exceptional concealment.

Who could have imagined that a young tavern owner, appearing no older than eighteen or nineteen, was actually a level 3 magus?

And that there was more than one in the tavern.

"Forget about the forty kilos; Lorinda mushrooms aren't that crucial to me. I only need about five kilos," Antalya casually stated.

"As for the compensation, fifty gold coins upfront will do for now; we can discuss the rest later."

"But remember, I'm taking on your commission because of your daughter. I don't want a child to get hurt over some nonsensical reasons."

"Also, I have no intention of revealing my identity. Just say I'm a regular guest to others."

After hearing Antalya's words, Harry sat stunned for a few seconds before abruptly standing up and bowing deeply to Antalya, "Thank you!"

Antalya remained seated, unfazed.

Having extended such a significant favor to Harry, accepting his gratitude was the least she could do.

She took a sip of tea and placed the empty cup back on the table.