Chapter 176: Kicks Under The Table

Sage sat there for a few heartbeats longer than he should have, staring at Gregor as if he were seeing the man for the first time.

The green-haired Adventurer stood proudly in front of Aldric Goldfeather, his posture straight, shoulders squared, and a grin stretched so wide across his face that it bordered on arrogance.

His emerald eyes gleamed unnaturally under the soft light of the second-floor lounge not with fear or caution, but with something far more dangerous: unrestrained greed mixed with reckless confidence.

To anyone else, Gregor might have appeared heroic in that moment, a fearless warrior stepping forward to shoulder an impossible burden. But to Sage, who had spent enough time around him to understand his true nature, that smile screamed trouble.

“Mr. Aldric,” Gregor said warmly, clapping a firm hand on the merchant lord’s shoulder as if they were old friends rather than strangers bound by desperation and gold.

“You don’t need to worry anymore. Leave this mission to us. The Adventurer Guild will handle it. We’ll hunt down the Crimson Abyssal Lion and bring back its heart and blood essence just as required. Your son will be healed.”

Aldric looked up at him, disbelief and fragile hope warring in his eyes. His hands trembled slightly as he nodded, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders, if only by a fraction.

“Thank you,” he said hoarsely. “I… I am truly grateful. More than words can express.”

Gregor waved it off with exaggerated humility, scratching the back of his head and letting out a hearty laugh as if this were nothing more than a routine request. “No need for that! This is exactly what the Guild is here for, to help people, make lives better, and stand where others can’t.”

His tone was noble and convincing, if one ignored how his eyes flickered toward Sage like a sharpened blade seeking its mark.

Without warning, Gregor’s foot lashed out beneath the table, connecting squarely with Sage’s shin.

The pain wasn’t crippling but sharp enough to jolt Sage out of his stunned paralysis. He sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, barely suppressing a hiss as he glared at Gregor.

The bastard was smiling at Aldric one moment before turning just enough to lock eyes with Sage; his grin sharpened as he spoke through clenched teeth.

“Isn’t that right, Guildmaster?”

The implication was unmistakable.

Sage understood immediately: If he dared contradict Gregor now, if he tried to retract the mission or assert Guild authority in front of Aldric, Gregor would tear into him later without mercy.

The green-haired lunatic had already decided, logic and caution had been thrown out the window once gold entered the equation.

Suppressing a groan, Sage straightened and forced a professional smile onto his face even as his leg throbbed beneath the table.

“Yes,” he replied smoothly, though a tense edge crept into his voice. “Gregor is right. Since you’ve entrusted this mission to the Adventurer Guild, we will see it through. You have our word.”

Behind that smile, fury simmered in his eyes as they locked onto Gregor’s. If looks could kill, the man with the green hair would have been reduced to ashes right then and there. Yet Gregor remained unfazed.

With a barely restrained smirk, he leaned in, his voice a conspiratorial whisper that dripped with casual mockery. “Best keep that temper in check, Guildmaster. Opportunities like this don’t come twice.”

Sage nearly sputtered, a storm of indignation brewing within him. “I’m the one who signs your paycheck! I built this Guild from the ground up. And you dare to threaten me in my own hall?”

Before he could unleash a retort, Gregor pivoted to Aldric, his demeanor morphing seamlessly into that of a righteous savior.

He brought his hands together, a thoughtful tilt to his head as if he’d just stumbled upon a troubling revelation. “However… there’s a minor issue at hand.”

Aldric stiffened, curiosity piqued. “What issue?”

Gregor sighed theatrically, his hands spreading wide as if to embrace the magnitude of the dilemma.

“You see, the Crimson Abyssal Lion is no ordinary beast. We’re talking about a Sixth Order Lord Beast here. Our current manpower isn’t exactly overflowing with warriors ready to face such a calamity. Coordinating forces, gathering intel, prepping supplies, and compensating those brave enough to engage, it’s a considerable undertaking.”

He let the sentence hang in the air, no further explanation needed. The way he regarded Aldric, polite yet expectant, left no room for misunderstanding.

Sage buried his face in one hand, rubbing his temples as he fought the urge to scream. This insatiable parasite… Even he, the master of turning every opportunity into gold, felt a flicker of admiration for Gregor’s sheer audacity. This wasn’t just greed, it was the kind of insatiable hunger that legends are made of.

Aldric, however, nodded with surprising ease, a look of relief washing over him.

“I understand,” he replied promptly. “I’ll increase the reward. Ten million gold coins.”

The casualness of his words was jarring, as if he were discussing the weather rather than a bounty large enough to topple small time noble houses.

Gregor froze for a split second, then his eyes ignited with a luminescent glow.

Sage could have sworn that an eerie green light emanated from Gregor’s pupils, his smile stretching impossibly wide as if he might burst at the seams. It was the grin of a man who had just struck gold, no, an entire mountain of it.

“Marvelous,” Gregor said reverently, bowing deeply. “Mr. Aldric, consider this mission a done deal.”

He snapped upright, twirled around, and kicked Sage’s leg harder this time. “Guildmaster,” he hissed sharply, “isn’t it time to make this official?”

Sage stumbled slightly, muttering curses under his breath, then scrambled to his feet before Aldric could register any of the chaos.

He rushed over to the towering Guild Archive Wall, its metallic panels humming softly as they adjusted to his presence. With well honed skill, he retrieved a pristine Mission Docket and began to write.

Mission Difficulty: 6-Star Mission.

His hand hesitated for a fraction of a second as the weight of his task settled in. Six-Star missions were the stuff of legends, talked about in hushed tones but rarely posted, let alone accepted.

Target: Sixth Order Lord Beast — Crimson Abyssal Lion

Reward: 10,000,000 Gold Coins

When Aldric offered the posting fee without a moment’s thought, Sage felt his vision momentarily blur with the glimmer of gold. Twelve hundred gold coins, earned instantly. Pure profit. And that’s before his cut, which would be 5%.

Five percent of ten million equates to five hundred thousand gold coins.

Sage swallowed hard as the figure lodged itself firmly in his mind. That single transaction dwarfed what the Guild typically pulled in from weeks of operations, countless high-ranking missions, and a parade of Adventurer registrations.

And this didn’t even account for the secondary circulation, the new facilities, equipment commissions, lodging fees, and usage of the cultivation tower, all that gold would eventually flow back into the Guild’s coffers.

This mission alone could rewrite the Guild’s financial destiny. By the time Sage finished recording the details and stamped the docket with the Guild seal, his hands trembled not from fear, but from exhilaration.

He turned to Aldric, offering a composed and reassuring smile. “Mr. Aldric, your mission has been officially accepted. You can rest assured that the Adventurer Guild will prioritize it. You’re welcome to remain in Greyvale City to monitor its progress at any time.”

Aldric stood with newfound composure, the calmness in his demeanor palpable. “I will stay,” he declared firmly. “Until it is completed. And in the mean time, I will the prepare the ten million gold coins.”

“Good,” Sage nodded totally satisfied.

Sage nodded, personally escorting him down the staircase toward the first floor, maintaining professionalism even as his thoughts raced ahead to the ramifications of what had just been set in motion.

At the top of the stairs, Sage paused and glanced back.

Gregor met his gaze with a nonchalant shrug, his grin utterly unapologetic.

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