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"Phew—That was close! Better avoid such situations in the future. But from what that man said, that knight shouldn't bother Niya and Aiya for a while, right?"

To avoid drawing attention, Mengdie chose to walk through dark alleys, always alert to patrolling soldiers. The streets were swarming with more soldiers than a few days ago when she was delivering firewood.

Ah... all this for Niya's little issue... Isn't this an overreaction?

After walking through an alley, Mengdie noticed two soldiers chatting against a wall. She thought for a moment, covered her head with a rag, and casually walked past them.

"...the commission is really not bad..."

It might have been a coincidence, but as Mengdie passed by, one of the soldiers mentioned "commission." Hearing about money, Mengdie’s nerves tensed—she needed funds for her upcoming tasks. If it was about commission, that meant earning potential, right?

Continuing on, she didn’t go far before stopping and squatting like a beggar, the rag covering most of her body. This allowed her to eavesdrop on the soldiers' conversation.

"You're telling me? I had no idea those guys' heads were worth so much. A hundred Sula for a regular thug, and a thousand for their leader! No wonder mercenaries are rushing to sign up, despite the risk."

A hundred Sula? A thousand?! Great! This sounds like an excellent way to make money!

"But signing up is one thing; actually getting the money is another. Those bandits are tough. If you lose your life in the attempt, it's not worth it. The mercenary camps won’t compensate for death, only adventurers would take such risks."

"True, but the mercenaries have their advantages—mobility and flexibility compared to large troops. The army will also participate as scouts in this elimination mission. The mercenaries just need to locate the bandits’ hideout and lure them out."

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"Hmm, that makes sense."

Although Mengdie didn't understand all the terms the soldiers used, she grasped enough. The Silvermoon Kingdom wanted to eliminate a group of bandits who had taken over a mountain, right? Without further ado, she decided to join the hunt for the bounty. Now she just needed the soldiers to reveal details like registration or meeting places.

However, her hopes were dashed as the soldiers' conversation shifted to talking about the city's beautiful women. Especially when they described how women's breasts and buttocks should be, they became increasingly excited and loud. Disappointed, Mengdie shook her head and walked towards the poor district. But the idea of joining the mercenaries lingered in her mind.

"Ah! Miss Mengdie! Miss Mengdie is back!"

As soon as she entered the poor district, the scattered crowd swarmed around her, showering her with concerned words. Some loudly cursed the captain's injustice, while others ridiculed his incompetence. There were also those who "regretted" not standing up for her, boasting about what they would have done if they were there.

Mengdie found the crowd tiresome but didn't want to bluntly refuse their kindness. When she reached the sisters' door, she turned and smiled at everyone...

"Ah... Miss Meng...!"

"Slam—!!!"

The harsh sound of the door slamming shut silenced everyone outside.

"Damn, I’ve said I'm a man. Why can't those guys understand no matter how many times I say it?" Mengdie muttered, bolting the door and glaring at those still outside with 'that' look in their eyes. She drew the curtains, untied the ribbon from her hair, letting it fall freely, and entered Aiya and Niya's bedroom.

"Niya, how's your sister?"

Aiya was lying on the bed, eyes closed, while Niya looked anxiously at her. Seeing Mengdie, Niya couldn't hold back any longer and hugged her, sobbing quietly against her chest.

Mengdie sighed, patting Niya's head like Aiya would. Niya looked up with tearful eyes and finally let go, sitting by Aiya's side to change the wet towel on her forehead.

"Aiya, how are you feeling?"

Mengdie asked softly.

Aiya opened her eyes weakly, smiled faintly at Mengdie, and showed concern when she noticed the wound on Mengdie's cheek.

"You... your face is injured?"

Mengdie paused, touched her face, and upon seeing blood on her hand, remembered the cut. She smiled, "It's just a scratch."

"How can it be just a scratch?!" Aiya closed and reopened her eyes, filled with guilt. She looked pained seeing the red wound on Mengdie's flawless face.

"I'm sorry... really... sorry... for causing you such trouble for our sake! Your face... that wound... we sisters can never repay you!"

Faced with Aiya's remorse, Mengdie was startled, then laughed, "What, this wound? It's nothing! It'll heal overnight."

"It's not about healing! It's about the scar...!"

"Scar? Don't worry, there won’t be any scars. It’ll heal as if it never happened. Look at my hands, how many times have they been grazed in the past month? And they still look like this, don’t they?"

Mengdie raised her hands to show Aiya—her fingers were slender and delicate, with rosy nail beds like tiny, lovely seashells. Her smooth skin showed no signs of scratches or calluses.

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