Chapter 46: Seele—The Girl with No Surname, Makes Her Debut

Auntie was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new Wildfire members. She adored the cute and beautiful girls, especially the tiny, utterly adorable Theresa. She longed to hold her in her arms and shower her with affection around the clock.

"Wow, I can't believe you actually showed up, Sampo!" March 7th exclaimed from behind Auntie. Bronya, March 7th, Stelle, Theresa, and Dan Heng descended the stairs.

"Of course I did! Sampo always keeps his promises, especially when a beating might be involved. Those hits really sting!" Sampo said nervously, instinctively touching his rear as if it still ached.

"If you hadn't repeatedly stabbed us in the back, we wouldn't have had to resort to violence! You brought this on yourself!" Theresa glared at Sampo, Auntie nodding in agreement. Sampo was notorious as Wildfire's biggest troublemaker, technically a collaborator rather than a full member. His true talent lay in business, and his favorite pastime was making risk-free profits. After all, even his so-called "procurement costs" required capital.

"Come, girls! Auntie has prepared breakfast for you all. Young man, join us too!" Auntie beckoned warmly.

Auntie chuckled warmly as she beckoned the girls over.

She gently stroked Theresa's head, who reluctantly endured Auntie's large, calloused hand patting her hair.

[Should I just grab a knife? Heh~]

"Theresa looks so well-behaved and adorable when Auntie dotes on her!" March 7th exclaimed, watching Auntie affectionately pat Theresa's head. The others agreed that Theresa looked particularly cute this way.

"Mind your own business! Just eat your breakfast," Theresa retorted, her face flushing as Auntie cradled her in her arms and fed her bites. She couldn't understand why Auntie was being so kind to her.

"Alright, alright, time for breakfast!"

Stelle eagerly grabbed a rye bread soda iceberg and began devouring it. Dan Heng slowly sipped his bowl of mixed vegetable soup. March 7th happily munched on a crispy, deep-fried Rock-Dwelling Crab. Auntie continued to feed Theresa pieces of stone-grilled olm. Theresa's cheeks flushed slightly as she accepted the treats, feeling a little embarrassed by Auntie's overwhelming affection.

Perhaps the most important reason for Theresa's awkwardness was that she had been an orphan. She had never experienced such warmth, never been treated like a cherished daughter by someone like Auntie. Now, she found herself both yearning for and savoring Auntie's pampering.

"That's enough, Auntie, I'm full," Theresa said, her face flushed as she hopped down from Auntie's embrace. Auntie chuckled warmly and handed Theresa a napkin to wipe her mouth.

"She's acting like the classic overprotective mom!" March 7th whispered to Stelle, who blinked at her blankly before nodding absently and continuing to eat. As a newly born Stellaron Spirit, Stelle lacked human emotions and couldn't understand such sentiments.

Dan Heng watched Theresa laughing and interacting with Auntie, his expression impassive as he seemed lost in thought.

Bronya smiled at the sight of adorable Theresa playfully clinging to Auntie, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Seeing something so cute could soothe even the most weary soul.

"This way, everyone! Boss Oleg is waiting for you," Sampo announced, beaming obsequiously as he led the way out of the inn.

After everyone had eaten their fill and bid farewell to Auntie, they followed Sampo through a maze of narrow alleyways, drawing curious stares from passersby. Finally, they arrived at a secluded platform behind a tavern, where Wildfire members, Seele, and a mature white-haired man stood waiting.

"Boss Oleg, my mission's complete!" Sampo shouted, his scalp prickling as he spotted Seele, scythe in hand, smiling menacingly at him. He scrambled to escape, prompting Seele to narrow her eyes and raise her weapon, ready to teach him a lesson.

Seele was furious that Sampo had even betrayed his own comrades. She had learned that he had personally stripped the Silvermane Guards Garrison Officer's armor—a completely cost-free windfall.

He then sold the armor to Oleg for a thousand Shields, netting a full thousand Shields in profit—a full return on investment!

This was exactly why Seele wanted to carve Sampo into pieces.

"You're not going anywhere, Sampo. Explain yourself first. And Seele, you too—a young lady shouldn't be so bloodthirsty. No decent young man will want to marry you if you keep acting like this," Oleg said with a wry smile.

Seele snorted dismissively. "If anyone wlants to chase me, they'll have to beat me first!"

"Sigh... she used to be such a cute little thing. What happened to her?" Oleg lamented.

Oleg looked ruefully at Seele, who was clutching her scythe, and chuckled bitterly.

"Huh? Boss Oleg, my mission's complete. I brought them all here. Isn't that where my responsibility ends?" Sampo grumbled, his face twisted in exasperation.

"You know them best," Oleg said, eyeing Sampo. "They're wanted by Cocolia up above, right?" Sampo nodded vigorously.

"Yes, I was involved almost from the start. Cocolia's a real two-faced snake! Everything was fine yesterday, and then she suddenly turned on us out of nowhere," Sampo explained.

Bronya lowered her head in frustration, a pang of guilt in her heart. She hadn't imagined things would escalate to this point.

"Greetings. I'm Oleg, leader of Wildfire and a retired Silvermane Guard," he said, introducing himself to the Nameless and Bronya. "That's why I paid so much for the armor Sampo collected. More importantly, with this armor, the old man can still lend a hand in protecting you all from the Fragmentum monsters."

"Hi! I'm March 7th!"

March 7th greeted Oleg with a bright smile, her pure and innocent expression softening his stern face with a hint of warmth.

"Hello, Boss Oleg. I'm Dan Heng," Dan Heng said, his calm demeanor and direct gaze conveying his cautious nature. Oleg nodded in understanding.

"I'm Bronya, Boss Oleg," Bronya said. She instinctively began to perform the Silvermane Guards' salute but was quickly nudged by Theresa, reminding her to keep her identity concealed. Bronya immediately realized her mistake, having almost blurted out her position as Commander of the Silvermane Guards—a habit ingrained from a childhood practically devoid of lies.

Her awkward posture, coupled with the unconsciously upright bearing of a Silvermane Guard, made Oleg narrow his eyes. However, noticing that the surrounding Wildfire members didn't expose her, he remained silent.

"Hello, Boss Oleg. I'm Theresa," Theresa said, introducing herself to the slightly surprised Oleg.

"Little girl, you're still quite young, aren't you? This place isn't suitable for someone as precious as you," Oleg said with a warm smile, mistaking her for a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl.

"Pfft!" Sampo couldn't suppress his laughter, while the Nameless and Bronya stifled their own chuckles, watching Theresa's face darken.