"That's Aoki, the president of the Aoki Trading Company! He actually came too!"
"Is that an elf? The president of the Aoki Trading Company actually swore an oath of allegiance to an elf. Could it be that the Aoki Trading Company has some connection with the elven race?"
{Holy crap, that's so exciting! Quick, take a screenshot or a picture!!}
{What is this handsome guy saying? I can't understand a word! Can someone translate for me? Help! I'm so excited!}
"What happened? It's Lady Miru! It's the black-haired man! They saved us yesterday!"
{What kind of novel gameplay is this? Where are the game designers? Come out and explain!}
Aoki didn't look up, his right hand clenched into a fist and placed in front of his chest—this was the salute of knights swearing allegiance on the Gourmet Continent, meaning "I am willing to give my life for you."
A crowd gathered around, all eyes fixed on Xu Milu. Their gazes, filled with curiosity, doubt, and inquisitiveness, came from all directions. A buzzing sound filled the air, occasionally interspersed with the quiet chatter of a few players.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Xu Milu's reaction.
"..."
To everyone's surprise, Xu Milu did not accept Aoki's greeting. Instead, she ignored him and brushed past him, her eyes fixed straight ahead and her face serious. The onlookers thought Aoki had mistaken her for someone else.
"What happened? I don't understand."
"Could I be seeing things? Lady Miru has refused Chairman Aoki's allegiance?"
"By the God of Gourmet Food! I can't believe what I'm seeing! Lady Miru has refused to let Lord Aoki become her knight! Good heavens!"
"That's Lord Aoki!"
The crowd erupted in commotion. Aoki pursed his lips slightly, his face showing even more exhaustion.
Sure enough, she had grown up and was no longer the seemingly cold but actually incredibly soft-hearted girl she once was.
...
...
Near the coast of Orok, there is a low-lying, gently sloping area where colorful seashells are scattered across the golden sand. Ah Chou is half-submerged in the water, with half his head above water, blowing bubbles.
"Gurgle gurgle gurgle..."
The fish in the sea seemed to have never seen such a huge creature before, and they all jumped up to peck at the ivy and strawberry vines on its back, making "smacking" sounds from time to time.
"Now that there's no one else here, I think we can have a proper talk."
Xu Milu pushed open the carriage door and casually admired the beautiful seaside scenery, while Qingmu, sitting on the other side, slowly became serious.
After decades apart, not only had her appearance remained unchanged, but her expression had also gained a more imposing air of authority. She simply sat there quietly, like a bottomless sea with surging tides, making it impossible to discern her emotions.
If Aoki could still discern some of Xu Milu's outward emotions in the past, he now finds himself somewhat unable to understand her.
After a long silence, Aoki cautiously spoke:
"Does Lady Miru have any complaints about me?"
"You publicly declared your allegiance to me in front of everyone, so you should know that you represent not only yourself, but also the Aoki Mercenary Group and the Aoki Merchant Guild—"
Xu Milu casually plucked a flower that peeked in through the car window, glanced at Aoki, and continued:
"Everyone knows that the black-haired man saved Orok Island last night. You suddenly appeared at this time to express your 'loyalty' and spared no effort to help the Orok people complete the post-disaster repairs. Do I need to make it clearer? There is only fair trade between us. If you want to get something from the elves through me, then I advise you not to waste your time. Lola and the others are my friends."
Having experienced so much and spent many days as a disciple of Sun Wukong, Xu Milu is no longer the clueless college student who just entered society.
Aoki deliberately chose to appear when she was meeting with Lola, firstly to remind Ovelan that he was the one who rescued the elves trapped in the castle, and secondly to emphasize his relationship with Xu Milu, wanting to completely bind "Gourmet Hunter Milu" to the Aoki Trading Company.
The continent of Gourmet Food is vast. Although the Green Wood Merchant Guild has some strength, it is not the first choice for trading with other races. If he can get in touch with the Elf race through Xu Milu, then the Green Wood Merchant Guild's power will definitely rise to a higher level.
Objectively speaking, Aoki is a very shrewd businessman. Although he didn't know exactly what happened last night, he was able to seek the greatest profit in the shortest amount of time.
But that's not the case. The Aoki Merchant Guild has no direct financial relationship with Xu Milu. She saved Aoki in exchange for a Human-Faced Fruit. Even though Aoki swore allegiance to her, she never interfered in any affairs of the Aoki Mercenary Group or the Aoki Merchant Guild.
"Why are you so eager to use me to gain favor with the elves? You're a shrewd businessman. If you're willing to swear allegiance in public, there must be another reason. Is it some huge profit, or have you encountered some danger?"
Xu Milu observed Aoki's expression, then suddenly narrowed her eyes as if she had remembered something:
"You know Sivian... Could it be that you're involved in this case of missing elves?"
Aoki's forehead was covered in a layer of sweat. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke with difficulty:
“Sivian is my best friend. I used to trust him as much as I trusted my brother Aomori. All of Aoki Merchant Guild’s transactions on Orok Island went through Sivian, so he had considerable power in the guild—but I had no idea he would use the guild’s ships to transport elves! I swear to you.”
Although Xu Milu had already vaguely guessed something, she still frowned deeply after hearing it from Qingmu:
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
