Xu Milu's words were as blunt as a knife, ruthlessly and directly tearing away the thin veil of pretense between her and Aoki.
—Aoki tried to bind Xu Milu to the Aoki Chamber of Commerce by demanding loyalty, but Xu Milu only treated the Aoki Chamber of Commerce as a Taobao shop in another world, and would only contact the Chamber of Commerce when she needed to replenish her supplies.
Xu Milu never accepted Aoki's allegiance, and Aoki never took any substantial action to follow him. Therefore, there was no contractual obligation between the two of them for either to protect the other or to offer their loyalty.
"Is it... because I intercepted the mail without permission? I can explain."
Aoki took a light breath:
"Elder Lola, as the thirteenth elder of the Gourmet Association, has always been committed to eradicating all dark cuisine on the Gourmet Continent. The Gourmet Association has already declared war on dark cuisine, and there are rumors that you, with your black hair and black eyes, are a member of the dark cuisine world—even if you and Elder Lola are close friends, I cannot predict Elder Lola's reaction to this, so I intercepted this letter without permission, intending to explain it to you before you arrive in Orok—"
Xu Milu's heart skipped a beat, and the flower in her hand shattered into several petals:
"The Gourmet Association is at war with the Dark Cuisine World? When did this happen?"
"A year ago, the seventh-ranked elder of the Gourmet Association, Solofit, died at the hands of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Dark Cuisine World. After that, the Dark Cuisine World announced that it had officially occupied the Far North Plain, and the war between the Gourmet Association and the Dark Cuisine World had already begun."
Aoki seemed to see a glimmer of hope and immediately reported everything in detail:
"The underworld struggle has now begun across the entire Gourmet Continent. Some forces, thirsting for power, have chosen to join the world of dark cuisine. The Aoki Merchant Guild has naturally been recruited as well. Sivian has just started using dark cuisine kits to feed the Crimson Rose, and he has also attempted to combine the Orocans with elves—"
Aoki said earnestly:
"But this is a forbidden zone for life, so Sivian only created a batch of flower-like Orok people. They look just like elves, but they have no thoughts. Flowers grow on their heads, and after the flowers wither, their bodies rot and turn into a lump of flesh and blood. Later, he was bewitched by the Dark Cuisine World and started using elven flesh and blood to feed the roses."
Xu Milu sorted out the whole story and found many things that were not right.
The dark cuisine world has been suppressed by the Food Association for many years, so how did it suddenly gain the strength to make a comeback?
Secondly, the people in the Dark Cuisine world seized on Sivian's desire for life, so they gave him a way to cultivate the Crimson Rose. But if that's the case, why didn't they grant Sivian the power to become stronger?
She had initially thought that Aoki had read the contents of the letter and intercepted it out of selfishness, but now it seemed that she had been overthinking it.
"I carry that letter with me at all times, precisely to meet you, my lord, and explain—that Sivian sought to break through the limits of lifespan by researching dark cuisine, ultimately committing such an utterly foolish act. But by the God of Gourmet God, I swear I truly wish to follow you, and last night has only strengthened my resolve. Your power fascinates me, my lord; my blood is filled with the gene of revering the strong. I want to prove my existence to you; please do not underestimate my role. I will offer you the allegiance of the entire Aoki Trading Company and the mercenary group. Please allow me to follow you at all times."
Aoki once again clenched his right fist and placed it in front of his chest, saying:
"This time, I took it upon myself to use your influence among the elves to save the Aoki Merchant Guild. After everything is settled, I will hand over the positions of guild president and mercenary leader to Aomori. I will follow you wholeheartedly and offer you my heart."
Clearly, he chose a third path in the struggle between the Food Association and the Dark Cuisine World: following Xu Milu.
"I'll think about it."
Xu Milu remained silent for a while before giving a reply.
The players on the deserted island are really too much trouble, and more and more players will log in later. She is already so busy that she plays two roles, which is quite brain-draining. The addition of a shrewd businessman like Aoki is like getting an SSR in a gacha game, okay?
However, she had her reasons for not agreeing immediately. She was a friend of the elves, so from her perspective, she could only accept Aoki without any reservations once it was completely confirmed that he was innocent.
Whether the other party wants to choose a backer in the competition between the Food Association and the Dark Cuisine World, or wants to use her influence to continue developing the Aoki Trading Company, they will have to sell themselves to her to pay off their debts.
Pah! Pah! Pah!
It's about working to pay off debts.
...
...
[Giant Tulip Flower Seeds *100: Common grade. This flower is from the Oroque Giant Tulip variety. It is non-toxic, has a wonderfully fragrant pollen, a germination period of 30 days, a flowering period of 20 days, and a single plant produces one kilogram of pollen per day. It has a rich and mellow aroma.]
【Price: per unit of energy stone】
[Golden Tortoise Slave (Can Breed) *100: Common, a beetle-type magical beast with a hollow body and a naturally occurring stomach for storing pollen. It has a docile temperament and was later tamed by the Oroc people. It is a very reliable domesticated magical beast. It takes one hundred days to reach maturity and can mate four to seven months after birth. The egg-laying period is ten days, and the average lifespan is three years.]
【Price: per unit of energy stone】
【Thousand-Legged Deep-Sea Squid (Can be Breeded) *100: Common grade, a non-venomous soft-bodied magical beast with sharp teeth. Mature specimens can reach 15-28 meters in length. They generally live in the deep sea and have a thousand soft legs. They are a favorite ingredient among fishermen. Maturity takes 150 days.】
【Price: per unit of energy stone】
[Musical Tulip: Common variety, entirely non-toxic, petals and pollen are edible, blooms year-round, its most distinctive feature is that it sways to music, and the center of the flower secretes a special nectar that attracts a large number of glowing fireflies. It is an extremely popular lighting plant among the Orok people, with a budding period of 150 days and a long flowering period of up to three years.]
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