After leaving the Daily Goods Market, Alpha acted as if nothing had happened and went straight to the Adventurers’ Guild.
On the request board, the culling-type quests still required forming a party. She glanced at them and skipped over. Finally, in an inconspicuous corner, she found a gathering quest—
[Gather Grey Rock Ore: Go to the outskirts of the Abandoned Mine in East City to collect samples of Grey Rock Ore. Reward: One silver coin.]
One silver coin was a lot less than yesterday’s reward for escorting the herb collector.
Alpha accepted the quest, left the city, found the mine, spent half a day gathering the required ore samples, and returned to the guild to turn them in before the sun dipped westward.
The entire process, she was like a precision machine: accept quest, leave city, gather, return to city, turn in, collect payment.
Barely any unnecessary words.
By the time the sky darkened into evening, she appeared at the door of the Potion Shop again as promised.
She pushed open the door. Gelinlite was organizing herbs behind the counter. Seeing her come in, her eyes lit up.
“Yo, you’re back?”
Alpha nodded, greeted her briefly, and then headed straight for the inner room.
She pushed open the half-closed door. Through the warm yellow candlelight, she saw those two little ones.
“Mysterious Big Sister!”
Mia was the first to notice her. She jumped down from her chair, ran over with a pitter-patter, and hugged Alpha’s leg tightly.
“You’re back!”
“Mm, I’m back.”
Alpha looked down at the little face tilted up toward her, reached out, and gently ruffled her hair.
Inside, Li Fu was leaning back on the recliner. Her complexion was much better than it had been that morning. Seeing Alpha come in, she instinctively tried to sit up, but Alpha stopped her with a single look.
“Don’t move.”
Alpha led Mia closer and stood beside her.
“How’s your recovery?”
Li Fu nodded. Her voice was still a bit weak, but she was much more energetic than in the morning. “Much better. Sister Gelinlite said if I rest for two more days, I’ll be able to get out of bed.”
Alpha hummed in acknowledgment. Her gaze swept over the clean blanket covering Li Fu, then glanced at Mia, who was wearing a proud expression beside her.
“Mia was very good too! She listened to everything Sister Gelinlite said!”
Alpha let out a soft laugh and ruffled her hair again.
Everything was fine.
She was relieved.
“That’s good. Keep listening to Sister Gelinlite, okay? I’m heading back now. I’ll come see you two tomorrow.”
Though the sisters were a bit reluctant, they still nodded and obediently watched Alpha leave.
As she stepped out of the room, Alpha ran straight into Gelinlite.
“Wait, Alpha.”
Gelinlite had somehow already come around from behind the counter. The usual easygoing, casual smile was gone from her face, replaced by a rare seriousness.
“I need to talk to you.”
The two sat down in the shop’s reception room. Gelinlite was silent for a few seconds before speaking.
“About Li Fu… she told me everything today.”
Alpha said nothing.
“That Grey Finger, and the thug who threw her into the ditch…”
Gelinlite paused, looked at Alpha, her eyes tinged with concern.
“Alpha, you’re not thinking of going after them, are you?”
Alpha looked back at her, still silent. She appeared quite aloof, but inwardly, she was feeling a little心虚.
After all, her overwhelming action-oriented nature had already led her to complete a double kill that morning.
Gelinlite sighed.
“I know you might want to get back at them for her. But take my advice—don’t go messing with those people.”
“Grey Finger might be a commoner, not even at First Order strength, but he has connections. He runs a gray-market operation for a big shot in the city. There’s a lot of profit in it.”
“The Empire is unstable right now. Those high-ranking people are on edge. If you touch Grey Finger and stir them up—”
She looked at Alpha, her tone serious, as if she wasn’t joking at all.
“Even if you’re a Second-rank Warrior, you won’t be able to make it in this city anymore.”
Alpha was silent for two seconds, then nodded.
“I understand.”
Her voice was very calm.
So calm that it was impossible to read any emotion in it.
Gelinlite stared at her, feeling something was off.
“That’s your reaction?”
Alpha looked at her and added, “Thanks for the information.”
Gelinlite was stunned for a moment, then frowned.
“I’m not here to give you information! I’m here to warn you!”
She stepped forward, staring at Alpha’s mask, her tone carrying a rare earnestness.
“Alpha, I’m telling you this because I consider you a friend.”
“I can’t stand by and watch you go running off to stir up trouble without a word, only to end up locked in a cell.”
“What would happen to those two little ones then? What about me?”
Alpha was silent.
Her eyes, the only part visible outside her mask, quietly looked at the earnest girl in front of her.
For a long moment.
Then she spoke softly.
“Don’t worry. I know my limits. Thanks for your concern… my friend.”
Gelinlite was stunned.
Then her eyes suddenly lit up, bright as two little stars.
“What did you just say?”
Alpha: “……”
“Say it again?”
Alpha turned her head away, averting her gaze.
“…Nothing.”
“You did! You said it! Alpha, you admitted we’re ‘friends,’ right?!”
Gelinlite nearly jumped up. The worry on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by pure excitement and smugness.
She was almost completely lost in her own little world, circling Alpha several times and muttering to herself, “Heehee~ Awesome!”
“I knew it! No matter how cold a woman is, her heart is still warm! Alpha, you’ve been won over by me after all, haven’t you! Hmph hmph! I’m so amazing!”
Alpha: “……”
She wanted to leave.
“Oh, right, right!”
Gelinlite suddenly stopped, leaned in close to her face, her eyes sparkling with expectation.
“Since we’re friends now, when do you have free time? Let’s go shopping together!”
Alpha: “?”
“Let’s go buy some new clothes! I know a shop with styles that would suit you perfectly!”
“I see you wearing that black robe every day. I mean, it looks cool, but you should switch things up once in a while!”
“We could also go out for some good food! I know a place where the grilled meat is especially fragrant!”
Alpha was a bit overwhelmed by her rapid-fire chatter. This overwhelming wave of “positive energy” made her want to escape. She instinctively took a step back.
But Gelinlite leaned in even closer, her eyes full of anticipation. “So? What do you say? Got time tomorrow? Or the day after?”
Alpha looked at Gelinlite’s glittering eyes, at that enthusiastic face…
Faced with this kind of enthusiasm…
She honestly couldn’t handle it.
“I’ll let you know when I’m free next time.”
She threw out this line hastily, turned, and walked away.
Before Gelinlite could react, she saw the black robe rush hurriedly toward the door. She snapped out of it and chased after her.
But Alpha was far too fast.
The black robe melted into the night, her pace more than twice as fast as usual. She vanished almost instantly.
Gelinlite stood at the door of the Potion Shop, puffing out her cheeks and stomping her foot in frustration. “Hey!”
“When is ‘next time’! At least give me a time! Alpha!”