Chapter 36 : Team Invitation!!

Germain pursed his lips, his thoughts racing.

The previous occupant of his body had left a trail of trouble for Germain to clean up. The most likely scenario was that Bilbo had been chopped up by the previous owner before he could settle his debt with Shizuku. 

But there was also a chance that Bilbo simply never intended to pay. Germain's memories of Bilbo painted him as a greedy character.

After Bilbo's death, his funds were transferred to the original body, but Germain had almost spent them all by now. It seemed logical that this debt now belonged to him.

"So, you came to collect a debt?" Germain asked, raising an eyebrow. "How did you know I was here?"

"I didn't," Shizuku replied, shaking her head. "I was just passing by and saw you on the street."

Germain was taken aback for a moment. He looked at Shizuku, who appeared earnest and wasn't giving off any hints of deception.

Either she had incredible luck, or Germain was having a terribly unlucky day.

"All right," he said, offering a fair compromise. "If you can show proof of your employment with Bilbo and that you cleaned up the mess after his death, I'll pay you five hundred thousand Jenny."

Shizuku had been in this line of work long enough to be prepared. She promptly pulled out the communication records and employment contract with Bilbo, presenting them to Germain. 

The contract was clear and detailed, with references to "on-site cleanup" that confirmed her involvement in erasing all traces of the incident.

Shizuku's efficiency and thoroughness were evident.

The 500,000 Jenny outstanding payment seemed legitimate.

"Fine," Germain said, setting down the contract with a hint of disappointment that he couldn't find any loopholes. "Give me your contact info, and then send me your bank account number, and I'll transfer the money."

Shizuku shook her head, adjusting her glasses with determination. "No. After Mr. Bilbo died, I searched for you for three months. I want to see you transfer the money with my own eyes."

What she meant was that the two of them should head to the bank now.

However, Germain had a simpler solution.

"Don't worry," Germain said, pulling out his mobile phone. "Since it's a hassle to go to the bank to transfer money every time, I applied for 'online banking' a few days ago. Now I can transfer money to you directly through my phone."

He wasn't lying. He'd set up this feature at the bank when he made the payment to Machi.

"'Online banking'?" Shizuku asked, blinking her large eyes behind her black-rimmed glasses. She was intrigued.

"Haven't you heard of it? Just follow my instructions, step by step. First, tell me your phone number."

"Oh, okay," Shizuku replied, obediently reciting a string of numbers.

Germain saved her number in his phone, giving it the nickname "Glasses Girl," and then asked Shizuku for her bank account number. After a few more clicks, he transferred 500,000 Jenny to her.

"Ding dong." Shizuku's phone chimed, and she opened it, curious to see what it was. It was a text message showing a payment of 500,000 Jenny.

"Ah," she said, a bit surprised, covering her mouth with her hand. "I wonder which idiot sent me 500,000 Jenny."

"That would be me," Germain replied.

"Huh? You're the idiot? Oh, so this is the 'online banking' you mentioned," Shizuku nodded, getting the idea.

And just like that, the issue of Shizuku's outstanding payment was resolved.

Germain had originally been in a rush to visit the three auction houses in Yorknew City, but he was no longer in such a hurry. Instead, he looked at Shizuku, thoughtfully.

There were four little ghosts on the "lantern." Each little ghost could guide him to the Dark Continent. It was an unmistakable reminder.

In essence, the maximum number of people who can accompany the expedition to the Dark Continent at any given time is three. Including Germain, it becomes a four-person team.

To form a solid team, each member must not only be highly skilled, but there also must be a clear division of labor. Essentially, they need to create an elite squad that can adapt to any situation.

Germain's role is to manage the fighting and ensure safe passage between the human world and the Dark Continent. 

However, other aspects such as medical support, psychological counseling, combat assistance, baggage handling, biological expertise, and hazard assessment need to be managed by other team members.

Germain can take on some extra responsibilities when he has the bandwidth, but he can't be a "one-man army" and do everything by himself.

His team operates like a Nen system. Germain is part of the "Conjuration" group, but he can lean toward "Transformation" and occasionally shift into a rare "Specialization" type under unique conditions.

He can choose to skip over "Transformation" and "Specialization" types and learn other Nen categories like "Emission," "Manipulation," or "Enhancement," but this approach leads to reduced effectiveness and clear weaknesses.

Instead of trying to be a jack-of-all-trades, Germain prefers to delegate to specialists.

He's always known this truth. He's also considering a few potential recruits, but he's cautious about revealing too much about the "Lantern."

Machi has ties to the Phantom Troupe, and Bisky is linked to the Hunter Association. Both could attract major "Nen users" from the V5 nations if their connections were to be exposed.

Germain knows his own strength isn't sufficient to deal with these risks, so he's cautious about bringing them on board.

As for Hisoka, he's a wildcard. Hisoka loves fighting, which makes him a potential asset, but his unpredictable behavior could lead to unexpected outcomes on the Dark Continent expedition.

Thus, Germain continues to evaluate his choices, seeking the best teammates while avoiding unnecessary risks.

"So, what do you think about this offer?"

Shizuku has a unique ability called "Blinky." It allows her to swallow objects that she perceives as inanimate, and she can spit out the last item she swallowed.

If Shizuku had been with Germain when he faced the Lord of Crows a few days ago, she could have not only supported him during the battle, but also retrieved the Lord of Crows' body afterward.

As a result, what Germain is auctioning now isn't just "The One Eye of the Lord of Crows" but the entire "Corpse of the Lord of Crows," doubling its value.

Germain paused, contemplating the idea. After a moment, he asked, "Shizuku, have you joined any organizations or groups recently?"

"No." Shizuku glanced at her phone, counting the zeros after the amount in a text message. Then she looked up and said, "Why do you ask?"

"If I were to hire you to join my team and accompany me to some very dangerous places, would you be interested?" Germain inquired.

Shizuku seemed a bit confused, but then her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "How much are you offering?"

"It depends on what we earn," Germain replied. "Right now, it's just the two of us, so we'll split everything evenly. If more people join later, the profits will be divided accordingly."

"Where are we going? What's the risk?" Shizuku asked, suddenly serious.

"I can't disclose that until you agree to join and sign a contract."

"Got it..." Shizuku tapped her lips with her finger, deep in thought. "Don't say anything else just yet. Let me think it over."

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