Chapter 78: Getting a team [1] (Not edited)

Standing before Hai was a slim figure frozen from below the neck in a sturdy and transparent block of ice.

Willing his mana, Hai made a small iron hand and used it to take out Regulus' mask.

"I already imagined it by how you behaved but you're really a veteran, huh." He commented while looking at Regulus' true appearance.

A cool grandpa, with whitish gray hair and a stylish beard, would be the best way to describe what Regulus looks like.

"…" Meanwhile, Regulus who just regained his consciousness after being frozen alive for days, looked around and studied the situation.

Hai didn't mind it and let him regain his composure before starting whatever he is going to do.

"What do you want from me?" After a few seconds of scanning the surroundings, Regulus' ocean-blue eyes landed on Hai's figure.

However, contrary to the expected reaction, Regulus didn't portray any hatred or fury toward Hai, if anything, a small tinge of relief could be found in them if one looked for long enough.

Not paying attention to this, Hai opened his mouth again.

"I'm pretty sure you already know." He said plainly.

Regulus nodded, there is only one thing that people who contact him want.

"However, I have a question. Why would you want us again after what we did?" This is something that Regulus was genuinely curious about, after all, he worked with Hai for long enough to understand that he isn't your average Joe when it comes to jobs, hence, betrayal or a job poorly done are things that he deals with right away.

"Hum…" Hai hummed while moving his head from side to side, as if listening to some melody.

Regulus didn't interrupt him and patiently waited.

"Truth be told, I also don't like the idea of working with someone who already betrayed me once." Regulus nodded. He had his reasons but it doesn't change the fact that what he did is something that even he can say to be terrible. "However, only a fool denies facts. And the fact here is: I need men, and you and your men are extremely useful."

Regulus once again nodded and looked into Hai's eyes.

Hai didn't look away and awaited his answer.

Not that he had a choice, to begin with, though.

"What do you need me to do?" If Regulus had anything against the man before him, his expression betrayed it because Regulus was as calm as a lake throughout this short conversation.

Hai also didn't particularly mind it since this was better than working with a remorseful subordinate.

"I will need you and your men to sign a slave contract and then I will start explaining what to do." He took five parchments from seemingly nowhere since he didn't have a storage ring in his hands.

Regulus looked at the parchments with a serious face and then at Hai.

"I can vouch for myself, but the others need to decide it on their own." Regulus knew that this is futile because nobody really had a choice, to begin with, but he still did it nonetheless to show appreciation for the comrades who accompanied him even when he chose something absurd as betrayal.

"I expected as much." Hai nodded and unfroze the other four just enough for them to be in the same condition as Regulus and repeated the same process of taking off their masks.

*GASP*

*COUGH*

*COUGH*

*COUGH*

Gasping for air, their next action was to start to frenetically cough.

"Calm down, breath slowly, breath in, breath out." Regulus instructed while observing his team.

As they heard their leader's voice, the four of them forced themselves to stop and regulated their breaths, thus coughing a bit more and finally breathing in.

After calming down, they also followed the same procedure of looking around and accessing the situation before their eyes landed on Hai.

And differently from Regulus, they showed more reaction.

They shivered.

While they have seen and fought several powerful foes, Hai is by far one of the monsters they have met, and when it comes to finishing the enemy, Hai is the worst by giving his enemy something worse than death.

Seeing his comrades showing such a state in front of their "employer", Regulus sympathized with them inwardly but his outer appearance didn't show much sympathy.

"All of you, calm down. I will first explain our situation…" His eyes traveled to Hai, who in turn, waved his hand indicating that he doesn't mind it.

From then on, Regulus explained in detail what Hai explained, what wasn't much, and after a bit more than a minute, the room was plunged into silence again.

Hearing everything from their leader, the other members looked between themselves before looking at Hai.

The person in question didn't bother with their gazes and kept his eyes closed while smiling and resting his chin on his hands.

Seeing this, Swordsmancer, who was a beautiful woman, looked at Regulus.

"Leader, I will follow you." She said in a firm tone.

Hearing this, the other members' expressions turned firm and they nodded between themselves.

"We will follow you." There wasn't a shred of doubt in their countenances.

Regulus looked at them before nodding with a small smile on his lips.

Then, he returned to his usual seriousness and looked back to Hai.

"As you have heard, we accept."

Hai briefly looked at the other members and although they still had a sliver of fear toward him, they were all firm in their decisions.

Nodding, he unfroze them all just enough for their arms to be able to move.

Waving is hands, he made the parchments fly toward them and shifted his position on the chair.

He made it bigger and comfier and put his feet on the table.

Meanwhile, the team looked at the contracts that would bind them for most likely their whole lives, and they couldn't help but be nervous.

After all, although the wouldn't be trapped in ice anymore, they just escaped it to become slaves, the change wasn't exactly a good one, but it was what they had.

Reading the contract, Regulus raised an eyebrow.

It was rather simple but there was something that caught his attention.

They would be granted a wish that didn't involve harming in any way the employer (Hai), the people close to him, or their own freedom.

The others showed a similar expression on their faces and turned to look at Hai, asking for an explanation with their eyes.

Hai, however, ignored their gazes.

"Mr. Hai, is this section of the contract really true?" Swordsmancer asked a fierce internal debate and mustering the courage to speak.

"Which one?" Hai asked back in a plain tone.

"This one that states we can have one wish fulfilled." She elaborated.

Hai nodded slightly.

"As long as it is within my reach and isn't something absurd." He added.

"…" The room was plunged into silence once again.

Then, Swordsmancer as well as the other members turned to look to Regulus who has been silent this whole time.

The said person was staring intensely at the wish section in the contract until he finally turned to look at the man nonchalantly sitting on the chair.

"May I ask why?" They betrayed him after all the goodwill he showed them, there shouldn't be a reason for him to go this far for them.

And Hai obviously thinks the same.

"I'm giving the whip that is the contract, so it's best to show the carrot as well." He commented.

Does he care about them?

Yes.

Does he trust them?

No.

They are useful pieces that he needs for a job, that is all.

He has forgiven them in the form of having them sign a slave contract, but this doesn't mean he will trust them.

They were granted mercy but denied the trust.

Regulus looked at the contract for a moment and without hesitation bit his finger and put it on the parchment.

The parchment glowed an ominous red before breaking into small particles and entering both Regulus and Hai's bodies.

Blinking his eyes, Regulus regained his focus and turned to Hai.

"Mr- No, Master. Could I make my wish now?" He questioned with an intense light burning in his youthful eyes that didn't match his age.

"Ask away." Hai didn't care much.

"Please protect my daughter and granddaughter." He bowed his head.

Hai raised an eyebrow.

He didn't expect Regulus to have a family. This is something that even he couldn't find out.

However, Regulus wasn't done yet.

"And if possible, have them as your women."

Now Hai was confused.

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A/N: Hello there, I hope you're having a wonderful day!

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