Exhausted

Moarik would not indulge her whims.

No matter how much she cried, how much she screamed, or even if she shouted until her voice was hoarse, Moarik wouldn't relent.

Neon Nostrade seemed to have realized this too, her sadness flowing like a river.

After a moment had passed.

Gradually, the commotion on the bed subsided.

"Is she exhausted from crying?"

Moarik glanced over, then nodded slightly to Basho and the others.

"Keep an eye on the young lady."

"If she wants to continue making a fuss afterward, let her be."

He looked at Basho, "For now, you'll be responsible for her safety."

"Me?!"

Basho was taken aback.

Instinctively, he glanced at Neon Nostrade and the two maidservants, both of whom looked too frail to even hurt a fly. Then he turned back to Moarik.

Once he confirmed Moarikwasn't joking, Basho couldn't help but ask, "Are you really that confident in leaving them in my care?"

"I trust you."

Moarik patted his shoulder and then walked out.

As he was leaving, he didn't forget to give Basho and the others one more instruction:

"If the young lady wants to call the boss, don't stop her."

"If she wants to go out, she may do so at a respectable place not far from here, but only with my approval and under Basho's escort."

Hmm, it's clear that Neon's freedom of movement cannot be entirely restricted.

"Yes, sir!"

The attendants nodded quickly.

Meanwhile, Basho quietly watched Moarik's departing figure.

"Trust, huh?"

He placed his hand on the spot Moarik had patted and murmured, "Looks like the job starts now."

Sometimes, relationships between men can develop quickly with just a few words.

At the very least, Basho felt the unfamiliarity and distance between him and Moarik had significantly lessened.

Now that Moarik had entrusted Neon Nostrade and her attendants to Basho, he was free to leave.

"Time to handle the next important task."

Walking out of the room, Moarik glanced at the television screens nearby, which were broadcasting the news:

"Chairman Isaac Netero of the Hunter Association has arrived at the Sky Arena!"

Netero's arrival meant that at least an [Advanced] blind box had also made its way here.

How could one not try their luck with such a blind box?

...

On the upper floors of the Sky Arena.

In the outer room of a special VIP reception area.

"That should do it."

The short, bean-shaped man in a suit and tie, Beans, finished organizing the last piece of material in his hands and wiped the nonexistent sweat from his brow.

He had no nose or ears, so who knows if he could even sweat~

"Next, I need to prepare the opening speech for the Chairman at the Olympia Martial Arts Tournament."

Thinking about his next task, Beans sighed.

As the secretary to Netero and the entire Hunter Association, he was very familiar with the Chairman's temperament.

Even if he prepared an opening speech for the Chairman, knowing Netero, he likely wouldn't read it all.

At most, he would pick a few lines, read them casually, and that would be it.

"The Chairman can be quite willful at times."

Beans muttered to himself as he worked on his draft.

Though Netero was capricious, a draft still had to be prepared.

At least with a draft, he could follow along and read a few lines; without one, if he went completely off-script, it would be even more troublesome.

In fact, Beans was even a bit worried.

What if, in a future tournament, even with a draft prepared, Netero didn't read any of it at all?

That would indeed be a big problem...

So there he was, diligently writing away.

Ring ring ring.

The dedicated phone on the desk suddenly rang.

"Hello? What is it?"

He answered the phone with one hand while continuing to write with the other, demonstrating an admirable work ethic.

"Beans, someone wants to see Chairman Netero."

The person on the other end of the line reported, "He says he has something very important to discuss with the Chairman."

Beans did not interrupt; he continued to listen attentively.

Within the Hunter Association, any external request to see the Chairman had a specific procedure.

If it wasn't for a truly special reason, the operator on the other end would not have called Beans directly.

Since the visitor claimed to have something important for Netero, and the professional operator had placed this call, it indicated the matter was indeed significant.

"The visitor mentioned a name and said that once you and Chairman Netero hear it, you won't be able to ignore it."

The operator continued without pausing, "Beyond."

What?!

Beans' hand suddenly froze.

He brought the phone closer to his face, scrutinizing it with his small eyes.

"Let him in."

"Understood."

The operator sensed something unusual from Beans's response.

On the other end, at the elevator entrance of the Sky Arena.

"Please take this elevator; it will take you to the appropriate floor."

After hanging up the call, the operator politely informed the young man standing before him.

"Thank you."

Moarik nodded courteously and stepped into the elevator leading to the top floor.

"Also wearing a suit?"

The operator, similarly dressed in a suit, couldn't help but let his thoughts wander as he watched Moarik's retreating figure.

"Could he be from the Hunter Association, or perhaps from another hunter faction?"

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