Scalegorge Waterscape, with the [Release Guild].
"Todd, are these two the young talents planning to join our [Release Guild]?"
"That's right~ Her name is Stelle. You may have heard of her... she is the esteemed guest invited by General Jing Yuan of the Seat of Divine Foresight. Beside her is her companion Adrian."
"When did I say I wanted to join?" Stelle didn't understand.
"From the moment you followed me to meet these four, right? Why, I thought you were willing to come with me because you had good intentions and planned to understand the Path of [Abundance] and the Release Guild?" Todd pretended to be a good-natured person.
At this time, Benna finally noticed something strange: "Wait... aren't these the two experts I hired to investigate the disappearance of the Faunus Red-Haired Sheep? Has the truth of the disappearance been found?"
Todd answered for Stelle: "Found it, found it. A group of Abundance Abominations ate your little sheep... But don't worry, this heroine Stelle has already killed them all!"
"Doing chivalrous deeds, no need to reimburse medical expenses, ha..."
What followed was a scream from Tonya: "Ki-killed them? You actually killed all the little wolves I released? What a cruel act!"
Tonya suffered a critical hit to her heart and turned to criticize Todd's improper wording.
"And you, Todd! What do you mean by [Abundance Abominations]? How many times have I said it? Can those blessed by the Medicus be called [Abominations]?"
"Tonya, so it was your doing! I thought there were no beasts in Scalegorge Waterscape, so I released the Faunus Red-Haired Sheep there. Why did you release those wolves there too?"
"Of course, to let the wolf cubs enjoy the sea view of Scalegorge Waterscape. You wouldn't understand."
Seeing Benna and Tonya about to argue, Heathmann stopped them in time: "You all, shut up."
"The Golden-Edged Alfalfa I released was eaten by the sheep." The light in his eyes suddenly dimmed, and his brows furrowed slightly as if an invisible haze suddenly shrouded his entire face.
"Your damn alfalfa grew all over the mountains and plains, destroying the ecology of that planet. Otherwise, would the Red-Haired Sheep have multiplied to plague proportions? If the Red-Haired Sheep didn't multiply, they wouldn't be hunted by local hunters!"
As she spoke, the corners of Benna's mouth pressed into a slightly heavy straight line, and her shoulders slumped imperceptibly.
"Sigh~ I wouldn't have needed to go through untold hardships to buy them at a high price for release!"
"Terrifying. They actually released an entire food chain." Stelle complained.
"Alright, stop arguing! Arguing in front of outsiders, what does it look like?" Nannan, who released mineral water, spoke up. Unsurprisingly, he was opposed by all members except Screwlloyd.
"Save your breath! The mineral water releasing clown, and that outrageous one releasing milk tea."
Nannan was unhappy: "What did I do to you by releasing Scalegorge Spring Water? I release Scalegorge Spring Water... uh, so I won't get involved in your baffling food chain war! What on earth are you doing? Are you releasing or fighting beasts?"
"Personnel on probation please don't fan the flames here!" Benna directly deprived Nannan of his right to speak.
"Natural drinking water from Scalegorge Waterscape. Doesn't say zero calories, looks like real zero calories, but the calories are extremely high." Adrian gave a science lesson. HE makes milk tea, so HE knows about this.
"Colorless and tasteless like spring water, yet high in sugar and fat like milk tea, maximizing the reduction of guilt when you consume calories."
Adrian triggered a combo, smoothly taking out his own milk tea to promote it while he had the chance.
"Ha? Oh~ I get it! The milk tea this guy released was bought from you, right?" Tonya took Adrian's milk tea and questioned Screwlloyd:
"Answer me, why release milk tea? Don't you think this is a waste of materials?"
Screwlloyd answered unhurriedly, "Madam, you seem to have misunderstood my behavior. But it doesn't matter. I just wanted to add nutrients to the surging seawater. As for wasting materials..."
"Question: Have you heard of the [Church of Eternity]?"
Seeing Screwlloyd about to turn the tables and start promoting, Todd and Stelle stopped him in time.
"Ms. Stelle, long time no see." Screwlloyd bowed to her politely, his waist bending into an elegant arc, displaying the demeanor of a gentleman in this bow.
"You guys fight it out. Whoever wins is right! I'll be the judge." Adrian suggested.
"Don't~ Violence is bad. Practicing the Path of [Abundance] requires cherishing life. You can't hurt yourself."
Todd acted as a peacemaker: "Alright, everyone stop arguing for now. Although Stelle killed the wolves Tonya released, ruining a good deed, she now intends to atone for her merits and join the [Release Guild]. Naturally, her future merit will be boundless."
"The Astral Express connects hearts. Presumably, as a companion, Mr. Adrian will not refuse, right?"
"No, I refuse."
The corners of Adrian's lips rose high, revealing a set of clean white teeth. The smile seemed to shatter the sunlight, instantly lighting up his entire face. That smile was bright and magnanimous, without any haze.
Opposite him, Todd was caught off guard by this overly brilliant smiling face, as if burned by a strong light. Her expression froze instantly, her slightly parted lips stiffened in a questioning arc, and her bright eyes were full of astonishment.
Re... refused? Bro really doesn't play by the rules.
"In the end... do I still have to bear everything?" Stelle slowly lowered her eyelids, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes. But the corners of her mouth seemed to be pulled by invisible threads, meticulously maintaining a just-right, slightly downward-pressed arc.
The sigh that escaped was dragged out long and light, as if wrapped in a layer of gauze, but a trace of nearly clear lingering sound hidden in the tail end revealed that slightly deliberate helplessness.
Seeing Stelle's extraordinary acting skills, Adrian felt she should be awarded the Best Actress in the Universe. It would be a pity if she didn't become a [Masked Fool].
"Uh haha... then what do you all think?" Todd threw the topic to the five members of the Release Guild.
"Woo, my little wolves... No! I disagree!"
"I have no opinion. After all... they really helped me find out about the Faunus Red-Haired Sheep."
"I disagree too! This person looks like she only knows how to kill and fight. How would she know the essence of [Release]?" Nannan opposed.
Hearing his opposition, Tonya retracted her opposition just now: "Shut up, mineral water man! Hmph, I agree to let her join, but I will be particularly strict with this guy."
"I... agree." Heathmann thought for a long time before giving an answer.
"Excellent! All three votes passed! I remember there's an initiation trial to join the [Release Guild], right? Why don't we discuss what kind of trial to arrange for Stelle this time?"