Arshe probably never expected her mother to appear here, bound hand and foot!
Arshe's younger sisters also felt uneasy when they saw their mother tied up and brought out by Lupusregina.
"What's going on?" Arshe asked Iri, looking at her with complete incomprehension.
"I'm sorry! I've implicated you all, bringing your mother here without permission. If I hadn't done this, I'm afraid…" Iri feigned a troubled expression.
"Could it be that the Blood Emperor has already made a move?" Hellank explained for Iri, so she didn't even need to say it herself.
"Yes, yesterday I secretly went back behind everyone's backs because I wanted to teach that scoundrel father of Arshe a lesson. But right after I slapped Arshe's father, guards burst in. To avoid further complications, I escaped first and then conveniently rescued Arshe's mother. As for her father, I couldn't do anything," Iri said, effectively shifting the blame onto the Blood Emperor.
That's what she said, but from the very beginning, Iri had planned to throw Arshe's mother to the Gulch Worm King as well.
However, after knocking out Arshe's scoundrel father, Iri found Arshe's mother in the mansion's bedroom. When she saw her, she was very afraid.
But Iri noticed the tear stains at the corners of Arshe's mother's eyes and her swollen eyes, clearly indicating she had cried.
Seeing this, Iri's heart softened. What mother in this world wouldn't be sad when separated from her children?
Thinking about it, in the original work, borrowing money and selling her daughters was only something Arshe's father did; it had nothing to do with her mother!
So… Iri abandoned her previous idea of throwing her to the Gulch Worm King and brought her to Karn Village instead. At least with her mother present, she could take care of Arshe's younger sisters, couldn't she?
"Oh… so that's it!" Arshe seemed to understand the reason for her mother's appearance here.
"Although it was my own decision, I think… it's better for children to have their mother by their side," Iri said, then gestured for Lupusregina to release her.
"I'm sorry… for doubting you. Thank you so much," Arshe understood Iri's good intentions and thanked her.
Arshe's younger sisters, seeing their mother released, also smiled and ran to her.
"Uh… Illy-dono…" Lupusregina walked over to Iri, her face full of incomprehension.
"What's wrong, Lupusregina-sister? Is there a problem?" Iri asked.
"Um, Illy-dono… I don't quite understand! Why are we keeping them?" Lupusregina lowered her voice and whispered into Iri's ear.
"It's very simple!" Iri turned her head to glance at Arshe's younger sisters, then gave Lupusregina a rather "cute" smile.
"Isn't it interesting when the peak of hope is followed by despair?" Iri said with a smile.
"As expected of Illy-dono!" Lupusregina's expression immediately brightened.
Of course… this was just a small trick to fool Lupusregina, the hidden sadist. Iri had no intention of doing anything to them.
"So! Lupusregina-sister, before despair arrives, I'll trouble you to look after them for me. Remember… they are my targets, so you can't make a move!" Iri said.
"Understood! Lupusregina will definitely take good care of them." Lupusregina immediately made a promise, so there were no problems on Lupusregina's side.
And so, the Four Strategists Squad settled down directly in Karn Village. Iri also continued to return to E-Rantel to gain prestige among the common people, and she often snuck back to Karn Village to see them, although her true purpose was just to play with Arshe's two younger sisters.
After the Four Strategists Squad rested for a few days in Karn Village, when Iri visited Karn Village again, Hellank expressed that he wanted to ask Iri to take them to E-Rantel to undertake some quests and earn some money. Iri, of course, had no reason to refuse.
It should be said that Iri's original intention in settling them in Karn Village was precisely this: to let them operate in E-Rantel, but this time not as Black Workers, but as regular Adventurers.
"Huh? Iri-meimei, aren't you joining the Adventurer's Guild?" Imina asked, puzzled, after receiving her iron plate at the counter.
"I have other things to do. Don't look at me like this, but my work is actually very busy," Iri replied.
At this moment, other Adventurers who came to turn in quests walked in. After seeing Iri at the counter, they all greeted her.
"Yo! Iri-meimei, are you interested in Adventurers again?"
"No, no, I'm just accompanying friends." Iri responded to each of them. Since she wanted to gain prestige, she naturally had to lower her stance.
However, interacting with these Adventurers was quite relaxing, much better than facing commoners who worshipped her like a deity.
"Friends, how nice… I wish I could be Iri-meimei's friend too!" Other Adventurers expressed various forms of envy, jealousy, and resentment. This made Hellank, Roba-uncle, and Arshe, who were standing there, feel a bit embarrassed.
The Four Strategists Squad had already been very, very suspicious of Iri's identity in E-Rantel. Seeing how popular Iri was here, they knew that the previously mentioned Yelantiel Holy Woman was definitely Iri.
"Then please, Captain, register!" The Counter Miss said to Hellank.
Hellank turned around and continued with the registration procedures, but when he wrote the team name and members at the end, Hellank wrote Iri's name.
"This…" The Counter Miss looked at Hellank, unsure of what to do.
Giving Hellank and his team iron plates directly was entirely out of consideration for Iri and Fei Fei. According to regulations, although they were indeed former Adventurers, they had withdrawn. If they returned, they would be treated like newcomers—all copper plates.
Moreover, the conditions for upgrading were stricter than before; this was considered a withdrawal penalty. However, now this team member even wrote down a member who wasn't even an Adventurer, which completely broke the rules.
"Is there a problem?" Hellank also noticed the Counter Miss's troubled expression.
"Your team member." The Counter Miss looked at Iri, who was still greeting and chatting with other Adventurers, and said with difficulty.
"Iri-meimei? Iri-meimei is indeed our fifth member!" Hellank said.
Hellank had a purpose in clinging to Iri. Hellank, of course, knew the Adventurer's Guild's regulations. With Iri-meimei personally bringing them to register, the Adventurer's Guild made an unprecedented exception and directly gave them iron plates, which clearly indicated how great Iri's prestige was here.
"Hellank, since there are five of us now, should we change the name to Five Strategists?" Imina interjected from the side.
"No need to change." Iri heard this and immediately turned her head to say.
"Isn't it common knowledge that the Four Heavenly Kings actually have five members?" Iri said, turning her head back.
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