"Coming—just a moment."
Leon quickly pulled on the mage robe whose durability had already nearly bottomed out, then hid the sealed archive case away.
There was still an important document inside—he couldn't let it leak casually.
"Bisce, you can't show yourself in front of Brellita. Same rule as always—hide in my familiar ring first."
Just like the last time Leon met Brellita, he hadn't let Bisce appear.
Because Brellita's class—Holy Supplicant—had extremely strong perception for mysterious presences.
Leon didn't really mind people knowing he had a ghost familiar.
What he minded was the church discovering that Bisce had been a church cleric in life.
A wandering spirit's existence contradicted the Church of Astalia's doctrine of "worship in life, ascend to heaven in death."
As a former cleric, Bisce's very existence was a betrayal of that faith.
And with her shameless personality, it was hard not to wonder whether she'd already harbored betrayal in life—so after death she wasn't "received" by Astalia, but instead fell into a wandering spirit, drifting the mortal world.
"Got it."
Bisce pouted and slipped into Leon's familiar ring on his right hand.
Leon then wiped away the mana-drained runes on the floor and opened the door.
A tall, slender woman stood outside, wearing a common flax-colored outfit and a round sun hat with a veil that hid most of her face.
It was an ordinary capital-city disguise, yet even dressed like this, her figure still looked graceful and curvy.
And in the brief glimpse beneath the veil, her skin was strikingly pale.
She'd disguised herself thoroughly, but Brellita's unique charm still leaked through. Even dressed like this, she would draw eyes on the street.
"You've kept the Holy Maiden waiting. This is only a humble residence, with crude tea. To receive someone as eminent as you, Holy Maiden, makes me truly uneasy."
Leon smoothly delivered the standard reception lines used among capital nobles.
"Spare me the pleasantries. I came in ordinary clothes and without attendants—that means I'm not here to make things difficult for you. Arrange things as you like."
Brellita stepped inside.
After a quick glance around the room, her brows lifted.
"A very dense mana aura… Looks like you succeeded in advancing?"
"Your eye is sharp, Holy Maiden. I was fortunate—this dungeon expedition yielded a suitable advancement item."
"Excellent. With your tier, you're perfect as my adviser. One week from now, I'll bring a batch of paladin trainees into Oradu's 30th to 40th floors for training. Remember to come."
"Holy Maiden, I believe I haven't answered your invitation yet."
"I'm here to hear your answer."
Brellita pulled out a chair and sat down casually.
That calm composure—worthy of the Holy Maiden with the highest prestige in the church.
"Leon. Tell me—what do you want? What do you think I can offer? As long as you're willing to become my adviser, I can do it."
Leon smiled.
He already intended to accept—partly because of the two tasks attached to Brellita.
But under what terms he accepted was worth negotiating.
"I'll be direct, Holy Maiden. I understand you have grand ambitions—and by coincidence, I have my own."
By "ambitions," he really meant: survive safely to the true ending.
Of course, if he could ascend to godhood along the way, even better.
"If you had no desires at all, I'd be worried," Brellita said.
She removed her sun hat, and her long, beautiful eyes met Leon's.
Leon dragged another chair over and sat opposite her.
"First, I have my own affairs. I can't be at your beck and call to provide counsel."
"No problem. I only need your insight at critical moments. We can agree schedules in advance."
"Second, payment. I want per-case valuation, not a fixed salary. For example, when your projects generate major profit, I want profit-sharing rights—not just a wage."
"Profit-sharing?" Brellita asked. "What percentage do you want?"
"Depends on how much I contribute and how much value I provide," Leon said. "The Holy Maiden can judge accordingly, yes?"
"Interesting. So you want to test whether I truly value you?"
"I wouldn't dare."
"Fine. I accept." Brellita nodded. "I can promise this: in any profitable undertaking you participate in—regardless of how much you participate—I will give you a minimum guaranteed 5% share."
"Excellent. Holy Maiden, you truly are someone who does great things."
Leon praised her—because that kind of number was either the confidence of a power player, or the boldness of a con artist.
"Lastly, I want the Holy Maiden to regularly provide me all reports related to the Northern Forest."
"Oh?" Brellita asked. "Why specifically that intelligence? I thought you'd request secret advancement knowledge."
"Secret knowledge isn't something an outsider like me can easily obtain," Leon replied. "So Northern Forest intelligence is better."
"Why there?"
"You misunderstand, Holy Maiden." Leon said. "It's not that I only want Northern Forest intelligence. I care about any special region that can breed monsters. It's just that the Northern Forest is your main territory, so I believe your channels can provide enough information."
"I see," Brellita said, and her gaze softened with approval. "So that's your ambition. I understand. It deserves praise. I once had a similar ambition—unfortunately…"
In her mind, Brellita pictured her own former dream of wandering every monster forbidden zone and dungeon alone, blade in hand. She looked at Leon with more recognition.
Leon didn't know the exact scene she imagined. He replied,
"That's one part of it. By the way—can I bring Iris to the training in a week?"
Bring Iris?
Their relationship had advanced far enough that he didn't even need to ask her before arranging her schedule?
The approval in Brellita's eyes withdrew, replaced by a calm smile.
"Of course she's welcome. If you can make Iris fall for you, that's the best short-term news I've heard. I'll give you two a push and help you marry."
Leon froze. Help us marry?
This Holy Maiden really did want to bundle Iris into her camp—buy one get one.
And she had a lot of confidence in him.
Still, Leon felt there was something beneath her words. That wasn't her real intent.
He wanted Iris along mainly to increase his own bargaining power.
If he remembered correctly, whether Brellita's training operation succeeded would determine who won the opening storyline Paladin Selection—her, or the main heroine.
That would also determine the future direction of the main plot: royal authority overpowering divine authority, or divine authority ruling royal authority.
Different routes would trigger different chain reactions—massively affecting Leon's long-term layout.
Leon also planned to use the trainees' manpower to retrieve another key item on the 38th floor—one that would advance his Phantom Walker class.
He'd originally planned to go after two more dungeon runs with Iris, but if he could leverage Brellita's resources now, he absolutely would—and push Phantom Walker to third tier sooner.
He also had some ideas about how to train the Trickster class. This trainee group would be perfect for testing.
Before Brellita left, Leon thought for a moment and asked:
"One last question, Holy Maiden."
"What?"
"Why did you choose me? What decisive factor made you pick me among your candidates?"
"If I must say," Brellita replied flatly, "it's because you're the only man who has exchanged more than ten sentences with Iris and earned enough of her trust. As far as I know, since the so-called 'most beautiful elf' arrived in the capital, no one has managed that—and no one has ever entered a dungeon alone with her."
Leon went silent. So his "tactica"—his progress with Iris—had made him stand out and raised Brellita's expectations.
He hadn't realized Iris's coldness was that famously notorious in capital circles.
But if Brellita's initial impression of him was tied to Iris, wouldn't that make future persuasion harder?
On the other hand, the good news was that Brellita's first and second impressions of him were indeed deep.
…
That evening.
After sending Brellita off—
"I already left the meetup message at Iris's residence," Bisce yawned.
As a third-tier wandering spirit, she could pass through walls and had high mobility through obstacles.
Once at Iris's place, she could leave a mana-written message—extremely convenient.
Her combat power was lacking, but for errands, she was perfect.
"Good. Thanks." Leon said. "I'll buy you something to strengthen your soul power later, so you can return to fourth tier sooner."
"Seriously, you're amazing," Bisce teased. "You just met the Holy Maiden at home, and now you're inviting the elf to your house right after. You're a master of time management!"
Leon was speechless.
This shameless ghost really could twist even normal things into something perverted.
"Don't cause trouble when Iris comes," Leon warned. "I still need to understand how Iris views the Holy Maiden."
"Relax. Your loyal familiar has never failed you at crucial moments!"
Bisce swore confidently.
And right then—
Knock knock.
The door sounded.
"Leon, I saw the message your familiar left."
It was Iris.
She moved that fast?
Leon looked at Bisce.
"Don't look at me," Bisce said. "I only just delivered the message. She was probably already waiting for you and rushed over immediately."