My job list is full of alien girls.

Chapter 21 No need for all that trouble, just pay up.

"But I want it too," Rhodes said.

"You probably don't need this, do you?"

Milan looked him up and down, her eyes unconsciously revealing the scrutiny and arrogance of a mage.

She admitted that the ranger in front of her was indeed somewhat skilled, but for a ranger who spent his days scrambling in the forest, knowing how to draw a bow and shoot arrows and hunt monsters was enough.

What good would it do to give him these mineral fragments containing unknown energy?

Researching magical materials, which requires profound knowledge and skills, is something completely outside their purview.

"This thing seems really amazing; I'd like to take it back and study it." Rhodes tilted his head, as if asking, "Is there something wrong with it?"

Do you really want it if you don't understand the research?

Milan thought to herself, "Normally, I would have already snapped back."

A savage hunter who can barely read a few words is not only inferior to a noble profession like a mage, but might even be worse than a group of warlocks who rely on talent and selling their buttocks.

He dares to call this research? What if he just swallows this stone like a treasure? If something goes wrong, she'll have to clean up his mess.

However, out of consideration for the previous life-saving grace and the help along the way, they were reluctant to tell him the cruel reality directly.

"Hmm..." Milan rubbed her temples with a headache, subconsciously looking around to find an excuse to persuade the other party.

"Lord Hiro, here you go."

Seeing that the two suddenly fell silent, Susanna quietly stepped forward and handed the two empty bottles of healing potion back to Rod.

She carefully wiped the stains off the bottle, and remembering the miraculous effects of the two bottles of medicine, she couldn't help but whisper:

"Mr. Hiro's potion is really amazing... Those two children were almost dying just now, but after drinking it, their breathing became much more stable."

Upon hearing this, Milan abruptly stopped, then took one of them from Susanna's hand and, ignoring her questions, began to examine it on her own.

Looking at the few drops of medicine clinging to the bottle, Milan suddenly remembered that the wandering knight had casually pulled out two bottles of decent healing potion and unhesitatingly fed them to two ordinary boys he didn't know...

Although healing potions are not as precious and convenient as those from priests, they are still valuable items and are not easy to obtain in a small place like Misty City.

Not to mention adventurers like him, who can pull it out without even blinking.

Could it be... that he really knows how to make potions?

For the first time, such a thought crossed Milan's mind.

She couldn't believe that a wandering knight from a small town could be so versatile, skilled in both literature and martial arts.

But reason told her that if she hadn't made it herself, no one would be so generous as to use the precious healing potion on ordinary people.

What picture?

For a moment, her gaze toward Rhodes became complex, containing suspicion, curiosity, and... admiration.

"Can you give it back to me?" Rod asked, reaching out to Milan. "I need to take it back."

The bottle looks like it can be reused; he has to take it back to Father Galen.

But Milan interpreted this action differently, which only confirmed his identity as a pharmacist.

But then she encountered another problem.

She came to the remote Misty City on a secret mission from the academy to conduct research.

The energy fluctuations emitted by that stalactite were so peculiar that they clearly led to a crucial clue. She had to take it back and study it carefully in order to complete her mission.

"Give."

After a long while, Milan seemed to have made up his mind, handing the bottle back to Rodríguez as he spoke:

"Well then, this stalactite is really important to my research, so I can't give it to you. But I can compensate you with something else."

"Hmm?" Rod looked at her in confusion.

"In exchange, I can give you a magical item."

Milan paused, then, considering the immeasurable value of this item and that the other party, as a pharmacist, would likely not easily relinquish it, added:

"And if I discover anything from this stone, I'll share it with you immediately, how about that?"

Rhodes stroked his chin, deep in thought.

He originally intended to go back and study it with Father Galen; even if it was useless, it would be nice to bring it back as a souvenir.

However, Milan offered very attractive terms and promised to share the research results, so it's a win-win situation.

"Can."

Rod quickly nodded and readily agreed.

Seeing that he agreed, Milan finally felt relieved and a relaxed smile appeared on her face.

She then took out a dark green ring, engraved with intricate vine patterns, which looked very exquisite.

"This is the [Ring of Nature]. Wearing it will enhance your perception of your surroundings, allowing you to better conceal yourself. It can also dispel the hostility of low-level monsters to some extent, making it very useful for a ranger like you who frequently roams the forest."

"Thank you." Rhodes nodded and accepted it.

Seeing that he had no objection, Milan put away the crystal bottle and carefully placed it in her bosom, as if it were some rare treasure.

"Shouldn't we go back?" Susanna asked with a sigh of relief as she watched the two finish their peaceful conversation.

"What should we do about this?" Rod asked, pointing to the murky, greenish breeding pond next to them.

The others were taken aback upon hearing this.

Mentioning the breeding pond, the expressions on everyone's faces unconsciously turned serious.

"Let us destroy this evil place completely!"

Don Quixote, who had been silent all along, suddenly shouted and drew his greatsword from his waist with a "whoosh," the blade flashing a dazzling light in the dim cave.

"Bury this hell completely!"

She had wanted to do this when she dealt with the goblin cubs and the dying female beasts, but Milan stopped her and told her not to do anything unnecessary.

"Theoretically speaking, without an energy source, the remaining diluted energy in these pools will soon be absorbed by the surrounding plants."

Milan glanced at the lush vegetation beside her and said.

"But if we leave it unchecked, it might cause even more trouble," Rhodes said, looking at her. "Without the goblins' dominance, it might attract other monsters."

"Yes," Susanna hesitated, "if another group of monsters were to be born..."

"Then what are we waiting for! Watch me cleave it in two with one sword!" Don Quixote said, charging forward with his greatsword swung with tremendous force.

"Stop!" Milan grabbed her by the back of her collar with lightning speed, almost causing her to fall to the ground.

"What an idiot! You'll never be able to destroy it with that sword!" She steadied herself, unable to hold back her anger as she cursed Don Quixote, then glanced at Rhodes beside her, suppressing her rage as she spoke.

"You all stand back, I'm going to burn this whole place down."

Purple magic gathered at the tip of the staff, quickly forming a fireball the size of a fist. The intense heat caused the surrounding air to distort, and even the grass and trees on the walls curled slightly.

[Explosive Flame Spell]

With a powerful swing from Milan, the fireball, trailing a blazing tail, slammed precisely into the wicked breeding ground.

"boom--!"

A deafening roar erupted, and scorching flames instantly engulfed the entire pool.

The green pool water boiled and evaporated wildly under the high temperature, making a sizzling sound. The air was filled with a strange smell of burnt and fishy stench, which made Susanna cover her nose.

The rotting flesh and blood floating on the water, the corpses of goblin cubs, and the rampant vines and vegetation all turned to ashes in the flames.

"Is this the power of a mage...?" Rhodes murmured softly as he stood to the side.

"Are you envious of such power?" Alina suddenly asked from within the consciousness space.

"yes."

Upon hearing Rod's reply, she fell silent again, having remained quiet for a long time.

Within the space of consciousness, Alina kept observing Rhode's every move.

Having gone through the entire battle with Rhodes, she suddenly realized that Rhodes seemed more like the stereotypical elf than she, a half-elf.

Calm, composed, and with an unhurried demeanor in the face of danger, he was just like those noble elven hunters.

This situation made her feel anxious.

She can still demonstrate her value by being with him.

But what if he finds powerful partners like the Milan trio?

What about a fusion partner that is more powerful and stronger than oneself?

Then it seems like I'm completely useless...

By then, will Rhodes no longer want her?

Milan breathed a sigh of relief only after the flames in the pool gradually died down and the once bubbling green pool turned into a scorched wasteland, with not a trace of moisture left.

He dusted off his hands, turned around and picked up the two unconscious boys on the ground, one in each hand.

The group carefully made their way back out of the cave.

The cave was still dark and damp, and the bones underfoot made a crisp "crackling" sound, which sent chills down one's spine.

The group emerged from the cave one after another, and the glaring sunlight outside made them squint.

Fresh air rushed into their nostrils, dispelling the nauseating stench in the cave and allowing everyone to breathe a long sigh of relief.

"Finally out!" Don Quixote stretched lazily, his armor clanking. "The air outside is so much better! I never want to come back to that awful place again!"

Susanna looked up at the sky. The sun was already setting, and the golden afterglow bathed the forest, giving everything a warm glow.

"It's getting late, let's hurry and get them back to the village before heading back to Misty City," Milan said anxiously.

She couldn't wait to find a quiet place to study the results of this trip.

The closer you get to the village, the more oppressive the air becomes.

From afar, they could see a large, dark mass of people standing under the watchtower at the village entrance.

The old village chief leaned on his cane, his back even more hunched than in the morning. His gray hair was disheveled by the wind, and his cloudy eyes were sunken and bloodshot.

He has been standing here ever since Rhodes and his group left, waiting for their heroes to return.

They know better than anyone what goblins are like.

There has never been a case of a child captured by goblins returning alive.

Although they had long since given up hope, they still hoped to see Rhodes and the others return safely.

Still clinging to the last sliver of unrealistic hope, they wait to retrieve the children's remains and see them one last time.

"Grandpa Village Chief! Look!"

A sharp-eyed child suddenly screamed and pointed in the direction of the forest.

Everyone suddenly looked up and followed the direction he was pointing.

Four figures emerged from the forest, each carrying two small figures on their shoulders.

"It's...it's Lord Hiro and the others!"

"And the children! Those two children!"

The crowd erupted in chaos.

The old village chief shuddered, and his cane fell to the ground with a clatter.

He staggered forward a couple of steps and almost fell, but luckily a villager nearby caught him.

Two women rushed over like madwomen, not even caring that they had lost their shoes.

Seeing Rod put the boy down from his shoulder, they immediately rushed over, hugged their children tightly, and cried their hearts out.

When they felt the warm rise and fall of their child's chest, they were so excited they almost fainted.

"Alive...really alive..."

"Thank you... thank you all... thank you for saving my child..."

The old village chief walked shakily to the group, and looking at the two children who, though weak, were indeed alive, he finally couldn't hold back his tears. He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily to Rhodes and the others.

"Our benefactors! We will never forget your immense kindness and virtue!"

The other villagers also knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to them in gratitude.

"Get up, get up!" Don Quixote hurriedly rushed to help the old village chief. "Helping the weak and oppressed is a knight's duty! It's what we should do!"

"Yes, Grandpa Village Chief, please get up." Susanna, her eyes also red, reached out to help the woman beside her up. "We just did what we could."

Milan frowned and waved her hand impatiently: "Alright, alright, stop with the formalities. We've brought the person back to you. If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving now."

She had no interest in wasting time with a bunch of villagers; her research was waiting for her.

The old village chief quickly stood up, wiped the tears from his face, and solemnly said, "My benefactors, we can never repay this kindness in our lifetime!"

"From now on, you will be the most honored guests in our village! Whatever you need, we will do our utmost to help you, even if it means going through fire and water!"

"Yes, yes!" the villagers chimed in. "From now on, Lord Hiro, whenever you come to the village, we'll provide you with food and lodging! Just tell us what you want!"

Don Quixote beamed with joy, and Susanna also smiled gently.

Milan was about to say "No need" when he heard Rod speak up.

"No need for all that trouble, just pay up," Rhodes said earnestly, stroking his chin. "Ten silver coins per person, twenty silver coins in total."

The moment the words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent.