Raine didnât really care about the other partyâs intention, but since there was this relationship involved, it would be a bit troublesome if he killed the two of them at this moment.
Fortunately, he had transformed into a Wild Boar People to kill them.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldnât suspect him, after all, so many Adventurers and travelers on the road witnessed it.
So, Raine shook his head slightly and stopped thinking about it.
...
At the entrance of Oak Village.
"Huh? Mr. Raine, youâre back so soon?" The Dwarf, Bruno, was a bit puzzled because it had only been about five minutes at most.
In that time, if it were him, he probably wouldnât have even figured out the basic plan, right?
After all, the opponent was not an ordinary person but an Adventurer whose Classes Level reached Level 3, with rich combat experience.
The same doubt was also apparent on the face of Mage Loren.
He glanced up and down at the Plate Armor on Raine, not a trace of blood or signs of battle.
"All done?" Reya blinked her beautiful eyes and asked.
"Yeah."
Raine nodded. He didnât explain anything but smiled and went to meet the villagers of Oak Village, like the village chief Kael, Uncle Gates, and the little girl Lisa.
Since this matter involved the Silver Battle Group, naturally, the fewer people who knew the details, the better.
"Brother Raine!" Lisa hugged Raine warmly.
"Lisa, youâve grown quite a bit." Raine chuckled, ruffling Lisaâs hair.
After some pleasantries and comforting, Raine said to Regina, "Regina, thank you this time, and what about your injuries?"
"Itâs nothing, Mr. Raine, just minor injuries. Mr. Loren and Mr. Bruno arrived very promptly."
Raine then thanked Loren and Bruno.
"Itâs what we should do, Mr. Raine," Mage Loren said with a smile.
"Um, Mr. Raine, we would like to become a subordinate squad under your team. Do you have anyone you could introduce to us?"
Originally, Mage Loren and Dwarf Bruno stayed in Mill Town, while recovering from their injuries, intending to join Raineâs squad after returning from the secret underground passage.
But judging from the strength Raine just displayed, they were almost certain that, as members, they wouldnât be able to help Raine much during adventures.
So, before Raine came back, they exchanged opinions and decided it was most appropriate to join as members of a subordinate squad.
"Of course, if not, itâs okay; we can recruit people ourselves," added Mage Loren.
Hearing Mage Lorenâs words, Raine was momentarily unsure how to handle it.
On one hand, he was busy improving his strength, and on the other hand, he lacked experience in this aspect.
Of course, he understood the concept of a battle group. Typically, as an Adventurer Squadâs strength reaches Silver Level or higher, handling preliminary matters like material searches and message inquiries is usually done by a subordinate squad.
Thatâs why many Silver Level squads are affiliated with the City Guard Silver Battle Group. Because backed by a few main members of a Silver Squad, in fact, there are nearly a hundred Adventurer Squads serving behind the scenes.
Upon hearing the two, Reyaâs beautiful eyes lit up, and she said with a smile, "Oh? You two esteemed ones, are you sure you want to become members of Raineâs subordinate squad?"
"Then why not join my squad?"
Most surprised by Reyaâs words was not anyone else but Raine.
"Reya, you..."
Reya smiled and said, "Raine, havenât you noticed? Your strength has increased too quickly. Though I consider myself talented and hold a Special Classes, even adventuring and training with you, I wonât be of much help."
"Actually, this way itâs not good for either of us."
"These past few days, Iâve been unsure how to bring this up. Nowâs just right, Mr. Loren and Mr. Brunoâs strength is similar to mine, and I think forming a team with us would be more suitable."
"Besides, since weâre referencing the form of a battle group, arenât we all members of one battle group?"
"This..." Raine appeared contemplative.
One had to say, Reya considered everything very thoroughly.
Especially Reyaâs phrase âreferencing the form of a battle group,â which intrigued Raine.
As he met more friends, the difference in strength levels became significant. If they were all in one squad, it would not be appropriate; instead, Reyaâs plan suited everyoneâs development better.
"But just the three of you might not be enough, right?" Raine asked in return.
"I plan to write to Chris and the others. I think even if they havenât advanced by now, they should be almost there," Reya said with a smile.
"Alright then!" Raine nodded.
...
Two days passed again quickly.
Just back at his base, Raine furrowed his brows, pondering some matters.
Over the past two days, there were mixed good and bad news.
The good news was, the secret passage to the Underdark he submitted was recognized by the association and rewarded with a substantial 4000 Gold Coins.
According to the association, if they hadnât confirmed that the Ancient Molten Earth Dragon had entered an active period, making the tunnelâs practical value relatively low for a while, Raineâs reward would at least have been above 5000 Gold.
However, Raine was already very pleased with this.
After all, at the beginning, Raine hadnât thought of submitting this secret passage. But considering the threat from the Talin Association and the awakening of the Ancient Molten Earth Dragon, he submitted it after all.