Chapter 50: Bragging is risky, cannon fodder needs to be cautious

As a loyalist of the Nine Gods, it's rare for someone to be persuaded to defect. But for someone as proud and righteous as Karida to attempt to persuade a loyalist of the Nine Gods Empire, that’s even rarer. This person must have something extraordinary about them—it must be their talent in potion-making.

Karida is short on money, constantly filling the bottomless pit that is runes. That's no secret.

"Things are getting interesting," Clara licked her lips. She enjoyed exciting things, and this was the first time she had encountered such a strange situation.

"Go and hand over the goods to him, and give him an extra gold card," Clara said.

"Yes! Does Your Highness have any other orders?"

"Orders?" Clara laughed, blowing out a string of bubbles, watching the respectful sea lion below. She changed her position to lie on her side: "Hey, did you just sneak a peek at my legs? Were they nice to look at?"

Her seductive voice was comparable to that of a siren, filled with a heavy allure. Even the sea lion, who was always by her side, couldn't help but feel dizzy and entranced, subconsciously saying, "Y-yes, they were beautiful..."

But as soon as he spoke, Soraka felt the temperature in the hall drop dramatically. The two sharp gazes from above seemed ready to tear him apart!

Soraka fell to his knees, trembling on the ground, drenched in sweat: "I was presumptuous, please punish me, Your Highness!"

The cold around him didn't dissipate, and the piercing gaze almost made him lose control of his bladder. The mermaid laughed heartily, "Get lost."

The sea lion, relieved, scrambled away.

Lying lazily, Clara was a bit puzzled. Had her charm decreased? Why did her intentional seduction not work on that human at all?

This was a technique of the mermaids. Humans were strange creatures; when serious, they could be terrifying, yet they had very poor control over their instincts. A small trick could easily expose their true nature. This Wang Feng had some skills.

...

Soraka didn't keep Wang Feng waiting long.

Frankly speaking, not driving down the price wasn't typical of Miss Clara's usual style, regardless of the value of the formula itself.

Soraka knew the princess well. This wasn't just a business transaction. On this point, he agreed entirely with his master. It wasn't because he found the man amusing or because he threatened her with Karida.

If one set aside the previous impression of this loyalist, based solely on Wang Feng's performance earlier, his extraordinary demeanor and the confidence he displayed before Princess Clara weren't faked.

As a former loyalist of the Nine Gods, being able to switch between two personalities and identities so quickly, even earning Karida's respect enough to try to persuade him, indicated that this person definitely had secrets.

The nine-day contract was quickly drafted, signed, and exchanged, following the system established by the Supreme Saint years ago.

"Gathering the materials might take some time, but not too long. Within a week, I'll send everything to Mr. Wang Feng's residence. You can come pick up the certification then."

Soraka returned the certification from the Alchemists' Guild, smiling as he handed over a golden card with a beautifully embedded golden shell in the center: "This is a VIP card from the Jinbeibei Trading Company. It has five thousand lios deposited for Mr. Wang Feng. You can get an eight percent discount on any purchases at our auction house and withdraw cash anytime. It's a small gift. Miss Clara said you're welcome to visit the Jinbeibei Trading Company anytime."

Bargaining fiercely during negotiations, but generous after the deal, it showed a bit of the sea race's grandeur.

The sea race had been doing business in the human world for a long time, and their reputation was reliable.

With the business done, even the materials for the teleportation array were secured.

And getting a few thousand lios as pocket money, Old Wang was clearly delighted. "Thank you, Your Highness Clara!"

Old Wang wasn't greedy. He was content with this result, which meant he was getting closer to teleportation. When he returned, he would make an NPC based on Clara, so he could train his will whenever he was bored...

It was the most uncomfortable time of the month again.

Old Wang dressed warmly, wrapped like a shrimp ball, feeling empty, lonely, and cold... Well, mostly to be more resilient.

After all, he had done quite a lot under that demon woman's name. The auction house aside, the fight at the dance had stirred up rumors throughout the school. Old Wang thought today would be hard to get through, wondering if it would be a solo match with Karida or a mixed doubles with Blue Sky.

He had to be prepared.

They met in the office. Seeing the teachers passing by in the corridor gave Old Wang a sense of security as he entered the room.

Karida was focused on signing documents. Old Wang stood respectfully to the side, wearing a standard professional smile, like a waiter awaiting orders.

To be honest, Karida was truly an art piece when she was calm, completely different from those seductive mermaids. If only she were weak...

Unfortunately, only those who had experienced her "intimate contact" understood the cruel heart beneath that harmless face. She was a real killer, and not being paralyzed by her was already a blessing.

While lost in thought, Karida finally stopped writing. She picked up the warm cup of tea and asked casually, "Have your distant friends contacted you recently?"

Caught off guard, Old Wang paused, then reacted quickly: "Friends from afar, though far, must be dealt with! Don't worry, Your Excellency, I know how to handle it!"

Though it was a serious topic, coming from him, it sounded different. Karida couldn't help but chuckle but quickly regained her composure.

This kid was slippery; he couldn't be given too much leeway, or he'd be hard to control.

To be honest, his recent performance was acceptable.

Expanding the orc program faced opposition from many within the academy, including the Martial Dao Courtyard's Dean Damo and Vice Principal Sun Jinyan. Luo Lan from the Student Council was Damo's disciple.

After Wang Feng stood up for the orcs and used her name to assert himself, it wasn't just about disciplining Luo Lan but also the old men behind him. In recent high-level meetings, those old men had indeed quieted down, thanks to this kid.

That was why Karida turned a blind eye to his actions. Otherwise, anyone using her name to deceive others would have been dealt with harshly.

Even a rogue could be useful if placed correctly.

Karida blew the foam off her tea and took a sip, saying calmly, "At last week's costume party at the Martial Dao Courtyard, protecting the orcs was well done."

Old Wang instantly relaxed. From her tone, there wouldn't be any trouble today.

"Your Excellency flatters me. These are my duties!" Old Wang said earnestly: "Even if it weren't your order, orcs are still people. Bullying and trampling them is the way of the devilish Nine Gods Empire. As members of the Holy Light and the great League of Blades, we cannot hold outdated views. I believe in the teachings of the Supreme Saint and Principal Karida: everyone on the Nine Heavens Continent is born equal!"

"I was worried you'd resist, but now it seems teaming up with two orcs hasn't been a burden," Karida smiled, pleased.

"How could it be a burden!" Old Wang exclaimed passionately: "Since teaming up, I've treated the orcs like brothers, caring for and loving them. This experience has shown me the virtues they possess—bravery, simplicity, sincerity, and dedication. These qualities are what our students need to learn. I've completely changed my view on orcs and consider them as close as brothers. I believe others will eventually understand Principal Karida's intentions!"

"So, do you think orcs are malleable?"

Old Wang nodded subconsciously. "Existence itself is reasonable."

Karida smiled. "Very good. I was worried this task might be too difficult, but since you have such confidence in the orcs, I can entrust it to you with peace of mind."

Karida didn't give Old Wang any chance to divert the conversation and directly said, "For the final assessment, your team must pass, and the performance of the orcs must exceed the average level. Everyone needs to see their progress, do you understand!"

Old Wang's body trembled, what???

The point system is designed to eliminate a large number of people, so the difficulty of the assessment will certainly be high. For someone like Kela and Wu Di, who only have brute strength, they might be fine in a bar fight, but an exam? They're doomed no matter what.

I'm not taking this responsibility!

"Cough, cough, ma'am, look, I'm just a bug type, decent at brewing potions, but everything else is trash. Even back in the evil Nine Serpents, I was just a low-level cannon fodder. You're giving me too much credit; I'm just cheerleader material." Old Wang hastily waved his hands. Damn, he really had a loose tongue; next time, he needed to be more restrained when boasting.

Karida's smile gradually froze.