Merilda held her breath.
Then the Guild Master spoke the number.
"Five hundred million gold coins."
The room went silent.
Merilda's mouth dropped open.
Her eyes widened so much it looked like her soul almost left her body.
"F-five," she stuttered. "Five hundred million?!"
Lucivar, standing quietly with folded arms, tilted his head slightly.
He didn't react the same way.
But in his mind, a thought passed through calmly:
Is that too much?
I still don't understand the concept of money, but one thing I know from Heaven is that humans spend 98% of their lives chasing it.
So this must be a lot.
Merilda was still frozen, like her brain refused to accept the number.
The Guild Master smirked at her reaction.
"Merilda, relax. Close your mouth."
Merilda tried, but she couldn't.
The Guild Master leaned forward again.
"But listen carefully," he said. "That amount is not enough."
Merilda's eyes twitched.
The Guild Master raised his hand.
"I will increase the offer. I won't go lower than this."
He paused for effect.
"Six hundred million gold coins."
Merilda nearly collapsed.
"S-six hundred"
The receptionist gasped loudly.
The Guild Master nodded once.
"Take it."
Merilda's entire body trembled.
"Yes! Yes! Of course!" she said instantly, almost shouting. "But, but my party must wake up first. We all have to agree together."
The Guild Master waved his hand dismissively.
"Good. Fine. That's reasonable."
He smiled.
"You all will agree. No sane adventurer would reject this."
Merilda nodded repeatedly, still stunned.
Then she turned slowly toward Lucivar, her voice shaking.
"Lucivar"
He met her gaze.
"Do you think that price is okay?"
Lucivar stared at her for a moment, then nodded calmly.
"Yes," he said.
Merilda swallowed hard.
"Okay," she whispered.
And even though she was still shocked, deep down she knew one thing for sure
They didn't just survive.
They became rich beyond imagination.
"Wow, this is actually amazing," the Guild Master murmured, smirking as he leaned back in his chair.
"Hey, you guys can rest now," he said, standing and gesturing toward the adjoining room. "If you want, just go there and sleep. I'll wait a week to see your companions."
Lucivar and Merilda exchanged glances. Slowly, they stood, walking toward the room. The Guild Master's eyes lingered on Lucivar.
For real, he thought. That guy, he looks normal, but there's something off. I can't even sense his aura. Mary said he was the one, and she was right. If it weren't for him, no matter what we did with the Hydra, Merilda, she would have died.
He shook his head slightly. No human should survive being swallowed by a Hydra. Not just the venom, the body itself releases an acid so strong it melts anything instantly. Yet he survived.
As Lucivar and Merilda reached the door, the Guild Master silently watched them step out. The door closed behind them.
Merilda bent her head slightly toward Lucivar.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Lucivar raised an eyebrow. "And why are you thanking me?"
"Because, you're the reason we're still here. I wouldn't be standing here if you hadn't saved us. None of us would." Her voice was soft, but sincere. "Thank you for everything."
Lucivar's lips curved into a small smile as he gently tapped her shoulder.
"Please, raise your head."
Slowly, Merilda lifted her gaze. Lucivar stepped closer, placing a hand lightly on her jaw.
"It's fine. Don't thank me anymore."
Her face instantly turned bright red. She crossed her arms and looked down, trying to hide it.
Lucivar's expression softened, but a teasing glint lingered in his eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Merilda shook her head, murmuring, "Nothing."
They started walking forward together. A receptionist approached them, holding a set of clean clothes.