Chapter 817: Move Out
The next day.
"Have we gotten everything?" Clovis asked.
Melody nodded. "Yeah. I have prepared the routes. All the information within the routes has been put in, so you can cross-check with the plan."
Clovis examined the map for a moment before nodding his head. "Sounds like a good plan. We can proceed with it."
"So, why am I a bus driver now, guys?" Hana asked.
"Well, you’re going to bring the bus back later. Although people know Reolf, I don’t want to make a big scene yet." Clovis patted Hana’s shoulder.
"That’s true, but..." Hana glanced back. Reolf was sitting on the floor with Rin hugging and stroking him the whole time. "Is this the first time she’s seen Reolf?"
"Yeah." Clovis smiled wryly. Even though they had a cooperative relationship, he never brought Reolf with him.
Of course, Reolf was already aware of Rin, considering Clovis asked Rin to cook something for Reolf.
"We are about to arrive. I can see them from here." Hana pointed forward. "By the way, how many days is this going to take?"
"I don’t know. Do you need to return?"
"No. I have already planned to leave my company for one month. Since I don’t have anything to do, I might visit a few more countries to establish an agreement."
"Sure. You can do that. I will take care of the return." Clovis nodded.
"All right then." Hana agreed. She stopped next to the Three Swords. The rest of the group exited the bus one by one.
"Thank you. Be careful on the way back. If you have any trouble..."
"Can you do something about it?" Hana smiled.
"I will see what I can do, but I can’t promise I can do anything while doing this mission." Clovis shrugged.
"Hahaha. Don’t worry. I have been doing business ever since I was 7." Hana chuckled before grabbing Clovis’ collar and pulling him so that she could plant a kiss. She then winked playfully. "You too. Be careful! If you are hurt, I’m going to ask you to pay for messing with my mental health."
Clovis laughed. "I guess I have to be extra careful."
"Mhmm. See you soon."
"Yeah, see you soon." Clovis waved his hand and exited the bus. Hana just waved her hand through the windows, saying goodbye to everyone else before driving back.
When Clovis was able to see the entire group, he could see the excited gaze of the Three Swords. They finally saw Reolf in the flesh.
Some of them wanted to touch him, while some didn’t hesitate to take a picture.
"Welcome, Clovis." Eid extended his hand.
"Thank you. I hope I’m not late." Clovis shook his hand.
"We’ve just arrived. Don’t worry." Eid nodded before turning his gaze to Reolf. "Still, so this is your dire wolf."
"Yeah. His name is Reolf." Clovis nodded. "Since he is not counted as a human, it means he can be a part of the expedition."
"Indeed. Besides, it looks intelligent even from here."
"As long as you don’t hurt him, he won’t do anything to you. Besides, his instinct is sharp. Combined with people with the Brain Affinity, we should be able to advance quickly."
Eid shook his head. "Well, the journey is still going to be an arduous one. According to my master, it won’t be weird to see a couple of Tier 6 beasts or even stronger at the same time. Or you might find a massive herd of beasts.
"This is one of the most dangerous places in the country, so it’s to be expected. Besides, our target is beyond the tower’s protection, so that means the beasts we will face will retain all their strength."
"All right. So, who is going to be in charge of the protection of our two VIPs?"
"Let’s see. How about we split it as usual? You take care of your person, and I will take care of mine."
"Sounds good to me." Clovis nodded. "Have you seen the route?"
"Yeah. I have reviewed it, and there’s no problem on my part. I have told them about your being the group leader, which understandably not everyone likes."
"Considering you are the one bringing three Tier 7 humans, it’s obvious they don’t like it. So, why not take it from me?" Clovis grinned.
"No way." Eid shrugged. "Either way, my people will be at your disposal. Order us as you see fit, but remember that they are humans. No one likes to be cannon fodder. Besides, all of them are the elite of our Three Swords."
"I understand that. I have reviewed your group. Looks like Nart will be in Group 1 with a single Tier 7, while you will be in Group 2 with the other two Tier 7 humans. All of them are pretty balanced.
"One ranged hitter, two vanguards, one guardian, and one all-rounder."
"Yeah. You, on the other hand, dedicate the entire Group 1 to be the vanguard and Group 2 to be the attacker."
"Pretty much. We have to take care of the utility after all." Clovis shrugged. "Anything you want to say before we begin our trip?"
"One thing." Eid raised one finger. "The opponents this time haven’t shown up. So, I’m assuming that they are watching our movements and waiting for us to make a move first. We have to be extra careful."
Clovis nodded. "All right." Clovis raised his hand and declared out loud. "Let’s move out! Also, Rin, are you going to stay on top of Reolf the entire time?"
Rin was riding Reolf the whole time. She had changed her outfits with a bow and a few quivers on her back. Rin waved her hand and said, "Can I? I mean, I use a bow. I can always provide support if necessary."
"Your butt is going to hurt."
"Reolf’s fur is thick enough. Don’t worry."
Clovis shook his head helplessly as he walked with the crowd.
...
Inside the underworld base, a middle-aged man entered a secluded room filled with 19 people. He nodded his head. "I have seen both the Three Swords and the Libation Fiesta coming out of the city. They’re going. It’s time for us to move out."