amaotonovel Chapter 264 [Empire] Nightingale
Chapter 264 [Empire] Nightingale
Although the burly man finally helped me register my information, I was a little frustrated that junior mercenaries could only choose junior tasks, and the options on the task list were far from my original goal.
Most of them are trivial, low-risk chores, such as moving cargo, cleaning abandoned bases, and even looking after pets and hauling garbage.
I was gritting my teeth as I flipped through the tasks when I could hear the burly man muttering in a low voice: "New human male, exotic beast breeder, this kid is quite interesting." His voice was filled with a strong sense of disapproval and a teasing tone that ignited other people's emotions.
"Tsk, you're really a minor." He glanced at me again, raised his eyebrows, and his tone seemed to be mocking, but also like confirming some fact.
I couldn't help but take a deep breath, suppressing my inner irritation and continuing to flip through the task list.
Seeing that I ignored him, the burly man raised his lips slightly, seeming to be enjoying himself. He leaned one hand on the counter, watching me pick tasks, and continued to mutter, "Tsk tsk, even raising exotic beasts... I wonder what this kid can afford to raise, and whether he can keep it."
I raised my head and gave him a cold glance: "You're too concerned. Now that you've registered, you should shut up."
The burly man was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Good guy, you're pretty tough. Okay, kid, since you're quite interesting, I won't bother with you today." As he said that, he shrugged his shoulders, leaned back lazily behind the counter, and finally calmed down.
I continued to stare at the list and ignored him, secretly swearing in my heart that one day, I would get rid of this "primary task".
Just as I tried to ignore the burly man's taunts and continue studying the list, the man who had been observing me took a well-timed step forward. He bowed slightly, his demeanor as a gentleman, giving him an unexpected elegance. His movements were clean and precise, without any unnecessary effort, making him seem completely out of place in this street.
"Codename Nightingale, senior mercenary." His voice was low and steady, with a slightly disarming charm. He looked up at me, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I have a mid-level mercenary team under my command. If you're willing to join us, you can take on mid-level missions as a team."
I paused, quickly assessing him. Though he didn't appear young, his demeanor and gaze were incredibly sharp, clearly someone who'd experienced many ups and downs. His proposal sounded reasonable, but I wasn't entirely sure of his intentions.
"Intermediate mission?" I raised my eyebrows and glanced at him, my tone tentative. "That sounds like a good choice. But why would you invite me, a newly registered junior mercenary?"
Nightingale smiled and put on a calm demeanor. "Because I think you have potential. Newcomers like you are rare. Especially that move you just made... the strength you used to squeeze your fists with it, that's not something an ordinary person can do." He paused, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes. "Besides, I always like to discover interesting people."
His gaze didn't waver at all, which made me feel like he wasn't lying. However, my intuition told me that this kind of person wouldn't approach someone easily, let alone casually extend such an invitation.
"Sounds good, but it's too sudden." I said cautiously, "Are you sure this isn't just some random trick to recruit people? Intermediate missions are no joke."
Nightingale smiled faintly and crossed her arms: "Of course I'm not just recruiting anyone. I never look at people casually - my team needs capable people, not burdens."
His answer was crisp and clear, no nonsense at all. This touched my heart, but I remained wary. This world never gives anything away easily, especially in a place like this.
"Perhaps you could take a look at the individual mercenary rankings here," Nightingale said casually, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather. His eyes then flicked to the light screen beside him, motioning for me to look over there.
Following his gaze, I saw the leaderboard, which displayed the list of high-ranking mercenaries. Nightingale's name was prominently listed fourth, hard to ignore.
At some point, the hall, once buzzing with conversation, fell eerily silent. Everyone present seemed to hold their breath, their gazes averted or furtively glancing at him, but no one spoke. Their silence made me realize that this name might hold extraordinary weight.
I don't know what this silence means, but my intuition tells me that it is more deterrent than any noise.
Nightingale noticed my gaze and smiled, his expression composed. "See? That's me." His tone was casual, as if this honor was just a trivial matter in life, not worth mentioning. But the more he spoke, the more I felt that his strength was definitely not just due to luck.
"So," his gaze fell on me again, with a hint of meaning, "Do you still think I'm just randomly recruiting people?"
I didn't answer immediately, but stared at the screen, trying to digest the information. Only then did I realize that his invitation wasn't just an opportunity...but did I have the leverage?
"I can consider it," I said slowly, my eyes locked on his face, "but before I join, I need to know more about your team and your purpose."
Nightingale's smile deepened, as if he was very satisfied with my caution: "Okay, I have time." After he said that, he turned sideways and made a "please" gesture, obviously intending to have a good chat with me.
He did not rush to give more answers, but guided me to follow him out of the noisy mission area and walk deeper into the streets.
He led me through the alley to a place that was clearly out of place. It was a rather conspicuous restaurant, with a dimly lit sign hanging above the doorway. It bore a simple symbol: no name, just a seemingly meaningless geometric pattern. The restaurant's exterior looked a bit dated, but the glass windows revealed a surprisingly elegant ambiance within, a stark contrast to the rest of the alley.
Nightingale pushed open the door, and a warm breeze mixed with a faint woody fragrance hit her face, forming a sharp contrast with the streets outside. The restaurant's interior wasn't luxurious, but elegant enough. The wooden tables and chairs and soft lighting created a comfortable atmosphere that made people relax, but not completely let down their guard.
He walked straight to a table in the corner, which had a wide view but was not conspicuous. His movements were unhurried, as if he was very familiar with the environment.
"Please sit down." Nightingale pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit down.