"So, what are your assessments?" Hana asked Richard and Reyes.
The first one to step forward was Reyes. He said, "To be honest, I’m quite shocked. First of all, they were able to kill a Tier 3 ape so quickly. While I could say their method was rather dangerous, it was pretty effective.
"By sacrificing themselves, they managed to put those beasts in a position where their fate was sealed. It seemed that they had gotten used to such a tactic… probably they were quite confident in their skill or defense.
"Then, it was more amazing that they managed to get a careful plan and execute it perfectly. Their field of vision was quite large, which allowed them to see the conditions of the people in the area.
"In conclusion, their performance leaves nothing to be desired. Their fighting skills alone are rare, even among major cities. They are still Tier 1 right now, so I’m sure that once they have a higher tier, they won’t be able to fight a beast two tiers above them, but there’s a possibility of skipping a rank.
"More importantly, there are two of them capable of achieving such a feat. If they continue at this pace, it won’t be weird if they become famous after this."
Hana nodded, satisfied with the assessment. "How about you, Richard?"
"I have the same opinion as Reyes. However, if I have to say something, I’d like to tell you about how they manage to unite the people."
"Hoh?"
Richard was the man standing beside Clovis when the raid had just begun. So he had gotten some grasp on Clovis’s train of thought.
"I didn’t see the method, but they managed to unite those people from the very start. Without that, it would be impossible to unite them after the earthquake."
Hana closed her eyes for a moment before asking, "Then, what about the other group? The one who took your kill?"
Richard shook his head helplessly. "I apologize for shaming the name of the OpenSky, young lady."
"It’s nothing to apologize for. Instead, I’d like to hear your opinions about them."
"Understood." Richard paused for a moment. "To put it simply, they are the worst. The leader is disgusting, and one of the women seems to be manipulative. While the shield bearer has made a decision, it’s already a mistake to join that group. Leaving the group at that time might be a good decision, but the timing can’t be any worse. Such a thing can break the unity of the overall group."
"I see. What about his strength?"
"I do admit that with his strength, he is able to kill a Tier 2 beast, but he is still a little bit lacking compared to the two guys from the Libation Fiesta. He is also unable to give appropriate commands to the group and even work together with his teammates."
Hana fell into deep thought before raising her finger. "One last thing. What do you think about other groups?"
"As a group, they are performing better than that shitty group. While they are not as strong, I can see some good seedlings.
They have now understood the gap and if they manage to bear the pressures, they should be good enough as an explorer affiliated with us," answered Reyes, remembering how some people commanded their teammates and even dropped their pride quickly for the survival of the entire expedition team.
"I have the same opinion." Richard nodded a few times.
"Alright. You two can get some rest for now. Thank you for your hard work."
Reyes politely bowed to her while Richard remained still.
"Richard?" Reyes looked surprised.
"What’s wrong?" Hana furrowed her eyebrows.
"I apologize for my rudeness, but may I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"That Libation Fiesta… are you going to recruit them? If I’m not mistaken, you are the one inserting their name into the expedition team. And after entering this town, there was a period where you disappeared."
"Richard!" Reyes frowned. He wanted to stop him because that kind of question touched on a very sensitive topic.
On the other hand, Hana simply said, "They’ve rejected me."
"!!!" Both Reyes and Richard were taken aback. They didn’t know what kind of offer Hana gave that them, but it was rare for Hana to be rejected.
"If you don’t have any more questions, you may leave."
They politely bowed their heads before walking out of the room.
Hana stood up and looked at the scenery through the window. After their victory, they immediately packed up their luggage and returned to the battleship.
They were on the way back to the city. While staring at the outside, Hana muttered inwardly, ’While I don’t accomplish my original objective, I still get a lot of things, especially the research about beast soul utilization.
’I have also witnessed the true ability of Clovis Hacfield and his friends. A few more months for them to leave the city, huh? It seems that I have to prepare a lot of things.
’Just you wait, Clovis Hacfield. I’ll give you an offer you can’t refuse next time we meet.’
Hana let out a long sigh. She still had a lot of things to do. It was at that time, Hana received a call.
When she saw who it was, her heart skipped a beat.
Grandma.
Her hands instantly got covered in cold sweat. She was holding her device with a shaking hand as she accepted the call. "Hello… Grandma…"
A soft, gentle voice echoed. The words were also polite. But those were the exact reasons why Hana was so scared.
"I’ve heard that your raid is done."
"Y-yes."
"After that, you’re going to return home, right? I’ll cook your favorite food."
Hana gulped down, becoming even more scarred.
"It seems that you are already aware of the implications that your decision."
"Yes." Hana lowered her head.
"So, I will just say this… doing your best and being reckless are two different things. Know that your decision doesn’t affect only you, no matter how you explain it. It will affect your family, your subordinates, your employees, and your company. You might be able to get all the money in the world, but know that you will lose your freedom because of it."
Hana fully understood the message. After becoming famous, she lost the freedom to act freely to avoid the public saying anything bad about her. However, she wished that her grandma would reprimand her.
Her grandmother always put on a gentle smile, took care of her safety, and never got angry. That was why her words always felt far more painful than those of anyone in her family.
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Hana just fell to her knees and said, "I’m sorry, Grandma."