Porter paused for a moment and added in a slightly relaxed tone, “Besides, he is at least a Brass Rank combat strength, and he really has a knack for setting traps.”
He looked at Calm, his eyes carrying a hint of sincerity as he sought understanding and cooperation, waiting for the other man's response.
Calm listened quietly, believing about eighty to ninety percent of it.
That was just how chambers of commerce were.
No matter what past misdeeds someone had, as long as they had enough combat strength and could be useful, they could be recruited and used, provided they were paid enough.
This was different from those nobles or knightly orders who cared about lineage and reputation.
It was also because of this that the internal structure of a chamber of commerce was filled with factions, and factional struggles were the norm. Everyone had different interests tied to them, and the available manpower was not as united as in other forces.
Calm thought to himself that if Porter had come from a noble family, he would probably have blood-related elders accompanying him when executing such an important mission, which would naturally provide a much greater sense of security.
But chambers of commerce had their benefits too: a higher degree of freedom, where everything was determined by merit and actual contribution.
Thinking of this, Calm raised his eyes, looked at Porter, and replied, “Since you're confident you can keep him in check, I won't say much more. Just keep a close eye on him during the operation—assumptions are one thing, but how things play out on the field is another.”
Hearing this, Porter caught the leaning in Calm's words and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
If only he and Finch, two Brass Ranks, participated in this operation, not only would the chances of success be slim, but they might even face mortal danger.
Although Finch had the ability to set traps, his mind was corrupt and his past was riddled with misdeeds; he was by no means a trustworthy companion.
Calm's addition, however, changed everything.
Not only was he an experienced and reliable Brass Rank expert, but he also knew the terrain of this forest like the back of his hand.
With Calm present and cooperating with Finch's trap layouts, Porter's confidence in this hunt instantly multiplied.
Having established Calm's importance, Porter immediately guaranteed, “With the two of us keeping him in check, why should we fear someone who only knows how to play with traps?”
Calm nodded. It was precisely because the risks were manageable that he chose to join the operation.
If there were too many variables and the danger exceeded his expectations, he would absolutely not have agreed, given his habitually cautious style.
Afterward, during their casual chat, Calm asked about the two young men in the squad.
Porter introduced them, “The blonde, more handsome-looking one is Chase. He just stepped into the Black Iron Rank not long ago, so his foundation is a bit thin. The other one with black hair is Zachary. His strength and experience are very solid; he's one of my veteran crew.”
Calm nodded gently after listening to Porter's introduction.
He was well aware of the mountain giant bear's strength. It was mainly tough-skinned and thick-fleshed, relying on its brutal physique and powerful claws to attack. Its destructive power was indeed not to be underestimated.
But compared to the long-range magical attacks of a kobold priest, these straightforward punches and claws felt more like “child's play”—as long as they were handled properly, the risks were relatively easy to control.
He calculated their team's composition in his mind: two experienced Brass Rank powerhouses, one Brass Rank trap specialist, and three Black Iron Ranks.
This lineup could be considered solid. As long as they coordinated well, the success rate of the hunt would be very high.
Similarly, Porter's determination was clear from this lineup.
Now that he had seen both the strength and the determination, Calm turned the conversation to the most practical part.
He drained the wine in his cup and said, “Even close brothers keep clear accounts. We need to settle the rewards for this operation, as well as the specific plan and risk-sharing, before we do anything else.”
Hearing this, the last trace of anxiety in Porter's heart dissipated, and he felt completely at ease.
He knew Calm's character; he never made empty promises. Once he started negotiating terms, it meant he had placed this matter into the category of something actionable and to be resolved.
“Great! Calm, with those words from you, I can rest easy.”
Porter's smile widened. He reached out to refill Calm's cup, his tone shifting to a more practical discussion. “Regarding the reward, I promise that once I break through, I will definitely prepare a ‘core’ for you to break through within two months!”
Calm remained calm on the surface, but his mind immediately began to calculate.
He knew the weight of this promise: a single action in exchange for an opportunity to break through to the Silver Rank, even if he had to wait two months.
But for any Brass Rank Class holder, this was an incredibly hard-to-resist temptation, let alone for an instructor like him who had been stationed in a remote village for years.
With his own abilities and resources, he could never organize a luxurious lineup like “three Brass Ranks and three Black Iron Ranks” to hunt a special magical beast.
From this perspective, the conditions Porter offered indeed seemed extremely generous, even lavish.
But the problem was... the uncertainty was too high!
If anyone else had tried to negotiate with him using the line “I'll give you the core after I break through,” he would have probably flown into a rage on the spot.
But since the words came from Porter's mouth, Calm managed to suppress his anger.
After all, the two of them were old acquaintances.
However, friendship was friendship, and a life-or-death operation could not be dealt with using such vague promises.
As for the harvest from the giant bear—its hide, claws, and bones were all highly valuable, and transporting them to the county seat would fetch a handsome sum.
But this was not enough to make him take such a risk.
After all, a swipe from that mountain giant bear was no joke. If it actually hit, even someone with a Brass Rank Constitution would suffer.
He set down his cup and looked at Porter with a sharp gaze. “Old friend, what you're saying... doesn't exactly put my mind at ease.”
“What if... and I mean just what if, we fight with our lives on the line to take down that bear, but something goes wrong at the end, or your breakthrough doesn't go smoothly? Wouldn't this core be delayed indefinitely?”
This was him holding back; he had practically laid his distrust bare on the table.
Hearing this, Porter did not look surprised or embarrassed. Instead, he looked as though he had expected this.
“Calm, I understand your concerns. Empty words won't put anyone's mind at ease.”
He spoke in a deep voice, then took out a piece of parchment and spread it flat on the low table between them.
Calm's gaze fell on the paper, and his pupils couldn't help but contract slightly.
The paper itself had an extremely faint luster of energy faintly flowing across it.
He recognized it at a glance; this was a formal contract document used for important transactions or cooperation.
Because it possessed magical efficacy, it was highly valuable—costing ten gold coins a sheet—and required connections just to acquire.
This was also the first time Calm had seen the physical object.
“This is a formal cooperation contract,” Porter said solemnly, introducing it. “On it, we can write down the goals of the operation, rights and responsibilities, rewards, and the duties both parties must fulfill...”
He then went over the series of promises they had just discussed, as well as the duties Calm was expected to fulfill.
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