The child didn't rush to answer Elias's counter-question, instead looking up to study him carefully.
His gaze held a wariness and sharpness that didn't match his age.
"You don't seem like one of those people," he muttered, his voice so soft he seemed to be talking to himself.
Elias was a bit confused and instinctively looked at his own clothes.
An ordinary thick wool coat; it was useless for anything except looking handsome.
"Which people?"
"Never mind."
The child quickly retracted the probing look in his eyes, reverting to the somewhat awkward image of someone seeking help.
He held up the crumpled piece of parchment again and repeated, "Could you help me hang this up?"
"You haven't answered me yet."
Elias didn't act immediately. Instead, he reached out and took the commission sheet. He didn't rush to stick it on the wall, but waved it in his hand.
"Didn't you say you didn't know where the Society of Freemen was?"
"Sorry, sir, there was a misunderstanding."
The child lowered his head, his toes rubbing uneasily against the red carpet.
"I only arrived in Hope County recently and am not familiar with this place."
Elias didn't press further.
After all, in a place crawling with alchemists and desperadoes, staying alert was the first rule of survival.
He nodded and stopped questioning, instead unfolding the commission sheet to look closely under the bright lobby lights.
The quality of the paper was good—high-quality thick textured paper.
"Missing Person: My servant..."
The word "servant" was even crossed out, looking particularly out of place.
It was immediately followed by a newly written word:
"...Dear friend and I were separated yesterday morning on King's Avenue in the Central District. They went missing after turning into Miller's Lane off South Street. A generous reward is promised for their return!!"
"A small token of appreciation: 200 gold crowns."
Seeing this, Elias felt a strong sense of familiarity.
He turned his head, looking at the paper in his hand, then at the commission on the wall above him offering 2,000 gold crowns to find a dog.
He couldn't say they were unrelated; they were practically identical.
Even the phrase "A small token of appreciation" was the same, word for word.
"Isn't this exactly the same?" Elias pointed at the two sheets.
"Is he a dog or what?"
"He's even worse than a dog!"
The child looked a bit embarrassed, an imperceptible flush appearing on his pale cheeks.
He awkwardly tugged at the edge of his hood and whispered, "I modeled it after that one... I don't know how to write a commission letter..."
"Well, that explains it then."
However...
Elias quickly calculated in his mind.
Finding a living person was clearly a much more grounded task than brawling with a red-maned bear that could tank spells.
And 200 gold crowns was an absolute fortune to him right now.
"May I ask, is your servant—er, dear friend—a transcendent?"
Elias cut to the chase; this was the most critical indicator for assessing risk.
The child hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
"What Scale? Are they strong?" Elias pressed.
"Scale Two."
"That's not too bad," Elias muttered to himself, letting out a sigh of relief.
He had a decent grasp of his own strength.
Although he was currently only Scale One, considering his total spirituality and the elemental revolver in his hand, plus the moonlight's blessing at night...
As long as he didn't run into a transcendent above Scale Three, he felt he could certainly hold his own.
Infinite firepower was a joy to use; anyone who tried it would know.
Confirming the risk was manageable, Elias's mind became active again.
He flourished the commission sheet, putting on the face of a shifty merchant, and teased with a half-smile, "But that guy is offering 2,000 gold crowns to find a dog. You're looking for a person—a 'dear friend' at that—and only offering 200 gold crowns?"
"Isn't that a bit too cheap?"
"Who would even take this?"
From the crossed-out "servant" and the child's dirty but high-quality cloak, he could infer that this kid was likely a noble child who had run away from home.
He just didn't know why the kid had ended up here, having to post a reward at the Society of Freemen.
Perhaps he was a fallen noble?
"Ah!"
Hearing Elias's teasing, the child seemed a bit panicked, clearly having been poked in a sore spot.
He instinctively touched his thin pocket, his gaze flickering. His voice grew even smaller, carrying a hint of a distressed sob.
"B-but I don't have any more... this is all of my savings..."
Looking at those large eyes, which were now veiled with a layer of mist due to anxiety, the little person in Elias's heart named "Conscience" suddenly jumped out and slapped him.
Fine, bullying a kid really was a bit low.
"Alright, here's the deal."
Elias cleared his throat, dropping his mocking expression.
"I'll help you find the person, but you have to follow me the whole time."
Following him was to prevent the kid from pulling any tricks.
Though looking at him now, the boy didn't seem capable of any schemes.
"Really?!"
Hearing that Elias was willing to take the job, the child snapped his head up, a bright light instantly erupting in his previously dull eyes.
Holy crap!
Elias cursed silently; he felt like he had been healed by that look!
"Yes, but let me make one thing clear first."
Elias tried to maintain a serious, stern face.
"If things eventually exceed my capabilities, I will terminate the commission immediately."
"But I will only take half as a labor fee."
"You'll have to figure out the rest yourself."
"I'm only in it for the money, not to die."
"Mm-hmm!"
The child nodded vigorously, his hood trembling along with his head.
"No problem! As long as you're willing to help!"
"Then it's a deal?"
"Deal!" the child said happily, his voice finally regaining a trace of vitality.
Next, the two went to the reception desk at the side of the lobby for notarization.
The Society of Freemen's notarization service was very professional, even carrying a hint of magical binding force.
Contract breakers would not only face massive fines but would also be blacklisted by the society.
While signing, Elias noticed the name the child signed was "Aaron."
The moment the commission letter, glowing with a magical aura, officially took effect, a sense of an invisible contract connected the two.
At that very moment, the child, who had been tensed up, seemed to drop a thousand-pound weight and instantly relaxed.
The reserve unique to children of great families and his previous pitiful appearance vanished like a mask being swapped.
He patted his chest, let out a long breath, and then looked at Elias with a complicated, somewhat disdainful gaze, saying gloomily:
"It seems only a Scale Two like you would accept my commission."
"Those high-Scale transcendents are all so arrogant; they wouldn't even look at such a small reward."
Elias's hand holding the pen froze in mid-air.
He slowly turned his head to look at this brat who had changed faces in an instant.
Don't say such heart-stabbing words while still wearing that face that was so pitiful just a moment ago!
This brat was actually acting cute to play me just now?!
What "simple and ignorant"? What "pitiful and helpless"? It was all acting!
This must be the kid's true face.
Is this the ugly face of a capitalist?
"Hahahaha!"
At this moment, Old Ed's unrestrained, wild laughter echoed in Elias's mind.
"Elias, you've finally met your match!"
"You got played by a little brat!"
"This is hilarious; this kid's acting is much better than yours!"
Elias's expression turned ashen, the veins on his forehead throbbing.
He took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth:
"To your disappointment, I'm Scale One."
The air instantly froze.
Aaron, who had been looking triumphant, saw his smile freeze on his face.
Now it was the kid's turn to panic.
"Huh?!"
Rate on N.U.
