Chapter 24: And you?

Although Dixiya didn't really understand why Luo De wanted to catch grass slimes to keep, she still agreed to go catch slimes with him.

The Blazing Light Beast Hunters suffered heavy losses this time.

Although the harvest was abundant, two members remained forever in the deep desert.

Dixiya would comfort herself with the mercenary saying that the road home is death, but she still felt awful inside.

They were brothers who lived and worked together day in and day out.

No matter which one is lost, it never feels good in the heart.

It just so happened that Luo De mentioned this at that moment.

Dixiya simply gave herself a leave note, planning to rest for ten days or half a month before talking again.

"This time we were hired by a scholar from the Academy to explore ruins deep in the desert."

"Originally everything was fine."

"But that guy didn't follow orders and privately contacted the dormant ancient machinery."

"Sigh——"

Saying this, Dixiya pressed her lips: "Adisi and Zaide didn't manage to escape; I always told them to train diligently, but they just wouldn't listen. If they had been as hardworking as you, how could they have met their end in those ruins? They deserved it! Really, they deserved it!"

That's what she said.

Dixiya's tone clearly grew angrier as she spoke.

But Luo De could still tell she was actually quite sad.

The mercenaries had no grand ambitions.

This world also doesn't have much talk of a "Mercenary King"; instead, one often hears of famed continent-spanning XXXX adventurers, but never of a famed continent-spanning XXXX mercenary corps commander.

Anyway, they wouldn't become famous.

Being a mercenary just means scraping together enough to eat.

So most mercenaries' lives are just getting by.

Mercenaries like Dixiya are instead the minority.

"Perhaps it's because you usually protect them too well?"

Walking through the mountains and forests, Luo De said with meaning.

Dixiya didn't quite grasp his meaning, frowning and asking, "What?"

"What I mean is."

"Whenever the Blazing Light Beast Hunters go on a mission, you always stand at the front, taking all the danger upon yourself; the teammates face less threat and naturally develop a lazy mindset."

Luo De pointed to a Hilichurl spying on them from the trees ahead and said, "Look, there's a Hilichurl there; if the Blazing Light Beast Hunters were on a mission, what would you do?"

"I would cut that monster down with one sword."

Dixiya said that naturally.

Then she froze.

If Luo De hadn't said those words earlier, it would have been fine; but now that he did, she also faintly realized that her doing so might actually be problematic.

"Look, the problem is right here."

"You've turned this into an instinct."

Luo De shrugged: "To be honest, being with you really gives a full sense of safety, and the brothers of the Blazing Light Beast Hunters also like to sing praises of you when drinking, but that sense of safety is actually not a good thing for them."

After glancing at Dixiya lost in thought, Luo De continued: "Just like my guard duty on the suspension bridge, I basically do only supportive work."

"Only like during the last major sandstorm, when relying solely on Atiya and his crew, even with excellent equipment, wanting to withstand the Holy Bone Beast's attack would inevitably incur some casualties."

"It's only at times like these that I will go all out."

There was still half a sentence Luo De didn't say.

"That is, if Atiya's Mercenary Group suffered heavy losses, Luo De's workload would increase greatly—unlike now, when he can still muddle through during ordinary sandstorms."

"Work seriously once, and you can loaf around for a long time."

"Why not?"

Dixiya didn't rebut Luo De's words; instead, she seriously began to ponder whether she really was taking on too much.

This pondering.

amounted to not speaking for a full half day.

Fortunately, the pack animals they rode knew the way themselves; even without commands, they could proceed forward precisely and without error.

Luo De didn't disturb Dixiya, comfortably lying on the wide back of the pack animal, leisurely enjoying the rainforest scenery.

This was the first time he had seen so much pleasing green.

Frankly speaking.

Having stared at yellow sand in the desert for so long, even if one doesn't get bored of people, just seeing the monotonous yellow each day eventually makes one irritable.

If it weren't for the verdant colors Luo De grew in his courtyard, he reckons he would have gotten annoyed long ago.

Now we have reached the rainforest region.

Luo De instantly felt his eyes as if enjoying a top‑tier massage; whatever he saw made him feel completely relaxed, even the monsters far off spying on him and Dixiya looked pleasing to the eye.

"No wonder those who left the desert don't want to come back."

Luo De muttered softly.

There's an old saying that goes well.

【I could have tolerated darkness, if I had never seen light.】

This saying applies to all desert dwellers.

The rainforest region is rich in produce and resources; even the lowest‑level workers living there are far better off than those in the desert region who struggle just to get a meal.

Therefore, many desert folk, after experiencing the rainforest region's blessings, no longer wish to return to the bitter desert; they would rather work as laborers for others than leave this rainforest.

Just then.

Dixiya's voice cut in: "And you?"

"Huh? Figured it out?"

Luo De didn't answer her difficult question; he abandoned his previous laziness, sat up, and countered.

"Mm, I've figured it out."

Bringing this up again, Dixiya's face darkened: "I really was overprotective of everyone before, but if I hadn't done that, they'd constantly be in danger."

"Hey, letting your brothers fight more on their own doesn't mean you should stand by and do nothing."

Luo De frowned slightly, speaking in a tone of exasperated disappointment: "If even running into something as trivial as a Hilichurl slime requires you to step in, then what's the point of them being mercenaries? They might as well be young masters and misses. Next time they encounter something you could swat away with a slap, don't do their work for them; let them get hurt and see blood more often when they're idle. Also, don't forget, you're the captain of the Blaze Light Beast Hunters—a captain's dignity must be upheld, and the team needs more rules."

Once Luo De started talking, he couldn't stop.

They were all suggestions on how Dixiya could improve the Blaze Light Beast Hunters.

The core idea was basically that Dixiya shouldn't act like a nanny constantly looking after her teammates; she should push them when needed and use tougher measures when required.

However, these suggestions basically ran contrary to Dixiya's usual way of doing things.

Thus, even though she knew Luo De's proposal was useful, she merely said she would consider it carefully, without giving a definite answer.

After finishing the discussion about the Blaze Light Beast Hunters.

Dixiya hadn't forgotten the question she had previously asked Luo De.

She asked again solemnly: "Having witnessed the beauty of the rainforest area, Luo De, what do you think? I want to hear the truth."

(End of chapter)