"Are you taking me for a fool?
You listen to me, you conniving vixen. This lightning-element Red Constrictor Grass is not worth 60K Extols no matter how you look at it. This is way too expensive even by capital's standards.
The only reason I'm even interested in talking to you is that I couldn't find this bloody thing anywhere. But being rare doesn't warrant such a steep price hike. Hmph!"
Marla was furious and her anger could be seen on her red nose and red cheeks. Or it might be because she was just a teensy-weensy intoxicated. She turned around to look at a certain ranker and made a "get a load of this harlot" face before commenting.
"Did you hear that price, Almera? Unbelievable! Imagine the kind of booze I could buy with that much money."
Marla almost managed to push the seller away with her mana fluctuations alone. Almera stood behind her, feeling uncomfortable with her captain's behavior.
Marla was seen wearing a cream-colored shirt under her brown sleeveless leather armor. She was wearing black pants that matched perfectly. Her bodacious figure couldn't be hidden under her clothes.
Marla had changed her hairstyle from the last time. She had long hair that reached her waistline. Her light blue eyes were complemented by the prominent earrings she was wearing. Her cherry-red lips made her gorgeous face even more attractive.
Marla had stepped into the Expert rank a few days after Eren was done contacting her for an invitation to join the White Raven guild. She couldn't take him on that offer because of the graduation event. After the event, she would be relieved of her responsibilities as a professor in LA.
Almera was seen in her usual adventurer's clothes as well. She too looked beautiful and full of youth. The ranking breakthroughs both ladies had achieved in their respective ranks had allowed them to refine their looks.
However, Marla was still Marla. She still liked drinking and creating a fuss. She would often be quite a handful for Almera, who was stuck in the Adept rank for months on end at this point.
The ranger was about to pull Marla away from being on the seller lady's face. But it turned out she didn't have to. Because they both sensed something flying towards them and looked up.
A flying vehicle attracted the attention of leaders who were buying and selling things on the market. It stopped at a corner and a black-haired young man stepped out of it.
Marla and Almera both looked at each other when they saw the young man's face. Marla even used her mana sense to verify the mana signatures. It had been a while since they last saw each other after all.
"It really is him."
Marla mumbled as Eren walked towards her. She got rid of her booze-induced temper and sobered up after such a pleasant surprise was given to her.
Marla blinked once and saw Eren standing in front of her. She saw him flash a mild smile at her before speaking up.
"Long time no see, Expert Marla. Congratulations on your breakthrough."
Marla smiled back before returning the compliment.
"Hehehe. Thank you. Long time indeed. It's a pleasure to see you here. I was looking forward to this graduation event because of you.
And congratulations on your breakthrough into the Expert rank as well, Ex… Naaah… Eren. I'll just call you Eren from now on."
"Haha. Fine with me. I'll call you Marla as well." Eren laughed before looking at Almera. He nodded at her before speaking up.
"How are you doing, Almera? Does Marla's drunken antics still give you headaches?
Almera chuckled before agreeing with him.
"You bet, Eren. She has started drinking even more these days, creating a ruckus wherever she is."
Marla scrunched her nose and made an "I am not happy with what you said about me" face looking at Almera. Folding her hands under her heavy bosom, she let out a discontented sigh.
"Sheesh… stop exaggerating you two. I don't drink that much."
Eren looked at Marla as if an old man was looking at a wasted youth. He sighed dramatically and spoke.
"The first step in Alcoholics Anonymous is accepting the fact that you are an addict. We can't get anywhere with you not accepting a simple truth, M'lady."
'Hehehe. How you of all people can preach about how to recover from addiction with a straight face is beyond me.'
While looking around him, Eren ignored Alephee's voice in his head and continued.
"Let's change the venue, shall we? Almera, and Marla, you two must be heading to the graduation event as well, right? Hop on my ride. We'll talk on the way."
Eren pointed behind him. Marla and Almera nodded enthusiastically. But then she thought of something and looked back. After staring at the cute-yet-cunning Adept rank lady seller for a second or two, she made her a final offer.
"20K Extols. That's my final offer for that shitty old herb you have. How about that?"
The middle-aged lady was looking at Marla's meeting with Eren with quite an interest. By looking at the vehicle Eren rented for himself, the businesswoman in her saw that Eren was loaded. She ignored Marla right away before speaking straight to Eren.
"Expert Eren is it? Don't you want to impress your ladies by buying the ranking resources they need? I am selling everything in my lot for a measly 400K Extols.
I'm sure lady Marla and that lass Almera would be very happy with you if you did. A lady's heart is always up for the claim if she finds a man who can give her what she needs after all."
Marla and Almera both looked at each other and were too stunned to speak right away. They felt awkward that they were being called Eren's women.
Almera had first thought that Marla was stepping out of line when she called the lady seller a vixen. But she had to say that Marla's assessment of this very vixen was spot on.
