"Now...?!"
"...huh...?"
Even with her size and all the muscle mass Nentilear also had a cute side and ended up gasping in embarrassment as Medea's words took her by surprise – which, of course, was something that stunned Gerard.
"..."
Medea simply glanced at the copper-haired man in silence, making the muscular brunette blush.
"U-umm... little copper man... Nentilear strong!"
"O-okay...?"
The woman gulped down her saliva and followed the command doing her best to compose herself turned to the shocked man.
"Nentilear stong... Nentilear can give birth to strong children. You a good man. Smart. We can make strong and smart children. Umm... Be Nentilear husband!"
"O-okay...!"
Nentilear struggled a bit, but she conveyed her feelings – more or less – and Gerard straightened his back and gasped in response.
"P-please take care of me...! I will do my best to be a good husband."
To make it clear that he understood the assignment, the copper-haired man bowed at a ninety-degree angle and called out, all flustered.
"Getting all meek and mushy in front of a pretty girl, huh, master? The folks from the market at the town square would be shocked! Good for you. I'll make sure to get you two a nice wedding gift."
Medea nodded with a serious expression and chuckled, but still, he patted the shoulders of the still-bowing potion-maker.
"...big sister Nentilear?"
The boy looked up at the muscular woman and tilted his head in confusion.
"...little... little copper man agreed? Just like that? I really didn't need to kill a bear and make a necklace with fangs and claws to show strength and bravery...?!"
Nentilear seemed to be in a daze, blushing, and was speaking in a shockingly cute voice even though her words weren't exactly the definition of cute on their own.
"We should play along with mister Oliver's whims for a bit, so unfortunately, you can't come with mister Gerard until the business here is done, but feel free to pay him a night visit."
Madea pushed himself off the wall and walked towards the hallway.
"You knew that in her tribe, skinship between adults means courting, so keep up the good work."
"...!"
On his way out, he patted Gerard's shoulder and whispered, causing the copper-haired man to flinch as if he was a kid caught by his parent writing a love letter to his first crush.
Medea left the pair and walked towards the staircase, sitting down on the first stair and leaning back.
"..."
"..."
One of the thuggish-looking men standing guard in the meeting room was walking by and glanced down at the same time the boy was looking up, and they ended up making eye contact in silence.
"...~"
"Heh."
Without changing his serious expression, Medea raised his hand and waved to the thug, and in response, the man snickered and nodded his head in a greeting before returning to the meeting room in silence.
As he waited, Medea started playing with the knife in his sleeve, taking it out and hiding it in a fluent motion trying to make it as inconspicuous as possible.
After an appropriately long time had passed, he stood up and walked up the stairs, and knocked on the door.
"Let him in."
Oliver's voice resounded from the inside, and the door opened.
"Tsk. You haven't taken off that fucking wig?!"
The dark-blond-haired man gritted his teeth and scoffed, glaring at the wig-wearing boy.
"Please forgive me, mister. Mister Gerard caught me just as I was walking upstairs in his place, so I haven't had time to put it away."
"Hmph~ You still should have enough brains in that head of yours to know how to appear in front of your superior!"
Medea reported calmly, which made Oliver hum with contentment before adding a line of scolding.
"I'm sorry. What is the answer I should give young Miss Ava?"
The boy nodded apologetically and asked calmly without any signs of being bothered by the harsh words.
"We will take the job – for five big gold coins. Non-negotiable. Paid upfront."
"..."
Oliver declared with a confident grin, and Medea straightened his back, even though his serious expression didn't budge.
"Get the coins and make sure to get all the details – which warehouse, the time of delivery, how many guards are in convoy – all that shit. Go. I want the money here before evening so we can start preparation."
"Yes."
The dark-blond-haired man said and waved at the nodding boy dismissively.
As Medea was on his way out, the two thugs exchanged worried looks and tried to make eye contact with the boy, but he only shook his head and left without a word.
The boy had basically run down the stairs and stormed into the room with the hatch on the floor.
"!!!"
Just one glimpse at his face made both Nentilear and Gerard flinch, and the muscular woman hurriedly opened the hatch, and the potion-maker climbed down the ladder right after the boy.
Then, as both of them were back in the main tunnel with the secret door locked securely, the black-haired boy took off the wig and the hairnet and...
"DID THAT FUCKING MORON LOSE HIS MIND?! FIVE BIG GOLD COINS?! DID THAT IMBECILE ACTUALLY SPEND THAT PAST YEAR IN THE CAPITAL SURROUNDED BY WEALTH, OR HAS HIS FUCKING GREED ROTTED THE REMAINS OF HIS BRAIN?!"
"!!!"
...roared with all his might, causing the copper-haired man to jump in shock and turn pale.
"The... the request you got from the girl who made the original miraculous tonic... did boss tell you to demand five big golds for completing it?"
"..."
Gerard gulped down his saliva and asked, making Medea breathe out and straighten his back.
"Haaa.... why that dimwit can't have even quarter... even one-sixth of your smarts..."
"...!"
Medea sighed and complained, surprising the potion-maker with a sudden compliment.
"No, mister. Our genius boss, Oliver, wants young miss Ava to pay us five big golds UPFRONT."
"WHAT?!"
The black-haired boy shook his head and revealed, causing the copper-haired man to turn even paler than he already did.