"What will you do if I decide to join your group?"
Clovis widened his eyes in shock. He never thought that Hana would come all the way to ask this question.
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Clovis asked with a serious expression.
Hana didn't answer him immediately. In fact, she acted on impulse this time. If Clovis indeed had a special ability related to his group, joining his group would be the easiest way to prove it.
She realized that she had made it difficult for both of them.
"Ah…" Hana let out a long sigh. "I apologize. It seems that I have done something without thinking thoroughly. Please forget about it."
"…" Clovis didn't say anything, and his expression remained unchanged. However, his heart actually skipped a beat. He couldn't help but mutter inwardly, 'What the hell? Why does she suddenly ask this out-of-character question?
'Is she suspicious of me? Is it because not only me but my entire group is strong that it looks weird as if I have something extremely special?'
Clovis had two things he wanted to keep a secret. The first was obviously his Another World Mall. This was the greatest boost for his team. The second thing was the mysterious sensation that boosted his strength out of nowhere.
The latter was more personal, so he thought Hana was actually suspicious of his mall this time.
Clovis never thought that she would be able to do that just by looking at his performance. If this was true, then there was a chance that people would deduct it sooner or later.
The problem would be that his teammates would be the targets to lure him.
Clovis let out a long sigh before saying, "Alright. I'll just think of it as you being drunk."
"Y-yes." Hana rubbed her cheek, feeling ashamed. She was obsessed with Tier 9, whether she herself was able to achieve it or someone she could get. She ended up doing what her grandma told her not to do.
She hurriedly added with an awkward tone. "Well, as the biggest contributor to this raid, you are eligible for the shares of essence that the OpenSky company gets in this raid.
"In addition, you are rewarded with two hundred thousand union dollars."
"Mhmm? Isn't the reward only a hundred thousand?" Clovis asked.
"Indeed. But because of that earthquake, I have to increase it. You are worth more than that, so please don't reject it.
"Well, the first rank is also given one Tier 1 beast soul and one Tier 2 beast soul as a reward. Due to our cooperation, I don't think you need them, right?"
Clovis thought for a moment. "Yes. Please take them with you. If we want the beast soul, we'll go to your city directly… a few months from now that is."
"Haha." She chuckled. "In any case, you can get some rest for now. I'm sorry for holding you here."
Clovis nodded and started walking, leaving Hana alone.
Hana took a deep breath while pinching the bridge of her nose. She thought, 'This is not good. I have acted on impulse twice in a row. No one wants to tell a stranger that level of a secret… What are you even hoping for?'
Hana slapped her own cheeks to snap back before leaving, even more determined. There were still a lot of things to do between them. As her grandma said, she had to take it slow and observe him first.
Meanwhile, Clovis was actually panicking. He thought he had given enough consideration to the Another World Mall, but Hana had just proven him wrong. While the current city might not be able to recognize it, what about people from major cities? Once he became a bit more famous, people might accidentally find him.
"It seems that you have a lot of things to consider, so I'll leave this place." Jay waved his hand. As expected, even Jay noticed the meaning behind Hana's question.
Clovis lied down on the couch while Kanaria just grabbed some drinks.
Judging from her reaction, she should have realized it as well. What Hana was talking about were the items that Clovis had given them from this 'secret method' of the Hacfield family.
"You're not going to say anything?" Clovis asked.
"What do you mean? All I know is that these items are related to the secret of your Hacfield family." Kanaria shrugged.
A small smile formed on his face. He couldn't help but say, "Sorry, could you wait for me?"
"In fact, if you are telling me right now or even before this, I would be disappointed. I would have considered you someone with a loose mouth, a person who you can't trust with a secret." Kanaria shook her head. "I am currently your teammate and closer than a friend. But I'm not your girlfriend or even your family."
Clovis closed his eyes for a moment. "Don't you think you're too sensitive to that type of stuff?"
"I'm just respecting identities and boundaries. But if you are going to tell me in the future, I'll surely lend you my ears."
"You're truly…" Clovis was speechless. He was lucky to have someone so considerate by his side.
Kanaria smiled. "I what? You have to complete your words, Clovis. I don't know what you're going to say. Am I scary? Am I ugly?
Or maybe I'm truly a chatterbox."
Clovis coughed a few times, getting pressed by Kanaria. "You're smart enough to understand the meaning in Hana's words, so you should be able to figure out what I want to say as well."
He just covered his eyes with his arm as though he were going to take a nap.
"Ah. He escapes." Kanaria chuckled, amused by his reaction. Clovis must have been so focused on exploration in the past that he was a bit awkward in this area. It made him look cute in her eyes.
'Don't worry. I know how dangerous that secret is. Still, I wish you knew that I wouldn't leave your side no matter what,' Kanaria thought while moving to the window with a smile on her face.