After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

In the courtyard, Lin Da was responsible for greeting the guests, while Lulu took the gifts they brought.

Although it was their first time collaborating, they exhibited a seamless understanding.

Lulu's beauty was striking, and her blue gown resembled a layer of icy battle armor, beautiful yet possessing a sharpness that was almost intimidating to behold. Only when she looked at Lin Da standing beside her did her gaze soften slightly, turning into tender, spring-like water...

Gurgle gurgle!

A series of bitter swallowing sounds erupted from the throats of the single adventurers.

This scene was naturally also seen by the members of the Snow Goose Adventure Team in the carriage.

Aiko and Lia's faces turned pale instantaneously.

"Oh no! Has Lin Da already been completely devoured?"

As Aiko clenched her teeth in annoyance, her cheeks trembled with regret for having behaved like she only had a brain in the past three years, not making a move and constantly taunting Lin Da.

If she had made a move on Lin Da earlier, what would Lulu have to do with this?

The lady of this luxurious villa in the Goldfinch District should have been her!

Compared to Aiko's regret, Lia's feelings were far more complicated.

So complicated that even Lia herself didn't understand why her chest felt so tight.

Seeing the person who used to treat her the best staying next to another girl... this made Lia's hands tremble and a flood of strange emotions overwhelmed her. If she were in the restroom, she might have thrown up.

Lia stared blankly at Lin Da in the courtyard, who naturally took hold of Lulu's hand with one of his own.

The affectionate atmosphere subtly exceeded that between teammates.

Lia had never considered such matters before.

She only regarded Lin Da as a team member and never thought that him having a girlfriend would affect her. Or rather, Lia had never contemplated the possibility of Lin Da having a girlfriend.

As if adventuring were the eternal theme, Snow Goose raced headlong until reaching the top level before considering other matters.

Even though Lin Da was already no relation to her, and he could find a hundred girlfriends, it shouldn't concern her, yet at this moment, watching Lin Da and Lulu holding hands, a dull little saw seemed to slowly cut through her heart.

That slight pain spread throughout her body with each breath Lia took. Gradually, her body grew cold, and she tightly clenched the exquisite little gift box in her hand.

Dents and fingerprints appeared on it, becoming crumpled.

Oru remarked in surprise, "Is that Lin Da's girlfriend? I had long advised him to find one. It's good to have someone by your side on the journey of adventure, haha."

These words inflicted an additional attack on both Aiko and Lia, who trembled and looked disheveled, resembling two disheartened dogs with drooping ears.

Klyne pinched Oru's thigh and glanced at him with a warning look, continuously shaking her head.

Oru: "?"

He was just stating the facts, wasn't he?

Klrona, also clueless, dressed in a lovely brown dress with a bunny head backpack, was the first to jump down from the carriage:

"Let's go, why aren't you moving?"

Aiko forced a laugh and looked at her Space Ring, quietly consoling herself. There was still hope, the last one remaining is the winner, Lulu was just a step ahead.

As for Lia, she said in a low voice with her head down, "You go ahead. I have a stomachache and don't want to go."

"Stage fright?"

Aiko curled her lip: "You're not scared, are you?"

"I... how could I, a lady like me, be scared!"

Lia's eyebrows shot up, and she gritted her teeth, stepping down from the carriage, "What's there to be afraid of Lin Da, whether we fight or not."

No... nobody is going to fight with you on such an occasion, right?

Aiko couldn't help but cry and laugh. If a fight started, that would mean wreaking havoc.

The Snow Goose crowd walked over.

"Welcome."

Lin Da had spotted the carriage parked outside the courtyard long ago.

The banner of the Snow Goose Adventure Team fluttered in the breeze.

A pure white goose, spreading its wings high.

Symbolizing dauntlessness, one day they would achieve their goal.

The banner was decided upon by Lin Da, his sister Lin Xi, and Lia.

Lia walked in briskly, her fiery red gown and hair like a vibrant rose.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Rather than coming for a party, she seemed more like a swordsman entering the battlefield?

The surrounding guests consciously lowered their voices, sneaking glances this way.

With melon seeds and drinks ready to enjoy the show.

As the Snow Goose group approached, it seemed to trigger the werewolf blood in Lulu, instinctively guarding her territory.

Lulu stepped forward with a face full of frost, looking coldly at Lia without a trace of warmth in her voice: "Welcome."

Lia stopped in front of Linda and Lulu, without responding.

This was unlike Lia's usual style.

The irritation in her heart surged.

She looked up at Lin Da, who was not giving her the sharp, taunting looks she imagined, but merely gazed at her tranquilly.

No different from how he treated the other guests.

Lia pursed her lips.

Perhaps, she had only overestimated her own importance.

In Lin Da's world, he had a new villa, new teammates, and even the White Dove Adventure Group was on good terms with him; he had almost forgotten about the Snow Goose.

Only she stayed in those three years, unwilling to step out.

"Congratulations on breaking through the level 20 threshold."

Lia brought out the crumpled, long gift box with a [Great Sea Clear Sky] brand logo, featuring simple gilded patterns depicting the sea and the sky.

A well-known brand with chains spread throughout the empire.

"Here, a gift," Lia said.

Seeing Lin Da's surprised expression, Lia hesitated for a moment and added, "When we first established the adventure team, I remember you staring at the showcase window for a long while."

"May I open it?"

"Sure."

Lin Da unwrapped the gift box, inside which lay a Magic Guide Wristwatch.

It was silver overall, with a deep blue face. Special magic stones depicted the scene of ocean waves, with schools of fish swimming through them.

Such a small wristwatch seemed to transport one into the ocean.

"This must have been expensive, wasn't it?"

Of course it was expensive, very expensive indeed.

Lia remembered the price and still felt a pinch.

But in this situation, she would not, even at her death, utter the word 'expensive.'

Lia calmly said, "It's only seventy thousand Gold Coins, for Snow Goose, that's just enough for one expedition against the Magical Creatures in the wild."

Lin Da didn't immediately wear it, but instead packed the Magic Guide Wristwatch back into the gift box.

"Thank you," Lin Da said.

"Are we at a point where we need to say thank you to each other?"

Lia, seeing that Lin Da hadn't wore the wristwatch and wasn't as moved as she had imagined, couldn't help but turn pale.

Being thanked by Lin Da only added to her irritation. The previously dull saw in her chest had sharpened considerably, as if diligent dwarves were sawing at her chest.

What she wanted was not Lin Da's gratitude.

Or perhaps, Lia didn't know what she wanted to get from Lin Da. Anyway, if Lin Da had joked like before and said, 'So even you, such a miser, are willing to give such an expensive gift?' she would probably have been happier.

Instead of a stiff thank you.

It was the heaviest and yet most perfunctory phrase.

Lin Da was taken aback for a moment, looking at Lia whose eyes were slightly red, and said, "Is it the enemy then? Apologizing really was an insult to you."

Lia shook her head.

"Snow Goose will not target you anymore."

She said, "But this still won't change my determination to defeat you. If you want to concede, now is the time."

Aiko, hearing Lia's words, almost lost his cool.

Something's off.

We came here to attend the Phoenix Tail Flower promotion party and incidentally to raise some good feelings.

Why are you declaring war here?

The guests present were whispering:

"Isn't this different from what Captain Lia said? Is her relationship with Phoenix Tail Flower really that bad?"

"Did she eat gunpowder before coming here?"

"I hope Phoenix Tail Flower's captain can give that Lia a good beating and make her realize the reality. I'm a die-hard fan of the Phoenix Tail Flower's captain; I've disliked that red-haired dwarf for a while."

"Shush, be careful she might hear you."

Most people thought Lia was here to pick a fight.

But Lin Da could only think, he's used to it.

Lia was like this, especially when being watched by a crowd, her need to maintain face increased tenfold.

With his understanding of Lia, Lin Da could almost translate her words to:

'I apologize for the previous incidents.'

Everything else was just bluster and nonsense.

It was that simple a meaning.

However, Lin Da was not about to reconcile with Lia over this.

He pretended he didn't understand and replied, "I wouldn't recommend that, because Phoenix Tail Flower won't lose to any team."

Lia fell silent for a while, then said, "You've become confident after meeting them. You wouldn't have said such arrogant words before."

"Perhaps," Lin Da sighed.

"Is it us who are not as good as them?"

Lia's voice turned husky as she dragged the other members of Snow Goose into this.

Aiko and Oru, among others, looked at Lin Da somewhat anxiously.

This feeling of 'not being good enough' was much like being cuckolded.

But Lin Da didn't deny those three years of time together.

"No."

"Then why?"

"Perhaps it's because..."

Lin Da looked towards Lulu standing by his side, thought about the obedient Monica, and the usually unreliable but dependable in crucial moments, Kafni.

He slowly said, "Perhaps it's because they trust me."

"Because of their ample trust, the strategies I created came into use."

Those simple few sentences made Lia and the rest of Snow Goose break down.

Indeed, they didn't trust Lin Da fully.

If they truly believed Lin Da was a capable leader, and an irreplaceable team member, today's creation of the Phoenix Tail Flower Adventure Team wouldn't have been possible.

On the contrary, Lin Da's current teammates had no doubt about him whatsoever.

Even if Lin Da said a pit of fire ahead was formed by an illusion of the Magical Creatures, his teammates would jump into it without hesitation.

This was the reason Phoenix Tail Flower was powerful.

Lia's eyelashes trembled slightly; she turned pale and opened her mouth to say, "That night, if I hadn't pulled out that resume..."

"I would still have left the team," Lin Da said. "Just later."

This response hit Lia like a punch in the gut, causing her to stagger, supported by Klyne beside her.