Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 441 - 9 Establishment of Delegation_1

Chapter 441: Chapter 9 Establishment of Delegation_1

Pannis, leading Catherine, walked in silence through the courtyard, gradually distancing themselves from the others. After a long period of silence, Catherine finally stopped, speaking softly, "That’s far enough. What’s on your mind? Do you really need that metal part? That should be the component of the Code Disk you mentioned before, which contains the secrets of the goblins. But is it worth taking such a risk for it?"

"I didn’t mention this before because I wasn’t certain enough," Pannis said with a bitter smile, standing with crossed arms against the mansion’s outer wall. "After all, raising your hopes only to let you down would be painful. If we get that metal part, then all the parts of the Code Disk will be assembled."

"Hmm?" Catherine paused, "I thought there were only three?"

"I asked a friend to find the other three," Pannis said. "So this is the last piece. But that’s not the point. The main thing is why I’m so desperate to find this Code Disk. Don’t you want to know too? I think you’ll be interested."

"Is it important?" Catherine mirrored Pannis’s posture against the wall. "Go ahead, I’m listening."

"I have a goblin friend who has deeply studied their history," Pannis uttered, plucking a wildflower from the grass by the path and casually tossing it in his mouth. "Do you know that in their most glorious era, the goblins’ highest-level research was on what?"

Catherine slapped the flower from Pannis’s hand with a quick flick, speaking irritably, "How should I know if you don’t tell me? Was it on metal puppets?"

"No, not at all." Pannis replied, "Compared to us, goblins are very weak. Although they developed metal puppets to compensate, they still get hurt or sick easily. So the most profound studies they conducted were in the field of medical technology, used to strengthen bodies and cure diseases."

Leaning against the wall, Catherine’s breath hitched and she became stiff, her heartbeat doubling its pace. Turning her suddenly rigid neck, she slowly looked at Pannis whose expression was unchanged and asked with a trembling voice, "So... does it have to do with Vivian?"

"I was planning to wait until everything was confirmed before telling you, but I didn’t expect this merfolk to force me to reveal it now." Pannis sighed and shook his head, "I can’t guarantee that the information recorded inside is exactly what that goblin guessed. Even if it is, I can’t assure that we would definitely be able to locate the actual location according to that information, much less guarantee that we will find something there to cure Vivian’s illness. To sum it all up, all of these are still merely speculations at this point, untested hypotheses. However, I think if the world possesses a method to cure Vivian’s illness, it could only be the lost goblin technology."

Catherine clenched her lips tightly, her red lips turning white from the pressure of her teeth, "Can you be more specific?"

"That goblin told me that the information recorded in the Code Disk might lead to a comprehensive biological research institute representing the pinnacle of goblin technology. And there might be a way to cure her inside," Pannis said, "All of this is speculative at best."

"How likely do you think it is?" Catherine pursued, "Are you confident?"

"Who knows." Pannis shrugged helplessly, "It might be a hundred percent, or it could be one percent. No one knows until the end. So, it’s up to you whether you’re willing to risk a high chance of death for this slim hope. But I must remind you that this mission might lead us into the deep sea, and the dangers there are far greater than you can imagine. Even a demigod, doesn’t have the guarantee to survive a fight with those monstrous sea creatures."

"I know the dangers in the deep sea, of course I know," Catherine clenched her fists and said through gritted teeth, "You should have included Lina as well. If you’re asking her to risk her life, you should at least ask for her opinion."

"It seems you’re already interested," Pannis chuckled, then retorted, "But you’re underestimating Lina, don’t you think? Do you believe that while you’re willing to risk your life for Vivian, Lina won’t?"

"Alright, I was wrong." Catherine gave a bitter smile, "Then we can only accept their offer. It’s the first time we’ve ever accepted a mission without any idea about it. I feel uneasy."

"It’s a perfectly normal feeling of uneasiness, don’t worry," Pannis patted Catherine’s shoulder, "Let’s go back. But we better not tell Vivian about this, or she’ll fight to the death against accepting the mission."

"Of course I won’t tell her." Catherine rolled her eyes at Pannis and retorted, "I’m not a fool. Even if I tell her, it would be only after the mission is completed and we have our reward."

"She would be really happy then," Pannis grinned, turning to walk towards the negotiation table under the oak tree, "I hope the outcome won’t disappoint her."

"Big sister, you took so long," Vivian complained as soon as they returned. "We were listening to Lanna talking about life under the sea. Life freed from two-dimensions is so interesting."

Catherine and Pannis shared a chuckle, then, after exchanging a knowing glance with Lina, they sat down and said seriously, "Your reward is indeed something we can’t refuse."

"That’s great." Lanna let out a sigh of relief, smiling, "So it seems like you’ve decided to accept our proposal?"

"Don’t celebrate too quickly. We haven’t agreed yet. Remember, the reward only addresses our first concern, our concern about risking our lives." After Catherine finished speaking, she reached out, taking Lina and Vivian’s hands in hers, "This time, I’ll make the decision. I’ll take the responsibility for your choices, even carrying your lives in my hands. You’re okay with that, right?"

"Haven’t we already handed that over to you ages ago, big sis?" Lina responded with a laugh, "There are things we might not say outright, but we trust you. We believe you cherish our lives even more than we do ourselves. So, there’s nothing to worry about."

"Just let me know when you’ve decided." Vivian was as straightforward as ever, grabbing her small bag made of fish skin from the table and turning to leave, "I’m heading back to the lab. Call me when we’re ready to go."

"Come back here." Catherine tugged at Vivian’s collar, pulling her back into her seat, "We still have to eat! After dinner then you can go back to the lab. For now, sit still."

"Alright, alright." Vivian made a silly face, disgruntled. She held the Mermaid’s Tear and immediately fell into a pensive state, ignoring any further conversation.

"Oh right, I have a question for you two." Pannis tapped lightly on the table, her gaze drifting between Lanna and Lamia, "The two of you seeking us out, that’s not something you two decided on your own, is it? Someone must have recommended us to you."

"Of course." Lanna blushed slightly, looking down, "Commander Gullielmer highly recommended you."

"Oh?" Pannis laughed, teasing, "So you knew Commander Gullielmer would recommend us in advance? That’s why you prepared your reward and your persuasion tactics? I didn’t know that merfolk had the talent of divination. This is quite an enlightening discovery."

Lanna titled her head in thought before raising her face in a radiant smile, "Yes, our divination talent is very strong."

"Hey." Pannis rolled her eyes, "Cheating isn’t a good habit."

"Alright, I admit, someone had already introduced us to your Nellie Adventure Team and had told us about your urgent needs. But we wanted to see if there were other options, so we asked Commander Gullielmer for his recommendation. We didn’t expect that he would recommend you guys too. But even so, we couldn’t entirely trust you which is why we tested you just now. I hope you understand. It’s not that we were plotting against you, it was just a small coincidence." Lanna dropped her playful grin, speaking seriously, "However, I request that you don’t try to pry for who this person is. They’re two exceptionally reputable and influential people. This was to address your second concern: the nature of this mission."

"Could you clarify that?" Catherine asked, "It’s hard to understand what you mean."

"I know your second concern: you’re worried this mission conflicts with your sense of justice and faith." Lanna said, "But I think these two introducers should be enough to alleviate your worries. Although I can’t reveal their names, I swear in the name of our god, Caleto, that the reputation and prestige of these two introducers are no less than those of the Nellie Knights you hold so dear. So you can rest assured that if this mission were unjust, they wouldn’t have helped us."

"Alright, I think I understand who you’re referring to." Pannis covered her face, speaking, "These two are so powerful, why didn’t they just solve the problem themselves instead of sending you guys over here? They’re definitely taking their revenge."

"You know them?" Catherine asked curiously, "Who are they?"

"The two little girls with the big dog." Pannis sighed, "You saw them on the grasslands. If it’s a mission recommended by them, there shouldn’t be any issues. Relax."

Catherine nodded, reaching out to Lanna and Lamia, "Well then, on behalf of the Nellie Adventure Team, I accept your request. If it’s possible, could I ask that you wait for me for five days? Just so you know, I recently advanced to a higher stage and need some time to adapt to my newfound power."

"No problem. I’m looking forward to our successful partnership." Lanna smiled, shaking hands with Catherine, "We’ll head back to the hotel today. We’ll come to see you tomorrow and then we’ll go to the Adventurer’s Guild to sort out the paperwork."

"Hold on, don’t rush off. Some of our friends are having a BBQ out the back tonight, you should join." Catherine invited, "The more, the merrier. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to get to know each other better."

"Hmm, alright then." After some thought, Lanna agreed, despite Lamia’s opposing gaze, "This is my first time participating in such an event on land, so don’t mind me if I seem out of place."