Chapter 171: Affordable Price

Trillo just watched between Terrence and Filmos.

Being asked by Terrence himself if he wanted a much more powerful beast, any tamer would definitely say "yes."

By that line of questioning, there should be implications behind it, right? Like, being given a beast or something?

And just as Trillo had thought, Terrence indeed offered Filmos a powerful beast.

"From what you shared with me, you said that the Anti-Nustra is hunting you, no?"

Filmos nodded, feeling a subtle sense of awe as he realized Terrence appeared completely different from what he had previously known and observed.

Why was it that in this very moment, a deep respect toward Terrence was beginning to take root in his heart? It was as if a calm, benevolent atmosphere naturally surrounded him.

Terrence could also notice that both of them were captivated by what he had just said, but nonetheless, he had to finish this system mission. Bypassing the conflict this way wouldn’t be harmful at all. He simply had to sell the beast, knowing he could gain an even more powerful reward as long as he followed the prompt.

’Just say yes already,’ Terrence urged silently in his head.

"Of course, I want to," Filmos replied eagerly.

Terrence let out a quiet sigh, washing out the tense feeling that had been forming in his chest earlier.

’I thought he was going to say no. He’d have to be crazy to decline an offer like that.’

Terrence cleared his throat as he pointed toward the Sanctuary Spatial Anchor Array mounted on the far wall. Both of them immediately followed his gesture.

With pure mental control, Terrence maneuvered the holographic display flickering from the array.

Filmos and Trillo couldn’t help but look back and forth between Terrence and the screen. The interface shifted fluidly according to his sheer will. Both of them were awed by the sight, wondering how he could possibly construct or possess such advanced technology linked directly to his mind.

’I heard he also possesses a special Control Crystal for the entire shop, one that can instantly identify real and fake employees, or even generate proper uniforms magically created by the crystal itself,’ Trillo thought, recalling a specific section of the intelligence report he had read regarding Terrence.

Witnessing it in person only deepened his respect for Terrence, making him view the former exile as a teacher or mentor figure.

Well, it made complete sense to consider Terrence along those lines. Terrence had already provided a beast for him in the past—and even though Trillo had paid for it, that creature was far more formidable than any average beast he could have ever grasped back then.

Filmos swallowed hard as Terrence continued searching through the array for the specific beast he had mentioned. Soon, Terrence stopped scrolling and zoomed in on a majestic, quadrupedal creature covered in sharp white fur that radiated light like a miniature sun. Its eyes were unlike anything they had ever seen in standard beasts—instead of normal pupils or irises, they glowed with a pure, solid sky-blue aura.

’What kind of beast is that?’ Filmos wondered, his heart beating fast.

Filmos looked up at Terrence and caught a flicker of hesitation across his face, as if he felt a strong personal attachment to the creature. Terrence was clearly admiring the beast’s beauty before handing it over.

"Are you sure that you are really going to give this to me?" Filmos asked quietly.

Terrence looked back at Filmos, his expression instantly snapping back to his usual cool, blank gaze.

Trillo’s eyes widened in horror. He immediately slapped his palm against the back of Filmos’s head, forcing him to bow down sharply toward the table.

"Excuse him, sir! He didn’t mean to sound ungrateful!" Trillo blurted out anxiously.

Filmos grimaced as his head was pressed down, suddenly realizing how disrespectful his question might have sounded to a high-tier tamer.

Terrence just chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Don’t worry... But no," Terrence paused, leaning back slightly. "I am not just giving this to you for free. I am selling this at a very affordable price in exchange for something—if only you promise to fulfill a condition."

Filmos showed a worried expression as he slowly lifted his head, a bit of confusion mixing with his anticipation.

"What do you mean by that, sir?"

Terrence cleared his throat as he stood up, tapping a side panel to adjust the room’s lighting to be much brighter. Then, he turned back to look at the two tamers, whose eyes tracked his every move.

"If you promise me that you won’t let the Anti-Nustra Legion get their hands on your beast, you can have two beasts of extremely high caliber. How does that sound?"

Terrence sighed internally as he delivered the offer.

’I just want to complete this mission. But at least, if I get that SR-Rank beast which is completely unheard of, there’s a high possibility I could just leave this place behind and station myself somewhere in the barren, dangerous apocalyptic wilderness. I could simply build a territory for myself... right? With such a powerful beast, there’s no way I couldn’t stand against even the Anti-Nustra Legion.’

Filmos’s eyes widened slowly as the full weight of Terrence’s words registered in his mind.

’He is trusting me! Did he just imply he wants me to fight the Anti-Nustra in his stead? Is he telling me to hunt them down instead? Right? That has to be it! I have to put them down! Because he just proposed to sell a legendary beast at an affordable price. That’s the only explanation!’ Filmos thought, his chest surging with wild excitement.

Trillo arrived at the exact same conclusion beside him.

’No way! Terrence just asked Filmos to stand against the Anti-Nustra using the beast he’s selling him! This is a test! If Filmos proves his worth, he might actually end up working directly under Terrence! I want in on this too!’

Instinctively, Trillo dropped down onto one knee before the table, catching Terrence completely off guard. Filmos quickly followed suit, his face beaming with absolute satisfaction and gratitude.

"Sir! Please let me serve under you as well!" Trillo declared firmly.

"Sir, thank you for your incredible trust!" Filmos shouted, bowing his head low.

Terrence stood there completely baffled, scratching the back of his neck as he stared at the two kneeling tamers.

’What is with these two?’

And so, Terrence officially "sold" the SSS-Rank Light Dragon to Filmos, while simultaneously "selling" an A-Rank Beast to Trillo—both at the ridiculously low price of just one thousand credits each.

As the transaction finalized and the system notification pinged in his mind, Terrence looked at the two beaming young men and couldn’t help but wonder:

’Am I actually doing the right thing here?’