Chapter 91: Recruitment

Seeing that look on his face, Celeste burst out laughing. "Don’t be so serious! I like you, just like I like Sierra, or Sky, or Bernadette. Just like what we agreed on earlier, we’re unlikely allies. Nothing more, right?"

Eren gave her a knowing look. "As long as you don’t ask more questions about me, I won’t ask questions about you and that secret that you’re hiding."

Celeste froze for a brief and instantaneous second, before she continued on with a smile. "Whatever you say, Mr. Standoffish."

They continued their journey back the way they came. Eren held only a single sunspore. He didn’t have to hide the fact that a sunspore in his hands could last as long as he wanted.

Eventually, they found themselves back in the Pitted Cavern. The majority of the examinees had gathered here. Some, just journeying out to find their Territories, while some, returning from a successful conquest.

Eren could differentiate the two between the people who had joyful looks on their faces, and those who didn’t.

What’s more, he saw them bringing sacks behind their backs, some bulging out with potatoes or vegetables or other resources they harvested in their new Territory.

A new gathering had emerged circling the large brightened spot on the ground. It was filled with makeshift stalls and vocal examinees hawking at other examinees to check on their wares.

Another market was born.

"Skyward Herbs here! Buy some Skyward Herbs!" shouted someone from their side, showing a neat line of those yellow-star shaped leaves. "Only 10 sunspores per stack!"

"Potatoes here! We buy and sell potatoes for sunspores!"

"Soothing moss! If you have some cuts and bruises on your body, applying soothing moss will heal it in a few hours! Buy it now before it runs out!"

Eren and Celeste walked through the market. Most of what was sold were ordinary. They were resources that everyone would eventually need if they had to live in the Subterranean Burrows for days at a time.

But then, they happened upon a different stall.

Their wooden, makeshift kiosk had a wooden sign titled; ’Recruitment’ painted red at the top.

"If you don’t have a group yet, you can join us!" shouted a lanky young man with a prominent cleft chin on his face. "You two. Would you like to join our group?"

Celeste was about to say something, but Eren stopped her.

"Why would we?" he said to the recruiter.

"Good question. First of all, my name is Lacquer. What about yours?"

"Eren."

"Celeste.

"Well, Eren and Celeste. You will find no better group than ours. We call ourselves the Salvationists, which is being led by our leader, Moash!"

Lacquer expected applause and adoration after he said their leader’s name. He awkwardly coughed upon seeing Eren and Celeste’s silence.

"Ahem... you may not know this, but Moash is a leader from the 1-C Division! And he has been chosen because the Hearth Family has taken notice of him!"

Eren and Celeste’s reactions were lackluster, to say the least.

"You do know who the Hearths are, right? Prominent Family? With their brightest star being Lance Hearth? A National Superhero on the way to become the first Global Superhero from Los Medes? Come on!"

Exasperated, Lacquer tried his best to emphasize the greatness of the Hearth family.

"Oh, we know about them," Celeste said.

"You... you do. Then why— whatever. With Moash being chosen by the Hearths, he will no doubt be given all sorts of sponsorships from them!"

"Like?" Eren asked, curious.

"Like Awakening Pills! Materials! Equipment! Or maybe even a Martial Manual!" revealed Lacquer.

This interested Eren. He didn’t think that sponsorship included being given Martial Manuals. But it made sense. It could be a way to lure people into a specific group, make it so that they would have a built-in loyalty to the ones that sponsored them after the License Exam.

"Have you received those Martial Manuals?" Celeste asked, astonished.

"Well, no... not yet. But it’s only a matter of time! Moash has already conquered two Territories, while most leaders have yet to even get one Flag! So, you better join us now or else you won’t have the chance again in the future."

Eren rubbed his chin. "So, what if we do want to join your group?"

Lacquer smiled, thinking his ploy had been well-received. "All you need to do is give a little donation of 50 sunspores, then you can join our elite group!"

"FIFTY?!" Celeste blurted out, disgusted.

"Yes, fifty! Now that may seem like a lot, but that’s only because you’ve only experienced the First Test recently. In that part, fifty sunspores may seem like a lot. But here in the Second Test, you’ll slowly learn that having fifty sunspores is actually very easy and equivalent to nothing.

So, fifty sunspores in exchange for joining an elite group destined to pass the First Test is a worthwhile exchange!"

Celeste leaned to Eren and whispered. "Wow... it hasn’t even been a few hours in, and people already found a way to profit off of other people.

Reminds me of when the Cataclysm happened. Not even a day after the emergence of the Phantoms, there were already people selling all kinds of protective charms, thinking it would save them from harm..."

This was a perfect microcosm of the extent and resilience of human greed.

"So are you willing to join our group?"

"It looks really interesting. Sure, why not," he said.

Lacquer looked overjoyed. "Great! Now for the payment—"

"Actually, wait... how can I be sure that you’re not scamming me?" Eren asked.

A slight curve emerged in Celeste’s mouth as she understood what he was trying to do. "Yeah. What if you’re actually a very poor Group who just wants people to give them sunspores?"

Lacquer turned as red as a tomato. "We won’t stoop so low!"

"But how can we be sure? If we give you our sunspores, we’ll have nothing left for ourselves...."

Lacquer fumed, before giving in. "Alright. I will give you twenty sunspores, just to show you how much we don’t need it!"