Faced with Alice’s sudden request, Lohan was a little at a loss for how to respond, but luckily Lisa knew just when to step in.
"Well, Alice, Halon had a huge argument with another girl who tried to pick him up like a pet. If you want to try your luck, it’ll all depend on how well you can handle the wrath of a mythical creature." Lisa laughed, but Lohan noticed something different about that laugh.
Unlike the laugh she used with him, a more natural, carefree laugh, the laugh she used when speaking to Alice was much more artificial and restrained.
Alice didn’t notice this and stared at the little Slime in shock, taking a small step back.
"Oh no, I don’t know if I want to piss off my new boss so soon... By the way, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Halon. I’m Alice Muller. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I hope we get along really well from here on out." She said with a cute and sassy smile.
[Alice Visual Representation Here and on Discord.gg/NunuXD]
Lohan looked at the little girl in front of him; even though, according to Lisa, she was a year younger than them, the girl seemed even younger!
She was dressed in tight-fitting leather armor, with her hands free and carrying no weapons.
Judging by the design of her armor, which left plenty of room for her hands, and the agile way she moved, Lohan guessed she was some kind of fighter.
Seeing how easygoing this girl was, he felt much more at ease.
With his calm, magnetic voice, Lohan smiled inwardly and answered her question, winking both eyes at the Slime in a cute way that made the girl let out an excited little squeal.
"Hello Alice, I’m Halon. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Lisa has spoken very highly of you to me!" Lohan said in the friendliest way he could.
And it worked, because as soon as he said that, Alice turned her gaze to Lisa and smiled even wider. "Aww, Bella, I knew you loved me!"
Saying that, she approached the fox and hugged her while rubbing her own face against Lisa’s.
But while the girl was enjoying the hug, the fox didn’t react, she was in shock.
Quickly pulling Halon out of the mental link, Lisa shouted.
"ALICE! I told you not to call me Bella or mention the Vance group in front of Halon!" Saying this, Lisa glanced surreptitiously at Halon, who was lying on the ground beside them, his artificial eyes staring into the void.
’Great, even if he has eyes, if he doesn’t want to express anything through them, I have no way of figuring anything out... please Halon, I hope you didn’t pay attention to the nickname Alice called me...’
Thinking this, Lisa quickly reconnected Halon to the mental link. "I’m sorry, Halon, I had to say something personal to Alice."
The Slime’s eyes, which had been floating unfocused, suddenly moved toward the fox and blinked one at a time, creating a very cute and funny scene.
"Oh, don’t worry... Bella." He replied casually, but the way he called Lisa made the fox freeze, and Alice look at him in shock.
Lisa was startled that he clearly repeated the nickname Alice had used, not knowing how to react to him, should she admit it now? Or should she pretend it was just a nickname among friends with nothing to do with Isabella?
Alice, on the other hand, was shocked for a different reason.
Having known Isabella since childhood, she could say there was no one in the world closer to Isabella than she was.
To the point where she believed she was the only one who could tease Isabella Vance lightly, without any repercussions.
But seeing the bold way Halon dared to speak to Bella, Alice looked at her friend worriedly, only to see the fox looking frightened and concerned, as if she weren’t the one who caused that reaction in others!
Seeing this reaction, Alice ignored the fact that it was her fault Halon had discovered that nickname, and observed the two of them with even greater interest, sensing there was more to it than her friend had told her!
Lohan brushed off Lisa’s reaction with a laugh, not caring much about it, and looked at the group of soldiers who had come with Alice.
The group he was looking at consisted of Samantha, a slender figure, completely covered in dark gray Rogue attire. Lohan noticed that she barely left a heat signature, indicating a highly advanced passive concealment Skill.
Super Dee, whom Alice introduced as Dee. A broad-shouldered warrior, wearing heavy plate armor that gleamed under the Elysium sun. He held an imposing shield and exuded confidence bordering on arrogance, but he couldn’t hide his fascination with everything he was seeing around him, just like Alice.
Tunder, the group’s mage. He wore blue robes with a cold expression on his face; every so often, Lohan felt the air around him crackle slightly near the man’s hands. In those moments of crackling, the ambient Mana vibrated, which surprised Lohan.
Justin, an archer with eagle-like eyes and slightly pointed ears, much like those of the boy who had tried to tame Lisa like a hired beast, who never stopped scanning the surroundings. On his back was a wooden bow, very well-maintained but still worn from excessive use.
And finally, there was WyrmWood, a serene-looking Druid, clad in leather robes and adorned with symbols of dried leaves, pointed ears, and dreadlocks on his head that resembled roots. The scent he exuded was like that of wet earth and ancient roots, giving off a faint fragrance of natural energy that surprised Lohan.
All of these people showed signs of being at least one level above normal people, likely possessing Uncommon or higher Foundations.
Their professionalism surprised Lohan, so he decided to introduce himself.
"Lisa, can you extend our mental link to our new companions as well?" he asked.
Lisa snapped out of her trance, relieved to hear Halon call her Lisa again, and quickly expanded the mental link.
Lohan felt the mental connection stabilize, now encompassing not only Lisa and Alice, but also the five sharp minds of the mercenaries.
He immediately sensed the weight of those minds and their wariness at the mental intrusion, but seeing the Slime approaching them, they soon realized it likely came from him, with their curiosity toward the Slime, which acted just like the Vance Group’s heiress, growing even more.
Lohan wanted to make a good impression on these people, who would be the first soldiers to help their guild grow, with the first steps toward forming one of Elysium’s largest organizations being taken here, without anyone from Thalendor around knowing the importance of this event.