Chapter 154

Chapter 154

After briefly stating the Animal Pet Shop's stance, Lorant stepped aside, and Taya moved forward, somewhat nervously explaining the precautions to be taken during the mutual selection process to the guests present.

This was a procedure that Lorant had already finalized; he was only responsible for a few key speeches, while the main content needed Taya to facilitate.

After all, the upcoming open day would continue for some time, and the mutual selection of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs would need to be carried out continuously, becoming a regular part of the Animal Pet Shop’s operations.

Naturally, Lorant wouldn’t handle all the daily work himself; delegating tasks to his employees is what a competent boss should do!

So, the cunning owner of the Animal Pet Shop had completely been coaxing the knight who knew nothing about it yesterday, making himself seem as if he were going to give a lecture, looking pitiful and wronged.

Watching the young boss retreat to a shady spot and head straight for the cold buffet, the knight silently raised an eyebrow.

Today’s cold buffet at the Animal Pet Shop was quite sumptuous.

Large utensils engraved with preservation magic arrays were filled with various delicious dishes.

From fresh fruits and vegetables to tender and flavorful meats, to bottles of red wine, every detail showed Martha’s dedication.

However, such a thoughtful and high-class cold buffet could only attract Lorant’s attention at this moment.

Everyone else gathered around Taya, listening to her teachings with serious and devout expressions, which would likely make a church priest furious if they saw them.

Why aren’t you this serious during the church service?

As for Martha’s delicacies, they would probably only catch anyone’s attention after everyone completed the mutual selection.

Lorant served himself a whole plate of fruit and was just about to pick up a round, blue fruit when Lancelot approached from behind.

The knight lowered his voice, "Hmm? So, Boss, you still went up to speak today?"

He couldn’t help but notice Taya coming out to start working; it seemed he had been fooled by Lorant yesterday. The white-haired knight gave himself a pep talk and came over to try to 'demand an explanation.'

But the person who had deceived him last night was quite righteous: "What’s wrong? Is there a problem?"

He glanced at Lancelot with a stern look.

Lancelot choked, following the person holding the plate closely, whispering with a hint of grievance, "But you said yesterday..."

If you weren’t really upset yesterday, does that mean you were specifically looking for me... to act cute?

"Didn’t I?" Lorant put down his plate and turned his head, half-tilting it to look at the white-haired knight. "What? Are you regretting it?"

Lancelot blinked, confused, unable to follow Lorant’s train of thought for a moment: "What? I, no, regret what?"

Lorant smiled, took a half-step forward, and leaned up on his tiptoes, closing the distance between them instantly.

Lancelot could clearly feel Lorant’s breath on his ear as he leaned in and whispered, "Since you’re not regretting it, what does that mean, My Lord? Do you want to demand an explanation?"

The youth’s voice was cool, and when he deliberately lowered it, it was filled with a seductive charm, like a sprite turning to look at a traveler by a lake on a summer night.

The knight’s ears turned bright red with the youth’s breath, and just as he was about to say something, he saw Lorant pull away and sit down in his seat.

"Alright, young master, stop fooling around; we’re busy today!" The culprit quickly turned the tables, acting like the victim.

It seemed as if Lancelot was indeed being unreasonable.

Lancelot stood dazedly in place, and by the time he came to his senses, Lorant had already slipped away, leaving behind only a plate of fruit.

So, he didn’t see Lorant’s equally red ears or hear the rapid heartbeat in the youth’s chest.

While these two were bickering, Taya had diligently finished distributing the sachets and led the first batch of guests into the prepared activity area.

Lorant walked up to the group of twenty people and, seeing their nervous expressions, asked Taya, "Have you finished explaining everything?"

Taya glanced at her invisible notes in the air one more time and confidently nodded at Lorant, "Yes, everything has been explained."

She had prepared for a long time, writing down all the points and ensuring she covered everything when speaking to the guests.

There was no way she would miss any details!

Lorant trusted his employees and didn’t ask any more questions. He simply nodded and gestured to Mo'er nearby.

"Mo'er, come here."

Mo'er, who had been helping distribute the sachets, ran over quickly, his eyes full of confusion.

"What’s up, Lo... uh, Boss?" Mo'er almost called Lorant ‘brother’ out of habit but quickly corrected himself.

He was a very perceptive child, knowing exactly what to say in different situations without needing Lorant to tell him.

If it were Silem, he wouldn’t care about such things. He was always cheerfully silly, with no room in his head for such complexities.

At most, he would remember to call his brother ‘teacher’ during class.

But sometimes, Lorant didn’t want his younger brother to be so sensible.

Being too sensible often meant having many experiences that forced him to be so. If possible, Lorant hoped Silem would never have to be so sensible and heart-wrenchingly mature.

Only someone who has always been pampered and spoiled can be so carefree.

Lorant reached out and patted Mo'er’s head, then turned to the first batch of guests and said, "Before we begin, to give everyone a clearer understanding of the mutual selection process for the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, we will demonstrate it for you."

"Mo'er, you’ll do the demonstration."

Mo'er looked at Lorant in a daze. His tone was so calm, as if he were saying, "Mo'er, go help serve the food," which made Mo'er momentarily unsure of how to react.

Make a demonstration?

How to make a demonstration?

Should he go and choose a Lapis Ice Flame Hound to become his own beast pet?

But wasn't it said that the Lapis Ice Flame Hound shouldn't change the person they choose too frequently? Wouldn't that cause some confusion for the young Lapis Ice Flame Hound?

Mo'er's confusion turned into wild joy in an instant.

He quickly understood Lorant's meaning and looked at him with immense surprise. "Lor... Lorant brother! Can I really do it?"

Lorant rubbed his head harder again. "Of course, I believe you've practiced many times already, about how to conduct a mutual selection with the Lapis Ice Flame Hound."

Mo'er nodded vigorously, wearing a rare silly smile, making him look like a child of his age for the first time.

He didn't say much more, as any polite words at this moment felt utterly powerless.

The only way to repay Lorant brother properly in the future was to avoid feeling guilty.

Mo'er eagerly hung a fragrant pouch around his waist and headed inside.

The Lapis Ice Flame Hound had been waiting for Mo'er for a long time, and as soon as it saw Mo'er's movements, it immediately stood up excitedly.

The wildly wagging tail seemed to say, "All the other kids have been picked up! Why did you come so late!"

Mo'er resisted the urge to pounce on the Lapis Ice Flame Hound and instead approached it step by step, following the procedures Taya had explained to the guests before.

He was very serious about giving the guests a demonstration, each step was quite standard.

The little one's eyes were full of confusion, not understanding why its two-legged companion was acting so strangely today.

But its confusion didn't last long, as the two-legged companion soon walked up to it and hugged its neck.

Seeing the boy and the hound huddled together, Lorant turned his head, satisfied, and looked at his guests.

"Just now, Mo'er showed everyone the entire process from approaching the Lapis Ice Flame Hound, making eye contact, to mutual agreement and final success," Lorant said with a smile.

"Of course, the hound he chose has been in contact with him for a long time, and they already had a mutual selection tendency, so it looked very smooth."

"When you choose, the Lapis Ice Flame Hound probably won't be this enthusiastic."

"Everyone should remain a little cautious when facing these unfamiliar Lapis Ice Flame Hounds."

"They are powerful beast pets with their own temperaments, and if provoked, they might hurt you."

"Remember what Taya just told you, the key points when making eye contact, especially the situations where you should back off, must be remembered clearly."

Lorant emphasized again, looking around at these excited yet nervous customers, satisfied that they seemed to have listened to his words.

"Now it's your time to shine, I wish you all good luck and hope you can complete the mutual selection with the Lapis Ice Flame Hound you fancy."

The mutual selection of the Lapis Ice Flame Hound was quite simple and quick. Almost everyone completed their mutual selection with the first Lapis Ice Flame Hound they encountered.

Occasionally, a few who hit a snag quickly found another suitable Lapis Ice Flame Hound and took them away.

Lorant watched for a while and was about to sneak off to slack when Taya called him.

"Boss, there's a customer with a special situation," the half-beast girl whispered to Lorant. "He's not a professional, can he follow this process?"

Lorant gave Taya a surprised look. "Taya? Do you already forget Mo'er?"

Mo'er had just completed a mutual selection, so it was strange for Taya to forget him so quickly.

Taya suddenly remembered this, her mouth half-open in surprise.

She had been with Mo'er for so long that she subconsciously thought of him as a member of the beast pet shop, especially given the intimacy between him and the Lapis Ice Flame Hound, which had led to a smooth mutual selection without any surprises.

Whether he was a professional or not had been completely overlooked by Taya.

When explaining the specific content to the second batch of guests, Taya suddenly noticed that one guest had no aura of a professional at all.

This struck her as odd, as in her impression, all the guests seemed to be professionals, so she was momentarily confused when she discovered a non-professional.

She even doubted whether a non-professional could conduct a mutual selection with a beast pet, which was why she came to confirm with Lorant.

Hearing Lorant's words, Taya realized the situation.

Lorant shook his head with a smile, not blaming Taya for her oversight, as this kind of situation could happen to anyone.

"Sorry, boss, I... I just forgot for a moment..." Taya waved her hands, trying to explain.

"Never mind, let's go, take me to see that customer's situation."

Feeling a little embarrassed, Taya led Lorant to the side, where a young man who had already put on a fragrant pouch was standing nervously.

He was the youngest son of a wealthy merchant family in Mauplan City, with superior family conditions, but no talent to become a professional.

As the youngest son, Gibson didn't need to learn business skills like his older brother, nor did he have to worry about any family matters, having always been free-spirited.

With the family's doting, he could be considered one of Mauplan's dandies.

However, unlike those other dandies who indulged in beauty and lived in a life of decadence every day, Gibson yearned for the life of an adventurer.

He had once spent a large sum of money to hire a powerful team of adventurers to take him to the outskirts of the Black Forest.

The magnificent scenery and the constant sense of danger that made his adrenaline surge had deeply attracted Gibson.

He felt he was a born adventurer.

Although he longed for the life of an adventurer, Gibson had hardly ever left Mauplan City.

Unless he continued to hire powerful professionals to protect him, his parents were firmly against letting Gibson leave their side again.

However, after hiring a professional once, Gibson became somewhat resistant to the idea of hiring more to protect him.

In the wild, monetary relationships were the least reliable.

After going out, he could clearly sense the changes in those around him. Gibson had no doubt that if real danger appeared, they would hesitate not a moment to use him as bait.

Not just ordinary people like him, even the professionals themselves knew this well.

In the wild, one had to be constantly wary of not only the potential beasts but also the so-called 'teammates' around them.

Unless it was a truly trusted teammate, others might stab you in the back at any moment.

In such a situation, although Gibson wanted to venture outside, he was too afraid. So, he made many professional friends in Mauplan, listening to their stories about the outside world to satisfy his curiosity.

Among these friends were several students from the Knights Academy.

It was one of these friends who first encountered the Sapphire Ice Flame Hound and recommended this amazing pet to Gibson.

Although few people knew about these pets at the time, and many considered it a scam, Gibson still paid a deposit after visiting the Animal Pet Shop and seeing Little Eight.

For so long, he had been eagerly looking forward to the day he could own his own Sapphire Ice Flame Hound. To prepare, Gibson specially bought a large estate on the outskirts of the city for his future pet.

Even though he hadn't seen his pet yet, the toys he prepared for it already filled a quarter of the courtyard.

Who knew that just before the final step, the shop assistant would run over in surprise to ask if he was a professional.

Gibson immediately panicked.

Seeing Lorant walk over, Gibson rushed forward as if he had found a lifeline: "Manager, is there any problem with me?"

He looked at Lorant hopefully, seeking reassurance.

Lorant smiled and comforted him: "Of course not. Taya overreacted. Please understand; you are our first non-professional customer, which is significant for us."

He glossed over Taya's mistake.

Seeing Gibson relax, Lorant continued: "Whether or not you are a professional, you can still own a Sapphire Ice Flame Hound. I clearly told you this when you first came to the shop, didn't I?"

"Right, right, right!" Gibson nodded quickly, surprised that Lorant still remembered what he said when he first visited the shop.

Lorant smiled and said, "So, your selection process will proceed normally with others. However, because of your unique status, we may conduct some follow-up activities. Can you accept that?"

Gibson, the kind of customer Lorant most wanted to develop, was part of his vision to make pets a 'power' for ordinary people.

With the weight lifted off his chest, Gibson nodded: "Of course, I will cooperate fully."

After the first batch of customers left the shop happily with their Sapphire Ice Flame Hounds, Taya led the next group inside.

Lorant watched as everything in the shop ran smoothly, requiring no intervention from him.

Fortunately, all one hundred people successfully obtained their Sapphire Ice Flame Hounds, without any of the 'dog-averse' conditions Lorant had feared.

By noon, the one hundred Sapphire Ice Flame Hounds were already running around in the backyard of the shop with their new owners.

These excited new owners didn't mind their pets being overly active. They laughed heartily even when their Sapphire Ice Flame Hounds pounced on them and licked their faces.

Not only the owners, but even the families who accompanied them were enchanted by the puppies' calls, eager to give them all the treats they had.

Gibson's parents hugged their Sapphire Ice Flame Hound, grinning from ear to ear. They had never seen such a magical creature in their lives.

The old couple felt that even if nothing else, just being able to touch such a pet made their lives worthwhile.

Lorant noted this and decided to arrange a unified training session to educate the owners about the care of Sapphire Ice Flame Hounds.

To prevent them from being overindulged like Little Two, turning into chubby little balls that couldn't walk.

At four in the afternoon, everyone reluctantly left the shop, each hugging their Sapphire Ice Flame Hound as if saying a tearful farewell.

Lorant left the cleanup to Mo'er and Silem, retreating early to count the day's earnings.

Apart from the one hundred final payments, the expensive Sapphire Ice Flame Hound accessories sold had brought in a barrel of gold coins.

Yes, a barrel.

A regular half-meter-high wine barrel was filled to the brim with gold coins. Such scattered sales were difficult to handle with crystal cards, except for a few smart individuals who used the Blue Star Trading Platform to pay.

This indirectly promoted the Blue Star Trading Platform, as almost all the guests today signed up for membership at the Animal Pet Shop.

Regardless of other reasons, just for the convenience of buying food for their Sapphire Ice Flame Hounds, having a membership would be much easier.

Lorant sealed the gold coins in the barrel after counting them, preparing to move it to the living room.

Just two days ago, Ruth had bought a ceramic vase whose height was awkward—too tall for the table, too short for the floor.

Placing it under the vase made it just right!

He then poured the crystal cards received today into the convertible box next to the living room, which doubled as a shoe bench, and went upstairs to rest on the bed.

The open day had exhausted everyone, and by nine o'clock, all the lights in the Animal Pet Shop were turned off.

Taya was the last to leave the living room.

She bid farewell to Ruth and Martha, closing the door behind her.

Ruth locked the main door, checked the magic arrays in the house to ensure they were functioning normally, and then went upstairs with Martha to rest.

Taya, as usual, made her rounds at the entrances of the exotic beast kitchen and warehouse, checking to ensure all doors were securely locked before returning to her room.

Soon, the entire Animal pet shop fell into a tranquil silence.

At this moment, at the boundary between the Animal pet shop and the abandoned village, a group of figures that blended into the night emerged.

Five individuals silently slipped out from a dilapidated house, their daggers, gleaming coldly in the moonlight, sharp and bloodthirsty.