Chapter 221: Ch 221: Pleased to meet the Guest - Part 3

The leader felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at Noah, who was still sitting calmly on the sofa with a cup of tea in his hands.

He suddenly realised that the person he should be paying attention to was not Alan or Daniel, but this seemingly harmless guide who could make both of those dangerous men behave themselves with just a few words.

"Then, Mr Noah, may I ask what we can do to make up for the trouble we have caused you? If there is anything you need, please feel free to tell us, and we will do our best to accommodate your request."

He asked with a polite smile, hoping to find a way to end this meeting without losing two of their most valuable officers or, worse, getting himself killed in the process.

Noah tilted his head as if he were considering the question seriously before putting down his teacup and giving the leader a bright smile.

"That is easy. I want to accompany Alan and Daniel back to the Esper-Guide Association, and I would also like to register as a member."

The leader almost jumped out of his seat at that news.

For a moment, he wondered if he had misheard Noah, but the other party’s expression was so sincere that he could not find any reason to doubt his words.

The possibility of bringing Noah into the association suddenly seemed like a blessing from heaven.

After all, someone who could control Alan and Daniel so easily would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to their organisation.

And if they could convince Noah to join them, perhaps the two troublesome officers would finally stop threatening to resign every time they were dissatisfied with something.

"Of course! That can certainly be arranged. We would be delighted to welcome you to the association, and I am sure we can find a suitable position for you-"

He stopped speaking when he noticed the expressions on Alan and Daniel’s faces.

Alan was still smiling, but the smile had somehow become much more frightening than before, while Daniel had leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on the leader as though he were waiting for him to say something stupid.

The leader’s hopeful expression froze.

’No, wait a minute. Why do they look even more dangerous now?’

He swallowed nervously and reconsidered his answer, realising that accepting Noah’s request without consulting the two men beside him might be equivalent to signing his own death warrant.

"Actually, there might be some complications with your registration. We would need to conduct a thorough assessment first, and given your circumstances, it might be better to postpone your application until we have a clearer understanding of your abilities."

The moment those words left his mouth, Alan placed his hand on the table with a soft tap.

"Really? That’s a shame. I was just beginning to think that the association had finally learned how to make sensible decisions."

Daniel nodded solemnly beside Noah.

"Indeed. Perhaps we should reconsider our decision to return as well."

The leader felt his soul leave his body.

Why was Daniel making this so difficult? Was he not the one shooting him glares and telling him to stay in his lane? What did he even want?

Alan was the one who took charge of the situation soon after, smiling at Daniel and Noah before urging them to head inside.

"It’s quite late. You both should head to bed. I will see our guests out and-"

"Alan, Daniel, do you think I don’t see what you are trying to do here?"

Everyone gasped at that accusation.

No one had ever talked back to Alan like this before, so everyone looked at him, waiting to see what he would do next. They were all afraid that his anger would erupt and he would cause a mess.

But none of that happened.

Instead, Alan looked at Noah with a blank face, almost as if he could hear what Noah was saying but could not comprehend it.

Not that Noah seemed to care. He simply turned to look at their company and boldly made a decision.

"I would like to join the Esper-Guide Association. If you ignore me now, then I will simply head to the higher-ups and submit my application there. Would that be better?"

Noah did not have secure connections, but he had other ways to get accepted. And if nothing else worked, he could always hack his way inside without anyone knowing.

It was all going to be so easy for him as well.

Now, the decision of what to do was up to Alan and Daniel. But he knew that they were going to make the right decision.

’Sigh.’

"Noah, you-"

Alan started to speak, but Daniel placed a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off. Daniel seemed to have grasped the meaning of Noah’s words and decided to take them seriously.

"If you truly want to join, then you can do so under my protection. I will take you into my unit. But you will have to follow my command. Do you understand?"

Daniel asked, ignoring the pissed-off Alan. This was a common occurrence, so no one usually paid much attention to it.

But Noah did beam at the pair with a happy smile on his face.

"I understand. Then, we can leave for the association tomorrow. Ah, is there anything you want to add, Ethan?"

Ethan, who was suddenly asked this question, flinched and shook his head. What was even the point of asking him anything anymore when everything else had already been decided? It was just asking for trouble.

For now, it would be best for him to stay out of trouble.

The Esper-Guide headquarters was soon going to catch fire, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

’Maybe I should look into retiring early. I will remain safe that way.’

He was not the only one who thought that. Everyone else around him likely felt the same way. But he did not want to abandon Noah...

This was turning out to be a headache.