Chapter 299: The Housewarming Party [3.]

As time passed, the party gradually settled into a comfortable rhythm, everyone growing more familiar with their surroundings.

The initial excitement of arriving had faded, and most of the guests were now simply enjoying themselves or getting better acquainted with one another.

By this point, Kael had already greeted almost everyone.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and with most of his responsibilities as the host taken care of, he was finally considering finding somewhere to sit down and relax.

However, just as he was about to do so, he noticed another familiar figure standing near a corner of the room.

It was Joy.

She was currently talking with a small group of people, about five in total. Among them was someone Kael recognized immediately.

Dun.

Seeing the two of them together, Kael decided to head over.

As he approached, the group noticed him, and their conversation quickly came to a stop.

"Greetings, Guild Master!"

The greeting came almost simultaneously from several of them.

Kael nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hey. How are you all doing?"

"We’re doing well, Guild Master."

"That’s good." Kael smiled. "And how’s the party? I hope you’re enjoying yourselves."

"Of course, Guild Master. Everything has been wonderful so far."

A few of the others nodded in agreement.

Kael was pleased to hear that.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Joy stepped forward slightly.

"Guild Master, since you’re here, there’s something I’d like to do."

"Hm?"

She gestured toward four of the people standing beside her.

"These are the new recruits who recently joined the Mothlight Guild."

Kael turned his attention toward them.

Of course, he already knew who they were.

Joy had sent him their files a while ago, and he had gone through each one before approving their recruitment.

Still, this was the first time he was meeting them properly in person.

Among the four recruits was one woman and three men.

The woman’s name was Esther, and she was a Mage.

As for the three men, their names were Matt, Oliver, and Nathaniel.

Matt and Oliver were both Warrior-type Hunters who specialized in swordsmanship, while Nathaniel was a Tank.

These four were currently the Hunters who had successfully passed the Mothlight Guild’s recruitment process.

Of course, it wasn’t that the Guild lacked applicants.

Considering Mothlight’s growing reputation and the attention it had been receiving recently, there were quite a few Hunters interested in joining.

The problem was Kael’s recruitment requirements.

Unlike most Guilds, which primarily focused on a Hunter’s current strength, level, and class, Kael had a rather specific set of things he looked for in potential members.

And his standards weren’t particularly easy to meet.

As a result, despite the number of applicants, only these four had managed to satisfy his requirements so far.

Kael didn’t see any reason to lower those standards simply to increase the Guild’s numbers.

He would rather have a small group of capable and hardworking Hunters than recruit a large number of people who didn’t fit what he wanted to build.

With that in mind, he quietly examined the four standing before him.

They seemed a little nervous under his gaze, although they did their best to maintain their composure.

Kael took his time looking them over.

From what he could tell, they were all quite capable.

At least, their current strength was respectable, and based on the information Joy had provided, they also had considerable room for improvement.

After a moment, he nodded.

"Not bad. You four are quite powerful."

Hearing that, the recruits visibly relaxed a little.

Receiving praise from the Guild Master during their first proper meeting was certainly encouraging.

Kael continued.

"I hope you all work hard from here on out. The Mothlight Guild was built to support hardworking Hunters and give them the opportunity to rise to the top."

He looked at each of them in turn.

"As long as you’re willing to put in the effort, the Guild will do its best to provide you with the support you need to grow."

His expression remained calm as he added, "So, I wish you all the best."

The four recruits exchanged brief glances before responding.

"We’ll do our best, Guild Master!"

Their voices were filled with determination.

Kael smiled faintly.

"Good. That’s what I want to hear."

He gave them another approving nod before gesturing for them to leave.

"Alright, you can go enjoy the party. There’s no need to stand around here the entire evening."

"Thank you, Guild Master!"

The four bowed their heads slightly before excusing themselves.

Kael watched them leave before turning his attention back toward the two people who remained.

Joy and Dun.

Now that the introductions were out of the way, there were a few things he wanted to discuss with them.

However, before Kael could bring up what he wanted to discuss, Dun was the first to speak.

"Guild Master, forgive me for asking, but is that really your mother?"

Kael followed his gaze and saw that he was looking toward Hannah, who was currently attending to a few guests on the other side of the room.

"Yeah, that’s my mother," Kael replied with a nod.

Dun stared at Hannah for a moment longer, looking completely astonished.

"I can hardly believe it," he muttered. "Just a few days ago, when I saw her, she was in such a terrible state, her body completely withered, her health deteriorated to an almost unbelievable degree."

He turned back toward Kael.

"But now, look at her. She looks so young and healthy. I wouldn’t have even recognized her if I hadn’t been told she was your mother."

His expression grew increasingly curious.

"Guild Master, what exactly happened? What kind of miracle could bring about such a drastic recovery in only a few days?"

Kael smiled faintly.

"It was thanks to a miraculous item I managed to obtain from the Tower. Fortunately, its effects were exactly what my mother needed, so I was able to heal her condition."

"A miraculous item from the Tower?"

Dun’s brows furrowed slightly.

"What kind of item?"

As he asked the question, a familiar glint appeared in his eyes.

Kael immediately recognized that look.

It was the same expression Dun usually wore whenever he encountered something that interested him from a research perspective.

And considering what had happened to Hannah, Kael couldn’t exactly blame him.

After all, Dun was someone who had dedicated a considerable portion of his life to researching medicine, magical materials, and the various ways they could be used to improve the human body.

Something capable of restoring a person from such a terrible condition would naturally be of enormous interest to him.

In fact, Kael wouldn’t have been surprised if Dun wanted to examine his mother personally just to understand what had happened.

Fortunately, Kael had something else that would probably interest him just as much.

"You don’t need to worry about that for now," Kael said with a smile. "I actually brought back a few things for your research."

Dun blinked.

"For my research?"

"Yeah. Since you’re currently working on improving the Mana Potion, I figured some of the things I came across in the Tower might be useful."

As he spoke, Kael waved his hand.

Several items immediately appeared before them.

There were magical herbs, unusual materials, and various other resources, each possessing its own distinct appearance and aura.

These were items Kael had specifically purchased because he believed they might prove useful to Dun’s research.

Considering the resources available to him through the Tower, acquiring such things wasn’t particularly difficult anymore.

But for Dun, it was an entirely different matter. The moment he saw the items, his eyes widened.