542 Deal
The gnomes lived in an underground cave.
This was the first time Huanhuan had seen gnomes. They were shorter than dwarfs, and their skin was all green.
Murphy brought Huanhuan to the door, scaring the group of gnomes hiding in the underground cave.
They closed the doors and windows, shutting out Murphy and Huanhuan.
Huanhuan did not expect to be rejected before she could say anything. She could not help but be stunned.
Murphy had expected this. He knocked calmly and opened his mouth to speak a string of words in the gnome language.
His tone still carried a unique rhythm. It was the unique way elves spoke.
“Stop hiding. We’re not here to cause trouble. Get your leader out. We want to discuss business with him in person.”
There was a rustling sound inside, then someone replied, “What business?”
“A business that can make you money.”
“Why should we believe you?”
Murphy was very calm. “There are only two of us, and there are hundreds of you. Even if we really fight, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”
After some discussion, the gnomes in the cave finally opened the door again. A small gnome said to them, “Come in and talk.”
Murphy walked in with Huanhuan.
When they entered the cave, Murphy was asked to hand over his bow.
Murphy had no objections to this and handed the bow to the gnome. “Keep it safe for me. If you lose it, I’ll tie you up and throw you to the man-eating flowers.”
Clearly, he was very familiar with the habits of gnomes who liked to steal.
The bows of elves were well-made and beautiful. When the gnomes took the bow, they were indeed greedy, but they were quickly frightened by Murphy’s threat. Their greed was extinguished.
This underground cave was even larger than Huanhuan had imagined. There were many small holes dug inside. Those should be the residences of the gnomes.
At this moment, all the gnomes were crowded together in the hall. There were at least a few hundred of them.
They all stared at Murphy and Huanhuan without blinking, as if they were afraid or wary.
The cave was not high. Even Huanhuan had to lower her head when walking in here, let alone Murphy. This poor tall guy had to bend down to move forward.
Fortunately, he was handsome and elegant. Even though he was walking with his back bent, he still looked elegant. Many female gnomes present blushed and kept glancing at him.
Huanhuan was wearing a veiled hat. Even in a place like this where she had to walk with her head lowered, she had no intention of taking it off.
She looked around and saw that the gnomes were dressed in shabby clothes. Most of them were thin and haggard.
This was definitely not a sign of prosperity.
It seemed that their lives were not easy.
The leader of the gnomes walked out of the crowd.
He was already very tall among the many gnomes, but he was still much shorter than Huanhuan and Murphy.
He was quite handsome, but there was a shallow scar on his left cheek, which added to his fierce aura.
Murphy smiled. “Honorable Patriarch Elman, long time no see. You still look so imposing.”
Elman smiled, and the scar on his face swayed. “Murphy, you still look so tall. Every time I talk to you, I’m especially upset.”
“I’m sorry I’m so tall.”
Huanhuan laughed. She didn’t expect the elegant Murphy to be so annoying.
Elman snorted. “Did you come here to show off your height?”
“Of course not. We came to talk business with you.”
“Oh?”
Murphy turned sideways and introduced Huanhuan to him. “This lady needs to hire a group of workers to help her with some work. She’s willing to pay a gold coin per gnome every month. If you do well, there’s also a bonus.”
Upon hearing this price, not only did Elman look stunned, but even the other gnomes were in an uproar.
One gold coin was enough for a family of three to live for an entire year!
This reward was too generous!
After his surprise, Elman quickly calmed down. “What do you need us to do?”
Murphy said, “I can’t tell you the details of the job yet. After you sign the contract, we’ll tell you the details.”
Elman narrowed his eyes, which were filled with scrutiny. “You won’t even tell us the truth about your work. You want us to believe that you’re not lying?”
“I’m sorry, but until we have complete trust in you, the details of the work have to be kept confidential. However, I can assure you that this job is definitely not life-threatening.”
This non-life-threatening danger would allow each gnome to receive a gold coin a month.
The temptation was too great.
All the gnomes looked eagerly at their leader.
Elman fell into deep thought.
In the past, Elman might have refused such a deal for the safety of his people.
But now, his people had not eaten their fill for several days.
Some of the tribesmen were sick, but they did not have the money to ask the shaman to treat them. They could only endure it.
If this continued, they might starve to death and die of illness in the future.
Elman’s gaze swept over the thin and tired tribesmen.
If they wanted to survive, they had to have money.
At the moment, only the elf in front of them was willing to give them a chance to earn money.
Finally, Elman gritted his teeth and made a decision. “I agree to the deal.”
Murphy smiled. “That was a wise decision.”
“But I have a condition.”
“Please name it.”
“I hope you’ll pay half the fee first.” Elman looked embarrassed. “I know this request is a little forward, but I have no choice. We need the money to invite the witch doctor over for my sick tribesmen.”
Hearing this, Huanhuan asked, “Are your people sick?”
She spoke in very fluent goblin language.
Murphy winced slightly.
Not only could this girl speak the elven and dwarf languages, but she could also speak the gnome language so well.
Who the hell was she?
Elman sighed. “A few of our people were scratched by magical beasts while hunting. They’ve been unconscious for a few days. We’ve tried many ways to ease their pain. Only the shaman can save them now, but we don’t have the money to ask him to treat them.”
Huanhuan said slowly, “If you don’t mind, can I see those patients?”
Everyone was stunned.
Elman was surprised. “You’re a shaman?”
Huanhuan pondered for a moment and felt that the shaman they were talking about should be the same as the witch doctor on the beast continent.
“Yes, I’m a shaman.”
