Chương 257: Roland is a hot commodity, everyone wants to snatch her up

"Good evening, Miss Roland."

"Who?!"

The familiar voice startled Roland.

Roland turned her head and saw that it was the group's technical director, the dark elf Vina.

Vina still had that unkempt, gloomy, homebody look, her eyes hidden by messy, purplish-black bangs, with only the bottom edge of her round-framed glasses showing.

Even though her hair covered her eyes, Roland could still feel Vina's burning gaze, as if it could pierce through her clothes.

"I have a feeling... that's creepy."

Roland thought to herself, "I'm so annoyed."

No wonder the employees in the group's technology department often complained that Vina was difficult to get along with.

In this era, a gloomy image like Vina's can easily lead ordinary employees to associate her with bad things.

For example, the old witch in the forest, the evil alchemist who captures people everywhere to test his medicine, and the aggressive advisors under the lord...

Even a large portion of the Abyss cult members resemble this image.

Roland thought of the cultists she had encountered before, compared them in her mind with Vina in front of her, and came to a conclusion.

With Ms. Vera's looks and figure, cultists shouldn't try to take advantage of her.

In short, Vina is not well-liked within the group due to her image and temperament.

In addition, Vina's technical knowledge was so advanced that only a handful of smart people in the entire group could communicate with her.

And Roland is the smart girl who communicates with Vina the most.

Relying on the advanced vision cultivated in modern society, as well as various technological concepts and basic scientific knowledge, Roland became a polymath in Vina's eyes in just a few months.

The two often got together to study new machines and production lines, gradually improving the productivity of the group's factories.

Vina has played a crucial role in the development of the latest extrusion puffing device used to produce spicy strips.

Roland gradually came to understand this gloomy dark elf.

To put it simply, Vina is a science and engineering nerd. She may seem gloomy on the surface, but she is actually quite easy to get along with in private and can be quite lively when it comes to technical research.

Roland stopped and raised her left hand to greet Vina who was approaching.

Good evening, Miss Vina.

"What a coincidence! We run into each other here. Are you working so late today?"

Vina didn't answer, but walked up to Roland and looked her over carefully from head to toe.

Upon closer inspection, one could see the wine bottle that Roland was holding in her right hand, and her flushed face.

Vina thoughtfully pinched her chin.

She knew almost everything that had happened during this period and was aware of the predicament Roland was currently facing.

Indeed, the simultaneous attacks from three major powers were far too severe for a noblewoman in her early twenties.

It's understandable that Roland would drown her sorrows in alcohol.

Using her long bangs as cover, Vina turned her gaze and looked Roland up and down with a casual, almost imperceptible smile.

She took another half step closer and asked in a feigned tone of doubt.

"Miss Roland, are you drowning your sorrows in alcohol?"

Vina's soft breasts, tightly wrapped in her robe, almost pressed against Roland's face. The mature, alluring fragrance emanating from her forced Roland to lean back and create some distance.

amount……

What an exaggerated figure! It's such a waste of her physical charm if she doesn't take care of her appearance.

Roland sighed inwardly and nodded in response.

"Well... sort of. I've been under a bit a lot of pressure lately."

"Is it because of matters concerning the church and the nobility?"

Vina's words made Roland look up in surprise.

In her slightly tipsy state, her eyes appeared uneven, one big and one small, which looked somewhat comical.

"You know Vina, right?"

Vina was amused by Roland's expression and couldn't help but laugh.

"Hehehe, Miss Roland, you should ask who else doesn't know."

"During this period, news about you has been everywhere in the capital. Even gambling dens have opened various betting platforms featuring you, with thousands of gamblers placing bets."

Vina's laughter was actually somewhat dark and twisted, but Roland, being an Earthling who had been bombarded by the internet, was not bothered at all.

She was intrigued by what she heard and muttered something.

"About my gambling betting pool? That's strange."

"Do you know what's inside?"

Vina nodded.

"I know, the most common betting odds in gambling dens these days are whether Miss Roland's bloodline is human or fox."

"If it's a fox clan, what level of purity of bloodline, and what race is it? There are so many ways to gamble with that."

"Of course, there's only one betting game that's generating the most buzz."

Vina drew out her voice, keeping everyone in suspense, and to Roland's astonishment, she pulled out two bottles of wine from under her robe and handed one of them to Roland.

"Miss Roland, why don't we talk over a drink?"

"The fire barley wine brewed by the rat-orcs is too rough and can actually be quite unpleasant to drink."

Roland was about to refuse, but the words stopped her at the last second.

Because what Vina handed over was the famous [Elf Dragon Blood Brew], which was also Roland's favorite wine.

However, with Caryl's departure, Roland also lost its supply channels.

Roland glanced at the wine bottle in Vina's hand, then at Vera's face.

"This wine must be very expensive and rare, Vina, where did you get it?"

"Miss Roland, dark elves are still elves, you know. I actually have quite a few ways to obtain this kind of wine."

Vina was actually lying.

This wine was produced in quantities that meant only important figures could enjoy it. The Dragon Blood Wine in her personal space was a tribute to her from the sages of the Night Scholars Association.

As the goddess of the night, it is only natural for her to accept the offerings from her believers.

Roland wasn't very clear about the internal affairs of the Elven race, and since Kalil had given her a whole case at once, she didn't suspect much and accepted the bottle of wine without hesitation.

The fire wine made by the rat-like beast girl is indeed not very tasty.

For ordinary people, being able to brew alcohol with fire wheat at the Roland Group is already considered a luxury.

But for Roland, who had tasted Earth's wine, it was just so-so.

Roland, who was holding back her anger, immediately pried open the cork as soon as she got the wine and started chatting with Vina as they walked.

However, she remained relatively clear-headed, maintaining the flow of her magic to expel excess alcohol from her body, merely enjoying a slightly tipsy state.

"Vina, what exactly is this popular betting odds you mentioned?"

"The most popular betting bet is naturally on which side will take you, Miss Roland, away."

"Is it the Church of Vulcan, the Empire, or the Church of Light?"

"puff!!"

Roland suddenly spat out a mouthful of wine, the incredibly expensive liquor spraying onto the roadside lawn, causing the flowers that emitted a warm nighttime glow to reflect a crystalline luster.

Roland looked at the wasted wine with a pained expression, her frustration growing, and said dryly.

"Although I really want to criticize this betting platform, to be honest, the guy who runs it is really good at seizing hot business opportunities."

"If I weren't involved, I might have been tempted to bet a copper coin. Even just watching the spectacle is a win."

She thought of the god-like opponent she was facing now...

No, wait, it's God as the opponent.

And a bunch of useless teammates around her, including but not limited to Caryl, Serafie, and Elizabeth who ran away.

Thinking of this, Roland laughed in anger.

She stopped, her tail drooping listlessly to the ground, and turned to look at the ever-calm homebody elf, saying to herself with a self-deprecating smile.

"Vina, if you were given a thousand gold coins, which faction would you choose to bet on?"

"Who do you think will ultimately win me over?"