No one could say anything in response. After all, Yui’s father was Layce, who had the wealth of a prime minister—she’d never be strapped for cash. On top of that, back when he was still a student, Layce had started a trading company with a friend using some extra money. It had been wildly successful, and he was earning quite a lot of money from it. And, just as Yui had said, she’d easily be able to make her own magic items; there was no doubting her ability. In short, their offers contained nothing that could tempt her.
“And,” Yui continued, “you’ve said that I’d only have to drop by once a week, but so long as I’m part of one of your organizations, I’ll have some sort of obligation to work there, won’t I? Don’t you think you’re being awfully cruel, trying to cleverly trick an innocent, helpless girl?”
That flustered the cardinal and the grandmaster. By belonging to their organizations and receiving a salary, there was a duty to do work. There was no way she’d be able to get away with just an occasional, brief appearance. They had probably been planning to say that Yui wouldn’t have to do anything at first, but later on, they would pressure her into working for at least the minimum required amount.
“Tch,” the grandmaster clicked his tongue in frustration. “A normal sixteen-year-old kid would’ve jumped at the offer.”
Yui shot him a withering glare. She was the one who had the right to be angry, not him.
Noticing her look, the grandmaster awkwardly laughed, “Aha... Sorry, I feel bad for trying to trick you. Well, only a bit... But still, you’re worth enough to make me want to do anything I can to acquire you. Why won’t you take advantage of that? Why are you trying to hide your own abilities?”
The guild was a pure meritocracy, and the grandmaster had ascended to his position on only his own ability. He strongly believed that power only had meaning if you showed it. It was precisely because he had such a high appraisal of Yui’s ability that he was unable to understand why she wanted to hide it. In contrast with his usual, somewhat carefree attitude, the grandmaster was speaking seriously, so Yui decided to answer him in kind.
“I’m glad that you, and the general, and the cardinal think of me so highly. And...” Yui paused. “And for not making my identity public or raising a big fuss over me. But, that’s exactly why you should understand my reasons for refusing very well.”
Normally, a rumor about people like the grandmaster, the general, and the cardinal all coming to recruit her would instantly spread, but only those very close to them knew about it. It hadn’t ever come up at the academy either. That was because they had taken the proper precautions and had made sure to prevent Yui’s existence from coming to light. That was partially because they wanted to keep anyone else from taking her, but more than anything, they knew exactly how dangerous it could be if the wrong people found out about her. Not everyone would have respected Yui’s wishes as much as they had, and not everyone would have patiently negotiated with her either. Some might’ve used their power and authority to engage in dirty recruitment methods; others might’ve tried to coerce her to work for them. Still, others who were more prideful might’ve been incensed by her refusal—these types would’ve held a grudge against her. So, the three of them had kept information about her and their ongoing negotiations under wraps. That was just further evidence that Yui was all the more likely to be caught up in some sort of trouble.
“I don’t like being bothered, so I want to live quietly,” said Yui.
“Isn’t that exactly why you should join one of us?” the grandmaster asked.
“Yes, no one would try anything foolish if they knew they were dealing with one of our powerful organizations,” the cardinal pointed out. “You want to avoid being bothered, and the church can protect you from that.”
The grandmaster and the cardinal were falling over themselves trying to win Yui over, but she knew that the positives they mentioned weren’t the whole story, and she didn’t let herself be tricked by them.
“Certainly, that would make it harder for people to mess with me... But it wouldn’t be guaranteed,” Yui said. “If I belonged to one of your organizations, more people would learn about me, and there would definitely be someone willing to take a risk and actually come after me. What will you do if that happens? Your entire organization won’t mobilize to protect a single girl every time, will it?”
She was very confident, and no one corrected her. They all thought that Yui was valuable enough to take on some risk. However, just as she’d said, they wouldn’t be able to spend twenty-four seven protecting an ordinary employee without any status. Also, if it was found out that they were giving someone new such favorable treatment, there would be complaints from inside the organization.
“Rather than take the risk, it’s much safer for me to live quietly,” Yui insisted.
The grandmaster was fed up with Yui’s unflagging determination. “You’re so worried about everything! I feel like I’m talking to my grandmother. We’ll do as much as we can to prevent any information from leaking, so just join somewhere. Leave future problems to the future. Maybe try a bit of carefree thinking—think like a kid! And stop being so negative.” He was unfazed, even after Yui’s unwavering refusal. The general and the cardinal were racking their brains trying to think of some way to change Yui’s rigid mind.
Yui was getting increasingly annoyed—this was quickly turning into a pointless back-and-forth—so she pulled out the charms Layce had given her. Those charms were actually three letters that Layce had told her to give to the general, the grandmaster, and the cardinal if there was nothing else she could do. “Please take these,” she said as she handed one of the letters to each of them.
“What’s this?” the grandmaster asked.
“They’re letters from my father to each of you.”
Letters from the Prince of Darkness—that was an ominous phrase. All of their faces went stiff as they looked at the letters in their hands. There was also one addressed to Bernard, but the king had only been spectating, so she hadn’t handed it to him. Bernard, who didn’t know this, felt relieved that there wasn’t a letter for him.
As soon as the three timidly opened their letters, they were stunned. Yui didn’t know what was written in them, but judging by how shaken they looked, the messages must’ve been quite threatening. Layce was probably the only person who could frighten people like the general, the grandmaster, or the cardinal. The fact that he was on her side was a massive help.
“Then, should we continue our conversation?” Yui asked. None of them made a sound.
Kieran tried to break the silence by looking pleadingly at the most powerful man in the kingdom, but Bernard just said, “It’s regrettable, but I can’t have Layce quitting on me. Sorry.”
The Prince of Darkness had already gotten to him. They were sunk.