I took a deep breath, trying my best to remain calm. "At present, aside from Ariel, no one on your team is capable of keeping pace with you. While their progress has been acceptable, it falls short of what is required. To achieve a strong result at the upcoming World Congress, you will need to bring in additional team mbers. Review the list and select your candidates. If you prefer, I can make the selections on your behalf."
It felt as though a bucket of cold water had been thrown over , washing away every trace of relaxation from my body. My stomach churned as I looked away from the files and onto the Guild Master.
That smile... It didn't look so friendly anymore. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. 'Let's try to remain calm.' His offer made sense to so extent. I was also aware of the fact that my team 'lagged' behind in so aspect, but I knew them well enough to know that they were capable. I had worked with them a lot, and our synergy was quite good. Not only that, but I had also trained them in the VR world. I was confident in their abilities. Changing teams wouldn't make sense. And... I didn't want it to happen. Therefore, I had no choice but to reject this offer. "Thank you for the offer, and while I understand your concerns, I am confident in my ability to lead the team to a good position. If you—" My words ca to a halt as the Guild Master shook his head. "You don't really get to choose this ti." It was as if an invisible hand had suddenly gripped my heart, squeezing it tightly in its grasp.
"Zero." The Guild Master continued, his tone light. "That's the nickna that the dia has given you. Do you know why you were given such a nickna?" "...Because I've never failed." I answered after a short pause, trying my best to keep my expression straight. However, the more I looked at the Guild Master, the more it felt as though I had eaten shit. No, I probably did eat shit. This was how I currently felt. "That's correct." The Guild Master replied, his expression casual. "You've never failed before." "And I'll make sure I'll never fail again." "...I hope so too." "So—" "But we've got to minimize risks, Seth." The Guild Master calmly cut off, his finger tapping against the marble desk. After a mont, he stopped and placed his palm flat up. "Your montum is high. In the eyes of the citizens, you're the type of rookie that has never been seen before, even going as far as defeating an ranked Gate. You're a prodigy in the eyes of many, and also soone who has never failed in the past. In that regard, what do you think will happen if you fail once?" "..." I didn't reply. I couldn't reply. For I already knew the answer. Plack! The Guild Master's palm fell flat against the desk. "Just once. All it takes is one single failure for everything that you've built up to crumble." I swallowed, trying my best to think of a way to deny his words. But the more I tried to deny it, the less I could find the words to argue. "The upcoming World Congress is one of the most important events in the world. It's a direct show of power to the other Guilds. A clear statent about our capabilities. It's important that we do well, but what's more important is that you, in particular, do well." "..." "Like I said before, you can't fail." "..." "Kyle can fail. Zoey can fail. Clara can fail. Catherine can fail, but not you. You're the only one who can't fail. Because everything will crumble the mont you do." Ah. I really felt it at the mont. The unbearable sense of suffocation made it hard for to breathe. Suddenly, I was reminded of who exactly I was sitting in front of. Leaning back against the chair, the Guild Master pushed a new docunt before . "Here's another list. They're recruits from other Guilds that we can recruit. I'm willing to invest the money to get them into your team. If you don't want to choose, I'll choose for you. Although it has been a while, I've got quite an eye for talent." The Guild Master gave a aningful look. "..." Staring at the list, I remained silent. My chest felt incredibly stuffy. It was hard to put into words, but it felt like shit. A deep sense of discomfort settled in, making feel nauseated.
"Let know your decision. I can wait a couple of days." The Guild Master's tone remained light. But to , each word sounded incredibly heavy. Nevertheless... "...What if I were to reject this?" I looked straight at the Guild Master. The sense of discomfort only grew as the words left my mouth, his smile slowly fading as the tension within the room grew. "Are you attached to your team?" "...I am, but that's not the main reason." "If not, then what is the reason?" "It's because I know I will do better with them than anyone else that you select. I've been with them for a long ti, and I—" "So?" The Guild Master cut off. "All the mbers on the list are the uttermost elites that you can find. They will know how to cooperate with you without any problems. In fact, they should be able to listen to your commands better." I licked my lips. They felt incredibly dry. "I understand, but I'd still like to stick with them." "..." The Guild Master remained silent, his gaze feeling incredibly pressuring. For a mont, I felt like giving in. I felt like accepting his request. But I couldn't. I couldn't allow myself to accept it as I took a deep breath and stared back. "...I'll give you a couple of days to think it through. Let know the answer by then." I opened my mouth, but soon closed it, nodding faintly. After that, I turned around and headed for the door. But just as I was about to leave, I stopped. "If... I choose to reject the offer. What will happen then?" I didn't look at the Guild Master as I spoke, my gaze fixed on the door. What sort of expression was he making? I didn't know. Nor did I want to know. And then—
"I'll be disappointed." His calm voice reached my ears. "...I'll be quite disappointed." *** Step. Step—
The calm and even sound of steps echoed within the otherwise empty corridor, the stale white light shining from above as Kyle calmly followed the nurse ahead. Despite the slight pallor on his face, he wore a simple smile, his hands grasping a bouquet of white flowers. Looking around, Kyle maintained his expression. He was actually quite nervous. It had been a while since he had visited. In fact, he never had gotten the chance to really visit after the incident a while back. This was the first ti he had gone back to see them. '...Maybe I should co with Seth next ti. He's been rather busy, but they've been asking about him.' "Please co this way." The nurse guided him towards a certain door. [701] Coming to a stop, she looked back at Kyle. "This is the room. You have fifteen minutes. That's how much ti you have available for the visitation. The patient's condition isn't quite stable yet, so please avoid any sensitive topics that might cause a disturbance. Once you're done, please ring the bell inside and I will escort you out." "I understand." Kyle replied calmly, adjusting his tie as he took a deep breath and stared at the door. Eventually, he reached for the door and opened it. Bright light spilled in along with a gentle breeze as Kyle's attention focused on the woman seated by the bed, her hair fluttering softly.
Stepping in, Kyle smiled. "Matriarch."
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