’Is he really going to agree?’
Staring at the Guild Master, I found it hard to believe he’d agree so easily. He wasn’t the type of person who would agree so easily on things like these.
Wearing a faint smile as his deep eyes bore into me, I couldn’t help but feel a growing unease.
’...Yeah, there’s no way things are so simple. He did say he had some terms. What are they exactly?’
While my mind was in turmoil, I didn’t let it show outwardly.
I took a deep and quiet breath before opening my mouth again.
"When you say it’s doable, are you saying that you’re willing to do it, or that it’s possible?"
The Guild Master answered with a simple smile.
No words, no nothing.
Just a smile.
What is that supposed to mean...? I tried my best to hide my inner frustration, trying my best to decipher the Guild Master’s intentions.
’He’s clearly stated before that he would need a good excuse to get rid of Myles. This means that he’s open to the idea of kicking Myles out in order to keep me.’
He also explicitly says that he agreed to my terms.
What I needed to know were his terms. What exactly were his terms? Were they going to be outrageous? If so... As though he could read my mind, the Guild Master spoke up.
"The terms that I demand are not very extreme. If you wish for me to get rid of Myles, then I would need you to sign a long contract with the Guild. Of course, I’ll provide you with good terms for the contract. Be it salary or any other demands that you have, I can meet them. However, in doing so, you’ll be stuck with us for quite some time."
My heart pressed tightly upon hearing the first part of the terms. This... it didn’t sound extremely unreasonable considering how I was getting one of their star talents kicked out of the Guild, but at the same time, it almost felt as though I was caging myself to the Guild.
The terms could be great in the short term, but what about the long term?
How much freedom would I have?
’At this point, I should consider quitting.’
I didn’t want to be tied down by anyone. I was already tied down by the system, and that was annoying enough already.
"...I can see what you’re thinking, and I can reassure you that I won’t be taking much of your freedom. Things will remain the same as they have always been. You’ll just be with us for longer. The salary can also be progressive, meaning that it’ll be based on your results. If you don’t believe me, you can review it later when the contract comes."
"Really...?"
I stared at the Guild Master suspiciously. For some reason, I was still struggling to completely believe his words.
There was something about his gaze and expression that made me feel uneasy.
It was almost as if...
I was dealing with the devil directly.
H-ha...
’I really need to stop negotiating with people like these.’
It was just unfortunate that I had been pushed to this point. I was sick and tired of the rat and his antics. The two of us could no longer co-exist, and as such, I took the most extreme measure that I could possibly think of in order to get rid of him.
"There’s nothing that you have to worry too much about, Seth. You’ll just be treated as a top-tier talent. That’s all. Everything will be exactly the same."
"Is that the case...?"
Despite hearing it from him directly, I still didn’t feel completely at ease.
Still...
I clenched my teeth.
This was the path that I set myself.
This wasn’t just about getting rid of the rat. It was more than that.
Staring at the Guild Master before me, I pulled my hand back and sat back down on the sofa while staring at him. I didn’t say anything and just stared at him. He didn’t say anything either and accepted my gaze calmly.
Eventually—
Tap.
I tapped my right hand against the armrest of the chair.
The Guild Master’s brow rose, and his attention was quickly pulled to the monitor in front of him.
Flick!
The screen flickered, and a certain clown appeared.
Da Da Da~
A certain tune played in the air, and for the first time, the smile on the Guild Master’s face faded.
"My Decree is called the Shepherd Decree."
I began to calmly explain what he was seeing.
"It allows me to control anomalies that I’ve encountered in the past. To some extent, I can even transfer their abilities onto me. What you’re seeing is one of the anomalies that I’ve managed to contain. I am sure you are aware of their identity."
"...."
The silence that followed my explanation felt extremely unsettling. To the point where I felt every hair on my body rise.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
Despite my best attempt at remaining calm, my heart raced wildly, the back of my shirt entirely soaked in my own sweat.
However, I knew that this was a necessary step that I had to take.
The system had given me an option. Find a way to break the seal on Ariel’s body and use her to keep the Guild Master from discovering the secret. However, I decided to reject the quest in the end.
I decided to go for a different option.
My option.
One... that went out of the script.
’I’ll make a deal with the devil himself.’
There was no denying that, given all of the circumstances that had occurred, my identity as the Jester would be revealed. It was inevitable, and while I could drag the secret for a little bit longer, if the rat could figure it out, so would everyone else.
In that case, rather than delaying the inevitable, it was best to come clean and take advantage of that ’secret’ to gain the best possible benefits.
’With someone as powerful as the Guild Master, I also won’t have to worry too much about my identity and secret. With his abilities, I’m certain I can keep the secret from everyone else.’
I’d also be gaining an extremely powerful, albeit dangerous ally.
This was an extremely risky move, but at the same time, it was a move that I felt would benefit me the most in the long run.
I took a deep breath.
"I’ve tried researching more about this Decree, but it seems like I’m the only one who has such a Decree. This is a Decree that no other in this world has, and is held by a person that is currently tied to this very Guild."
"...."
The silence across the room remained, the Guild Master’s eyes flickering with something ominous. A certain pressure bore down on me, causing my breathing to become rougher.
I paid no attention to the pressure and continued to speak.
"...I can assure you. My worth is something that you don’t need to doubt. Between me and the ra-Myles, there’s no comparison."
Slipping my hand into my pocket, I drew out a certain mask. Slowly, almost ceremoniously, I pressed it against my face. The moment it latched on, the faint chime of bells echoed into existence. Through the narrow slits of the mask, the world around me faded, leaving only one figure before my eyes.
The Guild Master...
Staring straight back at me.
"If you weren’t sure about my identity before, I’m sure you are certain of it now."
I tapped on the mask on my face.
"I am the Jester."