The Guild Master gestured toward a pair of plush chairs in front of his desk.
"Sit. We've got serious business to discuss… before word gets out and this city turns into a circus."
Shiki and Ai took their seats. Ai stayed close, posture straight, one hand resting on Shiki's arm like she was ready to drag him out if things went south.
The Guild Master leaned forward, resting both hands on the desk.
"Ajio Shiki… I'll be blunt. With what you've shown today, you could have the capital eating out of your hand by sundown. They'd give you more gold than I've seen in fifty years. Mansions. Servants. Titles. A private army if you want it. You'd never have to lift a finger again."
Shiki nodded lazily. "Yeah… figured as much."
That caught him off guard for a second.
"You've thought about this?"
"Not hard to," Shiki said, leaning back. "People see power like mine, they think 'How can we use him?' It's the oldest script in history. Kings, generals, rich bastards — they all want a piece."
The Guild Master's eyes narrowed slightly… then his mouth curled into a slow grin. "HOHOHOHO! You're sharper than you look."
Ai glanced at him. "He is smug but attentive."
The Guild Master turned his attention to her, dipping his head respectfully. "That's a rare trait, Miss Ajio. Especially for one so young. And especially for someone married to—" he smirked— "a man who just made my crystal commit suicide."
Ai puffed her cheeks but didn't argue.
Shiki's expression stayed flat. "You're telling me all this because you've got your own offer."
"Damn right," the old man said without flinching. "And I'm not gonna pretend the guild can throw gold like the capital. We can't. But I can give you something they never will."
He spread his arms wide. "Freedom. Real freedom. Join the guild under my personal seal, and you'll have the right to take — or refuse — any job you want. No forced missions. No political errands. No bowing to kings. You choose where you go, when you go, and how long you stay."
Shiki's eyebrow lifted slightly.
The Guild Master leaned in, lowering his voice. "If the capital comes knocking, I have the authority to block forced recruitment. You'd be registered as an independent guild operative — meaning you answer to no one but me… and I'm a lazy bastard who hates giving orders."
"HOHO," Shiki smirked faintly. "Sounds cute. But you know they'll try to sweeten the pot."
"They will," the old man admitted. "And their pot will be bigger. But there's a catch to every royal deal — you take their gold, you wear their leash. And once you're leashed… boy, they'll drag you to every war, every assassination, every bloody mess they can't handle themselves. You'll have the wealth of a king and the freedom of a slave."
Ai frowned. "That's… actually true."
The Guild Master continued. "You've seen how noble commissions work. How many adventurers retire free after serving the crown?"
Ai's lips pressed into a thin line. "…None?."
"Exactly," he said, voice firm. "But here? You keep what you kill, you own what you find, you choose your battles. And… as long as I'm breathing, no one lays a finger on you without the guild's say-so."
Shiki's eyes narrowed. "And when you're not breathing?"
The old man grinned wide again. "HOHOHOHO! Then you'd probably be the one sitting in my chair. SSS-Class is rare enough. GOD-Class? You'd own the damned guild by default."
Shiki chuckled under his breath. "That's a dangerous offer."
"I know," the Guild Master said. "But I've been doing this long enough to know when to gamble big."
Ai tilted her head at Shiki. "You don't need the money, right?"
He smirked. "Never did."
The Guild Master raised a brow. "Then why hesitate?"
Shiki shrugged. "Because even without money, power's a currency. The capital's got more influence than you can imagine. They could make problems disappear… or make them for fun. That's leverage you can't match."
The Guild Master's grin didn't falter. "True. But there's one thing I have that they don't."
Shiki tilted his head.
"A vested interest in keeping your life simple," the old man said. "You're a walking catastrophe in the wrong hands. The capital would spend every day figuring out how to squeeze more out of you. I'd spend every day making sure you only fight when you want to fight… because a happy GOD-Class is less likely to blow up my city by accident."
Ai stifled a laugh. "He's not wrong."
Shiki glanced at her. "You think I'd blow up a city?"
She smirked. "Not on purpose."
The Guild Master slapped the desk again, roaring with laughter. "HOHOHOHO! See? Even your wife gets it."
Ai's blush shot up instantly.
The old man was still chuckling as he reached into a drawer and pulled out a black metal guild card — different from Ai's silver one. The edges shimmered faintly, runes crawling along the surface.
"This," he said, setting it down in front of Shiki, "is a Guild Master's seal. You won't be a Master — yet — but this card gives you every privilege one has. Top-tier access, job immunity, unrestricted travel. The capital can't touch you without my signature… and they'll have to come through me to get it."
Shiki stared at it for a moment. "You're really throwing all your chips in, huh?"
The Guild Master's eyes locked with his. "I know talent when I see it. And I know danger when I smell it. You're both."
The room went quiet for a moment.
Ai looked at Shiki, her tone softer now. "Ne, Ne. Shiki… I think you should take it."
He glanced at her. "Why?"
"Because…" she hesitated, then said, "it's better than being someone's weapon. At least here, you choose."
He leaned back In his chair, eyes drifting between her, the Guild Master, and the black card on the desk. Then a slow smirk spread across his face.
"…Alright, old man. You've got yourself a GOD-Class."
The Guild Master's grin exploded into a booming laugh. "HOHOHOHO! Welcome to the guild, boy!"
---
END OF CHAPTER : 13 : WELCOME THE GUILD, BOY!
---