Vanthrice was at a loss for words, her eyes wide and her mouth agape as if it might fall off. She stared at the warm, smiling figure of the Sage, and a cold chill ran down her spine.

Now she understood why Valeria had mentioned earlier that some people don't need to appear intelligent to seem smart; this was the perfect description of the Sage.

"This is simply a sheep in wolf's clothing... no, even worse. I never expected someone with such a friendly demeanor could be hiding so much power behind that smile," Vanthrice said, taking a deep breath before turning to Valeria with a serious expression.

Valeria didn't respond verbally but nodded slightly, her gaze still fixed on the Sage, curiosity flickering in her unfathomable cold eyes.

Vanthrice turned back to the Sage and frowned slightly. "But big sis, if you already realize he's manipulating you, why don't we just walk away? We're not forced to be Adventurers."

Valeria shifted her focus from the Sage to Vanthrice and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "You still don't get it, do you? As I mentioned earlier, this guy understands human psychology very well."

Confused, Vanthrice scratched her head. "So you mean he has you under his thumb even though you can still leave?"

Valeria nodded subtly, a flicker of shame crossing her cold eyes.

Vanthrice was even more perplexed. "How? How does that work?" She clutched her head and shook it wildly. "Damn, my head hurts; this is too much!"

Valeria remained speechless for a moment as she observed Vanthrice's reaction before finally saying simply, "He uses my identity as a leader to control me, that's all there is to it. Think deeply about it."

Vanthrice rubbed her chin thoughtfully while furrowing her brows at Valeria with twitching lips. "Can't you just tell me?"

"Nope," Valeria replied with a shake of her head. "Figure it out yourself."

Rolling her eyes at Valeria's stubbornness, Vanthrice turned back to look at Sage again. Her gaze drifted over to Mina, who was perched on the Guildmaster's neck with her chin resting on his head while she watched the excited Adventurers with wide golden eyes.

"What about Mina? Does she know she's unintentionally helping the Guildmaster manipulate you?" Vanthrice asked softly.

Valeria fell silent for what felt like an eternity before responding. "Yes, she knows about it. She may only be ten years old but she's far from an average child."

"But why...? I don't understand," Vanthrice admitted, confusion evident in her voice.

"You don't seem to grasp the situation. She knows he used her to manipulate her big sister into working for him, yet she doesn't appear angry or resentful toward him, right?" Valeria turned her gaze to Vanthrice, a warm smile breaking through her cold demeanor like ice melting under the sun.

Vanthrice remained silent, but her expression conveyed everything Valeria needed to understand.

Valeria's gaze shifted to Mina, and after a long pause, she spoke softly, almost a whisper, but Vanthrice, being a Warrior, heard every word.

"It's because the Guildmaster looks just like her brother, who died in the orphanage where they were both raised."

A heavy silence enveloped them, creating an atmosphere that felt somber and melancholic.

Vanthrice stood frozen in place, her mouth moving silently as she struggled to find words. Stunned by this revelation, she mechanically turned her head toward Mina. The little girl was giggling while perched on Sage's neck, struggling not to fall off and Sage looking as if he might faint at any moment.

"Subconsciously," Valeria continued gently, "she has blocked out the reality that someone who resembles her brother used her for his own selfish purposes. Her mind has rewritten the Guildmaster's personality to fit the image of her brother."

This was new information for Vanthrice; she hadn't expected such depth from Mina. She shook her head in confusion.

"It's one reason I'm still here," Valeria sighed softly, a hint of melancholy flickering in her eyes. "I despise that guy with every fiber of my being and would love nothing more than to tear him apart. Yet even though Mina knows it's just an illusion created by her mind, she clings to it because it offers comfort."

The coldness faded from Valeria's eyes as she looked fondly at giggling Mina.

Vanthrice also gazed at the little girl in silence; their shared quiet stretched between them like an unbridgeable chasm.

-------

"Guildmaster, are you absolutely sure about what you're saying? I can hardly believe it even after hearing it multiple times." One Adventurer kept his eyes locked on Sage as excitement and disbelief coursed through his voice.

Sage grinned and nodded confidently. "Yes! What I said still stands: once you purchase a Dungeon Pass and enter that dungeon, everything you find inside is yours to keep, the Guild won't take anything from you."

"Wow!"

The Adventurers erupted with joy like children receiving candy. Despite Sage repeating himself several times, they still felt as if they were dreaming. This was truly a game changer, something that could alter their lives forever.

"Wow, petty Uncle Sage! I didn't expect someone as stingy and greedy as you could actually be so generous. That's really surprising for someone like you."

Mina, perched on Sage's shoulders with her short legs dangling in the air, playfully ruffled his hair into a messy nest and looked at him with suspicion in her eyes.

Sage's lips twitched at her words. He pinched her leg gently and said through gritted teeth, "Listen here, young lady. How can you say something like that to me? Of course I'm a benevolent Guildmaster who looks after his people! Besides, aren't you benefiting from this too?"

Mina crossed her arms and shook her head, her golden pigtails swinging from side to side as she scrunched up her nose. "I don't know... but something feels off. Ever since I met you, I've noticed you're greedy, even if you don't show it, petty, and honestly kind of selfish."

A strange glint flashed in Sage's eyes at her observation. A hint of seriousness crossed his face as he thought to himself, "This little girl is too smart and observant for her own good."

"Stop overthinking! And by the way, why are you still on my neck? Don't you know my body is currently weak? Get down!" Sage feigned anger while softly pinching her leg.

Mina hissed from the pinch but stuck out her tongue and giggled instead. "No way! It's fun up here! From this height, I can see the entire Guild Hall, it looks like everyone down there is just ants!"

Sage rubbed his nose in exasperation. "What am I going to do with you? Fine, have all the fun you want."

Just then, a voice broke through their banter. "Guildmaster..."

Sage turned to see Gregor looking at him with bright eyes filled with excitement, as if he were about to burn a hole right through him.

Sage raised an eyebrow at Gregor's expression. "What is it now, green hair?"

Gregor snapped back to reality and cleared his throat before pointing at the Dungeon Guide Book. "When can we get that Guide Book? I want to know all about the rules and dungeons!"

Sage's eyes lit up with greed as he picked up the book and smiled wickedly at Gregor and the other Adventurers gathered around them. "Alright everyone! As mentioned earlier, this Dungeon Guide Book contains all necessary information about dungeon ranks, categories, classifications of monsters…"

He paused momentarily to scan everyone's faces before continuing. "...And of course this isn't free! After all, I nearly lost my life because of this knowledge, and we all know how dangerous dungeons can be!"

"Just stop stop and tell us the price already!" someone interrupted impatiently.

Sage quickly swallowed his words, his face flushing a deep red as he muttered under his breath, "Can't you just let me gaslight you guys for a moment to bump up the price?"

"The price isn't that steep, just two gold coins. For wealthy folks like you, that's practically pocket change," he said with a broad grin, eyeing the Adventurers as if they were piles of glittering gold.

The Adventurers erupted in outrage at the mention of the price, casting disdainful glances at Sage.

"Wow, Guildmaster! How can you be this shameless? Your skin is thicker than the city walls!"

"Putoo! I can't stand our Guildmaster!"

"How can you look so innocent but have a heart darker than those merchants? Shame on you!"

"Yeah, shame on you, Guildmaster! Do you really think we're fools?"

"Hey everyone, I say we boycott and go on strike against the Guild. We deserve better treatment!"

"Wait a minute, why are you complaining about boycotting while handing over two gold coins?"

"Brother, don't you see? I'm not just the only one talking and actually paying up! Just stand there and complain all you want, by the time you're done, everyone else will be reading books and getting ahead of you."

"Oh great heavens! How do you guys play like this? I want a rematch!"

Sage was practically beaming as he watched the piles of gold grow. Despite their complaints, these shameless Adventurers were still pulling out their money.

"I'm gonna be rich... I'm gonna be rich!" Sage couldn't help but sing. "I think I've got a knack for writing books. From now on, in addition to being Guildmaster, I'm going to become a great author too!"

Meanwhile, Vanthrice observed from a distance and muttered under her breath, "That shameless guy's face really looks tempting to punch."

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