"What!?"

Mina's voice shot up an octave, incredulous and sharp, her eyes widening to the point of nearly swallowing her face.

She half-stood from her chair, her shield clattering loudly as it shifted, drawing curious glances from nearby adventurers. The outburst echoed faintly through the Guild Hall before fading into the surrounding murmur.

Sage winced and leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Keep it down," he hissed. "You're going to summon her with that volume."

"That's not funny!" Mina snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Do you have any idea what you're suggesting? She'd turn the entire city upside down before even considering a word!"

"I'm not saying you should announce it in the town square," Sage replied calmly, waving a hand dismissively at the mental image. "I'm saying you shouldn't fear it."

Mina stared at him as if he'd just proposed something absurdly reckless,like poking a sleeping dragon with a stick to test its temperament.

"It seems like you don't know my sister," she said slowly. "She hates men, the kind of hate that goes beyond even your worst enemy. Trust doesn't come easily for her."

"Especially not toward those in charge," she added bitterly. "Especially not men who give orders."

"That's reasonable," Sage replied, maintaining his calm demeanor.

Her surprise was evident as she blinked at him. "It is?"

"Of course," he said. "People who survive wars tend to distrust authority that hasn't earned its place, especially someone like your sister, who is both a mercenary and deeply resentful of men."

Mina hesitated and gradually lowered herself back into her seat, confusion replacing her earlier indignation.

"She's seen things," she murmured softly. "Terrible things, whole villages destroyed, people treating lives like mere numbers, promises broken when they became inconvenient."

Sage listened intently without interrupting or correcting; every word sharpened the mental picture he was forming.

A mercenary leader, hardened by prolonged conflict, distrustful of centralized authority and fiercely protective to the point of aggression. Dangerous but predictable.

"And yet," Sage said quietly, "she still fights under contracts."

Mina frowned slightly. "That's different."

"Is it?" Sage asked gently. "A contract is still a form of authority, just written instead of shouted."

She opened her mouth to argue but paused instead.

"…I guess you have a point there," she admitted reluctantly.

Sage leaned back in his chair, folding his arms comfortably. "The difference lies in contracts promising mutual benefit: obedience in exchange for compensation with clear terms and limits."

Mina regarded him warily. "And what does that have to do with me telling her about the Guild?"

"Everything," Sage replied earnestly.

He shifted slightly, angling his body toward her, his tone steady yet focused. "Right now, you're thinking she'd see this place as just another structure trying to control you. Another hierarchy waiting to exploit strength, especially since it's run by me, a man."

Mina paused for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"But what if she didn't view it as a hierarchy?" Sage continued. "What if she saw a system that rewards merit, respects autonomy, and doesn't enforce loyalty through fear or blood?"

"That sounds too good to be true," Mina replied.

"So does surviving a Kingdom-level war," Sage countered evenly. "Yet she did."

Mina fell silent, unsure of how to respond.

Sage let the silence linger, knowing better than to push too hard. When he spoke again, his voice held a quieter weight.

"You don't work for me," he said. "You work with the Guild. There's a difference."

Mina glanced down at the Copper Badge pouch at her waist.

"You weren't conscripted," Sage continued. "You weren't coerced or dragged here out of necessity. You chose this path."

"I did," she admitted.

"And that choice matters," Sage emphasized. "To those who understand what choice costs."

Mina's fingers curled slightly.

"She'll still be very angry," Mina muttered.

"Probably," Sage agreed. "She wouldn't be much of a mercenary leader if she wasn't."

That earned Mina a reluctant laugh.

"But anger doesn't always mean rejection," Sage added thoughtfully. "Sometimes it just means someone is testing whether the ground beneath them is solid."

Mina studied him for a long moment, searching his face for any hint of deception. Finding none, she exhaled slowly.

"You're really not scared of her, are you?" she asked.

Sage smiled faintly. "I respect threats; I don't fear them."

Although he maintained his composure outwardly, internally he was screaming, "Of course I'm afraid! Who wouldn't be scared of a man-hating and murdering demon?"

"That sounds like something that gets people killed," Mina replied with a soft giggle.

"It also sounds like something that keeps them alive," Sage countered.

The Guild Hall buzzed with murmurs as golden sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting long bands of light across the stone floor.

Outside, Greyvale continued its peaceful rhythm,vendors tending their stalls, guards changing shifts, while citizens remained blissfully unaware of how close danger lurked in the wider world.

Sage glanced toward the doors and mused aloud, "When the war ends, people will come home changed. They'll bring truths others haven't had to confront yet."

Mina followed his gaze and asked, "You think that will reach here?"

"It always does," Sage replied thoughtfully. "Just not all at once."

He glanced back at her. "That's why the Guild is important," he continued. "Not as a shelter from the world, but as a means to confront it without falling apart."

Mina swallowed hard. "My sister won't trust you, and you'll end up dead," she warned.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from her," Sage replied, a hint of amusement flickering across his lips before he smiled gently.

"But," Mina added quietly, "she pays attention when something proves itself."

Sage's smile grew just a bit wider. "Then I suppose," he said, rising and stretching as if their conversation had been nothing more than casual banter, "we'll have to give her something worth listening to."

Mina stood beside him, lifting her shield with practiced ease. The Copper Badge at her waist no longer felt burdensome; it felt like an achievement earned through effort and determination.

She glanced back at Sage, paused for a moment, and then murmured to herself, "Petty Uncle Sage is really brave; he doesn't seem afraid of Elder Sister at all."

A smile spread across her face as she thought about the unfolding drama. "I can't wait to see what happens between them! I'll definitely need to add some spice when I tell Elder Sister about this."

With that, she skipped joyfully toward the Mission Board, her twin golden pigtails bouncing behind her.

Meanwhile, Sage was walking toward his desk when he felt an unexpected chill run down his spine. He looked around briefly and muttered under his breath, "It seems like someone is thinking something not so nice about me."

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