The morning felt especially long today.
Putting on the same clothes, taking the same train to Sun Island, following the same trail to the Guild... Today, I felt like shit.
There was only one reason for this and one reason only.
"So, I spoke with the Leader of Unit 1, and, well... as expected, he rejected me. Advised me to mind my own business and not meddle with matters concerning his unit."
...Damn, what a headache.
"Is there really, no way?"
I asked Dean while rubbing my temples.
"I'm sorry, but this is as far as I can help you. He's as stubborn as a mule. You've seen him yourself."
"Fuck."
I mumbled under my breath.
How was I supposed to go at it with this?
Clash of Swords. A project that was projected to reach an insane 14% rating. I needed it. It was the perfect project for Sarah.
I knew the project would spell the turning point of Sarah's career.
"But it's not all hopeless."
"Yes?"
Dean rummaged through his bag and handed me a thick stack of papers.
"Is this...?"
"The script for Clash of Swords."
I gulped down my saliva and received the script. When I opened the script and read through the first few pages, I took a deep breath.
It was indeed the script of Clash of Swords.
My hands had been tingling ever since the vision and now that I had the script in my hands I couldn't wait to read it.
I bid farewell to Dean, and after escorting Mia and Olivia to the Academy, I devoted my remaining free time to reading the script. I even found myself skipping lunch in the process with how engrossed I was reading through the contents of the project.
As expected of a project that was supposed to break the 10% rating threshold.
It was amazing.
But... At the same time, it was very raw.
It finally dawned on me why such a project didn't seem as popular as its future fame suggested. How else would Dean have been able to get the script of the project if not for the fact that the script was raw?
The budget requirements and the absence of sponsorship were the first red flags. Secondly, the structure was also challenging to follow, with many features and sketches proving difficult to discern.
But outside of all the problems that were present, I could see an amazing idea. It looked entertaining. Engaging.
As I sat by myself reading the script I couldn't help but imagine the entire script unfold right before my very eyes.
My hand came slapping against the script.
"I need this."
No, I had to have this project.
...but how was I going to go about getting my hands on the project?
It was an individual project, falling under the jurisdiction of Unit 1, whose leader harbored quite a dislike for me. The reason for his dislike for me was still a mystery, but finding a way around his dislike was the most pressing matter.
But outside of that, another matter was concerning me a little.
The butterfly effect.
At first, I was concerned that my actions would lead to changes in the future and the visions would be null, but as time passed I realized something.
...No matter what I did, the visions adjusted to my circumstances.
Meaning that I didn't have to worry about the vision being inaccurate. At the very least, this was what I assumed to be the case given what I had been able to observe. But that wasn't what I was worried about.
Would the final point still lead to me being the Guild Master...?
I couldn't care less if my actions led to me being unable to become the Guild Master of Emblem of the Sun in the future.
My ambition lay elsewhere, and I worried I might be forced into a path I didn't desire.
No matter how I looked at it, all the visions led to the same path. The path of me becoming the Guild Master of the Guild.
What I worried about was whether that path would force me to stop me from achieving my ambition.
"Hmmm."
This was quite an annoying problem. One that I thought about on my way to PR.
"Ho, ho. Who do we have here...?"
"Morning, Chief."
A couple of figures popped out in my view.
"And you two..."
"What? What's with the enthusiastic greeting? You remember you still owe us drinks?"
"That's why I'm reacting the way that I am."
It had been quite a while since I last owed the two drinks. I kept pushing back since I still hadn't gotten paid yet.
"Don't think you can avoid not giving us our promised drinks."
James muttered from his spot, placing two fingers near his eyes before directing them my way.
'I'm watching you.'
He silently muttered.
"Yeah... Yeah..."
I waved my hand at him.
"So, what brings you here Liam?"
"Haa... About that."
The Chief asked, staring at the three of us in amusement.
Without holding anything back, I laid out all my problems.
I shared my opinions on the project, expressing that it was the perfect opportunity for Sarah, who was under a lot of scrutiny.
I emphasized how it could help her rejuvenate her broken image while simultaneously giving the other girls a chance to gain attention through her potential success.
I also highlighted the frustration of the project falling under the jurisdiction of the Unit 1 Leader, who harbored a dislike towards me.
"So it's that bastard again..."
Bastard?
"He's given us quite a lot of problems as well in the past. Fuck, the many times he shouted at us for problems that weren't even our fault..."
Chief Madalyne scowled. Her dislike for the man was as evident as it could be.
I helplessly shrugged my shoulders.
"I'm lost."
"Hmm."
Even the Chief seemed at a loss for a brief moment as she paused to think.
"That does indeed sound a little problematic... Have you tried asking Dean for help?"
"I did. He said he can't really help me any other given the constrained relationship between the two Units. He even tried asking the Leader of Unit 2, but even that was useless."
"Hmm."
Chief Madalyne knit her brows as she thought before opening her mouth,
"It's not entirely impossible..."
"Yes?"
I perked my ears up and straightened my back.
"How should I put this...? If that bastard doesn't want to give you the project, why don't you just make the project come to you?"
"Pardon?"
"It's like this..."
Chief Madalyne sat down on her seat and booted up her computer before typing something.
"Winsdol-Enterprises, correct?"
"Yes."
"Crown Island, Melovintia St. 1055."
"Eh...?"
Could she be...
"Like I said."
Chief Madalyne turned her head to face me and smiled meaningfully.
"If that bastard refuses to give you the project, make the project accept you. If they specifically demand for Sarah, then there's nothing the Unit leader can do to stop that."
"You mean..."
"I'll see what I can do, but I should be able to get you a meeting with them."
"Thank you!"
I couldn't hide my joy as I lowered my head in gratitude.
Who would've thought things could be handled like this? But I couldn't get excited just yet. All the Chief did was provide us with an opportunity. How we were going to take it depended on whether Sarah would be able to impress her.
And for that...
I wasn't worried.
I was going to make sure of it.
*
With that handled, the day suddenly felt a lot clearer. My shoulders didn't feel as heavy as they felt a couple of hours ago.
I was currently headed to the girls's residence.
Trusting that Chief Madalyne would secure us the appointment, I was on my way to tell Sarah about the situation and prepare her for what was to come.
There were still a lot of things that I needed to correct and train her on. In her current state, while there might be a chance she could pass, it wasn't good enough for me.
I needed utter assurance.
To Tok—!
When I knocked on the door, Dean was the one to open the door. His eyes were alert as he looked around us. Then, casting his gaze on me, he looked a little disappointed.
"Oh... It's you."
What...?
"What's with the way you're acting?"
"Nothing... Nothing."
"Don't believe him."
A voice suddenly interjected from the back. It seemed to be Joana's voice.
"He's worried we'll have fans showing up at the residence now that the Dungeon Seekers clip is getting a lot of attention."
"No, that's..."
"Pftt. Don't act as if that isn't the case."
"I... Get in."
With a resigned look, Dean opened the door to let me in.
When I entered the apartment, the first thing I saw was Lyla lying down on the floor with a blank look. Right, yeah. There was that... I took my gaze away from her.
Sarah on the other hand was sitting on the couch snacking on her usual candy while Joana was taking several pills. Vitamin D, Zinc, Calcium... She was most probably dealing with the hangover from yesterday's ordeal.
Strangely though, when my eyes hovered back to Sarah, I noticed her turning her head away from me.
"Sarah?"
"Uht."
Her shoulders trembled as a weird sound came out of her mouth.
Uht...?
I looked at Sarah. She seemed as expressionless as ever, but... what exactly was that sound?
I squinted my eyes.
"Sarah."
"...Yes?"
"Can you look at me?"
"I am."
Her head slowly turned to face my direction. There didn't seem to be any difference in her. So, I slowly relaxed and continued.
"Right, there's something that I need to sh—"
"Uht."
Her shoulders trembled once more, and her head flicked away.
"..."
"So... As I was—"
"Uht."
"..saying..."
"Uahut."
Uahut?
"If you want to laugh, just laugh."
"No, it's fine."
Smacking her face with both hands, Sarah let out whatever she was holding back before returning to her usual expressionless self. I sat down next to her.
"It's about yesterday, isn't it?"
"..."
Her head flicked away from me again.
Right, that was all I needed to know. Thinking about the situation yesterday, I didn't know how to feel. I knew it wasn't Lyla's fault, but still... It really caught me off-guard.
"Okay. I'm good."
Sarah reached out for her candy and took a bite. Then, she handed me one.
"Want one?"
"Sure."
I didn't even notice the strange silence that suddenly took over the room as I reached out for the candy and ate it. At the same time, I took out the script I received this morning and handed it to Sarah.
"Here."
"What is this?"
"It's a project I want you to be in."
"Me?"
Her head rose in shock.
"Yup. Just you."
"What? Why?"
"We need to fix your broken image, and this is the best way to do it. So long as you can stand out here, you'll be able to stand next to the others without any more worries."
"Ah...!"
Sarah snatched the project from my hands and started going through it. Her hazel eyes quickly glossed through the contents of the project before she closed it.
"So?"
I curiously asked while trying to hide my nervousness. To be honest, despite everything that I did, what was most important was Sarah's opinion on the matter. If she disliked it, then everything would be all for naught.
"I like it.
But it didn't seem as though I needed to worry much as a smile bloomed over Sarah's features.
Witnessing her smile, I momentarily got lost in her eyes before snapping back to reality and leaning back on the sofa.
Sometimes I tended to forget how beautiful she was. The other girls too, but Sarah was different.
She was...
A tier above them in terms of looks.
There was a reason why she had been recruited into the group despite her lacking foundations.
"That's good. I was worried you were going to dislike it."
"I wouldn't."
"Hm?"
I raised my head to look at Sarah. Confused, I tilted my head. But before I could speak, she spoke.
"I wouldn't have rejected it even if I disliked it."