Link wouldn't be intimidated, not only he did not directly answer the question, his words also implied some sarcasm.
There was a time when Link too wanted to eke along and grow.
Therefore, he understood the mentality of Lannie Taylor quite well, who had spent a long time surviving before realizing that one must stand out in the Wizard World to receive better and more support.
Without racking his brain, he could, by putting himself in Lanie's shoes, roughly deduce what she was thinking.
Therefore, Link did not feel a stir at heart even when Lanny expressed her wish to team up with him multiple times and was even willing to accept his command.
Even if arsenic is coated with sugar, it is still arsenic, not sugar.
If you ingest it, you could be poisoned, or even die from it.
A small team that accepts the command of a small team leader, and yet submits to the command of a large team leader, is still a small team.
