Guild Master Yunxia slowly rose from her previously pinned position, ignoring her slightly disheveled appearance in favor of meeting my gaze on an equal level.
She still leaned on the desk itself, having been roughly handled by yours truly, but there was no hint of her previous mischievous attitude nor the lustful temptress that had almost snared me in her web...
The only thing her beautiful visage showed right now... was an expression filled with curiosity.
"Madam!" Hilda quickly went to her side, checking on her well-being. Yet, the 'madam' herself didn't seem to care much about her subordinate's concern, too preoccupied with staring at me with curious-filled eyes.
"You are... declining my offer?" she asked for confirmation, as if trying to comprehend what I had just said to her.
"Yup~," I confirmed nonchalantly, a cheerful grin spreading from ear to ear. "Sorry, Guild Master, but after careful consideration, I realize that... I'm not interested in any of your offers."
The silver-haired woman's eyes widened slightly, processing my words. Her lips parted just enough to reveal a hint of surprise, as if she really didn't expect me to just brush off her offer like that.
Well... I did kind of understand her confusion. I was just on the brink of 'ravaging' her a few seconds before, and now here I was, casually talking to her like I had just declined what should have been the best offer I could ever get in my whole life...
The mentoring thing, not the whole getting to 'score' with the beautiful Guild Master herself... though I did find her attractive.
Well, that was beside the point!
"Are you sure, Mr. Isaac...?" she asked, her tone laced with a subtle concern, breaking me out of my thoughts. "You would get all the best guidance and instructor, the best training facilities in the world, all the information, tips, tricks, and secrets of the trade to becoming the best adventurer in the world—even surpassing the No. 1 hero party, Brave Heart..."
She paused for a moment, letting all those benefits of her offer sink into my mind...
"You could become the greatest 'hero' to ever grace our history..." she added, further emphasizing her offer...
But it didn't sway me.
"Sorry, Guild Master, but nope, still not interested," I replied, keeping my casual demeanor in stark contrast to her increasingly conflicted one.
The Guild Master herself displayed a mix of surprise, confusion, and even sadness upon hearing my adamant refusal. She fell into silence, seemingly trying to grasp the reason behind my decision.
"You bastard...!" Hilda snapped, her 'snake's eyes' narrowing as she glared at me, the familiar dreadful pressure radiating from her. "You dare decline the madam's generous offer...?!"
I raised an eyebrow at her outburst, already accustomed to her 'snake's eyes' magical pressure.
"Weren't you the one against it from the start?" I shot back. "I thought you didn't want me getting down and dirty with your 'madam.' What gives?"
Hilda's expression turned neutral for a moment, blinking as she processed my words... then her whole face flushed like a tomato as her composure faltered.
"T-That's not what I meant, you damn pervert!" she retorted, her voice rising from both anger and embarrassment. "I meant you rejecting the madam's mentoring offer! I sure as hell don't want you laying your filthy hands on the madam!"
"Hilda, please stop," the 'madam' herself interjected, her voice cutting through the tension.
"B-but, madam..."
The Guild Master raised her hand, silencing her subordinate and preventing our bickering from escalating further. Hilda, initially conflicted about being silenced by her master, eventually gave in to her command...
But she still shot me a mean glare filled with wrath, which I met with another raised eyebrow and a small victory smirk.
"Mr. Isaac...," Guild Master Yunxia addressed me once more, catching my attention away from the pouting Hilda, "...is there a particular reason why you've chosen to refuse my offer?"
"..."
I paused for a moment, contemplating her inquiry.
Obviously, I knew from the start that this offer was her way of trying to make me a useful pawn, using the curse imposed by my Zeus's relic as leverage to control me...
And it almost worked.
But fortunately, I managed to wrest back control of my body in the last decisive moment—thanks to a single flashback, a piece of advice from the one woman I always looked up to.
I was forever grateful for that single thought crossing my mind... of Boss Maya's words to me.
Still, that wasn't the only reason I refused the Guild Master's mentoring offer.
"Listen up, Guild Master…"
She looked at me, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"I'm grateful for your offer, really, but... I'm not interested in taking the easy route."
She remained silent, taking in my words... and I wasn't finished with my explanation.
"I didn't want to become an adventurer... just for the riches, glory, and fame that await inside dungeons," I continued, carefully constructing my words, "Sure, those things are tempting and they are pretty much my goal from the start, but... what really drew me in was the thrill—the excitement of it."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, trying to understand where I was going with this.
"I've seen a ton of adventure's expedition videos, especially the ones from Brave Heart's. They're the GOAT, I tell you~."
"G-goat...?"
I noticed the Guild Master's slight confusion at the slang I used, finding it both amusing and endearing.
But of course, I still wasn't finished.
"I saw... how those adventurers live their lives to the fullest... how they embrace the unknown with every step."
"Through those expedition videos, I watched them face danger, laugh in the face of death, and emerge victorious... or sometimes not. But through all of that... they all looked alive."
Both the Guild Master and even her subordinate Hilda were starting to understand where I was coming from... and I took a breath, letting the weight of my words settle before continuing.
"And yeah... I know it's not always going to be sunshine and rainbows. Death is like a constant companion in their world, and I'm not naive to that. But still..."
I began to trail off, carefully composing my final reasoning.
"I want to experience all of that myself—fighting strong monsters, discovering hidden riches, and earning fame through my own efforts... It wouldn't be as exciting, or even matter, if everything were handed to me on a silver platter, or if I had to be handheld throughout the whole journey like a damn lost kid."
Her expression softened slightly, with a hint of amusement at my explanation, as she now truly understood my reasoning.
"That's why, Guild Master, I have to refuse your offer."