"Is that your final answer?" Guild Master Yunxia asked once more, a melancholic tone lacing her voice.
"Yup... that's my final answer," I confirmed without any hesitation in my voice.
"I see..."
The silver-haired woman in front of me held a rather saddened expression upon hearing my confirmation.
Honestly, seeing this expression kind of tugged at my heartstrings... but no, I needed to strengthen my resolve.
I had to learn—from now on—how to approach women carefully. If this libido curse was going to stick with me for the rest of my life, I'd have to be careful not to fall into another one of these honey trap situations.
Which reminded me... a grim thought crossed my mind of what usually occurs in this kind of situation.
"Well, I'm glad that you understand me, Guild Master, but... Sorry if I'm going to sound rude here..."
"Hmm...?" She tilted her head slightly, curious.
I hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit awkward about what I was about to ask, but I steeled my resolve!
"...you're not gonna kill me off for not accepting your offer... right?"
Both Guild Master Yunxia and her subordinate Hilda paused... and blinked a few times, processing what I'd just said.
For a moment, there was tense and awkward silence as both of them tried to understand my words...
"Pfft... Hehe... hahaha~!"
...and then the silver-haired beauty herself burst out into a hearty laugh, her voice echoing through the room.
"Damn you...!"
"Whoa there-?!"
Hilda, on the other hand, looked at me with a mix of anger and disbelief, startling me a bit as her 'snake's eyes' glowed even brighter than before, filled with threatening pressure...!
"You dare assume the worst of the madam?!" Hilda sputtered, her face reddening with fury. "I told you we wouldn't kill you, you damn fool!"
"Hey, I'm just making sure here, you know?" I retorted back in defense. "Usually, when people of high ranking offer you a crazy deal and you reject it, you end up losing more than just your head."
"The madam would never do that, idiot!"
The Guild Master, still laughing her heart out, waved a hand dismissively at her noble subordinate.
"Hahaha~, oh, Hilda, dear, calm down, hahaha~, It's just a misunderstanding~," she tried to reason with her but was having a hard time conveying anything through her laughter.
I wouldn't lie, but... seeing the Guild Master's cheerful mood was a whole lot better than seeing her in that slightly solemn attitude. It was also a way, way better heartwarming laugh than her previous maniacal and sinister one she had shown me before.
I couldn't help but let out a chuckle of my own, joining the happy mood while poor Hilda was still trying to assess the Guild Master's antics.
Eventually, the laughing silver-haired woman finally toned down her laughter as she looked at me with a fonder gaze.
"My apologies, Mr. Isaac," she began, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks as she seemed a bit embarrassed to be seen laughing like that. "I suppose I did come off a bit too intense."
"Yeah, I'm sorry too about assuming the worst," I scratched the back of my head, feeling a bit sheepish. "But you can't really blame me, though. This whole thing has, like... a certain grim tone to it, you know?"
Guild Master Yunxia's visage softened into a warm smile. "Rest assured, Mr. Isaac. Declining my offer doesn't mean I'll put a bounty on your head."
On the other hand, Hilda huffed, crossing her arms as she threw a mean glare at me again.
"Still, you should watch your words with the madam!" She snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at my face. "The madam is not one to be trifled with! Remember it well, Mr. Isaac!"
"Duly noted," I replied with a small, apologetic nod, trying not to let out a smirk at this loyal servant of a woman's fiery defense.
Then, I looked back at the smiling Guild Master, who seemed to enjoy the spat between me and her loyal subordinate.
"Guild Master, if there's nothing else, I would like to take my leave here," I tried to excuse myself, seeing that our conversation had reached the point of 'safe' from any further offering of hers...
But suddenly, the Guild Master's expression, which had been pure and free of any bad intentions... turned into one full of mischievous delight.
"My, leaving so soon~?" She purred as she stood up from her desk, approaching with that same, familiar alluring movement. "Even though we're just starting to get to know each other~. It would be a shame to end the night this early~."
"Wha-!? Guild Master?!"
I quickly shielded my eyes from the tempting sight, thinking that maybe just 'see no evil' was more than enough to prevent my curse from acting up.
Unfortunately, I couldn't completely shut my ears to 'hear no evil.'
"Hehehe~, how adorable of you, Mr. Isaac~," she purred again, her voice even more enticing than before...! I could even feel her presence closing in on me quite dangerously...!
"You know, I don't mind if we do something 'fun' together without any of those hassling offers and such~," she suddenly suggested, speaking closely... and sensually to my ear, "What do you say, Mr. Isaac~?"
On that day, my flight-or-fight instinct kicked in for the second time... and I chose 'flight' again.
"Sorry! Excuse me, Guild Master! I gotta go!"
I quickly turned around and escaped the clutches of the beautiful vixen-like Guild Master! I dashed toward the closed door of her office and burst through it!
"What the-!?"
"Hey! Where are you going?!"
"Excuse me! Coming through!" I shouted my hasty apology to the surprised men-in-black that had been guarding the entrance to the Guild Master's office.
All of them looked confused and bewildered by my sudden escape, but I didn't care about that for now!
I needed to get away from here!
Or I might really fall into ultimate debauchery with that temptress of a Guild Master!
Meanwhile...
The said Guild Master herself watched my leaving figure... with a rather fond smile.
"What an interesting man~," she muttered to herself, seemingly finding a person of interest in her book.
"Madam," her subordinate Hilda called the smiling silver-haired woman, catching her attention, "Are you sure about letting that man go? I mean... he holds a 'God's Relic' and all..."
"Hehehe~, it is quite fine, Hilda," Guild Master Yunxia answered her subordinate's worry, reassuring her, "I believe what he said has a certain truthfulness to it. Someone like him... would be better off creating his own path rather than having someone else decide for him."
She then walked toward one of the windows of her office... and gazed out, watching the hurried figure of the man she was starting to grow fond of as he was chased by her confused men-in-black subordinates, thinking that he had escaped from her.
"... And one day, in the near future... he might be the one who reaches the deepest level of the dungeon... and unites all humanity under his banner."