Chapter 80

2/2

The moment Sei left the room, I started to get up to chase after her.

"…Miss?"

However, Lyle and Tanya, who had keenly noticed this, called out to me as if to reprimand me.

"Just a little. I'll only watch from the shadows."

"It's not safe."

Lyle firmly rejected the idea, as if there were no room for discussion. Indeed, as a bodyguard, approaching the epicenter of the commotion would be unthinkable.

I stared at him, and Lyle returned my gaze with a serious expression. It was clear that he wouldn't change his mind.

"…But, Sei and Dida aren't the only ones in that dangerous place. There are also the employees who work under me."

For a moment, I averted my gaze from Lyle and spoke my thoughts aloud.

"I am the head of this merchant guild. If they demand that the head appear, then I should be the one to go. …More importantly, I have the responsibility to ensure that the people who work under me can perform their duties safely and with peace of mind. …Please, Lyle. Don't make me abandon my responsibilities."

"But, Miss…"

"Besides, you will be by my side to protect me, right? …Lyle, I trust you, which is why I can go."

"But… No, I understand. Miss, please do not reveal yourself to them under any circumstances."

I nodded at Lyle's reluctant agreement and then left the room.

The shouting from the front of the store was still audible, making the shop noisy and chaotic.

"…It's been a while, Mr. Danme."

Amidst the noise, Sei's words were clearly heard.

From behind the partition that separated the back room from the store, I peeked into the shop. One man was being restrained, with Dida sitting on him to prevent his movements.

"As you requested, I have come out… So, could you explain why you, a former employee, are causing such a commotion?"

Sei's words made the previous murmurs fall silent.

Even without being directly told, I could feel the intensity of Sei's anger.

Sei can be so scary when she's angry… I thought absently.

"…"

The man, overwhelmed by Sei's presence, was speechless. Sei sighed deeply at his reaction.

"Silence, huh. …As the head, I have the duty to ensure that our customers can enjoy a comfortable environment. Normally, I would have handed you over to the authorities immediately, but I am willing to hear you out. It would be much appreciated if you could explain yourself."

"…I-I'm not wrong…!"

"Even now, you claim, 'I'm not wrong'…?"

Sei sighed deeply again.

Well, if someone causes such a commotion and still claims they are not wrong, what can you do…?

"I'm not wrong! I worked hard and achieved results in this merchant guild. I worked myself to the bone and produced results. Yet, when I submitted a request to be rehired, I was flatly rejected…"

"…I believe you were poached by another merchant guild, correct? If that's the case, you could have achieved the same results there."

Sei's words made sense. So, this man… Danme, was it? He left this merchant guild and went to a guild under Lord Ed's influence.

"That's true, but… I realized that the only place where I can fully utilize my skills is this guild. So, I submitted a request to be rehired, but I was dismissed…"

"If someone leaves for another guild and then wants to come back, would you just say, 'Sure, that's fine'…?"

"But, someone with my skills would usually be welcomed with open arms! I was in charge of cooking at this store! Hiring me would be a huge asset!"

"Indeed, you may have performed excellently in our merchant guild."

"…Then…"

"But to be honest, there are many people at your level."

Sei said this coldly.

"True, you had the skills from the beginning. But now, even those who didn't have the skills from the start have worked hard and improved. More so than you, who became complacent and neglected your own improvement. …Did you think I wasn't observing your work attitude? Skills are indeed necessary, but they are not the only factor. If there were someone at the same level as you… someone who sat on their laurels and even turned their back on our guild during a crisis, versus someone who worked hard and supported the guild during a crisis… which one would you choose? It's obvious, isn't it?"

Sei's eyes pierced through the man. Just that alone made the man—Danme—tremble.

…Sei's presence is really intimidating.