“Why am I scum?” I demanded with a wounded look.
“They called me scum too…” The Guild Master whimpered.
“You’re the one who caused all of this!” I snapped at him.
The Guild Master was trying to act like he was innocent, but it was his actions that had caused Ruby to grow angry in the first place. He was even giving me a pitiful look like he wanted me to defend his actions. So shameless. He’s the one who had made me think that Ruby hated me. At least he had the decency to look guilty as I glared at him.
Meanwhile, Ruby let out a sigh, sitting back behind the desk chair and putting her feet up on the desk. Wait, wasn’t this the Guild Master’s office? My glare turned to a questioning look, and the Guild Master shrugged helplessly.
“She’s vice guild master now, but I’d swear she thought she was the boss.”
“Eh? What was that?” She asked.
“N-nothing!” the Guild Master jumped.
“And for you, Deek.” She barked at me.
“Y-yes!” I also jumped.
She sighed. “When I traveled with you a few months ago, you showed me a part of myself that I didn’t like.”
“Huh?”
“What do you think the point of being an Adventurer is?” She asked.
“Um… adventuring?” I frowned.
“It’s about putting your life on the line, taking risks, and fighting for what you believe in. At every point along the way, you would do reckless, crazy, stupid things. They were things I never even would have thought of on my own. I began to realize that I’m not the Adventurer I thought I was. That’s why I ended up retiring and becoming the vice guild master. I just didn’t have it in me to truly go on adventures anymore.
“I-I see…”
I didn’t get it. She should have said something if she felt that way. Why did the Guild Master say I was the reason? Why did I get attacked? She continued speaking.
“The Guild Master has been trying to get me to retire and join him for a while. He was probably afraid you’d convince me to leave with you.”
“Th-that’s not true!” The Guild Master turned red though, basically showing his guilt. “I’m sorry! I may have exaggerated a bit, but she really was in a mood after returning!”
“Of course, I was in a mood.” She scoffed. “It’s not easy to realize hard truths about yourself. I realized that I couldn’t make a difference out there. However, with my experience, I realized that if I became a guild master, I could still make a real difference in the lives of other Adventurers.”
“Did she just call herself the guild master?” The Guild Master muttered.
“With Chalm growing, I knew that they needed strong support in the future. Guild Master was already a worthless old man who is full of hot air.”
“Right…” I nodded, remembering how many times him and the mayor got me doing their dirty work.
“You agree!” The Guild Master cried out tearfully.
Ruby continued, ignoring the Guild Master. “There are so many little problems a city faces that you’re never aware of because it gets handled by the various guilds. I knew that the best way I could help you and the city was to take on this position.”
“Help me?”
She nodded. “Since you started calling me big sis, I guess I began to see you as my little brother too. I don’t have any other family. My parents ended up selling me into slavery when I was a child.”
My eyes grew wide. “You were a slave?”
She shrugged. “I wasn’t for long. I was a sickly child. It was Figuro who had received me, and Chalm ended up buying me and nursing me back to health, so for as long as I remember, I’ve been part of Chalm. That’s why I’ve stuck around, and why I feel so much affection for this city. So, you can imagine how I felt when a shy little healer showed up and started calling me big sis. Before I knew it, you were the lord of Chalm, and managed to reclaim the city with your own strength.”
So, it was that after all. Just like my girls, she had started to feel left behind. She knew that as a guild master, she’d be able to have a bigger influence on the city, and wouldn’t feel like she was insignificant. Everyone had their own path, it seemed.
“I understand.” I bowed. “Guild Master Ruby.”
“She’s the vice though…” the Guild Master whined helplessly.
She waved her hand, blushing slightly. “Just keep calling me big sis. I’ll take care of things on this side, and do my best to support my bro on your side.”
“I understand.”
“Oh, and family is family. If you fantasize about your big sister again, I’ll break your balls.”
“Y-yes!”
I learned that day that some women didn’t fantasize about having children. All my slave girls had always excitedly talked about one day being pregnant, so I had forgotten that not every woman had such aspirations. Plus, Ruby was her own person who could make her own choices. Alysia who had all of her choices stripped from her by the Demon Lord Aberis to become his incubator sympathized with this the most.
I still didn’t like being scolded. At least the pair were getting along now, I supposed.
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