Chapter 54 - The Deal

"As expected," Hecathe chuckled as he complimented Kelly, "You are a smart woman." 

"Don't bother with the flattery," Kelly sent the man a glare as she snapped, "The two million... I'll give it to you. Not the guild, but me." 

"Huh?" 

"Your deal is with me so I hope you can keep it between us. Nobody outside of this room would ever get to find out," Kelly spoke up coldly with a bit of a threatening tone, "You can leave the guild if you really think you're not up to it, but you must have a reasonable explanation for wanting to leave. If I don't find your reason satisfactory then you don't get to leave." 

Hecathe nodded his head as he agreed to this demand, "That sounds reasonable." 

"I'm taking out money from my own pocket so you better live up to my expectations," Kelly continued and Hecathe felt a little amused as he heard her authoritative way of speaking. 

"Kelly, you've gone mad," Dane clicked his tongue as he commented but Kelly naturally ignored him. 

"You'll be under me so that means all the missions you get would be given to you by me. If I want to send you on a mission without your permission, I would have full right to do so." 

"So in short you want to be my boss?" Hecathe cut her words short as he asked.

Kelly nodded her head confidently as she confirmed it, "That's right. You become my employee and I become your employer." 

Hecathe chuckled as he heard this and Kelly thought the man was mocking him so she frowned as she questioned rather rudely, "Is there something funny in what I just said?" 

Nothing in what she said was funny but Hecathe couldn't help but chuckle as he thought about how ridiculous the situation was. He had always been the boss. He was the Zelium legend who was the founder of Zuex... Or at least, he used to be and now he stood here in another man's body listening to a woman who wanted to boss him around. 

Hecathe shook his head as he immediately responded, "No. You aren't funny at all." 

"Then I don't get why you should be laughing," Kelly sent him a piercing icy glare as she spoke and Hecathe gulped as he felt the temperature in the room drop. 

"I'll agree to your demands since I think it would be interesting to have such a change in my life," Hecathe coughed as he instantly wiped away that amused expression from his face and spoke with an utmost serious tone. 

Yes, it was certainly going to be interesting for Hecathe to follow someone else's orders. 

"Then it's a deal," Kelly sighed, "Since I don't want any records to be left behind about this deal, let me pay you up in physical monetary cash." 

"That sounds good to me," Hecathe beamed shamelessly. 

At the end of the day, he had come here to join the guild, and not only was he able to easily join the guild but he was also able to earn some good money out of it. This situation was certainly a win-win for him, but he would naturally not tell Kelly or Dane that they had stupidly walked into his trap. 

"Then I guess you'll be joining us as well?" Kelly questioned as she turned to face Raven once again. 

The man nodded enthusiastically with a chuckle as he responded, "I look forward to it." 

Kelly smiled as she heard this response, but Hecathe could clearly sense that her smile was probably fake. 

Everyone except for Dane seemed to be satisfied with the outcome. 

"Kelly, don't tell me I didn't warn you," Dane gritted out, clearing showing his displeasure, "You're being reckless again." 

Kelly once again pretended as if she couldn't hear the man and took out something from her pocket before walking over to Hecathe and giving it to him. 

"What's this?" Hecathe asked almost immediately as he cautiously looked at the piece of paper that had been given to him. 

"It's an address. Give me an hour to get the money ready. Wait there for me in the meantime." 

Before Hecathe could give the woman a response, she bowed as she added, "Then I'll be leaving first. Dane would get all the things prepared for you to join our guild. I hope you have a great time at the golden fire." 

Dane didn't look to be agreeing with her but when she pulled him along, he could do nothing but follow her helplessly. 

Hecathe looked at the paper for a few seconds before putting it away in his pocket as he got ready to leave the place as well. 

"You did it on purpose," Raven spoke up from behind him and it made Heathe stop in his tracks. 

"Huh?" Hecathe turned sideways to glance at the man in confusion. 

"The reason why you were here in the first place was because you wanted to join the guild, was it not?" Raven asked with a smirk on his face. 

Hecathe scoffed as he heard this obvious question, "Why I came here has nothing to do with you, does it? Why would I confirm your speculations?" 

Raven blinked in surprise as he heard this hostile response, "Brother, it seems like we got off the wrong foot. Since we are going to be joining the same guild now, why don't we try getting along?" 

Hecathe almost wanted to laugh as he heard this proposal.

"I'd rather not," As expected, Hecathe turned the man down coldly. 

Raven sighed dejectedly as he heard this cold response but his reaction didn't look to be all that genuine as he spoke, "Then it can't be helped." 

"..." Hecathe nodded as he turned back and continued walking out of the room, thinking that the man had given up.

"I'll just have to try hard to gain your trust," Raven added with a smirk once Hecathe was out of the room, "So that you can tell me the truth about why you are here."