Eren's honest answer had Amory stumped.
The butcher used this opportunity to carry on with his talks once again.
"I don't need a deeper reason than this to extend this offer to you. Yet there is one more reason for me to purchase your guild at this point.
As I said at the beginning, there is an emergency in my guild. We need high-ranked entities like you guys in my guild. We have this rank-up program that we have initiated for a select few guild members..."
Eren offered a brief introduction to the rank-up program to Nina, Jiana, and Amory. He also mentioned its pros and cons without holding anything back. He also mentioned Levine and Zethos who had already been enrolled in the rank-up program. This was so that they knew they weren't the only B-rankers who were lining up for it.
"You mean... there's still a way for me to break into the Grandmaster rank?"
His anger toward Eren and his nefarious plans against his guild seemed to vanish when he listened to Eren's offer. The thing he was searching for in Monster Canyon had come looking for him when he gave up hope. It was safe to say that the butcher had Amory smitten with his offer even if the old man didn't care to show it on his face.
Amory didn't say anything to Jiana. He didn't want to influence her decision in any way since the guild was her parents' legacy. Still, he couldn't help looking at Jiana with hope in his eyes.
"Yes, Master Amory. Since you are only a step away from reaching the Grandmaster rank, the only way for you to advance in the elemental pool would be to achieve a ranking breakthrough.
This is provided you can survive the program. There's a high risk of you dying in the process as well. But at this point, I'm sure you won't care about something like that."
Eren looked at Amory and confirmed the possibility for him. Both Nina and Jiana looked at Amory's hope-filled eyes and could see the desire to achieve a breakthrough getting reflected in his eyes.
Nina was all for the takeover. And at this point, the butcher had subtly nudged Amory into coming on board with his plan. Still, Jiana looked unconvinced. Eren knew what she was about to say, so he addressed her next issue on his own.
"Of course, you and your guild members would be treated as a separate division within the White Raven guild, Master Jiana. Within the guild's framework, I will give you full autonomy to lead that division.
Yours would not be a solo case. I have also offered a similar proposal to a guild member and he is leading his team while still being part of my guild. I intend to make more divisions in the guild when my existing guild members grow further."
The butcher was talking about Tumko's team in this situation. He knew the potential of Jiana, so he granted her the autonomy he so desperately needed. He didn't have any problem extending the same offer to Jiana as well. Offering such autonomy to Jiana made more sense on both sides since she was a B-ranker herself.
Eren had a bunch of B-rankers stationed inside his city at this point. A majority of them belonged to Levine's faction and the rest were rankers dispatched by House Derringer. Levine had also assured him that there was at least one A-ranked entity looking over the city at any given time to assure the city's safety.
Yet, amid all those fortifications, the butcher did not have a powerhouse in his guild. Someone who truly belonged to his guild and his guild alone. He wanted to change that equation by getting Nina, Jiana, and Amory onboard at once. And the sooner any one of them manages to reach A-rank, the better the prospects will be for him and his guild.
Jiana was intrigued by the rank-up program as well. She knew that a similar array was run by Edinburgh's royal family. But since it was under royal control, it would only be offered to those who had sworn absolute fealty to it. And even that was a rare case.
Jiana wanted to try her luck. So she narrowed her eyes before proposing a counteroffer.
"Eren, you say all the right things. But you forget that you are only an Adept ranker. And no matter how much freedom you would offer me, the fact that a lower-ranked entity like you serves as my guild master still doesn't sit right with me.
Why not make me the guild master of your guild? I can assure you that I'll take your wishes and opinions into account if you relay your position to me?"
Jiana flashed a generous smile looking at Eren. But one could tell that the smile had a hint of wickedness mixed into it. Even Nina was surprised by how a seemingly selfless ranker like Jiana was able to put her interests forward when it came to negotiating with Eren. She could only blame him for being a terrible influence on everyone.
Amory, on the other hand, was lowkey proud of the little girl. This was the first time he had seen this form of her. Someone who wasn't willing to settle for less just because her situation wasn't in her favor.
The butcher started laughing when he heard Jiana's counteroffer. He licked his lips and his emerald green eyes shined with a shade of dominance before he spoke further.
"Hahaha. That's what it takes to be a guild master, Master Jianna. Unfortunately for you, I'll have to treat it as you trying your luck. Something that doesn't have much conviction behind it."
Eren's jet-black hair threatened to turn white. The tribal tattoos on his skin flashed faintly before disappearing.
"You know…"
Eren started walking towards Jiana's spectral form as he kept speaking. His presence in the room started getting sharper with each step. The Death element and the Sin of Wrath were manifested in his aura. The ever-restless tongues of lightning around him turned purple to red. A bunch of Wind-Fire shards appeared around him like fireflies.
Both Nina and Amory felt as if Eren's victims had been resurrected around them. And they were whispering something into their ears. Cryptic whispers that did not hold any meaning. But the intentions behind those whispers could be felt deep in one's consciousness.
'Do not mess with him if you value your safety.'
