The butcher's voice changed and turned a bit sinister as he spoke his next words.
"It's really great that you broke into the Grandmaster rank. You have my best regards, old man. May you prosper even more. May you see the wider world that's out there.
I'll go ahead and say that here. I will celebrate your breakthrough with you and my city will also join in. I will make sure that everyone in the city of White Raven knows your name.
What's more? You will be paid handsomely according to your rank from now on. And your needs will be prioritized when it comes to procuring ranking resources for the entire guild. In short, you will get all the benefits and respect your rank deserves. And then some more."
Amory felt like he shouldn't have provoked Eren in the first place. He felt like the butcher was counting on such a scene to take place after Amory broke into the Grandmaster rank and became high on success.
Eren's way of handling Amory's breakthrough was arrogant. But the offers Eren extended to him made Amory confused about his intentions. The butcher smirked before finishing what he had to say.
"I will always respect a Grandmaster in every way I can if they can respect me back. I will not send them to do petty chores at my whims. Neither will I tell them to do something unsuitable for their rank.
But…"
Eren took a brief pause before continuing.
"But I want you to get something straight– you are my employee and I am your boss and not the other way around.
Not Agatha– Not Nina– and not your little girl Jiana… I… Eren Elijah Idril is your new boss.
The guild's prestige be damned. I would rather have disobedient high-ranking entities never join my guild at all than for me to feel the need to retain them at any cost just because it was going to bring more security and prosperity.
Do you get what I'm saying? You can pack your bags and leave if you feel that your previous leader is still your current leader. You can find a new nest for yourself if you let this thing called rankers' code of conduct stop you from obeying my orders just because I'm lower ranked than you.
I'm sure there are other docile guilds out there who'd dance to your tunes and pay you a fortune because of your rank. I'll still respect you and wish you all the best if that is your choice. But stay here and you'd have to follow my word."
Everyone was shocked when they heard Eren was willing to let go of a Grandmaster ranker in his guild. The butcher didn't bat an eye when he heard a few gasps around him. He spoke with the same conviction as before. He looked intermittently at him and Jiana when he did that.
"Don't think I won't dare to kick you or any of the ex Healers' Nirvana members out of my guild just because you have broken into Grandmaster rank, old man.
Need I remind you of the efforts I made and the resources I invested in your breakthrough? You think I'll let you boss me around because you now have something I paid for?"
Eren narrowed his eyes at Amory, who then lowered his gaze for some reason. The butcher then smirked before glancing at Jiana standing behind him in the distance. It was as if he was speaking to both of them when he said what he said to Amory.
Nina was a bit stressed when she heard Eren speak. She felt that there was a better time and place to discuss these things. And that he should have taken Jiana and Amory into private before he made his stance. Almost all the rankers were prideful creatures– some more than others. She didn't want Amory to feel offended by what Eren said based on logic.
Nina acted as the bridge between the ex-members of Healers' Nirvana and the White Raven guild. She, therefore, wanted to intervene between Eren and Amory so that the matter could be settled peacefully. But she stopped in her tracks when she felt someone placing a hand on her shoulders. She turned around to see Agatha standing behind her.
'I know what you are thinking, Master Nina. But when it comes to doing business, I haven't seen anyone as astute as Eren. If he feels that there's a need to address the issue this way, he won't listen to anyone even if we intervene.
Let us all be patient and trust in him.'
Nina was stunned by how mature Agatha sounded even when the half-blood was younger than her. Taking on mentally taxing duties as the manager of the guild and the city had fortified her mindset on another level.
Agatha also understood the need to rein in Amory and Jiana at this point. As a manager of the guild, she liked rankers who obeyed her orders, which were Eren's orders by proxy. She didn't want to deal with such high-ranking entities on her own when the butcher wasn't around.
Just like every time, Eren's moves had various facets attached to them. Agatha realized that Eren was handling the matter this way to make sure that the guild and the city as a whole would function smoothly even after his absence.
Amory's shoulders dropped and he retracted his aura. It was indeed true that Eren had paid for his breakthrough. Amory was reminded that he was struggling to survive against the sands of time before the breakthrough took place.
The old man sighed. He turned around and looked at Jiana briefly before commenting in a grim voice.
"I… I understand."
Eren remained silent for a while and let the atmosphere become as heavy as a mountain. He then flashed an innocent smile and changed everyone's mood. As he retracted his soul sense, the tense atmosphere dissipated. He slapped the old man's freshly developed biceps before speaking up.
"Then that settles it, old man. Rest assured… There'll be a huge celebration event to honor your breakthrough. Take some rest while we arrange a few things for your event."
Eren's attitude abruptly changed. He once again proved to Nina, Agatha, and the rest that his colors changed more frequently than a chameleon.
The butcher started treating Amory like one of his pals and not a senior ranker he should respect. And instead of being offended by it, the old man felt relieved. The very event could be seen as the existential paradox as well.
It was safe to say that Amory had subconsciously stopped seeing Jiana as his de facto leader. Instead, the old man accepted Eren to fulfill that role entirely.
