This Novel is not my Novel

"But, Senior. You know that our informants never approach new clients first to make a deal, right?"

Did he realize from my disgusted expression that recklessly recommending it wouldn't work and decide to change his strategy?

Pret began, looking disappointed.

It seems he wants to say that since he's done me this favor, I shouldn't just brush off his proposal but at least consider it seriously...

Still, the conclusion didn't change.

I had more than enough money, but I was dying from a lack of time.

There was no reason at all for me to work at the Information Guild, and a mountain of reasons why I shouldn't.

"You yourself said you felt sorry for Professor Banhilda. Why are you twisting the act of helping her into a favor for me and trying to take credit for it?"

"Because you were the one who suggested sending an informant to Professor Banhilda, Senior."

"Why is that a problem? In any case, your guild can make money from it, so it's a gain, not a loss, isn't it?"

"But our pride as the world's number one Information Guild..."

"Isn't it common sense that business is done on your feet? If you just sit there on your high horse, you'll lose that 'world's number one' title soon enough, won't you? Ah, don't tell me you lack the ability to distinguish trustworthy clients? If that's why you can only wait for qualified clients to come to you... then the world's number one Information Guild is nothing special."

He's trying to make me feel indebted by appealing to my gratitude, but it's no use. That kind of appeasement won't work, so cut it out.

Conveying this meaning, I put on an arrogant expression and did my best to be sarcastic.

And when I did—

"Senior Karvaldr. If you have no intention of joining our guild, could you please stop acting so desirably? It makes me wonder if you're deliberately playing hard to get to raise your value and appeal to your own competence. It's so confusing, you know?"

—I ended up hearing such words.

It seemed the successor to this Information Guild took my remarks as some kind of business consultation.

"That wasn't my intention..."

"Then why are you acting like this?"

The moment I heard that question, the answer, 'To avoid being treated like a pushover and to gain the upper hand in the deal,' popped into my head.

But I'm a person capable of learning.

If I were to give that answer here, Pret would surely react by saying he liked that too.

That's why I decided to end this time-wasting argument here and change the topic.

Under the guise of an answer, I said something to achieve my own goal.

"I have a job I want you to do. Of course, I plan on paying for it, but it's not an information investigation task... If I were indebted to you, I wouldn't be able to make such a request, now would I?"

"Does that mean you were systematically playing hard to get to obtain what you wanted?"

"I never played hard to get. I was just... hmm... haggling, I guess?"

"I thought you'd give a cliché answer like 'To gain an advantage in the deal,' or 'So I don't look like a pushover,' at best! You really are... Senior...!"

As I watched his speechless reaction, staring at me with a 'why do you keep doing this' expression, I couldn't help but reflect on myself.

It seemed I was a person incapable of learning.

But wasn't he also repeating the same behavior over and over?

"Is your guild lacking talented individuals? To the point that you're clinging to someone who says no and asking them to join..."

"Why would you reach that conclusion? Don't you think you're a talented individual outstanding enough for the world's number one Information Guild to covet, Senior?"

"I'm having these doubts because you're making a fuss over nothing and praising me as some great talent, aren't I?"

"How can you say it's nothing when you keep gaining the upper hand in deals against me? By your standards, what kind of great achievement must one present to be considered 'something'?"

I finally understood the repeated job offers and exaggerated praise coming from his mouth.

Pret was a person with great pride and self-esteem, so he must unconditionally rate anyone who could beat him with words highly.

"Phew! At this rate, rather than joining our guild, it seems your repulsion will only grow, Senior. Let's stop talking about this."

Before I could even answer, Pret proposed a truce.

Being ignored every time he suggested I join must have tired him out.

Was that all?

His pride must have been hurt considerably too.

Comforting him in that state was an action unfitting of Karvaldr's character persona.

So, before Pret could make a move, I decided to show my displeasure first.

"Good thinking. Not only do I have plenty of money and don't need a job, but I'm also too busy training to have time for anything else... For someone who knows that full well to keep making an unacceptable offer was not just burdensome, but downright irritating."

"Oh! I've been very discourteous to you, Senior, haven't I?"

"It's enough that you know now. I'll specially forgive you for today, so don't do it again."

"I can't give you a definite answer since I can't rashly make assurances about the future, but I'll try not to."

It didn't mean he'd completely given up on hiring me, but it meant he wouldn't be throwing out job offers all the time like he had today... I guess?

His answer was incredibly ambiguous, but I decided to let it slide for now.

In any case, I had made it clear that I had no intention of joining the Information Guild, nor was I in a position to do so.

He would probably give up soon.

"So, what's this job you have for me?"

"I want you to send 4 gold coins to Sveinn's parents every month, on the condition that the entire amount is used for his daughter's medical expenses. And pay off all the family's debt. I will provide the money, but everything must be done anonymously."

"What? You're saying you'll give money to Sveinn for nothing in return? When you haggled so fiercely with me??"

Pret raised his voice, his expression a mix of bewilderment and grievance.

I, who had acted like a cheapskate toward him, was giving a large sum of money to someone else without a second thought.

He must have been truly, utterly flabbergasted.

"It's all for my own safety and well-being."

"What on earth does Sveinn's family situation have to do with your safety, Senior?"

"Think about it. We don't just train together; we enter the Demon Realm and cross the line of fire together. Won't Sveinn naturally learn my weaknesses and personal information? And you, of all people, should know best that information is money."

"So you're not feeling sorry for Sveinn's situation. You're being wary, thinking he might sell your information everywhere?"

The questioner's face was full of reluctance.

Well, it was no wonder.

I had basically just said I was suspicious of Sveinn because of his poverty.

It was only natural that the reaction wasn't good.

"Is that all? Don't cornered people sometimes put others in crisis to save themselves? He could be tempted by a large sum of money and, under someone's orders, act impulsively in the Demon Realm and put us all in danger."

"......"

"Even if he doesn't go that far, he might be so desperate to gather the medicinal herbs growing in the Demon Realm that he causes an accident."

"......"

Since I had unintentionally raised Pret's favorability too much, it wouldn't be a bad idea to lower it a bit on this occasion.

So, I spewed a torrent of words condemning Sveinn and examined his reaction.

As I've mentioned several times, Pret is a character set to value loyalty highly.

Therefore, he must have been greatly disappointed by my recent remarks.

Only a week had passed since the Special Class for Awakened Ones was established, so we hadn't had time to build trust.

Still, criticizing someone from the same group without basis was clearly wrong.

From this moment on, his desire for me to join the guild must have completely vanished.

Or so I thought...

"The amount that goes toward his younger sister's medical expenses each month is 3 gold coins, so why are you paying 4? Isn't it so they can use better medicine and call a skilled healer to delay the disease's progression as much as possible?"

It seemed it wasn't easy for Pret to give up his lingering attachment.

Seeing him ask such a question, unable to accept that I didn't fit his preferred image of a talented individual.

"If the disease worsens, the costs will be much higher, won't they? If adding just one more gold coin can prevent much greater future spending, then it's a profitable deal."

"If you just sent the money in your name, you'd not only receive words of thanks, but Sveinn would also be willing to do anything for you, Senior. Why are you insisting on sending the money anonymously through me?"

"You spout such nonsense. Because of his pride, Sveinn couldn't bring himself to pick up an expensive arrow used by royalty even when it was lying on the ground, and just watched. Unhappy that someone else took the benefit he'd given up, he treated them like a beggar picking up someone else's trash, didn't he? With a personality like that, he'll 'gratefully' accept money from me, sure."

I did my best to be sarcastic so that Pret could shake off his lingering feelings.

But this time, too, I didn't get the reaction I wanted.

"So... what you're saying is, even though you found it extremely outrageous and unpleasant when Sveinn came to me and talked about 'picking up someone else's trash'... You were still worried that his strong pride would be hurt, so you decided to show consideration and send the money anonymously?"

"What...?! How on earth did you reach that conclusion?! Were you a Reisir-type all along?"

"A Reisir-type? What kind of type is that?"

"The type that willfully distorts other people's words and interprets them for their own convenience... No, don't subtly change the topic. Isn't this conversation getting unnecessarily long?!"

While unconsciously answering Pret's question, the thought, 'Why am I kindly explaining this crap?' suddenly popped into my head.

So when I criticized him, he also voiced a complaint.

"It's not my fault the conversation went off on a tangent this time, is it? You could have just admitted it cleanly, but you made all sorts of unnecessary, elaborate excuses. You were the one who piqued my curiosity by mentioning the unheard-of word 'Reisir-type,' Senior."

"It's not an excuse. It's because you're having a ridiculous misunderstanding...!"

"Other people try so hard to be seen as good people, but why do you, Senior Karvaldr, try so hard to reject being seen as one?"

"That's...!"

"That's?"

"......"

"What is it?"

"........."

"What is it already~!"

Pret pressed me, but being rushed didn't make an excuse simply pop into my head.

No, on the contrary, my mind only grew frantic, and my head went blank.

For that reason, there was only one thing I could say at this moment.

"...I'm done talking, so you can leave now."

"No, no. We're not done. You have to give me the money to send to Sveinn's house and the errand fee."

"Ah..."

The feeling of embarrassment was still there, but...

...I felt an unnecessary sense of relief at the fact that I no longer had to squeeze out an excuse.

"Ahem, ahem! First, pay off the debt, then take a portion of the remaining money for your errand fee. Send 4 gold coins to Sveinn's house every month, and tell me when it runs out."

"Oh dear, such a large amount all at once...!"

I'm glad I had set aside 20 gold coins as emergency funds before contacting Pret and put the rest of my entire fortune into one pouch, just in case.

Thanks to that, I was able to generously hand over the money, pouch and all, without breaking character by counting each coin.

"But if an anonymous sponsor suddenly appears and sends money, it'll be suspicious, right? So there needs to be a plausible reason..."

"First, create an imaginary wealthy, self-made man who was born into a poor family and earned a great fortune. He's always been troubled by the fact that he couldn't provide proper treatment for his older sister, who had an incurable disease, when he was young and had no choice but to let her go. To shake off that regret, he decided to find a girl with the same disease and sponsor her. Won't that do?"

"Oh...! That'll work!"

"Then leave now."

"Yep!"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!