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"This man… is a smooth talker."

Sofiya couldn\'t help but find herself in agreement with Eren\'s words, silently acknowledging his skill in stirring emotions, even if it ultimately served his own interests. Deep down, she knew she shared his yearning for freedom, understanding the appeal of joining his fledgling mercenary unit and the liberation it promised.

Yet, the notion of aligning herself with Eren\'s nascent endeavor left her cautious. The unit lacked a solid foundation, and Sofiya was well aware that more lucrative options existed for supplementing her income alongside her obligatory guild missions.

Nevertheless, Sofiya prided herself on her integrity and commitment to her word. Since she had agreed to embark on this risky venture with Eren, she resolved to see it through. Her decision was grounded in quiet trust that Eren would disband the unit himself if and when he recognized that the meager earnings outweighed the effort invested.

After all, in the treacherous world of Gilaahan, mercenary units often bloomed and dispersed like transient bubbles.

"Eren, what are your immediate goals in forming this mercenary unit?" Sofiya finally mustered the interest to ask, taking a deep breath. Eren\'s knowing smile hinted that Sofiya was on the cusp of agreeing to his proposal, just in need of a gentle nudge.

"Hmm, my foremost priority in establishing the unit is to create a passive income stream for my artifact crafting projects," Eren responded, his voice laced with a touch of introspection. He knew that he had to be honest with her. His gaze seemed to pierce into the distant future as he shared his aspirations.

"I cannot hope to become a master artifact forger if I merely grind away accepting guild missions without questioning. I aim to build a renowned mercenary unit that operates autonomously, freeing me to dedicate myself to my craft. Hehe. Basically, working at my own pace. You can call it a freelancer\'s dreamjob."

Sofiya was momentarily taken aback by Eren\'s answer. It seemed that his pursuit of a career as an artifact forger differed from her expectations. She knew that novice artifact creators required substantial support in their initial stages—a prospect beyond the means of someone like Eren, burdened by crippling debts.

Confusion clouded her features as she sought clarification, "Eren, you\'d have to forgive my skepticism. But venturing into artifact forging typically demands strong financial backing. It isn\'t a path easily pursued by brokeass individuals facing financial constraints like yourself. How do you plan to make up the initial investment you need to eventually come out as a successful forger from the other side?"

Sofiya asked her question with conviction. But it was not like she was against Eren\'s ideas or found them to be unrealistic. Eren\'s intentions became clear as he unveiled his strategy to play the long game through the establishment of a mercenary unit. Curiosity flickered in her eyes, prompting her to explain her previous argument further.

"Please don\'t get me wrong. I don\'t want to discourage you. But you have to admit that becoming an artifact forger is undoubtedly challenging. Novice forgers must be prepared to invest their resources and raw ingredients with no guaranteed gains in return.

It\'s like burning away money with no immediate payoff. That\'s why signing a contract with a Masonic guild would be beneficial. They can provide the necessary resources, privileged information, and guidance that you won\'t find elsewhere," Sofiya suggested, her words echoing with logic.

Finding a Masonic guild seemed like a direct and streamlined path for Eren to pursue his artifact-forging career, avoiding the troubles he sought by taking a roundabout approach. However, Eren smiled and shook his head, denying her suggestion.

"Normally, you would be right, Sofiya, and I would agree with you," Eren responded, his pacing commencing as he strolled around the room, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze appeared distant, lost in contemplation.

"But the truth is, I already have access to privileged information concerning artifact forging. I may require assistance to fill in the blanks, but that\'s something I can manage on my own in the future without being bound by restrictive contracts with Masonic guilds.

I don\'t want to be beholden to any guild, and I don\'t want to lose sight of my main path as a battlemage. Forming a mercenary unit grants me the ideal balance and flexibility to achieve all my goals."

Eren had already experienced his epiphany regarding artifact forging. His plans revolved around creating his own Hex gear sets to complement his battlemage class.

Plus, he had an infinite mana core and its elemental neutrality, which could potentially help him become the best artifact forger of his generation. He also had the loot he had stolen from House of Spiders that he could potentially count on to support his endeavor.

Moreover, his close ties with Malcom ensured he could acquire privileged information for the right price without any strings attached. All of these advantages diminished the need for Eren to sign contracts with Masonic guilds.

Of course, he chose not to disclose every detail to Sofiya at that moment. Thus, his confidence in pursuing his side career as an artifact forger remained a mystery to her.

As Eren\'s enigmatic nature deepened, Sofiya refrained from prying into his private affairs. She understood that each ranker had their own secrets, just as she held her own. Respecting boundaries, she redirected her intrigue to her next question.

"Eren, you speak of forming a mercenary unit, and you seem to have contingencies in place if it fails. But what if your unit becomes successful? Have you considered its future? Would you eventually convert it into a guild?" Sofiya inquired, halting Eren\'s pacing.

Truthfully, Eren had yet to ponder his course of action after achieving success with his mercenary unit. He knew all too well that super-successful units often evolved into guilds, as it was the logical progression or expansion for such endeavors. Even the Stardust Guild, his current affiliation, had originated as a humble mercenary unit before transforming into its present form.

Eren took a moment to collect his thoughts, contemplating Sofiya\'s question before formulating his response.