Chapter 211: My Favorite Is Still You
On the Time Continent, an exceedingly rare scene was unfoldingthree Sorcerers were gathered together.
Even though the active Area of the Time Continent is much less than the Sea of Knowledge, the Time Continent itself remains vast. Coupled with the scarcity of Two Wings Sorcerers and the Reverse Golden Rain obscuring visibility, encounters among Sorcerers on the Time Continent were no more frequent than in the Sea of Knowledge, with everyone navigating as if through a dark forest.
But starting today, the sight of these three Sorcerers together might well become a daily occurrence in the Time Continent.
Feeling the grip around his throat tighten, Ashe quickly said, Shes a Witch, a new member of our team. It wasnt easy to get her on board, and she will join us in Exploring the Virtual Realm from now on
The next moment?
Together?
It wasnt easy to get her?
Unspoken grievances and irritation rapidly swelled and simmered within, yet Sonyas expression remained unchanged, with only her eyes growing increasingly bright, the pale red pupils almost shifting to vertical slits.
Ashe felt a sudden chill, an all-encompassing fear pressing down on him as if he were under the scrutiny of the Blood Moon Tribunal. In a low voice, he quickly added, Dont worry, my favorite is still you!
Huh?
Sonya blinked, releasing Ashe and stepping back, her gaze wandering as she fidgeted with the hem of her garment, saying with an embarrassed tone, What are you even saying all of a sudden
Swordswoman, our Bond is still the strongest, so you get first pick of any Experience Orbs we find, and Ill let you choose the best spirits first. Any other benefits will be yours to consider before the Witch or I take them, Ashe spoke earnestly. You dont have to worry about the Witchs arrival diminishing your place in my eyes.
Who cares about their place in your eyes!
Sonya muttered under her breath, then glanced at Deya, who was curiously observing them. She moved slightly closer to Ashe and said in a hushed voice, I may not care but you better not be lying to me!
Im not lying to you! Ashe declared with conviction: Unless the Witchs Bond with me becomes stronger, or if she shows greater potential than you, resources will be prioritized in your favor!
The Red-haired Swordswoman stiffened: So, youre saying if shes stronger than me
As a team, the fundamental goal of resource allocation is to strengthen the team, Ashe didnt deny this fact: While I believe in your talents, Swordswoman, if you want to maintain your advantageous position within the team, youll also need to put in extra effort.
Indeed, before entering the Virtual Realm, Ashe had an inkling that the Swordswoman would be upset, but he hadnt anticipated such an intense reaction.
But putting himself in her shoes, Ashe felt the Swordswoman had every reason to be angryit was like in a startup, where your partner brings in someone new without discussing it with you first. How could you not be upset? How would shares be allocated? How would work be divided?
While theoretically, a three-person squad works more efficiently than a two-person one, the rewards from the Virtual Realm can depend heavily on luck. Sometimes, Knowledge Creatures simply dont drop Experience Orbs, and Sorcerer Projections only drop worthless spirits. When the drop rate is poor, what can you do except curse your luck? And when the profits are disappointing, three people must divide the spoils, which can easily leave someone empty-handed, potentially leading to disputes.
Ashe and the Swordswoman had spent time building a rapport and seldom quarreled over loot distribution. But now with an additional person, the dynamics were much more complex. For instance, if two spirits dropped and both the Swordswoman and the new Witch could use them, even if the Swordswoman had the first pick and took one, wouldnt the newcomer take the second?
Such an arrangement might seem reasonable at first glance, and the Swordswoman might even seem to be at an advantage. But the problem wasif there was no Witch, both spirits would be the Swordswomans!
As an office worker who had spent years navigating the workplace and witnessed office politics, Ashe understood the subtleties of human nature. The arrival of a newcomer who could help share the workload and improve departmental performance was a blessing, but it also meant a reshuffling of interests. The presence of a new person inevitably encroached upon the benefits of the existing members and could even affect the division of office factions.
So, Ashe brought in the Witch, and was the Swordswoman expected to welcome the new Operator with open arms?
How is that even possible?
To draw an imperfect analogy, its like a wife seeing her husband bring home a mistress to share the bedhow could she possibly be willing?
The Swordswoman is not a truly selfless paper person; on the contrary, shes a highly sensitive interest-driven individual. In Ashes previous company, even if she couldnt be an outstanding pioneer of internal competition, at least she would be the kind of rights fighter who always recorded evidence to protect herself from being wronged by the company.
The Swordswoman would certainly worry about the Witch encroaching on her interests and fear the Witch replacing her. Plus, since she doesnt control the Exploration in Virtual Realm, its natural for her to feel insecure and angryher anger is justified.
People rarely notice what they gain but often fixate on what they lose.
Ashe is not accusing the Swordswoman of being ungrateful or greedy. After all, greed is human nature, and he himself is no stranger to wanting more than his fair share. Who is born a saint? Who works not for more money? Accusing subordinates of lacking gratitude is something only a company on the verge of collapse would do. Team management is a profound discipline.
So he cant suppress the Swordswoman with grand principles. Instead, he needs to analyze from her perspective the pros and cons of the Witch joining the team. At the same time, he should motivate her by painting a picture of successif she doubles her efforts in internal competition, she will always be the brightest star in the team.
But thats all Ashe can do.
Ashe can offer comfort to the Swordswoman, but he wont indulge her.
No matter how strong their relationship is, even if she is one of his main emotional supports, Ashe will not yield.
Ashe has a good relationship with his parents, but when they wanted him to become a local civil servant, he chose to strike out on his own in the big city, only returning home for the holidays;
Ashe is also close to his older brother, but when his brother suddenly wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk in the middle of the night, discussing topics like people always meet the right person at the wrong time, Ashe immediately informed his sister-in-law, nipping his brothers potential affair in the bud.
Ashe is also very fond of his nephew, having bought him countless gifts. But when he comes home to find the boy mischievous, he doesnt hesitate to take off his belt and turn the little rascal into a spinning top.
Affection is affection, but Ashe has his own set of principles that he wont compromise for anyone. In some ways, Ashe feels akin to the citizens of the Blood Moon Kingdomhe too is someone who deems personal desires more critical than anything else, a selfish culprit.
Auroras Sorcerer Handbook is his most crucial trump card, and its unthinkable for him not to use it; the Operators are vital for Exploring the Virtual Realm, and he cant forsake the Black-and-White Witch.
The Swordswoman may feel uneasy, angry, and wronged. He can understand and comfort her, but he will never apologize, much less give in.
He needs the Swordswoman to understand and support him.
Under Ashes gaze, after a moment of silence, Sonya asked, Will there be more people joining us in the future?
Perhaps, Ashe replied, himself unsure, Who knows? Our team might grow to more than a dozen
More than a dozen?!
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