My Creations Followed Me to Another World-Chapter 23: The Retainer

The vault was so quiet Dante could hear the soft hiss of the beeswax candles burning on Corva’s desk.

Hana froze, her hand tightening on Shivvy’s shoulder.

47 didn’t move at all. Her black visor caught the candlelight, and inside Dante’s mind her [Status] pulsed with a cold message:

[ANALYZING: PRIMARY THREAT]

Corva’s last words lingered in the air.

"...very, very Guild-Managed."

It wasn’t an offer. It was a verdict. A door closing.

Dante’s [Gourmet Meal] buff still hummed in his head, keeping him sharp. He was a Level 3 Creator.

And this was a hostile takeover.

He forced himself to smile. A thin, polite smile.

"Mistress Corva," he said, keeping his voice steady. "There’s been a misunderstanding. ’Managed’ means salary, contract... benefits."

He motioned toward Shivvy, who shook behind Hana.

"What you’re describing is ownership. And my talent isn’t for sale."

Corva didn’t react, but her eyes locked on him. Cold. Heavy. Measuring.

She leaned back in her tall chair, the old wood creaking.

"Talent," she said slowly. "A strong word for a frightened child. You break into my city, use my private entrance, break my lock, stand in my sealed vault... and you want to talk terms?"

She laughed. The sound was dry and thin, like paper tearing.

"You are an unregistered anomaly," she said. "The Spire would cage you. The Temple would purge you. And I..." Her voice softened. "I see a cost. A risk. A loose end."

She tapped one pale finger on the open lockbox.

"But your asset," she said, glancing at Shivvy, "has value. She is a key. A key that can open a door that has stayed shut for ten years."

Corva leaned forward, candlelight catching a sharp glint in her eyes.

"So. Two choices."

She raised a finger.

"Choice One: I kill you. I keep your assets. I will find a Spire-Blind mage to cut open your little ghost-ninja for her suit. I will break your woman. And I will keep the child in a warm, safe box... until I need something opened." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Hana gasped and pulled Shivvy closer.

47’s fingers spread by a single inch.

Corva lifted a second finger.

"Choice Two: You accept my management. You get a safe house. Contacts. Protection. Resources. In return... your party works for me. On retainer. When I have a lock, you bring the key."

Dante’s mind raced. Choice One was death. Choice Two was slavery with paperwork.

He needed to shift the field. They had to be worth more than one lock-picker.

"Your terms are... strong," Dante said. "But you’re not seeing the whole investment."

Corva’s eyebrow twitched.

Dante pointed at 47. "You noticed her suit. She’s not a ghost. She’s an Infiltrator. She bypassed the Hobgoblin Chieftain’s patrol, knocked him out, and retrieved an item without a sound. She is a scalpel. She is my Wetwork."

47 tilted her head slightly.

[CONFIRMING: CAPABLE]

Dante gestured at Hana next. Her eyes were burning with fury.

"Hana isn’t a farmer. She’s my Logistics. A Master-tier [Refiner] and [Crafter]. She turns trash grain into fine flour and monster parts into... powerful tools."

"A buff-cook," Corva said, interested. "Orderly magic. Good."

"And me," Dante said, finishing, "I summon them. I am the source. I bring new talent. You don’t just get the key, Mistress. You get the whole keychain."

He waited.

Corva sat in silence, tapping her abacus.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Finally, she looked up.

"You miscalculated something, Producer."

"What’s that?"

"You thought this was a negotiation." She smiled. "I only wanted to see your inventory. The deal stands. You are on retainer. You are mine."

Dante’s stomach dropped.

"But," Corva continued, rising from her chair, "an asset that knows its value is easier to use. And an asset that wants to live... is even better."

She walked around the desk and pulled a black-leather ledger from a shelf. She dropped it with a heavy thud.

"This city has three powers. The Spire. The Temple. And the Lord-Regent."

She tapped the ledger.

"A rival Guild—The Gilded Hand—took something from me. It’s in their main vault. Sun-City. Right under the Lord-Regent’s nose."

"And it’s locked," Dante said.

"It’s locked, trapped, and guarded by a Spire-Adept they hired. A fortress." She looked at Shivvy. "A fortress your key can walk through."

Dante understood. This was no test. This was a high-risk cleanup job.

"You want us to rob their vault," he said.

"I want you to retrieve my property," Corva said. "Do this simple task, and we can talk about a better contract. With benefits."

She smiled thinly. "Fail... and you won’t live long enough to worry about the Spire. Jek!"

The vault door scraped open. Jek stood there, pale.

"Mistress?"

"Our new Associates are done here. Take them to the Hollow. Get them settled. And give them this." She handed him the ledger. "Their first assignment."

Jek stared at Dante with sudden respect. Either they were geniuses... or they were dead.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Good day, Producer," Corva said, sitting back down. Her fingers returned to the abacus. "Don’t bleed on the carpets."