Everyone in the Fūu Clan froze when Guy finished speaking.
They stared blankly at him, their faces full of doubt.
They were not shocked. They simply did not believe what Guy had said.
The man before them wore plain gray monk's robes. They were clean, but hardly luxurious.
He also carried a tightly bundled child on his shoulder, making him look utterly penniless.
Ten million ryō?
Was he joking?
That was a fortune their entire clan might not save up even after decades of hard work!
The clan leader hesitated, then stared at Guy and asked, "Are... are you serious?"
Guy nodded, his voice calm. "I don't have time to joke with you. Discuss it properly and give me an answer as soon as possible."
Seeing his serious expression, the members of the Fūu Clan immediately huddled together, lowering their voices as they hurriedly discussed the offer.
"Clan leader, he seems serious! If we sell Yota to him, we'll have ten million ryō!"
"We'll never have to wander around again! We can find somewhere to settle down!"
"Exactly! That child might never earn ten million ryō in his entire life. Selling him outright is a fantastic deal!"
"But he said he could provide us with housing and protection. Should we consider going?"
"Like hell we should! With that money, what kind of housing or protection couldn't we get?"
"We could hire a few powerful ninja to protect us. Wouldn't that be better than anything else?"
"The third option, joining his organization, is absolutely out of the question! Either he hires us for a million ryō a year, or we sell Yota for a one-time payment of ten million!"
"Hurry up and decide. That guy looks like he means it."
"Then let's take the ten million! Yota is sick anyway, and