Servini wore a faint, ambiguous smile, but the seriousness in her eyes made it impossible to tell whether she was joking.
Xu Yi hurriedly smiled. "Your Highness, you really know how to joke. I'm a loyal, law-abiding citizen. Why would I ever think of rebelling? Besides, our guild recruited fewer than three hundred mages this time. How could we possibly have the strength to rebel?"
"You think three hundred mages isn't enough?" Servini gave Xu Yi a mild glare. "You should know that even in the Kingdom's army, a single legion has only five hundred mages in total. And don't forget, your Xinfei Merchant Guild even has a Great Mage!"
"Your Highness, you can't make such unfair accusations against me," Xu Yi protested hastily. "Our guild recruited so many mages purely because our work requires them. It has nothing whatsoever to do with rebellion. Even Great Mage Camilla only researches magic machinery for the guild. Do you really think I would dare order her to rebel?"
"Of course you wouldn't." Servini shook her head, then sighed softly. "But some people believe you would. Did you know that, because of this, someone has already told my father that the Xinfei Merchant Guild must be plotting something, since it has recruited so many mages and so many members of other races? They want my father to be wary of the Xinfei Merchant Guild, or even place it under direct supervision."
Xu Yi froze, his brow furrowing deeply. "They certainly have some nerve, slandering us like that! The Xinfei Merchant Guild does honest business. We recruited members of other races only because we valued their special abilities. How does that mean we're plotting something? Surely His Majesty the King wouldn't believe such nonsense?"
"Of course my father won't listen to them. But this