"Ryuga Renjou and Marcos Borg, I assume?"
To step back slightly to the moment when Yugo was facing Fango in their duel, Mad Clay—having already withdrawn from the arena—called out to Ryuga and Marcos.
The two turned around, their expressions clouding with suspicion at the sight of a man who clearly wasn't a student. They voiced the obvious question.
"That's us. Who are you?"
"Mad. Mad Clay... That should be enough to tell you who I am, shouldn't it?"
"...A relative of Yugo’s. What do you want with us?"
Mad sized them up, noting they hadn't lowered their guard for a second. Suddenly, a bright smile spread across his face. He opened his arms wide and spoke with a cheery, practiced confidence.
"I'll be blunt. How would you two like to enter my service?"
"Huh...?" they both let out, their voices flat with disbelief.
Mad had judged that roundabout negotiations would only backfire with men like these. It was better to cut to the chase and state his business immediately. He believed it was more effective to be open about his goals before discussing specific perks.
"You both know that Yugo, the former Next Head of the House of Clay, has been disowned, right? As a result, there is a struggle for the now-vacant Seat of the Next Head of the House... and I am one of the leading candidates."
"...Another 'candidate'? Give me a break," Ryuga muttered.
"Hmm? Did you say something?"
"Don't ask me. Just get on with it."
Ryuga had developed a distinct distaste for the word "candidate" thanks to a certain group of so-called Hero Candidates. He urged Mad to continue, his voice dripping with annoyance. Though Mad found the attitude slightly off-putting, he pressed on as requested.
"As I said, I'm one of those vying for the Seat of the Next Head of the House. I pride myself on being the most promising candidate among them. If you swear your service to me, I can guarantee you'll receive the appropriate rewards."
"Hmph... A standard recruitment pitch, then."
"Surely you two have goals, or things you desire? Serving the Head of the House of Clay would elevate your own family's standing. You'd also receive more than enough gold to provide for your bedridden mother and blind younger sister. The benefits for you are immense."
"I see. So you've done your homework on us."
"Of course. That's why I'm here. I’ve come to scout you—two excellent and promising Magic Knight Apprentices."
Mad flashed another smile. With an open-armed gesture of welcome, he delivered his final pitch.
"Continuing to follow Yugo as his subordinates won't get you anywhere. Why not switch sides? Wealth, status, women... I'll provide whatever you desire to the best of my ability. Once I become the Head of the House of Clay, your rewards will be even greater. Won't you use your talents to support me?"
It was a textbook recruitment speech—simple, clear, and designed to stroke the target's ego while dangling tangible rewards. It was the kind of offer that usually possessed an irresistible, magnetic charm.
Mad watched them closely, certain that their reaction would reveal exactly how much trust they placed in Yugo. He held out hope that he could poach these two assets for his own faction. However, after a brief glance at one another, they both spoke at the exact same time.
"I'm afraid we have zero interest in that. Try someone else—though I doubt it'll do you much good."
"Don't ask me. We're leaving."
"Wait—what!? Hold on! Just wait a second!"
Mad scrambled to stop them as they turned to walk away. Ryuga and Marcos looked back, their expressions now bordering on genuine annoyance.
"Y-you don't have to turn me down so quickly! At least hear me out—"
"Mad, was it?" Marcos interrupted. "You’ve fundamentally misunderstood the situation. We aren't Yugo's subordinates, and we aren't following him because it's 'beneficial.' We also aren't the kind of people who need someone else to hand us our goals on a silver platter."
"And I personally dislike liars in negotiations," Ryuga added. "If you’d just been honest and said you were afraid Yugo might reclaim the Seat of the Next Head of the House and wanted to weaken him by stealing his friends, you might have at least been somewhat likable. Not that the result would have changed."
"...Why do you side with him so blindly? Why show such loyalty to Yugo? That guy is despised as the lowest of the low, a piece of trash—!"
As the words left Mad's mouth, the air on either side of his head hissed.
The sudden, sharp aura of killing intent robbed him of his breath. He froze, realizing that a pair of giant shears and a katana were pressed against opposite sides of his neck.
"...It's not loyalty. It's friendship," Marcos said coldly. "Yugo is our friend, our partner, and our rival. We don't make a habit of betraying our friends, regardless of the 'merit.'"
"And we don't let insults against our friends slide, either," Ryuga whispered. "I'll let you off with a warning this once. But there won't be a second time. Do I make myself clear?"
"..."
Mad nodded frantically, his head bobbing between the two blades. Once they withdrew their Magic Items from his throat, the two turned and walked away.
Mad stood there, realizing that if he kept this up, he wouldn't have enough lives to see his plan through. Shaking with terror, he fled the scene as fast as his legs would carry him.