Chapter 137: VOL 2 - 82: What alchemy is?
"Because you seek loyalty, boss?"
"You got quite close." Erik commented with a kind smile on his face as he looked at Clara, who lowered her gaze a little embarrassed, which amused him slightly, but he quickly continued speaking in a calm tone.
"Though Clara is partly right, let me be honest with you: the reason I hired you was pure coincidence—or you could see it as a whim. I found Sofía interesting, willing to pay any price for her brother's life, which is quite rare, if I may say so. So, after thinking it through a bit, I decided to hire you as a good opportunity to improve myself."
Upon hearing the reason, the siblings looked at their boss even more confused than before, but the star-haired boy simply smiled and continued speaking.
"The point is that, due to my goals, I need to address one of my biggest weaknesses, which is finding collaborators. So, when I saw someone like Sofía—determined, eloquent, hardworking, and above all, loyal to her family—it occurred to me that maybe you were a good opportunity to try to nurture loyal and capable collaborators from scratch, so I could learn from that experience."
The unexpected praise caused Sofía to blush deeply and lower her head shyly, feeling her heart pounding at full speed. After all, the person who had praised her was not only incredibly handsome and basically, her savior, but also someone of high status and extensive knowledge, making his compliment far more significant. Still, the young man kept speaking in that calm, magnetic tone that seemed to captivate her.
"Therefore, from now on, I'll focus on nurturing you, my first collaborators. All I want from you is loyalty and diligence. I don't expect you to be the best, nor do I expect you to be particularly good at anything. As long as you're not far below average in your tasks, everything is fine. I only hope you'll be loyal and hardworking."
Upon hearing the last part, the trio of siblings looked in surprise at their new boss. Even Sofía momentarily forgot her shyness, which allowed them to see that he was giving them a somewhat comforting smile, full of confidence, making them feel warm and safe inside.
Though it might be true that he had only hired them on a whim, an undeniable fact was that he was giving them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one they might never have had under normal circumstances. Thus, in their hearts, their boss's image began to grow at a dizzying pace, while they were filled with an overwhelming desire to better themselves and exceed their boss's expectations, so they could repay all that he was giving them.
That feeling was especially strong in Sofa, since she was the one who had "risked it all" with the mentality of selling her soul to the devil for a mere spark of hope. Only to be rewarded with everything she had dreamed of and more. Inevitably, it led her to stand up and speak in a firm tone, full of conviction.
"Boss, I speak for myself and at the same time on behalf of my siblings to tell you that we, the López siblings, will work tirelessly to meet your expectations, and we will be your most faithful servants forever. The gratitude we feel for what you have done for us and for this opportunity you are giving us is something we will never forget, and from this moment, I dare swear that we could die a thousand times before betraying you."