Ayako could tell that Megumi was ill at ease, but at the same time he was confident that he could win her over to their side; having a powerful spirit like her join would be a tremendous asset in the long run. But first, he wanted to remove the element of danger from the situation. "You may be at ease now," he said. "We will not harm you so long as you accept your brand, and whether or not you decide to join us is entirely your decision. Everybody who works for us does so willingly and may leave whenever they like. The only consequence for leaving is that they may never set foot inside our walls again. If you are not convinced that this is the right place for you, though, I would like you to think about the nature of The Guild before you refuse. If one person was in danger, I could go to them and save them with ease; even if an entire village was in danger, there are few spirits in this world that I would be unable to protect it from. I don't need The Guild to save one person. But, even as we speak, there are hundreds, if not thousands of people in danger. I cannot be in a hundred places at once. Two places I could manage--" he gave a quick smirk "--but not a hundred. 

"The Guild is more than just a collection of warriors and wizards that hunt monsters. We are a nexus and a distributor of help as well as a training facility where the greatest masters in the world have gathered. We are known, and whenever there is a call for help it comes to us. The Guild does not simply protect one person, or one village; we protect the world. We decipher and organize all these calls for help and select those that can provide the best aid for a job. And when not on a job, our hunters hone their skills, learning from one another, developing rivalries and friendships, and reaching levels of strength they could not attain alone. If your nature is to help as many people as you can, we will see to it that your abilities are actually being used to their fullest. If you are still not convinced, then speak with Garoth. He used to be a lone guardian like you, but he came around to see that he was better as a guild member than he was alone. 

"As for your father..." At this last stage, Ayako's voice took on a compassionate tone and his face bore a look of genuine sympathy. "It is always unfortunate when good men cannot come to terms with the times they live in. The incident with the Wolf of the West happened... well it must have been over a century ago by now, and I'm afraid that I no longer remember the details. I will not lie to you: I did vote in favor of that hunt, though I cannot remember why. Refusing to be branded alone would warrant a hunt, though I believe there was something more to this case..." Ayako thought for a moment and shook his head apologetically. "I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful to you now, but if you agree to join us, I feel as though it would be my duty to investigate the matter and give you your answers. Now, if you are ready, we can proceed with the branding. Think about all I have said and give my your decision afterwards." Ayako then motioned for Megumi to return to her seat. He had been seated the whole time and would not proceed until Megumi at least returned the courtesy.