"Cube of what?" He shook his head. "Never mind. You want the nice answer, or the real answer?"

Gaius knew a lot of people like Mellie. Nice, idealistic, sweet people who thought taking an arrow for someone was a brave, noble thing to do. And it was. But it didn't keep you alive. Which was why, in his mind, the Ylissean army needed people like him. Good at everything, willing to get his hands a little dirty, and so on and so forth.

And also the fact that Ylisse had an awesomely well-stocked and well-guarded treasure vault had nothing to do with it.