How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 105

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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How to Survive in a Small Guild
Episode 105
10. There’s a Junior Employee Who Wants to Keep the Company Dinner Going Until the Third Round?!
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Good morning!”
“Good morning, Guild Master.”
After exchanging greetings, we got to work.
I’d told Sedrian last night I didn’t want to come in, but the director has to show up—that’s just how it works.
Then it struck me that there was something I needed to handle around this time.
‘The First Signal Project reporting period is coming up soon….’
We’d been selected for government funding, so we had the obligation to periodically review and report on the First Signal Project.
Morian was in charge of the First Signal Project. I asked him to send me the recorded materials.
“Here’s the data collected over the past three months. The plan was to generate new information based on this foundation.”
“All right, let me take a look.”
True to his word, Morian had collected reports consistently from the Security Force over those three months and documented everything.
All that was left was to analyze the recorded data—and fortunately, Morian had already processed the materials into graphs, tables, and maps without me even asking.
“Good work, Morian. But….”
My eyes fixed on a spot on the Capital map where red dots were clustered thickly.
“Reports have been filed quite frequently in this area. I don’t see a pattern in other districts, but this one is definitely odd.”
“Yes, I was already paying close attention to that area. Over the three months, public safety reports came in on a regular basis.”
The First Signal Project was about preventing crime based on reports, so our moment had come. If we could reduce the crime rate using this information, we’d become a guild that the government would back even more strongly!
I read through the materials Morian had organized carefully.
“Over these three months, seven reports came in from this street of people feeling like someone was following them at night. That’s a significant number. Though the perpetrator was never caught.”
“Yes, there was also one report of pickpocketing and one bicycle collision incident.”
“In any case, the public safety in this area isn’t good…. If we don’t take preventive measures, it could escalate to actual crime. We should check what the problem is.”
I summoned all the guild members and moved to the conference room. Then I unfolded a detailed map on the table.
“So… why are reports being filed so frequently from this particular street?”
The guild members stared at the map intently. After a moment, Sedrick spoke up.
“This street is one-way traffic. So by the nature of the area, people travel from south to north, but when going from north to south, they use this street instead…. That’s how the structure works.”
“Ah, so everyone using this street is traveling in the same direction?”
“Yes, since there are no people coming from ahead, it’s easy to feel like someone has attached themselves to your back. Usually you feel more secure when someone approaches from the opposite direction.”
“So it could just be a simple misunderstanding…. But seven reports is a bit suspicious.”
I kept my eyes on the map. But it seemed there was no more information to glean from the map alone.
“All right, how about we actually go to this street ourselves? We might see something on the ground.”
“Field work, huh.”
Susanna crossed her arms and shook her head.
“I’m not really fond of field work….”
“So I need someone to come with me….”
“I’m very fond of field work.”
Sedrick’s hand shot up. Then Morian shook his head slowly.
“There’s no stopping you. How very interesting.”
“What is?”
“Nothing.”
Morian muttered to himself and left the conference room first.
I shrugged and looked toward Sedrick.
“Shall we go check it out together?”
“Yes!”
Sedrick answered with vigor.
***
-Arc Street 8 Lane
I arrived at the entrance of the street and looked around carefully. Sedrick, who had followed beside me, began observing the area.
“It’s an ordinary residential neighborhood. Since it’s not a commercial district, people might feel it’s more dangerous.”
“Yes, a residential area….”
Sedrick and I walked slowly down the street.
“The street lights are well-installed, though.”
“Yes, and they’re spaced at regular intervals. If there’s nothing wrong, they should work well at night, and it shouldn’t be dark.”
“Hmm….”
To figure out what was wrong, we walked down the street.
The street was quite long and narrow. Even so, I couldn’t tell what made it different from other residential neighborhoods in the Capital.
“Couldn’t we just report recommending more frequent patrols?”
Sedrick posed the question carefully.
“Do we really need to find the cause? It isn’t strictly necessary, is it.”
“You’re right. The First Signal Project will be completed just from reporting it. But I’d like to know the reason why….”
As I muttered this and stepped toward the end of the street, something caught my eye.
“……!”
I thought I understood why complaints were so frequently filed in this district.
The vertical street we’d been walking down ended, and what appeared before us was a horizontal one.
And that street was lined with shabby inns.
The inn buildings looked decrepit at first glance, and flyers reading were plastered on their entrances.
“Shabby inns clustered in this location. That’s why complaints were being filed so frequently.”
“What connection is there between shabby inns and complaints?”
“Usually, inns like these attract people whose identities aren’t verified, or those fleeing from something.”
The difference between these inns and ordinary ones was obvious just from their appearance.
The entrances were too narrow for multiple people to crowd in at once, and there were likely back exits as well. The layout was designed for easy escape if someone came pursuing.
“When ordinary citizens walk through the street, some of them are probably staying at these inns. And since they look so suspicious and dangerous, people naturally become wary and file reports.”
“Then it’s quite possible that someone actually following us was just a misunderstanding?”
“Yes, that’s likely it.”
“I see. Still, reporting this might help prevent crime—we could increase patrols or brighten the street lamps.”
“I agree.”
Even after uncovering why complaints had accumulated, Sedrick couldn’t take his eyes off the inns.
“But aren’t these inns illegal structures? They appear to violate fire codes.”
“They are, but there are places everywhere where enforcement isn’t properly done.”
“Lax enforcement is unjust. The Security Force in this district must be neglecting their duty.”
“That may be true, but….”
I had a suspicion about what that might be, but I kept it to myself. Sedrick continued scanning the inns slowly, still troubled by something.
“What if we spoke with the local officials first? If we could shut down these illegal inns, it might actually help the First Signal Project.”
It was an earnest attitude that hardly befitted a low-level clerk. I nodded in agreement at Sedrick’s suggestion.
***
“Hello, I’d like to inquire about the illegal inns on Arc Street 9 Lane.”
Shortly after, we took a number and met with an official.
Sedrick spoke first, enthusiasm taking the lead, while I watched his approach from behind.
“Ah, the illegal inns….”
“Yes, those inns look very dangerous. They’re built so fire spreads easily, and the evacuation routes are inadequate.”
“They are risky, aren’t they….”
“Moreover, because the people staying in illegal inns aren’t properly verified, it seems the citizens passing through the street in front feel uncomfortable.”
“…Are you perhaps from the Imperial Palace Inspection Bureau?”
“No, not at all. I’m simply asking for the sake of imperial justice.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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