How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 19

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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 Good Small-Scale Guild
Chapter 19
“Huh? You don’t think….”
As we read through the Accounting Ledger, surprise bloomed across each of our faces.
“What is this? Why does our Guild have so much money?”
“This can’t be right. This shabby Guild has this much money?”
“We couldn’t even use the Break Room until now….”
And for good reason—according to the Accounting Ledger the Guild Master kept, our Guild’s assets were considerably substantial.
Where on earth had all this money come from?
“Let’s analyze it later. We should copy this first.”
“Yes, we need to secure the evidence before the Guild Master arrives.”
“I’ll keep watch, so the two of you go copy it and come back?”
“…No, I’ll keep watch instead.”
I hesitated for a moment, then decided to guard the office myself. If the Guild Master showed up, I’d be better equipped to handle it.
Once Susanna and Cedric rushed off to the Copy Shop, I held down the Guild. Hopefully the Guild Master wouldn’t show up….
“What? Where did everyone go?”
But misfortune had other plans—the Guild Master appeared right on cue. He glared around the empty office with obvious displeasure.
I glanced sideways at his desk. The drawer was closed again, and I’d made sure the lock looked secure….
“We went to the Copy Shop to organize some documents.”
“What? You’re doing that during work hours!”
“That’s only because our Guild doesn’t have a copier….”
“Odret, have you been getting a bit cheeky lately?”
“Ha ha ha….”
I laughed awkwardly while keeping a close eye on the Guild Master. He was moving toward his desk.
How could I distract him? That’s right, of course…!
“G-Guild Master!”
“What?”
“That nephew of yours—he still hasn’t gotten married?”
The moment I asked that, interest flickered in the Guild Master’s eyes. Given how readily he’d brought up his nephew earlier, he seemed close to him, which meant he’d probably care about his nephew’s marital prospects.
“That’s right, he hasn’t. Why? Don’t tell me you’re interested, Odret?”
“Oh no, of course not. Ha ha, I was just curious.”
“Hmm, now that I think about it, you’re quite pretty and you’ve got a decent personality. Though you don’t make much money….”
That’s because you pay so little….
“I mean, if you’re going to marry and work from home anyway, that wouldn’t be so bad….”
“No, that’s not what I meant!”
I had my pride, no matter what. I couldn’t pretend to be interested in the Guild Master’s nephew.
“Have you ever considered joining a Matchmaking Company? My aunt works there, and I could get you a discounted membership….”
“Why would my nephew join a Matchmaking Company? He’s already got plenty of women after him!”
“Really?”
“…Be quiet!”
Whether by luck or misfortune, the Guild Master was so annoyed by my provocation that he abandoned the idea of going to his desk.
“Odret! Now that I think about it, the Break Room’s been looking pretty bare lately!”
“That’s because you drank all the Coffee Mix you put there for decoration last time….”
“What did you say?”
While I was slowly working his nerves and buying time, Susanna and Cedric appeared. The moment they saw the Guild Master, they instinctively hid the copied Accounting Ledger behind their backs.
“What took you so long?”
“Heh heh, we went and worked on something?”
“What exactly?”
“…We copied your son’s art homework.”
Cedric quickly switched hands and held up a drawing. The Guild Master gasped at the sight of it.
“Wow, he’d win an award at an art competition with this!”
Under cover of his distraction, they managed to conceal the copied Accounting Ledger. Now I just had to slip the original back into the drawer without getting caught. The Guild Master left his desk often anyway, so I could do it then.
“Something’s off about this….”
Then the Guild Master frowned at the lock. Had he somehow noticed the subtle shift in its position?
I prayed desperately, but the Guild Master slowly began entering the combination. No—if he opened it now, he’d find it empty.
Susanna’s eyes, Cedric’s eyes, and mine all collided in midair.
While we trembled in horror, the drawer finally opened. Upon discovering it empty, the Guild Master’s body began to quake.
“What!”
His roar echoed through the office.
“Who touched my drawer!”
“What? The drawer?”
Susanna, always quick to deflect in situations like this, was the first to deny it.
“Come on, who’d touch the Guild Master’s desk?”
“I’m not sure either.”
I quickly fell in line behind Susanna.
“I didn’t even know there was a lock on it.”
At that, the Guild Master’s gaze shifted to Cedric. Sensing he was about to take the fall, I jabbed him silently until words tumbled from his mouth.
“I would not engage in such dishonest conduct.”
The brazen lie made the Guild Master’s body tremble with rage. Then, as if picturing what would happen once the Accounting Ledger surfaced, he bellowed:
“You three plotted this together!”
“What? Plotted what?”
“You stole the ledger to trap me—I’m sure of it!”
“The ledger? What would be in the ledger? I’m the one who has the Accounting Ledger!”
“Ah, so this is how you’re going to play it?”
The Guild Master’s mouth curled into a smile. What was that? An ominous feeling crawled up my spine.
“This place is a Business with fewer than 5 employees anyway, so once I act, there’s nothing you can do. I’m sorry to do this, but it’s necessary.”
Then, words like a bolt from the blue poured from the Guild Master’s lips.
“You’re all fired! Every last one of you!”
“……!”
“However, we have not received a formal Dismissal notice.”
“Listen here, you shiny-faced employee! This is a Business with fewer than 5 employees—those rules don’t apply!”
“The Empire’s laws are failing in their fundamental purpose to protect its citizens.”
Cedric seemed shaken, but Susanna and I exchanged glances—a question mark passing between us.
He was right. If he announced our Dismissal, we had no recourse.
Rather than leave and establish a new Guild, it would be far better to absorb this one and have me become the new Guild Master.
Setting up a Guild required navigating complex procedures, and considering the Guild’s assets and reputation, inheriting it intact was the smarter move.
But if the Guild Master fired us before he could be removed from office, we’d have no way back into this Guild.
‘What do I do?’
We’d managed to copy the Accounting Ledger, but we still hadn’t uncovered what was actually suspicious about it. If this went south, we’d simply be kicked out with nothing to show for it.
While we stood frozen, the Guild Master’s voice continued.
“You can’t find work anywhere else without me!”
Right—it was the weakness story Susanna had mentioned before. He was correct; without this place, none of us could find employment.
And if I’m thrown out of here, I won’t be able to extract information about the Holy Temple either. The original plan was to work with the Crown Prince to destroy the Holy Temple and side with the original story’s protagonists!
Were we really going to be cast out without uncovering any corruption? As despair crept in, Cedric spoke.
“To dismiss us, you’ll need to file a report with the Guild Management Department first.”
“That’s right. But there’s nothing you can do about it—”
“Unless we file a report first.”
With that, Cedric shot to his feet and bolted from the Guild.
Susanna and I exchanged bewildered looks and scrambled after him.
“……!”
“Stop right there!”
The Guild Master rushed after us, but his aging frame couldn’t match our pace.
“Blast it!”
His voice faded moments later. He seemed to be trying to catch a carriage.
“Cedric!”
“We need to reach the Guild Management Department first!”
He ran ahead tirelessly, and I had to admit—this man moved faster than I’d given him credit for. But the problem remained: we still hadn’t found his corruption to report!
“Huff, huff….”
As Susanna and I began to tire, a familiar voice called out from beside us.
“Ha-ha! See you later!”
Damn it! The Guild Master’s carriage was racing past us. If this continued, he’d arrive first, file a report of his own, and have us fired on the spot.

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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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