How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 23

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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 Guild
Chapter 23
“Hello, I’m Gerick. I look forward to working with you….”
The next day, as the man bowed politely, Susanna and Cedric offered a perfunctory round of applause.
“Well, Gerick has prior experience, so he’s been hired as a senior officer.”
As I said this, Cedric’s expression fell slightly. Hmm, had he been hoping for a junior to supervise?
“Could you show Gerick around, Cedric?”
“Yes, of course.”
Cedric stood and led Gerick on a tour.
“You’ll be working here, and we even have cubicles.”
“Oh? Yes….”
“And we even have tea bags and coffee mix here. Plus, a genuinely clean restroom.”
“Yes….”
Heh, Cedric certainly seemed proud of our company’s benefits.
After Cedric gave Gerick a basic tour of the Guild, it was time for him to start work in earnest.
“What should I do….”
Since replacing the Guild Master wasn’t a simple task, I’d been swamped lately processing related documents.
Fortunately, Cedric was familiar with these forms and had been helping me considerably. Susanna was handling budget-related matters….
“Officer Gerick, no new requests have come in today, so there’s not much to do. As you know, the Information Guild alternates between busy and slow periods.”
“Yes, I understand….”
“If Officer Cedric asks you for anything, please help him with it.”
“Understood….”
As it happened, Cedric had something to ask for right away, pressing documents into Gerick’s hands.
“Could you go to the print shop nearby and copy these documents for me?”
“Sob…!”
At those words, Gerick burst into tears again. He seemed moved that he wasn’t being excluded from work and could actually contribute….
“I’m useless again!”
“……?”
“I’m sorry—I can’t even handle copying documents!”
“No, right now there’s just not much….”
I tried to comfort Gerick by saying so, but he wouldn’t stop crying.
“It’s because I’m incompetent! I’m sorry! Let me go wash my face!”
With that, he disappeared into the restroom.
In the space he’d left behind, Susanna and I exchanged bewildered looks. Cedric still seemed to be processing what had just happened.
“What on earth just occurred?”
“That’s what I’d like to know….”
Suddenly I felt grateful for Cedric, who’d managed to survive under the previous Guild Master’s tyranny without falling apart. Something about this new hire seemed unusual. Did he have unresolved emotional wounds?
“I knew something was off about him.”
Meanwhile, Susanna spoke with a certain cynicism.
“There’s a villain’s stench in the air.”
“Let’s observe him for today, at least. But Susanna, I need you to….”
As I issued instructions to Susanna, Gerick returned with reddened eyes around his.
Ah, he might have trauma from being excluded from tasks. Trying to rationalize as much as I could, I decided to give him a new assignment.
“Officer Gerick, could you analyze the clients from last quarter? For guild promotion, analyze the different channels through which each client came to request our services.”
“Yes, understood. Thank you for entrusting this to me.”
This time, fortunately, Gerick set about working quietly. Peace returned to the Guild.
Around lunchtime, just as I was finishing the documents to submit to the Guild administration department, I stood up.
“All right, let’s go have lunch. Since we have a new guild member, I’ll treat everyone at a restaurant on the company budget.”
“Wow, the Guild Master is the best!”
Susanna’s mood brightened immediately and she cheered, and Cedric rose quietly from his seat as well. But Gerick didn’t get up—he was still working on documents.
“Oh, Gerick. You can take your lunch break now.”
“Yes, yes…! I just finished the documents…!”
“Let me see those….”
The documents Gerick had prepared were better than I’d expected. It seemed the comments about his competence with paperwork weren’t entirely off base.
“Cedric, please review these as well later.”
“Yes, understood.”
Fortunately, lunch went smoothly. Gerick focused on eating, and we spent a pleasant time chatting about everyday things.
If Gerick’s spirits lifted in this atmosphere, he’d probably start showing his real capabilities.
When we returned from lunch, Cedric reviewed the documents Gerick had prepared earlier. He added something, as if recalling an idea.
“It would be nice to have one more chart. If you created a graph by client intake channel like this, it would be easy to see at a glance.”
It was indeed sharp analysis. Apart from the fact that Cedric lacked judgment enough to join this Guild in the first place, he was competent in every other respect.
At those words, Cedric immediately began drafting another document. Susanna seemed a bit wary, but since Cedric was handling things well, wouldn’t Cedric adapt quickly too?
As I was working with that thought, Cedric approached me after finishing the paperwork.
“Guild Master, would you have a moment for a brief meeting?”
“Pardon? Yes.”
“Is there perhaps another room….”
“Ah, shall we go to the reception room?”
Was he already trying to negotiate salary or position? I thought little of it, but suddenly Cedric froze mid-step, his eyes beginning to redden.
“Sniff, I apologize.”
“Yes? What, what is it?”
“The truth is, I think I’m disliked here in this Guild.”
“Disliked here?”
He’d only been here five hours—what was he talking about?
While I stood there bewildered, Cedric continued speaking.
“It seems Sedric doesn’t care for me much.”
“Really? In what way?”
Of course, Sedric had heard this exchange too, and he lifted his head to look our way. Sedric, suddenly named, wore the same confused expression I did. None of us understood the situation.
“In the feedback Sedric gave me, I detected sharp emotion. I’m quite good at reading people’s feelings… so I understand that you dislike me….”
Oh, I see now. It all makes sense.
I glanced sideways and caught Susanna’s eye—she wore the look of someone who’d seen this coming. Sharp instincts indeed. From now on, I shouldn’t dismiss Susanna’s premonitions.
“Guild Master?”
Sedric finally interjected.
“I don’t particularly dislike Cedric. I feel no emotion either way.”
“I understand… No emotion means there’s no goodwill toward me either… In the end, that means you dislike me….”
“Guild Master, would you hear my side as well?”
Hearing Sedric say that, I smiled slightly and opened my mouth.
“No, there’s no need to hear Sedric’s side.”
“Pardon?”
“Cedric, I’m sorry, but it seems our company’s direction doesn’t align with yours. You’re welcome to finish work here.”
“What?”
Cedric’s face went blank—he hadn’t anticipated my answer. Meanwhile, Sedric’s expression transformed into that of a favored concubine who’d won the king’s affection.
“Guild Master, as expected…!”
“Of course, Sedric. We’ve worked together this whole time—there’s no way I’d misunderstand you.”
“So this place also has its territorial….”
“That’s not it. Susanna, did you get the results?”
“Yes, I did!”
Susanna rose from her seat and approached me, holding some documents in her hands.
“Let’s observe for the rest of today… but let Susanna handle something….”
The results of the task I’d instructed Susanna to do earlier had arrived.
After reading through the documents Susanna handed me, I spoke to Cedric.
“Cedric, it would be better if you stopped pretending to be a victim.”
“Pretending? But I….”
“At your previous company, you acted this same way and got reported for workplace harassment. There’s a victim’s testimony right here.”
From what I’d found, workplace harassment was recognized to some degree in this world too. The workplace culture was remarkably similar to the one I’d known.
Cedric repeatedly played the victim this way, tormenting those around him, while his previous employer had a genuine victim of his actions.
As I waved the documents before him, Cedric’s face transformed instantly. He began gathering his belongings and left one final self-justifying remark.
“I’m an unlawful termination victim! I’ll report you!”
“This is a fewer than 5 employees business, so there’s no such law here~.”
After delivering that magical incantation, Cedric’s face went pale with shock. Since he seemed reluctant to leave, I gestured to Sedric. Sedric easily pushed him out the door and shut it behind him.
“Thanks to you, Guild Master, I felt that justice still lives.”
“Then you didn’t trust me?”
Hearing Sedric and me converse like that, Susanna muttered under her breath while leaning on one leg in exasperation.
“Sedric seems to be getting more and more brainwashed….”

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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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