How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 28

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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-Scale Guild
Chapter 28
After acquiring each of those peculiar degrees one by one, we arrived at the Star Tower.
There was a guard stationed at the entrance to protect the Star Tower, but it posed no problem.
“We’re visitors.”
“Do you have a degree?”
“We have a Master’s Degree.”
I passed through the grand entrance of the Star Tower with some trepidation, relieved that we weren’t bounced out of the building.
Soon, I settled my nerves and looked around the Star Tower with fresh eyes.
‘It’s just like the Magic Tower described in web novels.’
Staircases twisted in complicated patterns, bookshelves that reached all the way to the ceiling, and people sitting on the floor scribbling out complex equations.
“We really don’t stand out here.”
“Yes, everyone’s wearing the same kind of clothes.”
“Why are there so many checkered shirts?”
“It seems to be a trend.”
I brought to mind the three suspects who could be the leaker.
A fellow scholar, a janitor, and a nobleman from the Magic Tower Master’s family.
I’d been racking my brain investigating only from outside the Star Tower, but from inside, I could access far more information.
“First, let’s go meet the eccentric scholar, Luna Moor.”
Fortunately, there was a directory of scholars’ offices on the first floor.
We arrived at the eighth floor where Luna Moor’s office was located and knocked on her door.
“…Who is it?”
A gruff voice came from beyond the office door.
“We have some questions about your work, Ms. Moor.”
I entered her office carrying the papers I’d prepared in advance.
“I’d like to ask you about a paper written by Ms. Luna Moor.”
“I can defend it anytime. What do you want to know? Something I wrote a week ago? Or a month ago? Ah, the paper from two months back is quite popular too.”
Luna Moor’s face was obscured by large-framed glasses, yet she couldn’t hide that arrogant air about her.
“Oh, what I wanted to ask about was your Master’s Degree thesis….”
“Ugh! Why would you ask about that! Get out! Get out right now!”
“Why is she acting like that, Rian?”
“I have no idea.”
I exchanged glances and shrugged, then decided to just get to the point.
“By the way, Ms. Moor, have you heard the news? It seems a paper written by Ratel was leaked to a spy from the Norian Kingdom.”
“Ah, what a shame. Having one’s paper stolen like that. And it was a completed paper too.”
Luna Moor shifted her attitude and began to sympathize with Ratel.
“If it were me, I’d contact a contract killing service, but the problem with Ratel is that he’s too soft-hearted….”
Even so, Luna Moor could be the spy herself.
I gave the Crown Prince a look, and he immediately fired off a question.
“You’re not the culprit, are you?”
“Ha, why would I do something so stupid?”
“Can you swear to that?”
“Of course, naturally.”
Luna Moor regarded us with displeasure.
“But who are you people, anyway? I’ve never seen you before.”
“Visitors.”
“Are you planning to enroll at the Star Tower? What’s your field of study?”
“Well, Cactus Spine Evasion Studies….”
“…Goldfish Feed Management Studies.”
“What! Since when does a field like that exist!”
Before Luna Moor could grow any angrier with us, we quickly slipped out of her office.
“How was it, Rian?”
“She was telling the truth.”
“Then that rules out one suspect.”
We’d made progress. We’d been able to narrow down the suspects to two.
Which meant the remaining suspects now numbered two.
“The janitor Maria Chelsea was said to be responsible for cleaning the first floor.”
“Let’s head down to the first floor.”
We descended to the first floor again and began searching for the janitor.
The Star Tower was so vast that simply combing through one floor to find the janitor was no easy task.
Just then, I spotted Maria Chelsea emerging from the women’s restroom, a cleaning cloth in hand.
“Ah, Maria!”
“How do you know my name…?”
“Well, that is to say, normally…”
“You call me ‘excuse me.'”
These socially inept creatures. I saw them every day, yet they couldn’t even manage basic courtesy. I swallowed hard and opened my mouth.
“Excuse me. Might I ask you something?”
“Yes, of course.”
One reason Maria Chelsea had fallen under suspicion was her son’s substantial gambling debts.
It wasn’t impossible that she might have sold information to cover them.
But accusing her outright seemed discourteous. I’d approached Luna Moor and Ratel naturally enough, being peers, but Maria was an employee—a different matter entirely.
“By the way, didn’t you mention having a son last time?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
“What’s he doing these days? I remember you said you were worried because he kept getting into trouble.”
“Did I say that? My son… he used to be quite the handful, I’ll admit.”
She frowned slightly before answering.
“Now he’s a park guard.”
So he’d been hired as a park security officer.
In that moment, the Crown Prince pressed forward with a question.
“Will you swear to that?”
“What? Who swears on something like that?”
“It’s a habit of mine. I majored in Oath-Taking Studies.”
“Ah… well, yes, I’ll swear to it.”
Maria gave us the look of someone who’d seen every variety of madness, then walked past.
“Her son being a park guard… so he really did get a job. Looks like he’s finally turned over a new leaf and is working honestly.”
“If Maria had sold information for money, her son would still be squandering it on gambling.”
With this, our suspicion of the second candidate had grown considerably thinner.
That left only the third…
“Who was the last one again?”
“Baron Hyacinth. The current Star Tower Academy Director’s cousin.”
“Baron Hyacinth…”
The moment we spoke his name, a new figure entered the Star Tower.
My eyes widened at the sight of him. It was Baron Hyacinth—the man from the photograph.
“That’s him!”
“I see. Let’s confirm it. Though Baron Hyacinth shouldn’t have any motive to sell information.”
“Still, he’s been frequenting the Star Tower lately, so we included him as a candidate.”
“Let’s approach him.”
We drew closer to him naturally.
“Baron Hyacinth.”
But the moment I spoke, his eyes narrowed with acute suspicion.
“How do you know my name?”
“Well, recently you’ve been…”
“The scholars here never pay attention to someone like me! You’re not affiliated with the Star Tower, are you? Who exactly are you!”
“…Actually, we’re majoring in Cactus Spine Evasion Studies.”
“Ah, I understand now. Just a couple of green students trying to get a degree.”
His wariness of us dissolved almost instantly.
“Though now that I think of it, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before…”
As he said this while looking at the Crown Prince, I quickly redirected his attention to myself.
“Why have you been visiting the Star Tower so frequently lately?”
“Ha! Do I have to explain myself to you?”
“It’s just—we heard about the recent paper leak incident.”
“Are you accusing me?”
Baron Hyacinth bristled.
“I have nothing to do with that! The reason I’ve been coming to the Magic Tower so often is simply…!”
As if he had nothing to hide, he spoke without restraint.
“I’m laying groundwork to position myself for the ministerial post that will soon open up!”
“I beg your pardon?”
Finding his explanation plausible, I said nothing, but the Crown Prince spoke up in surprise.
“Isn’t the only vacant ministerial position in the Defense Ministry right now?”
“That’s right.”
“Can you swear to that?”
“Of course.”
……
Hyacinth left his seat, and I watched the Crown Prince. He spoke with a look of self-reproach.
“Unfortunately, the intention to aim for the position of Minister of Defense is correct.”
“Then why do you keep coming around here?”
“To flaunt his connection with the headmaster of Star Tower Academy, I suppose. Since he has nothing else. I’ll have to tell my father to ensure he never appoints this author to any position.”
Wait—so who’s the problem now? All three candidates told their own version of the truth, didn’t they?
“Let’s go for now….”
So I left Star Tower, but in the end, I had found no thread to unravel the commission.
“Thank you for your help, Lian. I’ll pass along everything I know about the scripture.”
“…Wait, now that I think about it, why am I even here.”
Suddenly he opened his mouth with a shocked expression.
“Do I get paid leave allowance, by any chance?”
“I… beg your pardon?”
Is that some kind of royal humor? The Crown Prince is asking for money?
“Well, if I’m being honest, since it’s freelance work, I don’t think paid leave would apply….”
“Never mind then.”
I watched his retreating figure as he walked away, muttering an unfunny joke.
“Damn it, I came to ask questions and ended up being interrogated instead…. Why did I even volunteer…. And I have to work again tomorrow after my day off….”
Hmm, it seems the duties of a Crown Prince really are demanding.

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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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