How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 30

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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-Time Guild
Chapter 30
The next day, I caught myself stealing glances at Morian, who worked diligently at his desk.
He seemed quite capable, actually. Still, to be safe—and befitting an information guild—I ought to do a background check on him.
I pulled up Morian’s address from the personnel file. He lived near the Guild, in the heart of the Capital.
‘The rent must be expensive there, no? That’s odd. If he had money, he wouldn’t be working for our Guild.’
This detail seemed suspicious enough that I decided to look into it more carefully.
“I’m going to step out for a bit of fieldwork.”
With that, I stood and casually pocketed the Ring I’d received from Ratel yesterday. Cedric’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“No, really, I won’t make you work overtime… I was joking… Who in their right mind would use a Disposable Item for overtime work? I’m just taking it along as a precaution…!”
After explaining myself—again, for who knew how many times—I slipped out of the Guild. Right then. Today I’d learn more about Morian.
I made my way to the neighborhood near the Capital’s center where Morian lived and began lurking around the address listed in his file.
‘No matter how I look at it, this is a really nice place.’
Even accounting for his age being somewhat above mine, it was a villa that no ordinary person in their twenties could afford.
Unable to bring myself to peer directly inside, I was loitering near the villa when a middle-aged woman suddenly appeared and called out to me.
“You there, miss!”
“Yes? Yes?”
“Are you here to look at the place?”
“The place? You mean the house…?”
“Didn’t you come after seeing the tenant recruitment notice?”
“Ah, yes, that’s right.”
Perfect. With this opportunity, I could get a thorough look at the villa’s interior. It might cause problems if Morian heard about it, but if I kept this woman’s mouth shut…
With that thought, I followed the middle-aged woman, and she led me inside the villa.
“I’m the owner of this villa. You look like the neat and tidy type to me—the kind who won’t make a mess of the place.”
“Ha, well, yes… But how much is this?”
“Three million pesos in deposit, forty thousand a month.”
“Really?”
That’s strange. For a villa in the Capital’s center, the price seemed far too cheap. Could you really find a place at this price? If I didn’t have my parents’ house to fall back on, I’d be tempted by a deal like this.
“What about the maintenance fee?”
“Eight thousand a month.”
“Why is the price so reasonable?”
“Right? You saw it on the way here, but the access is quite convenient. The location speaks for itself.”
“Yes, yes.”
“And the security is perfect for a young woman to live alone. The Police Station’s right nearby, so patrols come through regularly.”
“That really is nice.”
I made agreeable noises as we walked down the hallway, and then I noticed something odd.
‘Why are there so many doors?’
From outside, the building didn’t look big enough to have this many.
Just then, the woman opened the door to one of the rooms—presumably the one being advertised for rent.
At the sight that unfolded before me, my jaw dropped.
“This… this is…”
The hallway was so narrow you’d have to turn your body sideways to walk through it. Inside was a small bed and a single wardrobe—the space was cramped beyond belief.
“It’s smaller than I expected…”
“Well, at this price, what did you expect!”
“Is there somewhere to cook or do laundry…?”
“You can use the common facilities on the first floor.”
Only then did the full picture become clear. This villa had originally been built as a single unit, which had been subdivided into at least two—perhaps three or four—separate rooms.
‘Poor Morian…’
Suddenly, I felt a pang of sympathy for him, having to pay that much to live in such a place. At this size, forty thousand pesos was even steep…
“Where’s the bathroom?”
“Up there.”
“…?”
I looked up, and once again I was confronted with something I could hardly believe.
The ceiling was unnaturally low, and there seemed to be a bathroom-like space suspended above, connected by a staircase.
Insane. At least I’m a woman—if I were a man of average height, I couldn’t even lift my head in here…
‘So Morian really is just another struggling person in his twenties…’
My suspicion of him evaporated. Now that I thought about it, I remembered hearing he’d come up from the provinces alone—and here he was, forced to live in a place like this.
Honestly, the landlord deserves most of the blame for carving up a house like this and charging such prices.
“Still, the view is quite nice.”
Noticing the shift in my expression, the middle-aged woman added this remark.
“What’s remarkable is that this room has windows.”
So there are rooms without windows…?
“Look at this. Cemetery view.”
“……?”
What? Why is there a cemetery behind the house?
Every single element of this place is so absurd it defies belief. This house would never get aired on a property show—the cast wouldn’t be able to keep their composure, and the viewers would lose their minds in the comments section.
‘I need to move forward with Morian properly, without worrying about any probationary period.’
And so I resolved to be with Morian for a long, long time.
***
“Where do you keep running off to these days?”
“Father?”
After work, Sedrian flinched at the voice calling him and turned. The sun of this empire—his father—stood behind him.
“I… I’ve been investigating the Temple’s weaknesses, insofar as they might pose a threat to the Imperial throne, sir.”
“I know you’re still too far from formally inheriting state affairs, and I understand you’re absorbed in Temple work….”
The Emperor regarded Sedrian with suspicion.
“But conducting business outside the Imperial Palace seems excessive. How long do you intend to keep this up?”
“Until I’m promoted to deputy, or rather, soon I should have more opportunities to access information about the Temple.”
Sedrian felt his father’s gaze growing increasingly strange, but he pretended not to notice.
His father knew only that he had infiltrated the Guild; he had no idea that Sedrian was taking on all manner of menial work there and serving as a manager. If the Emperor ever learned the truth, he would order him to quit at once. Sedrian could not let this be discovered.
“But Father, what brings you here?”
As Sedrian hastily changed the subject, his father finally seemed to recall why he’d come.
“You’ve reached the right age, and it’s about time you married.”
“…Yes, sir.”
“Do you have anyone in mind?”
“I’ve been rather busy lately….”
“Then you won’t object if I arrange a suitable young lady for you?”
“…No, sir.”
Sedrian’s response came slowly. Until now, he had taken little interest in women. He knew that as Crown Prince he would someday have to marry, but that was all.
He had thought that even a political marriage would present no objection, yet now his father’s question left him oddly unsettled.
“I’ll arrange a meeting with the ministers and set something up soon. If there are qualities you desire in a spouse, I’ll take them into consideration—tell me if you wish.”
Sedrian had never once wondered what kind of woman he liked. Faced with this sudden, momentous decision, his mind grew muddled.
“Since it’s a political marriage, I would prefer a lady of good character and responsibility—one who can maintain propriety and fulfill her duties rather than for me to fall in love. That would suit me best.”
“More specifically?”
“First, as Crown Princess Consort, she’ll need to learn internal Palace matters, so it would be ideal if she handled documentation well.”
“Documentation?”
His father’s eyes flickered subtly, but Sedrian didn’t notice.
“She should manage budgets skillfully, save money and handle it efficiently. She should be good at directing subordinates, know how to give orders well. When necessary, she should be able to act convincingly or lie smoothly. And if possible, it would be wonderful if she had labor experience so she could truly understand the hearts of the common people….”
“Why are you being so specific?”
His father was now looking at his son as though he were a stranger.
“This is strange. I expected an answer like ‘as long as she has a good personality,’ but you’re being far too detailed, aren’t you?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Why do you describe her as if you’ve already met such a person?”

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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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