How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 46

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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
46
5. If You Feel Love for Your Superior, Suspect Stockholm Syndrome
“Your Highness, didn’t you say you were done with actual undercover work now?”
When Erik looked at Sedrian with suspicion, he nearly flinched for a moment, but he suppressed his agitation and answered with composure.
“Right, I should stop.”
Rationally speaking, it was the right call to quit.
He’d already discovered how Odret obtained information from the Temple, and he understood it was purely thanks to her abilities—so there was no reason to doubt her.
Besides, Odret genuinely harbored a grudge against the Temple, and Sedrian had personally witnessed how the Temple lorded its power over them. Odret seemed ready to bring every piece of Temple intelligence directly to him.
So stopping the infiltration was the right thing to do….
“But then, why do I not want to leave this guild…?”
Was it because there was still so much to learn from Odret?
After all, she possessed a regal magnanimity—the willingness to sacrifice for her subordinates.
“Pardon?”
At those words, Erik looked at Sedrian as though he were looking at a madman.
“Didn’t you curse her out as a strange employee quite a bit before?”
“Well, that was then. Now that I’ve adapted to the guild, I see more clearly. I can safely say the problem was entirely the previous guild master.”
“What was that called again? I’m sure there was a syndrome name for it….”
Erik muttered under his breath, but Sedrian paid no attention.
“Yes, I’ll stop the undercover work soon enough. I can’t let it slip that I was monitoring Odret, so I’ll need to quit at a natural moment.”
“Ah, yes….”
“I’m serious. I really will stop guild work soon, so don’t worry about it.”
As he said this, Sedrian felt his chest throb as though he were losing something precious.
***
“Sigh, why is there so much work lately?”
“I agree. I’m truly exhausted and melancholy.”
That Susanna and Morian were grumbling like this while working showed just how much our guild was flourishing.
With the name change and promotion taking effect, people from all walks of life—not just nobles—were bringing in commissions, and the guild members were all buried under work.
“Ah, I need to make big money and quit soon….”
“Susanna?”
“Eek!”
I suddenly poked my head in, and Susanna shuddered violently. She pressed a hand to her heart and cried out.
“G-Guild Master? Why would you do that….”
“Oh, no, I just had the impression you wanted to leave our guild. If you’d like to quit right now, just say so, haha.”
“Come on, Guild Master. There’s no way that could happen, right?”
“Then let’s work quietly.”
“Of course, hehe.”
Still, Susanna’s complaint was legitimate. They’d been happy about the salary increase at first, but now they were experiencing a level of workload incomparable to the past.
“Maybe I should hire more people….”
As I muttered this, Sedrick, who had been working silently, opened his mouth.
“I believe it would be better to maintain a small business structure—under five employees—until the guild is fully established. More staff would only complicate administrative processes.”
“That makes sense. The previous guild master probably had reasons for keeping it as a small business.”
Still, our guild members would need some incentives. Annual leave, a break room…. What other benefits could we provide? That’s right, what did Park Geo-sung do when he came back from government training and said he’d changed the company atmosphere….
“How about we start having morning chat time to build Rapport? We’d come in thirty minutes early and enjoy delicious food while laughing and talking!”
“Guild Master, have you gone crazy?”
“…Is it that bad?”
“To be honest, I think it’s very bad.”
Since even Sedrick agreed with Morian, I decided to shelve that plan.
“Guild Master, your personality seems to be changing more and more…. I’m sure you’re trying to torture us with increasingly strange ideas.”
“What did you say?”
“Hehe, no, nothing. But you’re good about paying the salary, Guild Master.”
“Guild Master, we have a visitor.”
Sedrick reported after checking the visitor reception bell.
“It’s Racal.”
“Racal? You mean the one from a while ago?”
The owner of the Platinum Mercenary Company, and the one who received our help and became close with Vain.
What brings Racal to see us?
I gestured to Sedrick to come with me to the reception room.
When we arrived at the reception room, Racal was indeed sitting there, as Sedrick had said.
“Racal, what brings you here?”
“I, um… I came here because I need help. I have a commission to request.”
“A commission?”
Racal’s leg bounced nervously, as if something urgent weighed on him.
“It seems you have pressing business, Racal. What’s the matter?”
“Well, um… everything I’m about to tell you must remain confidential.”
“Of course. We never disclose our clients’ commissions.”
Vain agreed to become a patron of the Platinum Mercenary Company. Before that happened, I wanted to wrap up the remaining commissions, but… one of our guild members went missing while carrying out a job!”
“Missing?”
A mercenary named Orion. He’s been working as a mercenary for a very long time, and he’s so skilled that even retired knights wouldn’t dare disrespect him.”
“Sedrick, have you heard of him?”
“I’m not well-versed in mercenary circles, I’m afraid.”
It means no one could possibly harm him. And yet he disappeared during a commission. I can’t let this leak outside the guild—it would cause chaos. So I’ve just been agonizing over it alone!”
“Does Vain know about this?”
Vain recommended this guild to me in the first place. He said that just as I’d helped him before, perhaps the guild could be of use again. When I thought about it, I decided I could trust this guild, so I came.”
“I see. It’s a good decision to seek us out first.”
“I’ll trust this… what was it called again? Anyway, I’ll put my faith in you. Help me the way you did before!”
“It’s the Acrlight Guild.”
I gave him a subtle glare. Why does he keep calling us by that awful name?
“Very well. We’ll investigate the situation right away.”
I exchanged a glance with Sedrick. He immediately began asking detailed questions about the situation.
“How long has he been missing?”
“About four days now.”
“How did you discover he was missing?”
“He wasn’t answering his calls, so I went to his house. It was empty, but I found Blood Pressure Medicine left on a table—medicine he takes every day. He never misses a dose. I suspect he disappeared sometime between Friday and Saturday.”
“So you learned this from his medicine. And what was the job itself?”
“A commission from a noble house—the Hartfield Viscountcy, I believe it was called.”
“Ah, the Hartfield Viscountcy. I know of them. They run a trading company.”
As expected, Sedrick was well-informed about the nobles.
“When did they bring the commission?”
“Last Thursday. Orion took the job on Friday.”
“Then the most crucial question remains: what was the nature of their commission?”
Racal hesitated, swallowing hard before he spoke.
“For the sake of our mercenary guild’s reputation, please keep this confidential.”
“Of course.”
I answered for both of us.
“We’re partners in this. We won’t betray each other’s secrets.”
“Y-yes, that’s true. Then….”
At last, the full story of the commission spilled from Racal’s lips.
“The Hartfield household had a Miracle-Marked Item stolen from them. Because it was something precious to the family, they asked Orion to track down the traitor who fled with it and recover the Miracle-Marked Item. Orion set off in pursuit, but he hasn’t returned since.”
“A Miracle-Marked Item… are you speaking of the Miracles used by the High Priestess of the Temple?”
“Yes. As you know, such Miracles can be imbued in certain objects.”
It was the same type of item Kalliard had used—one containing a Miracle that granted the power to alter appearance.
In other words, it was a Miracle-Marked Item carrying a Miracle once wielded by the High Priestess.
“What kind of object is this Miracle-Marked Item?”
“A Music Box, they said—one that plays music capable of enchanting people.”
“A Music Box….”
“An employee of the household made off with the Miracle-Marked Item, and they asked Orion to track this employee down. Based on the lead the Hartfield Viscountcy provided, Orion moved out. After that, no word.”
But my attention fixed not on the whereabouts of the mercenary Orion, but on the Miracle-Marked Item itself.
A Miracle-Marked Item was something any noble house with deep enough pockets could acquire, so why would they go to such lengths as to hire a mercenary company just to recover a lost object?

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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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