How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 5

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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
5
“Welcome back, customer. I’m delighted you’ve sought me out again.”
I painted on a false smile as I faced the Crown Prince.
“I have another commission for you. I’ll provide fair compensation, and if you succeed this time as well, I’ll grant you whatever you wish.”
“Ah, the construction workers have already arrived to renovate the restroom. I’m truly grateful. If I succeed in this commission, I’ll be sure to tell you what I desire.”
“Understood. I have the power to grant you anything.”
The Crown Prince spoke with utter confidence. I forced an awkward laugh while pretending not to know his true identity.
Soon, the commission spilled from his lips.
“Counterfeit sacred relics are currently circulating in the Capital. The Temple has declared its intention to respond harshly to this matter. However, no one has yet discovered the mastermind behind these fakes, and I find myself quite curious about who’s behind it.”
“…!”
At those words, my body stiffened. Wait—this was….
‘The mastermind behind this is the Temple itself.’
In the Original Work I’d read, the Temple was depicted as a profoundly corrupt organization, and this incident too was an elaborate self-orchestrated scheme by the Temple.
The Imperial Court had been pressuring the Temple recently, so they were manufacturing sympathetic public opinion and demonstrating the Temple’s authority.
‘Should I even be telling the Crown Prince about this?’
Normally they paid no attention to us, calling only when they needed something, but regardless—the Global Information Network Guild was a subcontractor for the Temple’s information gathering.
Our guild’s work records were reported to the Temple periodically, and if it were discovered that I’d provided information unfavorable to the Temple, I could face disciplinary action… or, in the worst case, be eliminated.
‘No, I can’t do this. My best option remains acting as a Double Agent here.’
I had considered quitting the guild entirely to avoid entanglement in this massive power struggle, but there were practical limitations.
For one, I had no money to live on.
Odret Lavendel had poor academic credentials and work experience alike, making employment extraordinarily difficult, or so it was.
My goal was to maximize my gains by exploiting the Original Work.
“…Yes, I understand.”
I answered in a measured tone, buying myself time.
“I will inform you as soon as I uncover the truth.”
***
“Eek, Director Odret! Something terrible has happened!”
The moment I stepped out of the Reception Room, Susanna clung to me with exaggerated panic. This was strange—after I’d gained leverage over her, she’d treated me coldly and wouldn’t even acknowledge me. What had changed?
“The principal contractor’s representative is coming today!”
“…!”
My eyes widened sharply at her words.
“Principal contractor… you mean the Temple?”
“Yes, the Temple. We’ve been calling them that for ages now, given how horrible their dealings are.”
So Susanna harbored resentment toward the Temple as well.
“Is it all right to speak of them that way?”
“We’re among ourselves—what does it matter? I’m sure you of all people despise the Temple, given everything you’ve endured!”
With things as they stood, I decided to try extracting information from Susanna.
“But Susanna, working as a subcontractor to the Temple like this… you don’t seem to have any religious faith at all?”
“What? You think I work here out of religious belief? I only ended up here because I couldn’t find another job.”
“……”
I see. Remarkably practical.
Either way, I’d learned that the staff of the Global Information Network Guild didn’t truly believe in the Temple—they dealt with them purely on a business basis.
“As for what you’ve endured….”
“Hmph, I may lack any sense of consideration whatsoever, but I still know how to show sympathy!”
“Wow, you were aware you’d been rude to me all this time?”
“Be quiet! Anyway, whenever the principal contractor shows up, you’ve always taken the fall for everything, haven’t you?”
“Taken the fall?”
“Whenever the calculations are even slightly off or the work isn’t quite satisfactory, the Guild Master and the Deputy always shift blame onto you! Then you get dragged before the principal contractor and disciplined.”
“……”
“But this time, they won’t shift it to me, right? Please say they won’t!”
“Ah, so that was your angle—playing nice because you were the one who’d be blamed this time.”
“That’s not it, Director Odret!”
While Susanna prattled on annoyingly, I turned over in my mind the relationship between the Temple and the guild.
From what Susanna said, the relationship between our guild and the Temple seemed unequal. The Temple, as our principal contractor, exploited their position to extract information while we couldn’t even get a glimpse of their secrets.
“But even for a principal contractor, can they really abuse their power to that extent?”
I asked casually, and Susanna looked at me as if questioning my meaning.
“Do I really have to spell it out? We have nowhere else to go besides this guild.”
“What?”
“Everyone here is unemployable in the first place. The Deputy got caught doing industrial espionage and couldn’t find work….”
“……….”
“I was working at my previous company listening to a small phonograph when I made an ordering mistake and added three extra zeros, and after that the rumor spread, so it’s been hard to find work and all….”
Wait, you were really listening to a small phonograph while working?
“Director Lavendel, your father was a heretic believer too, so wasn’t it hard for you to find work?”
I shut my eyes tight.
So the reason our guild members are working at this shitty guild is because we all have nowhere else to go.
“Then what happens if the Guild Master fires us?”
“We’d starve to death, hehe.”
“……….”
It was a situation that made me want to sigh.
Now the chance to escape the Original Work has truly slipped away. If it’s not this guild, I really will starve to death.
‘For now, I’ll act like the original Odret and try to get close to the Temple.’
Just then, the Guild Master shot up from his seat.
“Everyone up!”
“Eek.”
Susanna trembled as she stood. Park Geo-sung and I got up as well.
Soon, a man who looked to be in his early thirties walked into the Guild Building with swagger.
“Is everything I requested prepared?”
“Yes, here it is!”
The Guild Master hastily handed over the documents. The man looked them over arrogantly.
Hmm, our Guild Master may be unlucky, but this guy looks much younger, yet he’s acting like such a bastard just because he’s the client.
Then the man handing over the documents frowned.
“What? The information’s outdated, isn’t it? The Platinum Mercenary Corps intel isn’t included?”
Speaking to the Guild Master in an almost casual tone, the man looked up.
“Who investigated this?”
“Uh, well….”
The Guild Master rolled his eyes and looked at Park Geo-sung.
“I assigned it to you!”
“Well, that is….”
Park Geo-sung’s gaze turned toward me.
“I assigned it to Director Lavendel!”
“……….”
I considered passing it off to Susanna here, but in the end I chose to step forward.
“Yes, I did it. It seems I didn’t reflect it correctly. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? That’s all? You nearly bungled someone else’s work.”
The man’s frown deepened.
“It’s you again! What was your name?”
“I’m Odret Lavendel.”
“Right, Director Lavender!”
Mangling my name, he raised his voice.
“You can’t do anything right! There’s nothing in that head of yours!”
“I’m sorry.”
“I clearly told you what would happen if something like this occurred again!”
“I’m so sorry….”
“Come to the Temple West Gate within an hour!”
Susanna fidgeted nervously, watching my expression.
But I let the man leave. Then I turned to the Guild Master and asked.
“Guild Master, was this really a task I did?”
No matter how hard I thought about it, there was no such incident in Odret Lavendel’s memories.
“Wh, why is that important right now? Just go to the Temple!”
“……….”
Susanna pretended to sit down while whispering to me.
“It was the Deputy’s work. The Deputy never instructed Director Lavendel to do that task.”
That’s what I thought.
Park Geo-sung, grant me the strength to chastise these people.

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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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