How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 54

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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 Guild
Chapter 54
“Ah, what a relief.”
After sending Charles to the Disciplinary Room, I clocked out that evening.
He never returned to the office. He’d likely spend about three days confined there, copying Sacred Scripture by hand.
Feeling more satisfied than I had in ages, I headed home with a spring in my step.
“……?”
That’s when my eyes widened at the sight of a suspicious man standing in front of my house. That person was….
“R-Rian, sir?”
I barely stopped myself from calling him “Your Highness,” and instead asked the hooded man carefully.
Sure enough, the Crown Prince simply nodded briefly in confirmation.
“Yes, I’ve come.”
“What brings you here?”
“I wanted to have a word with you about something.”
“Ah… well, people might see us out here. Would you like to come inside?”
I gestured toward my front door, and he flinched slightly.
“I couldn’t possibly….”
“It’s better than standing outside, isn’t it?”
“I cannot enter a house where a young woman lives alone.”
“Just come in, please.”
At my insistence, he let out what sounded like a troubled sigh.
“You really are far too righteous and trusting of others—it’s your weakness.”
What? When did I become righteous? I’m literally coming from dunking Charles. That makes no sense.
I found it odd, but in any case, I got him to come inside. Since I spent most of my time at the Guild, my home was relatively clean.
He stood awkwardly, as if unsure where to look, before finally settling onto the sofa at my direction.
Only then did he remove his hood. Beneath his black hair, cool gray eyes—sharp and severe—fixed upon me.
True to his role as the novel’s male lead, he really was strikingly handsome….
‘No, focus.’
Now wasn’t the time to admire his face. And besides, Sedrick at our Guild was no less attractive either—though their bearings were quite different.
“Actually, I came to thank you for your contributions.”
“My contributions?”
“Thanks to you, I was able to swiftly thwart the Hatfield Viscountcy’s conspiracy and capture the Temple’s tail. When the butler revealed what he knew, I interrogated him and was able to sever a portion of the Temple’s operations.”
“It was only right to do so. And you’ve helped me as well, after all.”
“No, this should be recognized as proper cooperation with the state. I would like nothing more than to grant you a title and provide you with whatever support you need, but if I did, the eyes of outsiders would take notice….”
The Crown Prince held something out to me. It looked like an Identity Plate.
“This is….”
“An Identity Plate proving you are a member of the Crown Prince Palace. Use it whenever you truly need to.”
“Thank you, Rian.”
It felt as though the favors and connections I’d nurtured were slowly accumulating. Working to build the Information Guild suddenly felt worthwhile, and before I knew it, a smile crossed my face. The Crown Prince then stared at me intently.
“Why….”
“Ah, no. Well, in any case….”
“Actually, I owe you thanks as well. I’m grateful for what you did for me today.”
“C-cough. It was nothing, really. Providing proper compensation to one’s collaborators is only natural.”
Then he asked casually.
“Were you in any danger at the Temple?”
I saw no need to worry the Crown Prince unnecessarily.
“No, fortunately nothing happened.”
“No disciplinary measures?”
“Don’t worry—I didn’t even go near the Disciplinary Room.”
At that, the Crown Prince lowered his lashes, his expression becoming oddly tense.
“…I see.”
“By the way, I somehow learned about the Temple’s discipline. Though it’s nothing I was going to receive—I just saw someone else getting punished.”
“…….”
“The Temple’s discipline is to copy the content of Sacred Scripture onto a thousand pages until the paper turns black—it seems like a rather cruel punishment. A real violation of human rights, if you ask me.”
“…Is that so?”
He looked at me with growing concern.
“Odret, I… I don’t want to see you in danger.”
“Pardon? Ah, I told you, I won’t be going anywhere near such discipline.”
“It’s not just that. How can we know if the Temple won’t create another dangerous situation in the future?”
“That won’t happen. I’m both the Subcontractor Guild Master and a Low-rank Priest there, so I’m actually doing quite well.”
“Sigh….”
I knew the Crown Prince was human, but he worries far more than I expected.
Of course—there’s a reason he wasn’t the “prickly lead” or “arrogant lead” from the original, but rather the “affectionate lead.”
As I sat there awkwardly, he seemed to shift the subject.
“By the way, how’s the neighborhood’s security these days?”
“Security? Oh, it’s become so much safer since the Patrol Unit started making rounds. Did you perhaps arrange that for us?”
“Well, yes.”
“Thank you. It’s clear you truly care for the welfare of the Empire’s people.”
“It’s simply my duty. And the government funds are coming through properly? Also….”
After that, the Crown Prince pressed me further on various matters, though most of them concerned governmental affairs. I wondered if this was truly the extent of his usual conversation topics.
And why was he stammering so much? Anyone watching would think he was nervous about being alone with me late at night.
He seemed to feel the awkwardness too—he squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them with sudden resolve and spoke.
“This won’t do. If things continue like this, you won’t sleep a wink tonight.”
“Pardon?”
“You say you’re fine, but if something troubles you, you might end up working alone all night at the Guild.”
“Oh! How did you know I have that habit when I’m anxious?”
In truth, I was a bit uneasy about nearly being disciplined today. But the Crown Prince didn’t possess Mind Reading or anything like that.
“I have that habit too, so I made an educated guess.”
“Wow, I see.”
“In any case, working through the night when you’re anxious is not a good habit!”
“But if anxiety keeps me from sleeping, what should I do? Do you have a method you’d recommend?”
“If you had pleasant memories to dwell on, wouldn’t that chase away the anxiety?”
“I beg your pardon?”
As I asked for clarification, the Crown Prince rose from his seat and extended his hand. I hesitated, then awkwardly took it.
“Come with me.”
When I came to my senses, we were already outside the house, mounted on a horse together.
The horse immediately broke into a gallop, and I lurched with the sudden movement—but he quickly steadied me from behind.
“Why are we going so fast?”
“Because I want to get there quickly!”
What on earth was the Crown Prince thinking?
A short while later, the horse came to a stop before a tall tower at the edge of the Capital.
“Where are we?”
I asked in confusion, and he answered calmly.
“The Observatory.”
“The Observatory? Why would you suddenly bring me here….”
Even as I said it, my heart began to quicken without my meaning it to.
I’d never been to the Observatory before, and I harbored a quiet longing for it.
Moreover, this world had dim artificial light and less pollution, so the stars were already more visible than I’d ever seen them—but at the Observatory itself, how spectacular would they be?
Without meaning to, my face must have shown my delight, because when the Crown Prince turned to look at me, he smiled warmly.
“I wanted to show you the stars of this place.”
“Really? But why….”
“Simply because I thought it would suit you.”
I didn’t ask him what he meant by that. It felt like his own way of looking after me in this difficult moment.
“May we go inside?”
“Is there anywhere I cannot go?”
“Under Imperial Law, trespassing in certain places is prohibited, isn’t it?”
“A fair point indeed. Even for royalty, the law must be observed.”

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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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