How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 55

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

How to Survive in a Small-Scale Guild
Episode 55
I climbed the Observatory stairs in his wake. Though there were no elevators and the ascent tested my endurance, the excitement in my chest far outweighed the fatigue.
The Crown Prince showed his Identity Plaque to a startled Observatory researcher, spoke a few words, and receiving permission, turned back to me.
“We won’t let word of our visit spread. Come on.”
“Yes…!”
At last we arrived at the observation chamber. A researcher guided us inside.
“Y-yes, Your Highness. To view the stars, you’ll need….”
He seemed somewhat nervous, but after explaining the telescope’s operation, he withdrew.
The instrument was so specialized and complex that I floundered at first, but soon we mastered its use. As the Crown Prince adjusted the telescope slowly, his gaze fixed on a single point.
“Here.”
“What do you see?”
“So much. Countless things.”
He handed me the telescope. Taking care not to disturb his settings, I climbed onto the footrest and brought my eye close to the lens.
“Oh….”
A gasp escaped my lips unbidden.
Stars invisible to the naked eye blazed forth in countless multitudes, filling the heavens completely. So unfamiliar was the sight that at first it seemed as though someone had deliberately marked dots across the sky.
Yet the stars held their positions faithfully. The stars I saw with bare eyes were merely white points, but through this lens, each one revealed a different hue.
They were so brilliant, so beautiful, that my anxious heart simply melted away. In this vast cosmos, there was nothing left to fear.
“I never thought I’d see something like this…. Thank you….”
All my worries until now seemed utterly meaningless.
I pulled back from the telescope and looked at the Crown Prince, only to realize he’d been watching me all along. Feeling suddenly shy, I broke into an open smile.
“It really is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“…Yes, beautiful indeed. The way you focus on something like that… no, yes. It is.”
“Have you seen it often?”
“Sometimes when I was younger. I’d forgotten about it until now, but watching this makes me want to show it to Odret as well.”
“I never imagined you’d think of something like this….”
As I continued to gaze through the telescope in wonder, he added softly.
“Do you see that constellation over there?”
“A constellation?”
Honestly, aren’t all constellations just patterns people decide to recognize? I tilted my head questioningly, but his voice continued from behind me.
“Look carefully. There should be a W shape.”
That I could find. Soon, spotting the constellation, I cried out.
“I found it!”
“I thought it resembled Odret… this constellation suits her.”
“Pardon?”
“This constellation can be observed from anywhere. It’s not as famous as the North Star, but it too serves as a guide for those who’ve lost their way.”
“But why would I….”
“Watching you help others, I began to see it that way.”
Whether those words were empty comfort for my worry or heartfelt truth, I couldn’t say, but my heart quickened all the same. To be so thoughtfully considered by anyone at all was a pleasant thing.
“I was only doing my duty….”
“That’s precisely why I think people who do their duty are precious.”
“Ah….”
“If there were more such people, this Empire would flourish even more.”
True to form, the Crown Prince—always thinking of the realm. I’d almost lost myself in the moment, but ultimately, this seemed to be his assessment of me as a capable talent.
Still, I felt some relief that I’d apparently averted the future where he threw me in prison as the story originally went. I mustn’t be careless in growing my guild from here on.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
After stargazing, I looked at him and smiled again. Whether from improved spirits or simple relief, laughter now came naturally instead of the trembling of moments before.
“Thanks to you, I think tonight will remain a good memory.”
***
“Your Highness, what were you doing out until this hour?”
When Sedrian returned to the Office late, Eric, who apparently hadn’t left for the day, began fretting about. Seeing this, Sedrian felt a pang of guilt.
“You’re working overtime because of me? I’m sorry.”
“No, what exactly were you doing? I thought you’d been kidnapped! You said you’d be back soon….”
“I went to the Observatory with Guild Master Odret. Don’t worry—everything’s been kept confidential.”
“This is insane!”
Eric used language barely appropriate for addressing the Crown Prince, then quickly pulled out his Notebook.
“Don’t tell me…!”
☑ Stare at mirror for extended period
☑ Contemplate how to approach her naturally
☑Worrying about conversation topics for a date
Below that, another line had been added.
☑Saying something cringe-worthy like “I could pluck the stars from the sky for you”
While Eric lost himself in flights of fancy, Sedrian was thinking too.
‘What remarkable self-sacrifice.’
By now, Sedrian could scarcely believe how noble and sublime Odret truly was.
When he wore Sedrick’s face, Odret had done everything in her power not to burden her subordinates with worry.
Conversely, when he wore the Crown Prince’s face, she had hidden her own sacrifice from her superior.
Yet Sedrian knew both sides of Odret. The superior Odret, and the subordinate Odret.
And he loved both of them—either way, Odret was someone deeply conscientious, dedicated, and lovely in her work.
Surely everyone would come to adore her. Could there be another person in this world so perfect?
“Sigh…”
As Sedrian exhaled, Eric’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s the sigh someone lets out when they’re going mad over how charming their beloved is. You’re in serious condition, Your Highness…”
Even as Eric spoke, Sedrian continued thinking.
If only Odret existed in this world, love would overflow and everyone would adore one another—what a pity…
No, wait—but then everyone else would come to adore Odret too. That he couldn’t bear.
Or could he? Besides, Odret deserved to be loved by all.
And yet the thought of everyone liking her kindled jealousy in him. He wanted Odret to focus on him alone.
“Eric, how can I get attention as a subordinate?”
“Perform terribly at your work, and you’ll become an object of interest.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then perform well at your work.”
“Hmm, I see. And how does one gain attention from a superior?”
“Why would you seek attention from a superior? Ugh.”
At that, Sedrian felt a twinge of hurt.
At the same time, he sank into contemplation.
‘When should I tell her that I’m both Sedrick and the Crown Prince?’
If he kept hiding it, Odret would surely feel betrayed…
But he could no longer bear even the thought of seeing that look of betrayal in Odret’s eyes.
Wrestling with when to reveal his true identity, Sedrian spent the entire night awake.
***
The Crown Prince dropped me off at my doorstep and returned to the palace.
Though I’d slept only a few hours, I wasn’t tired—the previous night’s joy had revived me.
‘The Crown Prince really is a wonderful person!’
In the original work, his name was Sedrian, wasn’t it.
Well, all this time I’d kept my distance by calling him the Crown Prince, but now couldn’t I call him Sedrian?
Because it felt like we’d closed the gap between our hearts.
Surely Sedrian would consider me his own person too? I wasn’t going to end up imprisoned one day, was I?
Walking while mulling over the original work’s fate, I arrived at the Guild before I knew it.
“Good morning.”
I clocked in with bright energy, and I noticed the Guild members who were already there—but for some reason, Sedrick’s expression looked considerably haggard and exhausted today.
“Director Sedrick, is something wrong?”
“…I wasn’t able to sleep. There was something on my mind.”
“I see. If you’re too tired, just let me know.”
“No, it’s fine. I find coming to work at the Guild quite enjoyable these days.”
At that, not just I but Susanna and Morian looked at Sedrick like he was a madman. Could it be…
“Stockholm syndrome…?”
Finding joy in commuting to work? That couldn’t possibly be true. I muttered this without thinking, and Susanna and Morian each offered their own opinions.
“I knew something was off, but I never thought he’d go this crazy.”
“It’s very serious. Extremely serious.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————