How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 64

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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 Good Guild
Chapter 64
After arriving at work, I shared what I’d learned with the guild members.
“Before the Duchess kidnapping, a wealthy visitor came to the Criminal Organization. We need to find out who this visitor was.”
“I figured out that much too! I found the financial records!”
Surprisingly, Susanna had done her own investigating.
“There’s a strange entry in this Criminal Organization’s records. They sold drugs and received a massive sum of money!”
“But isn’t it natural for a criminal organization to deal in drugs?” Sedrick asked.
Susanna shook her head.
“At this price, they would have sold a hundred tons of drugs at the time. If that much drugs had been sold throughout the Empire, everyone in the nation would be an addict by now!”
“Ah! Then they disguised a payment as drug money, and in reality, they received funds for something else!”
“Maybe they layered the disguise on purpose—in case they got arrested, they could claim they were only dealing drugs, not taking a contract for a crime!”
In other words, the Criminal Organization met with this wealthy visitor, received a large sum of money, and kidnapped the Duchess. All evidence pointed to them having accepted a contract for a crime.
“So how do we identify this wealthy visitor?”
I recalled how the Fairfax Household was caught in the original story.
Fortunately, thanks to the source material, I could get a sense of where to go.
“Well, to be honest, I’ve been suspecting the Fairfax Household.”
First, I was upfront with my guild members.
“I get the feeling the Fairfax Household has a grudge against the Calliard Duchy and has been obstructing them constantly.”
“Isn’t that just a hunch?”
“You don’t know how accurate my intuition is? Thanks to it, I once found an essay at a bookstore back in the day….”
“The guild leader’s intuition is the best!”
After quieting everyone down, I instructed them to find a way to approach a former employee of the Fairfax Household.
In the original story, the heroine tracked down a former Scribe from the Fairfax Household and obtained information from him.
“I was thinking—it would be best to approach a current former employee of the Fairfax Household. For instance, someone who had broad access to information, like a butler or a Scribe….”
“A Scribe!”
An unexpected answer came.
“I’ve met one.”
“You, Morian?”
I hadn’t expected such a coincidence. Where did they meet?
“Yes, I met him a few times at a civil service exam study group. He was exactly the Scribe from the Fairfax Household. I also remember a few Scribes from other families.”
“Why are there so many Scribes in a civil service study group? …Wait, I think I see it now.”
Typewriters had become widespread now, so the profession of Scribe had declined. In other words, they’d become unemployed.
“So the civil service study group finally pulls off something. I’m quite pleased.”
Morian muttered while pushing his Glasses up his nose.
Following Morian’s introduction, we decided to meet with the Scribe from the Fairfax Household.
***
“…A crime from seventeen years ago?”
We were sitting across from the Scribe from the Fairfax Household, whom Morian had introduced. He looked hollow-eyed from preparing for a civil service exam.
“Yes, I’ll pay you an interview fee.”
I smoothly handed over the envelope I’d prepared in advance, and their expression brightened.
“I can pay next month’s Gosiwon rent now.”
“Oh, you’re living in a Gosiwon….”
“That’s right. It’s just big enough for one bed and one desk. Very cramped and nice. I sneezed in my sleep the other day without realizing it and got a warning!”
Even in this world, Gosiwons were the same….
“Did you run through the money you saved from being a Scribe? I heard you worked as one for a long time….”
“Rent is too expensive. The government gave us subsidies recently, but then they just raised the rent even more.”
…….
“Corruption itself.”
I agreed with Sedrick’s words. This world truly was rife with absurdity….
“Anyway, asking me about something from seventeen years ago—I’m not sure I’ll remember, but I’ll do my best to answer.”
“Did the Fairfax Household perhaps hand over a sum of this magnitude to someone seventeen years ago?”
I wrote down the amount Susanna had discovered on a piece of paper and showed it to him.
The Scribe’s eyes narrowed as he recalled the old days.
“Well, who remembers something from seventeen years ago….”
“I suppose there wouldn’t be any documents from back then?”
“There wouldn’t be, but perhaps….”
The Scribe hesitated, glancing around nervously, then spoke.
“The truth is, the Count wasn’t exactly a kind master, and I suppose I could help you.”
Understanding his meaning, I exchanged a glance with Morian.
Morian swiftly handed over the money envelope I’d prepared for contingencies, passing it to the Scribe.
“…Thank you. In fact, I know where the Fairfax Household keeps all their accumulated documents. There’s bound to be information there.”
“Really? All the secrets are kept there?”
“Yes. Records from before typewriters existed would be even more troublesome to dispose of if lost, so they would never have discarded them.”
He provided us with information about the Fairfax Household Basement.
“So we’re infiltrating this place now?”
As we left the interview, Sedrick opened his mouth with another naive remark.
“Chief Sedrick—do you have the capability for that sort of thing…?”
“I do, actually.”
“…That strange former company. Anyway, obviously we won’t be taking the lead here.”
I declared it with confidence.
“From now on, everything depends on the Calliard Duchy.”
“But there’s no evidence, is there?”
“The Calliard Duchy will do anything for their daughter. With even the slightest suspicion, they’ll move quickly.”
I returned to the Guild and made a phone call to the Calliard Duchy.
I told them about the basement’s location, the likely sum of money handed to the Criminal Organization, and instructed them to seize the Fairfax Count before he could flee once the truth came to light.
“Isn’t this private justice? I don’t think it can be called righteous.”
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The first strike deserves a first strike in return.”
When I spoke firmly, Sedrick’s expression softened with acceptance.
“True enough—come to think of it, I’ve committed private justice myself….”
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”
And then I made another call right away.
“Young Lady Calliard, please tell the Duke immediately to investigate the Fairfax Household… Yes, the evidence you need to find is in the basement… Ah, I see. Though you’re only at the level nearly reaching Sword Master. But wouldn’t it be helpful…. Of course, since it’s dangerous, you don’t have to go yourself…. Ah, I see. Though you do have your Cipher Decryption 1st Class Certification, so I’m not sure if it’ll help… Just go anyway. Please, go.”
Days passed, and we were able to confirm the following article:
[Breaking News] Calliard Young Lady Confirmed to Be Missing Daughter… Fairfax Count Detained
The long-lost daughter of the Calliard Duchy has been confirmed to be the same person as the current Calliard Young Lady.
The decisive evidence was the awakening of the “Falsehood” ability, known to manifest only in those of Calliard bloodline. With this, the Young Lady’s status as the Duke’s true daughter has been officially confirmed.
According to the investigation, the mastermind behind the incident was revealed to be the Fairfax Count’s house, a cadet branch of the Calliard family. The Fairfax Count is suspected of colluding with a Criminal Organization to kidnap the Duke’s wife and attempt to murder the young Calliard Young Lady, and all relevant evidence has been secured.
The Fairfax Count is currently imprisoned after receiving a guilty verdict.
→See page two for details!
“Everything’s been resolved.”
Unlike in the original story, the Fairfax Count could not flee to the Temple.
As a result, I was able to win the favor of the original work’s heroine while avoiding suspicion from the Temple.
‘Both the Royal Family and the Calliard Duchy are on our side.’
At this rate, we could unite our strength and strike down the Temple.
Moreover, the Red Rose Salon and the Platinum Mercenary Corps are also definitely allies I can count on.

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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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