How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 65

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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 65
A few days later, while I was alone at the guild handling the remaining work, the phone rang.
—Odret, are you there?
“Ah, yes. Is that you, Sedrian?”
That familiar voice—it was Sedrian. And I already knew why he was calling.
“Were you calling about Lady Caliard’s situation?”
—About me? Why would I?
“Well, because Lady Caliard helped you in the past….”
Wasn’t that the whole reason Sedrian had first come to our guild in the first place?
The lady had somehow learned of a conspiracy, helped Sedrian with a good heart, and Sedrian—hiding his true identity—had fallen in love with the woman who aided him. Wasn’t that how it went?
Probably after the lady made her debutante appearance, his romance with her would begin in earnest. After all, he’d learned her true identity even faster than in the original story.
—That’s not why I’m calling.
“Ah, that’s something you’d handle on your own, I suppose.”
—What are you thinking about?
“Pardon?”
—…Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the Temple. Have you visited the Temple recently?
“Not lately, no.”
—That’s good. The Temple is far too dangerous—
“But I think I might become an Intermediate Priest soon!”
—What? What did you just say?
“The previous guild master plotted against me. But I’m going to turn that around—”
I grinned wickedly at the thought of something.
“—and make it look like I stopped his plot against the Temple!”
—……!
“And I’ve even figured out what the previous guild master was up to. So I found an accomplice for this.”
Ah, I couldn’t seem to wipe this smile off my face.
“None other than Morian Crouzer, the only guild member whose face the previous guild master doesn’t know!”
***
“What is this?”
Harbert Heim received a Document Envelope from the man I’d asked to do a job for me.
“It was, uh… in a safe? It looked important, hah.”
“Well, yeah, that’s right.”
“Hmm….”
“And my payment?”
“Go ahead and take it.”
He tossed them a bundle of money and sent them on their way, then sat down at his desk and opened the Document Envelope.
“What is this?”
Inside were documents about the Temple.
But they weren’t even important information—just a list of Intern Priests and an inventory of the Temple’s supplies.
“Information like this….”
It seemed that after I was driven out, Odret Lavendel had grown much closer to the Temple.
“Hmm.”
Harbert Heim looked around his empty office.
“It really does look shabby. Maybe I should pick up another day job.”
Since being driven out from the position of guild master, Harbert Heim had no work to do.
Though he was old enough to work, he had no respectable career outside of his Information Guild experience, and having been cast out from that very guild, no one wanted to hire him.
Of course, if he’d been willing to lower his standards, he could have found employment easily enough. But he had no intention of doing so. Surely someone who had once even been an Information Guild master should be sought after?
And so Harbert Heim scraped together what money remained and opened an office.
He had started a “Guild Consulting” business.
Yes, he had chosen to sell “methods of making money” in order to make money.
Of course, among those who sell methods of making money, few actually earn much themselves, and most of it is empty bluster—
But in any case, he had experience as an Information Guild master, and he was using that to offer advice to those starting new guilds.
Though he’d only had two clients so far, he’d still managed to extract hefty consulting fees from them.
When money ran short, he’d pick up day labor work again.
“Hmm, I wonder if I can make use of this somehow.”
Harbert Heim’s eyes gleamed as he held the Temple information.
He had asked his man to steal information from Odret’s guild—now called “Arclight”—precisely to display his power.
He wanted to show his consulting clients an attitude of: “Look here. I’m still well-connected with Arclight and was never truly driven out; I left the guild voluntarily to help even more people.”
‘So why did Arclight information never come through, and instead I get Temple information?’
Still, he could make use of it. For instance, he could drop hints that he had connections with the Temple, one of the Three Major Forces of the Empire….
While he was mulling over various thoughts, the office door swung open.
“Um… are you Harbert Heim, the one who does Guild Consulting?”
“That’s right. And you are?”
“I… I am… my name is Morian.”
***
Morian surveyed the office.
He had agreed to work a day shift today, having received his daily wage from Odret.
‘First, I’m supposed to act like a customer.’
“Ah… so this is your office? It’s small and nice.”
“That’s one of my secrets to success. I spend money where it matters, and I save where it doesn’t. I’m someone who moves around doing consulting, so I don’t need a large office.”
“I see…”
For now, following Odret’s instructions, Morian played the part of someone impressed by Harbert Heim’s words.
“I heard you’ve made many guilds successful… is that true?”
“Of course! Do you know of the Arclight Information Guild?”
“Yes, I do…”
“That guild’s success is all thanks to me! I was once its guildmaster, but I’ve stepped down and moved on since then!”
“What was the reason you left?”
“Because I wanted to share my success secrets with everyone! Isn’t it wonderful if we all succeed together?”
“Wow, that’s really a nice mindset…”
Even to Morian, who had never dealt with a guildmaster like this, the man seemed hopeless. Still, Morian was grateful that Odret was his own guildmaster.
‘He seems crazy sometimes, but he’s competent and pays well, so it’s fine.’
As long as his boss paid him consistently, he was satisfied, no matter how odd his personality was.
What’s more, Sedrick seemed to actually like the guildmaster, which only made things more baffling. It was also strange that Odret never seemed to notice this at all.
‘In that sense, she seems to lack perception.’
Or perhaps it was simply that she didn’t view the guild members as romantic prospects in the first place.
“Tell me, what guild do you run as guildmaster?”
“Ah, I… I operate the Beauty Guild.”
“Be… Beauty?”
“It’s a guild that researches and produces cosmetics used by women.”
“I, I see.”
Unfamiliar with the field, Harbert Heim’s expression flickered with confusion before he composed himself.
“How are things going?”
“Quite badly. We’ve gathered quite a few guild members, but the cosmetics we make aren’t getting promoted…”
“Then let me give you a solution!”
The solution Harbert Heim offered was absolutely terrible.
“Now, you must think about what women are as beings! Quality doesn’t matter. Ingredients are meaningless. What’s important is packaging. They use cosmetics that look pretty!”
“Oh, right.”
Though Morian was male, what he heard struck him as complete nonsense. Anyone with even a shred of intelligence wouldn’t speak like that.
“And sell them at high prices. That way, they’ll seem expensive and good, right? Women love luxury!”
“Right.”
“You said promotion was the biggest problem? Have thousands of flyers posted.”
“Yes, thank you. But what if this solution doesn’t work?”
“Ha, it can’t possibly fail!”
“By the way, could I ask you something?”
Morian now began to recite exactly what Odret had requested.
“What do you think of providing products to influencers? I hear women follow influencers.”
“Good idea. For example?”
“The priests of the Temple, for instance… they’re figures of respect that women look up to.”
“Not bad. Just do as you’ve said and it should work.”
“But the Temple’s priests are very difficult to approach… do you perhaps know any Intern Priests? Ah, if I could just get to the Intern Priests, sales would rise, and I’d be willing to pay more for this consulting…”
“…Wait!”
At that moment, Harbert Heim reached out his hand.
“I know a list of the Intern Priests!”
“Is that true?”
“If needed, I can provide that much. Of course, you’ll have to pay extra.”
Odret had taught him several traps in case Harbert Heim didn’t take the bait, but the man proved to be far more foolish than expected.
Morian obtained the information about the Intern Priests from Harbert Heim with ease.
And then, at that very moment…
“So you’ve been stealing our information, have you?”
The office door swung open, and a woman with a sharp black bob and a blue ribbon pinned through her hair stepped inside.
She regarded Harbert Heim with a mocking smile.
“Caught red-handed. This is a breach of contract, and you’ll pay the price for it.”

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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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