How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 70

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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 Good Small-Scale Guild
Episode 70
7. The Information Guild’s True Purpose: Strike Before You Are Struck
One day, as we were finishing up guild work and preparing to leave, Morian spoke up.
“Would it be all right if I invited you all over?”
“An invitation?”
“Of course, any normal person wouldn’t want to spend time with a business associate, but since it’s a special occasion, I thought I’d gather the courage to ask.”
When we gave Morian a puzzled look, he continued.
“Actually, I’ve moved to a new place.”
“Wow!”
I, who knew more about Morian’s housing situation than anyone else, began clapping.
“That’s wonderful, Morian!”
“Yes, I’m quite happy about it.”
“Escaping from that strange place at last!”
“Do you know about my previous residence?”
“No, well, I just thought—with rent being so expensive these days, I assumed you might be living somewhere odd.”
I stammered, embarrassed. I didn’t want him to know I’d been digging into his background.
Fortunately, Morian didn’t seem to mind.
“After all, I received a substantial sum from Duke Calierd, didn’t I?”
“That’s right, I was so thrilled about it too!”
Joy bloomed across Susanna’s face.
“Thanks to that, I was able to put the latest gramophone in my home!”
Why was Susanna so obsessed with music, anyway?
“With that money, I moved into my new place. This time, it’s even a jeonse lease. And it wasn’t a jeonse scam.”
“That’s wonderful news!”
“By the way, what did you do with your share of the money, Sedrick? Don’t tell me you donated it again this time?”
At Susanna’s words, Sedrick flinched.
“N-no, I didn’t donate it this time. I simply saved it.”
“Ugh, how boring.”
“Susanna, don’t treat Sedrick like some dopamine dispenser.”
In any case, having moved into his new place, Morian wanted to invite us to a housewarming.
Though Morian usually maintained a proper distance from the guild staff and lived an ordinary corporate life, he seemed genuinely delighted about the move to a better place.
“Besides you, I don’t really have any friends to invite.”
“When you first came to the Capital back then, didn’t you have roommates you knew?”
“The conditions there were so terrible that even decent people would turn into demons. Eventually, we all ended up fighting.”
“I see.”
Even if they’d fought over noise between floors, the fault of whoever built such a place seemed greater than that of the people who made the noise.
“Of course, Morian. We should absolutely go. Being able to spend time with guild colleagues even after work—it sounds wonderful!”
“Then I will attend as well.”
“Sedrick, I’m not surprised, but Odret—it seems like the Guild Master’s personality has been changing lately.”
“So you’re not coming, Susanna?”
“My personal time is important to me!”
With that, Susanna gave a little shrug. Well, not everyone wants to see their coworkers after clocking out. I decided to respect her preference.
“That’s fine. Having you and Sedrick attend is more than enough.”
“What should we eat that day?”
“I was thinking of having a pig party.”
A pig party? They used that term in this world too?
“Truth be told, I’ve always been interested in cooking. My previous place was just too cramped to have any space for it. Since things have worked out this way, I thought I’d fill our bellies with lamb steaks, salmon tartare, and piping hot Eastern soup broths—and for dessert, I’d make those trendy chewy-soft cookies.”
“Wait a second!”
Susanna shot her hand up.
“How can you have a pig party without me? I’m coming too!”
It seems no one could resist a pig party after all. And so, we decided to go to Morian’s place for the housewarming.
***
Friday evening, we left work together and headed to Morian’s new home.
“This is my new place right here.”
“Oh.”
This time it was truly an ordinary apartment building.
The kitchen wasn’t communal, the bathroom didn’t float in mid-air, and there was no tomb view.
Though smaller than our place, it was perfectly decent for a single resident—genuinely normal housing. But I knew well enough how difficult it was to find a normal place in this world.
“Wow, you really upgraded, Morian! My jeonse lease is ending soon too, so I’ve been thinking about moving.”
Just then, Sedrick, who had been looking around the house, spoke up.
“Is this a good house?”
“Are you dissing my place right now?”
“Oh, no.”
Realizing his words could be misunderstood, Sedrick hastened to clarify.
“I simply don’t know what makes a house good, so I was hoping to use yours as a standard….”
“Ah, I see.”
Sedrick, it seemed, was early in his career himself—his living situation was hardly enviable.
We presented the housewarming gifts we’d brought for Morian. All three were diffusers.
“…Still, doesn’t one person usually bring tissue?”
“Oh, we thought other people would bring toilet paper.”
“Well, this is trending right now.”
“I also heard that tissue is too common….”
Morian, accepting the three diffusers with a bemused expression, placed them around the apartment. Wow, three different scents mixing together all at once.
Soon after, Morian began preparing a meal for us in earnest. We asked if there was anything we could help with, but Morian simply insisted we sit and relax.
A short while later, an elegant spread of dishes appeared on the table.
“Wow….”
That Morian possessed such culinary skill yet couldn’t cook because of a shared kitchen—this was truly unreasonable…. Wait, I’m starting to pick up Sedrick’s speech patterns.
We ate and chatted lightly. The conversation centered mainly on the Guild.
“We’ve received funds from the Calierd estate, so I was thinking of renovating the Guild building.”
“I remember when Hindel mentioned that the sofa was uncomfortable last time. Very aristocratic of him, really.”
“Please, Sedrick. I’ve asked you to stop making dangerous remarks like that….”
“I’m all for renovating the Guild building too! I’d love to have a proper conference room!”
“True, right now we just have people talking loudly from their own desks during meetings.”
Our dreams for the new Guild building grew larger and larger.
Because Morian had even poured us wine, I found myself describing my dream Guild while slightly tipsy.
“Drop an olive with a martini on top.”
“…How did you even find this place?”
“It’s a secret Guild with a password like that!”
“Guild Master, something seems different about you.”
“Turns out you’re quite the lightweight.”
Well, if those funds from the Calierd estate are real, we could definitely manage a Guild renovation. They even seem willing to send more if we say we’re short.
But then again, this Guild was originally funded by the previous Guild Master through a poorly named government support project….
I still write government submission documents now and then, but would we need another permit to renovate the building?
When I voiced this question aloud, Sedrick spoke.
“As long as we file a report, there should be no problem at all. However, I think it might be better for us to seek funding rather than use our own money for the renovation.”
“Oh, like an investment?”
“Yes, since the Akright Guild has grown significantly, I believe there are nobles who might want to invest.”
At that moment, something I’d seen on a street bulletin board recently came to mind.
“Oh, there’s a new government support project we could apply for! We qualify, and we can even apply for multiple funding sources at once!”
“A government support project? Then more money would flow into our Guild!”
Susanna, who knew the Guild’s finances better than anyone else as she calculated things by hand, showed a positive reaction.
“I believe I saw that too as I was passing by. It seems like a very helpful project for us.”
Just as we were all showing enthusiasm for the government support project, Sedrick muttered with some hesitation.
“Something feels like cheating….”
“Sorry? What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing….”
“Hmm, but I’ve never applied for such a project before. If the previous Guild Master did it, I suppose I can too. Come to think of it, you’re quite knowledgeable about such things, aren’t you, Sedrick?”
Recalling how he’d shown off his extensive knowledge about nobility and temples, I posed the question this way, and Sedrick flinched slightly.
“Well, I do know about it…. It’s just a little questionable….”
“Why don’t you try it with me?”
“Actually, I sometimes find myself enjoying things that are a bit questionable. I’ll prepare for the project with you, Guild Master.”

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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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