How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 77
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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
Chapter 77
“…Eric, wasn’t that a bit much?”
“Sir? It was perfect for dodging suspicion.”
“But Miss Odret seemed to pity me even more for it.”
“And yet you weren’t suspected, were you?”
“Well, that’s true, but…!”
“Then it worked out.”
“By the way, what happened to the executives at Highwalk Company?”
“The second trial is currently in progress.”
“I should make sure they receive harsher penalties. I wasn’t paying much attention at the time, but after investigating, I found the labor violations were far more serious than I thought. We need to make sure they rot in prison for a long time.”
“Ah, yes….”
Eric nodded, now accustomed to such remarks, and asked a question.
“By the way, how was the date with that guild master?”
“It wasn’t a date. For it to be a date, both parties would have to think of it as one.”
“A one-sided… I apologize, sir.”
Eric quickly closed his mouth under Sedrian’s sharp gaze. But fortunately, Sedrian had already moved on to something else, a smile playing at his lips.
“Still, I was able to give her a small gift. There was a painting she seemed impressed by.”
“Ah, so the atmosphere wasn’t unpleasant, then.”
“Well, she told me I didn’t have to force myself to give a gift to my superior.”
…….
“But I enjoyed it anyway.”
“As long as you’re happy, sir….”
Eric simply decided to wish for Sedrian’s happiness….
***
We stood before the Guild Management Building with tense faces, staring at the door. Not just Sedrick and I, but all our guild members were gathered together.
The Darkness Messenger Guild was nearby as well, but they looked somewhat deflated.
“Guild Master, the Leon of Darkness Guild looks even darker!”
“Leon of Darkness becoming even more dark, how unexpected.”
As Morian and Susanna chattered away, Leon’s expression grew darker still.
Just then, an employee came out from inside carrying a poster. And as she affixed it to the door….
“Wow!”
-Merigo Guild
-Round Guild
-Arclight Guild
Our guild’s name was proudly listed there! We had been selected!
“We did it!”
“We really are amazing!”
“Perfect.”
“Everyone, you’ve worked hard.”
We embraced one another and shared in the joy. Leon and Annamaria glared at us, then left.
But before leaving, Annamaria mouthed something.
‘Spy.’
Ha, did they really think we’d fall for that?
After receiving a brief explanation about the project from the employee, we returned to the guild, where I gathered all the members and spoke.
“This won’t do. We need to take revenge on the Leon of Darkness Guild.”
“What? Haven’t we already gotten our revenge? We won!”
“No. The Leon of Darkness Guild tried to drive a wedge between us.”
I informed Susanna and Morian that they’d been spreading rumors about spies.
“Gasp! This is unfair! I’m not a spy!”
“Neither am I!”
“Don’t worry. No one suspects either of you. This must be a scheme to sow discord among us.”
“However, information was genuinely leaked.”
“Good point, Sedrick.”
We had two things we needed to do.
First, find out how the information was leaked.
Second, take revenge on the Leon of Darkness Guild.
“Then let’s start now. Let’s investigate how the information was leaked!”
“Yes!”
Already swamped with work since resolving the Kalliard Duchy incident, and now I had to contend with the Leon of Darkness Guild on top of it all.
But I truly couldn’t let them slide. If I left them unpunished and ignored the matter, there was no telling what they might do to us down the road.
Strike before you are struck. Wasn’t it my duty to see this motto through to the end?
After each team finished their investigation, I heard the reports from my guild members.
“The civil servants showed no irregularities,” Sedrick said.
“Our guild’s clean too. There’s no sign of anyone sneaking in,” Morian reported.
I waited for Susanna’s report last, and she wore an air of unmistakable triumph. Susanna had found something!
“Deputy Susanna, what did you uncover?”
“Hehe, looks like there was a data breach at the Tower of Stars!”
“How did they manage that….”
“Well, when I checked the access logs, I found that someone with an EcoGreenSmartEnergyLiterature Master’s Degree had entered recently.”
“Wait, that’s—”
I recognized it at once.
“That’s what Roden University sells for a price!”
“Exactly! Someone must’ve used that credential to infiltrate the Tower of Stars and extract information from the Statistical Expert!”
“Ha, and to think I wouldn’t notice EcoGreenSmartEnergyLiterature!” I said with satisfaction, now completely certain our guild harbored no traitor.
“Anyone could see it’s a fake degree for infiltration! And they actually used it to steal intelligence!”
With the information leak resolved, only vengeance remained.
“Guild Master, how will you take revenge?” Susanna bounced eagerly on her heels as she asked.
I said nothing and simply handed her a document I’d prepared some time ago when inspiration had struck.
<Darkness Messenger Guild – Recruitment of New Informants>
“This is…?”
“They lied and said we had a spy among us. So in return, we’ll send a real one into their ranks.”
“Which of us gets to be the spy? Whoa, this is my first time!” Susanna’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
“I have a talent for espionage,” Morian offered.
Susanna and Morian had apparently found the idea of spycraft thrilling, as they began promoting themselves. My guild members really weren’t normal, were they?
I glanced at Sedrick, who flinched before answering.
“I, I’d rather not do any more infiltration work, actually.”
“That’s fine. Either way, the spy’s already decided.”
I declared, looking at them all.
“The spy is me. I’m going to infiltrate the Leon of Darkness Guild as a spy myself.”
***
Infiltrating the Darkness Messenger Guild as a spy proved remarkably straightforward.
First, I created a false identity. Then I held up an item Ratel had gifted me long ago.
“Finally, a use for you!”
It was a One-time Appearance-Changing Ring.
Though not truly single-use—it supposedly lasted about a week. But that was more than enough.
When I slipped it on, a perception-blurring function activated as well, ensuring that no one would recognize me as Odret Lavendel, Guild Master of the Arclight Guild.
“I’m glad we’re using this ring for something like this,” Sedrick murmured, his voice tinged with something wistful.
“And not for dodging overtime and skipping thank-you dinners….”
“What exactly did you take me for?” I shot back.
Second, to pass the recruitment, work experience was required, so I reached out to the Platinum Mercenary Corps for assistance.
I fabricated a record of having worked as an informant for the Platinum Mercenary Corps—credentials that would be respected anywhere.
“How would you decode this cipher?”
“Yes, this cipher….”
“What about document processing?”
“Like this….”
Annamaria conducted the interview and never once suspected my true identity.
Instead, I sailed through it brilliantly, drawing on the practical experience I’d accumulated at my own guild. And then….
—This is the Darkness Messenger Guild. Is this Asha Failblue?
“Yes, that’s correct.”
—Congratulations. You’re hired. Please report to our guild starting tomorrow.
“Thank you so much!”
Just like that, I’d secured the position under the alias Asha Failblue.
I instructed the others to manage guild affairs well in my absence, and finally, I crossed the threshold into the Leon of Darkness Guild for the first time.
“Hello, I’m Asha Failblue….”
Black hair, brown eyes, and round-framed glasses.
I greeted him in a meek voice to hide my true nature, and the guild members gathered at the entrance welcomed me warmly.
“Welcome, Asha Failblue. I hear you passed the interview with flying colors.”
“T-thank you very much.”
Hmm, this guild’s building isn’t hidden away like my dream guild’s either.
But unlike our guild, the Leon of Darkness Guild had a far larger building and many more members. We ought to start planning an expansion of our own guild building soon.
“Oh, a new recruit—?”
Just then, Leon approached me, drawing out his words. The facade he showed before Odret Lavendel had vanished completely.
“Good to have you. Looking forward to working with you?”
“Yes, Guild Master…!”
I’d called it espionage, but I never actually intended to do anything so serious.
I only meant to spend a few days on a light bit of revenge.
The method for getting my revenge on this guild in such a short time is simple.
When it comes to difficult work, the real problem was never difficult customers—it was troublesome colleagues from within.
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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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