How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 83

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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-Scale Guild
Chapter 83
8. Can You Even Work Warehouse Logistics as a Part-Time Job? In a Romance Fantasy Novel?
“Ah, those stairs are fine being a bit steep, so like this… oh, oh! That lighting over there is too bright!”
I was living through busier days than ever before.
“Yes, yes, proceed like that. And gather the trash over this way!”
Because I was now personally overseeing a construction site.
Our Guild building—which had the bathroom and main structure separate, with only a reception area and office—was history.
Finally, we were transforming into a proper Information Guild, the kind where clients entered discreetly and made their requests in secrecy!
“Sedrick, but about the secret passage….”
“That would violate fire code.”
“I suppose there’s no helping it.”
Though my original vision of “Could you float an olive in my martini?” had failed, admittedly.
Instead, we were rebuilding the entire two-story structure from scratch.
A reception area with dim, secretive lighting; a proper office, meeting room, and even a pantry as separate spaces; an indoor bathroom; and a records room for storing information!
Ah, now I’d stop being a Guild Master for some X-level organization and become a genuinely respectable one!
Now we could move beyond a sub-five-person operation and actually hire more staff to expand the Guild. Sedrick wouldn’t have to empty the trash cans himself anymore—we could hire a dedicated cleaning service!
As I oversaw the Guild construction with a satisfied expression, Sedrick stood beside me helping along the way.
Sedrick said he wanted to help me instead of working remotely. And indeed, his knowledge of construction law proved genuinely useful to me.
“A basement, really—isn’t your heart racing?”
“Mine too.”
Our Guild even had a basement.
Soon we’d be plotting all manner of schemes and intrigues down there!
As I kept breaking into a smile at the rosy future ahead, a loud clang suddenly rang out from the center of the construction site.
“Huh?”
A startled voice accompanied it.
…What was this? Back at the company, whenever someone let out a loud, confused “Huh?” something ominous always followed.
As my gaze fixed on the center of the construction site, workers gradually began gathering there.
“This is….”
“What do we do?”
“What is it?”
Something had clearly happened. I placed my hand over my rapidly pounding heart and hurried toward them.
“Wh-what’s happened?”
“Ah, ma’am. It’s that….”
The construction foreman approached me, speaking as if troubled.
“This land—it’s registered under your name, yes?”
“Well… it’s a corporate asset of our Guild, but technically I’m the representative.”
“We appear to have found an artifact.”
“What did you say?!”
My heart felt like it was about to burst from my chest. As I swayed in my seat, Sedrick quickly caught my arm.
“Guild Master, stay calm.”
“R-right. It’s probably nothing serious.”
But my hands were already trembling.
The workers made space for me, and I could finally see what had made that clanging sound when struck by the shovel.
“This is….”
There, undeniably radiating the aura of an ancient relic, was a Holy Grail.
“Oh no, no, no….”
This world had laws similar to my original one.
When an artifact was found during construction, work naturally stopped and the state mobilized to excavate the area, searching for any other relics that might be buried there.
In other words, I was about to lose my Guild building….
“No, no, it can’t be….”
As I shook, the construction foreman—who’d claimed to have plenty of experience—quickly spoke up.
“Ma’am, you don’t have to report this. Actually, not reporting it and pretending not to know is best. Let’s just say we didn’t see it.”
“True.”
“It’s only us here anyway.”
The workers agreed with the foreman’s suggestion, but I found myself unable to simply nod along.
Ah, no matter what, my conscience was getting in the way of going along with it.
“B-but that might not actually be an artifact, right? What if we had it appraised and it turned out to be nothing?”
“A fifty-fifty chance. If it gets appraised and turns out to be genuine, you lose both time and money.”
……
I stared at the relic in a daze, feeling utterly hollow.
Should I simply not report it? Could I just bury it and forget?
But I was working with the Crown Prince himself—breaking the law felt wrong, and my conscience wouldn’t let it rest.
After much deliberation, I finally spoke.
“Could you postpone construction for a few days? I’ll compensate you for the delay. I’d like to investigate this relic myself.”
“Well, sure…”
The construction workers began gathering their equipment and leaving one by one.
Once they had all gone, I crouched down and peered at the relic.
“Right, we’re the Information Guild anyway—we can investigate it ourselves. It might not even be a real relic, after all.”
As I murmured this to myself, Sedrick glanced at me and asked quietly.
“Guild Master, you’re not going to pretend you didn’t see it, as the foreman suggested?”
“That would… trouble my conscience.”
“You truly are a righteous person.”
“I’m hardly that noble.”
In truth, I simply wanted to be prepared for any situation. The original story had already sentenced me to prison—it seemed wiser to avoid breaking the law in anything I could control.
“Do you think this looks like a real relic, Sedrick?”
“It’s styled like a Holy Grail from ancient Aion Kingdom, certainly. But whether it’s a deliberate imitation that’s rusted naturally in the soil, or an actual artifact from Aion Kingdom—I cannot say.”
“You seem to know quite a lot about it already.”
I had run out of energy and nearly collapsed onto the ground beside the dirt.
Sedrick glanced at me, then sat down on the dirt next to me. We both remained there in silence for a long time, staring blankly at the relic.
“Ah, my guild building…”
“I will conduct the investigation.”
“I’d be grateful if you would.”
Of course, if it truly was an artifact, things would only get more complicated from that point onward.
“Hmm? Isn’t this the Aclite Guild?”
At that moment, a voice called out. Both Sedrick and I turned our heads at once.
Before the site where the original building had been nearly stripped bare by construction, a man stood surveying the surroundings with an air of bewilderment.
“This should be it, though…”
A customer. Even in this situation, I had a duty to assist.
“Welcome, are you looking for the Aclite Guild?”
“Yes, I am, but…”
“I’m Odret Lavendel, the Guild Master. We’re currently under construction, so I haven’t been accepting commissions for a while.”
“Ah, is that so? This is quite inconvenient.”
The man’s face bore the features of this empire’s people, yet he wore distinctly unusual clothing. A scarf popular in the southern regions adorned his head, a gleaming necklace of eastern gold hung at his neck, and his shoes were the pointed style favored in the west.
I was beginning to grow curious about the rare ensemble when the man continued speaking.
“What if I offered extra payment? Would that not work?”
“Guild Master, will you accept this commission?” Sedrick whispered to me.
Sedrick murmured his question.
“We’re in the middle of construction right now, and busy besides, so I was thinking of declining…”
“No—look at his clothing.”
I spoke with conviction.
“That man is definitely someone important. He’ll become a valued patron of our guild.”
“But why…?”
Sedrick seemed puzzled, but I continued.
“Everything he’s wearing is the latest fashion. For a guild that must stay current with information, someone like him is exactly the kind of person who can help us.”
I had been cultivating connections throughout the empire for the guild’s information supply, and this man seemed like he would be invaluable.
I smiled warmly and addressed the man.
“What troubles you, sir?”
And so, there in the construction site, we came to hear the customer’s request. Is this what they call construction site intuition?
“I am John Kerdick, proprietor of the Golden Balance Guild.”
“The Golden Balance Guild?”
My eyes widened in surprise.
Already on our side: the Red Rose Salon, the Platinum Mercenary Corps, and the Tower of Stars.
And the last remaining faction was the Golden Balance Guild!
I was right to accept the commission! I had almost missed this golden opportunity out of being too busy.
Now the man’s unique attire made sense. He must wear all the latest fashions.
“You know of the Golden Balance Guild?”
“Of course—it’s the most prosperous trading company in the empire.”
“Indeed. I take pride in having built this enterprise through my own efforts. I’ve managed the company to the best of my ability and believed there was nothing left to improve, but…”
“Yes?”
“But our rival, the Karsan Trading Company, has been enjoying remarkable success lately. Somehow they seem to divine what will be in demand before it happens and stock it accordingly. I’m no prophet, but I’d dearly like to know how they manage it.”
“You mean they’re not reading trends—they’re predicting them?”
“Yes, our company is naturally quick to spot fashions as well. But this feels different. They distribute items that make no sense at all, and then half a year later those same goods become the rage, and suddenly their inventory sells for a premium.”
“Hmm….”
“I need you to discover what methods the Karsan Trading Company is using, if you would.”

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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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