Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Here Comes the Mutiny
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Ian pulled out the key and unlocked the door to the guild house.
There were still some procedures left on paper, but it was practically theirs already.
He'd received the key in advance, along with permission to use it right away.
The members, who'd thought it was a joke at first, had no choice but to believe when Ian opened the door and stepped inside.
The three followed him into the guild house, their faces full of shock.
With no current occupants, the interior was empty, dusted lightly from disuse.
But precisely because it was so vacant, the sheer vastness hit them all at once, overwhelming in its scale.
"Is this really ours?"
"Yeah. We'll be living here from now on."
Of course, they'd need to clean and bring in basic furniture...
It'd take a bit longer to fully move in.
Hearing Ian, the three finally grasped it and started looking around the guild house interior.
The first floor alone was spacious enough for everyone to live comfortably, and above it stretched several more floors.
"Can we check upstairs too?"
"Sure... though there's nothing there right now."
"That's fine!"
At Ian's reply, the three dashed up the stairs like kids on a field trip.
Ian followed slowly, and by the time he reached the second floor, they were opening doors here and there.
Just empty rooms without any furniture, but they seemed thrilled anyway, chattering excitedly as they peeked in.
Even one room this size would beat their inn hands down, and there were far more than they could count.
"It's so big, it'll take forever to fill."
"Yeah. We'll have to leave it empty for a while."
Ian glanced around the bare space as he spoke.
In this game, guild houses were always a purchase, so it was familiar territory.
He even had the costs memorized naturally.
This time, luck had let them buy one early, but filling it as he wanted still required more gold.
"We'll furnish it gradually. Spent almost everything on the building."
"That's okay!"
"We'll earn tons!"
They nodded in understanding.
Furniture would be pricey, sure, but not as much as the building itself.
The idea of customizing their own mercenary corps base fired them up.
This time, Ian led the way up the stairs and spoke to the members following behind.
"We'll use these rooms for dorms."
Ian pointed to a cluster of rooms.
When buying the building, he'd ordered just the most urgent facilities, including dorms.
No matter what else was empty, they needed lodging to live here.
Rin cracked open a door, revealing a space big enough for several inn rooms. The others nearby were the same size.
Stunned by the scale, Rin turned to Ian.
"All these for dorms?"
"We'll have more people soon."
"...!"
New recruits!
Not just Rin—even Tanya and Mika flinched at the words.
Thinking about it... yeah.
For just four people, a smaller building would've been more efficient.
A place this big was harder to maintain and costlier.
Buying something this massive meant plans to expand the mercenary corps.
Having such a huge base made it real.
Ian's corps would grow bigger and bigger.
Until now, it'd been a vague "someday," but now a clear vision of a major corps emerged.
With a building like this, applicants would flock.
B-rank? Maybe even A-rank?
"Rin! What're you doing?"
Rin snapped out of imagining herself as A-rank at her friends' voices.
...Right.
That was distant future talk. More pressing issues loomed now.
The three gathered at a third-floor space that had caught their eye.
A wide living area by the window, overlooking the street.
The most striking spot on the third floor, visible right from the stairs.
Unlike inn rooms they couldn't rearrange, this base was purely Ian Mercenary Corps property.
Total freedom to decorate.
Still empty, but deciding what to put here was crucial.
"What should we make this?"
"A lounge would be nice."
Mika raised her hand tentatively with an idea.
"Like that sofa from the cafe."
"Yeah. Add a table too..."
Tanya pictured the cafe's fancy furniture and pointed out cautiously.
"Decorating like the cafe... won't that be super expensive?"
"Who cares? The building cost way more. Our corps is loaded now."
"R-Really? Then... maybe flowers nearby too..."
Once ideas started flowing, the hesitant trio grew bolder, tossing suggestions freely.
"Then over here..."
As the three debated filling the empty spaces...
Ian, having checked the upper floors, came down and spotted them huddled together.
He glanced at their spot and offhandedly remarked.
"Oh, that area's for the library and enchantment table. Mika can study there."
"...?"
The three turned, tilting heads in confusion.
"Rin gets the biggest downstairs room as a training hall..."
"...?"
"This upper floor's for a workshop. I'll look for maintenance tech first... but you all learning it would be good too. Handy for expeditions if you can repair gear yourselves."
"...?"
With each explanation, their faces stiffened.
They hadn't even counted all the rooms, yet Ian seemed to have plans for every inch.
Of course. Ian already had it all planned.
Layouts settled into habitual setups that fit like a glove.
Especially Ian's base designs...
Just set it up like this and you're done.
This maxes out all base bonuses.
What even is this?
Why... do something like this?
No rest facilities at all—won't there be mutiny?
Comfort's maxed, so manage stress and no mutiny.
If mercenaries show up at night outta nowhere, just say "here it comes."
A base layout that always hit best post whenever screenshots were shared in response to base questions on the boards.
Perfected through years of play.
All three gaped at Ian in astonishment.
"Study...?"
"Training room...?"
"Tea table...?"
As Tanya and Mika muttered in confusion...
Maybe because she'd been with Ian longest...
Rin recovered quickest and realized he meant it.
Ian had no plans for the flashy hideout mercenaries dreamed of.
This setup screamed mercenary factory.
Spotting it, Rin glanced at her comrades.
...Yeah.
As rookies, they'd been helpless against Ian's tyrannical whims.
But now Rin had experience, and her comrades were tight enough for eye-contact signals.
Mercenaries had their ways.
Rin nudged the two, they exchanged looks, nodded.
And all three pounced on Ian at once.
"Grab him!"
As they lunged, a red-flashing message appeared before Ian.
◆ Mutiny Occurred!
Mutiny...?!
Ian quickly checked the system window.
Status windows for his corps members—Rin, Mika, Tanya—unfolded, displaying their info.
Why? Stress in safe range...
No labyrinth runs, so no madness...
Pay up to date.
No forced advances, so no [Hatred], not even [Resentment].
Unable to pinpoint the cause, Ian ducked into the nearest room and locked the door.
"Ah...!"
"He's locked it..."
As if rehearsed, Ian vanished behind the locked door in a flash.
The three exchanged glances; Rin knocked as spokesperson.
"Captain? Just... let's talk a bit."
No reply from inside.
Instead, a paper slid under the door.
Tanya spotted it first and called Rin over.
"Rin, look at this."
"What? A... negotiation form?"
Negotiation Document.
Captain [Ian] will fulfill the demands below as swiftly as possible.
Members [Rin] [Mika] [Tanya] will immediately end mutiny and return to duties.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Official form, pre-stamped with the mercenary guild seal at the bottom.
"No way... you carry these around?"
"All captains do."
Hundreds of mutinies daily in Labyrinth City.
Stacks at guild counters, sold to captains.
...Not what they expected.
Rin thought so, but with a sour face, filled the blank demands and slid it under the door.
◆ Mutiny
Negotiated with mercenaries.
- Installed [Base: Lounge].
- Installed [Base: Flower Bed].
- Installed [Base: Tea Table].
