Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Higher-Ups (1)
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"Just in case, let me ask. We're not thinking of joining under a major guild, right?"
After finishing the guild registration, Regen asked me this question while we were having lunch.
"A sub-guild? What's that?"
"You can think of it as small guilds like ours forming a business partnership with a large guild."
Fey explained in my place.
It felt like a subcontractor for a big corporation.
"Any benefits to it?"
"First off, you get the prestige of a major guild. Even low-level explorers can join high-rank requests and get a share of the rewards. You can also pick up know-how on dungeon exploration."
Fey, our guild's official explainer, stepped in.
"In exchange, large guilds get access to cheap manpower. For things like transporting supplies, or plugging dungeon entrances that would be impossible for one or two guilds alone—they use nearby sub-guilds for that."
"Ah."
Large guilds fill their manpower shortages, and sub-guilds get to leech experience from high-rank requests.
Seemed reasonable enough.
"How do you know so much about it, Fey?"
"Hehe, honestly, if I hadn't met you, Will, I was planning to go that route. No guild employee restrictions, free to adventure, build up experience. For newbies like us, it's like having your cake and eating it too!"
-Pfft.
At that moment, Regen chuckled cutely, as if amused.
"How cute. I used to have a head full of flowers like you back in the day."
"W-What did you say?!"
Coming from someone whose face was literally blooming with flowers, it felt off somehow.
Of course, I didn't say that to Regen.
"Hey, it's all just sales tactics to save money. Normally, guilds have to compensate families if members die, right? But sub-guilds are officially 'volunteers'."
"Ah. Dodging responsibility."
"Exactly. Less liability. In dungeons where they throw in tons of people, they use sub-guilds as cannon fodder too."
A familiar stench from unfamiliar lands.
The scent of Hell Joseon.
"St-Still, if you consider the rewards..."
"Factor in the power trips you get, and it's plus-minus zero. You think the big shots would do business that loses them money?"
After that, all sorts of insider info that no manual could teach poured out of Regen's mouth.
This was reality. Cold.
"So you're against sub-guilds entirely, Regen?"
"Yeah. We could probably get in at our level, but we'd suffer for it. They'd use contracts like leashes to jerk us around. Sure, you'd make money."
"Personal experience?"
"Yep. Joined Goodman cluelessly and got worked to the bone. It was dirty and petty, so I grinded for a year and bailed to go independent."
Regen ground her teeth, still shuddering at the memory.
Getting into a big corporation doesn't mean it's all good.
"Still... couldn't we just pick and choose requests? I hear they get exclusive vouchers for top-tier inns from the Five Great Guilds... high-end ingredients too..."
"That's your goal, huh."
"Food and rest are serious business!"
Fey had tossed and turned all night at our first camp too.
Turning her into a pro camper who could sleep anywhere would be fun.
Maybe start with bivouacking.
"Will, your eyes look weird."
"Huh? Mine?"
How'd she know?
Did this body show thoughts on my face?
"Uh... so, what about the other Five Great Guilds?"
To deflect from my Fey pro-camper project getting exposed, I changed the subject.
"The Five Greats are the guilds with seats in the Association. Blade of the World Tree, Goodman, Quai Pang, New Millennium Engineering Group, and Broken Spear."
Fey thankfully took the bait.
"The most famous is Goodman Guild. Will, you've seen people in priest robes around here and there, right?"
I had, often.
I thought they were just medieval fantasy priests, but they were guild members.
"As you can tell from the uniforms, they're the most powerful guild. They explore the Nether most actively too. Lots of praise for stable operations, so they're most people's first choice."
"Actually, just priest cosplay scammers."
Regen, the ex-employee, added a cynical comment while propping her chin.
"Next is Quai Pang Guild. They make their living transporting logistics back and forth in the Nether. Supplies get scarcer the deeper you go, so they're essential for exploration."
"Recession-proof delivery scum jacking up fees nonstop."
"New Millennium Engineering Group does pharmaceuticals and Oparts modification analysis! No need to explain Oparts' importance, and divine power doesn't work here, so potions are crucial. They probably have the most money."
"Socially inept otaku engineer pack."
"Um, and Blade is..."
Fey glanced sideways at Regen.
Tsk-
Regen sucked in air like she'd been waiting and-
"The bastards who swooped in on the market I heated up then colluded to slash prices sociopathic tribal supremacist family-run clan-operated shit guild."
She spat out double curses from her dantian without breathing.
"Got it. 'Those fuckers', right?"
Hope we never cross paths with them.
For their sake or ours.
From Regen's reactions peeking through, direct meetings might end in blood.
"Then lastly, Broken Spear, who sponsored Will..."
"Ah, I know about them."
From the castle talk, they manage Threshold's administration.
Relatively few explorers too.
"Ah, this is kinda personal since I have connections there, but what do you think about joining them as a sub-guild?"
We got sponsorship, and I know the guild master, so no unreasonable demands.
Plus the fancy lodging and food Fey wants.
Sounds good?
But,
"Ah, still, that place is..."
"Knowing the guild master isn't bad, but... I'm against it anyway."
The two suddenly in agreement.
What the hell was up with Mary's guild?
Meanwhile, in the Broken Spear Guild office.
A platinum blonde girl in a purple hood was talking on the receiver.
-We've received the full sponsorship amount. Guild setup successful too.
"R-Really? How'd they react? Grateful? Moved? D-Did they say anything about joining Broken Spear as a sub-guild...?"
-Nothing like that. They seemed a bit dazed for now...
"Mm, uh, yeah... It was sudden sponsorship. A-Anyway! If any other costs come up, send them our way. I'll handle it!"
-Understood. But... may I ask why the guild master is doing this...?
"Will can... communicate with the outer god in our house basement. He's next in line to manage the 'Threshold' with me."
-Wh-What?! What does that mean all of a sudden...!
"I-It's fine. This isn't something to remember. Now 'close your eyes'."
-...
"Wh-When you open them, forget this entire call. Just remember the order to gather info on Will's guild."
-...Understood.
"G-Good. Hanging up...! Open your eyes in ten seconds, continue work! Th-Thanks for your hard work!"
-Click.
The girl hung the palm-sized voice transmitter on the wall.
Mana communicator.
Equipment that burned through several high-purity mana stones just for a few minutes.
Way too expensive just to check sponsorship reactions.
But,
"Th-The reaction... what do I do? Was the letter t-too much... Ahh... Should've done it anonymously... Damn it, left my name..."
To the girl clutching her platinum hair and spinning in place, that man's affairs were as important as the Threshold's safety.
Marie Broken Spear.
Born overly timid and anxious, the Threshold's manager.
Having thrown away a fortune in sponsorship, she paced the room in worry that she'd upset the recipient, cycling between self-criticism and regret.
At that moment,
"Guild master. Time to head to the conference room."
The secretary's stiff voice pulled her back to the ruthless world of business.
'Ugh... I really don't wanna go...'
Marie buried her head in the sofa backrest.
But now was the time to fulfill her duties as castle lord.
No other choice.
-Snap.
She let out a big sigh and slipped a ring onto her finger.
"Hoo."
Ring of Arrogance.
An Opart that let you keep your cool even facing a bear trying to maul you.
"Then shall we go? The meeting won't run without me, so no helping it."
Marie suddenly brimming with confidence.
Anyone seeing would mistake her for crazy.
-Chomp chomp.
Fortunately, the sole witness to her disgrace was chomping on hidden flesh between billiard balls in Marie's inner pocket.
"Long time no see. Broken Spear guild master. You've grown even more beautiful."
"Thanks, Goodman. A year since the expedition?"
The heart of the Threshold. A rectangular building of white marble.
As Marie entered the conference room with an arrogant smile behind her purple veil, a kindly-faced elderly man lightly bowed toward her. He leaned on crutches, seeming to have leg issues.
"How's the leg wound? Heard you were right on the verge of clearing floor 4. Shame."
"Just luck. Still, seems the Lord isn't ready to take this frail old man yet."
But the man's body was far from frail.
Nearly two meters tall. Balanced muscular build in neat priest robes.
And,
"Still, scars from felling two disaster-beasts balance the books, haha."
Green skin proving he was tougher than any race physically—an orc.
His kindly face and sturdy body harmonized well.
"New Millennium... absent again today?"
"What else is new. Probably hammering Oparts in some workshop."
Next to the empty seat, a middle-aged dwarf with his back hair in a Manchu braid, Groll, puffed cigarette smoke as he spoke.
Typical Western dwarf face, but his clothes were from the distant eastern continent's immigrants—his notable trait.
"Cough, cough! Stop smoking, delivery boy!"
Then, a petite elf burst through the door, irritated.
Pink hair, cute face, but full of venom.
"It's plant smoke. Eco-friendly, like you elves love. Anyway, why're you alone? Where's your master?"
"Heh, oxygen deprivation making you babble? Want me to drill another hole?"
"All that anger? Vegetarian diet letting plant toxins rule your brain. Eat meat. Clears the head."
"Go die, trash dwarf."
Bicker bicker-
Combined age near two hundred, but neither seemed interested in mental maturity.
"Hey, Broken Spear. Meaningful to hold meetings with this immature brat?"
"...Blade's Arvin master submitted absence for duties. As co-master, Oli has speaking rights naturally."
"Argh, wasting time. Think of the hourly cost."
"Then forfeit your Five Great seat and scram, trash."
"Hahaha, calm down everyone. Let's proceed with the meeting."
Grouchy Oli, snarky Groll, one absent without leave.
Not even Arvin to rein in Oli.
At least Goodman showed up after so long—a silver lining.
Why were guild masters always like this?
Did damaged personalities become guild masters? Or did becoming one damage them?
'Shall I kill them, master?'
A hallucination from the pocket outer god.
I want to. Right now, slaughter the noisy ones and fill the seats with good people who understand me like Will.
But,
'Calm down. If you step up... we'll... lose...'
She was the weakest there.
No chance.
Swallowing rising tears, Marie calmed the still-bickering guild masters.