How to Survive in a Good Small Guild — Chapter 19
“Huh? No way….”
Before long, astonishment crept onto our faces one by one as we read through the accounting ledger.
“What is this? Why does our guild have this much money, guys?”
“Impossible. This broke-ass guild, loaded like this?”
“We haven't even been able to use the break room up till now….”
And with good reason — according to the ledger the Guildmaster kept, our guild's assets were, shockingly, quite flush!
Where on earth had this money come from?
“Let's analyze it later — copies first.”
“Agreed. We need to secure the evidence before the Guildmaster arrives.”
“I'll stand guard, so could you two go run the copies?”
“…No, I'll guard it.”
After a brief hesitation, I decided to hold this position myself. If the Guildmaster showed up, I was the one better equipped to handle him.
So Susanna raced off to the copy shop with Cedric, and I guarded the guild. Please, let him not come back while they're gone….
“Huh? Where'd everyone go?”
Naturally, misfortune struck: the Guildmaster appeared right on cue, surveying the empty office with a scowl.
I snuck a glance at his desk. The drawer was closed again, and I'd left the lock looking properly fastened, so….
“We stepped out to the copy shop to organize some documents.”
“Tch, what are you doing messing around during work hours!”
“That's because our guild doesn't own a copier….”
“Assistant Manager Audrette, you've gotten kind of cheeky lately, haven't you?”
“Ahaha….”
Laughing awkwardly, I kept a careful watch on the Guildmaster. He was drifting closer and closer to his own desk.
How could I grab his attention? Right, of course — that would do it!
“G-Guildmaster, sir!”
“What?”
“That nephew of yours from earlier… Is he still unmarried, by any chance?”
The moment I asked, interest lit up in the Guildmaster's eyes. He'd clearly dragged the man here with him, which meant they were close — and if so, he'd surely care about the nephew's marital prospects too.
“Right, not yet. Why? Don't tell me you're interested, Assistant Manager Audrette?”
“Oh no, of course not. Ahaha, just curious.”
“Hmm, now that you mention it, you're pretty and you've got a decent personality, don't you? The pay's a bit thin, but….”
Because you pay me a thin amount, you absolute walnut….
“Honestly, if she's going to work from home after marriage anyway, that's not a bad—”
“No, that's really not it!”
However much of a shameless schemer I was, I still had my pride. I could not bring myself to fake romantic interest in the Guildmaster's nephew.
“Say, have you ever considered a matchmaking service? My aunt works at one, and she could get you signed up at a bit of a discount….”
“Tch! Why would I pay for a matchmaking service? Women flock to my nephew without any of that nonsense!”
“Really?”
“…Quiet!”
Whether by luck or misfortune, the Guildmaster was so riled up by my provocations that he completely forgot about walking back to his desk.
“Assistant Manager Audrette! Now that I think of it, the break room's been looking awfully bare lately!”
“That's because someone drank the coffee mix you put there as a decoration, Guildmaster….”
“What did you say?”
Just as I was buying time by steadily scraping at the Guildmaster's nerves, Susanna and Cedric appeared. The moment they spotted him, they smoothly tucked the copied ledger behind their backs.
“What took you so long?”
“Hehe, we were working, guys~”
“Doing what, exactly?”
“…We went to make a copy of your son's art homework, Guildmaster.”
Cedric swiftly swapped hands and held out the drawing. The Guildmaster examined it and let out a gasp of admiration.
“Wow, this could win a prize at an art competition!”
Seizing that opening, they managed to hide the copied ledger. Now all that remained was slipping the original back into the drawer without being caught. The Guildmaster stepped out frequently anyway, so we could do it then.
“Hmm? Something about this looks… off.”
Just then, the Guildmaster frowned at the lock. Had he noticed that it had shifted ever so slightly?
I prayed with all my might, but the Guildmaster began slowly working the combination. No, no — if he opens it now, he'll find it empty!
Susanna's eyes, Cedric's, and mine collided in midair.
While we trembled in terror, the drawer opened after all. Discovering the empty drawer inside, the Guildmaster shook from head to toe.
“What is this!”
His roar echoed through the office.
“Who touched my drawer!”
“Hm? The drawer, you say?”
Susanna — ever lightning-fast in these situations — was the first to shift the blame.
“Come on now, who'd go messing with the Guildmaster's desk?”
“I have no idea.”
I quickly fell in behind her.
“I didn't even know there was a lock on that drawer.”
Then the Guildmaster's gaze swung toward Cedric. If this kept up, he was about to take the fall — so I gave the silent Cedric a couple of brisk pats. Only then did an excuse spill out of his mouth.
“I do not engage in dishonest acts.”
At that brazen lie, the Guildmaster's whole body quivered with rage. Then, as if picturing exactly what would happen once the ledger came to light, he bellowed:
“You're all conspiring against me!”
“Sorry, conspiring to do what?”
“You plotted to devour me and steal my ledger — I know it!”
“The ledger? What's even in it? I'm the one holding the accounting ledger, guys!”
“Ha, so that's how you want to play it, is it?”
The corner of the Guildmaster's mouth curled upward. Wait — what was this ominous feeling…?
“This is a workplace with fewer than five employees, remember? The moment I take action, there's nothing any of you can do! And while it pains me to do this, you've left me no choice.”
A bolt from the blue then burst from the Guildmaster's lips.
“You're all fired! Every last one of you!”
“……!”
“But we never received formal notification of termination.”
“Hey, you shiny-faced employee! This is a workplace with fewer than five employees — none of that applies here!”
“So the founding purpose of imperial law — protecting its citizens — is going unfulfilled. How troubling.”
Cedric looked genuinely shocked, but Susanna and I exchanged a look that said, Now what?
Just as he said — if he fired us, there was truly nothing we could do.
Rather than striking out to found a new guild ourselves, it would be far better to absorb this one and have me become its new Guildmaster.
Getting approval to establish a guild required a labyrinthine process, and considering the guild's assets and reputation, inheriting this one as-is was the smarter play.
But if the Guildmaster processed our dismissals before his own removal, there would be no way for us to return to this guild.
What do we do now?
True, we'd copied the ledger, but we still hadn't uncovered anything suspicious. If it ended like this, we'd simply be kicked out, empty-handed….
While we floundered, the Guildmaster kept going.
“You lot couldn't get hired anywhere but here!”
Ah, this was the story about each of our weaknesses that Susanna had told me before. Just as he threatened, none of us could find employment elsewhere.
And if I got thrown out of here, I'd never extract the information about the temple, either. My original plan was to join hands with the Crown Prince, blow the temple sky-high, and align myself with the original story's protagonists!
Was I really going to be cast out without even exposing the corruption? Just as I was sinking into despair, Cedric spoke.
“Then, in order to dismiss us, you will need to go to the Guild Administration Office and file a report.”
“Obviously? Hmph, not that it'll do you any….”
“We will simply file ours first.”
With that, Cedric rose from his seat and bolted out of the guild.
Susanna and I traded dumbfounded looks, then scrambled after him.
“……!”
“Stop right there!”
The Guildmaster came charging after us at full tilt. But he was an older man, and he couldn't match our youthful speed.
“Damn it all!”
Before long, his voice faded into the distance. It sounded like he was trying to hail a carriage….
“Priest Cedric!”
“We must reach the Guild Administration Office before he does!”
He didn't seem remotely tired, running flat-out at the front of the pack. This guy — his capacity for decisive action was far beyond what I'd expected. But even if we got to the Administration Office, we still hadn't found proof of his corruption!
“Haa… hah….”
Just as Susanna and I were running out of steam, a familiar voice rang out beside us.
“Hahaha, ta-ta for now!”
Oh, you have got to be kidding me. A carriage carrying the Guildmaster was passing right by. At this rate, he'd arrive first and fire us all for real.