How to Survive in a Good Small Guild — Episode 3
"What are you thinking about?"
"Ah, that's…."
The crown prince seemed to grow suspicious at my sudden silence, so I hurried to fill the air with chatter.
"Sir, you look like a man of considerable means. If I manage to crack this case, might I ask for a small favor in return?"
"I have already promised you proper payment."
"Of course, of course. But I'm just a low-level employee working for a salary, and my circumstances are… less than ideal. And frankly, sir, the fact that you've come all this way to uncover someone's identity tells me you must be rather desperate."
"……."
"Is that really too much to ask?"
"Let me hear what it is first."
"Oh, it's nothing difficult."
If I'd come right out and offered to double as a double agent for the crown prince, he'd have smelled something fishy from a mile away.
After all, he had come to our guild with his identity concealed, and as far as he knew, I had no idea who he was.
So the natural play here was to get him thinking, Audrette Lavendel is a trustworthy sort.
And what favor would serve that purpose? An investment in our guild? Priority access to his business whenever a commission came up?
Unfortunately, our guild wasn't yet at a level where it could ask for anything that ambitious.
"Please fund an expansion of our guild building and build us a bathroom."
That was our guild's current level, right there.
"…Fine. I'll build it."
For some reason, his voice sounded like it was directed at a pitiable creature — probably just my imagination. No, actually, I was legitimately pitiable.
"In any case, sir, I promise I'll have the information ready by your next visit."
I continued in my brightest, most cheerful voice.
"Shall we say three days from now, at this same hour?"
***
After the crown prince left, I threw myself into digging through the records.
I already know the person he's looking for is the novel's heroine. The real question is how to connect the dots in a way that actually holds up.
If I just insisted out of nowhere that his target was Lady Cagliard, the heroine of the original story, I'd only look suspicious.
She must have used an item to change her appearance….
If I could find a sales record for an appearance-altering item — one that disguised the user's hair and eye color as black — I could tie it back to the heroine.
I researched the relevant laws and found that appearance-altering items were legally required to have their sales recorded and reported. If so, tracing the heroine's trail shouldn't be hard at all.
And yet….
Why isn't anything turning up?
I went all the way to City Hall to pull records, then combed through every single sales log for appearance-altering items — and not one transaction had any connection to the heroine!
"Audrette, I'm heading out for the day, and here you are not even bothering to say goodbye. What are you doing?"
"Have a good evening, Guild Master."
"Haha, that's the spirit, Audrette! And do take good care of the work I assigned you!"
"Yes, sir — you mean refill the break-room snack shelf with my own money. On it, as always…."
"Audrette, could you tell the Guild Master that I stayed late working before I clocked out?"
"Why would I… *sigh*. Fine, whatever."
After sending off those three villains one by one, I sat alone at my desk and sank into thought.
The guild the crown prince had visited before surely combed through the appearance-altering item sales logs too. Which meant that the trail came up empty for them as well….
What am I missing?
I spun my pen in circles, racking my brain — and then it hit me.
Right. Reporting and recording sales is the rule of law here, and legally that's correct. But…!
There existed a place where, because no one ever came to audit, businesses could slip through the cracks of the law with graceful ease.
The infamous Workplace with Fewer than 5 Employees!
If it was a workplace with fewer than 5 employees, they wouldn't have kept any sales records for appearance-altering items at all!
Granted, a shop that small was essentially a rogue outfit — an X-company — so landing something as weighty as an appearance-altering item in the first place would be a long shot….
Still, one or two exceptions are bound to exist.
I began scribbling a list across the paper in quick strokes. Cross-referencing the original Audrette's memories with my knowledge of the novel, one workplace with fewer than 5 employees stood out as exactly the kind of place the heroine might have bought an appearance-altering item from.
The Nightzel Merchants' Guild!
It appeared in the novel as one of the heroine's allied factions… and while appearance-altering items were normally handled only by the great merchant houses, Nightzel had originally been spun off from one of them.
It seemed I'd finally found the thread. Yes! All I had to do now was gather the evidence rock-solid before the crown prince returned!
***
"So — did you find your answer?"
"Yes, sir."
I stood before the crown prince and handed over the documents with a confident smile.
"This is the sales record for appearance-altering items from the Nightzel Merchants' Guild. They never reported it to City Hall — but they did keep records of their own."
"They failed to report it? I assumed they'd used an appearance-altering item and tasked my investigators accordingly. But failing to report is against the law, is it not?"
"The Nightzel Merchants' Guild is a workplace with fewer than 5 employees. Nobody ever audits them."
"You can't be serious…."
The crown prince, who had surely never contemplated the depths of an X-company in his life, fell into a voice of pure shock.
"Still, they kept records in case someone filed a complaint. When I showed up, they insisted they'd simply been a little late in reporting. In any case, thanks to that, I got the sales history. Small guilds like theirs sell almost exclusively through personal connections, but… here. This is the one worth your attention."
"Fina Lorendal?"
"The Lorendals are a vassal family sworn to House Cagliard."
"Then that would mean…!"
"Someone who procures an item this expensive in secret and erases all traces of it is most likely tied to House Cagliard. You mentioned that the person seemed to be of high standing, given the absence of calluses on their hands — and since no gender-altering item has been reported anywhere, that can only mean…."
"Lady Cagliard!"
"Yes. Without a doubt."
Though I couldn't see his face, I could feel his flustered confusion all the same.
"But why would Lady Cagliard…."
"I stopped digging further, in case you were about to ask — deducing your own identity seemed beyond my station. Whatever remains is a matter for you to uncover yourself. If there's anything more you'd like to know, feel free to commission us again."
"…No, learning the identity is help enough."
"Then, sir, as promised…."
"I know. I'll build the bathroom."
The crown prince muttered in a voice that had turned bemused all over again.
"Strange — by law, buildings used for commercial purposes are required to have bathrooms…."
"We're a workplace with fewer than 5 employees."
"That damned workplace with fewer than 5 employees!"
My research revealed that in this world, workplaces with fewer than 5 employees sat far, far outside the reach of the law — even more so than in my old world. And yet my previous company had at least managed to install a bathroom….
"I've prepared everything in writing here as well. Read it and please dispose of it."
"Understo… hm?"
The crown prince's voice shifted subtly as he took the documents.
"Did you write this yourself?"
"Yes, sir. Is something the matter?"
"I've never seen this format before."
"Ah."
I'd written it in the template from my old company, so it must look strange to someone from this world.
"It's my preferred format."
"I see. …Very well. As promised, I'll double your payment for a job well done."
"Thank you, sir. Please do come again."
It was money that would never actually reach my hands, but I bowed with impeccable courtesy anyway.
I returned to the office and got back to work, and a short while later, a hand tapped me on the shoulder.
"Guild Master?"
"Audrette, was it you who landed this commission? The client left an absolutely staggering sum."
"Ah, yes. I…."
Just as I was about to nod, a familiar voice cut in.
"Audrette helped me sooo much!"
Susanna declared it in a voice brimming with confidence.
"I did pretty much all the work, of course, but having Audrette's help really saved the day! Thanks, Audrette! Hohoho!"
"So this was Susanna's assignment?"
"Yes, it's mine, isn't it! It's written in the ledger and everything!"
"Hmm. Susanna, is it…."
Feeling the Guild Master's eyes light up as they turned toward Susanna, I felt crisis closing in.
No. Absolutely not. I could not let my credit get stolen.
Working at an X-company had taught me one bone-deep lesson:
When you get results, you toot your own horn! Even if you did one unit of work, you had to spin it as ten. That was how you survived!
A dozen thoughts flashed through my head in the space of a few seconds, and I opened my mouth.
"Hm? Susanna, I think you're confused. The Guild Master is asking about my commission right now. I handled this one entirely on my own, you see."
Before Susanna could shamelessly snatch the credit, the decisive words slipped from my lips.
"Weren't you off doing something else at the time? Say, that… what was it again…."
"AAAAGH!"
Out of nowhere, Susanna let out a scream that rivaled a soprano's high note. The startled Guild Master clapped his hands over his ears.
Watching her, I smiled sweetly. Since transmigrating into this world, I hadn't merely taken on the crown prince's commission. I had also investigated Manager Susanna's dirty little secret.