The First Shot of the War
At those words, Cedrian found himself picturing someone's face before he could stop it.
But instead of the clichéd Damn it, why on earth am I thinking of that woman?, he accepted it with remarkable speed.
She has a bit of a lunatic streak, sure, but there's no denying she's spectacularly competent at her job.
His imperial consort would, after all, be a partner bound to share his political destiny. He needed someone trustworthy and capable.
And as a member of the guild, it was only natural that he respect and follow his guildmaster….
Wait a moment. Aren't I the crown prince?
He was genuinely appalled to realize that his identity as a guild employee had just overpowered his identity as the heir to the throne. Apparently he'd been living and breathing work a little too much lately.
While Cedrian was lost in his tangled thoughts, the Emperor quietly observed him and reached a conclusion of his own.
If I leave him be, it won't be long before I hear that he's fallen in love.
In truth, he had no intention of pressuring his son. Cedrian was his only child, with no rivals for the throne, so there was no need for him to marry into one of the great houses anyway.
Whoever Cedrian took up with would be a noble lady regardless. A modest noble family actually suited him fine — it meant no powerful in-laws on the consort's side to contend with.
And so the Emperor resolved to simply watch with interest, whatever noble daughter his son brought home.
If my boy has truly fallen in love for the first time, the symptoms will start showing themselves soon enough.
"Now then, I have an announcement to make today."
With everyone at work that morning, I called my guild members to attention.
Ah, the eyes all fixed on me. There really is nothing quite like the heady taste of power.
Granted, my power extended over exactly three people… but the crown prince who hired us must command far more of it than this? I'm genuinely envious.
"What's the announcement? Is it another raise?"
Susanna asked, her eyes sparkling, and I hastily changed the subject. Yes, I'd given everyone a raise, but our guild was still, at its core, a glorified sweatshop — we couldn't hand out salaries like the big conglomerates did. Prolonging that conversation would only cost me.
"We had agreed on a one-month probationary period, but as of today, I would like to appoint Assistant Manager Morian as a full-time employee."
At that, Morian pushed up his glasses as though he hadn't seen it coming.
"Me?"
"Yes. Assistant Manager Morian demonstrated real competence on this latest commission, and I've judged you to be exactly the kind of talent this guild needs. I'd like to work with you going forward."
The fact that what truly sealed my decision was the pitiful state of the house Morian lived in — well, that could stay our little secret….
When I'd slipped the landlady some money yesterday, she had promised to keep her mouth shut about my visit, scrubbing the whole affair from her memory. She sounded so sincerely devoted to money that I actually believed her….
"Congratulations, Assistant Manager Morian."
Cedric offered his congratulations lightly, and Susanna did her usual flustered fanfare.
"Assistant Manager Morian, are you buying lunch today?"
"No, I'll just pick something up on the company budget…."
There was no way I could ask the man to treat us after seeing the state of his home. Fleecing a fresh hire out of his own money — that would make me no better than Mr. Park Geo-seong.
"Then how about at least a few words?"
When Susanna pressed him, Morian rose from his seat. He was a man of few words at the best of times, but today, for some reason, his expression was grave with resolve.
"I am thankful and glad to be working with all of you going forward. From now on, I will personally monitor every flow of information, and should any risk arise, I will eliminate it. I pledge to pursue nothing but the truth and to become an exemplary member of the Global Information Network Guild."
Hmm, he even knows how to deliver a speech like a proper executive. The man's executive presence was truly off the charts.
Anyway, we all gave Morian a round of applause. After the two walking HR disasters we'd been through, Susanna and Cedric looked genuinely pleased to have him aboard.
"Let's grow together, and grow well."
Even as I said it, my mind was churning over what to report to the Temple.
The rules required that whenever we recruited new talent, we also report to the Temple some weakness that would prevent the person from ever leaving this guild.
The only weakness I knew of in Morian was that he didn't have much money… would the Temple actually approve that?
I refuse to get as nasty as our former guildmaster and go digging for dirt on purpose.
In the end, I had no choice but to talk the Temple into accepting that one weakness.
After lunch, I set out for the Temple alone.
Cedric asked if he could come along, but I told him no. I wasn't about to invite him into that pit of demons.
Upon arriving at the Temple, I ran into Priest Charles — the man I had sworn, one day, without fail, to destroy.
"You hired a new guild member?"
"Yes, we've expanded our headcount."
"What a waste of budget."
"We have no plans to grow beyond this."
"Hmmm…."
Priest Charles tilted his head back with an air of arrogance as he skimmed the personnel dossier I'd handed over.
"So what's the weakness that keeps this — what did you call him — from leaving the guild?"
"He is… catastrophically short of money."
"Bah! That's the kind of problem you solve by getting a job somewhere else! He could move to a better company tomorrow!"
"Perhaps, but his finances are in no state to allow that right now — he couldn't prepare a job change even if he wanted to. I did some reconnaissance on the house this employee lives in, and the conditions were, frankly, dire."
"Of course they were! You expect some subcontractor's hire to buy a house in the capital? Living in a dump is exactly what people like him deserve!"
I felt a powerful urge to introduce my fist to Priest Charles's mouth.
"Go back and find me a real weakness!"
"And if there isn't one…?"
"Ugh, do I really have to spell it out for you?"
He glared at me, eyes bulging.
"Make him take out a company loan and tie him to this guild, obviously! Once he's got a company loan hanging over his head, he can't quit!"
"Our guild offers company loans?"
I asked in genuine astonishment. We had the funds lying around to underwrite loans? This guild, this glorified sweatshop?
"Hah, surely you didn't think we'd leave something that trivial to handle on our own?"
"Oh! So you're saying the Temple itself will provide the company loan?"
"Don't make me repeat the same thing twice! I can approve something like that on my own discretion, any time!"
"Yes, sir."
"So even if he doesn't want a loan, you make him take one!"
To borrow Cedric's phrasing: this was truly an indefensible business.
For the moment I nodded along meekly before him, but my brain was already spinning at full speed.
No. I can't let this slide any longer.
I'd been humoring this dim-witted Priest Charles, flattering his ego and using him where I could — but enough was enough!
When under attack, attack first.
Murmuring our guild's motto in my head, I allowed a faint smile to curve my lips.
Priest Charles — as of this moment, you're out.
"Assistant Manager Morian, I'd like a word with you."
Back at the guild, I called him in.
"You're aware that our guild has a superior company above us — that we take subcontracted work, yes?"
"Yes, I got that."
"That company is the Temple. We're the Temple's subcontractor."
"Wow."
Astonishingly, Morian looked quite pleased with himself.
"A subcontractor for a power that enormous? This guild turned out to be a better deal than I expected."
Well, the people of this world didn't yet know about the Temple's crimes….
"Mm, but there's one thing I need to ask you. Do you happen to have any weaknesses?"
"I'm sorry — weaknesses?"
Morian stared at me as if I'd lost my mind.
"Who on earth self-reports their own weaknesses?"
"Fair point…."
This guy — sharp exactly when it's inconvenient for me.
"Then from this moment on, I will be assigning you your weakness, Assistant Manager Morian. Listen carefully."
Meeting his blue eyes over the rim of my glasses, I spoke.
"Assistant Manager Morian once engaged in drunk horseback riding. That is why employment at any other company is, in this story, impossible for you."
"What possible… reason is there for such a story?"
"Nothing will ever be done to harm you. But commit this to memory: if anyone from the client company comes asking about your weaknesses, you tell them you can't get hired anywhere because of the drunk riding incident."
"I do not… understrand the purpose of this."
"That's the only way you can protect yourself. If you have no weakness, pretend you have one anyway. Later, if someone actually tries to exploit it, that's when you reveal there was never anything there to use."
Morian still looked like he hadn't grasped a word of it, but I patted him on the shoulder.
"Just remember what I said."
Afterward, I sent a letter to Priest Charles.
It said, in short, that I had failed to get Morian to take out a company loan.
By tomorrow or so, Priest Charles would come storming into our guild in a towering rage.
And that — that was the first shot of the war.