The Guild Master of Terror
"...Sorry about this, you lot. Once you've paid off all your debts, I'll buy you a meal sometime."
After waiting a long while with no sign of the Guild Master entering, Jian glanced around before quietly addressing us.
"If his pride's been wounded this badly, a single meal probably won't cut it."
"Judging by the state of things, by the time we finish paying everything off, we won't even have enough for a bowl of popcorn."
As with most promises lacking a deadline, the reaction wasn't exactly enthusiastic. Meanwhile, Laverre maintained her planned silence, though that very quietness seemed to make a statement of its own.
"Ha. They said it was a sure thing, so I bought in just once. And look how that turned out."
Jian began a half-hearted lament. Normally the type to stay silent in situations like this, his willingness to speak now suggested he truly had nothing left to say.
"No matter how certain it seemed, only an idiot would borrow money to invest in something for the first time. This is what happens."
Karena wasn't about to let such a perfect opening slip by. She added a pointed jab.
"That's not why we went into debt, you know? After being recognized as the holy sword's owner, I took out a small loan expecting future income. We just couldn't repay it."
Normally Jian would have brushed it off with something like "There she goes, throwing another fit," but this time he seemed genuinely indignant and attempted a rebuttal. Starting a fight at a time like this was hardly wise, yet Jian lacked the composure to realize it.
"Same difference."
"Hey. Who could've predicted the holy sword would just vanish? It's just rotten luck."
Jian had likely anticipated what came next, but Karena was aiming for a drawn-out battle and immediately followed up.
"Rotten luck, sure. Everything started because someone couldn't clean up their own messes."
Jian moistened his lips, clearly debating whether to say more. But then the sound of the door opening rendered the dilemma pointless. At the metallic click of the handle, everyone quickly straightened their postures. We'd agreed beforehand to look as pitiful and formal as possible, but that was easier said than done. All we managed were stiff, rigid poses.
"What now?"
The voice carried the distinct scent of cigarettes—unmistakably the Guild Master's. Our reunion with him needed no visual confirmation to be certain, yet seeing his face made the impression all the more striking. His face was etched with wrinkles like the bark of a dead tree, dotted with dry age spots, yet it didn't feel lifeless. No—it wasn't about impressions at all. The moment I laid eyes on him, my entire body seemed to freeze, my hair standing on end. This man possessed an aura that could stiffen anyone with nothing more than a glance.
"Greetings, Guild Master."
"You brats. What is it this time? What kind of mess did you make that all four of you are here, huddled together?"
The Guild Master opened with his usual finger-pointing greeting, no different from before. One might expect a person's presence to mellow with age, but the Guild Master remained as vigorous as ever. A pity, really.
"Well... it's not that..."
Even Jian stammered. I understood. Despite years of guild affiliation, anyone standing before this man became a fresh recruit all over again. The gap in experience was simply too vast.
"'It's not that' my ass. You came here because you need another favor, didn't you?"
"Yes."
Jian reluctantly nodded.
"Damn brats. How many years have you lot been around, and you're still running to me with every little problem?"
Jian squared his shoulders, put on a solemn expression, and approached the Guild Master.
"We're sorry."
Then he bowed deeply, revealing the crown of his head. The Guild Master strode over and sat cross-legged on the sofa.
"What is it?"
Barely ten seconds had passed since we entered, and our carefully laid plan was already in shambles. Our postures had grown even stiffer than before, and I doubted anyone still remembered the script we'd rehearsed all night. Ah—except Laverre, who remained perfectly silent, as if she remembered every word.
"...We came to ask if you could delay the tribute payment."
"These little bastards..."
The Guild Master grabbed a stick from the side of the sofa and raised it high. Since he'd never actually swung it before, we offered the expected flinch, and he returned the stick to its place.
"Have you all lost your minds?"
Jian had managed to speak to the end, but it proved futile before this man. He couldn't form a proper sentence for quite some time, his gaze gradually sinking until he was staring at the floor.
"How long have you been around, asking to delay tribute payments?"
"This time, our circumstances are truly dire..."
"Every single time it's 'truly'! If I collected every 'truly' you've said, I could write a whole book! How many reports about you lot have come up, and you still feed me this nonsense?"
I lifted my head and asked the Guild Master.
"...Reports?"
"That's right! Especially you, Henry!"
The Guild Master pointed a finger at me. My heartbeat climbed up my neck and blocked my throat.
"You can't use magic anymore, can you?"
"...No."
He watched me in silence. These wordless moments were the most difficult.
"If I approved you lot, wouldn't the others feel wronged? Especially those who run around with mages. Wouldn't they?"
"...They probably would."
"Am I the one who's twisted here? Huh? Answer me!"
"...No."
"See? You knew this was an unreasonable request from the start!"
The truly terrifying part was that I had no desire to refute anything he said. It wasn't that I couldn't find a flaw—it was that I didn't even try. We had already lost to this man.
The Guild Master continued speaking for some time. We offered only the occasional murmur of acknowledgment. Roughly thirty minutes passed this way.
"...Hah."
He let out a heavy sigh before adding,
"Henry. You can't use magic. Do you have any alternatives?"
"There's something I can use right away, but I'm also looking into other methods. If I could have a bit more time..."
"Enough with the excuses. What's available right now?"
"There is something. It's not what it used to be, but... yes."
Once again, he said nothing. What was he planning to say this time?
"Let's do this."
I swallowed without realizing it.
"You handle one quest alone."
"An A-rank quest? That's..."
"Are you insane? Why would we assign you something like that? B-rank, solo. That's the level. Do that, and I'll overlook this month's missed tribute payment."
Jian spoke up cautiously.
"Is there a reason you specifically chose Henry? If you need someone for a quest, it doesn't have to be him—any of us could..."
"Listen here, brat. If the committee questions this later, I need to be able to say it was justified. With him in this state, do you think he'd even be able to speak properly?"
"...You're right."
Jian and I exchanged glances. 'At this point... well, that's that.' Our eyes conveyed the sentiment clearly.
"...Then we'll be on our way."
"Listen carefully! If you don't return in two weeks, this conversation never happened! Got it?"
"Understood!"
The door soon closed. Footsteps and muffled voices followed. After a moment the sounds faded, leaving only a single set of footsteps. The footsteps grew louder until they were swallowed by the sound of the door opening.
"How did it go?"
It was the Vice Guild Master who entered, carrying a steaming cup of green tea that looked freshly poured.
"How do you think? I said what needed saying and kicked them out."
"Honestly. You're too harsh on Jian. At their level, the committee wouldn't even nitpick that much."
"Hah. Listen to this. Harsh? If the situation weren't so strange these days, I would've just given them a disciplinary slap on the wrist and sent them off to rest."
The Vice Guild Master walked slowly into the reception room and began rummaging through a cabinet.
"There you go again, saying things you don't mean. You like Jian's group more than anyone."
"Aigoo. Our Vice Guild Master is spouting nonsense again."
The Vice Guild Master finally found what he was looking for. "Found it," he said, pulling out a sugar bowl. He picked up a cube and dropped it into the teacup.
"You're putting sugar in green tea again?"
"It tastes good."
"Crazy bastard. Green tea is best drunk plain."
The Vice Guild Master approached the window with a leisurely gait. Outside, Jian's party was bickering as they left the building. He watched them.
"Still, the fact that you're seeking them out in times like these means you acknowledge their skills, doesn't it?"
"It's because the situation is unusual that we're calling in all the high-rankers. It's not special treatment. And right now, we can't afford to turn away capable people just because we're being picky about skills. You know that better than anyone, Akan."
"Well... that's true."
The four of them disappeared from the Vice Guild Master's view. Soon he too moved away from the window and headed for the door.
"Besides, they're too young. Far too young to be living bound by past glories."
"Hah. You brat! You're still fresh-faced yourself! Stop talking like some old man and get back to work."
The Guild Master also rose from his seat and returned to his office. On the desk sat a stack of documents with worn edges. Though he thought little of it, the Guild Master picked up the documents once more to review them. The title read:
Report on the Bias of Recent Special Incidents