Home/How to Survive in a Good Small Guild/ch 1

Chapter 1

1. When you look into a workplace with fewer than five employees, that workplace also looks back at you, one way or another.

I can say with absolute confidence—no matter what company I ended up at, I was certain I could endure it.

Why? Because I had prior experience working at a workplace with fewer than five employees. End of explanation.

For those who didn't quite get it, let me elaborate. Originally, "workplaces with fewer than five employees" are exempt from certain labor laws to reduce the burden on small business owners.

However, some companies take this as an opportunity to become the ultimate cesspool that slips through every legal crack. They shatter common sense, commit absurd acts, and show you exactly what the worst company looks like.

"So this place is…"

I looked around with a bewildered expression.

The last thing I remembered was dozing off while working late at some god-awful company—so why did my body feel so light?

After getting up from bed and thoroughly examining my surroundings, including a mirror, I came to one conclusion.

Just like the typical romance-fantasy plot, I had possessed someone.

"Alright, not bad."

I had no particular attachments to my previous life. My parents passed away as soon as I became an adult, I got a job at a trash company, my personality soured, and I lost touch with all my friends...

So I figured I might as well treat this as a new opportunity and enjoy my new life.

I rummaged through the memories of the body I now inhabited. Luckily—or unluckily—faint traces remained.

"Odrette Lavendel, twenty-one years old."

Unfortunately, she wasn't a noble's daughter but a commoner. Still, she had a small house in her name and a job she went to every day.

She worked at an information guild.

Odrette Lavendel, much like my original self, had lost her parents and inherited only a house. She then got a job at an information guild and lived a busy life—until she apparently died from overwork, and my soul took over her body.

An information guild... I don't know a thing about that line of work. Wait a minute.

While pondering how to adapt to this new life, a startling realization struck me.

What if this is the world of a romance-fantasy novel I've read?

Most possession scenarios take place in a romance-fantasy world with an "original story." So maybe I just haven't noticed yet, but this world could very well have an original story too!

If so, then knowing the future of this world would make me perfectly suited for working at an information guild!

That's it. The information guild I belong to is going to soar.

My memories weren't entirely clear, so I couldn't quite recall what kind of information guild it was, but either way, I was confident I could make it the best information guild in the world.

An information guild—well, it's usually like this:

"Give me a martini with an olive in it."

"How did you know that code?"

You go through secretive procedures like that to get in.

"I'd like you to investigate someone."

"This person... even we wouldn't dare touch them."

They get entangled with all sorts of big shots—crown princes, northern dukes, saintesses—and act as their allies.

Great! First, I'll figure out which world this is, and then I'll use my knowledge of the original story!

If this world doesn't have an original story, that'd be a shame... but even so, I could use romance-fantasy tropes to gather information faster than others, right?

It's a pity I can't enjoy a luxurious life as a noble lady like the typical romance-fantasy heroine, but still, I was ready to embrace this new life with joy.

Anywhere is fine as long as I'm out of a workplace with fewer than five employees! Woohoo!

Time to head to work?

Following Odrette's existing memories, I put on light clothes and headed to the information guild.

But it's not very secretive, is it?

Unlike the information guilds in typical romance-fantasy novels, the place I worked at had its name boldly displayed right in front of the office.

<Global Information Network Guild>

And why does the name sound so tacky? It's like a startup-wannabe trash company.

Tilting my head in confusion, I stepped inside the information guild. Under dim lighting, I saw three people already seated.

Are these my team members?

As I fumbled through faint memories, wondering how to greet them, someone snapped at me.

"Why are you coming in at this hour?!"

"...Guild Master?"

Fortunately, I recognized his face.

The Guild Master, a middle-aged man in his forties. The very epitome of a boomer.

"Uh... it's ten minutes before work starts, though?"

"Does it make sense for a newbie to come in later than me?!"

"I'm sorry..."

"And now you're putting your bag down at your desk the moment you walk in?"

"Huh?"

"Don't you know what you're supposed to do?"

"Um... what do you mean?"

"I told you to make my coffee the moment I arrive!"

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

I bowed my head once more.

Right. The Guild Master of the information guild where Odrette Lavendel worked wasn't some cool, mysterious figure—he was just a boomer.

"Miss Odrette! You're here?"

"Yes, yes?"

A man who looked slightly older than me spoke to me. Rummaging through my memories, this person was...

"Assistant Manager, do you have something for me?"

"Hahah! Today is the day our information guild will spark a great revolution! I've scheduled three meetings today, so get the preparations done ASAP and in a hip way!"

"Oh, uh... sure."

Right. The Assistant Manager was a villain overflowing with passion—the type who stirs up work and makes his subordinates do all the heavy lifting.

He even thinks he's young and trendy, constantly throwing in weird foreign words and buzzwords.

"Three meetings today!"

"Yeah, great..."

Avoiding his gaze, I scurried off to brew the team leader's coffee, when the last woman seated at her desk called out to me.

"Odrette, Senior Staff!"

"Oh, Susanna, Senior Staff..."

Susanna, my same-level coworker. She was...

"Hehe, you'll get mine too, right? We're peers after all!"

"...Sure."

"From the looks of it, the Guild Master seems like he'll leave early today... and I don't think I'll finish my work by then, so could you take over some of it? I'm planning to leave on time!"

"Excuse me? What about me?"

"Huh? That's not important. The important thing is that I leave on time!"

"..."

Wait, something feels off.

Only then did the memories of the original Odrette Lavendel become clear.

The boomer Guild Master, the passionate Assistant Manager, the MZ-generation Senior Staff, and me.

One, two, three, four. Holy crap—it's another workplace with fewer than five employees!

Yes! Now I remember! It wasn't that we were divided into teams—this guild was just the four of us total! Which means even in this life, I'm stuck in a workplace with fewer than five employees!

No way. I have to work in a place with fewer than five employees again? With these villains?

Since every guild member was nothing but a villain, it's no wonder the original Odrette Lavendel worked herself to death! And she was a complete rookie with zero know-how!

That's right—according to my memories, Odrette Lavendel never finished compulsory education, so she didn't have the credentials to get a proper job! That's why she ended up at this trash company!

After briefly denying reality, I approached the Guild Master to confirm the situation.

"Um, by any chance, how many paid leave days do I have left?"

"Paid leave? What are you talking about? Did you have a dream? There's no such thing as paid leave here."

...According to Odrette's memories, the word "paid leave" did exist in this world.

"What about weekly holiday pay? Overtime pay? Minimum wage?"

"Odrette, get a grip. You looked tired yesterday—did you eat something weird..."

The Guild Master clicked his tongue.

"Our guild is a workplace with fewer than five employees, so none of that applies!"

"...!"

Holy crap!

Finally, I realized it.

Even in this world, I was working at a workplace with fewer than five employees—legally unprotected!

"If you care about that stuff, go work for the prime contractor. Don't expect anything while working for a subcontractor."

And on top of that, a subcontractor for a trash company? Whoever this prime contractor was, they'd probably dump all sorts of unreasonable work on us while looking down on us!

"Aaaargh... yes, sir..."

"Go get my coffee!"

"Senior Staff Odrette, mine too!"

Half-zombified, I brewed coffee for the Guild Master and Susanna, then returned to my seat.

"..."

There, a mountain of work dumped by the passionate villain Assistant Manager awaited me.

I stared at it blankly for a long while. Should I just quit?

But I don't have any career experience.

It's only been two months since I joined—if I quit now, I wouldn't even get credit for the experience.

"Aaaargh..."

Sitting at my desk, I agonized for a long time.

A workplace with fewer than five employees again? A trash company? Not some cool information guild from a romance fantasy, but a guild full of crazy villains—and I'm a Senior Staff member?

Then, as I writhed in despair, my eyes snapped open.

"Hey, you've been acting a bit strange ever since you joined that weird company..."

"Even so, isn't that too selfish toward your teammates?"

"No, is that really how you act at work? You're saying some really weird things."

In my previous life, I endured a workplace with fewer than five employees for two years.

And during those two years, I learned one thing:

When you look into a workplace with fewer than five employees, that workplace also looks back at you.

Eighty percent of what made me who I am is thanks to Mr. Park Geo-seong.

Recalling the name of the CEO of that trash company I worked for in my previous life, I smiled.

Human trash company, now commencing operation.

I was confident I could perfectly adapt to this insane trash guild.

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