Home/How to Survive in a Good Small Guild/ch 20

Chapter 20

"Cedric! What do we do?"

The moment I called his name again, he exchanged a few words with a merchant up ahead, pulled a pouch from his pocket, and tossed it. Then he mounted a horse.

"......?"

What? He could ride a horse too? He reached down and pulled me up. Before I knew it, I was on the horse with him.

"What about Senior Staff Susanna...!"

"I'm getting on too!"

Then Susanna took a horse from the merchant and mounted it as well.

"You can ride a horse?!"

"I got to try it as a promotional offer when I wrote my essay!"

Amazing. On that swaying horse, I received the accounting book from Cedric.

"Assistant Manager Odrette, you need to analyze it. I trust only you."

As Susanna and Cedric rode like mad to catch up with the Guild Master, I felt motion sickness creeping in.

Still, I held on and focused on analyzing the accounting book. Then, I spotted several suspicious entries.

· G-Dream Root Business Group: 10,000,000 pesos

· Guild Innovation Voucher: 8,000,000 pesos

· Guild Independence Hope ZERO to HERO Project: 12,000,000 pesos

"This is...!"

I lifted my head. I understood now.

"I've figured it out! We just need to get there!"

"Yes! Faster, please, Senior Staff Susanna!"

"Okay!"

Fortunately, we reached the Guild Administration shortly. The Guild Master had taken the main road, but we'd cut through the alleys, so we were faster.

Bursting into the Administration office, I held up the accounting book and waved it.

"Look at this!"

"What is it?"

Susanna didn't understand, but Cedric, who seemed to have caught on as well, shouted.

"Government-supported guild projects!"

"Government support?"

"Yes, these are definitely projects where the government provides funding to small guilds."

"The Guild Master must have taken the money from these projects and embezzled it!"

"Wow, how did you know that?"

When Susanna asked, I answered as if it were obvious.

"Just look at these tacky names!"

"I've heard of government support projects... Excuse me? You said tacky?"

"Of course. Government-funded projects are famous for having tacky names. Look at this—ZERO to HERO? What even is that?"

"...Yes, I suppose."

Cedric seemed somewhat deflated, but I didn't care.

"The guild name is weird too! Global Information Network Guild! They just stuffed it with words the government likes to get funding!"

"Ah, that's right! Why do governments get so obsessed with those words?"

"Governments are just tacky like that. Anyway, he must have embezzled the money from these projects! Let's dig deeper!"

As a result, we found suspicious expenditure records in the accounting book.

"What's this? He spent 3 million pesos on that stress training thing?"

"4 million pesos for a translator... When did we ever use a translator?"

"6 million pesos for a tax accountant! That's ridiculous! I've been doing all the number crunching!"

At this rate, we had enough justification to remove the Guild Master. Most importantly, embezzling government-allocated funds was something even the Temple couldn't easily overlook.

"Pant! What?"

Just then, the Guild Master's voice came from behind again. He had arrived at the Administration by carriage as well.

But we were faster. Cedric had already taken a number, and ours was called.

"Number 189!"

As soon as the staff member's voice rang out, Cedric dashed over with the accounting book.

"I'm reporting a crime!"

"Excuse me? What, what...?"

"I'm reporting embezzlement! Government guild support funds have been embezzled!"

"Ugh!"

Even as the Guild Master rushed toward him, Cedric shouted without hesitation.

"G-Dream Root Business Group! Guild Innovation Voucher! Guild Independence Hope ZERO to HERO! I'm reporting embezzlement!"

Wow, how did Cedric memorize all those cringey project names?

"This is unjust! Please correct it!"

Watching the Guild Administration buzz with activity as staff crowded around, I smiled.

Goodbye, Guild Master! This time, I'm really going to release that stress-relief balloon!

And so, the Guild Master came under investigation. The guild was noisy for a few days, but we were able to remove him directly.

"No! Even if you remove me, this guild building is mine!"

"Didn't you receive this guild building through the G-Dream Root Business Group?"

Cedric replied in a cool tone, showing unusual interest in the tacky government support projects.

"This guild building is not the Guild Master's personal property—it belongs to the guild as a legal entity."

"But what about my severance pay...!"

"Hoho, what are you talking about? We're a workplace with fewer than five employees, so there's nothing like that!"

Susanna waved her hand cheerfully at the Guild Master, as if she'd been waiting to use that line.

After the Guild Master was removed, Susanna and Cedric signed the papers appointing me as the new Guild Master.

But of course, things didn't end there.

Because... the remaining task was to report the full story to the Temple and obtain approval for me as the new Guild Master.

---

Haah, at least I'd managed to avoid the original story's bleak future to some extent...

On the carriage ride to the Temple to report, I fell into thought alone.

Susanna had come along to testify, but she was headbanging to music on her small phonograph. She never changed...

Anyway, does this mean I won't end up in prison?

Once I became Guild Master, I'd have no superior above me. Even if the Temple issued orders, I'd have room to maneuver as I saw fit.

And I'd have better access to Temple information, so I could provide more intel to the Crown Prince.

I recalled Odrette Lavendel, the original story extra. Her dialogue probably amounted to about ten lines in total—half of which were things like "I've brought the materials," "I've found out," and "I'll report."

And at the end, she despaired when exposed as a Temple spy...

Ah, there was that.

The reason Odrette Lavendel became a Temple spy in the original story was also quite absurd.

She had a beloved man, and she made that choice to protect him.

Well, unlike the original Odrette Lavendel, I have no intention of playing out a romance movie here.

Besides, the man described as "Odrette's beloved" was a commoner with black hair and brown eyes.

By the color-combination laws of romance fantasy, he was probably just an ordinary guy—sorry to Odrette, but with my goal of survival, there was no room for falling for a man.

As I was lost in thought about the original story, the carriage stopped.

"Assistant Manager Odrette—or should I call you Guild Master now? We're at the Temple!"

"Please keep calling me Assistant Manager for now. You never know what they might nitpick."

I looked at the Temple entrance as if staring into the gates of hell. Since we weren't Temple insiders, we had to use the South Gate.

Ugh, the memory of being dragged here and working all night still lingered in my mind...

As we waited at the South Gate as arranged by the letter we'd sent, the mid-level priest Charles from before appeared.

"So, Ms. Lavender? And this is..."

"Susanna Herb."

"Ms. Herb."

Damn it, why couldn't he remember my name properly!

I held a strong grudge against Priest Charles from last time, but I had to suppress it and act composed.

"So, the previous Guild Master committed embezzlement?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Come inside and talk. Whether it'll be worth hearing, I don't know."

Watching Priest Charles's irritating back as he walked ahead, I gritted my teeth. I'd bring him down too, one way or another.

"So annoying. He gives off the vibe of someone who takes out his frustrations on younger, lower-ranking women because he's at the bottom of the priestly hierarchy."

Susanna whispered beside me in a very small voice, and I wholeheartedly agreed.

But I had to get through this gate to be recognized as the new Guild Master.

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