Home/How to Survive in a Good Small Guild/ch 32

Chapter 32

"Why can't you do things properly!"

Sure enough, the next morning, Priest Charles stormed into the guild office with a red face.

Susanna, who already knew the Temple people, signaled to Cedric and Morian to greet him. Priest Charles's gaze turned toward them.

"These two must be the new hires."

"Yes, Assistant Manager Morian and Senior Staff Cedric."

"Hey, just because you became Guild Master, do you think I'm easy to push around? Does my word mean nothing to you?"

Then Priest Charles signaled to me—to move to the reception room so the guild members couldn't hear.

After moving to the reception room, he unleashed his anger at me again.

"I told you to make him take a company loan!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. He wouldn't listen..."

"Even if he won't, you make him!"

Priest Charles yelled at me.

"That's how you get leverage!"

"I'm sorry, but you said you'd help facilitate the company loan using Temple funds at your discretion. I must have mishandled it."

"Yes, I clearly..."

At that moment, the reception room door opened.

"......!"

Priest Charles, who turned toward the door, turned pale.

A woman with long blond hair and a star-shaped yellow hairpin had appeared.

"Ah, High Priestess Aria!"

Charles flustered and bowed. I also inclined my head slightly.

I didn't expect a High Priestess to show up in person.

Yesterday, at the same time I'd sent the letter to Priest Charles, I'd also sent letters to higher-ups in the Temple.

The gist was that Priest Charles was misappropriating Temple funds for his own purposes.

The Temple wouldn't actually offer company loans.

Could that corrupt Temple from the original story possibly have such welfare benefits? From what I'd experienced, the Temple itself was a black company.

Priest Charles had said he could handle it "at his discretion." He was definitely using the budget through loopholes.

So I'd sent letters so that other priests keeping an eye on Charles would bite this bait.

I didn't expect it to reach a High Priestess, though.

I had no way to send letters to the Temple's highest-ranking people.

So I'd used a shortcut.

I visited a restaurant near the Temple—one that advertised that even the Temple ordered delivery from them often.

And I paid an employee there a small fee to run a small errand.

That errand was to slip my letter into the "most expensive menu item ordered alone."

Whoever ordered that would surely be someone of high rank.

And it actually reached a High Priestess!

"Aria..."

The woman addressed as "High Priestess Aria" by Priest Charles stared at him quietly.

"What's this? Why are you groveling? You haven't done anything wrong to me. Lift your head."

"W-well..."

"Originally, managing the subcontracting guilds was your job. Acting like this in front of a subcontractor won't save face."

Huh? It seemed like she was taking Charles's side...

"Even if you did misappropriate Temple funds without our knowledge. Since when did we have company loans? Haha, I found it fascinating since it's the first time I've heard the term. I didn't even know such a system existed—you should have told me sooner!"

Never mind. She was brutally roasting him.

Aria was the undisputed master of the backhanded compliment delivered with a smile.

As her barrage continued, sweat began to pour from Charles's face.

"Should I report this to the High Priest?"

"Aria, please, just this once...!"

"You don't think of me as some Temple thief, do you? Surely not. Haha!"

"N-no!"

"Oh, Charles. This is no time for this. You must be busy, so hurry back to the Temple. I'll take care of things here."

"What...?"

"Haha, you'll probably be demoted to a lower priest. You should go pack your things from the office, shouldn't you?"

She was truly impressive.

Charles left the reception room with a tearful face.

Now only Aria and I remained. I kept my head bowed before her.

"Your name?"

"Odrette Lavendel. Guild Master of this guild."

"Right, Guild Master Lavendel."

She got my name right? That alone made her far more likable than that Charles bastard.

"You're more capable than I thought."

"Thank you."

"The way you used your means to deliver the letter too. Did you find out in advance that I like the chargrilled cream rose pasta?"

...There were other people besides Susanna who ate that menu item?

"No. I just chose the most expensive menu item."

"Sharp mind..."

She smiled and looked at me.

"The problem originated from trying to keep employees' weaknesses on record, right?"

"Yes, but I've already secured weaknesses myself, so there's no problem."

"I see..."

Aria looked at me with a calculating expression.

"A subcontractor guild master, capable, brave... just what I need."

"......"

"I have a proposal for you."

Aria extended her hand to me. When I hesitated, not understanding her intent, she spoke.

"Would you like to become an intern priest of the Temple?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's only an internship. The gap between an intern priest and a lower priest is vast. But as an intern priest, you'll receive pay and gain opportunities to be recognized as part of the Temple."

This was a complete opportunity.

For someone like me, who'd been trying to figure out how to obtain Temple information and pass it to the Crown Prince, this was the perfect chance!

"How could I..."

As I demurred out of politeness, Aria spoke as if granting a favor.

"It's a freelance contract, so you get paid for the work you do. Work more and you'll earn more; work less because of your guild duties and that's fine too."

Ah, a freelance contract... I had a feeling the pay per job would be less than minimum wage.

Anyway, I pretended to think it over, then took Aria's hand.

"This is such a gracious offer. I'll gladly follow High Priestess Aria's will."

"Haha!"

She laughed brightly, shook my hand briefly, and left the reception room.

The guild members stood up nervously. They glanced alternately between me and Aria.

"The new hire?"

"That one."

When I pointed to Morian, Aria asked casually.

"I heard the Guild Master found out your weakness?"

"Excuse me? ...Ah, I have a history of drunk horse-riding, so getting hired is impossible..."

"Haha, that figures! Alright! Keep up the good work at this guild!"

Aria waved her hand and left the guild.

Now it was just the guild members left in the office. Relieved that it had gone well, I slumped into my chair.

"Sigh..."

"Guild Master!"

Just then, Morian looked at me with strangely gleaming eyes. The always poker-faced Morian was making that expression?

"I'm touched!"

"Excuse me?"

"I heard everything from inside—some priest was angrily shouting! About making me take a company loan..."

"Ah..."

"So you were protecting me from having to go through that!"

"Well, yes..."

I looked off into the distance with a vague expression.

I couldn't bring myself to say it was because I felt sorry for his pitiful apartment, so I gave a vague answer.

"Assistant Manager Morian, you're my guild member no matter what anyone says..."

"Goodness, that sense of ownership."

This time, Cedric chimed in.

"That's exactly the attitude to emulate. The resolve to protect one's subordinates even in difficult circumstances. A textbook example of kingship."

"......?"

"I respect you, Guild Master."

"Uh, sure..."

What was up with Cedric, who was usually so unresponsive?

I felt a bit awkward, but Cedric was looking at me with genuinely moved eyes. Morian was the one directly involved, but why was Cedric...

Why is he like that?

He's always had poor judgment, remember?

I shot a look at Susanna, but that's the only answer I got back.

Well, I'd gained the trust of my guild members, so I suppose that's a good thing...

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