Home/How to Survive in a Good Small Guild/ch 50

Chapter 50

Cedrian looked down at the sword with cold eyes. They were even trying to pin a murder charge on him now.

The other guild members looked at him with worried eyes, but Cedrian wasn't the least bit concerned about this situation. As long as he left this residence alive on his own two feet, everything would be over.

Once he returned to the palace as Cedrian Elbaron rather than Cedric Alte and instructed Eric, Viscount Hartfield's house would be destroyed.

Secretly developing military supplies was already a serious crime, and now they were trying to pin a murder on someone else as well... if he gave the order, everything would be resolved.

It might take time to prove, but with such clear witnesses and evidence, it wouldn't be a major issue.

Though the Temple will cut ties, so I won't be able to implicate them.

After thinking calmly, Cedrian made his decision. He would touch this sword and leave the residence.

Since the guards were also reluctant to kill, Viscount Hartfield couldn't possibly harm all of them himself.

"...Understood."

As he answered and reached for the sword, at that moment—

"Wait!"

A hand grasped the hilt before his. That hand gripped the sword firmly, as if leaving fingerprints, again and again.

"Anyone can do it, right? I'll take it. Let's say I killed him."

Seeing Odrette Lavendel's face as she said that, Cedrian was momentarily dumbfounded.

---

It would be bad if Cedric got stuck with a murder charge.

He was a social newcomer with nothing to his name, and he wouldn't receive any help.

Of course, my situation wasn't much better... but I was the Guild Master, responsible for my subordinates, and I also had a connection with the Crown Prince.

So it was better for me to take the fall for the sake of the aftermath.

"Anyone can do it, right? I'll take it. Let's say I killed him."

As I said that and grabbed the sword, everyone stared at me in shock. Susanna and Morian in particular looked at me as if they were moved.

"Hah, well. You certainly care about your colleagues."

Viscount Hartfield said with a deflated look, then gestured to me.

"Fine, that's enough. If you report this, I'll present this sword as evidence."

"Yes, I don't want to be branded a murderer either, so I won't report it."

At that moment, the basement door opened and guards rushed in.

"We have a problem, Viscount! Sir Adrian Vane, the retired Imperial Knights Commander, has stormed the residence with his men!"

"W-what?"

"Apparently there's illegal activity—what does this mean? We should report this to the Imperial Family..."

"No, don't report it!"

As Viscount Hartfield shouted, a familiar man appeared behind the guards with a sword in hand.

Sir Vane skillfully knocked out the guards with the pommel of his sword, then saw us tied up and raised the corner of his mouth.

"Well, well. I was wondering what was going on. It seems I was right to come to your aid."

"Sir Vane!"

That's right. Earlier, when I'd pretended to call the Temple from the reception room, I'd actually been asking Sir Vane for help.

"Yes, we're currently visiting Viscount Hartfield. I'm calling about the military supplies matter. I understand you heard about the near-exposure due to the internal traitor last time—now there's another problem. Another mercenary has learned about this. There's a risk the Temple could be implicated as well. Yes, yes."

I'd hinted at our location and the general situation, and included the keyword "Temple" as well. I'd thought that Sir Vane would understand the situation and come to our aid. He was the most powerful person I knew, and as a former Imperial Knights Commander, he stood on the opposite side from the Temple.

"Military supplies and illegal detention? I'll make sure to pass this along to the current Imperial Knights Commander as well."

"No!"

At Sir Vane's words, Viscount Hartfield's face turned pale. Sir Vane cut our ropes, and the others looked at us with bewildered expressions.

"What's going on..."

"I called Sir Vane for help earlier. From the reception room."

"Ah! So that was really Sir Vane!"

The guild members looked at me with sparkling eyes. Rakal went out to find Orion.

While Sir Vane's companions reported to the Imperial Family and prevented the servants from fleeing, I explained the situation to my guild members.

Morian looked at me with admiring eyes.

"Still, wasn't it dangerous to leave your fingerprints on that sword?"

"I'm the Guild Master. It's right that I take the risks that could endanger others."

"...Is that really the only reason?"

Cedric, who'd been silent, looked at me with wavering eyes.

"To protect me, you sacrificed yourself..."

"No, it wasn't a sacrifice. I knew Sir Vane would arrive."

"He might not have arrived in time."

At that, I answered in a cool tone.

"Cedric, learn this lesson. We're an information guild, and information never betrays us."

"Excuse me?"

"That sword I touched looked incredibly heavy. Even Viscount Hartfield, an adult man, held it with both hands, and his arms were trembling. But wouldn't it be strange for an adult woman like me to kill someone with that sword one-handed?"

"Ah...!"

"Even if Viscount Hartfield reports me as a murderer, the fingerprints on that sword will actually serve as evidence that he threatened us. It's obvious that an adult woman with no muscle tone couldn't have swung that sword one-handed to kill someone."

Cedric looked dazed, then nodded.

"That's true, that's very true..."

"Information will never betray us."

"Since Sir Vane is here, the Imperial Family won't attack us, right? I was worried they might side with Viscount Hartfield, who's of higher status and a noble."

Morian still seemed worried about me, so I reassured him.

"No, I trust the Imperial Family. They are just."

I couldn't exactly say I had a connection with the Crown Prince, so I gave that vague answer, but Cedric's gaze shifted once more.

"You're truly a wonderful person, Guild Master."

"Excuse me?"

"You're so responsible, so intelligent, and above all..."

His brown eyes gazed at me.

"To trust the Imperial Family this much... I didn't know there were still people who believed in justice..."

"Haha, well. I suppose so?"

"...I look forward to working with you, Guild Master."

Cedric looked at me with different eyes than before. He seemed to have been greatly moved by this experience.

"That's definitely that, right?"

"Same idea."

"That's confirmed."

"Complete fell-in-love."

Susanna and Morian started whispering to each other again. Were those two having an office romance or something?

---

"Sigh..."

"Your Highness, did something happen today? Why are you sighing so much?"

When Cedrian returned to the palace early and let out heavy sighs, Eric looked at him with unfamiliar eyes.

"This is serious—I don't know what this feeling is."

"That's love."

"I haven't even explained yet?"

"His Majesty the Emperor instructed me to say that when this situation arises. As expected of the Sun of the Empire, he sees through everything."

But Cedrian, who would normally have snapped at such nonsense, was quiet. He seemed to be pondering Eric's words. Eric was so surprised by his own words that he asked.

"Is it really love?"

"No, it's not... No..."

Cedrian began to ramble.

"At first, it was respect. To sacrifice herself that way for her subordinates—what an exemplary figure. As the Crown Prince of the Empire, I thought I should learn from her and become a wise ruler. That's what I should learn..."

"Ah, yes."

"But then the next thing she said made me feel strange for some reason."

"What did she say?"

"She said information never betrays us, and she rationally and logically explained why she was fine..."

"Yes."

"That sight was shocking. I don't know how to describe it..."

Even before Cedrian, Eric grasped the situation. This was more than worthy of being called love. He'd thought Cedrian had been acting strange lately, and it had come to this after all.

"But the moment my heart raced the most was the very end."

"The end?"

"She said she trusts the Imperial Family! She believes in the Imperial Family's justice!"

"Excuse me? You fell in love because of that?"

"No one's ever believed in the Imperial Family's justice like that before... Nobles criticize us for being rigid, and commoners show no interest..."

"Yes, yes..."

Cedrian, who'd been rambling, suddenly looked like he'd realized something. It was exactly the expression of someone who'd finally sorted out his own feelings.

"...I see. That's what it was."

"Wh-what?"

"Whether the information source is suspicious or I need to extract information—none of that matters anymore. I won't approach her for those reasons anymore."

"Surely..."

Eric looked at Cedrian with an expression that seemed to wonder whether he should find this exciting or try to stop him.

Finally, the long-awaited words came from Cedrian's mouth.

"Yes, I know what this feeling is. I'll keep staying at the guild. As long as I can be with her, I don't care what work I have to do."

I knew it. As expected, His Majesty the wise Emperor was never wrong.

Eric nodded, thinking that, while also feeling uneasy.

This is really love, right? It seems a bit insane for love though.

But he couldn't bring himself to say to his boss, who'd just realized his first love, "You know, it looks more like Stockholm Syndrome than love"—so Eric swallowed those words deep in his throat...

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