Home/How to Survive in a Good Small Guild/ch 53

Chapter 53

At those words, Seraphine frowned. I seized the moment and quickly spoke.

"I never intended to help the Imperial Family. In fact, I had other motives."

But at the same time, I felt doubtful.

'That wasn't exactly the Imperial Family's weakness, was it?'

As soon as I'd arrived at the office, I'd called Cedric and asked him to bring documents, but those were meant to prove that I hadn't helped the Imperial Family.

They weren't the Imperial Family's weakness.

'Did Cedric exaggerate?'

Cedric knew about the relationship between the Temple and our guild, so he must have judged that I was in danger.

I was worried that Cedric might also be in danger, but Seraphine sighed and said.

"Since she's from our subcontractor guild anyway. Bring her in."

"Here...?"

"...It's better to go back outside."

Apparently thinking it was too risky to show the deeper parts of the disciplinary room, Seraphine led me back to the entrance of the disciplinary room where we'd started.

Internally, I cheered at escaping that dreadful place.

We remained in silence, just Seraphine and me, when she suddenly asked.

"Aria has been protecting you..."

"......"

Seraphine and Aria were in a factional rivalry. I couldn't dare talk about Aria in front of her, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Do you happen to have ties with Lower Priest Charles?"

Instead, I asked that question, and Seraphine snorted.

"Me, with that imbecile?"

Hmm, it seemed Charles had no backing.

Good. Once I got out of here, I'd definitely take care of that bastard.

Just then, breaking the awkward silence, Mid-level Priest Lize appeared.

Behind her was Cedric, looking around the disciplinary room nervously.

"......!"

Cedric's face brightened upon seeing me, but then his expression turned serious when he saw me sitting as if confined in the disciplinary room.

"This is..."

"Shh."

I signaled for Cedric to be quiet. He looked dissatisfied but closed his mouth.

"You brought documents?"

"...Yes."

Cedric silently handed the documents to Seraphine.

"This is..."

Seraphine's eyes widened as she read through them.

"This states that during the investigation of Viscount Hartfield, the Crown Prince directly intervened and pressured the Viscount coercively, even though the evidence was insufficient."

"......?"

What? How did this happen? Wasn't that genuinely damaging to the Crown Prince?

I panicked and looked around, but Cedric appeared remarkably calm. Where on earth had he gotten that information?

"Good. If you were trying to obtain this kind of information..."

Cedric gave me a look. Reading his intent, I spoke up to avoid the immediate crisis.

"Yes, that... that's what I was trying to obtain. I was never trying to help the Imperial Family."

"Fine, this is enough..."

Seraphine gestured to Lize, who opened the door to leave the disciplinary room.

"You may go."

"Thank you, High Priestess Seraphine."

Just as I bowed and was about to leave, Seraphine's voice stopped us again.

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"Let me see that employee's face."

Out of the blue, Seraphine called out to Cedric, who calmly met her gaze.

They stared at each other for a moment.

"...No. I thought his face looked familiar, but I must have been mistaken."

Seraphine waved her hand again.

Before she could change her mind, I quickly left the disciplinary room with Cedric.

Mid-level Priest Lize said that since Cedric was an outsider, he had to leave immediately, so I quickly asked him.

"Cedric, what happened?"

"I..."

"Those really were the Imperial Family's weakness? What's going on..."

"Th-that! Someone came to the guild. And they said that if you were in danger at the Temple, I should hand over these documents. His name was Eric."

"Eric?"

I stopped pressing Cedric.

Wait—Eric was the Crown Prince's aide who appeared in the original story, and whom I'd met before.

Had the Crown Prince anticipated I'd be in danger because of the Temple and made preparations in advance? By handing over his own weaknesses?

"I don't know the details, but Eric also told me to pass along a message: this much information is a risk he can take, so do what you need to..."

"......"

"I, I didn't understand the meaning of his words, though. Is he on the same side as you?"

Cedric still seemed unaware that the Imperial Family was on our side, but I understood from his words that the Crown Prince had helped me.

In other words, the Crown Prince had risked being spoken ill of to save me from the Temple's crisis.

"Sigh..."

"G-guild Master? What's wrong?"

"It's just... I'm so grateful to someone. I don't know how to repay this kindness..."

"That person will also be grateful for your hard work."

"Excuse me? Do you know who I'm talking about?"

"N-not that, but you're always working hard, Guild Master."

Watching Cedric awkwardly try to comfort me, I was truly moved by the Crown Prince.

He wasn't a cold-blooded male lead like in the original story—he was someone who cared for his subordinates more than I'd expected.

"I'm moved..."

"G-guild Master. But."

Cedric glanced at me and asked.

"Why were you in that place earlier? It said 'Disciplinary Room'..."

"Ah, I almost got disciplined, but I got out fine. Don't worry."

"What kind of discipline was it..."

"Hmm, that's confidential, but it wasn't that dangerous. Just a salary cut and a written apology, something like that."

I couldn't worry my subordinate, so I gave Cedric a vague answer.

"Then you should go now, Cedric."

"Excuse me? What about you..."

"I'm a lower priest here. I have work to do."

I reassured Cedric and sent him toward the South Gate.

"I have something I absolutely need to take care of..."

Charles, you're finished now.

---

"Wh-what!"

When I returned to the office safe and sound, Charles looked at me as if he'd seen a ghost.

I looked at him and spoke confidently.

"Ah, it was nothing. I was framed for daring to help the Imperial Family, our Temple's enemy... but it turned out that I had actually brought back Imperial information instead."

"What!"

Charles screamed in surprise, but the other lower priests moved faster.

"Really? You extracted information from our enemy, the Imperial Family?"

"Yes, in fact, High Priestess Seraphine acknowledged that achievement and sent me back."

"Oh..."

The lower priests' eyes toward me were filled with respect.

"By the way..."

I casually asked them.

"The Imperial Family is our enemy, right? Has anyone here actually been harmed by them..."

I wanted to know where their excessive faith came from—whether they'd truly been victimized by the Imperial Family.

But the answer that came back was:

"It's the result of interpreting the great Prophet's scripture!"

"The scripture says so, hahaha!"

Hmm, I see. They were just ordinary cultists.

After confirming once again that the Imperial Family in this world was on the side of the righteous male lead, I took a moment to reflect on myself.

'I've been too complacent.'

Even as Guild Master of Arclight, I hadn't faithfully followed our guild's motto.

Strike before you get struck.

Yet I'd nearly been framed by Charles. So even if it was late, I needed to counterattack.

"Oh, by the way..."

I smirked at Charles.

"High Priestess Seraphine said she wouldn't let the one who provided baseless information and made things difficult for her get away, you know?"

I had Aria as my backer.

In this situation, Aria would gladly step forward. Why?

'Because she can attack Seraphine for nearly punishing an innocent person!'

Before coming here, I'd met with Priest Olson. He would have passed the word to Aria...

"Hey, Lower Priest Charles!"

Sure enough, Mid-level Priest Olson opened the office door and entered.

"High Priestess Aria has summoned Lower Priest Charles to the disciplinary room!"

"What? That means..."

"For the crime of slandering a colleague, fostering distrust in the Temple, and hindering morale—three days of discipline!"

Goodbye, Charles.

Enjoy copying the scripture to your heart's content.

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