CHAPTER 54: BURDEN OF GUILDMASTER

The warm light of the setting sun bathed the city in amber hues. Shopkeepers began to close up for the day, while others such as night vendors and tavern owners, were just opening, ready to serve the evening crowd.

On the second floor of the Dawnbloom Guild headquarters, the dusky sunlight streamed through a window, casting long shadows across the hallway.

In front of one of the doors, Ida stood silently, her gaze fixed on the sun slowly setting below the horizon. The silence was broken by the arrival of another woman, dressed in a full apron and pushing a trolley laden with plates, cups, and cleaning supplies.

"Um... Miss Ida, may I come in? It’s getting late," the woman asked softly.

Ida turned to her, adjusted her glasses, and replied, "Wait a minute."

She knocked on the door.

"Come in," a voice mumbled from inside.

Ida opened the door and stepped in. Inside sat Mirinda, slouched over a desk with her head resting on her arm. A half-empty bottle of alcohol dangled from her hand, and several more, some empty, some spilled, lay scattered across the table. Her cheeks were flushed red from drinking. She was clearly, hopelessly drunk.

It was a familiar sight to Ida. For the past seven years, ever since Mirinda became guildmaster, this had become a recurring scene, one that came every time the pressure grew too heavy to bear.

Ida walked in and nodded at the apron-clad woman, signaling her to begin cleaning the room. The woman hesitated, then quietly began her task.

"Guildmaster Mirinda," Ida said firmly, approaching her. "It’s late. Let’s get you to your room."

"What? I’m not done yet. I still wanna drink... hiccup," Mirinda slurred, hugging the bottle.

"The meeting is over. Come on, you need rest."

"No! Don’t take me away. No one’s gonna help me out there. Only this drink understands me," she muttered, grinning bitterly at the bottle in her hand.

Ida’s patience finally snapped. She grabbed the bottle, yanked it from Mirinda’s hand, and tossed it toward the cleaning woman, who caught it with a startled gasp, barely preventing it from crashing to the floor.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" Mirinda barked.

"Get a hold of yourself, Mirinda!" Ida shouted, grabbing her by the collar and pulling her forward. "You’re the guildmaster! Act like one. If you keep sulking and drinking like this, what do you think the others will say? How are they supposed to follow a leader who’s always drowning in self-pity?"

Mirinda looked into Ida’s eyes...then looked away.

"I’m a terrible leader," she muttered. "Everyone looks down on our guild because of me." She shook Ida off and slumped into her chair, burying her face in her hands.

Ida’s expression softened. Despite her frustration, she felt sympathy for the woman before her.

"It’s not all on you," Ida said gently. "We’re all in this together. Whatever’s going wrong with our guild... we can fix it. But only if you lead us."

The Dawnbloom Guild was in a dire state. The King had withdrawn all financial support. Other guilds hurled insults and mockery. Members filed complaints daily. Even the usually composed and charismatic Mirinda was beginning to crumble.

If things continued like this, disbandment was not just a possibility, it was a looming certainty. Just like other guilds that had quietly vanished in the past.

"I..." Mirinda whispered. She laid her head back down on the table, turning to look out the window.

"I’ve always hoped... always prayed... that someone, anyone, would come to our guild. Someone who could help us."

Her voice trembled. Her eyes watery with tears.

"Please, God... just one person."

---

"Alan, what do you think of the room?" Evelyn asked.

We were currently standing inside our new place, a room in a long building just a few blocks from the guild. Located on the second floor, the room was twice the size of the one we had back in Lily Town.

It had two soft beds, so soft, in fact, that my butt sank in the moment I sat down. There was also a large mirror, a spacious cupboard, and even a small kitchen. For a rented room, this was really impressive. But the highlight?

The bathroom.

It was a serious upgrade. It had a proper shower, something eerily similar to the ones from our world, powered by a magical system that activated a heating sigil for warm water. Pretty neat. And the toilet? A sitting toilet, crafted from smooth white marble. I could literally see my reflection in it. While there was no flush, the toilet had a built-in magic system that teleported waste to a poop collection center every 24 hours.

Now this is what I call hospitality.

"This is a really nice room," I said, my smile widening in satisfaction.

"Our room’s on the third floor, just above yours," Evelyn added with a cheerful smile.

"How much to rent this place?" Bob asked, now posing in front of the mirror like a narcissistic bodybuilder.

"Only 10 gold per month," the owner said with a warm smile. She looked to be in her late thirties or early forties.

"Quite expensive," Bob muttered, rubbing his chin.

The owner’s smile started to fade, but before she could say anything, I quickly stepped in. "I think it’s a fair price, Bob. Ten gold for a room like this? It’s more than worth it." I forced a grin to smooth things over.

This guy seriously has no common sense.

"Don’t you still have that stolen loot from those bandits?" Maya asked, leaning against the doorway.

"Actually... like Bob said, we lost some of that money during the monster attack, and mostly spent on my gunblade" I said, faking a smile. No way I was telling them I gave it away to the townspeople, they would just call me a show-off.

"Don’t worry, Bob," Maya said reassuringly. "Ten gold is manageable. Just take on quests every day and you’ll be fine."

What? That sounded worse than working as a salaryman back home. At least we had weekends and holidays there. Here, it’s like a never-ending cycle of work, risking our lives against monsters just to pay rent.

I was just about to tell Bob we should find a cheaper place when...

"Hm, if that’s the case, we’ll rent the room," he said to the owner.

Damn it. Looks like we’re trapped again in the hellish cycle of rent, just like in our old world, but this time, the rent is paid with blood and sweat.

Still... at least it’s a comfortable place.

"Alright, here are your keys," the owner said, smiling once more. "Each of you gets one. Rent is due on the first day of every month. If you have any issues, I live downstairs on the ground floor."

She handed us shiny silver keys, then left. We listened to the sound of her footsteps fading into the distance.

"I’m so happy we can stay in the same building," Evelyn beamed. "If you need anything, just knock."

"Let them rest, Evelyn. They must be tired from traveling," Maya said, offering us a faint smile.

"Alright. You guys have a nice rest," Evelyn said, closing the door behind her.

Bob and I got changed, washed up, and finally collapsed into the beds.

---

"Don’t you think they’ll find out about our guild eventually? They’re bound to be angry," Maya said, her voice low.

"It’s fine. We’ll make sure they join our guild first," Evelyn replied confidently.

The two of them stood on a quiet city street, illuminated by the warm glow of flames caged atop tall pillars. These enchanted flames, regulated by the city’s central magic system, cast gentle light over the cobblestone road, creating a peaceful nighttime atmosphere.

"Where’s William? Why is he so late?" Maya murmured, hugging her arms close against the chill.

"Hello, everyone."

Both girls flinched and turned around.

"William! Where did you come from?" Evelyn asked, startled.

"I was just doing some grocery shopping," William replied, glancing to the side as he struggled to balance a mountain of food and supplies in his arms.

"This much? What’s all this for?" Maya asked, eyes wide.

"It’s for our next quest. Better to prepare in advance," he said casually.

’This guy is so thoughtful. I’m really lucky he’s our leader’ both girls thought at the same time.

"So, why did you ask me to meet you here?" William asked as he placed the bags on a nearby bench and sat down.

"Alan and Bob have arrived. We’ve already picked out a room for them," Maya said.

"What? So they’re safe?" William shot up from the bench, eyes wide in relief. "Thank goodness..."

"Yes, we’ll explain everything later. But right now..." Evelyn stepped forward, her expression serious. "You know what you have to do, right? This is our only chance."

William nodded firmly and thumped a fist against his chest. "Leave it to me."

He grabbed the supplies and dashed off into the night.

The group dispersed, swallowed by the cold and quiet streets.

And so, their plan to make the guild great again, had finally begun.