#036. The Guild Union Supervisor is Too Kind (3)

#036. The Guild Union Supervisor is Too Kind (3)

The Guild Union Supervisor was sincerely moved by the noble decision displayed by Ian and Teresa’s party.

What kind of profession is an adventurer?

A 4D job where you do the work that no one else wants to do.

Dirty work.

Dangerous work.

Difficult work.

Dreamless work.

Clients always want to beat down the rewards.

The guild takes a commission for connecting requests and assigning colleagues.

Your colleagues are a bunch of unreliable b*stards, and it’s a blessing if you don’t get backstabbed.

It’s a job that’s perfect for ruining a person’s personality.

The transformation of an adventurer into someone selfish and greedy.

It’s hardly a marvel.

Like a delectable dish resulting from a recipe adhered to the gram.

Like the correct answer materializing after following a calculation’s formula.

Place a person within the adventurer’s guild, and they almost inevitably become selfish and greedy.

Because for those who don’t, survival becomes an uphill battle, leaving them broken.

-Hey, lend me some coin, will ya? I’ll pay you back, I swear! Who doesn’t pay back debts? You wanna get hit, pal? I said I’d pay you back! You deaf or somethin’?

Ripping off fledgling adventurers or those with gentle dispositions.

-Swordsmen just gotta wave their blades around, right? Any monster too tough for a sword needs magic, or you’re screwed. Unless you wanna hunt in the lowest tiers, you’re pitchin’ the tents, findin’ the firewood, and cookin’ too. Dishes, naturally. Fair distribution, you say? Go right ahead, see if you don’t end up on the mages’ blacklist.

High-value classes exploiting the less valuable.

-Replacing an adventurer like you is no problem. How dare you ask for an incentive? Those precious treasures were found with my intel, nothin’ to do with you lot. Hazard pay? Know your place. There’s more kids lining up to get your job than you can shake a stick at, even if I cut your share in half.

Grindin’ down adventurers for results, stingy with just compensation.

Faced with such unfair treatment, adventurers are almost forced to become distrustful, virulent lone wolves just to survive, to protect themselves.

If you can’t protect your money, don’t save it.

If you don’t want to be betrayed, strike first when you have the chance.

Following common sense far removed from general society, yet essential in the adventurer’s world, the naive adventurer transforms into a selfish one.

Teresa’s party was different.

They possessed the strength to think of tomorrow, not just today.

They upheld their word, even at the risk of betrayal.

Their nobility was so great, one might suspect they’d signed a contract with a knightly order instead of an adventurer’s clan.

‘Sodom Guild should have been reported immediately once their weakness was revealed to the Guild Alliance, and crushed…’

The existence of Teresa’s clan, living the idealized adventurer life he had only dreamed of, and Ian’s purity melted the Guild Alliance supervisor’s frozen heart.

“I have demanded integrity from my adventurers but I haven’t been integrity myself in my life. That past is making me ashamed today. I reflect on how ugly my selfish self is.”

“I’m selfish enough myself. I do have desires.”

What had that boy, with the saintly qualities, done wrong that he acted like a sinner?

The supervisor found himself more and more ashamed in his presence.

When they emerged from the ruins, Teresa’s clan was stunned.

Though the entrance had been empty when they entered, a horde of new adventurers was now waiting.

Some of them were even armed.

The apparent leader asked,

“Shall we?”

“Do not.”

The supervisor commanded sternly.

Only then did Teresa’s clan realize what was happening. They couldn’t hide their unease.

The supervisor immediately bowed his head in apology.

“I apologize. I deceived and tested you all. I thought that because adventurers were faithless, greedy, and wicked beings, you would certainly betray me. But this experience has changed my mind.”

As the supervisor removed his hat and saluted sharply, the waiting adventurers sheathed their weapons, lined up, and saluted in unison.

“This is Charles, platoon leader of the 1st Platoon, 5th Military Police Company, Westwood Garrison!”

“This is Rowen, platoon leader of the 2nd Platoon, 5th Military Police Company, Westwood Garrison!”

“This is Todd, platoon leader of the 3rd Platoon, 5th Military Police Company, Westwood Garrison!”

All eyes turned towards the supervisor.

The supervisor, his expression solemn, nodded, removed his hat, and spoke.

“I am Edwin, commander of the 5th Military Police Company of the Westwood Garrison. I salute your noble actions. May you never lose that integrity.”

As the supervisor and the adventurers exchanged salutes, Teresa Clan finally grasped the situation, a dawning horror on her face.

The messenger, Yuz, stammered a question.

“S-so, if we’d given in to greed in there, we’d have been dunked as soon as we came out?”

“Trained soldiers disguised as adventurers would’ve gleefully ground us to dust.”

“Humans really are the lowest of the low, huh?”

The clan members voiced their anger, but Teresa, instead of joining their anxiety and complaints, spoke the question that mattered.

“What is the purpose of revealing yourselves?”

“We wish to formally place a request. Not as a supervisor charged with mediating by the Guild Union, but as Edwin, commander of the 5th Military Police Company of the Westwood Garrison, responsible for securing the peace of this region. If you assist in eliminating the monsters within this ruin, we will share 30% of the recovered spoils with you.”

Soldiers, not official adventurers, were skilled in large-scale engagements, fighting in formation on wide terrains.

The military police company was a step closer to being adventurers than regular soldiers.

Boundary defense and patrols, citizen protection and crime suppression, security control, apprehension and elimination of dangerous individuals, and so on.

Ironically, the main targets of these crackdowns and eliminations were ‘adventurers,’ the very ones who faced and eliminated the region’s threats in place of the soldiers.

“The margrave begrudged the funds required to operate a standing army, and thus refrained from deploying troops to the smaller frontier villages, instead employing adventurers. But these faithless adventurers caused many incidents, and a military police company was newly established to control them. What occurred between us today was but one such instance.”

It was a sorrowful affair.

Saving money on soldiers created opportunities for adventurers to earn.

Saving the lives of soldiers meant the expendability of adventurer lives.

Adventurers, unlike soldiers, possessed neither a sense of duty nor responsibility.

Therefore, adventurers strayed.

Soldiers, appearing as if on cue, punished such adventurers and, without risking any danger themselves, leisurely took the sweet fruit and departed.

It was a cycle repeated countless times in this land.

Until today, before the first exception.

“What reason do we have to trust you with a request that didn’t even go through the proper channels?”

“It is a token of apology and sincerity to the young boy with the saintly character, to his parents, and to the clan. If my gesture is unwelcome, I apologize and withdraw the request, and in its place, we will share 3% of the spoils we recovered.”

Receiving 3% of the spoils without lifting a finger.

Even 3% would be considerable, such was the vastness of this ruin.

There were a significant number of treasures to be salvaged.

“Just as you are noble adventurers with pride in your profession, we too are soldiers with pride in ours. Soldiers are on the side of citizens living honest lives.”

Edwin’s sincerity reached Teresa.

“All those who trust Commander Edwin, raise your hand.”

Ian raised his hand.

The other clan members followed suit.

“Unanimously, the Teresa Clan has decided to accept this external request.”

Teresa and the supervisor shook hands.

* * *

The clearing of the ruin was completed in an instant.

There was a reason why they said numbers were power.

Having brought out all of their concealed military equipment, the military police company, while not as individually strong as the members of the Teresa Clan, fully exerted the power of the group.

Each squad, a third of a platoon, cycled between attack, defense, and upkeep.

With three such platoons covering all cardinal directions, the Theresa Clan was comfortably swept along the operation, only tasked with eliminating those foolish enough to attempt a rear ambush.

‘Once the Necromancer’s identity is exposed… someday an army like this will come for me.’

Regardless of Ian’s gloom, the Clan and the company grew closer, parting in a convivial atmosphere after their joint operation.

Commander Edwin, in his capacity as Guild Union supervisor, returned to the Union headquarters.

“The Sodom Guild presented no issues whatsoever. It is a guild of unimpeachable integrity, without so much as a trace of suspicion.”

“Troublesome. That is not what I had hoped to hear.”

“I can only apologize for failing to meet your expectations.”

“You have traveled far and worked hard; return and rest easy with your men.”

The Union Chief was considerably impressed by the Sodom Guild’s knack for winning over Supervisor Edwin, a man who not only disdained but outright loathed adventurers.

“If we cannot impose regulations on the Sodom Guild, by hook or by crook, the Capital Aristocracy will not stand for it.”

“Enough. As substantial as the Capital’s influence may be, it’s insufficient to meddle with those under the Margrave’s protection, such as us.”

Like the supervisor, the Union Chief was a soldier.

Specifically, the Provost Marshal commanding the military police companies.

The provincial military had no reason to bow to the Capital’s interference.

“Even without our intervention, the Sodom Guild is already in dire straits.”

“Why is that?”

The adjutant revealed information obtained from a spy embedded in the Capital.

“An Inquisitor has arrived in Sodom Village.”

“…!”

“If they cannot demonstrate the same integrity that swayed the soldiers to their side, the adventurers accused of heresy will not escape execution.”

“They intend to utterly eradicate Sodom Village, then…”

“Without the intervention of a saint, their fate is sealed. Wouldn’t it be prudent to issue new orders and dispatch another company, even now?”

Despite the adjutant’s repeated urgings, the Union Chief shook his head.

“Edwin is a soldier who values his honor. I will not tarnish it.”

The Guild Union stepped back from the Sodom Guild affair.