The Corrupt Guildmaster Trains the Original Protagonist
I instructed Aron to stay and sent the other adventurers home from the guild. Bash left with his party members, seething with anger.
While the receptionists were doing the guild’s closing duties, a slender woman approached. A woman who walked gracefully, her long blonde hair swaying. Emidia, who doubles as both our receptionist and my secretary.
She came up to me and pressed her hands together, bowing deeply.
“Today your response was truly wonderful. I, too, could not accept that one-sided banishment...”
This woman had told me, even though I’d only just reincarnated yesterday, something about having awareness as a guildmaster. In the original story she gave the impression of being an over-capable secretary who was blindly loyal to the corrupt guildmaster… basically a minor character. She wasn’t explored in depth.
A sub-character whose thoughts I can’t read… I don’t know what effect she might have on my attempts to change the original story. For now I’ll play along.
“Of course. A guildmaster must uphold order.”
“…!? Ah, Zilkein-sama. At last…! You have awakened to the responsibilities of a true guildmaster…!”
Emidia began to cry a little and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. A true… what on earth does she mean?
This woman… is she the type to blindly worship Zilkein?
“Even if everyone spoke ill of you, Zilkein-sama, I had always remembered the dream you once told me—the dream to ‘truly guide everyone as a guildmaster.’”
What is that story? There wasn’t a single line about Zilkein’s past in the original, was there? Apparently there was some episode with the secretary I didn’t know about… surprising.
“Zilkein-sama… I am so happy…”
Her eyes looked like she truly believed in me… No good. That throws me off. If she clings to me like this, who knows what’ll happen. Time to move to the next stage quickly.
“… By the way, Emidia. I’m leaving town now with Aron. Take care of the guild until the appointed day.”
“What? It’s already night. Where on earth are you going?”
“The Death Forest.”
“The Death Forest!? Why would you go to such a place!?”
The moment I said the word Death Forest, Emidia recoiled with a shocked expression. It might be a bit exaggerated, but people in this world generally react wildly. Guess that’s normal.
The Death Forest is where the original Aron wandered after being exiled. There he fought monsters to survive, and Aron’s skill awakened. In the original it took him more than three months of fighting in the forest, but I know the method. I’m going there now and I’ll awaken Aron myself.
“It’s for Aron's training. To beat Bash in the duel I’ll need to bring out Aron’s power even if I have to be a little rough.”
“Bring out his power…?”
Emidia looked puzzled. Explaining it would be a bother. I’ll just say something ambiguous and leave her confused.
I turned my back to her and glanced at her from the corner of my eye—let the cryptic character say cryptic things.
“Watch closely, Emidia. What you will witness now will be a fragment of legend. Be grateful you can be present for it.”
Leaving Emidia behind, I exited the reception. Phew, I don’t like women whose thoughts I can’t read. That should keep her from asking questions for a while.
I called to Aron waiting in the dining hall and flung open the guild doors with force.
“S-so handsome… Zilkein-sama… Emidia will serve you for life…”
As I left the guild, I thought I heard Emidia mutter something.
◇◇◇
The Death Forest lies to the north of the city of Luminage where the guild stands. It’s a dangerous land where powerful monsters roam.
Because a valley separates it from the city, there’s little risk of monsters heading into town, but adventurers generally avoid operating in this forest. The original Aron would never have wandered in if he hadn’t been mentally cornered.
We stopped the carriage at the forest entrance and plunged into the deep. Aron would do most of the fighting. Zilkein himself is a former adventurer and could handle combat, but it’d be pointless unless Aron did the fighting. I resolved to support Aron, using the healing potions I had prepared.
“Grrrr!!”
“Ugh…!? It’s fast…!?”
A Death Wolf—the monster most common in the Death Forest—barely missed biting Aron. A wolf’s claws grazed his shoulder, and blood began to seep. A Death Wolf alone is as large as a bear and extremely fast. At this rate he’ll be overwhelmed…
I called out to Aron, who was concentrating on evasion.
“Aron. Use buffs. Focus the strength enhancement on your lower body, then cast the speed buff twice.”
Following my instructions, Aron activated the enhancement magic. His movement speed increased noticeably; he charged the Death Wolf, dodged its fangs, and plunged his sword into its belly.
“Gyaaaaaaa!!?”
A howl echoed through the Death Forest. The wolf thudded to the ground.
“Amazing…! I didn’t know I could do something like this…!?”
Aron stared at his hands. He’d used only a minimal amount of mana so he shouldn’t be feeling tired yet.
By concentrating the strength-enhancement spell on the lower body and combining it with consecutive speed-enhancement spells, you can achieve an effect similar to an advanced speed spell with little mana. It was the workaround for support magic that Aron discovered in the original. I taught it to him and had him learn it through combat.
Aron already had the basics. If he learned how to use his power properly, he could make significant progress within three days. My guess was correct.
“This is the power you naturally possess. I only gave you the trigger.”
In truth I was merely passing on the ability he had already gained. So does that make me Aron's cheat? Ironic.
Whatever. I have no need for heroic deeds. I only need to protect my wealth and status.
“No, no, it’s all thanks to you, Guildmaster! You saved me and trained me like this… I can’t thank you enough.”
Aron thanked me profusely. Ugh… I still can’t get used to it. People in this world are too straightforward about their feelings. It makes me itchy.
After a round of thanks Aron sheathed his sword.
“But… now I won’t lose to Bash…!”
His expression was resolute. He seems closer to the Aron of the original now that he’s gained confidence.
But—
“Not yet.”
“Huh?”
“Bash is stubborn. He’ll find any loophole to overturn a normal victory. At worst, even if you get through the duel, he might sabotage your quest and try to kill you.”
No, he would. That’s what happens.
In Volume 2 of the original, after losing to Aron, Bash sets a trap during a quest to try to kill him. That’s when he truly earns readers’ hatred and becomes unforgivable.
Then comes Aron's awakening. With that, we can eliminate the nuisance. What I want Aron to do is show Bash an overwhelming difference in power. Make him see it, push him to the brink of falling into darkness.
And for me, the real game begins after the duel. I’ll manipulate Bash skillfully. Obstacles must be completely removed.
But for now, focus on training Aron.
“Let’s finish this break and go further in. By the end you’ll fight the lord of this forest.”
“The lord…!? What is it!?”
“A monster that petrifies creatures with a single glance and takes lives—the Basilisk.”
“Wha…!?”
Hearing the name Basilisk, Aron visibly paled and sweat slid down his cheek. It was an opponent encountered unexpectedly in the original—dangerous, fought many times until its weakness was found and it was finally defeated.
But I’m here now. If I convey the countermeasures, there should be no problem.
I expected to be more afraid in combat myself, but with Zilkein’s consciousness integrated with mine, I’ve become accustomed to this world’s realities. There is no fear.
No—instead I’m fired up. My anger about my fate pushes me forward more than fear. Anger becomes fuel. I’ll use that now.
“Get fired up. I’m going to give you something worth risking your life for.”
“Something worth risking my life for? What is it?”
I patted Aron’s shoulder to raise his morale a little.
“The legendary skill ‘God Possession.’ I’ll awaken the talent sleeping within you and summon a god into your body.”
A look of surprise and expectation lit Aron’s eyes.
What do you think about this chapter?
