The Corrupt Guildmaster, Expected by the Female Guildmaster
~Cassandra Farain~
“It’s unforgivable, that man! To show such rude behavior to Cassandra-sama when you came all this way just to warn him!”
As soon as we stepped into the alley, the boy slammed his right fist into his left palm in anger. The adventurer acting as my bodyguard—Wilx. When I passed by the spot where he had been waiting, he hurriedly followed after me.
“Don’t be angry. You’d show hostility too if someone tried to steal a job from you, wouldn’t you? Well? If someone tried to take my bodyguard request away from you?”
“U-uh, that would be… I’d hate it!!”
Wilx puffed up his shoulders so exaggeratedly that I could almost hear puff-puff sound effects.
“Then understand. This job is an enormous opportunity for Zilkein-chan. About as important to him as guarding me is to you.”
When I patted Wilx’s head, his face turned bright red and he quieted down. Good, did he understand what I meant?
Next, Wilx looked up at me with an expression that practically begged for permission. Innocent eyes, so very boyish. Lovely, really. Eyes still full of limitless possibility. Depending on how I raise him, he’ll either shine like a jewel… or fall to a stone by the roadside.
As I was thinking that, Wilx predictably said the very words I expected.
“Cassandra-sama? Can I enter that selection exam too?”
“No, Wil. You can’t. You’re in the middle of fulfilling my bodyguard request, aren’t you?”
“Whaaat!! But I wanted to go and smash all those Luminage Guild adventurers to pieces!!”
Wilx stomped the ground in frustration. Fufu, even though he has strong skills, he’s still a child. That makes him easy to handle, which is why I keep him close. But once he sulks, he becomes troublesome. Perhaps I should stroke his ego a little.
“I think very highly of you, Wil. Otherwise, I would never assign a child like you to protect me. Try to think about that properly, okay?”
“C-Cassandra-sama…!! Don’t tell me you… think about me like that…!?”
Wilx’s eyes sparkled. He immediately interprets everything in a favorable way, watching that is truly amusing. Very entertaining to tease.
So I decided to say something that would make him cry a little. I would tell him my taste in men. Show him clearly that a boy like him could never win me over. Discipline is important. I must ensure he doesn’t grow arrogant and become some worthless adventurer.
“I like adult men who can earn plenty of money for me.”
“Gaaah!! No way…! Even though I love Cassandra-sama this much…!!”
“A love that blossoms on feelings alone exists only in fairy tales.”
“Then, then what should I do…!!?”
Such a serious tone. In his own way, Wilx is earnest about me. Once he grows, he will change his infatuation quickly enough, but for now, I’ll make use of his feelings. So he can become a jewel.
“Study properly. This selection exam will be worth several times more from the outside than from taking it yourself.”
Wilx tilted his head, unable to understand.
“Why?”
“Because you’ll see Zilkein-chan’s skill firsthand.”
“Grr!! I don’t understand what’s so great about that man!! He’s just a stuck-up, annoying jerk!”
His vision is clouded because of me. Well, on the day of the exam, he’ll see.
Even so…
Zilkein Oldray.
The old him could never have done this. When I once tested him during a negotiation, I thought he was nothing but a petty man. But the current him is different.
He sent off Bash Lamilton, leader of the A-rank party Red Dragon’s Wings, on a “training journey” across the lands to raise the guild’s fame.
Now Bash Lamilton is so well-known he has the title “Bash the Wanderer.” Naturally—he’s an A-rank adventurer. His quest completion rate is high as well.
… Ordinarily, no Guildmaster would ever let go of an A-rank adventurer. Why? Why was he able to do something like that?
On top of that, the Luminage Guild has overtaken my Ilios Guild in the number of registered adventurers, becoming the largest among the Western Five Great Guilds.
And he exposed the corruption of the guild administrator Raltos, gaining favor with the local lord…
His capabilities are, to be frank, abnormal. As if he lacks common sense for this world.
But because he is so capable, other guildmasters have begun to fear him. Left unchecked, he will surely become the spark that ignites a faction war among the Five Great Guilds.
“… When that happens, which side will I choose, I wonder…”
“Hm? Did you say something?”
“Nothing at all~”
I patted Wil’s head and boarded the carriage that was waiting. I instructed the coachman to head for the village near Luminage—the village where an adventurer party was already waiting.
“Wil, for the selection exam, I’ll have the A-rank party Fangs of the Great Beast participate.”
“What!? Zeiss-san’s party!? Cassandra-sama, you really do plan to steal that quest!!”
Yes. With the strength of Zeiss Rikelssen—renowned as the strongest in the Ilios Guild… I’ll see it for myself, Zilkein-chan.
The true ability of the adventurers under you.
And whether you truly are a Guildmaster with charisma.
Whether you are a man who can earn money for me.
The selection exam… I’m very much looking forward to it.
What do you think about this chapter?
