Chapter 108: Chronicles of the Vadenhaag guild, part 1
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
「Are we going to beat up enemies today, Rodje-chan?」
「Well, Meiri… you’re still wet around the ears. I can’t imagine this guy assigning you such a quest…」, advised Rodje.
She cast a glance at me who was sitting behind the counter.
「Don’t look down on adventuring, Meiri.」
Kukuku, laughed Lyla, who was perched on the little princess’s head. According to her, Rodje had played as a support most of the time, speaking up every now and then but ultimately leaving Meiri to carry the quest.
「Then what about a subjugation quest…?」
「Don’t try to act smart!」, exclaimed master and servant together.
Leyte had entrusted us with taking care of Meiri. Even with Rodje and Lyla around, there’s no way I’m letting her do anything reckless.
「There’s a small ranch on the outskirts of the capital. We’ve received reports of someone rustling the sheep and horses out there, and they need someone to perform guard duty.」
All one has to do is stand there and keep a lookout.
「Do I get to beat up bad guys?」
「Ah, yeah. If they come for you.」
The quest will span two days. If bad guys do come during that period of time, then it’s just her luck, or the lack thereof.
「I got this, Roland!」
「I believe you do.」
「Mhm!」, said Meiri with confidence.
She left together with the two ladies. The more quests she does, the more chances we get to promote the guild and its adventurers to the populace, I thought. I turned around to see a colleague from the Lahati branch pointing at the back.
「It’s my shift now.」
「Oh, time’s up?」
It had already been arranged for Iris and I to meet some government officials. We had also prepared a progress report to be presented to Leyte.
「Let’s go, Roland」, said the branch chief.
「See you later!」
With Milia cheerfully bidding us farewell, we began to ascend the gentle slope that led to the castle, which we entered after receiving clearance from the now-familiar guards.
「If Leyte-sama had planned for this to take place in the morning, we wouldn’t have to make a round trip」, lamented the branch chief.
「As a queen, she’s bound to be busy.」
「Right… her role isn’t purely ceremonial. It must be tough for her…」
The employees that had come to Vadenhaag all seemed to have gotten used to living in the castle, for fancy dishes no longer had any visible effect on them.
We entered the designated conference room and took a seat. Almost immediately, two government officials that we had spoken to on multiple occasions entered as well. One had a slender face while the other was plump.
We were informed that Leyte would be late, so we took the initiative to brief them first. I handed them the report we wrote the previous day and gave a detailed explanation of the daily routine of the guild. However, I couldn’t tell whether they understood anything or not, because they remained dead silent throughout the entire briefing.
「As you can see, we have quite a few requests at present, and this number is projected to increase. Therefore, we would like to add more people to our ranks.」
This was something that Iris and I had previously agreed on.
The plump official took the report and flung it onto the table.
「What happens after you increase the number of employees? Are we paying for it?」
「That is a given」, replied Iris.
「Since you said that you would handle it, we allowed you to oversee this whole project without any interference on our part.」
His slender-faced colleague nodded.
「We weren’t told anything about having to pay out of our own pockets to increase your numbers.」
「Well… we won’t be here permanently, so we have to groom local talent in order for them to take over after we’re gone. This applies to both adventurers and employees.」
I had taken them for men of reason at first, and believed that things would progress smoothly. I now knew how the misconception arose — they had kept silent not because they trusted us, but because they found it too troublesome to try and get a word in.
In short, they were thoroughly unmotivated. The fact that they had only leafed through the first two or three pages of my report didn’t escape me either.
「Even for distinguished guests of the state, there are some things that won’t fly.」
Their eyes displayed nothing but languidness, as if to say why us?
Met with these uncooperative bureaucrats, Iris began to lecture them passionately.
「If we do not nurture local talent at an early stage, then the guild of Vadenhaag will forever be run by us, the people of Ferland!」
Both Iris and I had been working around the clock since day one. Milia and the others had also been pulling their weight without taking a single day off. In stark contrast to our team of workaholics, the two officials barely reacted at all. In fact, their body language clearly displayed that the whole affair was a waste of time for them.
「The pyramids weren’t built in a day, and neither can employees –」
I knew that she was getting heated up.
I suppose they were intrinsically unmotivated to oversee a guild that employed foreign techniques. Perhaps they even saw their job as a mere sinecure. Despite being seated at the same table, it was clear that both parties were on different wavelengths.
「It’s easy to say that you want to hire more people, but there’s no wiggle room in our country’s budget for that sort of thing.」
「Possibly unknown to you, the queen will be establishing a congress… a centre of mass for the entire country to revolve around.」
We’re only here because it’s part of our job to attend the regularly-scheduled meeting, their expression said.
「How about we let the queen know of this?」
「Again, money will be involved. She won’t be pleased — she’s cutting down on her own expenses to keep the country’s coffers afloat.」
「That’s why we prepared a –」
Iris stood up in a moment of anger, and I forced her to sit back down.
「Kyaa. What now?」
「Everyone can see the rage in your eyes. It ruins your good looks.」
「Uuu…」
It’s understandable for her to get angry, but using that tone of voice is no way to negotiate properly.
「There will be no expenses on your end. We can make enough revenue for it」, I conceded, speaking in her place.
「How do you know?」
「Right? How many do you plan to hire? Even if you only hire enough to replace your current strength, how much will it cost…?」, his colleague chimed in.
I flipped to a page of my report and pointed.
「Meticulously detailed in the report you flung is the estimated revenue over a month, a quarter and half a month.」
「…」
Looking at the report carefully for the first time, both were lost for words.
「These figures already have the overhead expenses deducted. We have seven employees posted here at present. Even if we hire four more, the projected rate of increase of the number of incoming consultations is more than enough to cover the extra expenses.」
Having no money was no doubt nothing more than an excuse. If these two government officials were in any way important, they’d be tied down with congressional matters instead of being here.
「We are simply emissaries from the Kingdom of Ferland — the adventurers’ guild of Vadenhaag is actually in your hands. Do you understand what I mean?」, I asked.
They didn’t seem like they did.
「If this venture is a success, it will be attributed to the both of you. You will go down in the history books as the founders of this establishment; the pioneers who built it from scratch with the aid of Ferland. Now what do you say?」
That got a reaction out of them. Guess paper chasers only respond to one type of paper.
「It’s a shame, then. We will inform Queen Leyte that we are planning a change of command」, I continued quickly, giving them no time to think.
「H-Hold up…」
「Ah. There’s no need for that, no…」
「A pleasure to do business with you, then?」, said a disgusted-looking Iris, shrugging.
「Of course!」, they exclaimed in unison.
Their expressions had stiffened. Noticing the stark contrast between their previous attitude and now, Iris and I exchanged bitter smiles.
「Nice report」, she said.
「It is but an objective analysis」, I replied.
「I’m glad I have a capable subordinate like you.」
「I think we can take a well-deserved rest now.」
「Exactly.」
The branch chief and I high-fived under the table.
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