Chapter 82: An out-of-town posting, part 4
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
Stan’s office —
「This branch closes pretty late. Why is that?」, I asked.
「Oh, that’s because… some adventurers only report back late at night…」
「How about closing at eight, and only leaving the quest reporting counter open, then? I’ve been observing this for the past few days, and the number of clients we get past eight can be counted on one hand.」
「R-Really…」
He took down some notes as I spoke. It was as if the tables had turned — who the superior is was now ambiguous.
『What to do…?』
While I took advice from Stan on how to run the guild, I also offered a few suggestions every now and then. From his public apology during yesterday’s closing assembly, he seemed to have realised that he hadn’t been behaving like he should have.
「Since verification takes time, let’s keep the adventurers’ goods overnight and let the people clocking in the following day handle it. The rewards can be given the next time the adventurers come. After all, only two or three people show up the moment we open and the rest of us will be quite free then.」
「Y-You’re right… the verifications department is usually very free in the morning…」, muttered the branch chief as he scribbled down more notes. 「And one person has reporting counter duty after closing hours…?」
「Ideally. Then the rest of the employees won’t have to sit around twiddling their thumbs all day.」
These were only suggestions, of course. Whether to green-light them or not is still ultimately decided by him. With his rigid way of thinking, Stan was a stickler for rules and insisted on following procedure down to the last detail. The efficiency and opportunity cost involved was only an afterthought — which I daresay he might not even have considered in the first place.
According to my colleagues, he had connections with the nobles that allowed him to nab a place as branch chief despite his lack of experience. Since those nobles run the guild behind the scenes, he could afford to assert dominance and throw his weight around.
Getting the position through connections, lacking competence and not listening to his subordinates — he was the poster boy of hated superiors. That pent-up anger had at long last been released yesterday.
「Won’t we get negative feedback from some adventurers if we were to suddenly change our policies?」
「Once we make the necessary changes, we just have to update them during quest matching.」
「Hm, perhaps」, he said, his hand stopping for a while. 「Will my subordinates welcome the changes?」
「I don’t know. But we won’t effect these changes without sufficient discourse first.」
After being here for a few days, I had come to realise that the Lahati branch was effective because we worked as a team.
「While they are subordinates, you should also treat them as ‘comrades’. Under your leadership as a branch chief, everyone becomes a team.」
「Hmm.」
Compared to yesterday, he had adopted such a positive learning attitude that it was almost like he had become a different person.
「The procedures used by the other royal capital’s branches have been largely unchanged since I started working here. If we change ours, I don’t think the other branch chiefs will be pleased…」, he lamented.
「Excuse me!」, shouted an employee as he hurriedly barged into the room. 「Uh… Argan-san, you have a visitor…」
「Who?」
「The M-Master… the Master himself is here…!」
Did he somehow get wind of me being posted here, I wondered.
「Tell him I’m not here.」
「But…」
「Hey! I know you’re here, Roland…! Come out!」
His voice was loud and clear, as if the walls between us didn’t exist.
「Tch.」
「Did you just tut at him…!?」
I told Stan to hold on and went out to meet the Master. As expected, on the other side of the counter stood a large, round-faced and bearded man.
「You’re as loud as always」, I said, to which he guffawed loudly.
「My volume is one of my greatest strengths!」
「Just so you know, I dislike people who are louder than they need to be.」
「Ahahaha. C’mon, don’t be so mean.」
Seeing how our previous meeting had gone, he probably hadn’t come here to bring good news either.
「That casual tone Argan-san uses…」
「Did he just tell him to his face that he dislikes him?」
「Are they on good terms? Or bad terms, even?」
He plopped himself onto one of the chairs in front of the counter. I waved a dismissive hand at him, saying:
「That seat’s for adventurers. Don’t obstruct business.」
「Oh, huh. Sorry.」
I asked for permission to use the drawing room and showed Ta’uro inside once they agreed. He made himself at home, sinking into the sofa like a brick. Having no intention to entertain him for long, I made do with sitting on the sofa’s backrest.
「Okay, what do you want? You seem too free for a Guild Master.」
「Go easy on the sarcasm, man. This is part of my schedule too, you know?」
I shrugged.
「Remember coming here for the symposium? That’s when the guild headquarters found out that you and I are old friends. And then… that Lahati branch of yours received the commendation, right? Most of that is thanks to your hard work.」
「It couldn’t have been possible without the others.」
「That’s a very subjective statement. Looking at the big picture, everyone believes that it was you who took the guild to the next level.」
「I don’t really care what the others think.」
「Others do, even if you don’t. I keep receiving requests to transfer you to my own branch.」
「So you came here just to tell me that?」
「Cold as always, Roland. Can’t you be a little more bubbly sometimes? There are some branches that are willing to pay you a few times more than what you’re earning now. In fact, many branch chiefs also think that you’re being treated rather poorly for an ace employee.」
With ‘Gate’s at my disposal, I could hop effortlessly from one branch to the other. Ta’uro drew a document from his breast pocket and spread it onto the table. It was already crumpled and moist with his sweat.
「That’s another thing that I dislike.」
「Hm? What’s wrong now?」, asked Ta’uro, his eyes widening.
「No, nothing」, I replied as I shook my head.
He began his explanation. That document he had taken out was a compilation of transfer requests submitted by various branch chiefs. On each piece of paper was written the respective guild’s needs, salary offered and other little details.
「How about it? Will you listen to me for once?」
「…Have you gone through this with Chief Iris?」
「Iris is aware of this. Knowing exactly how capable you are, she told me that she has no say in the matter.」
「Hm.」
What would Lyla think, I wondered. Perhaps she would appreciate living in a different environment.
「I’ll be in headquarters, so you can drop by anytime. If I’m not around, just grab an employee and pass him a letter or something」, Ta’uro said as he got up and made his leave.
「Eavesdropping isn’t a good hobby to take up, you know.」
Exposed, Stan immediately walked in.
「Sorry. I really wanted to know what the Master had to say to you. Isn’t that great, though, Argan-kun?」
「What’s great? The transfer?」
「Yes! It’s common for employees to be transferred around as necessary, but for someone to be invited… I’ve never heard of it in all my years!」
「Really?」
「You’re getting promoted! Rising up and above the rest… like every man should!」, exclaimed Stan, nodding profusely. 「I just know it from the suggestions you’ve given me. It’ll be a travesty for you to remain a regular employee — your potential extends far beyond that!」
「My potential isn’t ‘normal’, you mean…?」
「What’s normal is for you to decide. All I know is that I wish I could keep you here permanently.」
With a laugh, Stan thumped my shoulder and left the room.
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