Chapter 67 - Swallowing the Guild Whole

Amidst the unfolding situation, Krais looked for the most efficient way to profit.

'They call it a Thieves Guild, but.'

If you looked closely, it was no different from a business.

A business where it would be fine to collect protection money, eliminate operations like pickpocketing, and only utilize the good parts.

Above all, Krais had a business idea conceptualized with the Thieves Guild as its foundation.

This was the Border Guard, a place originally famous for its strict security.

Normally, it wouldn't be easy for a criminal guild to make a living here.

But not this one. The Gilfin Guild was eating exceptionally well. Though he didn't know exactly what they did, it wouldn't have been possible with ordinary skills.

Just looking at the thermal leather, considering how much that cost, how could over a dozen pelts just come out of here?

Coins amounting to over a hundred thousand crona and several promissory notes also turned up.

IOUs were found too, but those would probably be hard to use.

Combining his ideas with the businesses this place held...

'I absolutely won't take a loss.'

It involved crona. Displaying a level of wisdom that could earn him the title of a sage, Krais grasped the situation and accepted it.

"Become a thief?"

Encrid asked back. Krais looked at his Squad Leader for a moment.

He had said his dream was to be a knight. That he wanted to reach a higher place.

To afford proper training and high-quality equipment, he would need crona.

Originally, knights were people who also made money through war.

They weren't nicknamed 'experts of slaughter' for nothing.

"There's no need to think of it badly. Gilfin's group is finished now, and if we just leave, how long do you think it will take for another Thieves Guild to settle in?"

Krais's mind spun rapidly. Blood rushed to his brain, fueling his thoughts.

Seeing what kind of person Gilfin was, this was a golden opportunity.

"A month at most."

He was right. Encrid nodded reflexively.

"It's warm!"

Off to one side, Rem exclaimed as he threw on a coat made of thermal leather.

"Well, did you expect it to be cold?"

Ragna scolded Rem.

Though he briefly turned his gaze away, Krais's voice soon pulled Encrid back. It was a calm voice, yet it hid a strange fervor.

"If that's the case, Gilfin over there seems like a decent guy, so we leave him as he is and create a Thieves Guild that doesn't kill people or steal things."

It sounded plausible. It was genuinely tempting.

Protecting one's honor as a knight?

That was also something one could only say if they had crona.

Encrid knew reality well.

Of course, if one possessed knight-level martial prowess, crona would roll in on its own.

Among martial artists of a true knight's caliber, there were those who would move for anyone as long as they paid.

Above all, Encrid believed that a knight's honor meant following one's own heart.

There was nothing holding him back from Krais's proposal right now.

Viewed in a positive light, it was actually a good thing.

'If it makes people's lives easier.'

Then, there would be fewer crying children.

The worries of parents raising their children would decrease as well.

As in any city, there were always people living difficult lives.

It might bring them at least a little bit of comfort.

Initially, he had only planned to extort some firewood to survive the winter, but if he could help people with this opportunity...

There was no reason not to do it.

"It's alright, isn't it?"

"It's fine."

"I'll distribute the profits appropriately and give you your share, Squad Leader. In return, please keep the other squad members in check."

He wondered why he was clinging to him like this, but it turned out...

It was because of Rem and the others.

Because the moment Krais stepped up and said he'd swallow the guild, they wouldn't just sit still.

"What's in it for you?"

He was suddenly curious.

Was there a need to take over a Thieves Guild while even paying a cut?

How much did he expect the actual profits to be?

"Information."

Encrid marveled anew at Krais's cleverness.

Information was money. Trivial information within the city could become high-quality crona within the military unit.

For example, just figuring out the name and hobbies of the flower shop girl would have guys lining up to buy that info.

It could be utilized in other ways as well.

"You catch on fast. This is why I like you, Squad Leader."

Krais held out his fist. Encrid held out his own fist and bumped it.

With this, a promise was made and a deal was struck.

A deal where Encrid gets crona and keeps the squad members in check.

And Krais gets to keep the guild.

As Encrid stood before the fireplace again...

"I'm fine with it. Krais can have it."

Jaxon spoke up first.

... Scary bastard.

Those were truly sharp ears. They must have conversed at least ten paces away.

"Gilfin, clean up the bodies here and sort out the remaining people who would easily commit murder, those who have severely harmed the weak, or anyone who might cause trouble in the future. I'll be taking them to prison."

Just because he said he would leave them be didn't mean he would leave things exactly as they were now.

"Hmm, sounds like you mean I have to hand a few guys over."

"And from now on, this friend here is the guild master. That means you can continue staying here. Ah, by the way, if you quit this place and form another guild, we'll end up meeting again."

"I don't have the guts for that."

Whether it was a habit, Gilfin said this while stroking his bald head.

"But, excuse me, Mr. Soldier."

Then, he continued.

"What is it?"

"Um, it's just that I think it would be best for us to disband. If we stay, I feel like we'll all die."

All die? Why?

Encrid asked with his eyes.

Gilfin hesitated before giving a rough explanation of the situation up until now.

Most probably didn't know, but the dead guild master was a contractor who took money from Aspen and handled jobs for them.

Meaning he was a contractor, not a spy.

"There's someone who comes periodically to check on the guild's situation. If it weren't for that, I would have overthrown him and taken his spot ages ago."

Even if he looked gentle and cared for his people, Gilfin was still a member of the Thieves Guild.

He wasn't in his current position by being an ordinary pushover.

The person coming to visit—that guy was the problem.

"If they don't see that dead bastard, all hell will probably break loose. We were already planning to sell the mansion at a bargain and completely go into hiding."

"How many of them are coming?"

"Just one guy. But the thing is..."

"The thing is?"

"It's a Frog."

Those spawns of heart-stopping terror.

A combat race possessing physical strength vastly superior to humans.

Encrid had also been kicked by a Frog before. Thanks to that, he had ended up in the Medical Barracks.

"A Frog is coming?"

"Yes."

What should he do about this?

But why would a Frog even come all the way to a Thieves Guild in a frontier city to keep watch over it?

There was a saying that a Frog who came out to the continent was an acknowledged Frog.

It meant they were already somewhat proven experts.

In terms of Naurilia's soldier grading system, they were at a minimum of special-grade or higher.

"What exactly is this place anyway?"

"Only that dead bastard knows the details. One thing for sure is that every time the Frog came, he handed over crona for operational expenses."

He doesn't collect money, but hands it over?

No, seriously, what is this?

Encrid simply couldn't guess the reason.

"That's peculiar."

It was the same for Krais.

There was no need to mention the rest of them.

So what should they do?

"We're swallowing the guild."

Nothing changed. They still had time anyway.

Whatever happens next is a problem to worry about later.

Or they could just disband and give it up when the time came.

Like that, they decided to take over the guild whole.

Gilfin didn't have any particular complaints, either.

He figured it was fortunate enough just to have survived.

Encrid thought that although these thieves all agreed for now, they might become a problem later.

Would a gang like this really continue to listen obediently?

Of course, from now on, that would be Krais's problem to manage.

Since he had decided to do it, Encrid was just handing it over.

"I'll be taking these."

Jaxon pocketed a few rings and trinkets, perhaps intending to give them to a woman.

Rem took the thermal coat and some leather to use as a rug, and was now inspecting what was inside the safe.

Ragna skimmed through the swords collected by the guild and evaluated them as nothing but trash.

After that, he didn't pay any particular attention to the riches.

It was the same for Audin.

"It is said that fixing one's eyes on riches blinds the soul."

He merely prayed.

Instead, he granted Encrid's request.

"The safe, please."

"Yes, Brother."

It was the dead guild master's safe.

A tightly locked padlock had chains wound tightly over it.

Standing in front of it, Audin gripped the padlock in his hand.

CRACKLE!

What followed was no different from a strongman show.

Crushing the padlock with his bare hands. One had to wonder if this made any sense.

"Well, you musclehead bastard, you've got quite the strength."

Rem marveled.

With the lock broken like that, what use were the chains?

What normally would have required grinding away with a hacksaw for ages was finished in an instant.

This was exactly the strength of the squadmate who opened locked doors just by knocking on them.

Encrid was also curious about what was inside the safe. So he walked over with long strides.

"You're going to open it yourself?"

Rem looked at Encrid and asked.

"I suppose so."

It was pure curiosity.

Approaching the safe, Encrid asked.

"So when is that Frog coming?"

Sticking close to his side, Gilfin answered.

"He'll come when the first season begins. He said he visits once at the start of the four seasons, and once during the third season."

Once in spring, once in autumn.

In that case, they still had time.

Encrid nodded and stood before the safe.

What was inside?

He was curious.

With a tap, he gripped the latch of the safe with his fingertips and lifted it.

CREAAAK.

The hinges must not have been oiled, as the sound of rusty metal grinding together rang out.

CLUNK.

And the safe opened. The heavy lid fell backward, making a clattering noise as it struck the body of the safe, and that sound echoed faintly on repeat in Encrid's ears.

THU-UMP. THUUUUMP. THUUUUUUUMP.

He couldn't see it. He couldn't touch it. But he definitely felt as if something was enveloping his body.

He felt isolated from the world alone. Suddenly, everyone around him vanished from his vision.

He tried to blink, but his body wouldn't listen to him.

'Hmm?'

He tried to open his mouth, but even that didn't work.

"What is it? Something good inside?"

Suddenly, Rem's voice could be heard. Only then did Encrid return to his original state.

He blinked and tried opening his mouth. There were no problems at all.

"Wasn't that a little strange just now?"

"You're a bit of a strange guy to begin with, Squad Leader. I know that much well."

It seemed no one else had felt anything.

Letting Rem's nonsense go in one ear and out the other, Encrid also dismissed it as an illusion.

"Let's see what we've got."

He shook his head side to side for no reason and peered inside the box.

Inside was a leather armor that wrapped around the torso.

"This is...?"

Encrid spoke up. It was a question aimed at Gilfin.

"I don't really know. Aside from the fact that the dead bastard cherished it."

Lifting it out, it didn't seem like an ordinary item. When he pressed down hard on it with his finger, he could feel its elasticity.

"Seems like precious leather. You should take it, Squad Leader. Just make sure you don't get a hole in your belly."

"It doesn't seem like a bad item."

At Rem's suggestion, Krais examined the item. He was a friend with a good eye for items.

He packed it away for now. Excellent armor was an item several times more precious than a good weapon to those who made a living by the sword.

"I'll take this."

There were no dissenting opinions. This was after he took it and let Krais handle the rest.

"I wonder if they've finished clearing the snow by now?"

Rem continued to speak up.

Encrid mentally calculated the time and looked out the window.

The piled-up snow hadn't melted yet.

If they went back now, they might have to sweep snow all night.

Since it wasn't something worth pondering over, Encrid muttered and gathered the squad members' opinions.

"Let's say our mission ends tomorrow morning."

By tomorrow morning, there definitely wouldn't be any snow to clear.

"Sounds good. Looks like there's still a lot of work to do here."

Rem agreed as he took a seat in front of the fireplace. For this moment at least, Rem was incredibly docile.

It was understandable. Rem was currently savoring the word 'happiness' along with the thermal leather and the warmth of the fireplace.

"Right, there's still a lot to do."

Taking a seat on the opposite side of the fireplace, Ragna chimed in.

"Indeed. Since this means we must spread the word of God."

Audin added a word as well.

"Then I will return tomorrow morning."

Jaxon outright requested to act independently.

At times like this, there was no room for disagreement. They were perfectly in sync. He wondered how nice it would be if they were like this normally.

It was a thought that kept recurring as they carried out this task.

"Squad Leader."

Krais called out to Encrid and subtly gave him a thumbs up. It was high praise.

* * *

"Reporting the return of all squad members under my command. We located the Thieves Guild and annihilated them."

At Encrid's words, the Company Commander, who was wearing a thick overcoat, briefly raised her head.

It was the commander's private training ground.

Despite the two lit braziers, it was still a cold day.

Standing on the dirt that had frozen like a stone floor due to the cold weather, the Company Commander asked back.

"Annihilated?"

Did this person ask that because she knew something?

Encrid replied calmly.

"Yes, annihilated. We sorted out the ones bound for prison and sent them away, and slaughtered the rest who resisted."

"I see."

The Company Commander said while rolling her shoulders. She seemed to be warming up.

Did she really know something?

Even so, he couldn't just meekly say, 'Krais swallowed the guild whole.'

"You said you brought the riches from their headquarters back to the base."

"Yes."

Apart from a few pieces of thermal leather and trinkets, they had turned everything over to the base.

It was only natural.

Because they were incidental profits acquired during an operation.

It was right for them to belong to the unit.

At the same time, it was also customary to turn a blind eye to secretly pocketing a little bit on the side.

"Good work."

Fortunately, the Company Commander didn't pry any further. Instead, she merely looked into Encrid's blue eyes with her gem-like green eyes and made a proposal.

"A round?"

"... What do you mean?"

"The sword of a Fairy. Don't you want to experience it?"

"You mean a spar?"

"I heard you never refuse one."

A Fairy's sword was light, yet sharp.

That was the public consensus.

Encrid had also experienced a Fairy's sword a few times. Because encountering Fairies during his mercenary life wasn't a rare occurrence.

But that was back when his skills were terrible.

Because their sharpness couldn't be countered with something like the Valen Mercenary Sword Technique, it was at a level too embarrassing to even call a proper clash.

"Yes."

A spar. It seemed like it would be a valuable experience.

It was a thought he had been having lately, though.

'The more I fight, the more I gain.'

Encrid knew his own talent was dreadful.

The more experience he had, the better.

All of that saw the light when he faced this repeating 'today'.

Of course, even without that reason, he wouldn't have refused. Because that was the kind of person Encrid was.

"Sounds good."

"I like that you're spirited. Come at me."

The Fairy Company Commander drew her sword.

CHING!