The Author's POV

Sunday, Galxicus guild 80th floor.

It was the day after the battle between me and Alex had taken place. I was currently in my father's office.

Sitting on a large grey sofa, I took a look at the office.

On the opposite side of me, my father, working on a large rosewood desk, was busy compiling a stack of paperwork.

As he compiled the paperwork on the table, his pen would drift in swift and fluent movements across the papers on his desk.

He looked incredibly efficient.

Staring at my father's desk, at eye level, a group of papers, a stack of waiter pads, a portable laptop, and multiple monitors neatly stood on top of the large desk.

On the floor, below the desk, lied a PC tower that hummed quietly. On small occasions, blue light would twinkle on top of the PC tower signaling that its power was on.

On the wall to the right, post-It notes appeared on top of a wooden board with several labels and photos marked on it.

Although the office wasn't the most organized, the number of papers on his desk just went to show how much work my father was investing every day to keep the guild afloat.

"Ren..."

As I was busy looking around, disrupting the silence, my father spoke

"Yes?"

Putting the pen in his hand down, my father's obsidian eyes stared at me.

"What do you think of our guild? Be honest"

Taken aback for a second, I leaned back on the sofa.

What did I think of the guild?

Honestly, it was bad.

From what I've seen yesterday and today, the guild wasn't united. It was split into different factions and there was an evident power struggle.

I didn't even know how they managed to keep what was happening within the guild a secret from outsiders.

I would bet Bronze or silver-graded guilds would love to capitalize on this piece of news. I mean, why wouldn't they? Although Galxicus was failing, if the guilds were looking to expand, absorbing Galxicus was the most optimal thing to do.

Especially since right now, Galxicus was only a 'guild' in name.

It was merely an empty title. It was like a shop that sold nothing. The only reason why it was still standing today was because of my parent's efforts. But that wasn't going to last long. Even they will crumble under all of that work...

As my thoughts reached thus far, I couldn't help but be reminded of the fact that my parents were still working on a Sunday. Not once did they rest.

...If things proceeded to continue like this, I wouldn't give the guild a year before it would be forced to dissolve.

Hesitating for a bit, I looked at my father's earnest expression and shared my thoughts.

"If I had to be honest...terrible"

"The guild members instead of being united are clearly split into factions and..."

As I recounted my honest thoughts, nodding his head, Ronald sighed.

"Judging from the way you are speaking, I can already guess you've already figured out how things are going within the guild."

Glancing at the piles of paper below him, a trace of sadness appeared in my father's eyes as he murmured

"...Sadly the guild is in a state of heavy decline"

Stacking the papers on his desk neatly, leaning on his chair, my father looked towards the ceiling

you be the guild

the future you would carry

a silver key

-Clank!

drawer, my father slid it

book, my father glanced at it for a second.

At first, I thought it was an attacking art, but after I put more thought into it, I figured that this book would be

glance at the book, my father

"Here"

my father. Tough he looked stoic and indifferent, his eyes carried warmth within them. Whatever he was giving me, it was definitely precious to him, and now

"...Thank you"

I took the green

will never forget his

[★★★ Drifting steps]

user speed will increase. Unless user stops, speed will continuously increase until the user either runs out of mana

"Tssss..."

needed. A movement

at my father, he had an all-knowing look. As though knew from the

a guild

could already detect what I was missing. With

was already near breaking through to F+ rank...I

busy admiring the book, pointing at the book, my father

and I'm technically not supposed to be giving it to

rules as I would normally need to acquire the permission of the board before being allowed to even show you this,

my father looked at the window of the office. Towards the busy

the guild, I

still facing me, my father, Ronald Dover resolutely looked at the people coming in

pause, he turned around and in a solemn voice he

want to set up a different

"A branch?"

I tilted my head

the guild was failing, why set up

going to lead

"What!?"

I looked at my

joke was this? I was still in my first year in the Lock. How could I

wouldn't even have time to attend my lectures,

the streets below him,

you're either a pawn or

will. Although setting up a branch of a failing guild seems like a

his words, a sudden thought occurred to me as I looked at my father

"...you don't mean"

set up a mercenary

A mercenary group.

talented unaffiliated individuals who do tasks for money. Be it killing certain monsters, villains,

some being just as influential as some of the top guilds in the

my father was asking me to set

hand on my chin, I thought about

it's a mercenary

It was possible.

it was

mercenary group wasn't

to

least one individual with

recommendation from a graded

couldn't get a Hero certification as I had not yet graduated from the academy, with the recommendation of my father, setting up a mercenary corp wasn't a pipe

Creating my own organization...

did sound

an organization filled with people

the more I started realizing

that things did not always go according to plans, rather