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

was to one day let you be the guild master

future you would carry it to greater success...but it

desk, my father took out a silver

-Clank!

drawer, my

thick green book, my father glanced at it for a second. A hint of

fight yesterday, I observed that despite having a great defense, you lacked something important. At first, I thought it was an attacking art, but after I put more thought into it, I figured that this book would be more

one last glance at the book, my father handed

"Here"

Tough he looked stoic and indifferent, his eyes carried warmth within them. Whatever he was giving me, it

"...Thank you"

solemnly, I took

never forget

[★★★ Drifting steps]

progresses with each step. With every step taken, user speed will increase. Unless user stops, speed will continuously increase until the user

"Tssss..."

I needed. A movement art.

father, he had an all-knowing look. As though knew from the very beginning that I

wasn't a guild master for

already detect what I was missing. With this movement art, my strength would

I was already near breaking through to F+ rank...I could feel that I was only

busy admiring the book, pointing at the book, my

the guild's top arts, and I'm

being that it's against the rules as I would normally need to acquire the permission of the board before being allowed to even show

the office. Towards the busy streets of Ashton city. In a

at the state of the guild, I don't see the

my father, Ronald Dover resolutely looked

turned around and in

a

"A branch?"

I tilted my head in

the guild was failing, why set up a branch? That

and you're going to lead

"What!?"

I looked at my father with wide

was this? I was still in my first year in the Lock. How could I possibly have enough time

would mean that I wouldn't even have

streets below him,

in this world, you're either a pawn or a

or be someone who dictates their own will. Although setting up a branch of a failing

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

"...you don't mean"

you to set up

A mercenary group.

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

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

was asking me to set up a

hand on my chin,

a

It was possible.

hard, it was

mercenary group

requirements to set up

at least one individual with a Hero certification

a recommendation from a

a Hero certification as I had not yet graduated from the academy, with the recommendation of my father, setting up

Creating my own organization...

idea did sound

filled with people that

more I thought about it, the more I started realizing

according to plans, rather than remaining passive, why not set