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

day let you be the guild

wanted to pass this guild onto you so that in the future you would carry it to greater success...but it seems like it was

a silver key from his pocket

-Clank!

drawer, my father slid it

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

I saw you 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

one last glance at the book, my father handed it to

"Here"

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

"...Thank you"

I took

never

[★★★ Drifting steps]

each step. With every step taken, user speed will increase. Unless user stops, speed will continuously increase until the user either runs out of mana or

"Tssss..."

precisely what I needed. A movement art. Was this a

all-knowing look. As though knew from the very beginning that

wasn't a guild

fight once, he could already detect what I was missing. With this movement art, my strength would see another

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

admiring the book, pointing

the guild's top arts, and I'm technically not supposed to be giving it to

against the rules as I would normally need to acquire the permission of the board

turning around, my father looked at the window of the office. Towards the

of the guild, I don't

Ronald Dover resolutely looked at

turned around and

up a different

"A branch?"

tilted

the guild was failing, why set up

and you're going

"What!?"

at my

I was still in my first year in the

would mean that I wouldn't even have time to attend

the streets below him, Ronald

this world, you're either a pawn or a

who continuously follows other's will or be someone who dictates their own will. Although setting up a branch of a failing guild seems like a stupid

thought occurred

"...you don't mean"

set up a mercenary

A mercenary group.

unaffiliated individuals who do tasks for money. Be it killing certain

just as popular as guilds, with some being just as influential as

was asking me

on my chin,

a mercenary

It was possible.

it

a mercenary group

requirements to set

least one individual

from a

graduated from the academy, with the recommendation of my father, setting up a mercenary corp wasn't a pipe

Creating my own organization...

idea did sound

with

it, the more I started realizing that this was what

to plans, rather