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

one day let you be the guild

you would carry it to greater success...but it seems like it was all

his desk, my father took out a

-Clank!

drawer, my father slid it

it for a second. A hint of nostalgia

something important. At first, I thought it was an attacking art, but after I

last glance at the book,

"Here"

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

"...Thank you"

solemnly, I took

will never

[★★★ Drifting steps]

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

"Tssss..."

needed. A

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

guess he wasn't a guild master

detect what I was missing. With this movement

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

the book,

of the guild's top arts, and I'm technically not supposed to

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

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

of the guild, I don't see the

resolutely looked at the people coming

turned around and

up a different branch

"A branch?"

I tilted my

failing, why set up a branch? That just didn't

going to

"What!?"

my father with wide

I was still in my first year in

branch would mean that I wouldn't even

the streets below him, Ronald Dover

in this world, you're either

Although setting up a branch of a failing guild seems like a stupid idea, in

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

"...you don't mean"

to set

A mercenary group.

composed of talented unaffiliated individuals who do tasks for money. Be it killing certain monsters, villains, or corrupt individuals. They were the

being just

my father was asking me to set

my hand on my chin, I thought

it's a

It was possible.

it was

a mercenary group wasn't

requirements to set up a mercenary

at least one individual with a

from

had not yet graduated from the academy, with the recommendation of my father, setting up a mercenary corp

Creating my own organization...

idea did sound

with people that I could

thought about it, the more I started realizing that this was

that things did not always go according to plans, rather than remaining passive, why not