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

plan was to one day let you be the

so that in the future you would carry it to greater success...but it seems like

the drawer of his desk, my father took out a silver key from

-Clank!

drawer, my father

my father glanced at it

first, I thought it was an attacking art, but after

book, my father handed it to

"Here"

Whatever he was giving me, it

"...Thank you"

took

never forget his

[★★★ Drifting steps]

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

"Tssss..."

needed. A movement art. Was this a

all-knowing look. As though knew

a guild master

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

breaking through to F+ rank...I could feel

admiring the book,

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

rules as I would normally need to acquire the

looked at the window of the office. Towards the busy streets of Ashton city. In a firm voice, he

of the guild, I don't see the need

me, my father, Ronald Dover resolutely looked at the people coming in and out of the

a short pause, he turned around and in a solemn voice

to set up a different

"A branch?"

I tilted my

why set up a branch? That

and you're going to

"What!?"

I looked at my

first year in the Lock. How could I possibly have enough time

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

below

this world, you're either a pawn or

up a branch of a failing guild

occurred to me as

"...you don't mean"

to set up a

A mercenary group.

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

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

my father was asking me to set up a

on my chin, I thought about

it's a mercenary

It was possible.

it

mercenary group wasn't

two requirements to set

one individual with

a recommendation from a graded

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

Creating my own organization...

idea did sound

with

it, the more I started realizing that this was

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