By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 4.5

Interlude: A Certain Guildmaster’s Fall from Grace

The night of Ryoma’s sparring match with Sever, an elderly man with a grouchy expression and another man with an intimidating gaze sat on a couch opposite a younger, nervous-looking man.

The nervous-looking man broke the heavy silence. “How can I help a pair of guildmasters at this hour?”

“I apologize for knocking on your door so late,” said Henry of the Merchant’s Guild, holding his piercing gaze on the man opposite him. “There was something that we needed to verify urgently.”

“Fayld, you know why we’re here. We’re well aware it’s far too late for pleasantries. Let’s cut to the chase,” said Charles, the more elderly of the pair. He had flown here from the Adventurer’s Guild in Teresa.

After a few moments of thought, Fayld—none other than the guildmaster who had tried to interfere with Ryoma’s exam—answered coolly, “Master Henry, Master Charles... I haven’t a clue what could possibly warrant you both coming all this way.”

The expression on each inquiring guildmaster’s face shifted. A sharp grin split Henry’s face, and Charles’s disgruntled look turned downright disdainful.

“You have either mastered the art of masking your thoughts, or you’re completely oblivious,” said Charles.

“Fayld, we’re here to have a serious discussion, so drop the theatrics. A boy named Ryoma Takebayashi came here!” said Henry.

“Oh, I remember the boy...but I still don’t understand why you are here. Unless he caused some trouble,” Fayld said, clearly expecting a confirmation.

Charles sat red-faced, straining to maintain his composure. There was a clear disconnect between Fayld and the other two guildmasters. A few seconds later, Charles exploded. “You fool!”

Fayld flinched, but met Charles’s glare with his own in the next beat. “Master Charles, your anger is getting the better of you. It brings into question your professionalism.”

“You dare speak of professionalism?!” Charles bellowed. “When you failed to do your job!”

“I fulfill my duties each and every day. Frankly, I am offended at the accusation,” Fayld countered innocently.

“You—”

“So you never apologized to him,” Henry interrupted quietly, just in time to make Charles hold himself back.

“Apologize?” Fayld repeated. “We simply handled his case as thoroughly as we should have. I’m not sure what tall tales you were told, but his guild card was riddled with suspect information. It is part of my job to consider the possibility of fraud and conduct an interview, just as it is his job to comply to it.”

“That much we agree on. The Merchant’s Guild was also suspicious when he brought in parts from monsters he claimed to have slain himself, along with loot he claimed to have taken from bandits. He must have powers that make it possible for him to complete hunts ridiculously fast. Anyone would have doubted his story at first glance,” said Henry.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Fayld said.

“However, his story made sense. Judging from the wear and tear on the materials he presented to us, the Merchant’s Guild reached the conclusion that we could trust his accounts. When we followed up on this by sending word to a city listed on his records, we received plenty of information to back up his records. From these points, we think that your judgment was premature and unprofessional. We also request an explanation for how you treated the boy after the initial interview. Depending on your answer, the Merchant’s Guild as a whole may be forced to take action.”

Fayld sighed as if he were growing tired of the conversation. “We followed proper procedure. He had come to take his rank advancement exam, so we allowed it. He displayed abilities that met the requirements to advance his rank, so we processed it. And I have been told that our receptionist apologized for taking up his time.”

“Is that all?” asked Henry.

“What other procedure was called for? As I’ve explained, we simply performed our duties. If we deem it necessary, a registered adventurer is obligated to be held for an interview. There’s no need to apologize for conducting one. On the contrary, we should hold our heads high for following proper protocol,” Fayld insisted.

Henry’s eyes grew cold as ice. “I see. Oh, just to be clear. I didn’t come here at his request. Depending on how this conversation went, I was prepared to defend your actions. Especially since the Merchant’s Guild has frequent business with the Adventurer’s Guild when it comes to acquiring various materials and requesting guards for caravans. I believe we need each other’s cooperation to maximize our profits.”

Fayld puffed out his chest. “Indeed. In that case—”

“That is why this is such a problem.”

For a moment, Fayld’s eyes widened. “How do you mean? I always run my guild by the book.”

“Allow me to reiterate that I believe the Merchant’s and Adventurer’s Guilds form a crucial alliance...but the alliance won’t stand without trust in the Adventurer’s Guild. Rather than treating a member based on preconceived notions, I wanted you to conduct a proper investigation, and when you were proven wrong, to offer a proper apology. Without those things, you will find that trust in your guild quickly waning,” Henry continued.

Fayld masked his brief astonishment with a scoff. “In other words, I should have bent the rules in the face of authority?”

“Master Fayld, that is not at all what we are talking about. I was speaking of how your guild treated an adventurer, and how trust in your guild will be affected by it. The fact that he is employed by a duke has no relevance.” Henry was ready to give up on this conversation altogether.

Then Charles said, “Master Henry is right. You act as if the idea of folding in the face of the duke’s authority is preposterous, when you did exactly that. I’ve heard you permitted the exam just as soon as Ryoma mentioned Duke Jamil.”

“He just so happened to mention the duke’s name as I was making the decision to put his abilities to the test. The mention had no bearing on my actions,” said Fayld.

“You have the gall to... Just so you know, that boy came to my guild this evening. With the former duke, the former Captain of the Knight’s Order, and the Death’s Shadow. Even you must understand what that means,” Charles demanded.

For the first time, Fayld’s mask of impunity crumbled. “The duke is really behind him...? And the Jamils took action over this trifle of a matter?”

“They ran into each other in Teresa, I’ve been told. Who knows how much of that is true, but the three I just mentioned did come to my guild together, and each of them vouched for the boy’s abilities. That’s why I came to talk to you right away. I even used the Space spellcaster I keep on retainer for emergencies.”

Charles went on to relay what Ryoma had done after receiving his guild card, and that they had visited the guild in Teresa to verify Ryoma’s card. “The boy was concerned that some trap or false information had been planted in his card. Evidently he also left the city by Space magic to avoid anyone following him. This may be a trifle to you, but how you and your guild treated that boy made him suspect those things! Even if the duke weren’t involved, treating adventurers like this would drive a detrimental wedge between your guild and its members. My guild’s the westernmost in the country. If some trouble comes over the border we can’t deal with alone, you’re the one I’m coming to for help. This could lead to a matter of life and death—so I need a real good explanation.”

“Truly, I am offended,” Fayld said.

“What?”

“You make it sound like I was trying to frame him or make some sort of violent retaliation. I would never take such actions, nor have I done anything that warrants such an accusation. It sounds like the boy is greatly exaggerating what happened here, or is paranoid enough to believe all that. Typical adventurer. The ones who act like they’re heroes over the smallest achievements are the ones who don’t have the guts when push comes to shove.”

Henry was lost for words, while Charles almost looked like something had finally clicked. The room was so utterly silent that the flickering of the lamps was audible.

First Fayld, then the others, noticed someone outside the room.

A voice could just be heard beyond the walls: “Let me through! I gotta...talk some sense into...that guy!”

“What’s this about? My staff are well aware that I am meeting with guests right now. Excuse me,” Fayld said, but before he could stand, the speaker burst into the room.

“There you are!” shouted a man of pure muscle.

“Wh-What is the meaning of this?!” Fayld asked.

“Bryan, you can’t!” Several guild workers took turns trying to pull Bryan out of the room to no avail.

“I am in a meeting! Get out!” Fayld shouted.

“I don’t give a crap! You’re docking my pay?! You owe me a damn explanation!” Bryan demanded.

“Someone get him out of here!” Fayld continued.

“I’m sorry—he’s too strong...!”

“We can’t subdue him...”

“The note says you’re punishing me because I had a bad attitude with that kid?! You told me to do that! How do you expect me to accept being fired for following your orders?! Take it back!”

“‘Kid’? Does he mean...” Henry turned to Charles.

“Bryan, is it? Were you the administrator for Ryoma Takebayashi’s exam?” Charles asked.

“Huh? Yeah, I was! So what?!”

“Tell me what happened. I’m Charles, guildmaster of the Teresa Adventurer’s Guild. And I’m requesting you as a witness. You won’t object, will you, Fayld, if you didn’t do anything wrong?”

“As you wish...but nothing will change. Both my handling of Ryoma Takebayashi and disciplinary action against Bryan were by protocol,” Fayld said.

“Then you oughta dock your own pay!” Bryan bellowed.

“Bryan, this is a diplomatic meeting,” Fayld said. “As I’ve told Master Charles, shouting your point does not make it more valid. Besides, everyone here is a guildmaster. You forget your place.”

“If you keep talking—” Bryan started.

“Hold it!” Charles shouted, silencing both Fayld and Bryan for a moment.

“Fayld, shut up for a minute. And Bryan, I know how infuriating this guy is, trust me. But we’ll only go in circles if we keep giving him bait. Can you pretend he’s not here and tell us what happened?”

“All right, fine,” Bryan agreed. “Like I was saying, I came up here after I got this.” Having regained some composure, Bryan presented Charles with a piece of paper he had been holding in his fist. It was a notification of docked pay and punitive measures, as well as a summary of the events that had led to the decision.

“‘While acting as administrator of the rank advancement exam issued by the guild, the employee above engaged in actions that infringed on the dignity of the test taker, as well as actions damaging to the integrity of the guild. As a result, the following disciplinary actions are issued against the employee...’” Henry read.

“Yeah. I did have an attitude when I tested the kid, I’ll admit that. But only because he told me some kid backed by nobility was trying to advance his rank with fraudulent records!” Bryan glowered at Fayld like he couldn’t wait to lay his hands on him. “Of course, I don’t deny the idea ticked me off personally. But more than that, I was thinking about how C rank marks an adventurer as self-reliant. Starting at C rank, adventurers can take on more quests—and considerably more difficult ones, at that. They can take on jobs where they have to be responsible for multiple lower-rank adventurers. What if someone who didn’t deserve the rank became a leader like that? Taking on a quest you can’t handle and dying all on your own is one thing, but I thought he might put others in danger.”

Bryan continued, growing more agitated as he spoke, “As an admin of the exam, as an adventurer, I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t have hesitated to incapacitate the kid through the exam if that meant protecting other adventurers. I even thought that might’ve been the best outcome for the kid. Like I said, my emotions played a big role in my actions. But those thoughts had already crossed my mind as soon as you told me about the kid, and I told you exactly what I was going to do. And you said nothing! You’re just as responsible as I am!” Bryan shouted, more emotional than ever.

Fayld remained unbothered by his words, and just let out a long sigh. “There seems to have been a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?!” repeated Bryan.

“I only relayed the possibility of fraudulent activity, not that I was convinced of it. In fact, precisely because of that possibility, I told you to take extra care as administrator to assess the boy’s strength. I only asked you to serve as administrator because I lack the necessary combat knowledge to do so myself. Still, we need to issue an appropriate exam and determine if an adventurer is ready for their next rank. That’s why I trust adventurers like you to handle these exams. Of course, I, too, have no tolerance for fraud, so I understand your personal frustrations about it. Still, those emotions should not affect your work. No matter the circumstances surrounding the test taker, you needed to administer an unbiased exam. Since I trusted you to do so, I thought you would act with integrity during the exam, even if you had personal misgivings about the test taker... Unfortunately, you did not do so. That is what led to your disciplinary action. I’m sure you understand.” Fayld’s eloquent defense only managed to widen the chasm between him and the others in the room.

“Yeah, I get it... You’re saying I did all that of my own volition and that you’re not responsible,” Bryan said.

“That is not the case,” Fayld said. “Some blame falls on the guild at large—for appointing you as administrator. In the future, we will review the contents of each exam, as well as provide rigorous training for exam procedure. Naturally, you will be required to undergo this training as well. This disciplinary action is a warning. If you fail to conduct exams according to protocol again, we will have to forgo renewing your contract. So...”

“I’m done,” Bryan said.

“What?”

To Fayld’s surprise, Bryan simply turned to leave. He was so quiet and emotionless that he seemed nothing at all like the man who had barged into the room just moments ago. “The job wasn’t bad, but I’m done working for you. No need to wait for my contract to expire. I’ll walk out now. You won’t miss a guy who can barely administer an exam, will you?”

“I see. Then please fill out the paperwork downstairs. Oh, if you fail to fulfill your contract by not completing the quest, you will have to pay a penalty fee, and there will be a note on your record.”

“You’re threatening me?” asked Bryan. “That I’ll be arrested, like how you threatened the kid?”

“No, just reminding you of the guild’s terms. I can’t have you claiming ignorance of it after the fact,” Fayld said.

“See, there’s no talking to you. Put it however you want, you’re just dodging responsibility. Be a human being for once.” Bryan then walked out of the room.

“I’m out,” said Charles.

“I’ll go with you,” said Henry.

“You’re both leaving?” Fayld asked.

“Like Bryan said, there’s no talking to you. Ryoma must have felt the same way. I always knew you were a bit stuck in your ways, but I at least thought you were a hard worker. Now that I know you’re such a... You don’t like adventurers, do you? Why are you even a guildmaster for the Adventurer’s Guild?” Charles asked.

“Because it’s my job. I do not dislike adventurers. I merely fulfill my duties,” Fayld said.

“Adventurers are a mixed bag,” Charles said. “Plenty of hard workers, but some of them act like slugs. It sucks, but there’s more than a fair share of them who don’t treat guild employees with respect. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through to make it to guildmaster without any experience in the field. Still, there’s no way someone who can’t sympathize with an adventurer, much less respect them, is any good at being a guildmaster. I will make a report of this to headquarters and request that you’re dismissed from your position. Be ready.”

“Wait! What do you mean by that?! What did I do wrong?!” Fayld called out, clearly unnerved by the threat of specific action against him.

“Master Fayld, I have no intention to sever relations between the Merchant’s and Adventurer’s Guilds. However, I do need to rethink the nature of our relationship. As long as you are the one in charge of the guild, I can’t trust you or the Adventurer’s Guild as business partners,” Henry said. Charles and Henry walked out of the room, ignoring Fayld’s pleas.

Left alone in the room, Fayld crossed his arms, drew in a deep breath, and started blurting out the thoughts he had kept to himself during the meeting. “They barge in at this hour and think they can accuse me of... Master Charles is just some adventurer who got lucky, after all. But for Master Henry to go so far as to... I only followed protocol. I know! The receptionist must have lied about something. I wasn’t made aware of some crucial detail. Now it all makes sense!”

No matter how much Fayld reflected on the meeting, the idea of admitting guilt never crossed his mind. The guildmaster swiftly called for the receptionist who’d handled Ryoma’s guild card.

Fayld’s mental gymnastics and the lengths he was going to justify himself would come back to bite him, and sooner than expected...

***

“Why are there only three of you here?” Fayld asked his guild employees the next morning.

Even the three employees present all looked disgruntled and ready to walk out. “We’re on strike. If you don’t apologize and resign, we’ll quit.”

“What is going on?! You were all working like nothing was wrong until yesterday,” said Fayld.

“It’s your fault!” One of the three employees countered. “You called up Susan last night and forced her to admit to a mistake she didn’t make! We all heard about it, and that’s our last straw! If I weren’t in charge of reception, I wouldn’t be here either!”

“What?!”

“We’re all sick of you,” said another employee. “You never listen to our input, you shove arbitrary rules in our faces that you’ve interpreted in your favor... You’re the boss, so we never complain, but it makes our job a pain to do, and none of your directions or explanations make sense. We’re all fed up. It’s just risen to the surface now because of what’s happened these past few days.”

“If you had complaints, you should have bought them up!” Fayld yelled. “If you had, I could have considered them! Instead of making any effort to better your environment, you’re all going to quit?! I can’t even run the guild like this.”

“You have two options,” said the third employee. “Shut down the branch, or keep it running all on your own. Us three are only here as representatives of the strike. We’re not here to work. If you want to fire us, go right ahead.”

“Just so you know, the merchants heard all about what happened through their guild, and Bryan quitting the guild is the talk of every bar in the city. There’s no way to cover this up. We couldn’t do anything about it anymore if we wanted to,” said the head receptionist.

“From what I’ve heard, a good number of adventurers are leaving the city. I don’t know what will happen next, but it’ll be rough. If you plan to hold on to your position as guildmaster, you have a lot of work to do.”

With that, the receptionist and manager left, apparently having said everything they wanted to say.

“Vice Guildmaster... You won’t replace me,” Fayld said. “This will only hurt the guild, and you will be held responsible for it too.”

“I told you, I’m ready to quit. Even if I were made guildmaster of this branch, I’d just be running around trying to clean up your mess. I’d rather work my way up to a decent position in another guild. Besides, you only became guildmaster in the first place because we’re a small town in the middle of nowhere... You didn’t transfer here by choice.”

“How dare you?! There’s no difference in status among guild branches. With that kind of mindset—”

“You can save your empty lecture,” said the vice guildmaster. “Unlike you, who has nothing but experience on paper, I know I have enough practical skills to get by elsewhere. Even if I never work for an Adventurer’s Guild again, I won’t have trouble making a living. I’ll get going now. Oh, one more thing... Once you decide to resign, contact my house either in person or by mail. As soon as you announce your resignation, we can start running the guild again with any employees who wish to do so.”

Now truly alone, Fayld was notified by a messenger from the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters that his guildmaster privileges were suspended. Then he was brought into headquarters. Whatever Fayld did for the remainder of his life, no stories would be told about it.