TBAGM Vol. 1 Chapter 1 Part 4
Once again, Ellis and I were swaying along in a carriage.
During the ride, we compared notes, exchanging what we each knew.
“You know there are two main hurdles to creating a guild, right?”
Founding a guild; something I had already said wasn’t easy.
There were two major challenges, broadly speaking.
The first was the representative.
As Ellis had mentioned at the appraisal office, you needed to hold at least an A-rank adventurer’s license.
In the whole of Fereia, only a few dozen people held A-rank qualifications. As for S-rank: excluding myself, there were only three others.
Currently, all adventurers ranked A or higher were already affiliated with other guilds.
Even if someone new wanted to ascend to A-rank, passing the promotion exam was no simple feat.
The second issue was funding.
Running a guild required an immense amount of capital. Without backing from investors or other benefactors, it was impossible to secure.
That was how Herculean a task it was to operate a guild.
Still, by sheer luck, we had a shot at overcoming both.
“Lord Lloyd, you’re already S-rank! And as for the funding, I’ll handle that on my end!”
Ellis said it with a face full of unshakable confidence, like there was nothing to worry about.
And to be fair, the first hurdle could indeed be solved thanks to me.
But funding… no. That wasn’t something she could handle alone.
Even if her family was wealthy, we were talking about a scale beyond that.
“No, I’ll help with the funding too. It’s the biggest obstacle we’ll face.”
“Please, leave the funding to me. In exchange, I’d like you to take care of recruiting personnel and acting as the guildmaster.”
No matter how many times I tried to explain, Ellis wouldn’t budge. Maybe she had something—or someone—in mind.
Well, at least the startup costs didn’t have to be covered right away. I had a contact who might be willing to invest.
—
After about twenty minutes of riding, we finally reached our destination.
“It’s been a while since I’ve come here.”
Ellis stepped down from the carriage and looked up at the towering structure before us.
This was the headquarters of the Adventurer’s Association, which had branches scattered across the country.
Its size towered over the surrounding buildings; it looked like a fortress forged from steel.
“Not much has changed inside either.”
As we entered, a familiar scene spread out before us.
A beautiful receptionist calmly handled gruff-looking adventurers, and the walls behind her were plastered with notices: bulletin boards listing quests and announcements.
From the second floor came laughter and shouting. That level was a free-use space where middle-aged men usually gathered to drink and banter.
Ellis and I made our way past all of that and headed to the reception desk on the right.
“Next, please.”
When our turn came, I led Ellis up to the receptionist’s counter.
Her uniform was pristine, not a detail out of place. She radiated a clean and trustworthy aura.
Her smile, no doubt, left a good impression on anyone.
“We’d like to register a new guild.”
“…May I see your adventurer card?”
She responded with slight reluctance in her tone.
I knew what she was thinking; that only A-rank adventurers were permitted to found a guild.
My S-rank status wasn’t public knowledge. Her reaction was perfectly reasonable.
“Will this do?”
“Yes. Regarding the guild creation process, only adventurers of A-rank or above may… wait—S-rank?”
The receptionist suddenly choked on her words.
She must have seen the section on my card that marked me as an S-rank adventurer.
Her mouth opened and closed several times before she quickly bowed her head to us.
“P-please wait just a moment.”
She then darted behind the counter in a rush.
—
A few minutes later, the receptionist returned, drenched in cold sweat and panting for breath.
She must have sprinted the whole way back.
It seemed she had confirmed that my credentials weren’t a forgery.
“S-So, you’re here to register a guild, correct? The chairman is waiting for you. His office is at the end of this hallway.”
She was clearly afraid of me. It was said that S-rank adventurers were all dangerous individuals; some so volatile they’d behead someone just for making them wait.
As for me? I’d never do something like that. She could rest easy.
“Thank you. Ellis, let’s go.”
“Yes! I’m getting kind of nervous now…”
We bowed to the receptionist, who was mopping sweat from her brow with a handkerchief, and walked down the hallway as instructed.
The chairman of the Adventurer’s Association. In a sense, he was the one overseeing all adventurers in the country.
He held more authority than even the guildmaster of Incarnation of the Sun, Kyros—and second only to the royal family in terms of influence.
It would be strange not to feel nervous before meeting someone like that.
Well, I had my own reasons for staying calm…
Once we reached the innermost room, I straightened my outfit and knocked.
“Enter.”
“Excuse us.”
We stepped into the room.
At the far end sat a man with palpable gravitas, resting his chin on his hand.
He had short gray hair, a close-cropped beard, and a muscular frame. A scar crossed his forehead; likely a souvenir from past battles.
He exuded the aura of a final boss from some storybook legend.
Earlier, I mentioned there were two obstacles to founding a guild—but in reality, there was a third.
Securing the chairman’s approval.
He, like me, possessed the 【Appraisal】 skill and was an expert at human resource evaluation.
If he judged that we had no future, he would cut us off—right here, right now.
“Hmm…”
The Chairman narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on us, scrutinizing us from head to toe.
He must have been using 【Appraisal】, but he soon grew visibly unsettled.
“So you’re the ones looking to establish a new guild… huh? I can’t see anything? Impossible! I’ve only encountered this once before…”
Appraisal being nullified; under normal circumstances, that would require a reflection-type skill. But neither Ellis nor I possessed such a skill.
Then why couldn’t the Chairman read our data?
There was one other reason: the Appraisal skill used on us was being overridden by a higher-grade version. In other words, mine.
The “only once before” he mentioned? Naturally, that referred to me.
“Been a while, Orgus. Still sticking to the basics—appraising strangers on first contact. Good to see some habits die hard.”
“L-L-Lloyd!? What are you doing here!?”
The Chairman’s face turned ghostly pale.
Smirking, I pressed further.
“Come on now. You forget your own mentor’s face?”
“M-My sincerest apologies! I never expected to see you here, Mr. Lloyd!”
The same Orgus who moments ago had been leaning on his elbow now dropped to his knees in formal seiza. He looked ready to grovel.
That aura of dignity from earlier? Completely gone.
Orgus had always been timid at heart. That tough guy act was all for show.
Incidentally, the deep scar on his forehead? A cat scratch. Most would’ve healed it with magic, but he insisted, “Doesn’t this make me look cooler?” and left it.
Sometimes when he concentrated too hard, he’d completely zone out. That was probably why he didn’t recognize me right away.
“But why would Mr. Lloyd, once affiliated with the Incarnation of the Sun, be here? I heard someone was inquiring about founding a guild…”
“I was exiled. Has that news not reached you yet?”
“…What?”
Orgus froze with his mouth agape, while Ellis, who had been listening in with sparkling curiosity, leaned closer.
“Wait, Lord Lloyd, you know the Chairman?”
“Sure do. He’s one of my former students.”
That explained why I showed no fear in front of him; he was my junior.
I had a long history with Orgus, and could speak to him quite casually.
“Um, I mean no offense, but the Chairman looks over forty. You’re, what…?”
“I’m twenty. I started mentoring Orgus when I was fifteen.”
“Wait… what!? Did I mishear? You mentored the Chairman? At fifteen!?”
Ellis tilted her head repeatedly, eyes spinning in confusion.
Can’t blame her. If our roles were reversed, I’d have a mental shutdown too.
It really was a trip down memory lane. That was five years ago.
Back then, Orgus was just a staffer at the Adventurer’s Association, mostly doing grunt work.
The Association wasn’t bound by seniority. It operated on pure merit. But that didn’t mean being strong was enough; you needed charisma too.
Orgus had neither exceptional power nor intellect, and remained a low-level staffer.
“Would you consider becoming my handler?”
That was how I first approached Orgus.
Technically, as an Advisor, I didn’t require a handler. But at the time, Kyros and I were trying to launch the Incarnation of the Sun. I wanted someone who could handle our paperwork.
Normally, you’d pick a receptionist. Even Kyros objected.
But I insisted. Why?
.
|
[Name] |
Orgus (37) |
|
[Title] |
Adventurer’s Association – Staff |
|
[Stats] |
Vitality: D/D Magic: D/D Ambition: D/B Leadership: D/A Intelligence: D/A |
|
[Skills] |
Appraisal: D/A |
|
[Inherent Trait] |
None |
.
A complete underachiever. Both vitality and mana capped at D—abysmal.
But his leadership and intelligence had A-level potential. And he had the Appraisal skill, which could be trained up to A. When I examined him further with 【Insight】:
.
|
[Profession] |
Low-Ranking Staffer |
|
[Attributes:] |
Speech: C/A Negotiation: C/B Charisma: D/S |
.
There was no way I could let a man with such potential go to waste.
So I offered him a choice.
“Orgus, would you consider aiming for the top?”
“Me? Come on. I know better than anyone I’ve got no talent.”
His lack of motivation was evident; even Appraisal confirmed it.
But giving up here would have meant tarnishing the name of Advisor.
So I kept making the offer.
“I can see your potential. In a few years, you could become Chairman of the Association.”
“…Fine. What do I need to do?”
I must have pitched him thirty times. Thinking back, it was borderline cultish.
Thankfully, he gave in and became my student.
I tasked him with mastering 【Appraisal】 and sharpening his powers of observation.
Eventually, through 【Insight】, this was how his stats developed:
.
|
[Name] |
Orgus (42) |
|
[Title] |
Adventurer’s Association – Chairman |
|
[Stats] |
Vitality: D/D Magic: D/D Ambition: B/B Leadership: A/A Intelligence: B/A |
|
[Skill] |
Appraisal: A/A |
|
[Inherent Trait] |
None |
|
[Profession] |
Chairman |
|
[Attributes] |
Speech: B/A Negotiation: C/B Charisma: A/S |
.
Today, he stood with stats nearly at their limits.
With stats like that, Orgus would likely remain the chairman for quite some time.
He had climbed to the top precisely because he was ordinary. It was that desperate struggle that had led him to become chairman of the Adventurer’s Association, which oversaw every adventurer guild in the kingdom.
After finally piecing together the fact that I had been exiled, Orgus furrowed his brow and asked, his irritation just barely restrained.
“Don’t tell me this was Kyros’ doing?”
“He said once the personnel were secured, I wasn’t needed anymore. Well, ‘Incarnation of the Sun’ is the strongest guild right now. I guess an Advisor like me has no place there.”
I replied with a bitter smile.
Even if I had been set up, the fact remained that I’d failed to prove my value. I hadn’t been able to offer any further gains to the guild. That failure was mine alone.
As I spoke, Orgus clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on his forehead. His voice trembled with outrage.
“Mr. Lloyd. Should I use the full authority of the Adventurer’s Association to destroy ‘Incarnation of the Sun’?”
There wasn’t a trace of humor in his voice. It was the voice of a man who was ready to act.
“…Haha. You’ve gotten better at jokes.”
“I’m not joking, Mr. Lloyd. Kyros exiled the person who contributed the most. That guild has no future without you.”
“Orgus…”
I tried to brush it aside, but he brought the conversation right back. His sincere gaze pinned me down, and I couldn’t say anything more.
He wasn’t acting out of obligation. He was trying to repay me in the only way he knew how.
“If you just say the word, I’ll bring down ‘Incarnation of the Sun’ this very moment.”
He could do it, too. If Orgus truly meant to destroy the guild, it wouldn’t be impossible.
He was furious—for my sake. That alone filled me with gratitude.
But I had already chosen to walk forward with Ellis. If I was going to face Kyros again, I wanted to do it on my own terms—head-on.
Trying to calm Orgus down, I posed a question.
“Orgus. Do you know why your Charisma hasn’t reached S rank yet?”
“…Because I’m still inexperienced?”
“No. You’ve earned plenty of experience.”
He had spent the last five years tackling every challenge I’d given him. And I was well aware that none of those tasks were easy.
The problem wasn’t a lack of experience.
“You lack emotional discipline. You value the people close to you too much, and you tend to dismiss everyone else, don’t you?”
“…That might be true.”
“I’m not saying your way is wrong. You’re well-liked. But it also makes you a target for backlash. Like getting hit with a minor strike, for instance.”
“Haha… As expected of you, Mr. Lloyd. You see right through me.”
“You were one of the people I worked most closely with. Of course I understand you.”
Orgus scratched his head, looking sheepish—and yet, somehow pleased.
There were probably factions within the association already resisting his leadership.
“With your approach, even innocent members of ‘Incarnation of the Sun’ would get dragged into this. That’s irresponsible for someone in your position. Can you honestly take responsibility for all of them?”
“…You’re right. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I let my emotions get the better of me.”
“Just the fact that you were angry on my behalf is enough. Really.”
Between Ellis and now Orgus… both of them were standing beside me, worried, offering their support.
I couldn’t express how much that saved me.
Just as our conversation found its natural close, Ellis—who had been frozen the entire time—finally spoke up from beside me.
“Is it all right if I call you Mr. Orgus? I’m Ellis. Besides, there’s no need for the Association to crush Incarnation of the Sun, you know.”
“No need? What do you mean by that?”
“Have you forgotten what our goal was in coming here?”
Ellis grinned with a mischievous smile worthy of a villain.
Orgus, too, seemed to grasp her meaning and let out a crooked smirk.
When did I start attending meetings for an evil organization? Their expressions were so nefarious I couldn’t help but wonder.
“Hehe, this is the guild that Lord Lloyd will be leading. Taking down Incarnation of the Sun will be no trouble at all.”
“Ahahaha! That’s true! If Mr. Lloyd is the Guildmaster, Incarnation of the Sun would crumble in an instant!”
Hey, come on. They’re talking about Incarnation of the Sun like it’s some fledgling group, but it’s the strongest guild around. There’s no way it would be taken down that easily.
Besides, I’ve got more important priorities right now.
“Orgus, from now on, if you ever come across someone who makes you think, ‘That kid’s had it rough,’ keep your eye on them.”
“Someone who’s had it rough? Not someone with high stats?”
Without the right catalyst, most people stuck in unfortunate situations would never be able to escape them.
Having suffered unjust treatment under Incarnation of the Sun, I understand that fact all too well.
“I’m going to form a guild comprised only of those who’ve been overlooked.”
An Advisor’s job wasn’t just to pick out the obviously talented.
Finding hidden potential like Ellis’, or nurturing someone like Orgus into what they were now—that’s part of the job too. Over the last five years, I’ve found more than enough exceptional people. Now, it’s time to polish uncut gems.
“Although, this idea originally came from Ellis, so I can’t take all the credit.”
I chuckled awkwardly.
To begin with, I never would’ve considered founding a guild if it weren’t for Ellis.
And without Orgus’s support, the idea of forming a guild of only the underappreciated would remain nothing more than a fantasy.
Yet the two of them nodded without hesitation.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea! That’s exactly what I’d expect from you, Lord Lloyd!”
“Yeah! I’m all for it too, Mr. Lloyd!”
“You two…”
Especially for Orgus, this had to be a difficult decision.
With the skill 【Appraise】 at his disposal, he would never approve something that has no future.
He always avoided risk. That ability to assess things critically was what allowed him to rise to the top as Chairman.
Starting a guild with just the two of us—a non-combatant and a D-Rank adventurer—seemed like an endeavor doomed from the start. Yet he handed me a document with no hesitation.
“If it’s a guild Mr. Lloyd creates, the Adventurer’s Association will support it with everything we’ve got.”
It was an official letter of approval from the Chairman.
With this, our guild creation would be officially sanctioned.
“Orgus… I’m truly glad I found you.”
“That’s my line! I’m the one who’s lucky to have been found by you, Mr. Lloyd!”
Orgus burst into a heartfelt, boisterous laugh.
Watching him like that brought a smile to my own face.
After years of feeling underappreciated, the words of Ellis and Orgus resonated deeply with me.
If not for them, I might’ve been consumed by anger over being cast out; so much so that I’d have turned to revenge, without care for how I looked.
Someday, I need to thank them properly.
Once I fill out this form and hand it to Orgus, our guild will be officially established.
From there, we’ll need to figure out the headquarters, the handling of finances, and our future plans.
As for funding, the Association has agreed to support us for the time being. The “contact” I had in mind before coming here was none other than Orgus himself.
“Ellis, what should we name the guild?”
“I’ll leave that to you, Lord Lloyd. I might tweak it a little if it doesn’t match the image I had in mind.”
“Hmm…”
I stared at the form, racking my brain.
I’ve always been terrible at naming things… but I didn’t want Ellis to think I had zero taste.
Other guilds had names like Sword of Alabaster or Flame of Purgatory.
So what about… Water Ball? Yeah, that’d get me laughed at for sure.
“Oh, I think I’ve got it.”
“Ooh?”
Both of them looked at me, visibly intrigued.
Oddly enough, I actually felt confident about this one; even with my lack of naming sense.
I thought about the kind of guild I wanted to build.
A guild that could reach out to those who’ve been overlooked. A guild that could help hidden talents blossom.
“The guild name will be…”
A place where buried potential could shine. A place where the unwanted are truly desired.
I’m an Advisor. Not even an Adventurer.
And yet, they still want someone like me. And I want them, too. I want to build a guild where we can compensate for each other’s weaknesses and grow together.
I took the pen and confidently filled in the field marked “Guild Name.”
Then I proudly showed the paper to the two of them.
This name—we would carry it with us for the rest of our lives.
“Let’s call it Veiled Moonrise!”
From this moment forward, we would begin our search—for a moon that shines brightest from behind the clouds.
