Chapter 12

One morning, I was at the guild hall, standing at the reception desk. In front of me was a female staff member in her thirties, who was handling the reception duties.

"What are you doing, you fool?"

When I said this, the staff member hunched her shoulders.

"Why did you keep such an important matter to yourself?"

"Sorry, Guild Master..."

"Starting tomorrow, you don't need to come anymore."

"I'm very sorry...!"

"If you have time to apologize, get out quickly."

The staff member bowed her head and left the reception area.

"Oh, Lord Act...?"

Just then, my disciple Yui, who had just arrived for work, timidly asked.

"What happened?"

"Did she do something wrong?"

"Yes, her son has a high fever."

Yui's eyes widened as she said,

"Huh? A fever, you mean?"

"Yes. She received a telepathic message from her grandmother, who is taking care of her child, this morning."

I have given all the staff members telepathic magic devices. While it's partly to ensure smooth operations, it's also so they can quickly respond to family emergencies. Each staff member and their family has one device.

Then, the female staff member came back with her belongings.

"Thank you, Guild Master!"

"Go home quickly. You don't need to come for a few days. Make sure to recover fully before coming back. Understand?"

"Yes! I'm very grateful, Guild Master!"

With that, the female staff member hurriedly left.

"Truly, you are a great Guild Master! Sending a mother home for her son's sake, how kind!"

Yui, with her eyes sparkling, said something odd.

"Don't misunderstand. I sent her home to prevent her from bringing a cold into the workplace."

★

In the afternoon, I called a male adventurer to my room.

I said to him across the desk,

"Starting today, you don't need to come anymore."

"Wh-what! I still want to stay in this guild!"

"Shut up. This is a Guild Master's order. Get out quickly."

He looked dejected, his shoulders trembling as he started to cry.

"Sniff... Thank you for everything... I've been so well taken care of..."

Wiping away his large tears, he left the room.

"Lord Act, what happened to that person earlier?"

Yui, who had been making tea in the break room, came back with a tray.

"He asked for a few days off."

"Off...? Just for that, you expelled him from the guild?"

Yui thought it was a bit too harsh.

"His mother back home has fallen ill and will be hospitalized."

"Really? That's serious!"

"Yes. So, I arranged a new job for him at a commercial guild near his hometown. It's easier to take time off and the working hours are less demanding than being an adventurer. It's a more reasonable decision for taking care of his family."

I took a sip of tea from the cup Yui handed me and continued,

"But he said he still wants to stay in this guild. His mother is elderly, and it's uncertain when she will be discharged. Why can't he see that it's better to find a job in his hometown? Really..."

"Guild Master!"

His voice came from outside the window. Glancing out, I saw him waving and smiling.

"Thank you! I'll be forever grateful to you! When my mother gets better, I'll definitely come back!"

He bowed repeatedly and ran off.

"Even though he was expelled, what is he grateful for?"

Yui nodded in admiration several times.

"Truly, you are a great Guild Master! You really think about your subordinates' lives! I respect you!"

"Don't misunderstand. If my subordinates don't follow orders smoothly, it just causes me trouble."

I sipped my tea and reviewed the documents.

"If you want to quit your job as my disciple, let me know immediately. You're still young, and it's a good age to play and have fun."

"No! I want to learn my job quickly and be of use to the respected Lord Act!"

"I see. I'm counting on you."

★

In the evening, a visitor came to my room without an appointment.

"Guild Master... I can't do it anymore... The job is too hard... I want to quit..."

The woman was leaning on my desk, crying.

"No. I won't allow it."

"Whaa... I've reached my limit... I want to quit... This job is too much for me..."

"No. It's too early to quit. You can do better."

"Whaa..."

Just then, Yui, who had brought documents to my room, timidly asked,

"Lord Act, does she want to quit the guild?"

"No. She used to be a member of our guild and is now the Guild Master of the Magic Tool Guild."

I pointed to the woman in front of me.

"Guild Master...! She's so young!?"

She is a "Fairy Folk."

Like elves, they are a long-lived race, so she looks like a teenager, but she is actually quite old.

"Hehe♡ Young? Really? Am I young? Hehehe♡"

Her crying face suddenly turned cheerful.

"My name is Rea. Nice to meet you~"

Rea stood up, grabbed Yui's hand, and shook it.

"Um... Rea, you're a Guild Master, but you want to quit your job?"

"Yes! I want to quit! Because leading people is too hard! Too hard, too hard, too hard!"

Rea grabbed my hand and looked up at me with pleading eyes.

"Guild Master... I can't do it anymore. Can I work under you again here? Please? Please?"

"No."

I sighed and said,

"You've been a Guild Master for three years now. It's time to toughen up."

"But I've worked hard for three years... I've reached my limit..."

"What do you mean by 'limit'? Since you took office, the guild's business performance has improved year by year."

"That's just been lucky... I guess..."

"Is it luck that you've improved performance for three years straight? It's clear evidence of your talent as a Magic Tool Guild Master."

Rea, still unconvinced, grumbled.

"You have the potential to excel both as a magic tool maker and as a Guild Master. Do you doubt my judgment, who discovered and nurtured your talent?"

Rea thought for a moment, then sighed deeply.

"I understand... You're right. If I quit now, I'll be a burden to the Guild Master... I don't want that..."

She sighed deeply again.

"If you have time to slack off, make better tools."

"Okay... I'll bring my new creations here first."

"I'm counting on you. Your tools are of high quality."

"Hehe♡ I got praised by my favorite Guild Master! Alright, I'll work hard!"

Rea skipped out of the room. I took the documents from Yui and resumed my work.

"Really, they are all incomprehensible. Even though they have found better jobs, why do they want to come back to me?"

Yui's eyes widened, and she smiled.

"Because the guild you created is the best!"

The best guild, huh.

I'm just creating a guild to embody my ideals.

【To the Readers】

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