“Well, I hope we never have an incident like this again.”
The Knight Commander sighed and finally placed the meat and skin of the deer monster he had gathered on the large table.
When Trent showed up, it was something he wanted to throw away, but now that things have settled down… in the end, it turned out to be quite useful.
“Hmm. An event like this won’t happen again. From now on, even if I go into seclusion, I’ll only travel to safe places.”
“For heaven’s sake, please! If the master of this land gets attacked by monsters during a retreat, what do you think will happen to this country?”
“Sorry, but that’s how it is.”
The Knight Commander grumbled, but Julius merely nodded in response.
Still, at least we’re safe now. We’ve returned unharmed to the capital, Sirius, and even made it to the tavern where adventurers gather.
“Phew… Another day survived!”
“Considering someone who hunts safely using traps and a bow, you’re hardly in a position to talk about surviving.”
“Ha! It’s all a matter of risking one’s life. Setting traps without being detected by monsters and firing arrows? Extremely dangerous! You need to understand their habits and exploit their weaknesses—it’s an art!”
Each adventurer loudly ate and drank their fill while boasting about their exploits. The tavern owner supplied them with food, bought monster materials from them, and paid them in coin—a cycle as natural as breathing.
This must be daily life for them.
“Quite lively, isn’t it?”
Adventurers risking their lives, achieving results, and celebrating another day of survival—this scene left an impression on Julius.
Perhaps… the voice he faintly heard in his dreams wanted to show him exactly this kind of world.
“Not exactly positive work, throwing oneself recklessly into danger and barely surviving each day.”
“Still, they seem full of vitality to me.”
Living fiercely, staking everything on survival—perhaps that’s what caught Julius’ attention.
As he observed these people, the Knight Commander felt a bit uneasy. Should the ruler of Romania really concern himself so deeply with common adventurers?
It wasn’t wise, in his opinion.
“Alright, I’ve decided. These people need more systematic support.”
“Huh?”
Systematic support? What did that mean?
The Knight Commander felt like he’d been struck on the back of the head when hearing Julius’ words.
“Are you saying… you want to use them as soldiers?”
“No, no. They are adventurers, and that’s enough.”
“Then…?”
With a small smile, Julius replied,
“While keeping their role as adventurers intact, I plan to establish a national agency to assist them.”
“National agency…?”
“Yeah. Let’s temporarily call it a ‘Guild.’ How about ‘Adventurer’s Guild’?”
“Adventurer’s Guild…?”
“It just popped into my mind, but doesn’t it fit rather well?”
Julius grinned, and the Knight Commander reluctantly nodded, still unsure what exactly a guild entailed.
“Anyway, whether they hunt monsters for money or not, they’re risking their lives to maintain regional security.”
Some had hunted Trents for lumber, others captured animal-type monsters for meat and skins, some cut parts from monsters used in medicine, and one person even took down ten goblins alone.
If you combined all the monsters they killed, it would likely equal what an ordinary village couldn’t withstand.
“With fewer monsters around, other people will naturally be safer. Especially since monsters can feel like a threat to those who don’t know how to fight them.”
“That’s true…”
The Knight Commander agreed; monsters were ferocious creatures that caused harm to humans. Even though their frequency had decreased, there were times in the past when entire villages were destroyed by monster attacks.
Hunting such dangerous beasts was also part of the knights’ duties, which the commander knew all too well.
“But will these adventurers join your so-called Guild organization?”
“Simple. Just make the benefits of joining greater than staying independent, and everyone will flock to join.”
Like fish drawn to bait—it was a straightforward concept.
“Benefits…?”
“Yes. Benefits.”
“What kind of benefits?”
“We’ll figure that out as we go along.”
Julius looked around the tavern.
These adventurers celebrated surviving another perilous day. They were like moths drawn to a flame, living dangerously every single moment.
If they could live safer, more stable lives… how many more monsters could they eliminate?
Even without deep thought, the answer was clear.
“In that case… let’s eat here today. I’m curious about the food and drink these people consume.”
“Hmph… Personally, I think we should leave, but if you wish, Your Highness…”
Thus, after tasting the tavern’s offerings, Julius made another decision.
If the Adventurer’s Guild were established, he would pay special attention to the quality of food and drink sold there.
—
And so, Julius began planning the creation of the Adventurer’s Guild.
Hmm, it was worth herding a few monsters and bringing different adventurers together!
While guiding monsters subtly, I couldn’t help getting excited watching Julius and his subordinates enthusiastically cutting down the ones I pushed toward them. Their skills in dealing with various types of monsters were impressive—some were eliminated ruthlessly, others driven away strategically.
There was one moment when I accidentally helped another adventurer hunting a Trent, but it worked out for the best. It allowed Julius to build connections with other adventurers.
Over time, more adventurers joined forces with Julius. Naturally, given the help he received from them, Julius couldn’t ignore their needs.
That’s how my idea of creating a guild for adventurers came to fruition.
Of course, I admit I went a little overboard. Pushing too many monsters their way might’ve been excessive.
If anything had gone wrong… Romania’s emperor could’ve fallen victim to monsters, leading to disaster. But since the outcome was good, I suppose it’s okay… right?
Even though I was watching over and assisting them, accidents can happen. So, I’ll be more careful moving forward.
Nevertheless, Julius gathered the lords of various regions and shared his vision, which was based on ideas I suggested.
The ultimate goal: establishing an institution to register and manage all adventurers.
Sub-branches would be set up in each region, loosely connected to promote cooperation and discussion between them.
The main headquarters in the capital would oversee general management but maintain loose control.
In case of emergencies, such as a region overrun by monsters, news would spread quickly through an emergency support system allowing aid from neighboring branches.
Also, let’s create an adventurer ranking system, a request-commission system, and limit the difficulty of missions based on rank to prevent reckless adventurers from taking on impossible tasks.
Of course, building everything at once isn’t feasible. This process will take generations to fully develop.
Still, it’s important to lay out the overall plan now to ensure it stays on track in the future.
So, I conveyed my thoughts to Julius, who digested them and shared them with the other lords.
That’s how the method for creating the Adventurer’s Guild was passed down.
This won’t happen overnight, so I’ll patiently watch Julius and the guild grow.
—
Or so I thought.
Turns out, Julius is far more capable than I anticipated.
Let’s say… he excels in internal affairs.
After all, being Bibi’s son, there’s no way he’d be average. Makes sense.
Skilled at handling regional lords and obtaining what he needs politically.
Willing to leverage Bibi’s network to secure support from the Church of Life when necessary.
Carefully calculating financial structures to use initial funds from lords and the treasury, ensuring the guild becomes self-sustaining once it stabilizes.
And…
“Would you consider heading this new institution…?”
“Yes. Of course, if you’re not interested, you may decline. Even having your name attached would suffice. Practical operations will be handled by others.”
Even involving his uncle and adoptive father, Arthur, boldly.
Or maybe recklessly?
“Hmm. Let me hear more about this institution before deciding.”
“You’ll find it intriguing once you hear the details.”
Julius smiled gently, and Arthur returned the smile.
Though adopted, they truly resemble each other as father and son.
