---

“Let’s not have this happen again.”

With a sigh, the commander placed the meat and skin of the deer monster on the table.

It was a chunk of meat I had wanted to throw away when Trent showed up… but since we had some leeway now, it ended up being something I brought back.

“Hm. I doubt there will be a repeat of this. From now on, even if I go on stealth missions, I’ll stick to safe areas.”

“Please, think about it. If the lord of this land goes stealthing and gets caught by a monster, what happens to the country?”

“I get it, I get it.”

Nodding along to the commander’s grumbling, Julius remained silent.

But hey, we’re safe now. We’ve safely returned to the capital, Sirius, and made it to the tavern where adventurers gather.

“Phew… I made it through today!”

“Well, those who safely hunt with decent traps and bows shouldn’t be bragging about surviving.”

“Hey! It’s all life-or-death here! Setting traps and shooting arrows without being detected is super risky! You have to understand the monsters’ behaviors and exploit their weaknesses to pull off such stunts!”

The boisterous adventurers were wolfing down their food and drink. The tavern owner, who buys monster materials from those adventurers and pays them, was also present.

For them, this scene was just another day.

“Doesn’t it seem rather lively?”

Adventurers who fight for their lives, achieve results, and celebrate that they’ve lived to see another day.

For some reason, the sight of these adventurers was lodged deep in Julius’s heart.

Perhaps… the voice that faintly echoed in his dreams wanted to show him this scene.

“They throw themselves into reckless situations and just barely scrape by each day. It’s hard to see that as entirely positive.”

“Still, to my eyes, it seems incredibly lively.”

Those who live fiercely, putting their lives on the line. Maybe that’s what drew Julius’s heart to them.

The commander felt a bit disgruntled watching Julius gaze at these people, thinking that it wasn’t very wise for the lord of Romania—the one meant to lead this nation—to be concerned about those barely scraping by day to day.

“Alright. I’ve decided. These folks need more systematic support.”

“Huh?”

Systematic support? What does that even mean?

The commander felt like he’d just been hit by a brick with Julius’s words.

“That means… you plan to use them as soldiers?”

“No, that’s not it. They’re just fine as adventurers.”

“Then…?”

With a small smile, Julius replied to the commander’s question.

“I intend to create a national organization that helps them.”

“Huh? A national organization?”

“Yeah. For now, let’s call it… the Adventurers’ Guild.”

“The Adventurers’ Guild…?”

“It’s just a name that popped into my head, but isn’t it fitting?”

When Julius asked with a grin, the commander nodded slightly.

What even is a guild? He kept that question to himself.

“Anyway. Even if they’re doing this to earn money, they’re risking their lives hunting monsters to maintain public safety in nearby areas.”

Some had hunted Trent to gather wood, while others had caught monsters for their meat and skin.

There were also those who hunted monsters used for medicinal purposes, and one brave soul even hunted about ten goblins all by themselves.

Even just adding up the monsters they’ve caught would be enough to overwhelm a village.

“With so many monsters gone, it’ll make things safer for others. Especially since the monsters are a threat to those who don’t know how to fight.”

“That’s true, but…”

The commander couldn’t deny Julius’s point. Monsters are brutal and they harm people.

While the frequency of their attacks has decreased, there were times when both big and small villages were laid waste by monsters.

Hunting dangerous monsters was part of the knight’s duties, and the commander knew that all too well.

“Still, do you think the adventurers would want to join this guild?”

“It’s simple. If the benefits of joining outweigh the drawbacks of staying out, everyone will flock to the guild.”

Just throw out some bait, and the fish will come swimming.

“Benefits… you say?”

“Exactly. Benefits.”

“What kind of benefits?”

“That’s something we’ll have to figure out from here on out.”

Julius said that while looking around the tavern.

Adventurers celebrating another day survived. Lives flickering like moths in the dangers of every day.

If they could live a little safer and a little more stable… how many more monsters could be reduced?

It was something that could be guessed without thinking too deeply.

“In that case… let’s eat here today. I’m curious about the food and drinks these folks are having.”

“Well… personally, I think it’d be better to head back. But since you insist, I guess there’s no helping it.”

Thus, after tasting the food and drink offered at the tavern, Julius made a resolution.

If I’m to create the Adventurers’ Guild, I’ll pay special attention to the taste of the food and drink sold there.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

And so, Julius set to work on creating the Adventurers’ Guild.

In fact, it was worthwhile for me to have nudged the monsters and prompted them to meet other adventurers!

While subtly pushing the monsters, watching as Julius and his subordinates sliced through the monsters they encountered made my spirits lift, I found myself pushing them every time I saw the other monsters—

The aggressive ones were cut down mercilessly, and those that could be chased away were simply threatened and sent off like seasoned adventurers.

When I nudged a Treant that another adventurer was hunting, I felt a twinge of regret! But oddly enough, that turned out to be a good thing as it helped Julius bond with another adventurer.

Additionally, more adventurers started to gather around Julius. Having received help from the adventurers, it would be hard for him not to care about them.

And just as I envisioned, a guild for adventurers began to take shape.

Well… I admit it’s a bit excessive. I might have gone a little overboard with my meddling.

If things had gone even slightly wrong… it would have turned into a catastrophe where the Emperor of Romania got attacked by monsters and met his end. But since the outcome was good, it’s all fine… right?

No matter how much I was there to watch and assist, it’s still a matter of “what if”… I must be a bit more cautious moving forward.

Anyway, starting to create the Adventurers’ Guild, Julius gathered the lords of each territory to share his thoughts.

To be precise, they were my words. But it was Julius’s responsibility to give them form. So, it can be seen as his thoughts.

The ultimate goal of this idea was the establishment of an organization to register and manage all adventurers.

Set up sub-branches in each territory, helping each branch make loose connections to exchange and discuss with one another.

Overall management would take place at the Adventurers’ Guild headquarters located in the capital, yet still managed through loose connections.

If a particular branch territory faced a crisis because of rampant monsters, the news could reach other branches and they could provide urgent support.

Oh, and let’s create an adventurer ranking system. Also, a system for accepting and completing requests. Let’s limit the ranks according to the difficulty of requests so overconfident adventurers don’t take reckless jobs beyond their capabilities.

Of course, we can’t create everything from the start. Honestly… I believe this is something that should be developed steadily over several generations.

Still, let’s at least share all the ideas for now. The overall concept needs to be communicated to avoid veering off course over time.

Thus, I conveyed all my thoughts to Julius, and he digested them to relay to the other lords.

And so, the method for creating the Adventurers’ Guild was passed along.

This won’t happen overnight.

I plan to patiently watch over Julius and the Adventurers’ Guild.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

That said…

Well, how should I put this…

Julius… was even more capable than I had thought.

Could it be described as being specialized in internal affairs?

Well, being Bibi’s son, there’s no way he’s just a mediocre talent. Obviously.

He charmingly managed the lords from every territory and leveraged political skill to get what he wanted.

If necessary, he’d use Bibi’s connections to secure the support of the Church of Life.

Using the lords and national treasury for initial capital, Julius planned to establish a thoroughly calculated revenue structure that would allow the guild to sustain itself over time.

And then…

“You want me to be the head of the organization you’re trying to create?”

“Yes. Of course, if you don’t want to, you can decline. You wouldn’t need to be actively involved; merely having your name tied to it would suffice. I’ve appointed others to handle the practical work anyway.”

Even the audacity to use his uncle and adoptive father, Arthur.

No, this ain’t so much audacity as it is reckless, I must say.

“Well then, I’ll listen to what kind of organization it is before I decide.”

“If you hear about it, you’ll surely become interested.”

Julius smiled softly, and Arthur also returned a smile.

Though they were an adoptive father-son pair, with a second glance, they looked just like a real father and son.

 

---