The contract was signed.
Monica tucked it away and replaced her expression with a satisfied smile.
“From this moment on, you are the Guild Master of our Azure Round Table.”
“Though much remains to be explained, this is hardly the place for details. Please follow me to the Guild Master’s office.”
Noah nodded, suddenly feeling like he’d been thrust into the role of a big boss.
Monica turned and led him toward the long-neglected Guild Master’s office.
Anna and Shirley were freed at last—granted permission by Monica to return to their rooms and await the Guild Master’s summons.
Relief washed over the two girls. Freed from Monica’s stern presence, they instantly reverted to their chatty selves, giggling and chattering all the way back.
Meanwhile, Noah ventured deeper into the guild hall until he reached a secluded room and pushed the door open.
Before him stood a simple yet imposing wooden desk, spotlessly clean. Flanking it were bookshelves lined with volumes arranged in meticulous order, spines smooth and dust-free—clear signs of regular care.
Behind the desk, a glass window let in soft light. From a certain angle, Shirley’s courtyard and a slice of the street below came into view.
Monica bowed gracefully, fingers pressed together as she gestured toward the desk.
Noah settled into the plush leather chair, fingertips tracing the finely carved armrests. A quiet sense of accomplishment stirred within him.
Becoming the boss right after joining? Wildly novel.
The guild’s opulent aura practically screamed wealth.
Stumbling into a major guild within half a day—this dreamlike start felt too good to be true.
Not to mention, he even came with a personal secretary.
Logically, Noah should now lead the guild to sweep across the Ayn Continent with unstoppable force, crush all opposition, achieve glory, retire to the mountains, and live happily ever after.
But reality hit fast.
Instead of reports or schedules, Monica placed a thick stack of bills squarely on the desk.
Yes—a stack.
It landed with a thud that seemed to shake the entire office.
Noah stared, stunned, at the IOUs towering several times higher than the contract. Clinging to hope, he asked weakly, “Um… is this my first task?”
“As you see, Guild Master,” Monica said with an elegant curtsy, “these are the outstanding debts of the Azure Round Table Guild.”
…
…
Reality swung a sledgehammer straight into Noah’s dreams.
He was already drafting his resignation letter in his head.
Holy crap—this stack was thick enough to use as armor!
“No need for concern,” Monica said gently, sensing his panic. “You aren’t required to repay them. I merely revealed the guild’s greatest current issue. Should you choose not to settle the debts, you may step down anytime—without liability or penalty. Or… you may retract your acceptance now.”
Hearing that, Noah’s urge to flee vanished.
Where could he even go?
No official identity. No shelter. Empty pockets.
Leaving the guild meant nowhere to turn.
Monica likely knew this all along—which was why she wasn’t worried he’d bolt.
“Alright,” Noah sighed, rubbing his temples. He plucked a random bill. “I’ll try it for a while—call it a probation period. During that time, I’ll do what I can about these.”
If the debt proved unbearable, he could still leave later.
“Thank you for your kindness and grace,” Monica murmured, bowing deeply as if in prayer, voice brimming with reverence.
Noah realized he’d need time to adjust to her excessive deference.
“Then… please review them.”
Monica bowed again.
Noah gave a slight nod and began examining the bills with quiet focus.
…
…
The Azure Round Table was a paradox.
Most expansive. Longest-established. Most renowned guild in the region—yet Arvin Hamlet’s most notoriously broke.
Its poverty was so extreme that after two glances at the bills, Noah nearly considered fleeing under cover of night.
He even wondered if the ladies had gambled it all away.
Seriously—even using some mysterious white powder as flour wouldn’t cost this much.
Most absurdly, per Monica, this colossal debt was solely incurred by the guild’s three core members… and this was *after* they’d “reined it in.”
The prime culprit? None other than our crimson-haired girl: Ritual Mage, Azure Round Table’s one and only designated spendthrift, Arvin Hamlet’s top troublemaker, the mayor’s family’s unofficial little tyrant, a demon feared by humans and dogs alike—and now, bearer of the title “Reviver of the Great Mediator’s Father”… Miss Anna Carole!
*I knew it.*
*Of course it was her.*
…
At this moment, Anna Carole stood summoned before the Guild Master’s desk.
Her vibrant red hair swayed softly. Between black knee-high boots and a short skirt, fair thighs peeked beneath a light blue, slightly fitted long shirt. Her figure held a girl’s delicate grace; with the “absolute territory” on display, she radiated striking charm.
Noah glanced up at his savior, then down at an ID-like card stamped with bold letters: *Guild Certificate*.
Here, joining a guild equaled gaining residency.
His own certificate was already with Monica—ready within a day, she’d said.
Seated behind the desk, Noah quietly read the name.
“Anna Carole.”
“Yes!”
“Nineteen. Single. Single-parent household. Your parents?”
Now draped in a loose overcoat, a black thigh strap holding rolled parchment scrolls, Anna blinked blankly.
“Why ask that?”
Noah paused, then replied earnestly, “I’m Guild Master now. Before work begins, I need to know my team.”
“O-oh.” Anna straightened up instantly.
“Answer the question.”
After a beat: “Both passed away when I was ten.”
Noah raised an eyebrow. “Died pretty young too, huh.”
Anna: “….”
*Huh. This new Guild Master’s mouth isn’t exactly clean either.*
