The Wigarlus Branch of the Guild Union is located slightly away from the city center.
Despite its long history, the building is relatively new. Apparently, it was rebuilt in its current location after the current branch manager took over.
Just from this episode, itโs clear that the manager is a person of incredible ability. Someone like me would never normally be able to meet such a legendary figure.
Oh man, thinking about it is making me nervous.
I passed through the large front gate and entered a spacious courtyard. I imagine that adventurers would gather here en masse in times of crisis.
In front of me stood an impressive six-story building, befitting the guild headquarters of a major city. It was huge, but other than its size, it looked quite plain and rugged, lacking any flashy elements.
At the entrance of the building stood guards, reminiscent of those at temples or castles. They briefly moved to block our way but quickly straightened up and stepped aside upon seeing Mr. Griffoโs face.
Wowโฆ I tried my best to walk with confidence, making sure not to be overwhelmed by the atmosphere.
Crossing the polished, pristine floorโfar more impressive than that of ใBarbaใโwe approached the reception desk.
โIโm Griffo Moni. Iโm here for my regular report. Is the branch manager in?โ Griffo introduced himself with practiced ease. The receptionist gave a polite bow and checked her records.
โI will guide you. This way, please.โ
She offered to personally escort us.
The branch managerโs office was on the third floor. I had expected it to be on the top floor. Maybe itโs more convenient to access from both above and below?
The guide knocked on the door.
โCome inโฆโ a tired voice called from inside.
I tilted my head slightly. โSounds like theyโre exhausted,โ Mitera whispered in my ear.
As soon as we entered the room, Griffo called out in his usual bold manner.
โHey there, Boss! Weโre here!โ
โฆThatโs definitely not how one should address their superior. Classic Griffo. The branch manager responded in a similarly weary voice.
โAh, my friend. You seem to be in high spirits, as always. Iโm enviousโฆ yawnnnโฆโ
He let out a huge yawn.
Come on, man. Weโre visitors, after all.
Slightly exasperated, we watched as Griffo offered some explanation.
โForgive him for being a bit rude. Heโs got his own reasons for it.โ
โYeah, I suppose that makes sense.โ
Managing a guild branch in a big city like Wigarlus must be incredibly tough. Iโm sure he faces struggles we common folk canโt even imagine.
I turned my attention back to the man in charge.
Sigurd Roneo. Branch manager of the Wigarlus Branch of the Guild Union.
He looked to be in his late thirties.
He was slim and wore glasses, giving off the appearance of a scholar rather than a guild leader.
What stood out the most were the heavy bags under his eyes, worse than even the guild master in Barba. His complexion was also sickly, almost earthy, and he seemed drained of life.
Seriously, this guy looks like heโs about to collapse. Is he okay?
We sat on the guest sofa, facing Sigurd.
โWelcome to the Guild Union. Iโm Sigurd, the branch manager. Before we begin, thereโs something I want to tell you since this is our first meeting.โ
โY-Yes?โ
โI am extremely tired.โ
โฆHuh?
Yeah, I could tell just by looking at you, honestly.
โIโm as tired as one can be.โ
โWell, yesโฆ judging by your appearanceโฆโ
โIโm glad you understand. So please donโt mind my demeanorโฆ yawnโฆ ahhโฆโ
โฆWhat is with this guy?
Mitera seemed just as surprised as I was, clearly not expecting the branch manager to say something like that.
After another series of yawns, the branch manager finally returned to the matter at hand.
โNow then, Griffo, Iโve already received part of your report from your party members. Thank you for your hard work. It must have been quite the horde.โ
โYeah, but thanks to you, we minimized the damage. As always, your power is as useful as ever.โ
Power? What power? I wondered, but Sigurdโs grim expression kept me from asking.
After a brief rundown of the resultsโthe defeat of the monsters that had been blocking the highwayโGriffo shifted the topic.
โNow, onto the main reason Iโm here. Let me introduce this man. His name is Isto Rilos. We met during the recent operation.โ
Sigurd nodded.
โAh, so you found someone interesting, Griffo?โ
โYeah. Isto here managed to fend off the โWhale of the Earth.โ He summoned an enormous, seven-colored shield in the sky, and he did it all by himself, without harming anyone. I saw it with my own eyes, so thereโs no mistake.โ
โImpressiveโฆโ
โRight? We were completely helpless against the โWhale of the Earthโ when it went on a rampage. Weโre only standing here today thanks to Isto.โ
Griffo leaned forward.
โIโve taken a real liking to this guy. I want to help him out. It seems heโs in a bit of a bind right now, isnโt that right, Isto?โ
Prompted by Griffo, I straightened up and explained everythingโabout the orphanage, the children, and my current financial troubles.
โCould I ask for your support in running the new Elpida Orphanage? Please, Iโm begging you.โ
Mitera and I both bowed our heads.
There was a brief pause.
During that time, I heard another loud yawn, which irritated me a little.
Is this guy even listening to usโฆ?
โVery well.โ
โHuh?โ
โWeโll support you. On behalf of the Guild Unionโs Wigarlus Branch, I, Sigurd Roneo, promise to fully support both the Elpida Orphanage and you. Donโt worry about the money. Oh, and Iโll also give you a certificate of support to make it easier for you to act across different regions.โ
His response was so casual that I almost thought Iโd misheard. And the terms were incredibly generous.
This is huge.
โHowever,โ Sigurd interjected, just as Mitera and I were starting to celebrate.
โIn return, while managing the orphanage, youโll also need to take on some personal requests from me. Thatโs the condition.โ
โฆLooks like Iโve gotten myself into something big.