The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 24

“Sani, stop swinging the broom around,” Nina said as she grabbed the handle that Sani was swinging. “It’s time to clean.”

“Nina is quite the clean freak for a Demon Lord,” Sani remarked.

“Anyone would clean. Besides, I’m not a Demon Lord. Just a vessel. More importantly, Sani, let’s clean this up together.”

“Okay!”

Initially reserved and taciturn, Nina had become noticeably more expressive after living with the family for several months. Perhaps because of their close ages, she and Sani got along well and always acted together.

Today’s task was cleaning and major repairs of the mansion. Except for the rooms in use, the rest of the mansion was in disarray, covered in countless spider webs. However, as everyone pitched in, the old mansion seemed to rejuvenate rapidly.

“Great job, everyone. It looks remarkably clean now.”

Originally, the mansion, which had been used as a base by Kano and Sani, was a ruin. However, it turned out to be magnificent after repairs, something even an amateur like me could tell was the work of skilled artisans.

“But is it okay to use this place without permission?” I asked.

“We’re using this abandoned mansion in the Loser’s District as the Michino Family’s headquarters, but it wouldn’t be strange if the original owners were still around. Kano confidently replied.

“Of course! After all, this mansion was the headquarters of a now-defunct Dark Guild family long ago,” Kano explained.

“The Dark Guild used to operate here? Really?”

“The family met an unfortunate end, and the townspeople avoid this place because it’s considered unlucky. That’s why we’ve been using it. The name ‘Michino Family’ was also borrowed from that Dark Guild.”

I recalled the residents of the Loser’s District referring to this place as a haunted house. Well, it’s fortunate to use such a grand mansion, old as it may be.

Kano, preparing beforehand, lifted a sign and said, “Then, Don, let’s put up this sign outside.”

“Yes, that sounds good.”

With the mansion’s exterior walls repaired from weather damage, it looked considerably better from the outside. Kano and I leaped to the roof and affixed the sign to the outer wall, ordered by a former carpenter in the Loser’s District.

“Jack-of-all-Trades Michino Commerce”

The former carpenter was a drinker, but his craftsmanship was solid, resulting in a splendid sign.

The sign had a purpose. Until now, we had been accepting jobs through word of mouth, but from now on, we have decided to take on work officially as a Dark Guild. Of course, we couldn’t openly call ourselves a Dark Guild, so we opted for the facade of a commerce company.

Furthermore, we transformed the mansion’s interior to resemble a Guild headquarters. A reception area was set up inside the entrance, with a space beside it intended for future guild members to gather and socialize.

Moving past the reception area leads to the dining room we usually use for meals, followed by Kano’s room and Sani and Nina’s shared room along the corridor. The second floor houses Don’s master bedroom and my room. The chair and desk in the master bedroom were extravagantly handed down from La Bohème, giving off a somewhat mysterious aura reminiscent of the Dark Guild.

The recent repairs have improved the mansion’s appearance to some extent, but the lack of a bath is part of its charm for now. Our family has made it a custom to head to the bathhouse in the Loser’s District in the evenings to wash up. Of course, we plan to install a bathhouse eventually, but that will require taking on even more jobs than we currently do.

“Well, anyhow, this feels like the official launch of the Michino Family,” Kano said, looking satisfied as he gazed at the newly hung sign.

“It would be great if this brings in a steady stream of requests.”

“It’s not going to be that easy. For now, we’ll have to get by on the earnings from running a liquor store, finding lost cats, and most importantly, the income provided by Sofia and Seneca-sama.”

Sofia had reportedly put up posters for the Michino Company in the brothel. Still, it’s unlikely that the upper class would entrust jobs to an obscure Dark Guild in the Loser’s District.

“Then, shall we all go to the bathhouse soon?”

“Yes! Let’s do that!”

Just as I was about to call Sani and Nina, who were cleaning the mansion, a bird’s cry echoed from the sky.

Turning our eyes toward the sound, we saw a carrier pigeon delivering a letter. While countless carrier pigeons crisscross the capital, seeing one in the Loser’s District is rare. As I wondered where it was headed, it turned toward our mansion. Circling above me and Kano, it released the letter from its beak.

I jumped to catch the falling letter. Reading the words “Job Arrangement Letter” written on the scroll, Kano and I exchanged glances.

“They wouldn’t have sent a letter just to request a cat search, would they?”

“Let’s read it and find out.”

Upon opening the letter, we were momentarily lost for words. The content was straightforward, characteristic of the duke we had dealings with during our time as Holy Knights.

“I would like to request a job. Jean LeBlanc.”