The Guild Master Whose Hobby Was Helping People Found Himself Surrounded by the Strongest, Overly Attached Members - 27-28

Chapter 27:The Report

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This was a few days had passed since the battle. While still feeling a strange thrill from the lingering pain of my wounds, I idly stroked the healing golem curled up on my lap.

It was a quiet afternoon at Guild White Lamp.

If only days like this could last forever.

Knock, knock, knock.

The door was struck exactly three times. My body stiffened reflexively. That disciplined knock triggered a warning bell in my memory.

“…No, it’s fine.”

I had done what needed to be done. There shouldn’t be any reason to brace myself.

“Excuse meee~”

The door opened. Appearing with broad-shouldered attire and a light, confident step was the empress of guild audits, returning with her usual air of composure.

“You look well, that’s a relief, Leader-san. I’m glad you’re alive.”

Her voice was as soft as ever.

“Y-Yes… So, you’re here today about the report?”

“Exactly.”

Noran-san cast a quick glance around the guild, her eyes landing on the cat before she grinned.

“Yes, yes, the cute little kitty is doing fine too. Good.”

Her tone was airy, but her eyes sharpened for just a moment.

“—Now, let’s get straight to the point. It’s about this request. Well done, Leader-san.”

From the folder in her hands, she pulled out several sheets of paper and showed them to me.

“The Royal Capital Guild has formally recognized White Lamp as an active guild. The subsidies will remain in place too. Good for you.”

“Thank you very much!”

Yes! With this, maybe I could add another cat this month.

“But—”

Noran-san’s tone shifted.

“I didn’t expect you to actually pull off a subjugation. Your opponent was equivalent to S-rank, wasn’t it?”

“Well… Yes.”

“And the other members?”

“Who knows where they went. Probably busy, I guess.”

I answered a little vaguely. I had intentionally left out quite a bit in the report. If anything got tied back to my… hobbies, that would be a problem.

And today, I was the only one in the guild. I had kicked the others out. Sera or Ragnar were far too likely to blurt out something unnecessary. Besides, in truth, it was thanks to Lisette and Sera going all out that we managed to defeat the enemy.

I only did my best not to drag everyone down. I was by no means the one who delivered the finishing blow.

“So, what about you?”

Noran-san stepped closer with a firm press of her foot. Her eyes carried the sharpness of years of experience, honed for reading people.

“I doubt Leader-san himself just stood around on the front line, doing nothing.”

“Uh…Well, I devoted myself to support. You could say I acted as bait, maybe…”

I rubbed my aching stomach as I spoke. Noran-san’s eyes narrowed further.

“…Support, huh. I see. And yet a B-rank managed to function as bait against an S-rank? That’s quite the remarkable feat if I may say so myself.”

“I just got lucky. By chance the enemy’s attention wandered, and my comrades…”

“Oh? By chance, you say?”

Noran-san touched her chin, staring at me intently.

“Do your wounds still hurt?”

“…Yeah, somewhat. I got punched pretty hard.”

“I see.”

Speaking lightly, she jotted something into her notebook. Her pen moved without hesitation.

“Well, that’s fine. I understand wanting to hide a strong skill. Standing out only brings nothing but trouble after all.”

“No, really, I’m not strong or anything like that…”

I mean, that whole “power-up when near death” skill is basically a dud anyway.

Noran-san suddenly stood, documents in hand, and began walking.

“For now, I’ve decided to trust White Lamp.”

“R-Really?”

I couldn’t help but lean forward in excitement.  If she trusted us, then my guild management allowance was secure. There’d be fewer meddling interventions in the near future too.

“Then, for the time being, maybe things will finally calm—”

“—But.”

Before I could voice my hope, Noran-san smiled. It was the same smile I once saw on a tax collector come to collect overdue levies.

“Would it be alright if I kept bringing you requests?”

“No, please stop.”

I gave her an immediate response. But Noran-san waved her hand lightly as if to say, “Oh, you jest~”

“With so many capable people here, I’m sure there are plenty who’d need your help, whatever the request may be.”

“Wha—wait, no, hold on a second.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You’ve got strong kids here. All you need to do, Leader, is place them where they fit best. You do know the phrase “the right person in the right place,” don’t you?”

“…Uh, it means… Placing the right wood in the right place, right?”

“…Oh come on. What are you even saying? Anyway, let’s keep doing our best. You’ve got new members too, haven’t you?”

She seemed to have lost interest in further conversation. With a breezy “Well then, I’ll come again~,” Noran-san opened the door and left.

At the same time, the words she had left behind—“new members”—weighed heavily on my shoulders.

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Chapter 28: A Bad Idea

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After my exchange with Noran-san, several more days had passed. The cat—or rather, the Healing Golem—was curled up asleep on the desk, and since I had nothing in particular to do either, I brewed some tea and absentmindedly gazed at the sky.

And then, without any warning, the incident began.

“Leader!”

The door flew open with a bang, and along with Ragnar’s war cry, a shadow carrying a massive load came barreling in.

“Congratulations to Leon-san and Iris-san on officially joining the guild!”

His arms were full. He was holding a bouquet of flowers and something that looked like an absurdly heavy cask of liquor.

“Th-that’s far too much… I don’t deserve such honor.”

Leon appeared from behind, looking overwhelmed by Ragnar’s momentum.

“…What are you carrying?”

“It’s a celebration, of course! And also a recovery gift for you, Leader!”

Recovery? It still hurts, though.

Before I could stop him, party preparations began right there on the table. Perhaps drawn by the commotion, Sera appeared next. And right after her, Iris.

“Shin-san, please look! I tried baking some sweets!”

Blushing, Iris emerged from the kitchen in a pure white apron.

“Wow, it smells amazing…!”

Sera’s eyes sparkled, and out of nowhere, Lisette appeared.

“Is this… A scheme to capture Shin-sama’s stomach?”

“N-no, that’s not it…! B-but maybe I am aiming for his stomach…”

Iris flustered, but Sera’s eyes sharpened like a predator’s.

“Iris, listen carefully. Shin-sama’s nutritional management is my exclusive specialty!”

“That’s not true.”

I cut in, but Lisette snapped her gaze to me. Her eyes were scary. She cleared her throat lightly to reset the atmosphere.

“It smells delightful… But may I confirm the ingredients used, sanitary measures, and cooking environment?”

“O-of course!”

Iris straightened her posture and made a gesture of wiping her hands.

“Lisette, you don’t have to be so strict with the inspection…”

I muttered in a low voice, but Lisette glanced at me.

“Anything entering Shin-sama’s mouth deserves the utmost scrutiny, does it not?”

“…Eh?”

Sera was already seated at the table. I stared at the cookies, and just as I tried to sneak a hand toward them so Lisette wouldn’t notice—

“Not yet.”

At Lisette’s single word, my hand froze.

“I will taste it first.”

She picked up a cookie and took a careful bite. A few seconds of silence passed.

“…No problem. It is delicious.”

“Really!?”

Iris smiled brightly, and Sera immediately bit into a cookie herself.

“Mmm… It’s so good!”

Drawn by that smile, I picked one up too and popped it into my mouth.

“Yeah, it’s mediocrely delicious.”

“…‘Mediocrely’?”

I thought I saw Iris’s brow twitch at that, but I hoped it was just my imagination.

“Leader! This flavor demands tea!”

Ragnar instantly pulled out his own teapot and started to boil water.

“Wait a moment… Ragnar. Didn’t you bring alcohol?”

When I said that, his eyebrows shot up.

“Leader… Surely not, in the middle of the day!?”

“…You were the one about to drink it. I just remembered before you poured the tea.”

“Mmm, that’s true!”

Ragnar composed himself and dropped the barrel beside the table with a heavy thud. The contents sloshed faintly, releasing a rich fragrance.

“This is a masterpiece crafted from the fragrant grapes of the eastern mountains! Deep flavour, aromatic richness, and a fiery aftertaste—”

“Ragnar-san, did you actually confirm all that by taste-testing?”

Iris tilted her head gently as she asked. Ragnar snorted proudly.

“I drank everything the store had, and bought the best one!”

So that’s why he’s in an even better mood than usual.

Honestly, he probably just wanted to drink. As I thought that, Sera suddenly looked at me and asked softly.

“Master, can you drink alcohol?”

“Only in moderation.”

“Really! I’m so happy I can drink with Master!”

She plopped herself down right next to me. The gesture was strangely natural, and the distance between us was shrinking. Our shoulders were even lightly touching.

While I was distracted by that, Lisette quietly prepared glasses, and Ragnar was already pouring the liquor.

“Heh… Leader, may I give the toast!?”

“A toast to what?”

“To our new comrades, of course!”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

I lifted my glass and turned toward the siblings.

“…Leon, Iris. Once again, welcome to White Lamp.”

At my words, Leon nodded quietly, and Iris smiled gently. It had only been a few days since they officially joined the guild. After that battle, Leon and Iris came to the guild and bowed their heads to me, eyes filled with resolve.

“Shin-san, please! Let us join White Lamp!”

“We… We want to be able to protect properly from now on! Just like you, Shin-san!”

From my perspective, I thought they had already done more than enough. But apparently to them, it wasn’t enough.

To be honest, I hesitated. I had no real intention of running active guild operations. Taking in rookies was far too heavy a burden. Besides, I thought those siblings would fit better in a more active, larger guild, and I even tried to convince them.

“You two would surely find a place more suited for you. Ours… Isn’t a very active guild.”

Even so, they wouldn’t budge.

“We want to grow stronger under you, Shin-san! Under a man as strong as you!”

“That’s right! You saved us—don’t you realize you’re our lifesaver?”

Faced with the intensity of their youth, even I was pushed back. When even the villagers pleaded, “Please, give those children a place to belong…” I couldn’t refuse anymore.

And so, Leon and Iris officially became members of White Lamp. Though, honestly—

This means I can assign them chores.

It wasn’t all bad for me. Since neither had prior guild affiliation, they had to undergo an aptitude exam upon joining to determine their proper rank. The results hadn’t arrived yet, but nine times out of ten, they would be ranked lower than me.

In other words,they would be easy to order around. Tasks I was too scared to ask Lisette or Ragnar, I could ask Leon and Iris instead.

“…Shin-san? Were you just thinking something bad?”

“Eh? No, not at all?”

Iris was staring at me with a bright smile on her face.

Is she able to read my mind? But how? This girl… She is a little scary.

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