Chapter 107
When I returned to the Telema School, it was bustling with people's voices after a long time.
If it used to be like a noisy marketplace before, now it was more like a quiet café?
Everyone seemed to have come right after receiving Rei's contact given how quickly they all arrived.
"Where's Leaf?"
"Inside."
Rei, who joined before finding me, said she and Leaf divided roles.
Rei, who wouldn't get lost or miss anyone thanks to her instincts, came to find me while Leaf greeted and guided people.
"Let's go right in."
As I entered Telema School, I could feel all eyes turning to me as the soft conversation sounds abruptly stopped.
"He's here."
"You're late."
"Wow~ looking quite prosperous!"
"Roman, long time no see."
Various greetings, some voices I hadn't heard in a while, some from people I'd seen relatively recently.
I approached them and opened my mouth.
"Thanks for coming."
I properly took in each person gathered, confirming who had come.
First, the Alexandria School trio occupied the table that had recently been filled thanks to some money coming into our poor establishment.
Opposite them, Teresia sitting alone at the bar table.
Elowen, sitting at the same bar table but far from Teresia.
Robert and Neil talking by the wall.
Seven people?
With Rei beside me, and Leaf playing host with Mea behind the bar, nine out of fifteen classmates were gathered.
Ten including me.
Just with the people here, we already exceeded the required eight members.
Add in connections outside our classmates like Mea and Bong-sik, and we'd have even more.
We could say the worry about not meeting the minimum number had completely disappeared.
"More showed up than expected."
"Yeah. Well, we're in research so we have time..."
"Tch. Why isn't that trash here?"
Robert and Neil added to my words.
Numbers 9 and 10 among classmates.
They belonged to rival schools, Ren and Bodley, with no guild affiliation, and would debate whenever they met.
Along with Dustin from the historic Celsus School, one of the Big Six, the three would often gather.
When the two argued different opinions, surprisingly Dustin would act as judge and mediate.
"It's fine. This is enough. No, more than enough."
In that sense...
"Shall we conduct interviews?"
This statement seemed quite shocking, as everyone blinked.
In the heavy atmosphere where I felt I should ask "Are you afraid?"
The first to answer was none other than the red-haired Alexandra, who was watching me while casually resting her chin on her hand.
She raised her other hand and spoke, "You'll exempt me, right?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm a co-founder? This was my idea, did you already forget?"
That's true.
The suggestion that making our own guild would be in our best interest came from Alexandra.
"You have a point."
It makes sense.
Rei and Leaf who went around getting contracts with me were also kind of co-founders.
Looking at it that way, there was no reason to not exclude Alexandra.
"I'll hire you as an interviewer."
"Excellent judgment."
Screech.
Though Alejandra's movements were slow and elegant, unfortunately, the chair made a harsh sound.
Instead of being embarrassed, she picked up the chair to put it away while saying, "Need to change this chair. It's terrible."
"Poor school's limit."
Different from your house's luxury chairs, huh?
"Are we really doing interviews?"
At Amaia's words, I glanced at our classmates.
Though I meant it as a joke, everyone seemed surprisingly serious.
Before I could brush it off as just a comment, a provocative retort fell among the group.
"Why? Not confident?"
It was Teresia, perhaps getting energetic as the day was ending.
"Oh...?"
Amaia, Alexandria faction's number two.
Teresia, Fiona faction's number two.
This seemed like the first time I saw tension between the two factions' second-in-commands.
"I'm confident. But I was slightly worried about Johan."
"What? Hey, Amaia!"
Johan reacted as Amaia giggled.
"You failed, didn't you."
"Failed?"
Come to think of it, Alexandra and Amaia were wearing Senior badges like me.
But Juan wasn't.
Since there was no obligation to wear badges, I thought he just didn't want to, but was it that he didn't have one?
"...It was a mistake."
"Mm-hmm, sure sure."
Ignoring Amaia's obvious needling, Johan boldly stepped forward as if volunteering to be interviewed first.
As I, Rei, and Alexandra went behind the bar, and Teresia and Elowen stood up, an interview space naturally formed.
Johan nodded seeing my Senior badge.
"As expected of Roman Sun... a man I acknowledge."
"Self-introduction first?"
At Alexandra's playful words, Juan hesitated before speaking, "...Johan Blasco. Alexandria School graduate. Elemental Mage, specializing in ice."
"Hey, what's your rank?"
"Rei, this is an interview, watch your tone..."
Leaf was more embarrassed than Rei about her complete lack of formality.
"Ugh... N-Novice."
"Wow... is a Novice allowed to interview for a guild?"
Unable to bear Rei's mockery, Johan appealed directly to me.
"Hey, Roman. Wouldn't Johan Blasco be excellent combat power? Have you forgotten this Johan caught that necromancer? I just failed this time due to carelessness, my power has advanced since then."
"...Wasn't that together with me, so not just Mr. Blasco's power?"
Leaf had grown.
She now had the confidence to speak up.
Perhaps coming from the badge on her chest that Johan lacked.
"Well, interview over. Next person. We'll notify you of the results later."
"Ah, no! Wait! Roman, I still haven't..."
"Now~ go back."
"I'm not finished... gack!"
Johan was practically thrown back, dragged away by Amaia's hand.
Taking his place, Amaia proudly started her self-introduction.
"Number 3! Amaia Hierro! Elemental Mage, specializing in iron! Please take care of me~"
"Pass. She passes."
As expected, biased judgment from Rei.
The role-play disguised as interviews continued smoothly after that.
It naturally went by student number order, with Elowen passing despite Leaf's pressured interview, and Robert and Neil went smoothly enough.
During Teresia's turn, I thought Alexandra might interfere but she stayed quiet.
Anyway, after enjoying the reunion with long-unseen classmates, we moved on to serious guild discussions.
Three agenda items:
While everyone acknowledged my position as Guild Master, who would be Vice Guild Master to act in my place when I was in the Abyss?
A guild naturally needed a guild house, so what about that?
And most importantly, what would be the guild name?
"I'll be Vice Guild Master first."
As soon as the agenda was set, Alexandra volunteered.
"Hmm, perfect candidate. You have my vote."
"I agree too~"
"I oppose."
As expected, Teresia objected.
"You'll be going to the Abyss too, right? Vice Guild Master should be someone who stays in the city. One of those two should take it."
The two people Teresia pointed to, Robert and Neil, looked confused like “Us? That?”
"I agree with the dhampir. Those two are the only ones who'll stay in the city."
Elowen added support to Teresia's opinion, "Logically that makes sense but... can we really do it?"
"Reasonable opinion. But we're only Regular rank."
"So what? That’s still higher than him."
Rei habitually criticized Johan again.
As the flow shifted from Alexandra to the theory duo, Alexandra shrugged and raised both hands.
"Fine. Okay. One of those two."
"Then I'll do it."
"No! Me. Robbie here only knows math, he knows nothing about the world."
After fierce competition between Robert and Neil, Neil was selected as Vice Guild Master.
Though Robert was slightly stronger magically, we wanted a Vice Guild Master for practical matters.
With the first agenda settled, the second was quick too.
"I'll look for unused buildings."
"Us too."
Our team would search as default, while everyone would check their schools for buildings available to rent or buy.
Purchase costs would be shared as a kind of common fund.
"Then for the final agenda..."
Here it comes.
Probably what everyone was waiting for.
Their eyes were different.
After the first agenda flowed indifferently following Alexandra's voluntary withdrawal.
The second agenda ended smoothly with businesslike attitudes.
Now, differences in mindset would inevitably be shown. Everyone watched each other intently.
Knowing the first to suggest a name would definitely get beaten down and sink, they held back.
But there was someone who threw such consideration to the dogs.
"At last! Time to raise the name Black Pride!"
"No way."
"What nonsense when you're the only beast-folk."
"Then let's go with Nightfall."
"Ugh. Smells like dhampir."
The moment Rei broke the ice, words poured out like a flood.
After quickly suppressing Rei, they opened an era of warring states, each pushing their own opinions.
Then.
"Um... excuse me."
A ceasefire arrived with the appearance of a new participant.
The pink-haired Priscilla, who entered hesitantly, seemed to gain courage upon seeing her junior, continuing steadily despite all eyes focusing on her.
"About making a guild... um, are you conducting interviews?"