Chapter 367 - 367 - On the Job, Use Titles

Riveria gave a light wave of her hand and smiled:

"No need for thanks. If anyone should be giving thanks, it ought to be our Loki Familia thanking you."

Leon looked over toward Finn, who was talking quietly with Hedin and Shakti a short distance away. The Braver sharply caught his gaze, raised his head, and gave him a slight nod.

Leon understood what Finn meant: the matter of the "Monster Hunter Special" was to be kept secret for as long as possible. So he said nothing more, only returned the same calm smile.

"Whew..."

He exchanged a glance with Jeanne and Rose, then took a deep breath and steadied himself.

Next, under everyone's watchful eyes, he gravely signed the name "Leon Hart" and stamped first his personal seal, then the sacred crest representing the Demeter Familia.

This seal was no mere pretty decoration; it was a token carrying real binding force.

After all, this was a world where gods truly existed.

Snap!

The contract, executed in triplicate, was signed and sealed. Royman tucked away two of the copies, his round face brimming with smiles, and extended his hand to Leon. Leon gripped it tightly, just as moved.

"With this, the contract is established."

"Orario, First District, Plot Number Six Hundred Sixty-Six, from this moment on, officially belongs to the Demeter Familia!"

Leon squeezed Royman's thick hand hard, a broad smile on his own face as well.

Even though emptying out Demeter's contribution points had also saddled him with debt, plus three Expedition quotas (one of them punitive in nature), in the end he'd gotten the land he'd dreamed of.

And for the Guild, they had not only shed a long-idle burden but also gained a reliable partner, while clearing out the Demeter Familia's contribution reserves and easing future redemption pressure.

All in all, neither side came out behind.

A win-win.

...

The Demeter Familia's business was finally settled, and this year's year-end assembly was drawing to a close.

As the host, Royman rose once more, ready to put a period on this long meeting. He cleared his throat, unrolled the parchment scroll he'd prepared in advance, and began his closing address in a resonant voice:

"Everyone, allow me to thank, on behalf of the Guild, every Familia representative for your attendance and contributions today."

"Over this past year, Orario has weathered many challenges, yet it has also shown unprecedented resilience. Together we coped with the Dungeon's unstable fluctuations, handled several regional conflicts, and welcomed new Familias and allies."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over those present.

"The Guild will, as ever, uphold fairness and maintain the city's order and prosperity. In the days to come, we hope to continue working hand in hand with all of you, not merely to confront threats, but to seize opportunities. Whether it's the pioneering of unexplored floors or the recovery of surface trade routes, all of it requires the wisdom and strength of every Familia."

By now a faint, impatient rustling was already rising from the floor below.

As the impatient looks on everyone's faces grew more pronounced, and even Allen had started baring his teeth, he quietly picked up the pace of his speech:

"Of course, all of this rests on a foundation of mutual trust and cooperation. May we, in the new year, still join our hearts and pool our efforts to build Orario's glory together..."

He raised his right hand, his voice abruptly lifting:

"Thank you all for attending this assembly."

"And now, I declare..."

"This meeting adjourned!"

...

...

Creeak!

The doors of the meeting room, sealed shut for nearly twenty hours, finally swung slowly open to either side beneath the steady glow of the wall-mounted Magic Stone lamps.

Cool air flowed in, followed by the sound of relaxed breathing and the faint rustle of fabric.

In the dim corridor lit by Magic Stone lamps, figures filed out one after another through the doorway. Every face carried some degree of weariness, along with thoughts of its own. People walked together in twos and threes, talking in low voices, gradually melting into the flickering interplay of light and shadow deep in the corridor.

Tap, tap, tap...

Footsteps echoed downward, all the way to the Guild's first-floor hall.

The lights in the hall were sparse, and the night-shift staff were slumped over their desks, fast asleep. One of them, a cat-person woman, suddenly twitched her furry ears, jolted upright, quickly rubbed her eyes, then nimbly threaded through the office area, gently shaking awake one dozing colleague after another.

"Wake up, quick!"

"Lua, what are you..."

"Let me sleep a little longer!"

"Get up, now! The Guild Master and the others have adjourned and they're coming down!"

"Huh...?"

"What time even is it..."

"Quit dawdling, get up already!"

"You don't want to get caught slacking off on your shift and have your pay docked, do you?"

"...!"

Clearly, for the working class, nothing you could say hit harder than the words "docked pay"!

"Honestly... it's already past one in the morning, and the Guild Master's an old geezer several hundred years old, so how does he have this much drive every single day!"

"Keep it down..."

"Guild Master Royman really is the 'God of Meetings'..."

"Shh, lower your voice."

"Oh, right, right!"

"You think this time that vice-captain from the Freya Familia, the 'Vana Freya,' smashed the Guild Master's desk again?"

"My bet is he did."

"That'd make it the fourth one, wouldn't it?"

"And that was a custom marble piece with carved patterns..."

"Tch, the price of that one desk, I couldn't afford it on twenty years of perfect-attendance wages..."

"You lot, shut it for me!"

"Yes, Brother Rai!"

"How many times have I told you, on the job you use titles!"

A bespectacled male cat-person pushed up his glasses, finished dressing down his subordinates with a stern face, then began patrolling the office area with a solemn expression...

Right at that moment, a jumble of footsteps came from the staircase as figures descended one after another.

His gaze instinctively skipped past Finn, Hedin, and Shakti and locked precisely onto the round, rotund figure of Royman walking in their midst. His eyes lit up at once, and he strode forward to bow respectfully:

"Guild Master Royman."

Royman glanced at his subordinates, some tidying forms, some "diligently working" away at documents, and nodded with satisfaction:

"Good, well done. As Guild staff serving the entire city, you must face every client with a professional attitude at all times. Even in the dead of night, you must deliver the same quality of service as in broad daylight."

"Little Rai, understand?"

"Understood!"

Royman forced a smile onto his face, stood on his toes, and patted the shoulder of his bowing subordinate:

"Very good. Everyone on this shift gets double bonus this month."

The moment those words left his mouth, the staff who'd been putting on a show of "working" broke into genuine smiles they couldn't suppress.

"Thank you, Guild Master!"

"Get back to work."

"Then I won't keep you and the lords any longer."

This entire exchange, smooth as if rehearsed, was watched start to finish by Leon and his group following behind...

Watching this pair of "drama queen" master and servant, Leon couldn't keep the corner of his mouth from twitching slightly.

He really thinks I don't know the tricks of slacking off at work, huh?

Back in the day, I was an old hand at getting paid to take dumps and brewing tea at my desk.

This playbook, I know it all too well.

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