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The Dawn Mercenary Guild — Chairman Office

The voice that drifted through the speaker carried no hesitation, only quiet determination.

"I need a favor, Chairman."

Denzo leaned back in his chair, his thick fingers drumming against the desk scattered with legal contracts.

Even through the static of the call, he could feel the weight behind Michael's words.

It was the first time the boy—no, his shareholder had asked for something since joining hands with the Dawn Mercenary Guild.

Denzo's lips curled into a grin. "Go ahead. I'm listening."

There was a pause. A breath, carefully measured. Then Michael spoke.

"I know this isn't a request for the guild's benefit. It's… personal. But I hope the chairman doesn't mind."

"Hah!" Denzo's laughter rolled through the room, startling Suzi, who had just set down a cup of coffee on the side table.

"Mr. Michael, you're not just an investor. You are our major shareholder."

" This is the first order you've ever given me. Do you think I would refuse?"

"Whatever task you have I'll execute it immediately."

"…Thank you." Michael's voice softened, though it still carried the firmness of someone who had already calculated his next three steps.

"I want information on an instructor inside the Academy. His name is Relaon."

Denzo still. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Inside the Academy? That was a dangerous request. The Academy's walls were tighter than a fortress. No ordinary guild could afford to move fingers there without being crushed by bureaucracy or worse by the nobility's watchful eyes.

Denzo's tone grew careful.

"Michael, if you mean monitoring his daily activities, classes, duties that will be… impossible."

"The Academy guards its records more fiercely than the royal treasury. But if you mean his outside life bank statements, noble connections, dealings—then that, I can dig into."

There was silence for a moment.

Michael's voice came back, low but resolute.

"Outside is enough. All bribes must happen outside the Academy walls. That's what I need."

"Bribes?" Denzo's eyebrows shot up.

"Yes." Michael did not hesitate.

"I got a tip. Instructor Relaon has been taking money from a noble house of the Belnic , Baron Tittle family . I need you to check his accounts, trace the flow. If we have evidence, I'll take care of the rest."

Denzo let out a long breath through his nose.

His instincts told him this wasn't some petty matter.

If Michael was moving in, it meant there was rot deeper than they could see.

"…I think I can help with this,"

Denzo finally said. His tone shifted, professional and sharp.

"Don't worry. Give me a day, and I'll gather proof if there's any trail of coin between Relaon and the Belnic family."

On the other end, Michael's reply came without delay. "Good. I'll leave it in your hands, Chairman."

The tension of the moment lifted slightly, and Michael's tone lightened.

"So… how is the guild running these days?"

Denzo chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

"Better than I expected, thanks to your investment. I brought back my old mercenary captains, formed daily raid teams again. We've been clearing dungeons steadily."

"That's good to hear." Michael's words were genuine, but his voice carried the air of someone who always looked beyond the present.

"But you know as well as I do that the mercenaries cost more than they're worth. They'll drain you dry if you rely on them for too long."

Denzo smirked, recognizing the sharpness in the boy's tone.

"You think I haven't thought of that? I already planned ahead. I'll start recruiting hunters under binding contracts. Permanent members. And I'll take fresh graduates from smaller academies, train them as trainees under the Dawn Guild banner."

Michael's lips curved faintly.

"So you've already begun shifting from a mercenary guild to an official guild."

Denzo laughed heartily, pride coloring his voice.

"Hah!"

"You see through everything, don't you? Yes, that's the goal. Mercenary work was always survival. But an official guild? That's a needed legacy and Stability."

Michael nodded silently, leaning back in his chair at the Disciplinary Committee office, his smartwatch still pressed against his ear. He could almost see Denzo's grin through the call.

"You have my full support on this," Michael said at last, his voice clear.

"As a shareholder, and as someone who wants the Dawn Guild to stand among the top."

Denzo's laughter rang again, full of life. "Thank you for your support, Shareholder Michael. I'll drink that tonight."

The call still hummed in Michael's ears as he rested his elbows on the desk. Papers were spread before him reports of minor disputes, petitions filed by clubs, the sort of tedious work the Disciplinary Committee handled daily. Yet his mind was elsewhere.

Three months.

That was how long it had been since he opened his eyes in this world. Three months since he stopped being a gamer staring at a monitor, and instead lived within the very world he had once treated as code and pixels.

Arcade Hunter Academy—the central stage of the story he once thought belonged to others. Emily Lionheart. Magnus. Alice Nightveil. Names destined for the spotlight. While he… was supposed to be no more than an extra.

And yet here he sat. Rank 1. Chief Inspector of the Disciplinary Committee. A commoner who had already disrupted the flow of the game's plot.

Michael exhaled slowly, pressing a hand against his forehead.

If I show sudden wealth, they'll suspect me. A commoner becoming Rank 1 can still be passed off as talent. But a commoner becoming rich overnight? That will make me a target.

His family guild was still small. Too fragile to shoulder the storm that would follow if people learned of his growing resources.

The Dawn Guild, however… that was a shield. A name large enough to deflect attention, yet not so mighty that it would overshadow him.

For now, I move in the shadows. The world doesn't need to see me climb yet. But one day…

"Mr. Michael? Are you listening?"

Denzo's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Michael blinked, startled.

"…Ah. Yes, I'm here."

He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his neck.

"Sorry. Just… thinking."

On the other end, Denzo only laughed.

"Heh. Then think well. Every plan you've given me so far has only made us stronger."

Michael smiled faintly. But deep in his chest, he knew the truth.

I can't afford a single misstep. Not in this Academy. Not in this game of nobles and monsters.

Michael finally asked, his tone measured:

"So… when will I meet these new hunters you mentioned? The trainees."

There was a sigh from the other end. Denzo's heavy voice carried the weight of frustration he'd been trying to hide.

"Not possible yet," Denzo admitted, his cheer from before fading. "We lack a dungeon to serve as a training ground… or even a steady source of income. Without it, training recruits is just talk."

Michael frowned, leaning back in the stiff chair of the Disciplinary Committee office. The late sunlight stretched across the wooden floor, painting it orange. His fingers tapped the desk lightly.

"You've thought of purchasing one, haven't you?"

Denzo chuckled bitterly, rubbing his temples.

"Of course I have. What guild leader hasn't dreamed of controlling their own dungeon? Even a small one would guarantee survival. But dreams cost money."

He exhaled heavily.

"We're short by at least one billion ren. And the banks… hah, those bastards won't lend us a coin. Too risky, they say. Too unstable. They'd rather back fattened guilds who already have foundations."

Michael tilted his head, murmuring almost to himself.

"…Is one billion ℜ really that hard to gather?"

The silence on the other end was sharp. Then Denzo barked a laugh.

"For nobles, maybe not. For commoner guilds like ours? It's a mountain. Don't trouble yourself, Michael. We'll manage somehow."

Michael closed his eyes, letting the words sink. Denzo's voice was sincere, but the reality couldn't be ignored.

A billion was beyond the guild's reach yet for him, perhaps not.

He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, and whispered in his thoughts:

Chairman is Right without money it all talk, seems like I have to do something, no I should invest more .

The future of the guild only I know if because of my interfare changes the future rise of the guild.

It's time to use power of money

Time to check my cards.

The stocks. The investments he'd left quietly in Victor's hands. If they had bloomed the way he suspected…

Michael straightened, his voice steady. "

I'll call you again soon, Chairman. For now, focus on preparing for that Hunter Association meeting. Leave the rest to me."

Denzo chuckled faintly, though there was a trace of curiosity.

"You sound like a man with a hidden trump card, Michael. I'll hold you to that."

With that, the call ended.

The office returned to silence.

Michael glanced at the stack of reports on his desk but found his mind elsewhere.

His gaze drifted to the orange sky outside the window.

If my hunch is right… I may be sitting on more than just cards. I might be holding the whole room filled out with money.

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