Chapter 67: Taking Over the Guild

Krys had already figured out the most efficient way to benefit from the current situation.

‘Even if it’s called a thieves’ guild,’ he thought.

If you looked closely, it was no different from a business.

By collecting protection fees, eliminating pickpocketing operations, and focusing only on profitable ventures, it could be quite a lucrative business.

Moreover, Krys had a plan that involved using the thieves’ guild as a foundation for his own enterprise.

This was the Border Guard. A place notoriously strict with its law enforcement.

Normally, a criminal guild would find it tough to survive here.

But not in this case. Gilpin’s guild had thrived. Whatever they had done, it wasn’t through normal means.

Take the heated beast hides, for example. How could they have gathered a dozen of those? They were worth a fortune.

They had also found over 100,000 Krona in coins and a few promissory notes.

They even came across some IOUs, though those might be difficult to cash in.

When he thought about merging his plan with the business potential of this place…

‘There’s no way I’ll lose.’

Krona was at stake here. Krys was sharp enough to understand the situation and embrace it with a wisdom that might earn him the title of “sage.”

“Become a thief?”

Encrid repeated Krys’ proposal, looking at him with a hint of doubt.

Krys stared at his squad leader for a moment.

He had said his dream was to become a knight. To climb to even greater heights.

To do that, he would need Krona for proper training and high-quality equipment.

Knights often made their fortune through war.

There was a reason they were sometimes called “experts in slaughter.”

“There’s no need to think of it in a bad way. Gilpin’s crew is done for. If we just leave now, how long do you think it will take before another thieves’ guild fills the void?”

Krys’ mind was racing. His brain fired on all cylinders, blood rushing to fuel his thoughts.

Judging by what kind of person Gilpin was, this was the perfect opportunity.

“At most, a month.”

He wasn’t wrong, and Encrid reflexively nodded.

“It’s so warm!”

Off to the side, Rem exclaimed as he put on a coat made from the heated beast hides.

“Of course it is. Why would it be cold?”

Ragna scoffed, giving Rem a disapproving look.

Encrid glanced at them briefly before Krys’ calm but fervent voice pulled his attention back.

“In that case, why not keep Gilpin around? He seems decent enough. We could form a thieves’ guild that doesn’t kill or steal, with him at the helm.”

It was a tempting idea. Truly.

Maintaining knightly honor?

That was something only possible with Krona.

Encrid knew the reality of things well enough.

Sure, with the combat ability of a true knight, Krona would eventually come rolling in, but…

There were knights with such skills who would do anything for the right price.

Besides, Encrid believed that knightly honor was something that came from following one’s heart.

Krys’ proposal didn’t conflict with that belief.

Looking at it positively, it might even be for the better.

‘If this improves people’s lives…’

Then there would be fewer crying children.

Parents struggling to raise their kids would have less to worry about.

In any city, there were always people living difficult lives.

Perhaps this could offer them some comfort, even if just a little.

Originally, Encrid had only thought of looting some firewood and getting through the winter, but if this opportunity allowed him to help people, there was no reason not to.

“It’s not a bad idea, is it?”

“Not bad at all.”

“I’ll take care of distributing the profits fairly, Captain. In return, please keep the other squad members in check.”

It was clear why Krys was seeking Encrid’s approval.

It was because of Rem and the others.

The moment Krys took over the guild, they wouldn’t let it slide without issue.

“What’s in it for you?”

Encrid asked, his curiosity piqued.

Did Krys really need a thieves’ guild so badly that he was willing to pay bribes and run protection rackets?

What kind of profit was he expecting?

“Information.”

Encrid was impressed once again by Krys’ cleverness.

Information was money. Even the smallest piece of intel in the city could be turned into solid Krona within the unit.

For example, just finding out the name and hobbies of a flower shop girl could have soldiers lining up to buy that info.

There were countless ways to use such information.

“You get it right away. This is why I like you, Captain.”

Krys extended his fist. Encrid returned the gesture, lightly bumping it.

With that, they had made a pact—a deal.

Encrid would gain Krona and keep the squad members in line.

Krys would gain control of the guild.

When Encrid returned to the fireplace, Jaxson was the first to speak.

“I’m fine with it. Krys can have the guild.”

…What a scary guy.

He had exceptionally sharp ears. They had been speaking at least ten paces away.

“Gilpin, handle the bodies, and pick out anyone among the survivors who has committed murder, harmed the weak, or is likely to cause problems in the future. They’ll be taken to prison.”

Just because they were leaving some of them alive didn’t mean they were letting everyone off the hook.

“Sounds like you need to hand over a few guys, at least.”

“And from now on, this guy is your guild leader. You can stay here if you like, but if you try to start up a new guild elsewhere, we’ll meet again.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

It seemed to be a habit for Gilpin to rub his bald head as he replied.

“But, uh, soldier.”

“What?”

“Don’t you think we should just disband? If we stay, we’re all going to die.”

All dead? Why?

Encrid’s eyes asked the question.

Gilpin hesitated, but then explained what had been going on.

Most people probably hadn’t known, but the dead guild leader had been working as a contractor for Azpen, the assassin who’d been hired to target Encrid.

Not a spy—a contractor.

“Someone comes by regularly to check on the guild’s status. If not for that, we would have left a long time ago.”

Even though Gilpin seemed like a mild person who cared for his people, he was still part of the thieves’ guild.

He hadn’t risen to his position by being soft.

But the person who came to check on them—that was the real issue.

“If they don’t see the dead guy, things are going to get ugly. We were planning to sell this mansion for dirt cheap and disappear.”

“How many of them are there?”

“Just one. But…”

“But?”

“It’s a Froq.”

The Froq—warriors known for their terrifying strength.

They were a race with far greater physical power than humans.

Encrid had once been kicked by a Froq and ended up in the medical tent because of it.

“A Froq is coming?”

“Yes.”

Now what?

Why would a Froq be coming to a thieves’ guild in some backwater city?

There was a saying that any Froq who made it onto the continent was already proven to be exceptional.

That meant this Froq was definitely powerful.

If measured by Naurilia’s soldier rankings, they would be at least top-class, probably higher.

“What kind of place is this?”

“The dead guy knew more about that than me. All I know for sure is that whenever the Froq came by, they’d leave some Krona as funding.”

They weren’t even collecting money—they were giving it?

What on earth was going on?

Encrid couldn’t figure it out.

“That’s strange.”

Krys seemed just as perplexed.

And the others were equally baffled.

What should they do now?

“We’re still taking over the guild.”

Nothing had changed. There was still time.

They would deal with the rest later, or just disband when the time came.

And so, they decided to take over the entire guild.

Gilpin didn’t seem to mind.

He was probably just grateful to still be alive.

Encrid knew these criminals agreed for now, but there could be problems later.

Could this group really be trusted to stay in line?

Of course, that would be Krys’ problem to manage now.

Since Krys had volunteered to handle it, Encrid was happy to let him.

“This is mine.”

Jaxson pocketed a few rings and trinkets, probably to give to some woman later.

Rem grabbed a heated coat and some beast hides for bedding, then wandered off to check what else was in the vault.

Ragna gave the guild’s collection of swords a once-over before dismissing them all as junk.

He didn’t care much about wealth after that.

Audin was the same.

“Greed blinds the soul.”

He prayed instead.

But he did help with one request from Encrid.

“The vault, please.”

“Yes, Brother.”

It was the dead guild leader’s vault.

The heavy lock was secured with chains wrapped tightly around it.

Audin stepped up and grabbed the lock.

Crrrk.

It was like watching a strongman show. He crushed the lock with his bare hands.

“How is that even possible?”

Rem was in awe.

With the lock shattered, the chains were useless.

What should have taken a saw hours to cut through was done in an instant.

Such was the power of a squad member who could open locked doors with just a knock.

Encrid was curious about what was inside the vault, so he walked over.

“Want to open it yourself?”

Rem asked, watching Encrid approach.

“Sure.”

Pure curiosity.

As he reached the vault, Encrid asked a question.

“So when is this Froq coming?”

Gilpin, standing close by, answered.

“They’ll come when the first season starts. They visit once at the beginning of the Four Seasons and again during the third season.”

Once in spring, and once in fall.

So, there was still time.

Encrid nodded and stood before the vault.

What could be inside?

His curiosity grew.

He grasped the latch and lifted it with a soft clink.

Screech.

The rusty metal creaked as it opened.

Thunk.

The vault’s heavy lid swung back, crashing against the body of the vault with a dull thud, and the sound echoed in Encrid’s ears.

Thunk. Thun-unk. Thunnnnnnnnnng.

He couldn’t see it. He couldn’t touch it. But he felt something enveloping him.

It felt like he was cut off from the world.

Suddenly, everyone around him disappeared from view.

He tried to blink, but his body wouldn’t respond.

‘Huh?’

He tried to speak, but that didn’t work either.

“What is it? Did you find something good?”

Rem’s voice broke through. Just like that, Encrid snapped back to reality.

He blinked and tried to speak. Everything was fine.

“That was… a bit strange, wasn’t it?”

“You’ve always been a little strange, Captain. I know that well.”

It seemed no one else had felt anything unusual.

Dismissing Rem’s nonsense, Encrid chalked it up to a trick of the mind.

“Let’s see what we’ve got.”

He shook his head to clear it and looked into the vault.

Inside was a leather armor set.

“What’s this?”

Encrid asked Gilpin.

“I’m not sure. The dead guy treasured it, that’s all I know.”

As he lifted it out, it was clear this wasn’t an ordinary item. Pressing his fingers against the material, he felt its resilience.

“It looks valuable. You should take it, Captain. Don’t want anything piercing your gut.”

“It’s not a bad piece.”

Krys, who had an eye for such things, inspected it.

Encrid decided to keep it. For someone who lived by the sword, good armor was worth far more than any weapon.

“I’ll take this.”

No one objected. Once that was settled, Krys took care of the rest.

“Do you think the snow has been cleared by now?”

Rem asked suddenly.

Encrid thought about it for a moment and looked out the window.

The snow hadn’t melted yet.

If they went back now, they might spend the whole night shoveling snow.

It wasn’t something worth worrying about, so Encrid casually made a decision and shared it with the squad.

“Our mission will be over by tomorrow morning.”

By then, they wouldn’t have to deal with clearing the snow.

“Good. Seems like there’s still a lot to do here.”

Rem settled in by the fireplace, agreeing with the decision. For the moment, he was as content as could be.

He had every reason to be. Wrapped in heated beast hides and warmed by the fire, he was relishing the feeling of comfort.

“Indeed, much left to do.”

Ragna took a seat opposite the fireplace.

“It’s true. There’s still divine work to be done.”

Audin added.

“I’ll return by morning.”

Jaxson requested to go off on his own.

There were no objections. Everyone was in sync. If only they could work this well together all the time.

That was a recurring thought for Encrid during this mission.

“Captain.”

Krys called Encrid’s attention, discreetly giving him a thumbs-up. A gesture of high praise.

—

“All squad members accounted for. We found the thieves’ guild and eliminated it.”

Encrid reported, standing before the company commander who was wrapped in a thick coat.

It was the officers’ training ground.

Even with two torches burning, the cold persisted.

On the frozen ground, the company commander raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Eliminated?”

Did he know something?

Encrid responded matter-of-factly.

“Yes, eliminated. We sent some of them to prison, and killed those who resisted.”

“I see.”

The commander rotated his shoulders as if warming up.

Did he know more than he was letting on?

Of course, Encrid couldn’t just casually say, “Oh, and Krys took over the guild.”

“We brought the valuables from the hideout to the unit.”

“I see.”

Aside from a few heated hides and trinkets, they had turned in everything to the unit.

That was only right.

Any gains made during a mission were supposed to be handed over to the unit.

It was customary to let the soldiers skim a little off the top, though.

“Good work.”

Fortunately, the company commander didn’t pry further. Instead, he locked eyes with Encrid, his emerald-green gaze meeting Encrid’s blue eyes as he made a suggestion.

“Care for a match?”

“…Pardon?”

“You want to test yourself against an elf’s blade, don’t you?”

“A spar, sir?”

“You don’t seem like the type to turn it down.”

Elven blades were light but sharp.

That was their reputation.

Encrid had faced off against elves a few times before. It wasn’t uncommon to encounter them during his mercenary days.

But back then, he was still unskilled.

Their agility made Valen-style mercenary swordsmanship ineffective, so Encrid had barely been able to put up a fight.

“Yes.”

A duel. It would be a valuable experience.

Lately, Encrid had come to a realization.

‘Fighting is always beneficial.’

He knew he had no natural talent.

Experience was his greatest asset.

And all of it had paid off, allowing him to shine in the repeating cycle of today.

Of course, even without such reasons, Encrid would never refuse a challenge. That was just the kind of person he was.

“I’d be honored.”

“Good. I like your spirit. Come at me.”

The elven company commander drew his sword.

Shing.

The *Naidel*, an elven blade. It was a duel with real swords.

Encrid unsheathed his own sword.

Shink.

Their longsword and *Naidel* clashed once.

Ting.

Both took two steps back simultaneously.

Encrid was cautious. He remembered the time an elf had defeated him with a single strike.

That was during his stay in the medical tent.

How much had he improved since then?

He didn’t know. But now was the time to find out.