Chapter 106: Ambition

Sage watched Gregor’s retreating figure, falling into silence. After a long moment, he sighed and returned to the receptionist desk, taking a seat.

He understood that Gregor was under immense pressure. Although it seemed like Sage had placed a heavy burden on him, such weight came with responsibility.

The Adventurer Guild was a place where everything earned its value; Sage wanted Gregor to be the benchmark, the standard against which every adventurer would measure themselves.

Being the first Adventurer in history was no easy identity to bear. It meant shouldering expectations that could feel like an insurmountable mountain.

Despite being ranked among the top ten Copper Adventurers, Gregor was considered the weakest of them all, which only added to his overwhelming sense of pressure.

Sage hadn’t chosen Gregor as the Pioneer without reason; he had plans for him. It didn’t matter that Gregor ranked low; given enough time and resources, Sage believed his strength would grow significantly.

“Let’s take things slow for now,” he thought. “As long as he stays on track with the plan, everything will be fine.”

Lost in these thoughts, Sage shook himself back to reality and let out another heavy sigh. He rubbed his face and surveyed the bustling Guild Hall around him, unable to suppress a smile at how vibrant it had become.

Just over two months ago, this place had been eerily quiet, like a graveyard, where no one from Greyvale dared to enter. The Guild had been nothing more than an insignificant shop tucked away in a corner of the city.

Now, however, it thrived like a market alive with energy. Adventurers and commissioners flowed in and out daily at an astonishing rate.

What was once a desolate district had transformed into one of Greyvale City’s most lively areas; businesses were booming like never before.

Merchants eager to seize opportunities flocked here to set up stalls and shops. Major merchant groups established branches in this area, making it packed day after day.

All this growth stemmed from the Adventurer Guild; without it, this district would still be abandoned and silent. Now everything revolved around the Guild, blacksmiths and alchemists were multiplying as well.

Yet there was something gnawing at Sage, a restlessness born from watching this economic boom unfold while feeling excluded from its benefits.

His only income came from the Guild itself; although what he earned daily surpassed what many small merchants made in a month, he craved more.

He felt greedy for wanting additional wealth when he knew that if not for the Guild’s efforts, this district wouldn’t have gained its current popularity, and thus deserved credit for its success, but he couldn’t force anyone to pay him.

The only solution left was turning this entire district into the Guild’s Territory. If successful, he could dictate terms for all shops and businesses operating here.

But that would be quite a challenge, as the entire city falls under the jurisdiction of the Baron residing in Greyvale’s Central District. If he intends to transform this district into the Guild’s territory, he must find a way to isolate it and weaken the Baron’s rules and control.

The only path to achieving this is by establishing the Guild’s authority in this district while also portraying it as benevolent and saintly in the eyes of its citizens.

However, Sage has yet to encounter that crucial opportunity. For two months, he has been waiting for a significant moment that could allow him to seize control of this district in one fell swoop. The potential profits from this area alone could make even the wealthiest nobles green with envy.

“I just need to be patient; my time will come,” Sage mused, rubbing his chin with a cold smirk.

He glanced around the Adventurers in the Guild Hall, his expression darkening at their presence.

“Now that I think about it, my system has been on sleep mode for two months. Otherwise, this Guild would have upgraded long ago.” He sighed heavily, recalling how frustrating things had been since Valeria became an Adventurer.

The moment she joined, his system inexplicably shut down for energy replenishment without any warning. The only functions still operational were the Guild Interface and his Status Panel.

“Sigh… When will this ridiculous system wake up?” Sage muttered as he opened the Adventurer Guild Interface.

——–

[ Adventurer Guild Interface ]

Guild Master: [Sage Alistair]

Guild Rank: [ E ]

Guild Funds: [ 8,896 Gold Coins]

Reputation: [ 3,866 / 10,000 ]

Active Members: [ 1,345 ] [ 445 Copper Rank Adventurers] [ 900 Iron Rank Adventurers ]

Guild Territory: [ None ]

Guild Facilities: [ None ]

[Guild Objectives.]

Main Quest: [Establish The First Guild In The World Of Eldoria]

——-

As he examined the Guild Interface, exhilaration and pride surged within him. He was thrilled to see such remarkable progress; previously, registered Adventurers barely reached a hundred, now there were over a thousand.

Moreover, more than four hundred of them had achieved Copper Rank status. Although most remained at Iron Rank level, new Copper Ranks were emerging every day.

Statistics indicated that between two to five Adventurers were upgrading daily, a trend he expected would continue as more warriors joined and tackled easier missions based on their varying strengths.

Sage was confident that if not for the “one mission per day” rule imposed on Iron Rank Adventurers, there would be even more Copper Ranks by now. He established this rule intentionally, to ensure every Adventurer had equal opportunities for missions and prevent hoarding behavior that could disrupt harmony within the Guild.

Establishing that rule ensured everyone stayed in line and prevented any overreach. People can be inherently selfish and greedy; if Adventurers began hoarding missions, conflicts would inevitably arise, something Sage could not permit.

To increase their mission quota beyond one per day, an Adventurer must elevate their rank, higher ranks allow for higher quotas.

This rule effectively addressed several issues: it curbed hoarding and greed, reduced the likelihood of fights, and fostered healthy competition among Adventurers within the Guild.

When Sage incorporated this regulation into the Guild Rule Book, it transformed many aspects of operations and made managing the Guild significantly easier.

With this rule in place, there are numerous missions available for Adventurers to undertake. As for anyone breaking that rule… well, that hasn’t happened yet. In fact, Sage has been anticipating such a breach so he could flex and aura farm for a little bit.

Beyond the surge in Adventurer participation, the Guild’s funds have skyrocketed as well. He has surpassed eight thousand gold coins, and with just a little more effort, he could reach ten thousand, officially entering the realm of wealth.

He couldn’t help but reminisce about when he was completely broke after purchasing the Guild building. He had gone two days without food and slept on an empty stomach; he was as poor as they come. If it hadn’t been for Mama Arya’s generosity, he might have starved before completing his grand mission.

“Those were tough times,” he sighed heavily. “If I keep this up, I’ll be able to grow my wealth and fulfill my promise to my predecessor.”

Of course, he hasn’t forgotten about the original owner of this body. After all, it was their life savings that allowed him to find shelter and food upon reincarnating in this world, the same money used to buy the Guild building.

It’s safe to say that the previous owner did him a significant favor; thus, alongside making money for himself, he’s also working towards honoring the promise made to this body’s former owner.

In addition to increasing funds, the Guild’s reputation points (RP) have also risen significantly; it won’t be long before another milestone is reached. In fact, he’s already met the requirements to upgrade the Guild to D Rank.

The upgrade should have happened ages ago if not for that frustrating system going into sleep mode.

Rubbing his forehead in frustration, he closed the interface while narrowing his eyes.

“Now where are those staff members I need? I’m breaking my back here,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “Is hiring people in this world really that difficult?”

Since the Guild gained notoriety and popularity soared, foot traffic has increased dramatically. Every day leaves him sore from constant work.

For two months now he’s been searching for employees but has only encountered shady characters; most can’t even read or write.

The few literate ones are Adventurers,besides which Adventurer would be foolish enough to become a receptionist and sit behind a desk all day for meager pay?

But when he finally got the opportunity to hire someone, he learned that the candidate was currently recovering from an illness.

“That green hair really raised my hopes, only to douse them with cold water,” Sage grumbled, glaring at Gregor’s back as he laughed and chatted with Brutus and the others.

This setback is why Sage hasn’t been able to find a suitable person to hire for the past two months.

“I wonder when I’ll be completely free and can just delegate all the work,” Sage mused as he leaned back in his chair, adjusted his golden-rimmed glasses, and pulled out a thick book.

[ Ding ]

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