Three days later, the guild summoned me again.

“Rozie and Illmida were dismissed for gross misconduct in covering up their actions. Additionally, they have been fined. The others who knew of the situation and stayed silent will face four months of reduced wages. Darnan will be docked one month’s pay, and I will go without pay for three months.”

In total, about 30 individuals were disciplined.

“To compensate you, Sai, for the inconvenience, we’d like to offer you 100 gold coins. Do you find this acceptable?”

The dark circles under the Guild Master’s eyes spoke volumes—he’d been working tirelessly to clean up this mess.

“Compensation of 100 gold coins…”

It was a substantial sum. Honestly, I hadn’t expected this much. Perhaps the guild wanted to avoid antagonizing someone who could defeat a Red Dragon. They were trying to offer as much as they could.

But my goal wasn’t money. It was information—the identity of those who massacred the Maniears family.

“If that’s not enough, how about 150 gold coins? Any more, though, would be difficult…”

Seeing my hesitation, the Guild Master raised the offer again.

“I have a request. If you grant it, I don’t need the compensation.”

“Are you saying you’d forgo 150 gold coins?”

“Yes, if you’ll honor my request.”

“...Odd, I feel like I should just offer 200 gold coins instead.”

I laughed slightly, understanding the unease in his voice.

“What I need is information.”

“Information?”

“Guild Master, are you aware of the mansion where I reside?”

“Certainly. It’s widely known in the capital that you cleansed the spirit that many priests failed to purify.”

“It’s about that spirit. It shouldn’t surprise you that it was a member of the Maniears family.”

“I see.”

“When I confronted the spirit, it said it wanted justice against those who murdered it.”

“Did it say that?”

“Yes.”

The Guild Master seemed to understand what I was getting at.

“I’ve been the Guild Master here in the capital for 15 years, so my knowledge is limited to the records. The Maniears family was reportedly slaughtered by residents of the slums, wasn’t it?”

Public rumor held that people from the slums had raided the mansion, murdered the Maniears family, and looted valuables. Indeed, some from the slums had been arrested, and the guards had recovered some stolen items.

But the spirit itself had denied this, which couldn’t be more reliable.

“Guild Master, I don’t know how much you know about that incident, but have you considered why only the members of the Maniears family were killed?”

The Guild Master stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“...In a mansion of that size, it’s only natural that there would be servants. There would be some commuting workers, but there must have been live-in staff, and none of them were killed...”

“Exactly. I’m not asking you to find the culprits, just to locate the servants who worked there at the time. Where they are now and what they’re doing. If you can provide even that much, I can take it from there. As long as the guild conducts a sincere investigation, I won’t complain if they aren’t found.”

“...Understood. I’ll grant your request. But be aware, with it being 20 years ago, I’m not sure if we’ll find them.”

“That’s fine, as long as you search sincerely.”

“I’ll handle it personally,” the Guild Master assured.

It was a relief that he was reasonable. If he’d been stubborn, it would have required more pressure, and that would’ve been troublesome.

“By the way, Sai, what are your plans now?”

“My plans?”

“Killing the Red Dragon will spread your name across the kingdom. The king himself may call upon you. You’ve done something that remarkable.”

I had no interest in the kingdom; I wanted to travel.

“If I’m summoned by the king, should I notify the guild?”

“Please do. That way, we can shield you from any political pressure.”

“All right. I’ll inform you.”

The Guild Master gave a slight nod, and his silver hair fell forward. Pal’s black hair was beautifully glossy, but the Guild Master’s silver hair was equally striking.

“Young Master, my hair is silkier,” Pal quipped.

“...Please stop reading my mind, Pal.”

In any case, the guild had agreed to search for the servants who had killed the Maniears.

If they found some, I might be able to lay a bit of Solderic’s resentment to rest.