The Guild Master sighed and turned his gaze to Illmida.

“Illmida. If the magic item reveals you are lying, you will face a harsher punishment. Sai will be held to the same standard. It’s clear one of you is lying. Now would be a good time to come forward with the truth.”

“I’m not lying. Please go ahead and use the magic item,” I replied.

“And you, Illmida?” he asked.

“I...I…” Illmida’s eyes darted nervously, eventually landing on Rozie.

So that’s how it is.

Illmida didn’t know about the magic item, and thought she could lie her way out. But this wasn’t something she could pull off alone. There were other receptionists and staff who witnessed her actions that day. That’s where Rozie came in. I don’t know the nature of their relationship, but it seemed they’d worked together to cover up Illmida’s misconduct. As a senior officer, Rozie might have used her authority to enforce secrecy among the other staff.

“I didn’t…”

“Young Master, here,” interrupted Pal, pulling something from his coat pocket.

“Now that I think about it, I did record that day,” I said, pulling out the recording crystal.

“W-what!?” the guild staff stammered in unison.

“I captured it on this crystal as a memento of my registration. Normally, I'd expect the guild to conduct a proper investigation, but this video should make things clear.”

Showing the crystal to the four guild officials, I asked, “Guild Master, may I play it?”

“Yes… though I wish you’d brought it out sooner. Go ahead and play it,” he said.

I activated the crystal, projecting the events of that day. Illmida’s words and actions were now visible and audible to the Guild Master and others.

“I…I…” she stammered.

“No leniency will be granted here. Darnan, detain Illmida,” the Guild Master ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

“Wait, please! I lied because Rozie told me to!”

“What are you talking about, Illmida!?” Rozie shouted.

“But you said you’d make it go away!”

“I never said that!”

The two began arguing, an ugly sight indeed. The Guild Master and Darnan watched them coldly. I hoped someone would put an end to this.

“Enough! Both of you, be quiet!” shouted Pal, her voice filled with barely restrained fury.

Her sudden shout was deafening, though I could understand her frustration.

“Guild Master,” he continued, “the guild must apologize for attempting to frame the young master to cover up its own staff’s misconduct. You should punish these two and any others involved in this farce to properly atone.”

The Guild Master bowed deeply and said, “You’re right. The video has revealed this to be our guild’s failing. I apologize, Sai, for the discomfort we caused. We will promptly investigate all involved and take disciplinary action. I only ask that you give us a little time.”

The Guild Master and Darnan bowed, Darnan visibly relieved. I suppose he knew Pal wouldn’t take it lightly if things had gone differently.

I accepted the Guild Master’s apology, but that alone wouldn’t achieve my aim, so I decided to leave a warning.

“I’ll be watching to see how the guild resolves this. Depending on the outcome, I may file a complaint with the Imperial Headquarters.”

“W-what?”

A formal complaint to headquarters would destroy the Guild Master’s reputation. Ordinarily, a lone adventurer’s protest would be ignored, but I’d taken down a Red Dragon. Such a protest might have some weight. The Guild Master would now have to close this matter in a way that satisfied me.

This entire incident had served a purpose. I hadn’t expected to be allowed to take a Red Dragon quest right after registering, and Illmida’s rejection had played perfectly into my hand.

The fact that she and Rozie tried to cover it up was a pleasant surprise. By exposing the guild’s misconduct, I’d secured an apology, and with it, a favor.

This favor would let me tap into the Adventurer’s Guild’s network across various nations, which I needed to gather information about those who killed the Maniears family twenty years ago. My own resources were insufficient for such a long-standing mystery. I hoped the guild’s network would aid in finding the culprits.

Up to this point, everything had gone even better than planned. Now, all that remained was to ensure the Guild Master remained in my corner.