Early TBAGM Vol. 2 Prologue & Chapter 1 Part 1

Full title: The Banished Advisor’s Guild Management

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Canon

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Prologue - The Root of Darkness

—He was an object of my longing.

A sealed darkness where no light reached. Existence was denied there; anything foreign was expelled at once. No matter how I pleaded, my voice could not be heard. Wounded by injustice, I even forgot how to resist.

From that world, he saved me. He dyed my gray life in vivid color.

From that day forward, he became my center. I wanted to know him more: everything, down to the very depths of his body, even those parts unknown to himself.

Yet I learned the one thing I never wished to know.

He was destined to become the axis of the world. That truth would never change, the natural order of this world.

Could I allow this rotten world to monopolize him? Never.

So I will take him. I will tear him down, crush him, and break him, so that he will remain my center forever.

—

“Sothia. Are you all right? You’ve been staring off into space.”

Hearing my name pulled me back to reality.

“Oh—yeah, I’m fine! But more importantly, Kyros, we need to figure out how to crush Mr. Lloyd as soon as possible!”

“R-Right. I entrusted the training of the Third Unit to you, didn’t I?”

“Leave that to me! Because I am—”

He is the protagonist of this tale, and so am I.

“I am the Advisor of Incarnation of the Sun.”

This is the story woven by two exiled Advisors.

Chapter 1 - Return to Origins

An Advisor. A profession that discerns human aptitudes and cultivates them.

I—Lloyd—am the one who created it, wielding the skill 【Appraisal】 and its superior counterpart, 【Insight】.

In the Fereia Kingdom where I live, there are twenty-six adventurer guilds. These guilds accept various commissions and quests from the overarching Adventurers’ Association, and, with dungeon conquests as the primary measure, they compete fiercely every day.

At the very top reigns the Incarnation of the Sun. Kyros and I founded it together, and in five years it grew into the strongest guild of all. I contributed there as an Advisor, developing talent—only to be declared unnecessary by Kyros and cast aside.

After that, I founded a new guild: Veiled Moonrise. Our goal, of course, is to claim first place in the guild rankings, but it is not simply a matter of gathering the strongest.

We seek out and nurture those overlooked, those who have suffered neglect or mistreatment.

For example: a mage capable only of beginner-level spells.

For example: a swordsman whose growth had stalled.

For example: a craftsman forbidden from standing at the forge.

For example: an apprentice alchemist sold as a slave.

They revealed astonishing potential and advanced at a remarkable pace. That growth was more than proven in the Guild Showdown against Oni’s Fang.

We routed over a hundred of their members and won decisively. Word of our victory spread, and applicants flooded Veiled Moonrise in droves.

—

Several weeks had passed since the Guild Showdown against Oni’s Fang.

The uproar surrounding it had gradually calmed, and even the line of applicants that once stretched outside our guild entrance had vanished.

It was then that Serina entered my office, leading a young woman.

“Master Lloyd. There is someone I would like to introduce.”

“Hm? That girl there?”

I shifted my gaze toward the girl hiding slightly behind Serina.

Her glossy jet-black hair was tied in a neat short half-up style, and her slender frame gave a delicate impression.

She wore a maid uniform similar to Serina’s, though with more exposure and designed for easier movement.

“M-My name is Rei,” she said.

Rei bent at the waist in a deep bow.

“Hm?”

Looking at her, I felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Had I met her somewhere before? No—more than that…

“D-Did I do something wrong?”

“No, I just thought your voice was trembling.”

I tilted my head, speaking my thoughts aloud.

Her voice wavered, but so did her legs, quivering like those of a newborn fawn.

While I studied Rei curiously, Serina explained in her place.

“She’s simply nervous. After all, she came to this guild that has become so famous recently.”

“Ah, I see. Haha… There’s no need to be nervous around us.”

I smiled gently at Rei, who was still trembling, trying to ease her tension.

From the outside, Veiled Moonrise must look like an incomprehensible, rapidly rising guild.

And standing before its master would certainly be nerve-wracking.

“So then, why did you bring her here?”

Serina was not the type to introduce someone without reason.

She lowered her head to me with a serious look.

“I would like you to hire Rei as a maid for this guild.”

“Is it too much for you to handle alone, Serina?”

“Yes. With more members sure to come, I thought we needed another maid.”

Serina had originally been Ellis’s personal maid. Formally she still held that status, but in truth she was already part of our guild.

Every day she cleaned and laundered, cooked both lunch and dinner—she handled all the household work. Everyone in the guild already thought of her as family.

So if hiring Rei could lighten Serina’s load, I felt I should grant her request.

I cast a glance at Rei’s stats with 【Appraisal】 and 【Insight】.

.

[Name]　　 Rei (15)

[Title]　　 Unaffiliated

[Attributes]　Vitality: C/B Magic: E/C Ambition: C/C

Leadership: E/C Intelligence: D/C

[Skill]　　 Organization　C/A

[Inherent Trait]　None

.

There was nothing unusual about Rei’s stats. She even possessed a maid-appropriate skill, 【Organization】.

I saw no reason to object.

I nodded to Serina and Rei.

“It’s fine. Welcome aboard, Rei.”

“Y-Yes. I… I look forward to serving you, Master Lloyd.”

Rei still couldn’t shake her nervousness. Smiling wryly, I extended my hand, and she gripped it softly in return with a touch of strength.

“Well then, I’ll start teaching her the proper duties of a maid,” Serina said.

“Please do.”

Without delay, Serina led Rei away.

I hope this will ease Serina's troubles, even just a little. With that thought in mind, I watched the two of them leave.

†

After leaving Lloyd’s room, Serina guided the still-trembling Rei toward her own quarters.

Once inside, Serina’s lips curled into a cold smile that would strike fear in anyone who saw it.

“Oh my? Still in need of correction?”

“N-No! I’m fine!”

Rei’s reply shook with fear.

Serina’s chambers were sealed with a soundproof barrier she had erected herself. No conversation could leak outside. Even if Rei cried for help, it would be futile. Not that she still retained enough defiance to call for help in the first place.

“I told you, didn’t I? Even Master Lloyd cannot see through my 【Disguise】. Even your face has been altered. Rest assured.”

“Y-Yes.”

“And that way of speaking—stop it. Otherwise they’ll only think you’re still nervous.”

Serina placed a hand on Rei’s quivering shoulder, her smile deepening.

“From now on, you’ll be doing plenty of work. Handling everything alone is tiring, after all.”

“I understand.”

“Haha. Truly, I’m glad I picked you up.”

Serina gazed at Rei in satisfaction.

But Rei could not meet her eyes. Terror bound her body, allowing her to move only in obedience to orders—or rather, the obedience had been beaten into her body.

Pleased by the sight, Serina extended her hand.

“Once again, I look forward to working with you… Wraith.”

Wraith—the name of the shadow operative, captain of the Zero Unit of Incarnation of the Sun.

Captured by Serina, her appearance and name altered, she now, by a twist of fate, served Lloyd once more.

†

The next day, after Rei had been hired into the guild as a maid, the members had finally begun to settle down. I resumed my duties as an Advisor.

First was Ellis, the mage.

“My promotion exam?”

“Right. It’s unreasonable for you to still be a D-rank adventurer.”

Ellis’s adventurer record had not been updated for three years.

As a result, she remained D-rank—the rank just above the lowest, E-rank.

D-rank adventurers were said to be only slightly stronger than ordinary people.

There was no way someone who could obliterate a castle in a single blow should still be considered D-rank.

“Today there’s a C-rank exam. I want you to take it.”

The promotion exam, as the name implied, judged whether one was worthy of a rank.

It consisted of a written test and a practical test, weighted thirty to seventy.

Normally one would study desperately for the written portion, but Ellis could pass on ability alone.

“With your strength, Ellis, you might even be bumped straight to B-Rank. I’ve already told Orgus about your exam, so don’t worry. Rena said she has business at the Adventurers’ Association too, go with her.”

Orgus was the Chairman of the Adventurers’ Association, and Rena was a member of our guild.

Skipping ranks had no precedent, but it wasn’t forbidden either. If the examiner was competent, they would award the proper rank.

“Understood! I’ll finish quickly and come right back!”

Ellis responded without hesitation and hurried off to Rena’s room.

Since the Guild Showdown, Rena had abruptly transferred from the Association to our guild, leaving many procedures incomplete. She also hadn’t greeted her former colleagues, so she planned to finish all of that today.

For Ellis, having Rena accompany her on the way to the exam would be reassuring.

“Elna, Nick. May I have a word?”

Next, I spoke to the two who handled support from the rear. Elna was a dark-elf girl and an alchemist, Nick a human youth and blacksmith.

They were feeding a small animal—half wolf, half cat—that Ellis had named Char.

Char, does it taste good?

“Meow~”

Noticing my gaze, Char let out a cute cry. I see, I see.

“What’s up?”

“Dinner plans? Hamburg steak is undefeated!”

Which fool had taught angelic Elna a phrase like “undefeated”?

It was endearing enough, but if she started saying “that’s facts,” I might not recover.

“I want you both to take a promotion exam today as well.”

““Promotion exam?””

The two echoed the unfamiliar words in confusion.

“I want you to become guildmasters of the support guilds under Veiled Moonrise. So, go and get yourselves promoted to B-rank.”

Thanks to Kyros’s interference, Veiled Moonrise could not trade with other alchemist or blacksmith guilds.

So I decided to establish new guilds under Veiled Moonrise, with Elna and Nick as candidate masters.

However, their current ranks were unsuitable for guildmasters. By promoting them to B-rank, I aimed to solve that issue.

Nick reacted sharply to my request.

“What!? You’re talking like this is some errand!”

“What’s wrong? Is the promotion exam that hard?”

Elna asked, concerned, as Nick shook his head furiously. Then, just as violently, he nodded.

“Of course. B-rankers are elites—there aren’t even a hundred of them in this entire kingdom.”

“Really? But Lord Lloyd said to go. So it will be fine, absolutely.”

“Where does that blind trust come from, I’ll never know… And besides, I’ve never heard of anyone skipping ranks.”

Watching Elna brimming with enthusiasm, Nick clutched his head in despair.

In truth, he was right—earning certification as a B-rank blacksmith was no simple matter.

For craftsmen such as blacksmiths and alchemists, the promotion exams were more difficult than for adventurers.

In this country, there were several dozen A-rank adventurers, but the number of A-rank blacksmiths could be counted on one hand. Below them, fewer than a hundred B-rank blacksmiths, then thousands of C- and D-rank…

“There’s no rule against skipping a rank, right? Just treat it as a trial run—go take it. The two of you will pass without a doubt.”

“It’s nice of you to say that… but I’m still only D-rank, you know?”

“And me, E-rank!”

Elna thrust her hand up with vigor. Since she had never taken an exam, she was automatically categorized as the lowest, E-rank.

They had only recently joined the guild. Asking them to have confidence in themselves was unreasonable. On top of that, they had yet to realize their true strength—because they had grown too quickly to grasp it.

“You’ll be fine. And once you pass, I’ll have you establish new guilds.”

If they could reach B-rank, it would mean their capabilities were recognized as worthy of leading a guild. Even C-rank craftsmen were not rare among guild founders.

But Nick groaned dramatically, clutching his stomach.

“Us, as guildmasters… ah, I need stomach medicine.”

“Stomach medicine? I can make you a potion.”

“No, not that kind…”

Nick, in particular, still thought of himself as an ordinary man.

Perhaps this exam would be the best way to show him just how different his strength was from other blacksmiths.

“You’ll go, won’t you?”

I smiled brightly, pressing him with the weight of my gaze.

“F-Fine, I’ll go! Elna, let’s do this!”

“Yeah! I’m excited for the exam!”

Realizing I wouldn’t back down, Nick reluctantly led Elna out of the guild.

They’d return smiling—I was certain of it. Their strength had grown that much in such a short time.

“Then last is Nero…”

The light warrior would not be as simple as the others this time.

He might think he was hiding it, but I could tell Nero was troubled—more than ever before.

I had to address that problem. That was my duty as Guildmaster.

I headed toward the training grounds, where he was likely to be.

†

Nero had been shut in the training hall since dawn.

Anxiety gnawed at him. For the first time, he felt a desperate fear of being left behind.

(Damn it… my strength keeps slipping away.)

Nero obeyed every word from Lloyd. He believed wholeheartedly that Lloyd could raise his abilities to new heights.

Yet the class that had once been A-rank before joining Veiled Moonrise had now dropped to the equivalent of C-rank. He wasn’t officially demoted yet, but if he kept training without fulfilling the required quota of quests, his A-rank license would eventually be revoked.

Nero had reached A-rank by leveraging the sheer number of skills he possessed. His style was to wield many skills in combination.

But Lloyd’s guidance was the opposite. To reach S-Rank, he had commanded Nero to cultivate only one skill—【Magic Breaker】—and to seal away the rest.

As a result, 【Magic Breaker】 had grown tremendously, but overall Nero’s strength was far from his true potential.

“What am I supposed to do…”

He whispered weakly.

He had known Lloyd since their days in Incarnation of the Sun.

Lloyd was the benefactor who had changed his life—Nero didn’t want to doubt him. Yet the fear of being left behind was too great. The two emotions clashed inside him.

(Should I try some of my old training?)

If skills wouldn’t suffice, then he would hone his base attributes.

But he didn’t know, all of his abilities had already been raised to their limits by Lloyd.

“All right, I’ll practice swordsmanship again—”

Nero drew the twin blades at his waist and prepared his stance.

It was then a voice called out across the training grounds.

“Nero, do you have a moment?”

“M-Mr. Lloyd! Y-yes, of course!”

Startled by Lloyd suddenly appearing behind him, Nero scrambled.

At the same time, hope flickered in his chest.

This place, this time, this moment—

Surely Lloyd would give him some extraordinary advice.

But Lloyd’s words were nothing like what he imagined.

“I’m heading to the Magic Academy now. Want to come along?”

“The… Magic Academy? Why?”

“I don’t know myself. An old homeroom teacher summoned me.”

“Wait—you studied at the Magic Academy, Mr. Lloyd?”

The Magic Academy, as the name suggested, was an institution that cultivated mages.

Its motto was Magic for the sake of the world.

It was normally a three-year program. Graduates who wished to continue could aim to become professors, researchers, or pursue other paths. As a national institution, it was formally called the Royal Magic Academy.

“Yes. I attended for three years, from thirteen to fifteen.”

“So that’s why you’re so knowledgeable about magic, Mr. Lloyd!”

Nero nodded in admiration.

Indeed, the knowledge Lloyd had gained there was indispensable to his work as an Advisor. If asked whether he was glad to have studied there, Lloyd would answer “absolutely” without hesitation.

“I think it’ll be good stimulation for you, too. Outsiders almost never get a chance to enter the Magic Academy.”

“But wouldn’t Ellis be a better fit—” Nero stopped himself.

He had imagined what would happen if the Academy discovered Ellis.

With her reckless nature, and her Inherent Trait of the otherworldly magic 【Water Ball】—a spell so captivating that every mage would be enthralled.

Bringing Ellis to the Academy would be asking for disaster. He couldn’t even be sure they’d get her back safely. If a magic fanatic caught sight of her, it would be over.

“You’re right. Please allow me to accompany you!”

Nero readily accepted Lloyd’s proposal.

Perhaps by going with him, he could find a way to break free of his situation.

And besides, it was Lloyd asking. There was no way he could refuse.

“Thank you. That’s a real help.”

“Heh, leave it to me!”

Grateful, Lloyd’s words made Nero beam.

“Then let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Nero nodded with renewed determination.

Seeing him so spirited, Lloyd finally allowed himself a sigh of relief.

†

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