Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 79- Fake Goods

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‘It’s finally happening.’

While the news didn’t surprise me, as it was part of the original plot, others were visibly shaken.

The corruption of the sacred beasts meant Maya’s power was weakening.

The chair broke the tense silence with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

“There’s no need to be so serious. The temple is working hard to find a solution. However, they’ve requested additional manpower, so we’ll soon be holding a guild selection exam.”

The mention of an exam caused a stir in the audience.

My mind raced as I recalled the original plot.

This was the exam where Luke and Carlisle’s outstanding performance led the Flare Guild to victory.

“Only the guilds selected through the exam will be allowed to investigate the sacred beasts?”

“Correct. The temple has asked us to send only the best guilds. Participation in the exam is voluntary, of course. If any guilds are interested, feel free to come to me.”

While some were anxious about the sacred beasts’ corruption, others were excited about the opportunity to be recruited as temple knights.

The chair finished speaking with a bright smile.

“That’s all for the announcements. Now, let’s officially begin the guild meeting.”

The meeting started amidst the commotion.

Since it was the time to formally report on the guild activities of the past six months, everyone seemed well-prepared.

I chuckled quietly, watching Boomer fidget as if waiting for someone.

‘It seems Derek was the only brains behind Pluto Guild. Well, he was a sneaky one. Without him, Pluto is bound to show weaknesses during the performance report.’

I clenched my fist on my lap and smiled softly.

‘The moment I find that weakness, victory will be mine.’

It was Pluto Guild’s turn.

Their guild master, Boomer, shuffled nervously to the podium, coughing awkwardly before starting his presentation in a mumbled voice.

“…That’s all. Any questions?”

When he finished, the applause was tepid.

Pluto was a new guild, ranked somewhere in the middle.

Large guilds faced countless challenges during these meetings, but since Pluto wasn’t very influential, no one really bothered to target them.

“Now, moving on to Jupiter Guild—”

The chair paused.

Boomer, who had made eye contact with me, froze.

I lowered my raised hand and spoke calmly.

“Before we move on, I noticed that Pluto Guild’s product, ‘Fragrant Mushroom,’ has been selling at an unusually high price—fifty times the original market value.”

“…”

“Why is that?”

Boomer’s eyes visibly shook as I mentioned the Fragrant Mushroom.

After a long silence, Boomer frowned, as if annoyed by the question.

“I-It must’ve been a pricing error.”

“Odd, considering the transaction history shows consistent sales.”

“…”

“Let me rephrase the question. Did Pluto Guild really sell Fragrant Mushrooms?”

Boomer bit his lower lip.

After taking a deep breath, he muttered in a flat tone.

“We didn’t put up any fake products.”

The moment I formally raised my suspicion, everyone turned to look at me.

Boomer, who had been glaring at me in shock, angrily turned to the chair.

“What nonsense is this? Dylan! Aren’t you going to intervene? These are baseless accusations!”

“Hm, the guild meeting is also about uncovering wrongdoings. If it’s just a suspicion, you can always clarify it.”

“…”

“Go ahead, Jeanne. Continue.”

Dylan, who had been watching me with his hands clasped together, smiled softly.

For some reason, his eyes were sparkling in a way that felt almost overwhelming.

Once he was granted permission, he continued speaking calmly.

“According to Imperial law, when buying slaves through the market, the consumption tax you have to pay is immense. However, guild products are, in principle, exempt from consumption tax.”

“……”

“For the wealthy who didn’t want to pay taxes but still wanted slaves, your products must have been quite appealing.”

The word ‘slave’ stirred the crowd.

As an academic institution, the Academy prohibited three categories of guild products: alcohol, tobacco, and slaves.

Even though slavery was legal within the Empire, it went against the Academy’s values, which prioritized equality.

Therefore, slaves couldn’t be offered as guild products.

Boomer, who had been glaring at me with clenched fists, let out a bitter laugh.

“Your delusions are surprisingly detailed. Women, after all. Always hysterical over nonsense.”

“……”

“Do you even have any concrete evidence that we traded slaves? Of course, you don’t. If you don’t, be prepared to face the consequences for slandering me.”

Boomer’s sneering expression didn’t faze me as I calmly lifted a contract.

As soon as Boomer realized what I was holding, his face turned pale. I stood up abruptly and strode toward him.

“This is the lifetime contract of a Sakur slave you signed with. If you look at the seal stamped at the bottom of this contract, it matches the Pluto Guild’s insignia exactly.”

I walked up to the platform and handed the contract and the guild insignia to Dylan.

Examining the contract with an intrigued look, Dylan stroked his chin and asked, “Jeanne, where did you get this contract?”

“I picked it up on the street.”

“…And the guild seal?”

“It fell from the sky.”

At my brazen response, Dylan, who had been silent, burst into laughter.

Leaving Dylan, who was still laughing, I sharply turned toward Boomer.

He flinched and backed away.

“Since you seem to have forgotten, let me remind you of the Academy’s rules, which you recited during the entrance ceremony.”

I advanced slowly, like a wild dog stalking its prey.

“First, we must use our magic to aid those in need.”

“Second, we must protect the marginalized with our pride.”

“Third, we must work to benefit the world with our sense of justice.”

By the time I had taken three steps, the once-proud Boomer had transformed into a coward, trembling as if he had encountered a predator.

I stared at him coldly.

“Pluto’s actions lack both pride and justice. All you have are fools blinded by material wealth. If you wanted to steal Luna Guild’s assets, you should have been prepared to lose your own.”

Boomer, now drenched in sweat, looked desperately toward Dylan.

Dylan sighed deeply, as if exasperated. Realizing there was no escape, Boomer screamed like a man possessed.

“D-Damn it! No, listen to me! This is all Derek’s doing…”

“Boomer, even if it wasn’t your doing, the guild’s involvement in slave trading is a clear violation of the rules.”

The smile that had been on Dylan’s face the entire time was now gone.

I hadn’t realized it before, but without that smile, he had a rather intimidating look.

As Dylan gestured toward a corner, the disciplinary committee members who had been waiting began escorting Pluto’s guild members out of the hall.

Amid the frozen atmosphere and silence, a sharp voice pierced through.

“But isn’t Pluto Guild not the only one who broke the rules?”

I turned toward the source of the voice.

Mia was glaring at me with an annoyed expression.

Just as I was taken aback by her unexpected remark, Luke chimed in coldly.

“Guild Regulation Article 8. The guild leader must attend the guild assembly, which takes place every six months. If the guild leader fails to attend three consecutive times, the guild is considered to have no intent to continue its activities and will be disbanded.”

“…”

“And yet, it seems that Luna Guild’s leader isn’t present today either, is he?”

Luke’s words left me speechless.

He was right.

Normally, it should have been the guild leader attending this assembly, not me.

The sudden turn of events caused a stir in the surroundings.

“Luna’s guild leader? Who is that, again?”

“What kind of foolish question is that? Luna’s guild leader is, of course, that person.”

While I had succeeded in cornering Boomer, I hadn’t anticipated Luke would counterattack like this.

Dylan, who had been watching the exchange between me and Luke, clicked his tongue in regret.

“Indeed, rumors have been circulating within the committee as well. No matter what, we can’t allow a guild to continue without a leader. So then…”

“……”

“At this assembly, it seems both Pluto and Luna will be disbanded.”

The finality in his tone made me tremble.

No matter how hard I tried to hold the guild together, if the leader didn’t show up, Luna was bound to be disbanded.

I glanced at the motionless auditorium doors and then lowered my head, feeling hopeless.

‘Of course, there’s no way they’d come. This guild…’

Squeak.

The creak of the door’s hinges silenced the bustling hall.

The sound of footsteps echoed from afar. People started standing up one by one, staring in bewilderment.

Even Dylan, who had remained calm throughout, whispered in a voice filled with awe.

“This can’t be…”

The Empire’s hero, its shadow.

A washed-up hero, once confined to a dark, damp asylum, wasting away slowly.

A wild card that wasn’t supposed to be in this story.

I slowly lifted my gaze from the floor.

Ignoring the audience staring at him, the man who was only looking at me—his name was…

“You shouldn’t be late to such an important event, Jerome.”

Forcing my voice to sound casual as I called his name, Luke bit his lower lip.

Jerome, still staring straight at me, gave a faint smile.

His next words made me laugh despite myself.

“Sorry. I was late dropping Chloe off at kindergarten.”

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