After a long discussion with Toki, I determined that her information didn't contain any falsehoods. Rather, just a simple check on the hot news would show their figures wearing large medals while waving at the cameras. In short, we really ended up as the protector of the cities A, B, and C.
"I just hope the previous guilds who manage these cities don't pick a fight with us."
We were technically invading their grounds, after all. And not only one, but three at once!
Anyway, Toki mentioned that she already handled the nitty-gritty of building a guild and even managed to snag a wonderful location at the junction of the three cities. I quickly packed my things—well, only the weapon I just finished—and went out. As soon as I got out of the dismantling facility, the warm morning sun greeted me.
"Hmmmm~! Fresh air is nice after being underground for a day!"
I haven't slept a wink, but my body is not tired one bit. I'm not sure what's going on, but I guess it's a blessing in disguise. Anyway, I quickly checked my phone and used the map to find my way to the new guild building that Toki mentioned.
The location, being in the middle of the three cities, was approximately three kilometers away from my current position. It wasn't that far, but it couldn't be said to be that near either.
After stretching for a bit, I then continued to jog toward it, keeping my pace constant as I watched the surroundings. The insects did invade for a second time, after all. However, this time, the added damages were rather minimal.
"I guess it's thanks to the Witch of Ruin that handled the monsters immediately..." I muttered absentmindedly.
Construction work was being done here and there, making the surrounding area feel livelier than usual. With a jovial mood, I increased my pace and reached the building that Toki had purchased as our guild base.
"... I thought it would be bigger."
Knowing her, I really thought she'd get a hundred-story mixed commercial building or something. However, seeing that the building she bought was a simple five-story building was honestly a relief. Keeping such a large building would pile up maintenance costs, after all.
"Mahiro, you're here. Come in." Toki appeared from the front door, waving at me from across the gate.
I went across the wide lawn, thinking that it could be used when we train using our weapons or something. As I approached the building, I could finally see a few figures inside. The whole gang was there already!
"I guess I was last?" I asked as I pushed the door open, greeting the girls.
Toki, Hailey, Mina, Lily, and, for some reason, even Kaede were present.
"It's fine. You were just discharged yesterday, right? You should lay low for a while," Kaede muttered with a worried gaze.
I can't tell her that I just finished crafting weapons and repairing everyone's gear, or that I stayed up all night for it. Some things are better left unsaid. After nodding lightly to her words, I turned to the rest with a questioning gaze. "So, how did it come to making a guild all of a sudden?"
Mina shrugged, Haley scratched her head awkwardly, and Lily just stayed quiet. They seem to be unrelated to the matter. I turned to the last person, Toki, and finally got an answer.
"It's actually related to you, so let me clarify it for all right now. Let's go to the living room first."
Toki led us in, moving from the entrance to a wide space with all the necessary entertainment facilities available. After we sat down on the couch, getting comfortable, she then began her explanation.
Apparently, due to the Witch of Ruin literally wiping the enemies in under ten minutes, the name "Prometheus" became a lot more enticing to those in power. To protect him, or me, to be specific, there's a need to chain the name down with a powerful backing. That's where the deal with guild creation came from.
"With a guild backed by the three city councils, we can ensure that you won't get harassed by recruiters or other cities, lest they buy the displeasure of three cities at once."
It was actually a pretty good deal, looking at it from one perspective. However, the catch was just a little too heavy for us, in my opinion. "But needing to protect three cities, isn't that like picking a fight with the other guilds?"
Each city is usually protected by the military, but since there's a limit to their number, the city leaves several guilds in charge of defense in times of emergency. In exchange, they would gain benefits from it, like getting preferential treatment for hunting grounds or such.
"It's fine." Toki snickered. "I turned down all the benefits after all. We're just borrowing their names to make a large shield to hide you."
For the three cities, losing a great craftsman able to create a powerful weapon, even out of coincidence, is a heavy loss. In short, they would literally do everything in their power just to ensure Prometheus stayed within their grasp, even if only metaphorically.
"I see..." I nodded my head, finally understanding Toki's reason behind the sudden guild establishment. "Then, who are the current members? Everyone here?"
"Yes, and all other members of our guild back in Lost Age also wanted to join in. However, due to certain circumstances, they couldn't come here in person." Toki shrugged her shoulder in exasperation. "Even Marionne wasn't able to come today, even though she lives in this neighborhood."
I was slightly surprised to hear new information from her. "Oh, Princess Knight? So they're nearby too."
"By the way," Lily suddenly raised her voice, "Marionne is also a girl, alright?"
"Ugh..."
Here I was, simply wondering whether Marionne was male or female. Was my face that easy to read? I quickly waved my hands, trying to change the topic away from Marionne.
"So, what's the guild's name, anyway? Don't tell me you just recycled our guild's name and used it?" It's a bit cliche, but doing so feels a little lazy.
Toki's smile turned wider as he pulled a paper from a bookshelf behind her, passing it to me. The paper was the Guild Application Form, and most of the details were already filled out. Only the guild's name was blank. "Don't tell me..."
"Yes! As the guild leader, it's your task to think of a name!"
I knew it. However, if I alone decided on the name, it would feel like there would be no unity among the members. "Don't worry, everyone already agreed to let you give the guild a name. Make it a meaningful one, okay?"
It looks like they're all too lazy to even bother thinking... Anyway, the guild was technically built to protect me, so giving it a name based on my aesthetics should be fine. After thinking for a while, I just randomly wrote Pandora into it.
"Pandora? The one who released all the troubles and woes of the world?" Lily asked while tilting her head. "Are you sure that's fine?"
I simply nodded my head at her question. "Rather than that, I was thinking that our guild is like Pandora's Box, where only misfortune would befall anyone who dares to mess with it."
I'm not accepting any name changes; after all, they decided to dump the task of naming the guild onto me. After Toki took the form from me, she took a picture of it and sent it somewhere. With just that, our guild, Pandora, finally became official.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot."
I quickly took out the purple orb from my World Storage and presented it to Toki. "This thing—you were curious about it, right? It's apparently called the World Fragment, and using it, we can open portals to different worlds."
"What?!"
Toki's face suddenly turned from a smile to a frown. "Does this mean those monsters really came from another world?"
"Apparently." I nodded firmly to her deduction, which was basically the same as mine. "I wanted to try and harness this thing too, but wasn't able to find a way to do so. I suspect we can find a clue after inspecting the previous portal, but..."
The location of the underground mall was too deep into the monster's territory. We could only reach it back then due to the monsters being cleared by the Witch of Ruin's attack. Without that, we would need to fight monsters of more or less advanced levels.
However, even with that risk, I can't disregard the allure of harnessing the power of this World Fragment. If we could, then maybe it would be possible to close portals right after they open or open a portal to counter-invade the other world!
"So, I propose that we go on an expedition to that place, study the portal's fragments, and use it to create a device to use this World Fragment for humanity!"
As such, our first excursion as a guild was decided.