Chapter 184: Danny

Max, Lancelot, and Seraphina’s discussions went undisturbed. Since Max had already interacted with most of the nobles and high-ranking military officials, he was not disturbed.

The Grand Banquet proceeded as planned.

The last significant guest was the Grand Chancellor and the Emperor.

The Emperor took the limelight and personally announced Max’s achievements to the nobles and the high-ranking military officials, officially proclaiming the Imperial Decree of Commendation.

The nobles and the high-ranking military rejoiced and repeatedly nagged Max to accept their proposal to be their sponsor for his guild.

Max simply smiled.

Once the crowds died down and took their chance to curry favor with one another, Max finally had the chance to have a conversation with the Grand Chancellor.

Grand Chancellor greeted Lancelot and Seraphina as well, congratulating them for joining the Demon Hunters Guild.

The Grand Chancellor’s topic for conversing with Max and the others was naturally about the Demon Hunters Guild.

The Grand Chancellor claimed that he discussed the extent of the Emperor’s support, while providing a list of nobles to be their sponsor.

The Emperor was ready to release some of their officials’ responsibilities to help manage his guild.

The Grand Chancellor was willing at first to be the tactician for Max’s guild, but he reluctantly suggested his own student.

The student was destined to inherit the Grand Chancellor position in the future, and he was currently at B-rank, as well.

His student was sent to the frontier village in the western continent, but the Grand Chancellor had already sent a letter for him.

Max accepted it with extreme politeness, while feeling a bit bitter, knowing that he was the Guild Leader, but three of his new members were at B-rank.

At the same time, he remembered his past companion during the reclamation of the watchtower outpost.

They were NPCs as well, but he failed to protect them.

He might have completed their mission and carried their will within him, but their trauma remained with him.

Can I protect these promising individuals? Can I promise not to repeat the same tragic event again?

Such thoughts continued to echo in his mind as he continued to chat with the Grand Chancellor together with Lancelot and Seraphina.

Eventually, he soon found his answers.

Since he was in the game, their lives didn’t matter.

But it did, for him.

Because if he failed to protect them, there was a high chance that he would fail to protect his loved ones in the future.

He might not be able to turn back time again and protect Eva and others, but he could amend his mistakes by preventing the same event from happening again.

Night grew deeper, and the Emperor and the Grand Chancellor bid farewell to Max and others.

Grand Chancellor told Max that his student would personally meet him in his residence and hoped they could discuss the establishment of the Demon Hunters Guild from then.

Max thanked the Grand Chancellor and the Emperor sincerely.

Seraphina soon followed and bid farewell to Max, assuring him that she would prepare herself for the next three months.

Max and Lancelot were left to discuss their future until the Grand Banquet ended.

Max didn’t wish to stay in the capital.

Once the Grand Banquet ended, he and Lancelot returned to his horses.

Max accompanied Lancelot to his residence and bid farewell to him.

"I will go and meet your younger brother. He’s definitely a powerful asset that we can have."

Max smiled and thanked him.

He then searched for Joel to return to the Dunmarrow Capital.

...

A week later, a tactician arrived at Max’s residence and introduced himself as Danny Collins.

He was born in Stoneford Village and became the Grand Chancellor’s apprentice during his visit to the village.

Danny Collins possessed the bearing of a tactician—calm and composed.

His tone was decisive.

In fact, when Max was chatting with him about the establishment of the Demon Hunters Guild, he found himself only agreeing to his suggestion.

Clearly, Danny had been studying the Guild he was about to be a member into.

Danny had long prepared for how to spend the Imperial budget allocated to the Guild.

Danny wished to finance the Guild headquarters, provincial branches, training grounds, demon research, anti-demon equipment, medical facilities, transportation, recruitment, demon intelligence, and rewards for completed demon extermination contracts.

Given the Imperial budget, his proposal was indeed plausible.

At the same time, the Grand Chancellor stated that the Emperor granted the Demon Hunters Guild a fortified complex located just outside Aurelion Prime.

The full details were told by Danny.

"It will be called Demon Hunters’ Bastion.

It contains the guild headquarters, training grounds, combat arenas, demon research laboratories, equipment workshops, medical facilities, barracks, storage vaults, contract hall, and administrative offices.

However, the land itself remains the Imperial property.

The Guild only receives permanent usage rights."

That prevented Max from becoming the owner of an enormous piece of Imperial territory while still giving him a massive institutional advantage.

The Imperial Military wished to provide the Guild with decommissioned but functional military equipment.

The Imperial Family also wished to provide transportation privileges.

Furthermore, Danny surprisingly stated that a Provincial Cooperation Order was issued for the Guild.

"The Demon Hunters Guild shall be recognized as an Imperial-sanctioned demon extermination organization."

Danny also reminded Max about the Imperial Military Separation Act.

The Demon Hunters Guild could not recruit Imperial Soldiers and Military Officers, but the Emperor could assign retired Imperial veterans to the Guild.

Just not active soldiers.

Like retired Knights, retired Vanguards, former Arcane Corps Instructors, veteran scouts, and more.

They could become Imperial Instructors to the Guild!

"So, this gives the Guild immediate access to centuries of accumulated military knowledge," Max mumbled and was astonished.

Danny smiled at him and nodded. "That’s right. With the huge support of the Emperors, the Demon Hunters Guild is bound to rise.

That’s why we should accept the military nobles, merchant nobles, mining nobles, arcane nobles, and agricultural nobles’ sponsorship.

However, it’s best to choose only one noble each to avoid inciting conflicts."

Max smiled.

"Mhm. I leave that to you."

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