Early TBAGM Vol. 1 Epilogue

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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Epilogue - Encroaching Darkness

The streets were deserted at night. The moonlight was faint, and a line of hazy streetlamps flickered dimly.

With fury roiling in his chest, Kyros walked alone on the road back to his guild.

“Damn it! How did it come to this...!”

He spat the words out, as if expelling his loathing.

That moment would never leave his mind.

The humiliation. The sense of defeat. The crushing inferiority.

It felt as though his entire being had been outright denied.

“Everything was going according to plan! So why—why did it all collapse like this!?”

Every move Kyros had made up until now had unfolded perfectly. No, too perfectly.

While much of that success was due to his own skill, the influence of certain shadowy powers had played an even greater role.

After banishing Lloyd, the gaping void he left behind had caused everything precious to pour out like water from a shattered vessel.

“If only Lloyd had done as he was told... everything would’ve gone smoothly.”

Kyros muttered as his vacant eyes stared at the ground.

He looked like a man possessed, his expression twisted by obsession.

And then, as if blocking his path, a young girl appeared out of nowhere.

“Good evening, Lord Kyros!”

“Hm? Who are you?”

She was petite, with a round, youthful face. More cute than beautiful.

But what stood out most were the furry beast ears atop her head and a fluffy tail swaying behind her.

From those features, it was clear: she was a member of the Beastkin race.

“Nice to meet you! My name’s Sothia!”

The girl beamed brightly at Kyros.

Her cheerful voice felt utterly out of place in the dim, desolate street.

Perched on her shoulder was a creature that resembled a small black cat. Sothia gestured toward it.

“This is Il. He’s my contracted beast. Isn’t he adorable?”

“Ah… I suppose…”

Il, the so-called contracted beast, silently stared at Kyros from her shoulder.

“Oh, right! Since I finally got to meet you, Lord Kyros, there’s something I’d like to discuss!”

“What is it?”

Kyros listened warily.

It was strange enough for a young girl to be wandering the streets alone at this hour—stranger still for her to be Beastkin, a rare race even in this kingdom.

“To be blunt, don’t you want a way to get revenge on Lloyd?”

“What...!?”

Kyros’s eyes widened in shock at her words.

It was perfectly timed, almost as if she’d rehearsed this encounter.

And the innocent smile she wore only deepened his sense of unease.

“So, here’s my proposal!”

What followed was something Kyros never could’ve expected.

“Lord Kyros! Hire me as an 【Advisor】 in Incarnation of the Sun, will you?”

“What…!? An Advisor!?”

Kyros couldn’t hide his confusion at the outrageous request.

After all, 【Advisor】 was a position that Lloyd himself had created, an original role that didn’t exist before.

“In return, I’ll help you carry out your revenge to the fullest!”

Under normal circumstances, Kyros would never have entertained such a shady offer.

There was no guarantee. No credibility. He didn’t even know who she was.

Striking a deal under these conditions was utterly preposterous.

And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to reject it outright.

“I see... but tell me, why would you do this?”

He hadn’t meant to probe deeply. It was just a casual question, not something he was desperate to know.

He didn’t expect that it would cause Sothia to reveal even the smallest sliver of her true feelings.

After a brief pause, she answered matter-of-factly.

“Huh? Because I think Lloyd’s in the way too. I want him gone. Do I need a reason?”

“...!”

Her tone was childlike, but in the depths of her eyes, he saw a glint of something twisted, something unhinged.

It sent a chill down Kyros’s spine.

And yet, he found himself drawn in.

Sweat trickled down his back as he slowly reached out his hand.

“A-All right… I accept your deal.”

“Yay! Thank you, Lord Kyros!”

With a beaming smile, Sothia gripped the hand he offered tightly.

If she intended to use Kyros’s authority, then Kyros would just use her power in turn.

A twisted relationship, built on mutual exploitation, completely unlike the bond Kyros had once shared with Lloyd.

Yet strangely, it seemed to fit.

As Kyros savored the satisfaction of his new alliance, Sothia flashed a chilling smile.

“Heh heh heh… Just wait, Lloyd. Soon enough, I’ll take everything from you…”

Her voice vanished into the night wind almost instantly.

And so, the darkness these two harbored slowly began to spread, until eventually, it would engulf the entire kingdom.

(TBAGM Vol. 1 End)

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