Building a Safe Zone with My Harem In The Post-Apocalyptic World-Chapter 87: Regional Guild Master

The nightlife in Climber Rift was surprisingly lively. The settlement clearly trusted Freebound a lot, since many pubs and restaurants were still open as if the town had never come close to dying.

’Maybe because tomorrow is the weekend,’ Gideon thought.

Summer once told him that nocturnal aberrants could sometimes be even more dangerous, especially the flying types that tended to wander more frequently at night than during the day.

Yet the residents here looked completely relaxed. People gathered with their friends after work, chatting, drinking, and laughing like they used to before the world stood on the brink of destruction.

Of course, it was all thanks to Jade and her men who patrolled the town every day.

"Hm... I hope my Safe Zone can grow like this too," Gideon murmured as he walked, looking around carefully while making mental notes about what he should implement in his own territory and what kind of problems he needed to prevent.

He did not even realize he had already arrived in front of the Mercenary Guild.

When he stepped inside, Lucia greeted him with a bright smile as if she had been expecting him all along.

"Were you worried I wouldn’t come back?" Gideon asked casually. After all, it was already ten at night.

Lucia chuckled softly. "Of course not. But as a staff member here, I do need to make sure everything goes smoothly. Please follow me."

She led him upstairs, and this time they went straight to the third floor.

Compared to the first and second floors, this place looked far more luxurious. A wide hall opened before them with a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and there was even a small bar built into the side of the room.

It looked less like a workplace and more like a lounge reserved for very important guests.

Around twenty people were already there. That was more than Gideon had expected, especially since Lucia made the membership sound like something rare and exclusive.

"Our members usually deliver their goods at night or around dawn," Lucia explained, as if she could read the question in his mind. "Some of the items spoil easily, so nighttime delivery is more convenient." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Gideon only gave a small nod in response. In truth, he was far more curious about the people here than the delivery process itself. There were many unfamiliar faces in this settlement, people he had never seen before.

"All the requests I fulfilled... are they from this settlement?" he finally asked. "Or are they unfulfilled requests collected from nearby settlements?"

The papers Lucia gave him earlier did not include any information about the buyers.

"They come from Climber Rift and nearby settlements," Lucia replied, letting out a small chuckle.

"Though ’nearby’ still means about two days of walking from here. People often say the Climber Rift sits at the edge of the world."

She then stopped in front of a door and opened it.

But when Gideon stepped inside, he paused slightly in confusion. Someone was already there.

The woman wore a sleeveless black dress with a dark robe draped elegantly over her shoulders. Thin pearl chains connected the robe and held it neatly in place.

The dress itself was simple, yet the jeweled ornament resting on her waist was enough to give her an unmistakable air of luxury, especially when combined with her naturally elegant figure.

A black veil covered half of her face, leaving only her dark eyes visible that had the same color as the dress and her beautiful long hair.

Those eyes curved slightly the moment she looked at him. She was smiling.

"Apologies for not informing you earlier, Mr. Remington, but this is our Regional Guild Master, Ms. Lin Yue," Lucia said as she introduced the woman, who gave Gideon a small nod.

Gideon returned the gesture. "I’m Elias Remington. It’s an honor to meet you, Ms. Lin."

He felt slightly tense. A Regional Guild Master was not a small title. It carried the same weight as Pathmadre.

But Jade was relaxed and easygoing, while Lin Yue carried herself with a completely different presence. There was a mysterious elegance around her, calm and distant like the moon.

More importantly, someone with that level of authority had come to meet him personally without prior notice.

’Does she already know my identity? Or is this just some kind of tradition for new members?’ he wondered.

"Please sit, Mr. Remington. Welcoming a new member with promising potential is one of our traditions," Lin Yue said as she poured a glass of brown liquor into a crystal glass. The scent immediately told Gideon it was whisky.

Gideon hid his suspicion. Alcohol was extremely rare in this world. Even Jade had acted like an excited child when she talked about starting a winery.

Still, he sat down, keeping his expression natural while silently regretting that he had not concealed his identity further, perhaps with a mask.

"Are you new here?" Lin Yue began. "I have never seen you in Climber Rift before."

"Yes. I arrived only a few weeks ago." Gideon picked up the glass and took a sip. The whisky was incredibly smooth with a deep flavor, clearly aged and expensive.

"Then perhaps you came from the coast?" Lin Yue continued. "Many of the items you fulfill usually pass through that region before reaching markets here."

She gestured to Lucia, who brought over twenty boxes along with the corresponding request documents.

"Mr. Remington, since most of the items are small, you may place them inside these boxes. We will appraise each item afterward. Once everything is verified, you can sign the documents. Your payment will be issued after the appraisal is complete."

Gideon nodded in understanding, but before beginning he turned back to Lin Yue.

"I would prefer not to answer that," he said with a small grin. "Privacy is a privilege, Ms. Lin. As your future member, I would like to exercise that privilege now."

He understood the purpose of this meeting. The safest option was not to lie but to remain mysterious.

Lin Yue laughed softly. "So you prefer to play it safe. Not bad."

Gideon did not respond. Instead, he opened his bag and began placing the small pouches of goods into the boxes.

Honestly, if Lin Yue had not been here to probe his background, he might have tried flirting with her while enjoying the expensive whisky.

But this was not the kind of fire he could afford to play with. One mistake could burn not only him but his entire territory.

Lucia soon carried most of the boxes into another room for appraisal, leaving only Gideon and Lin Yue behind.

She picked up one of the remaining boxes and examined it herself. She opened a pouch, tasted a pinch of the salt, and nodded in satisfaction.

"This order was actually mine," she said. "There’s a big difference between natural salt and the kind produced by aberrants. But you should already know that... if you’re from the coast, Mr. Remington. I must say, I’m a little jealous."

"I never said I was," Gideon replied calmly. "But I’m glad you like it."

"In that case, I have a personal request for you." She rested her chin lightly on her hand.

"Do you happen to know a good cook who can properly use this salt? I’m something of a foodie. I would appreciate it if you could help me find someone."

She sighed lightly. "You see, my colleague refuses to cook for me anymore. She’s the best cook I’ve ever had."

"Do you want a personal chef?" Gideon asked. "I’m new here, but I can try to look for someone."

"No, it’s actually for the guild’s annual ball. You’ll be invited as well, of course. It’s an event reserved exclusively for our members."

She smiled at him and lightly tapped his shoulder. "It was nice speaking with you. I hope we can continue working together in the future."

Lin Yue stood and left the room, her faint rose scent lingering behind.

Gideon shook his head slightly. "What a shame," he murmured to himself. "She would have made a great addition to my harem."

Still, he smirked. "But we’ll meet again anyway. Maybe next time."

A little while later, Lucia returned with the completed documents and handed him a black metal membership card. His name, specialty, and the official seal of the Mercenary Guild were engraved into the surface.

And more importantly, she also gives him a big black box full of coins.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Remington," Lucia said with a bright smile. "The invitation for the annual winter ball will be delivered later. Since you chose not to provide an address, we’ll give it to you the next time you visit."

"Sounds good. Thank you for your service." Gideon grinned. "Maybe we should have dinner together sometime. Outside of work, of course."

Lucia laughed softly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "It would be an honor, Mr. Remington. Perhaps next time."

After all, few people would refuse an invitation from a wealthy client like him.

***

After finishing at the guild, Gideon headed toward the Freebound headquarters.

The moment he arrived, he was greeted by an unexpected sight. Freya was standing there while Delilah scolded her fiercely. Meanwhile, Summer stood nearby with a very satisfied expression.

Gideon groaned and walked over. "Um... sorry for keeping Freya out so late. Actually—"

"Huh? Oh, Gideon." Delilah’s tone softened slightly, though she still looked serious.

"If she was sick, you should have brought her home! You know Elaine is one of the best doctors around, right? And I’m here too! What if she got sick because of the Devourer’s corpse?"

"Uh... actually, she wasn’t sick because of that—"

"Mom is right!" Freya suddenly cut in, throwing him completely under the bus. "You should have taken me home!"

"What? You—"

"You heard her? Oh my god, Gideon!"

Delilah continued scolding him while Freya stuck her tongue out at him from behind her mother’s back.

Gideon could only groan. In the end, he ended up paying for everyone’s hotel rooms that night. All he wanted was to rest after the long day.

Unfortunately, that did not seem possible anymore as someone knocked on his hotel bedroom, already knowing who it was, since there were clearly two people behind that door.