Harem Online: My Party Is Full of Beautiful Celebrities-Chapter 22: Guild

It was early morning.

Martin stared at the screen with dark circles under his eyes, typing in the same dull rhythm. He couldn’t hear his coworkers or notice anything beyond his monitor.

Focus?

Of course not.

He felt half dead.

Just then, his boss barged into the room. Out of breath, he gripped the doorframe as if it were the only thing keeping him upright.

Only half the office looked up. The rest, like Martin, were either checked out or stuck in the grind.

"Martin Ross!" the boss shouted.

Martin didn’t hear him. He kept working, drafting a reply to an annoying client. Resentment kept trying to sneak into his wording, but he held it back and rewrote every line until it sounded like perfect PR.

"Martin Ross!" the boss shouted again, then yanked Martin’s shoulder.

Martin blinked, his eyes clearing. He shot up and stood straight, like a soldier before an officer.

"Good evening, boss!"

"It’s still morning." The boss waved it off. "Doesn’t matter. You have two weeks of paid leave. Go home and read this letter once you’re home."

He shoved a sealed letter into Martin’s hands. The seal looked almost regal.

Am I fucking dreaming right now? It has to be. I’m dreaming of working through a normal day. Do I really hate myself that much?

Martin didn’t even take the letter at first. His boss shoved it into his hands, then patted his shoulder, wearing a proud, fatherly expression. It was so odd.

If it were a dream, Martin would have woken up by now. But his coworkers were staring at him like they wanted him dead, and that snapped him awake.

This was real.

Monday. Early morning.

Two weeks of paid leave.

"But why?" he muttered.

The boss smiled. "Go home and read the letter. We’re proud of you!"

Confusion weighed on him as he headed home. He sat on his messy bed and opened the letter.

[Mr. Ross,

I hope you will accept my apology for the methods I used to verify your real identity and workplace, Emperoar. My name is Cassandra Selfmore.

As a gesture of atonement, I arranged two weeks of paid leave through your employer. I also hope you will use this time to continue improving in Monster Hunter Academy Online.

If you are willing, I would like to extend an invitation to join my guild in the Hidden Forest Monster Hunter Academy.

To respond, please contact me via my verified social media account with your real name and a photo of this seal in a private message.

Once again, I apologize for prying into your personal life.

Cassandra Selfmore]

You can pry into my real life more if it means paid vacation. Damn, those people really have that kind of money.

Now his boss’s happy face made perfect sense.

Martin didn’t have anything special going on in real life. Billionaires could look into him as much as they wanted, as long as he got a break. If it was paid, even better.

I might as well contact her now. Let’s see.

Finding Cassandra Selfmore’s social account took only a few clicks. He took a photo of the broken seal, sent her a message, and waited.

She didn’t reply immediately, which was expected. Still, Martin couldn’t help it. He closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

When he woke a few hours later, Cassandra had replied.

[Night Espresso exists to cultivate strong relationships between players and the NPCs of the Hidden Forest Monster Hunter Academy.

Our objective is to become the leading guild that grows into an essential part of the academy, and eventually, the wider world.

Your Damage Taken ranking as a Guardian is noteworthy. I am interested in supporting your growth, and I am prepared to invest in you if you continue delivering results. If that investment translates into more paid vacations for you, I consider it an acceptable outcome.]

"Okay." Martin sat up, fully awake now. "I don’t care what her guild is for or what the rules are. If I can have more vacations, I’m in. And Mom will be proud I’m working for Cassandra Selfmore."

I’ll be able to clock out earlier, too, if I tell the boss I’m connected to Selfmore.

Martin replied.

This time, she answered within a minute.

[As the guild leader, I prioritize coordinated play over solo habits.

Since you indicated you are aiming for a party dungeon run, I would like you to connect with another member to coordinate properly.

I’ll connect you with a coordinator today. Is that acceptable?]

"How could I?" Martin muttered as he typed. "It’s better to have more people for a proper party run."

That was how he joined his first guild.

—

Cassandra Selfmore sat at her desk, resting her chin on her hand as she stared at her member list.

Tuesday’s too early. I can’t get anyone free.

She had already scouted most players and paired them up. Over the weekend, many were eager to talk right away, and no one stayed off social media like Martin. She reached him the next day, but it was already late.

Hmm. Can’t be helped. I’ll join his party myself.

She picked up her phone and made a few calls to her assistants so she could play without interruptions. When she finished, Cassandra glanced at a photo on her wall, showing her younger self competing in an archery championship.

For her, getting into the Level One Hidden Dungeon would be nothing more than a warm-up.

Should I compete for number one Damage Dealt?

With new players holding items from the first-week challenge, the bar for competition had risen sharply. That didn’t scare Cassandra. Competition felt natural to her.

She leaned back and considered taking this party run more seriously than usual.

—

Martin logged into the game.

[You have received an invitation to the guild: Night Espresso]

[You have received a new friend request from Kill Clause.]

That must be the player Cassandra said she’d pair me with. I hope they’re not a headache. If they’re a headache, I’ll tell Cassandra to give me someone else. It does feel like I’m the party leader, though.