Empoy had hoped for a calm morning.
He did not get one.
The guild receptionist barged into his shack, waving a scroll like it was a fire.
"Lowest rank! You're now officially in charge of minor operations for Bran Village! You… you have to lead! Understand?"
Empoy blinked. "Lead… what?"
"The village. Minor missions. Low-level threats. Officially."
Quiet life… officially over.
The "Team" Expands
Empoy's previously assigned team had grown. Kiko still practiced dramatic sword poses at inappropriate times. Lina nervously muttered spells under her breath. Bram stayed silent, mostly hiding behind trees and watching Empoy do all the work.
"You're our leader now!" Kiko exclaimed, swinging his sword too close to Empoy's head.
Empoy sighed. "Officially yes. Unofficially… follow my lead and try not to die. That's all."
Public Use of Inventions
The first "mission" under his new role? A minor troll had wandered from the northern ridge into the outskirts, threatening the granary.
Empoy calmly unpacked his tinkering bag. A few wires, a coil, some reinforced blades, and a couple of mana-thread traps later, he had created:
A mini electric net to immobilize the troll's feet
A mana-thread reinforced catapult to gently push the troll back
A small, self-illuminating lantern to keep track of it at night
The villagers gathered to watch.
The troll stomped toward the granary. Empoy tripped (of course), activating his devices. Sparks arced. The troll yelped, tripped into the net, bounced harmlessly off the catapult, and ran back into the forest, confused but unharmed.
The villagers whispered:
"He… he did that by… tripping again?"
"Our protector… he doesn't even try."
"We should… bake him bread again. Or maybe five loaves."
Empoy dusted off his hands, muttering: "Quiet… life… maintained. Perfect."
Guild Bureaucracy Escalates
Back at the guild, chaos was at maximum.
"Lowest rank… leading operations?!" the receptionist screamed into the comms."Why are the village threats all… handled… perfectly?!" another guild member cried."He's officially an extra!" a junior adventurer whispered.
Empoy strolled into the guild with his tinkering bag. "Morning. Minor threats… neutralized quietly."
The receptionist stared. "EXPLAIN."
Empoy shrugged. "Accidents. Devices. Tripping. You know… background character things."
Kiko gasped. "I witnessed it! He literally led a mission… by… tripping and using gadgets!"
Empoy yawned. "Exactly. Keep it quiet."
The guild sighed collectively. They had no idea how to train him officially.
Villagers Treat Him as Their Protector
That evening, villagers came to his shack—discreetly, of course.
One handed him freshly baked bread.
Another quietly repaired his roof with new planks.
Children waved from a distance, whispering, "Thank you, kuya Empoy."
Empoy glanced at them and waved lazily. "Quiet life… intact. kuya? how they know that word"
In his shack, he spread out scraps and wires, tinkering with new devices. A mana-thread enhanced broom. A miniature trap for wandering monsters. A self-lighting lantern with adjustable mana intensity.
Protector of the village… quietly.Accidental leader… quietly.Unnoticed by the guild… perfectly.
Lightning flickered faintly across his fingertips.
I could take over the world… but let's not ruin the quiet life, okay?