Building a Safe Zone with My Harem In The Post-Apocalyptic World-Chapter 85: Merchenary Guild

The Mercenary Guild in Climber Rift was big and flashy. The building was tall and circular, more like a tower than an office. It was made entirely of steel plates welded together into one structure.

The shape was slightly crooked too. Gideon was not sure whether it was meant to match the rough aesthetic of the settlement or if the building had simply been damaged at some point.

Beside the tower stood several large pipes releasing smoke into the air. They reminded him of a giant pizza oven he once saw in a museum, except these pipes were taller and much slimmer.

A group of men had gathered around the area, working with metal. Some were forging traditional weapons while others assembled simple machines.

Gideon watched them with interest. They must be the blacksmiths Summer had warned him not to bother.

He wondered if they were capable of building something more complex, like the hybird engine Freya had been dreaming about.

Freya, however, was focused entirely on the mercenary building.

"Oh, I thought you wanted that hybrid engine?" Gideon asked.

Freya nodded. "Yes, but you need to pre order it first. They can’t manufacture it here. This place doesn’t have the proper factory, so it’s impossible."

"I see." Gideon glanced around the settlement. "I heard not every continent was destroyed as badly as this one. So they manufactured it from that continent?"

"Not all of it," Freya said as they walked toward the guild entrance.

"Most of the factories still running were recovered during expeditions organized by the big factions. They call it the Clean Up Operation."

She continued explaining while they finally stepped inside the building.

"I think Freebound joins those operations sometimes. It usually happens once a year. They have to make sure the machines can still function after repairs, and they also need to clear out aberrants so the workers won’t get wiped out."

Gideon’s eyes lit up. "Oh, so after that the Mercenary Guild and the blacksmiths can establish bases inside a faction’s territory that joined the expedition?"

"Exactly."

A voice suddenly chimed in beside them.

"We usually build our base in territories that send people to participate in the expedition. In fact, we’ll be organizing another one next year. May I ask your name, sir?"

Both Gideon and Freya turned toward the speaker. A woman had appeared in front of them. Her long wavy blonde hair framed her face beautifully, and her hazel eyes shone with a golden tint.

Gideon did not answer immediately. His gaze drifted from head to toe as he looked at the mature woman standing before him.

She wore a typical office uniform. A short pink skirt hugged her hips, paired with a white blouse whose buttons struggled to contain her generous chest. Over it she wore a pale pink blazer that matched the skirt perfectly.

Gideon seemed momentarily captivated, while the woman simply smiled at him patiently.

Freya frowned and jabbed her elbow into his side. "He’s Mr. Pervy Lord," she said flatly.

Gideon shook his head. "She’s just joking around. My name is Elias Remington."

Freya looked at him with a weird look but he gestured to her to play along.

He glanced at the woman’s name tag. "And you must be Ms. Lucia Norton."

Lucia chuckled softly. "I see. So what can I help the two of you with today?"

It appeared that Lucia was acting as a receptionist or sales representative. Around them, other visitors entering the guild were being greeted by staff members in the same manner.

"Well, my woman here wants to pre order something," Gideon said as he nudged Freya slightly forward.

Freya’s cheeks flushed faintly. Being called "my woman" made her momentarily forget that Gideon had just been openly admiring the tall and busty woman standing in front of them.

"Alright then, please follow me," Lucia said with a polite smile.

She led them toward a counter near the window.

There were many counters inside, each one busy with people placing orders or signing contracts. To Gideon, it felt more like a bank or a shopping mall. He had imagined something completely different, perhaps a crowded job board with adventurers shouting over requests or a noisy tavern full of mercenaries taking work.

Still, he did not dislike this arrangement.

He sat down at a table with Freya while Lucia prepared several product catalogues. She had already explained the type of machine she wanted to order.

This guild could provide almost anything. Even manpower just like Freebound.

"This is the newest diesel engine model," Lucia explained patiently. "It’s a collaboration between the Blacksmith Guild and the Mechanical Division."

She continued her explanation like a seasoned salesperson while Gideon’s attention drifted around the building. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The entire place looked professional and clean. Black and white paint dominated the interior, giving it a surprisingly organized atmosphere. The building opened into a wide circular hall where every floor could be seen clearly from below.

On the first floor, businessmen and mercenaries sat at various tables discussing contracts, placing requests, and collecting their orders. A large board near the center explained the purpose of each floor.

One particular section caught Gideon’s attention. It was a currency exchange.

In this post apocalyptic world, aberrant cores had become the primary currency. The problem was that each core was about the size of a child’s palm, making them bulky and inconvenient to carry.

According to Delilah, the mercenary guild had proposed a solution. That was to exchange it with coins. The idea was simple. Instead of carrying cores everywhere, people could exchange them for metal coins minted by the guild.

Of course, many factions had opposed the idea.

Allowing the guild to produce the currency meant giving them enormous economic influence. Every coin was stamped with the guild’s symbol, a shield with a coin at its center and two spears crossing behind it, along with their motto.

"We Protect Those Who Pay."

In the end, both systems remained in use. Aberrant cores and guild coins had equal value, but anyone who wanted to exchange between them had to pay a service fee.

At least that was how Delilah had explained it. She clearly was not a fan of the guild.

"Ugh, this is too much!"