“Impossible… this can’t be…”

Bash, battered and broken, clawed at the ground.
Even now, his eyes hadn’t given up.
He still believed—despite the overwhelming difference in power—that he could win against Aron.

Just like in the original story.

After losing this duel, Bash tried countless times to bring Aron down, each time meeting a more tragic end than before.
Eventually, he wandered into the demon lands at the edge of the world, no longer even human.
And in the end, Aron defeated him and he was swallowed by the void.
A fate even crueler than Jilkane’s downfall.

But that raises a question.
In the original, after Bash’s defeat, Aron exposed the guild’s corruption.
Jilkane was ruined, and Bash swore revenge against him.
So what happens now, in this rewritten version, where Aron stays in the guild?

If Bash remains, that resentment will still fester.
Even if I’ve averted my own ruin, as long as Bash’s hatred lingers, peace will elude me.
I can’t let that happen.

So I must redirect his rage—transform his vengeance into something else entirely.
Only then will my fate truly be rewritten.

This is where my second plan begins.

Retribution, downfall, “karma payback”—I’ll rewrite them all.
Whoever reincarnated me, watch closely.
This is the power of meta-knowledge.

“Everyone, listen to me!”

I approached Bash and raised my voice.
The square fell silent. The duel was decided—everyone awaited the judgment.

“This duel’s victor is Aron! The loser—Bash! As promised, Aron will not be expelled. Instead, Bash shall be!”

“Ghh… grr…!!”

Bash slammed his fists against the ground in fury.
Angry? Of course you are. You sowed this yourself.

But that anger—has value.

I spread my arms dramatically, letting my voice carry across the plaza.

“Why did Aron win!? Because he built upon years of hard work! That strength didn’t come overnight! It was his discipline, his perseverance! Isn’t that right!?”

“Yeah… Aron’s always been training, come to think of it…”
“He’s fought in countless battles with the Red Dragon’s Wing.”
“Sorry for calling you a useless support, Aron!”

Their cheers rose.
Exactly. Aron’s power wasn’t some sudden miracle—I just gave him a nudge at the end.
And if I apply that logic to Bash…

If someone once seen as “ordinary” could grow this strong, then perhaps Bash too—
could believe in his own potential.

“Which is why I say this! Bash, too, holds hidden strength within him!”

“What…?”

The crowd hushed.
Bash’s eyes widened.
Those words—recognition—were what he’d been starving for.

In the original’s final volume, after losing his humanity, Bash’s dying words were of regret.
He hadn’t wanted revenge—he’d only wanted acknowledgment.
Recognition for his strength, for his struggle.

And now, that moment was here.
Humiliated and broken, Bash stood on the edge of despair.
The perfect time to reel him in.

“Truthfully, I don’t want to expel Bash!” I declared.
“But his arrogance… I could no longer ignore it! Bash is one of this guild’s pillars—someone I believe in!”

“What? The Guildmaster thinks that highly of him?”
“Still sounds too convenient…”
“Yeah, it’s way too idealistic.”
“Isn’t expulsion too harsh, though…?”

Doubt lingered in the crowd.
I didn’t blame them—hell, even I nearly gagged on those words.
But this speech wasn’t for them—it was part of the act.

“To strip Bash of his arrogance, he needed to feel the consequences of his own words!
That’s why I accepted his duel under the condition of expulsion!
Because I believed it would make him stronger!”

Silence.
Even Aron stood quietly, listening.
Because however insincere my speech sounded, it made sense.
It had the logic of a guildmaster—a narrative they could accept.
They hesitated only because “Jilkane the Corrupt” wasn’t supposed to sound noble.

Fine. Then I’ll make them believe it.

I knelt beside Bash, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to his feet.
Looking him straight in the eyes, I spoke the words he longed to hear.

“Bash—go on a journey. Grow stronger. Overcome the exile I’ve given you, and return greater than before!”

“Wh… what? You… saying that now? How am I supposed to believe—”

Of course he couldn’t believe it.
But he couldn’t hide it either—the flicker of joy that someone finally believed in him.
That someone expected something of him.

That was Bash’s true nature.
He had always wanted trust, but sought it through strength and dominance.
That contradiction twisted him into the man he became.

But I’d read his story. I knew exactly what he needed.
And I knew how to win him over—using Jilkane’s reputation itself.

I pulled a pouch from my coat and pressed it against his chest.
The metallic clink echoed softly.
Bash froze, eyes widening.

“This… is…”

“Three hundred gold coins. Enough to live comfortably for two years.
But I trust you’ll use it wisely—and return stronger than ever.”

The crowd erupted in disbelief.

“The Guildmaster just gave him money!?”
“Three hundred gold!? That’s insane!”
“He really believes in Bash that much!?”
“I misjudged the guy…”
“Hah! So even a miser can be generous!”
“Guess the Guildmaster’s not such a devil after all!”
“Bash! That’s not exile—that’s a blessing!”
“I’m jealous, honestly!”

Their shock turned into praise, then cheers.
Just as I planned.

This was the payoff.
This was why I’d played the righteous act from the start.
By opposing corruption, by protecting Aron, by overturning the duel—I’d planted the seeds.
Now they bloomed into one image:

“Jilkane has changed.”

That message would burn itself into everyone’s minds.

And the gold… symbolized the end of “Jilkane the Corrupt” and the birth of me.

I love money, yes—but I’m no miser.
If two years’ worth of gold buys me peace, then it’s a cheap investment.

“Guildmaster… you really… think that much of me…?”

A tear slipped down Bash’s cheek.
I clapped his shoulder firmly.

“When you return as a proud A-Rank adventurer, you’ll stand as one of this guild’s pillars—beside Aron.
Become the man I know you can be.”

“Guildmaster…!!”

Tears streamed freely now.
The crowd roared again—some cheering Bash, others celebrating Aron, all moved by the scene.
Bash wiped his face and looked at me.

Gone were the jealous, bitter eyes.
In their place burned the straightforward eyes of the young man he once was.

“I’ll do it, Guildmaster!! I’ll get stronger and come back! Strong enough to make you proud—to stand beneath the best guildmaster there is!!”

Good.
Whether you die out there or return as a real A-Rank, it doesn’t matter.
Just don’t get in my way.

Still, I gave him one last encouragement—the sweetest lie.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Bash nodded firmly.

“Aron!! When I return, we’ll fight again! And this time—you’ll acknowledge me as your equal!”

“Yeah… I’ll be waiting, Bash. In this guild, always.”

The crowd’s excitement reached a fever pitch.
Two rivals reborn, a story of redemption and friendship—
A perfect ending for them. For me? A perfect cover.

Then Emidia burst through the crowd.

“Lord Jilkane!!”

She ran to my side, turned to the people, and declared:

“Everyone, did you hear!? Lord Jilkane has risen once more—to fulfill his ideal! Our guildmaster is supreme! He will create the true Guild for Adventurers!”

Huh? When did I ever say that?

I blinked, confused.
Was this that “dream” she mentioned earlier—the one the original Jilkane had spoken of?

An old adventurer murmured nearby, “So the Guildmaster’s ideal wasn’t dead after all… he’s found his way back.”

…Apparently, even that was canon now.

Emidia threw her arms around me, tears flowing freely.

“Lord Jilkane… I always believed… no matter how far you fell, your noble heart would rise again!”

She pressed her face against my chest, sobbing.
I sighed, then gently patted her head.

“Sorry to make you worry, Emidia. Will you help me rebuild this guild?”

“Yes!” she beamed through tears.

In the original story, their paths diverged—glory and ruin.
But now, both followed my script.
And with that, my downfall had been completely erased.

Bash departed soon after, seen off by Aron and the others—
a “banishment” turned into a journey of training.
If the world still had a script for him, it would be one filled with pain.
But he would bear it gladly, driven by the illusion of hope I’d gifted him.
A fool—but a useful one.

And if he ever did return, stronger and wiser…
I’d welcome him back.
As a tool—to make me richer.

…

After that day, the eyes of adventurers and townsfolk changed.
No longer filled with fear—but with trust. Expectation.

Exactly as planned.
All for my money and my position.

And yet, somehow…
It seemed I had restored something the original Jilkane had lost.
Irony at its finest.

Still—if no one interferes with my profit, I don’t care who gets their happy ending.

──The Guildmaster’s brilliance in the “A-Rank Party Expulsion Incident”
echoed across the western kingdoms.

And so began the tale of the man who would one day be known as—
the Legendary Guildmaster.

―――――――――――

Translator’s Note:
This finale redefines the “karma reversal” trope. Jilkane’s cunning manipulates not just events, but people’s perceptions, weaponizing morality for personal gain. Ironically, by acting noble for selfish reasons, he revives the very ideals his predecessor abandoned. His “legend” begins not through heroism, but through optics.