Are there any fantasy stories with guild pioneering or development as their main theme?

[nyaasar]

I’ve read and watched a lot of fantasy (mostly isekai) with already established guilds—some of them with stupidly incompetent guilds, too. But I’ve never seen a story about building a guild network from scratch.

Are there any stories that explore this theme?

 

[undeed]

Pioneering from scratch?
I vaguely remember stories like that. Not like creating the whole guild, but more of a similar organization type.

But for development, I guess Log Horizon?
or something like Ryuu to Yuusha to Haitatsunin

 

[nyaasar]

But for development, I guess Log Horizon?

I vaguely remember watching Log Horizon—it was quite good and entertaining. But sorry for not being specific earlier; the kind of guild I have in mind is something like an “Adventurers’ Guild” or a “Merchants’ Guild.”

In most fantasy stories, countries already have established adventurers’ guild networks across their major towns and villages. What I’m looking for is a story about pioneering such a guild—how it was built from the ground up, and what kind of deeds earned it the trust and respect of a country.

 

[undeed]

What I’m looking for is a story about pioneering such a guild—how it was built from the ground up, and what kind of deeds earned it the trust and respect of a country.

Hmm, that's hard
A story about building the very first guild means it’s likely set in a primitive era.

In stories about building cities or kingdoms that I can remember, it feels like this aspect is usually just used as a macguffin to drive the plot forward.
Like: "Oh, to solve this problem, let's create this organization or this network."
But then all the processes are done behind the scenes, and the results are revealed in later chapters,
ready to be used in the next plot.

Or just a backstory that some heroes met and founded the guild together.