Yajin Tensei: Karate Survivor in Another World - Vol. 10 Ch. 59 - Guildmaster

[Solipsist]

Throwing off to the void, TLDR:
What is the point of being a part of A GUILD, a large organization, if they can't even protect their own members? Especially high-value ones?

This plot thread has repeated itself so many times (Yajin does something big -> has to run away), that it's ridiculous at this point. He proved he's a high-asset individual to such a degree, that a noble tried to scout him. The Adventurer's Guild cannot do the same, and shield him? Come on, man. The story cannot just always be about "one man against the world", when it clearly makes no sense at this point in time.
I feel like I'm reading a Wuxia novel.

 

[Solipsist]

Not really. Feudal society was a dangerous place to live in, unless you were part of the aristocracy or had some powerful friends. Even then, you were likely to participate in armed skirmishes. The middle ages life was hardly kind to anyone, but the MC is a vagabond, with absolutely no one to really stand up for him and thus immediately seen as easy prey for anyone interested. Such a person would also rutinely be seen as a fugitive (which is correct in his case) and therefore not deserving of any consideration. So yeah, him getting screwed left and right is pretty RL accurate.

Just to reply to this comment specifically, as I wrote in my prev comment:
1. This is a society with an unrealistic guild, such as an "adventurer's guild". A decentralized, state-recognized private militia, that promotes individual streghtening that rivals a noble's.
That goes beyond being a powerful mercenary group. It collects violent, potent individuals, offers them guidance, resources and some measure of protection, alongside prestige and an ID card to go around the world (as it seems).
No sane aristocrat would sanction such a thing, they'd desire to monopolize force all to themselves, they'd fear the obvious potential of: "Allowing "commoners" to powerup in levels and rankings".

Case-in-point: how can a bunch of random commoners access Rank-4 quests, that'd allow them to go beyond the ceiling of level 15, and thus venture into higher realms of personal might? Having relatively free access to the necessary weaponry, means commoners can threaten nobles, given talent, organization and time -- and the Adventurer's Guild motivates exactly just that.
The only thing missing, is a banking system, that is suspiciously missing from this story, and the fear of being constantly robbed goes the fuck away.

2. The MC DOES HAVE "powerful friends", or at least he should have.
He proved himself to be an extremely valuable, high-level adventurer. It is a complete contradiction that literally everyone BUT the adventurer's guild to recognize his worth.
In a sane story, that doesn't try to constantly force the MC to flee for his life in eternal conflict like some Chinese wuxia novel, the guild the MC registered with would rush to back him the fuck up, so they can maintain him as an asset.

TLDR: The appeal to history in this setting is futile, our reality and theirs are not the same on any level. It is a fantasy world that has the concept of empowering commoners with an "advenuter's guild". In a real world, you'd at best get a noble-sponsored merc group, or an opportunistic merc group that grew large from the spoils of war -- but it wouldn't be state-recognized, and it wouldn't be globally available, and they wouldn't fund, manage and channel requests for commoners and nobles alike.
And not to mention the whole "There are levels, skills and magic" shit, which this story tries so hard to pretend it doesn't have, which is nonsense on a whole other level, not to mention that it's BS that nobles do not block commoners from breaking the level 15 ceiling (i.e: enforcing a ban on selling black-steel weapons to anyone but nobles).

 

[finalm]

Just to reply to this comment specifically, as I wrote in my prev comment:
1. This is a society with an unrealistic guild, such as an "adventurer's guild". A decentralized, state-recognized private militia, that promotes individual streghtening that rivals a noble's.
That goes beyond being a powerful mercenary group. It collects violent, potent individuals, offers them guidance, resources and some measure of protection, alongside prestige and an ID card to go around the world (as it seems).
No sane aristocrat would sanction such a thing, they'd desire to monopolize force all to themselves, they'd fear the obvious potential of: "Allowing "commoners" to powerup in levels and rankings".

Case-in-point: how can a bunch of random commoners access Rank-4 quests, that'd allow them to go beyond the ceiling of level 15, and thus venture into higher realms of personal might? Having relatively free access to the necessary weaponry, means commoners can threaten nobles, given talent, organization and time -- and the Adventurer's Guild motivates exactly just that.
The only thing missing, is a banking system, that is suspiciously missing from this story, and the fear of being constantly robbed goes the fuck away.

2. The MC DOES HAVE "powerful friends", or at least he should have.
He proved himself to be an extremely valuable, high-level adventurer. It is a complete contradiction that literally everyone BUT the adventurer's guild to recognize his worth.
In a sane story, that doesn't try to constantly force the MC to flee for his life in eternal conflict like some Chinese wuxia novel, the guild the MC registered with would rush to back him the fuck up, so they can maintain him as an asset.

TLDR: The appeal to history in this setting is futile, our reality and theirs are not the same on any level. It is a fantasy world that has the concept of empowering commoners with an "advenuter's guild". In a real world, you'd at best get a noble-sponsored merc group, or an opportunistic merc group that grew large from the spoils of war -- but it wouldn't be state-recognized, and it wouldn't be globally available, and they wouldn't fund, manage and channel requests for commoners and nobles alike.
And not to mention the whole "There are levels, skills and magic" shit, which this story tries so hard to pretend it doesn't have, which is nonsense on a whole other level.

1. True and true. It's such a staple in fantasy series that there's little point in addressing it, especially in the context of this topic, but yes, no feudal lord would want an independant fighting force operating in his domain and while a sovereign would likely not mind it (replacing nobility with commoner forces was how absolute monarchy was done) he'd see little point in sanctioning and supporting it, rather than fielding additional troops of his own, that he can actually control.

2. A plot point here is that this guy is always heavily disliked by pretty much everyone, save a few specific people. They see him as non-human (goblin, to quote), remember? At least that was the case in earlier arcs. The guild itself is always portrayed as a pathologically one-sided relationship, where no one seems interested in actually retaining and nurturing the good earners, as if they're a dime a dozen.

It's not like I'm claiming there's a lot of overlap between RL history and this world in general. I only used the reality of feudal society as a comparison for a specific case - that of a vagabond like this guy and the fact that he'd also be pretty well shafted in a similar situation in medieval times.

 

[Solipsist]

2. A plot point here is that this guy is always heavily disliked by pretty much everyone, save a few specific people. They see him as non-human (goblin, to quote), remember? At least that was the case in earlier arcs. The guild itself is always portrayed as a pathologically one-sided relationship, where no one seems interested in actually retaining and nurturing the good earners, as if they're a dime a dozen.

It's not like I'm claiming there's a lot of overlap between RL history and this world in general. I only used the reality of feudal society as a comparison for a specific case - that of a vagabond like this guy and the fact that he'd also be pretty well shafted in a similar situation in medieval times.

I can agree with your final statement, up to a certain extent.
I mean, it's not like the Adventurer's Guild doesn't expect......Adventurers, right? Their bread and butter are people who adventure from one place to another. Vagabongs is their whole thing.

Now, imagine a high-leveled individual wandering into your guild, and he proves he's not just high-level, but also extraordinarily talented: he completed tasks that previously seemed impossible.
Now, as a major power in conflict with others, you obviously get wind of how the other factions ALL contacted him, and threatened his life to leave your guild, and cooperate with theirs, which would fuck you over.
After all that happens, you still remain silent, and just let it happen? You do not try to secure this adventurer, to ensure he's a part of YOUR faction, and not theirs? To ensure that he does not end up dead, or runs away from town? Why would you?
That's why I so strongly disagree with your point #2. It just seems so convenient that the adventurers' guild so-happens to be this powerful organization, that is at odds with others, but is so stupid and incompetent, that it cannot do what literaly any other group is doing? That just comes across as massively contrived to me. How can it be a major power, when it does not act like one?

Also, our first encounter with the adventurer's guild, was that it was stationed in an outlaw, low-level region, where scouting anyone and securing them was a fool's errand. It does not necessarily reflect on the guild.
This situation isn't anything like that outlaw city. It's an organized, relatively safe location. The same lessons just do not apply anymore...

 

[finalm]

I can agree with your final statement, up to a certain extent.
I mean, it's not like the Adventurer's Guild doesn't expect......Adventurers, right? Their bread and butter are people who adventure from one place to another. Vagabongs is their whole thing.

Well, no. I saw no such thing mentioned. As far as we know, they work almost only with the people based in their town. It's basically a local temp agency, if the temps were armed thugs. It's also the reason the MC had it hard to get settled in the new place and was such an easy target to exploit.

Now, imagine a high-leveled individual wandering into your guild, and he proves he's not just high-level, but also extraordinarily talented: he completed tasks that previously seemed impossible.
Now, as a major power in conflict with others, you obviously get wind of how the other factions ALL contacted him, and threatened his life to leave your guild, and cooperate with theirs, which would fuck you over.
After all that happens, you still remain silent, and just let it happen? You do not try to secure this adventurer, to ensure he's a part of YOUR faction, and not theirs? To ensure that he does not end up dead, or runs away from town? Why would you?
That's why I so strongly disagree with your point #2. It just seems so convenient that the adventurers' guild so-happens to be this powerful organization, that is at odds with others, but is so stupid and incompetent, that it cannot do what literaly any other group is doing? That just comes across as massively contrived to me. How can it be a major power, when it does not act like one?

Firstly I don't recall any mention that they are very powerful, at least not comparably to the other factions in the city. After all, it would probably be a hard sell to convince their members to take on organized crime and/or regular army in their own town, if it came to a confrontation. Secondly, you assume their goals are the same as the other factions - dominating the city. It's quite likely that's just not the case. The guild leadership is probably quite content where they are and even if they did manage to overcome the others, they'd probably have to share any power with the rest of the organization trouought the country/world. Sure, they'd like to put their hands on exclusive perks, like access to the MC's knowledge, but would they think it worth the risk of fighting the rest over it? Doubtful, otherwise they'd have made efforts to lock him down as soon as possible.

 

[Solipsist]

Well, no. I saw no such thing mentioned. As far as we know, they work almost only with the people based in their town. It's basically a local temp agency, if the temps were armed thugs. It's also the reason the MC had it hard to get settled in the new place and was such an easy target to exploit.


Firstly I don't recall any mention that they are very powerful, at least not comparably to the other factions in the city. After all, it would probably be a hard sell to convince their members to take on organized crime and/or regular army in their own town, if it came to a confrontation. Secondly, you assume their goals are the same as the other factions - dominating the city. It's quite likely that's just not the case. The guild leadership is probably quite content where they are and even if they did manage to overcome the others, they'd probably have to share any power with the rest of the organization trouought the country/world. Sure, they'd like to put their hands on exclusive perks, like access to the MC's knowledge, but would they think it worth the risk of fighting the rest over it? Doubtful, otherwise they'd have made efforts to lock him down as soon as possible.

I already wrote quite a bit in our chap 60 conv, so I'll just add here:
Overall, you are correct that I may be just assuming that the guild would want to secure talents, and have some form of motivation to do...Something.
I was mostly reacting to these pages:

Spoiler

I.E: The Adventurer's guild is one of those monsters. So they are fighting over something. They are part of the turf war.

What we can agree on, is that the adventurer's guild received very little spotlight, and we overall don't know much about it, specifically in the context of this arc.
Which, to me, is a shame, because it is virtually the place the MC frequents and interacts with the most. The choice to make it nothing but this "temp agency" is either underwhelming, or intentionally made to make the MC's life harder (because why allow for an organization to exist, that may become a foothold for him?)
But I feel like that's enough outta me about that topic. I don't feel like I have any more to add.

 

[finalm]

I already wrote quite a bit in our chap 60 conv, so I'll just add here:
Overall, you are correct that I may be just assuming that the guild would want to secure talents, and have some form of motivation to do...Something.
I was mostly reacting to these pages:

Spoiler

I.E: The Adventurer's guild is one of those monsters. So they are fighting over something. They are part of the turf war.

I get it, but it's worth remembering that this is from the perspective of the MC, a perpetual outsider with no support from anyone and having built up quite the paranoia (however justified) from having to watch his back all the time. To him any organization with at least a few dozen fighters is a monster he can not hope to directly oppose, he's been running from those since the beggining.

What we can agree on, is that the adventurer's guild received very little spotlight, and we overall don't know much about it, specifically in the context of this arc.
Which, to me, is a shame, because it is virtually the place the MC frequents and interacts with the most. The choice to make it nothing but this "temp agency" is either underwhelming, or intentionally made to make the MC's life harder (because why allow for an organization to exist, that may become a foothold for him?)
But I feel like that's enough outta me about that topic. I don't feel like I have any more to add.

Honestly, I would prefer for this particular guild not to exist, since it's a gamey invention that has little purpose in the narrative and only invites questions about the setup of the world that the author is unwilling to face, just like with many of the fantastical elements in the story that he seems to want kept grounded, but can not give up on granting them nonsensical "a wizard did it" properties that just have people scratching their heads.