第１３２６堀：盗賊の背後には？ (Part1)
Chapter 1326: What Lies Behind the Bandits?
Side: Yuki
I hand the documents from Rurua over to Seraria.
Under normal circumstances, these wouldn't need to pass through me, but given the nature of the situation, I decided to handle it personally.
"Hmm. This is unexpected. I thought for sure you’d want to keep Lyushi by your side."
"If I kept her there, I’d probably end up back in bed with a stomach ulcer."
As I say this, Fiora and the others nod in unison.
I’m well aware that my own workplace is a recipe for digestive distress.
Setting Fiora aside, Orelia was brought on specifically to support me from the start, so I suppose I just pushed her too hard.
Well, I had considered moving her to a different department if it truly became too much, but she’s managing just fine now; people have a way of adapting, I suppose.
As I think this, Seraria lets out a sigh...
"Haa, I suppose that’s true. No need to force a sick person to work beyond their limits. Still, this is quite the generous treatment. Rurua’s place, Lilishe’s place, and now your own. These are workplaces anyone would envy."
"If you want, should I have the military try them out too?"
"If the individuals themselves wish for it, sure. Though, this is all just a pretext to look after her, isn't it?"
"Well, if she ended up hanging herself after all that effort to save her, I’d be pretty devastated myself."
I arranged these workplaces for the sake of her mental stability, but it’s also for our own peace of mind.
It’s a selfish sentiment, wanting someone I’ve saved not to throw their life away, but there it is.
"Have you told her that she’s being treated with such favor? If she realizes later that she was being pampered or that she’s become a shackle on someone else’s feet, that’s going to take a toll on her mental state, you know?"
"I’ve already made that clear. I told her that if she wants to work out of her own stubbornness, then I’m going to be just as stubborn with my terms."
"You certainly have a way with words. Starting at Rurua’s place, then? Well, that’s a safe choice. And Hairen is handling the coordination?"
"Rurua can’t exactly hold her hand through every step of the process. When you need someone who’s familiar with us and capable of handling things independently, it really comes down to..."
"Indeed, Hairen is the right choice. But isn't Hairen also at Lilishe’s church?"
"I’ve already cleared it with them. If she ends up working for the Ritea Church, Hairen can follow her there, so that works out fine."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
Exactly. The reason I chose Hairen is that she can provide support across the various workplaces we have planned.
It’s only natural that a supervisor and the surrounding environment change every time a workplace changes, but the question remains whether Lyushi can endure that.
And then there’s the question of whether the person monitoring Lyushi will notice those shifts.
In that regard, while Hairen is undoubtedly a carefree spirit, she possesses a bizarre, off-the-charts communication ability that stems from that very nature, along with an inexplicable knack for steering things toward a positive outcome. I judged that there is no one better suited for the task of helping someone.
"Come to think of it, did you ever get to the bottom of the bandits who put Lyushi through that ordeal?"
I heard that Lyushi was in a village near the border of Roschur and Gartz, where the village had teamed up with bandits to oppose a village merger.
Even so, I had my doubts about bandits actually cooperating with such a scheme.
Usually, that type of scum would just strip a village bare and move on to the next location.
I didn't think they had the foresight to plan that far ahead.
"We’re still investigating the connections. Or rather, we’ve left it to Roschur and Gartz. You know that all we can do is capture the local bandits for the sake of maintaining public order, right?"
"I suppose so."
The Lyushi incident was only addressed because it utilized the fact that Asu, a merchant who supplies Weed, had been attacked.
We wiped out the bandits to maintain order, but as for investigating the background of the situation, we had no choice but to leave that to the Roschur and Gartz sides.
I couldn't just go around launching an unauthorized investigation.
"That said, we do know a few things. We’ve confirmed that those bandits were what you’d call 'hired hands'."
"Hired? By the village, you mean?"
"No. It’s related to the Dark Guild."
"I heard the Dark Guild’s organizational structure fell apart after their headquarters in Rumel was crushed?"
I heard that after being utterly demolished by the heroes of Rumel and their associates, the remnants were left unable to move.
Well, I have heard rumors of a resurgence lately, but...
"I can’t say too much because the reputations of Roschur and Gartz are at stake, but it seems the local lords were reaching out to expand their own territories."
"Ah, with the current arbitration system, the scope of territory is determined by which side the village feels a sense of belonging to, isn't it?"
When the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance was formed, a treaty was established regarding the maintenance, confirmation, or changing of territorial allegiances.
Well, to put it simply without getting into the complicated bits: the villages and towns are asked to declare for themselves which country they wish to join.
Of course, various schemes are being employed to influence those declarations.
A simple example would be tax incentives and the like.
However, since villages and towns are usually governed by nobles, they typically fall under the territory of the country that noble belongs to.
But, every so often, there are exceptions.
Cases where a village or town near the border exists independently.
Perhaps the Japan of the Warring States period is a good comparison?
At the time, the *Kokujin* (local lords) governed various regions, but not every piece of land belonged to them.
Take the commercial city of Sakai, for instance.
They didn't rely on the *Kokujin*; they managed their own autonomy and dealt with the lords using goods and money.
Such villages and towns exist in this world, too.
Ah, as for the villages, there was also the fact that there was no reason to clarify their governance.
They covered such a small area, and the number of people and assets within them was negligible.
In particular, the village where Lyushi was located was near the border; declaring governance over it could easily have led to hostilities with the neighboring country, so it had been left untouched until now...
But with the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, it was decided that territorial changes through military force would basically not be recognized, meaning territories could no longer grow.
However, there is an exception: the method for confirming territory depends on the sense of belonging of the village or town.
In other words, if you want to increase your territory, you just need to get the village to say they belong to a certain country’s noble and sign the papers.
That’s when these untouched border villages became targets.
By carving out places that were previously unaffiliated, one could increase their territory.
For a country, gaining a region that can be developed in the future isn't a bad deal.
But...
"They’d hire the Dark Guild for that? That’s a case that could get heads rolling if things go wrong, isn't it?"