第１４２３堀：独自調査の結果 (Part1)
Chapter 1423: Results of the Independent Investigation
Side: Yuki
After Lowell requested coffee from Una and settled back deeply into the sofa, I could feel the air in the room grow taut with sudden tension.
It wasn’t just Fiora and the others; even Rushi seemed to sense it, her posture straightening instinctively. But...
"Don't make the atmosphere so heavy. You’ll tire out Orelia and the others."
"Ah, my apologies."
At my words, the tension radiating from Lowell dissipated, returning to the relaxed air from before.
"Now then, shall we assume your intuition was correct, Lowell?"
As Seraria initiated the conversation, Lowell gave a sharp nod.
"The dark guild has indeed begun to move. To think they were conducting business with merchants only to turn to this."
I had crossed paths with Lowell during the planning stages of the international student exchange program, and even back then, there had been whispers that the dark guild might stir. Seeing it become reality was a strange mix of disappointment and a grim sense of validation.
"I heard there were no movements of funds at the time, though?"
"I’ve confirmed that those movements have begun. How about on your end?"
"We had Fiora and Orelia here lead the information gathering. Right, dear?"
"Yes. It wouldn't do to just listen to information from your side. Above all, we have to investigate the people who declared war on Sulus. Here, this is the report."
Without hesitation, I handed the report that Fiora and her team had scrambled to compile over to Lowell.
"As efficient as ever. That said, it will take time to digest the contents. May I ask for an explanation?"
"Certainly. Go ahead."
At Lowell’s prompt, Fiora began her briefing. She detailed where the information had been sourced, its credibility, and the flow of money that had become the topic of the hour.
"This largely aligns with the intelligence I’ve gathered. There is no doubt that money and supplies are flowing through merchants to the two kingdoms—the Kingdom of Kinauf and the Kingdom of Irinau—who are currently meddling with Sulus, which is suffering from the Great Outburst."
"So you’ve confirmed it on your end as well."
"Yes. I used reliable merchants who frequent Gartz to verify it. It seems word has been circulating over the last six months that these two nations have been purchasing supplies at higher-than-market prices."
"Six months... the preparation period was shorter than I anticipated."
"It seems so. It appears your side hadn't reached that piece of information yet."
"Yeah, we’ve been gathering intel from merchants coming into Weed, so we don't have direct lines to those two."
"Should I take it that they are avoiding involvement with Weed?"
"Likely. They aren't merchants who trade directly with Weed; it’s more of an indirect connection. Based on the information Fiora’s team gathered, none of the merchants Ratz tracks are trading with those two nations. It’s more that merchants who bought from Weed merchants are the ones selling to those two."
The flow of funds and supplies wasn't coming directly from Weed. It felt as though there were one or two intermediaries involved. That was precisely why it was so difficult for us to track. To the merchants, they were simply seizing a business opportunity.
"What was the merchants' perception of the war?"
"Nothing at all. They claimed that level of trade is common, assuming it was for festivals, military exercises, or monster subjugation. They are so accustomed to war that they didn't think twice about it. Since the scale is small, they probably didn't consider the potential for catastrophe. How was it on your end, Lowell?"
"The same. They are small nations, not major powers. By general standards, their numbers are low, and the amount of supplies they could gather is limited. That’s why the detection was delayed. But even if we had detected it earlier, it’s outside the scope of our alliance. It would have been difficult to intervene."
"True."
We both agreed that while our detection of the situation was indeed delayed, it was questionable whether we could have acted even if we had known. After all, they weren't part of the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance and were under the umbrella of Litea. It would have been out of place for us to interfere.
"Above all, it’s a skirmish between parties not in the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance. It’s something happening somewhere on this continent even now. If one argues that using the dark guild is just one of many methods, there isn't much more to say."
"Did you manage to get information on the dark guild? I haven't stepped into those two nations yet, so I’m looking for intel on that front."
"Ah, so that’s why you called me. Regarding the dark guild—well, as I said, they operate normally outside the alliance's jurisdiction. For major powers like us, they are a nuisance to be purged, but for small nations, they are a proven entity that operates across borders. In the field of espionage, they likely exceed the capabilities of any small nation."
He was right. The dark guild wielded influence in various countries through illegal means. While it certainly wasn't ethically acceptable, statecraft has many sordid facets, and ignoring those dark corners only leads to one’s own downfall. It wasn't exactly a "necessary evil," but the dark guild’s intelligence and assassination capabilities were indeed superior to what small nations possessed.
But the question remained: what was their objective?
"Lowell, do you think the dark guild is involved in this commotion—the Great Outburst? I happened to be visiting Sulus by chance, after all."
"Ah, that was for the spirit verification, wasn't it? But if they were targeting Yuki, wouldn't they have struck during your visit?"
"In other words, you don't think this incident was a crime aimed at Weed?"
"I don't. It would be too clumsy an attempt to target a high-ranking official of Weed. Or even an official from another country, for that matter. There’s no point in causing trouble beforehand."
"You’re right."
Initially, I had considered the possibility that they were trying to lure me or Lilishe out, but the members who went to investigate encountered no contact or trouble. In short, their target for now wasn't us, but Sulus.
"So, they cooperated with the two nations that wanted to carve up Sulus's territory?"
"That is, if the dungeon was installed intentionally. How is the investigation into that going?"
"There isn't a single trace. There is no dungeon, nor any sign of a ritual at the site where the Great Outburst occurred."
I handed over the report compiled by my wives and Mauve. Lowell looked it over, his expression darkening.
"...Someone was there."
"You think so too?"
"I do. It is impossible for there to be zero traces. I can only conclude it was erased intentionally. That said, it leaves the question of whether it was someone who didn't know what they were doing."
"That’s what’s bothering us, too."
Exactly. Everyone who investigated the scene, and we who received the reports, shared the same opinion: this Great Outburst was intentionally triggered. But the question remains: why leave such obvious evidence?
"The actions of the two nations are also blatant. It’s as if they are declaring that they are working together. Do they really think their movements—let alone the flow of supplies—are hidden from other nations? Even the merchants, while not predicting a war, sensed that something was afoot."