第１４３８堀：話がまとまる (Part2)
For the moment, they show no signs of movement, but that doesn't mean they’ve decided to remain idle forever.
"They might be waiting for the moment Kinauf formally acknowledges the reparations and signs the treaty. It would give the Dark Guild a pretext to claim they were sold out."
"Hah, so you’re suggesting a criminal organization actually values the sanctity of a contract?"
"Well, I doubt it myself, and it sounds foolish, but wouldn't that at least preserve some semblance of credibility for the Dark Guild?"
"……I wonder. While it’s true that a breach of contract would provide a convenient justification for them to attack Kinauf, the fact remains that Kinauf and Irinau failed to secure the cession of Suurus. Isn't that initial loss far too great to overcome?"
"I see your point, but the Dark Guild wasn't the one leading the charge to seize Suurus territory, were they? The ones who blundered were..."
"Ah, I see. You mean they can pin the failure of the operation on Kinauf and Irinau."
"Exactly. The Dark Guild was merely providing support; it’s common knowledge that a successful operation requires the state to take the lead."
"True enough. It’s not as if they’re planning to establish a 'Dark Guild Kingdom' or anything."
"I suppose not."
We shared a brief laugh, but our expressions sobered almost immediately. We had both arrived at the same realization.
"If they were willing to help seize a nation's territory, what exactly was their end goal? I find it hard to believe they didn't account for the possibility of failure."
"It’s hard to say for sure, but the prevailing theory is that they’re looking to expand their influence, right? Apparently, their main base in Rumel was struck and significantly weakened."
"Expansion... I’ve heard that, but would they go to such lengths? They’ve already had their Dungeon Masters hunted down, and now, without having even achieved their expansion, they’ve backed themselves into an even tighter corner."
"Don't ask me; I haven't the faintest idea. I suppose all we can do is hope that the ones we have in custody lead us to their main base or provide some actionable intelligence. Or, I suppose, we could ask for Yuki’s take on it."
"I suppose you're right..."
It wasn't something we could solve by talking here, yet the question gnawed at us. Why would they incite such chaos when the disparity in power was so vast? And for all that, the Dark Guild members had been strangely quiet since. Though, perhaps that was simply the nature of defeat.
"Well, if nothing happens here, our next stop is Irinau. We might find different clues there. Besides, it’s not normal to uncover the true identity of an enemy so quickly. We’ve become too accustomed to the way Weed and Yuki operate. We shouldn't forget that even Yuki isn't omnipotent."
"Yeah, I know. It’s a slow process, isn't it?"
Ordinarily, investigations of this nature are painstaking, requiring a vast amount of time to reach a resolution. Perhaps it was precisely because we had already invested so much time into this Dark Guild affair that we were so desperate for a breakthrough.
"First things first, let’s just get through tomorrow’s signing ceremony."
"Exactly. Honestly, I’d prefer if nothing happened so we could finally head home."
"An intrusion by the Dark Guild during the signing ceremony... just thinking about the time it would take to clean up that mess is exhausting."
"Don't invite bad luck with those thoughts. Besides, if there’s even a hint of trouble, Steve and his forces will move instantly. I don't think we need to worry."
"True."
We were currently monitoring the movements of the Dark Guild within Kinauf. The chances of them slipping past our watch were slim.
"Either way, our next move will be clear by tomorrow. With that, I’m finished with my report."
"Oh, I should wrap mine up, too."
And so, to ensure we didn't face tomorrow's signing ceremony sleep-deprived, we set to work. The reparations had been decided. Now, it was just a matter of whether the signing ceremony would conclude without incident. As for the true purpose of the Dark Guild, there remained far too much that we did not know.