第１４３９堀：調印式を見守る (Part1)
### Chapter 1439: Watching Over the Signing Ceremony
Side: Yuki
"Well then, shall we see if they make a move?"
"I wonder. Considering they haven't stirred until now, it would be wiser for them to remain still."
"But there couldn't be a better time to shatter the whole thing."
To my words, Eupia of Zurabur speaks of peace, while Blade of Roday speaks of turmoil.
Before our eyes, the footage from the cameras Steve and his team secretly deployed is projected onto the screen.
The signing ceremony is taking place in the central plaza of the castle.
"From a tactical standpoint, it’s a target-rich environment. With all the envoys present, it would be the perfect place to wipe them out in one fell swoop, but..."
"At that point, Kinauf is finished. Even the Dark Guilds aren't foolish enough to think that killing the envoys would be the end of it."
I keep to myself the fact that those "envoys" are almost entirely my wives.
What the representatives from Roschur and Gartz are saying is objective, after all.
In the first place, my wives are doppelgangers, and I’ve ensured they have countermeasures in place to handle a surprise attack.
More importantly, as Gartz says, even if they could assassinate the envoys here, Kinauf would be destroyed, and the hatred—the animosity—directed at the Dark Guilds would only intensify.
They would undoubtedly find themselves in an even more precarious position.
"Seeing as there’s been no movement so far, I suspect they’re just observing this time."
"Indeed. They are likely watching the situation to gauge our next moves in Irinau."
To the words of Noble of Ex, Emerald of Seasypho replies in kind.
Well, that is highly probable.
For the Dark Guilds, this isn't the end of the line.
It’s entirely possible that this is merely an experiment.
They might be conducting a test to see how a dungeon can be utilized.
After all, for them, managing a dungeon is likely a brand-new endeavor.
"Is there any activity from the Dark Guilds we’ve tracked?"
"No, nothing in particular at the moment."
"Hmm. As I thought, they’re just watching."
The one muttering that in response to my answer is Zilba.
It might be rude to call them "war-hungry," but they were a militant nation on the If Continent, so their perspective is worth hearing.
"Why do you think that?"
"It’s not complicated. The man from Roday said it earlier. The only reason to attack here would be to harm the envoys and end Kinauf. Even if they kill the envoys, it doesn't mean the alliance will collapse. The result would only be a more severe crackdown on the Dark Guilds. It’s obvious that their collaborators would dwindle, too. The Dark Guilds aren't just useless; they’d be destroying the very nations they operate in. Business requires partners. They wouldn't do something that makes their own trade impossible."
"Ah, I see your point."
"Nations and organizations are the same. Only the scale differs; without income, you cannot function. This isn't a world where you can survive by making everyone your enemy. Even bandits need someone to sell their stolen slaves and goods to. They wouldn't destroy the very markets they rely on."
"That’s true."
Zilba is right.
The Dark Guilds obviously need funds and supplies to carry out their future operations.
That income is sustained by the requests they receive based on trust.
Of course, they might have other facets to their business, but they couldn't possibly sustain themselves on that alone.
If they could, there would be no need to operate as a Dark Guild in the first place.
The fact that they exist proves that the profits gained from killing people and other illegal activities are astronomical.
Well, the costs are high too, which is why ordinary people can't get involved, but it clearly shows that the value of such services is high enough to pay those prices.
Humanity is a complicated, messy thing, isn't it?
"Do you have that sort of crowd in Zilba, too?"
"We do. Of course, every country has its share of such people. The only place that doesn't is Weed."
"We keep things tight around there."
There are always people hatching strange schemes, but I make sure to keep a close watch on the Dark Guilds and other illegal elements; there’s no way they’d ever establish a base in Weed.
That sort of thing is nothing but a massive nuisance to us.
"That’s not something most can achieve. It just goes to show how incredible the blessing of a dungeon truly is."
"That’s exactly why we’re so wary of the fact that the enemy has gained a dungeon of their own."
"Naturally. However, one thing is clear."
"What is it?"
"The opponent is struggling with how to use their dungeon."
"You think so?"
"I do. Or rather, I’m certain of it. Whether they are currently in a cooperative relationship with the dungeon master, or if they have it under their control—or are being controlled by it—I don't know. But they are searching for a way to use it. They haven't hit upon a clear method yet."
"They could just do what we did and create a dungeon-based economy. It’s a proven precedent."
I say this while already knowing the answer, and Eupia, rather than Zilba, speaks up in my stead.
"If they were to move by following such a precedent, the exposure of the Dark Guilds would be inevitable. And their rivals would be Weed and this alliance. Since we hold the trade routes, it would be quite difficult for them to enter the market now. Especially after all this commotion. If they had started early, it might have been fine, but..."
"It’s too late for that now. How many countries would want to enter a dungeon economic zone that might be tied to the Dark Guilds? Their credibility has hit rock bottom."
Roday says, bringing the conversation to a close.
Well, that’s only natural.
The reason they didn't try to imitate us is that, at this stage, trying to compete in economic distribution is a lost cause.
Some small nations might join, but the major powers know the dangers of dungeons from me, so they wouldn't jump in carelessly.
Of course, the Dark Guilds and the dungeon master might offer favorable terms, but even considering that, they know that Weed and the other dungeon masters are in a completely different league compared to the Dark Guilds.
We’ve spent all this time building relationships of trust specifically to ensure they would hesitate.
And that includes our military and technological prowess.
This, I believe, is the greatest advantage I—and Weed—possess.
Even if they engage in economic exchange with other dungeons, they won't achieve the same trade benefits they get from Weed.
"Since they can't use the same methods, the standard procedure would be to search for another way, but they can't exactly topple nations, either. All that’s left is to hijack a country, or perhaps kidnap people to build up their strength just like Weed did, but they won't be able to catch up to us that way, either."