第１４９２堀：劇場の立ち位置 (Part1)
Chapter 1492: Standing in the Theater
Side: Deryu
"This theater was built by my father, and I inherited it, but... I hesitate to say this, but it simply doesn't turn a profit in this town of Wean."
"That is certainly true."
"Indeed. There’s no one here to sell to."
"It’s nothing but a drain on resources, I imagine."
The man who spoke with such composure—unfazed even in the presence of my husband and the kings of great nations—was named Bamai. He was the owner of this theater, the very man who had been rumored to be unreachable. Honestly, the whole situation reeked of suspicion, yet my appraisal showed him to be completely clean. I had immediately tasked Kirika, as well as Ratz and Eris, with gathering intelligence, and the revelations that surfaced were quite startling.
"However, I am surprised. I left the management of this place to those who were indebted to my father, telling them only to ensure it remained accessible to anyone who wished to use it. I never imagined people like yourselves would be the ones to make use of it."
Yes, that was the reason we had been unable to track Bamai down. In reality, the theater had been left in a state bordering on total transfer to his father’s acquaintances. While his name remained on the deed as the owner, it was a title in name only; the actual management was handled by those acquaintances and the local lord. Thus, there had been no issue with us renting it, and we hadn't given a second thought to the owner being a mere figurehead. It would have been fine if we could have just contacted him, but this Bamai...
"I happened to be passing through this town on business, heard the news, and rushed back in a panic."
Indeed, he was a merchant of noble descent, operating primarily within non-aligned nations. That was why he was unreachable and why we couldn't verify his identity. And above all else...
"Still, to think you are the chairman of the Danaddemi Trading Company, famous throughout these parts."
As Yuki noted, this man was the head of a major trading firm whose name was known everywhere across the Logari Continent. Well, as I mentioned, his sphere of activity was limited to non-aligned nations, so in terms of economic scale...
"What are you saying? Yuki-sama, who built Weed into a massive nation in less than a decade, is far more impressive than I. And to be standing alongside Yuki-sama are Blade-heika of the If Continent and Emperor Eupia of the Zurabl region—I am not even worth comparing."
As Bamai said, while his name was indeed widespread as a merchant, there was no way he could compete with a nation. To be frank, his sales didn't even reach the level of a single Super Ratz store in Weed. That was largely because we held the distribution routes for the Gates, of course. Nevertheless, the fact that he could stand here and speak boldly with the leaders of various nations suggested that Bamai possessed a vast network of connections. That was precisely why he could converse with Yuki and the others with such poise.
"I appreciate you saying so. However, that does not mean you haven't worked hard yourself, Bamai-dono."
"Indeed. It is because of your efforts that you are where you are today."
"That is true. Your demeanor before the kings of great nations is nothing to be ashamed of. It is quite admirable."
"Thank you very much."
"And so, is 'Bamai' a pseudonym?"
"Yes. My trading company’s name is well-known, and things have been rather turbulent lately, so I take precautions."
"Ah, that matter. We find that quite difficult ourselves."
I see, so "Bamai" was indeed a fake name. It must be a thorn in the side of the dark guilds, to be sure. According to Eris and Ratz, the Danaddemi Trading Company was an old establishment, and one could definitively say it was "white," with no ties to the dark guilds. The reason, they said, was because they had a track record of clashing with them. After the headquarters in Rumel was destroyed, they apparently cooperated with the state to hunt down and dismantle the dark guilds.
You might wonder why they went so far, but the key lies in the fact that he was the one who inherited the business.
"And so, I have a request. I wish to cooperate with you in defeating them."
"We would be most grateful, but you have been providing us with information up until now, have you not?"
"That is not enough. I must ensure the destruction of those who took the lives of my father and mother. Even though I thought we had completely crushed the organization during the Rumel incident..."
Yes, this man’s parents had been targeted and eliminated by the dark guilds. That was precisely why he displayed such blatant hostility toward them.
"I see. A matter of vengeance, then."
"Hmm. I understand the sentiment well. Well, we can discuss the details with Bamai-dono another time. It might be disrespectful to your father to treat this as a business meeting, but today, we came to see the slaves."
"My apologies. Then, may I request some of your time at a later date?"
"Of course. That organization is a thorn in our side as well. If you are willing to cooperate—no, if we can gain the assistance of those who have been fighting that organization for so long, we would be the ones bowing our heads to ask for it."
"Thank you. Then, allow me to guide you to where the slaves are being held."
With those words, Bamai led the way. However, it begged the question: why hadn't he cooperated until now? Simply put, it was because Weed had too little connection to the dark guilds. Eris, Ratz, and even Seraria were smiling wryly at the thought. Because the power of the dungeon made it extremely easy to identify enemies, we had been wary of such types from the beginning and had purged them accordingly. More importantly, Weed had only been established in the last few years, and the Rumel dark guild headquarters had already been destroyed by the time we founded the nation. Meanwhile, the Danaddemi Trading Company had avoided the great nations where the dark guild headquarters were located and had fled to smaller countries. We had simply been operating in different spheres. What a misunderstanding.
While I was lost in such thoughts, we arrived at the place where the slaves were being kept.
"The slaves are waiting here. Well, they are just the usual dressing rooms for the actors, though."
A hallway stretched out behind Bamai-dono, with doors lining both sides. Yes, it was a straightforward dressing room area. But something bothered me.
"Bamai-dono, I am grateful for the tour, but where are the merchants? Is it not problematic to meet with the slaves on our own?"