第１４９６堀：準備の確認 (Part2)
"Mm. I agree. Rushing to fill the ranks usually leads to nothing but trouble."
"Indeed. That is a recipe for disaster."
"Agreed. It is best to proceed slowly and steadily."
"Yeah, yeah. Being told to memorize everything at once would be a nightmare."
Cleena, Samantha, Jessica, and Ria—my wives and guard detail—all nodded in agreement. That settled it.
"Then, for the time being, we’ll keep the investigation broad and shallow, focusing on pinpointing the region. There’s always the possibility that it’s a dead end, after all."
"Understood. We shall proceed accordingly."
"And what about the former princess? Any movement from her side so far?"
"None at all. As it stands, the auction tomorrow should proceed without a hitch. I don't think the slave traders are foolish enough to make a move while under such scrutiny."
"Still no information surfacing, then?"
"Honestly... I’d be more surprised if those shady characters actually showed their faces after we’ve been this blatant."
"Cleena is right. They wouldn't risk getting caught and losing their funding at this stage."
"True. As Cleena and Samantha pointed out, the initial consensus was that this auction was meant to generate capital. They wouldn't do anything that might lead to their assets being seized."
It’s easy to forget, but this auction was originally intended to be restricted to non-aligned nations, specifically those in the immediate vicinity. Lowell suspected that the flow of funds from this event would lead directly to the Dark Guild, and we shared that assessment.
"And the assassination attempts?"
"Right. Even if the Dark Guild is involved, these slaves are their merchandise—their source of income. If they were to steal them or cause harm, no other slave trader would ever deal with them again."
Even the Dark Guild needs a way to make money. They wouldn't sabotage their own operation. At least, not under normal circumstances.
"Whether they couldn't prepare in time over this past month, whether they are truly innocent, or whether they are biding their time for something else—regardless, they’ve had plenty of time. Even if they weren't ready, I expect some sort of movement, so please, do not let your guard down."
"I hear you, Kirika, but not a single person associated with that crowd has even entered the town."
"Are you certain the concealment spells have been lifted?"
"They’re definitely down. Besides, you’re watching the monitors with me, aren't you? I’m the type who can dispel even the layered concealment and tampering that the Boss uses. Though, if someone of the Boss's caliber were to try, it would trigger an error, which would tip us off—but we haven't seen anything like that. If they’re capable of surpassing that, we wouldn't know anyway, so we just have to solidify our presence on the ground."
"I’ll leave that to Ria, Orelia, and the rest of the guards."
"Leave it to us."
"Yes!"
Ria and Orelia were brimming with enthusiasm; I’m sure they’ll be fine. Unless, of course, someone decides to blow the entire facility to smithereens. Then again, in our case, we have enough defensive capability to remain unscathed even if the base were pulverized into dust.
"By the way, how is Lowel holding up?"
"Big Sis Lowel is at the hotel, leading the charge on maintaining public order. You know how capable she is, right?"
"I do, I do. She isn't called the Shield Princess for nothing. And her intuition is frightening. She’s a genius in her own right. Higil must have really had his hands full with her."
Now I understand why that sister-complex, Shera-loving guy was the way he was; he’d been watching Lowel’s reckless, headstrong behavior all this time.
"Thanks to her, I’ve been kept on my toes and incredibly busy. We’re even bringing the merchants into the facility’s conference hall later to handle the product sales."
"Right, that was on the agenda. Any issues there?"
"The merchants, the assistants, and the goods scheduled for entry have all been brought in and vetted. There are no issues to report."
"So, nothing on that front either..."
It’s starting to make me genuinely nervous about whether the Dark Guild is actually involved. I thought we’d scrubbed everything clean, but the total lack of a reaction is unsettling. Well, considering they’ve managed to stay hidden until now, it shouldn't be a surprise, but having absolutely nothing to go on is still worrying.
With those thoughts lingering, the final meeting before the auction concluded, and we were left with nothing to do but await the day itself.