第１５０７堀：商売も色々なやり方がある (Part1)
Chapter 1507: There Are Many Ways to Do Business
Side: Yuki
"Ah, I'm exhausted."
I let out a sigh as I sank into my familiar chair. Glancing around, I saw everyone else settling into their own seats, just as they always do. And then, there was the person making the rounds, serving tea to everyone.
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Here is your tea. And for you, Orelia and the others."
"Oh, thank you so much. We really should have been the ones doing this..."
"It’s quite alright. You all worked hard in our stead since we couldn't attend the auction, so please, let us do this much."
Fiora said this with a gentle smile, coaxing Orelia into her seat before handing her a cup. I received mine as well and took a sip. The warmth of the tea trickled down my throat, soothing me instantly.
"...Mmm. Delicious."
"What are you saying? You’re the one who’s supposed to be serving the tea, Cleena-san."
"I brought the snacks, so it’s not a problem."
"My, you really are at your own pace, aren't you?"
Samantha and Cleena, who had been waiting here, were engaging in their usual banter.
"Was there any trouble on this end?" I asked, feeling a sense of relief at the familiar scene while checking on the situation.
"Yes. Diplomacy with the smaller nations went smoothly. As for general affairs, Nina handled those."
"...*Sigh*. I truly understand now just how hard Orelia and the others have been working."
Though I heard her voice, Nina remained face-down on the table. It seemed the paperwork had taken quite a toll on her.
"...I checked everything immediately, and while Samantha, Cleena, and Fiora helped me, I was only here to investigate the Dark Guild, so I can't be entirely confident."
"Understood. We'll take it from here."
"Alright, let's get this done quickly!"
"Yeah, let's do our best."
Orelia and the others, seeing the mountain of documents Nina had been struggling with, immediately set to work. When it came to dealing with the general public, Orelia and her team were undeniably more adept than Nina.
"How about you, Samantha? Anything from the major powers?"
"There haven't been any particular movements on our end. It’s just the usual business."
"...I imagine the kings who returned are buried in work just like you are, Yuki."
"I suppose that’s true."
Even I felt a bit of hesitation looking at the stack of papers on my own desk. Still, considering I’d been in the town of Wean for nearly two weeks, it wasn't actually that much.
"We did bring back the urgent matters, after all."
"Indeed. You should be grateful to us."
As Jessica and Deryu pointed out, we had asked them to bring back only the tasks that required immediate processing, so the pile wasn't overwhelming. This was the advantage of Weed and the ability to travel instantly via the Gate. The kings of the major powers could do the same, but they hated the hassle of traveling back and forth, so they rarely did unless it was absolutely necessary.
In short, the auction had ended peacefully. However, a peaceful conclusion didn't mean the aftermath would disappear. If anything...
"Yuki-sama, I apologize for interrupting your rest, but inquiries from non-aligned nations regarding the auction have surged."
"Wait, already? It’s only been a day."
"Yes. The non-aligned nations that participated are requesting meetings to discuss future relations."
"I see. So, the auction actually yielded results."
"Feeding them a feast of high-quality food was worth it, then."
"No one would be unmoved by that."
At the very least, the initial reaction from the non-aligned nations was positive.
"However, Yuki-sama. While the inquiries are a good thing, what about the primary objective of attending the auction? I heard the former princess was secured safely, but..."
Fiora asked, looking a bit worried. It was true; regardless of our reputation with the non-aligned nations, the most important thing was whether we had achieved our original goal.
"Ah, we secured the former princess and the rare species, but the Dark Guild didn't make a move. The auction itself ended literally in peace. The Dark Guild wasn't involved, or perhaps they simply had no interest."
"Does that mean we have zero information on the Dark Guild?"
"For now, yes. But we achieved our main goal, so it’s fine. We’ve established a connection with the non-aligned nations. If the Dark Guild is hiding out in those territories, it will become increasingly difficult for them to operate. Plus, we’ve spread rumors that some of the slaves we acquired possess information on the guild."
We hadn't reached the guild itself, but this would make it even harder for them to move.
"I see. We’ll see if that rumor manages to bait them out."
"Well, if it does, great. Even if it doesn't, the mere existence of the rumor makes their movements more restricted. After that, we can just head directly to any suspicious leads we gather. Before this, we couldn't just barge in unless they were invading an allied nation like Ilinau or Kinauf."
"Indeed. Thanks to this, we have a connection with the non-aligned nations. We can use that as a pretext for our presence."
"Exactly. Now, what about the information you were investigating with Nina and Ratz?"
I turned my gaze toward Nina. She was sipping her tea leisurely, clearly not expecting me to bring it up.
"Oh, you’re asking me?"
"Of course. You were gathering intel separately from us, weren't you?"
"It wasn't exactly 'separate,' the information just happened to come from Lowell at the right time. Well, I’ve looked into it."
With that, Nina tossed a document toward me. As I scanned the pages, I saw a list of merchant companies that had expanded their influence after the collapse of the Rumel headquarters.
"Yuki, you said that when the Dark Guild headquarters fell, their affiliates went down with them. And you mentioned that merchants wouldn't want to get involved. I understand why—they’d be targeted by the state, which would threaten their survival. But to merchants who know nothing, this just looks like a new demand. The Dark Guild branches wouldn't just walk up and say, 'Our main supplier went bust, let's start a new trade deal,' would they?"
"Ah, you're right. The Dark Guild wouldn't openly reveal their identity to trade. And since the headquarters is gone, they’d be even more cautious. You mean to say the branches hid their identities and signed individual contracts with merchants?"
"That’s what I think. What do you think, Yuki?"
Following Nina's question, I looked over the documents and began to answer.