第１５２９堀：大陸における確認と動きについて (Part2)
「Indeed, indeed. He was one of the individuals I also found suspicious. While he conducted what appeared to be normal business, his funding sources were undeniably dubious. I met him once for a transaction and spoke with him, but the man himself possessed no business acumen. It was clear he was headed for self-destruction. Yet, it was perplexing how he continued to expand his influence."
"I see, I heard he struck it rich in a small nation under Roschur's dominion, is that correct?"
"Yes, that 'striking it rich' involved using connections from his days as a mere adventurer, slaying monsters and trading in recovery potions and armaments. This is a completely different direction from the luxury clothing he currently sells."
"I was unaware of that. I see, connections from his adventurer days."
Ratz and Eris had been gathering information from merchants assembled in Weed, but they had only learned about recent events, not the initial stages.
Or perhaps they had grasped some details, but lacked corroborating evidence.
After all, the information gathered in Weed served as their primary basis.
Kirika's subordinates, the intelligence division, were also active, but their presence on the ground amounted to one person, or perhaps even half a person.
What this meant was that they were short-staffed, with agents juggling multiple investigation sites.
Furthermore, the task wasn't to track the executive himself, but to investigate local merchant guilds.
Considering the recent circumstances, there was simply no leeway to allocate personnel to that.
Haa, I really need to discuss personnel matters with Kirika.
Anyway, putting that aside, back to my discussion with him.
"However, though I found him suspicious, how did you connect him to being an executive of the Dark Guild?"
"That was thanks to Weed's intelligence network. At the time, there were negotiations in the royal capital of Irinau. We anticipated interference if the Dark Guild was involved. If casualties among Weed, Litea, and Irinau personnel had occurred there..."
"Ah, negotiations would have been impossible then. More importantly, a surprise attack on Weed would prove the alliance's vulnerability. But the fact that it didn't happen means...?"
"Outwardly, it was reported that the people of Irinau demanded the alliance's withdrawal. There was something close to a riot, though."
"I've heard that story. I see, so it was resolved with just that much?"
Yes, he truly grasps things quickly.
Well, I doubt he'd imagine we detected it beforehand and suppressed it.
"Anyway, that's why we've been tracking the suspicious individuals who gathered in Irinau, and this man, presumed to be an executive, showed no signs of returning to a base. However, recently, this man has returned to what appears to be his main store in a nation under Litea's control. Which means..."
"Hmm. I see, considering that, it wouldn't be surprising if he were transporting goods to the former Vinoshia territory in Hinsua. His store in the nation under Litea's control is merely a front, after all."
"A front, you say?"
"One might say it's 'open for business, but closed for customers,' serving merely as a warehouse. If it does anything, it's perhaps wholesale."
"Wholesale, then. In that case, there wouldn't be many customers coming and going."
"Precisely. And there's not much activity there. I considered it might be for tax purposes, to call that a store, but if you think of it as an intermediate base for storing and transporting goods, it's quite convenient."
As he said this, he pointed to the Kingdom of Hinsua.
Indeed, it's unlikely they would overtly prepare a location for transporting large quantities of goods into Hinsua.
That would be tantamount to shouting 'We're suspicious!'
"Under the guise of travel, large amounts of luggage wouldn't draw particular suspicion, and considering the distance, it seems plausible."
"Are there similar bases on the Rumel side?"
"I haven't heard of any under Rumel's dominion. They might exist, but Rumel's headquarters and all related branches were thoroughly crushed, so their activities would be significantly curtailed. As for their comings and goings, that's not something I can investigate."
Indeed, after Rumel's headquarters were destroyed, not only its branches but also related merchant houses were crushed.
My assumption that any remaining presence would be quite small is likely correct.
I'll have to ask Rumel about that, I thought.
"Now then, let's move on to confirming the main topic: the former Vinoshia territory in the Kingdom of Hinsua."
With that, I produced a map of Hinsua and proceeded to the next part of our discussion.
Maps are truly magnificent, you know.
Essential.