第１５４７堀：どこでも人が集まれば争いは起こる (Part1)
**Chapter 1547: Conflict Arises Wherever People Gather**
Conflict arises wherever people gather. It is a universal truth.
**Side: Milly**
“Haa... this kind of story is a dime a dozen no matter where you go.”
I let out a heavy sigh as I looked over the report sent by Kiyu. Since Yuki hadn’t reached out to me directly, I assumed he already saw through our thoughts—or rather, our general policy.
“What’s wrong?”
Kina popped her head out, likely noticing me brooding over the paperwork.
For the record, I wasn’t in my private executive office on the upper floor of the Adventurer Guild. Instead, I was stationed at a desk behind the first-floor reception counter. Some might wonder why I was here, but it served a dual purpose: monitoring the floor and handling issues as they arose. Even though Weed had been established for quite some time, foolish adventurers still existed, and the staff needed oversight.
While someone of my or Kina’s standing didn’t strictly need to be here, Yuki and the others were currently away from Weed. Though the likelihood was low, there was always a chance of trouble blowing in, so I was keeping an eye on things while getting my work done downstairs.
As for Kina’s question...
“It’s nothing major, I suppose. Here, it’s about the Hinsua matter. Want to take a look?”
I held the document out to her. Before taking it, Kina shot me a wary glance.
“You’re handing that over awfully casually. It’s not a state secret, is it?”
“I wouldn’t pull something like that out in the middle of the lobby. It’s more like a standard letter of inquiry.”
“An inquiry?”
Relaxing her guard, she tilted her head and took the document to look it over. Soon enough, her expression mirrored my own grimace.
“It’s not like the Adventurer Guild knows everything...”
“Exactly. But the underlings have it rough; they’re obligated to at least ask if we know anything.”
“Kiyu isn’t exactly an ‘underling,’ though. Besides, we wouldn’t even bother answering a question like this if it came from a normal adventurer.”
“True. They’re essentially asking for the location of hidden treasures.”
The core of Kiyu’s inquiry concerned information regarding secret treasures. Specifically, he wanted to know if the Adventurer Guild possessed details regarding lands formerly managed by the old Vinosia Kingdom.
“We might have issued warnings to prevent trespassing, but in the end, that sort of thing is up to the adventurers themselves,” Kina noted.
“That’s the problem.”
It was the very definition of adventurer freedom. Of course, breaking into someone’s property to steal their wealth was simple theft, but it was hard to find fault with people entering the tombs of a former dynasty that had been largely abandoned. There was rarely any proof of entry, so we couldn't interrogate them. They could easily fabricate stories about where they found their loot.
“Well, the question is just whether we *knew* about it. Maybe we’ll find something if we dig through the records?”
“I wonder. I heard the Guild retreated from the old Vinosia territory before the civil war reached its peak. I’m not sure how many documents they managed to take with them.”
The official reports made it sound like a graceful exit, but they were escorting refugees and members of the Church of Litea at the time—a notoriously difficult task. Bulky paperwork is usually the first thing left behind in such situations. While they surely took the vital documents, holding onto information that the Vinosia royalty had deemed forbidden would have been problematic.
Given the climate of that era, if such records had been discovered, the Guild could have been accused of fueling the internal rebellion, potentially leading to an attack. From that perspective, it was safer to discard information about royal tombs that they couldn't intervene with anyway.
Kina and I had discussed the situation regarding Hinsua and Vinosia before, so she understood the implications.
“Well, looking into it is free. Do you want me to do it, or will you? Either way, it’s a formal request, so we have to investigate, right?”
“It’s not exactly ‘free’ if it stalls our other work. Still, I’m sure Kiyu reached out because Yuki wanted some corroboration, so it’s definitely a priority. *Haa*... I’ll handle it. Since it involves family, in a sense.”
“It involves the Dark Guild, so the Adventurer Guild should cooperate regardless. You don’t have to make it personal. Oh, I see. As a wife, you just want to be useful to your husband?”
“Naturally. We’re quite the devoted couple. I’ll leave things here to you.”
“Yes, yes. How passionate,” Kina teased, waving me off with her hand.
I stood up quickly. Even though it was an investigation, the records weren't something I could find here in Weed; they belonged to another branch's history. That meant I had to go to Headquarters. I needed permission, of course, but that wouldn't be an issue.
Because...
“Rock-san. Do you know where the Grand Master is today—?”
“Ah, Milly-chan. Do you have business with me?”
I had intended to ask Rock about his whereabouts, but it turned out the Grand Master was already in the Guild Master’s office, casually sipping tea.
“Yes. An inquiry regarding old Vinosia arrived from Kiyu. I’d like permission to access the archival materials at Headquarters.”
“Ah, I see. I wonder if any Vinosia records actually survived? Well, finding that out is part of the job. Permission granted.”
The Grand Master agreed with surprising ease. He pulled an authorization form from a shelf in the room, scribbled on it, and handed it over.
“I appreciate the quick approval, but are you sure?”
“Hmm. Normally, I’d deliberate, but this concerns the Dark Guild operating in the old Vinosia territory of Hinsua. No one will complain.”
“He’s right,” Rock added. “Just as the Grand Master says—anyone who tries to get in your way right now is basically announcing they’re in league with the Dark Guild.”
“That’s true.”
In this climate, anyone obstructing the flow of information regarding Hinsua or Vinosia might as well be admitting they were providing favors to the criminal underworld.
“That said,” the Grand Master continued, “Headquarters has its own set of headaches. If anything happens, let us know. Lately, since I’ve moved to Weed, more people are starting to treat this place as the de facto headquarters. The folks back at the main office might scowl just seeing a request from the Weed branch.”
“Ugh, how tedious... In that case, my rank is equivalent to a Branch Master. Will that cause any friction?”