第１６４４堀：妻たちの夜 (Part2)
It’s not that their lives are expendable just because they’re low-rank, but the Adventurer’s Guild undeniably values those who generate profit. Losing a top earner impacts the guild’s bottom line, and high-ranking adventurers aren’t easily replaced; losing them is a net loss. The brass at headquarters assumed that since information on the open sea is so scarce, the risk of such losses would skyrocket. That’s why they approved Kina as guild master while slapping a "provisional" label on her.
The pettiness of it all is staggering.
"So they’re using the 'provisional guild master' title as a get-out-of-jail-free card? It’s not even just infuriating—it’s like, do they really have to go that far?"
"I suppose you can see their perspective if you look at it through the lens of protecting Weed’s reputation. But setting that aside, Kina is currently the one coordinating the guild’s expansion into the port town."
"Wait, Kina? Why her? Isn’t this an issue for the entire Adventurer’s Guild?"
"The higher-ups claim that since the Weed branch has some breathing room, they want her to handle other miscellaneous tasks as well. They’ve promised to provide funding up to a specified amount."
"How blatant. Even if she was a vice guild master, she shouldn't have the personnel authority to manage an entire branch, let alone others."
"They’re handing her that authority, too. But Kina’s connections barely extend beyond the adventurer guilds from Roschur to Gartz, and she hardly ever sees those people face-to-face. Asking her to poach staff for other branches under those conditions is just..."
"Normally, you’d refuse. You might have a chance if you could hike up their salaries, but that budget is finite, isn't it?"
"Exactly."
"So, it’s effectively impossible. What are they even trying to achieve?"
"That’s why I said it’s a blunder by the Weed branch. *Sigh*."
I’m exhausted just saying it out loud. It’s as if they’re hell-bent on sabotaging their own kin. But there’s a massive pitfall in their plan...
"Hey, I know the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters is a headache, but are the Grand Masters aware of this?"
"Oh, they know. When Kina went to pay her respects as the new guild master, they brought it up, and she spilled the beans immediately."
"And what did the Grand Master say?"
"He just laughed and said, 'They’re still so young.'"
"Ah, I see. To him, they’re nothing more than children."
"Exactly. He called them mischievous. So, Kina got the Grand Master’s backing, which gave her the leverage to actually poach those staff members."
"...Does that mean their sabotage attempt backfired?"
"Completely. All it did was expose the headquarters' ugly side. Well, not that everyone at headquarters is like that, of course."
"Oh, I see. They’re planning a bit of spring cleaning, then."
Seraria seems to grasp what I’m implying, offering a wry smile. By now, the subtext is clear enough.
"Since the founding of Weed, the power dynamics of the Adventurer’s Guild have shifted entirely. The headquarters is starting to lose its reason for existing. Or rather, that’s what they fear, isn't it?"
"They wouldn’t say it out loud, but only a fool would think the headquarters could be shaken by something this trivial."
"Precisely. The Adventurer’s Guild didn’t earn its neutral standing and the recognition of every nation just through funding or a bit of military might."
There is something more to the Adventurer’s Guild than that. For some reason, they fail to realize it.
"So, we can leave the guild matters to her?"
"Well, creating the guild isn't the problem, but it’s meaningless if there’s no way to get out to sea. If that’s where the bottleneck is, they’re no different from any other adventurer wandering the mainland."
Indeed, the purpose of the Adventurer’s Guild in the port town is to harvest materials from sea monsters. On the Rogari continent, the ocean is considered a place of extreme peril; no one approaches it by choice. Dungeons are the same, though thanks to Yuki-san’s recent efforts, that’s gradually improving. Of course, dangerous dungeons still exist, but the sea lacks even the catalyst that a dungeon provides. Without support to help adventurers reach the open water, they’re helpless.
Which means...
"It’s a non-starter until Sisua and Sona finish their preparations, then."
"That’s the gist of it. Besides, the question remains: how are the adventurers supposed to reach the monster-infested waters? Who are we supposed to consult about that?"
"Ah, that hasn't been decided yet either."
"Then it’ll be a while before the Adventurer’s Guild starts drawing in new recruits."
"Ugh, my head is killing me. Let’s drink."
"Yes, yes. I’ll join you."
And so, the night wore on, fueled by spirits. Our marriage is a happy one, but that doesn’t mean we’re without our problems. I suppose that’s just how it is for every couple.