MTLNOVEL Chapter 11
Chapter 11: Adventurer’s Guild – 3
—–CROW—–
The meeting itself ended quickly.
There wasn’t much to discuss. I simply asked a few questions about the guild’s operations and other things I was curious about.
The main point was that I would be taking over management from now on.
“The benefit to our guild, ultimately, is credibility.”
“Credibility?”
“Yes. Even trading companies with connections to nobles or knights have limited manpower. That’s where we come in.”
Manpower. From bandits and thieves to various man-made disasters, and even, with some luck, natural disasters, magic wielders could handle it all.
“The credibility of our adventurers is by no means low.”
“Hmm. Can they be trusted so easily?”
It was a matter of protecting and safeguarding valuable goods. Greed could arise, and there was always the possibility of betrayal. Czech… Zeke, rather, was also watching with a disapproving expression. Isabelle, her face still pale, shook her head.
“I can’t say there aren’t any adventurers like that, but those who commit such acts are quickly apprehended.”
If it happened more than once, the cause would naturally be investigated. The guild would investigate, and so would the client who requested the job. If a bounty was placed on their head, they would have to give up living in the city. And such individuals would eventually become bandits or thieves.
“Everyone knows that magic wielders who cause trouble usually end up on the gallows. So…”
Such incidents were rare. Even if they did occur, the guild would cooperate with the investigation. The guild wasn’t there to help adventurers unconditionally. It was a place to connect adventurers with clients, and ultimately, it sided with the territory. Or rather, it was merely a subsidiary organization of the territory.
“Hmph. The best way is to simply hire us. They take on those risks, so it’s only natural to face the consequences if they betray their clients.”
“Ah, that.”
Sometimes, the territory itself would provide support.
Large-scale trade caravans. Caravans escorted by soldiers and knights, traveling between major cities throughout the southern region. Many smaller merchants and independent traders would follow these caravans for protection.
Alternatively, they could request knights from the lord. It was a kind of support policy. Isabelle gave a wry smile.
“It’s difficult to participate unless the timing is right, and the latter option is expensive. It’s difficult for anyone other than large trading companies to afford it. Even large trading companies usually only hire adventurers or their own guards unless it’s a particularly valuable caravan.”
“I’ve heard as much.”
“Of course. It involves knights directly.”
It was only natural that the cost was high. Imagine if, instead of a motorcycle, an armored vehicle delivered your food. No one would steal or spill your food on the way, but the cost would be exorbitant.
“Therefore, the Adventurer’s Guild primarily mediates transactions between other guilds and trading companies, connecting them with trustworthy adventurers, and the guild receives a portion of the profits.”
Like a dispatch company. It wasn’t inaccurate, but it lacked romance.
“Don’t they hunt monsters?”
“Adventurers and mercenary groups often do. The guild just doesn’t lead those efforts. We only mediate if someone is looking for specific materials. Sometimes they explore dungeons.”
“Dungeons? What are those like?”
I remembered the maze and dragon game I used to play. A classic arcade game. I had never seen the ending.
“Well, dungeons are naturally occurring structures where monsters gather due to magic or other reasons.”
“Usually it’s because of magic stones.”
Magic stones. A quintessential fantasy item. Sometimes found in mines, they attracted magic power in their natural state, and when processed, they could store magic power depending on their size.
In other words, batteries. External auxiliary power sources. Or bombs. Strategic materials.
“They must be expensive.”
“Yes. Many adventurers seek them out for that reason.”
If you were lucky enough to find a magic stone, it was like winning the lottery. It was rare, but not unheard of. While it wasn’t enough to establish a whole family, it still provided a substantial reward. Of course, the price varied greatly depending on the size.
Bringing them into the city was a crime, so they were handled with caution. Nobles, however, wore them as accessories. I glanced at the bracelet that felt like a part of me. A strange, blue gem shimmered.
“…….”
As if noticing my gaze, Isabelle also looked at the bracelet and turned pale. I deliberately shook my wrist.
*Jingle! Jingle!*
“Cough, cough!”
“Haha.”
She was an amusing woman. I chuckled as I watched Isabelle cough and down the still-hot tea in one gulp.
There were many uses for magic stones, but honestly, anything other than an external power source was inefficient. There were exceptions, of course. Anyway, moving on from trivial matters…
“Have you heard anything?”
I glanced at Czech… no, Zeke. He nodded. Isabelle, sensing the change in atmosphere, swallowed nervously.
“Franz is on the brink of war.”
“Yes. I’ve heard.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll handle things accordingly since we’ve already discussed it. The reason I’m here today is because I’ll be taking over management from now on.”
“Yes.”
Isabelle nodded seriously. We began discussing business matters.
“Reduce the number of requests related to the Great Mountain Range.”
“Yes. I’ll adjust accordingly.”
“Report any requests related to Muller.”
“Yes. We’re currently investigating discreetly.”
“Have there been any other suspicious requests?”
“No. Based on our current findings, there haven’t been any unusual requests.”
Hmm. So far, so good. My brother would have checked as well.
“What about adventurers from outside the territory?”
“We’re monitoring everyone. The number of adventurers entering from outside the territory hasn’t changed significantly recently.”
“According to the documents, there seem to be quite a few already.”
“The Franz territory has always been the largest near the Great Mountain Range, so they inevitably gather here. The only other option is the Boreng territory, but since they’re further from the mountains, most adventurers come here.”
Hmm. One of the consequences of being the most developed territory in the southern region was the influx of people. Of course, the benefits of having a large population outweighed the drawbacks, so it was all taken into consideration.
“Adventurers, huh?”
It wasn’t uncommon for nobles from other territories to send their less magically inclined knights undercover as adventurers to infiltrate other domains. We did it too.
“It seems unlikely that Muller would be doing that, though.”
“Indeed. The number of adventurers coming from Muller has been decreasing. There are even rumors that the ones who are here left because they sensed something was amiss.”
Perhaps due to the power struggle caused by the internal conflict. If the situation worsened, they would probably conscript adventurers by force. We had to be mindful of other territories as well, not just Muller. They probably hadn’t noticed yet.
“Nothing unusual from other territories, then?”
“No. Not yet.”
I checked if there were any discrepancies between the documents and the current situation. After confirming a few more things, there didn’t seem to be any problems.
“Then lastly, I’d prefer it if there were no unnecessary incidents. Understood?”
While this wasn’t an all-out war, and not all our forces would be deployed, I didn’t want any unnecessary commotion. Don’t cause trouble, and make sure your subordinates don’t either. That was the gist of it.
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Mm.”
With that, I stood up. Isabelle also rose and bowed. I was about to leave…
*Step, step.*
The room fell silent. I slowly approached Isabelle. I placed my hand on her shoulder as she bowed.
“Oh.”
Isabelle flinched, her body trembling. I gently stroked her shoulder. I could feel the smooth, toned muscles beneath her clothes.
“You’ve worked hard today.”
“Y-yes.”
Her voice trembled with nervousness. I lowered my head and brought my face close to her ear. I could feel her holding her breath. She smelled different from the people in the castle. A more earthy scent.
“I quite like you. Let’s meet again sometime.”
“…Yes?”
*Pat, pat.* I gave her shoulder a final pat and left the office. Was I imagining the sound of something collapsing behind the closed door?
* * *
“She looked unwell. Should we send her something to help her recover? She’s still young.”
“No, that’s… Ahem. She’ll be fine. And she’s not that young.”
“What?”
…Wasn’t she relatively young? Maybe because she was an adventurer, she had a good figure. She had a few scars, but…
“I don’t know her exact age, but late twenties to early thirties is considered old for a woman.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s not good for childbearing either.”
Since adults, both men and women, usually married soon after coming of age, our perspectives were different. They usually had children right away, or by their early twenties at the latest, so most women in their thirties were already married with children. Magic wielders tended to look younger than their actual age, so even with her scars, Isabelle could pass for someone in her early twenties. That’s why I assumed she was in her late twenties.
“As expected, women should be young and fertile.”
I looked at Czech… no, Zeke’s face. He was serious.
“Right…”
* * *
“We shall begin the preparations.”
I blinked at the maids who gathered around me.
“Preparations?”
“Yes. There are preparations to be made for tonight.”
After returning from the Adventurer’s Guild, I continued looking over the documents. There was more work than I expected. Though it was still relatively light compared to reality. As I sipped the tea Neria had prepared, Lena appeared.
“Preparations? What preparations?”
The sun hadn’t even set yet.
“Preparations for sex.”
Could she be a little more discreet? Look at how red the maids’ faces were.
—–CROW—–
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