Translator: SFBaka
Editor: Thor’s Stone
“Now then, since we’ve managed to eat our fill, let us move on to business. It’s about the reward for Arista’s rescue I mentioned yesterday.”
It looks like we’re moving on to the real topic for tonight. Of course, I already had an idea this wasn’t going to be a simple dinner. Now then, how will things go, I wonder.
“To tell you the truth, we were quite stumped thinking about what reward would be appropriate for you all. And so, we thought of asking you directly instead of risking handing you all something you wouldn’t find satisfactory.”
“I see. So that’s why you invited us to dinner tonight. Thank you very much for your consideration. Just as we said yesterday, we only did what we thought was right at the time, so any reward you are willing to give us would be just fine.”
“Fumu. However, Alan, I am truly grateful for what you and your party did. Even with all my wealth, I treasure my daughter Arista the most. And given that you’ve rescued and protected my darling, I want to give you all something you will find the most pleasing in order to express my utmost gratitude.”
“Father…”
“……I see. I understand your feelings, sir. If so, then there’s actually something we need some help on if possible.”
“Oh! What is it? Pray tell.”
“Actually, some of our comrades are set to arrive here in about a month or so. Since there is quite a number of them, we would like to secure a place where all of them would be able to stay.”
Captain Dalshim and the others from the Royal Guard arranged to arrive after a month, barring no mishaps that happened along the way.
Cleria and Elna reacted when I broached the topic.
“Hou, about how many are you expecting?”
“More than fifty, I suppose.”
“It’s fifty-eight people, Alan.”
“Fifty-eight people!? …Are you planning on founding a Clan, Alan?”
A Clan is an organization composed of several parties and is formed in order to accomplish things unsuitable for one party alone and is officially recognized by the Adventurer’s Guild. That’s right. We were planning to make a Clan of our own.
“That’s right. Due to various circumstances, we and the comrades who have decided to follow us have arranged to gather in Gantz city.”
In truth, they were Cleria’s trusted subordinates. More specifically, her Royal Guard.
“Well, with your abilities, I’m sure there would certainly be a lot who would decide to follow you… I see, so you want to secure a Clan base huh.”
“Yes. But we’ve only just arrived here and we were having trouble coming up with how to proceed.”
“……You guys may have not heard of it, but actually, one of the top five biggest and strongest Clans in Gantz city, the「Great Storm」, just disbanded two months ago. Several of the main members went up and died one after another, and the rifts caused by such incidents eventually led to the Clan’s collapse. The Commerce Guild actually secured their former base, you see.”
“Oh! That sounds perfect!”
Silas-san laughed heartily after seeing my reaction.
“It sure is.「Great Storm」had more than one hundred members in its heyday, and the facilities in the base are all top-notch. It’s aged a bit, but that’s not something a little renovation here and there wouldn’t fix.”
“Please, Silas-san! Can you make a referral for us?”
“Oi, oi, weren’t we talking about your reward here? If you say you need it, then there’s no reason for me not to deliver. But of course, I can’t just hand over the entire thing. However, I can lease it to you at the lowest price possible. I’ll also handle the renovations for free.”
“That’s… We’d be really grateful if that’s the case, but is that really alright?”
“Of course. We were planning on renovating it and scouting for new tenants anyway. We’re just going to speed up the plans a bit. Well, the expenses will be shouldered by the Commerce Guild’s coffers, so I don’t really lose out here. It’s practically killing two birds with one stone!”
Will that be really okay with the Commerce Guild? Well, it’s the Guild chief who’s saying it, so I guess it is.
“I hope this won’t cause any inconveniences…”
“What are you saying? There’s no use having power and authority if you don’t flaunt it from time to time. One of the reasons I became so rich is because I used the authority my position as the Guild chief afforded me to favor my company you know.”
“Um, I think you should refrain from saying such things so openly though, father…”
“Well, that’s about it. It’ll be fine as long as I don’t go overboard. No problem.”
“Thank you very much. Now that’s one less thing to worry about.”
“Hold on. Save the gratitude for when you finally settle down. Well, just leave the renovations to us. But we can’t provide you the furnishings and equipment. It won’t go over well if I did that and some might complain. You’ll have to procure them yourselves.”
“Of course. If it’s possible, I’d like to check out the site as well.”
“Sure. We’ll introduce you to some skilled craftsmen as well, so go ahead and check it out along the way. I’ll have Karina accompany you.”
“Thank you very much. That would really help.”
“But this will be the birth of a Clan with more than sixty members right off the bat huh… You’ll probably be the fourth or fifth largest Clan in Gantz once you begin operations. What exactly are you aiming for by doing such a thing, Alan?”
“Of course we’re aiming for the very top. We came to Gantz in order to make a name for ourselves after all. Since we’ve decided to do so, it goes without saying that we’ll aim for the top. No, we won’t just aim for it. We will become the number one adventurer Clan in Gantz city. ………But, well, we’re still B rankers though, so the first agenda on the list is achieving A rank as soon as possible.”
“Hou! Those sure are some bold aspirations! Being the number one here in Gantz practically means being number one in the whole world you know? Interesting! Fine, I’ll take a piece of that action myself.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Adventurer ranks are determined via an internal grading system implemented by the Adventurer’s Guild. Of course, it could also be influenced by the instructions of the upper management. And regarding that grading system, managing to successfully complete requests that are specifically designated by other guilds nets you a fairly substantial amount of points compared to regular ones and could make quite the difference.”
It was much the same as what Verse told us back then.
“I’ve also heard of such a thing from someone.”
“Hou, that person’s pretty knowledgeable regarding the trade then. Well, in other words, I’m saying our Commerce Guild will be putting up a request and designating you guys specifically. But the results will still depend on your overall performance.”
“That will be immensely helpful. If you can do so, then please.”
“Now then, what would be ideal? An escort request? Material collection? There are also investigation requests, but I don’t really recommend those. The benefits aren’t on par with the effort you’ll be putting out.”
“……Are there bandit subjugation requests?”
“……Well, bandits certainly are the worst enemies of us merchants, Alan. We loathe them to the bone. They won’t hesitate to go after our friends, relatives, and loved ones after all. But they are elusive and pretty hard to track. You could chance upon them by luck sometimes, but they usually aren’t people you can hunt down whenever you feel like it.”
“If there really is a request for bandit subjugation, would it be okay to let us try it out?”
“……Alright, fine. Just try it out first. I’ll put up the request at the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“Oh, but I would like to check out the Clan base first, if that’s alright with you. I’d like to see what type of furnishings will be suitable.”
“Of course. The request can wait. It’s not like it’s urgent. I’ll make sure to not put up a deadline as well. How about you check out the base along with the craftsmen tomorrow?”
“Thank you very much. I’ll do so.”
“Okay then. I guess that’s it. Oh, right. Hey Alan, how about you become a member of the Commerce Guild? There’s that matter about the liquor as well.”
“Understood.”
“Um, I would like to ask something as well. It’s about that magic tool you lent us while we were at the camp. Just where did you procure such an article? If possible, I would also like to purchase one for myself, so…” Arista interjected.
The rest of the party all moved their gaze toward me.
“Ah, that’s actually something I built. I still have two spares on hand, so would you like to purchase those?”
“……Just what do you mean, Alan? You made a magic tool?”
“I’m actually an A rank member of the Magic Guild as well, you see. I learned magic tool production methods from the guild.”
“A rank…… So you were a full-fledged mage.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not too familiar with these kinds of matters. Are you considered a full-fledged mage if you become an A rank Magic Guild member?”
“Well, it’s just that most, if not all, A-rank Magic Guild members are full-fledged mages.”
“I see. I’m both an adventurer and full-fledged mage then.”
“I personally haven’t encountered someone like that until now though. Well, no matter. So how much are those magic tools of yours?”
“Since we’ll be in your care, I’ll give you a discount and sell them for 20,000 Guineas each.”
“Twenty thousand! That’s quite cheap. I’ll take you up on your offer then and purchase both items.”
“Thank you very much. Well then, we’ll be coming over again tomorrow to check out the base.”
By the way, Alan-sama. We’re sorry for the delay, but please receive this. It’s your reward for those bandits you handed over to us,” Karina said as she handed me the money.
The Guineas was placed inside a small leather pouch. I opened the pouch and checked the contents. There were exactly six gold coins inside.
“Yes, I’ve certainly received them.”
After that, we finally bid farewell to our hosts since the dinner and the talks were essentially over. We were brought back to the inn via carriage by Karina-san as well.
“Well then, Alan-sama. Since there will be a need to check with the craftsmen’s schedule first, shall we depart for the base at ten o’clock in the morning?”
“Of course. I’ll match your schedule.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
Karina-san left with the carriage.
“Let’s talk a bit while having tea, everyone.”
We had Kira-san serve some tea as we sat around a table in the dining area. Since there were no other guests present apart from us, our current outfits posed no problems.
“I ended up settling the discussions earlier without talking it over with you all, so I want to ask if you have any objections. Um, do you?”
I asked a bit nervously. I did end up making decisions all on my own so it’s probably too late, but still…
“I don’t have any problems whatsoever. I’m actually very happy that you considered the circumstances of the Royal Guards as well, Alan.”
“That’s right, isn’t it, Ria-sama? To think you were able to make a 1,500,000 Guinea deal with the chief of the Commerce Guild and secure a Clan base as well as an exclusive request. Making you our leader really wasn’t a mistake, Alan.”
Oh! Cleria and Elna both gave rave reviews!
The thing with the liquor just seemed really interesting, and I brought up the base because I thought it’ll be hard to house all of the Royal Guard members in an inn. I’d also feel sorry if we were the only ones who get to stay in an inn with a bath. And I also brought up the bandit hunting thing because I simply thought it would be a lot more profitable than monster hunting. I should probably not reveal my real reasons though. All’s well that ends well, as they say.
“Do you guys have no problems with it as well, Selena, Sharon?”
“Of course. It all turned out well, so I have nothing to complain about. Just like Elna said, you were wonderful, Alan.”
“We wouldn’t oppose anything Alan decides in the first place.”
I just went with the flow, but it looks like there are no problems. I’m on a roll today.
“I see. So I guess there are no problems. We’ll check out the base tomorrow then.”
“I’ve returned, sir.”
“Oh, welcome back, Karina. Since you’re back, how about we discuss what happened tonight a bit with Arista and Natalie?”
Before long, Arista and Natalie also joined the two.
“Now then, what do all think about those adventurers?”
“The first thing I was thoroughly surprised about were the clothes Alan-san and his party was wearing. Just how did they manage to procure such splendid articles?” Arista began.
“Yes, that’s right. I didn’t want to seem rude, so I stopped myself from staring too much, but those certainly were uncommon articles, weren’t they?”
“I was able to observe up close while sitting alongside them inside the carriage. All of their clothing had a certain unique style to them, but they were all so intricate to a somewhat terrifying extent. Or rather, I could not even imagine they were weaved by human hands because of their extreme intricacy,” Karina added.
“You’re right. I also had that impression. There’s also their design. The designs of Alan-san and Ria-san’s clothing were, as Karina described, so intricate and sophisticated that you couldn’t help but feel their magnificence. The clothes of the others were quite wonderful as well, but those two were just on a league of their own. Ah, to think such divine-looking clothes existed in this world…”
“What’s clear from this is that Alan and his group possess clothes that are far superior to anything our company produces. That also goes for the made-to-order clothes exclusively sold to royalty.”
“That’s right. They were definitely even more magnificent than the clothing worn by the royal family, or even the king himself.”
“Another point is the abilities of Alan and the others as adventurers. They are even more impressive than what you three described. They can be said to be top A rankers, or maybe even S rankers.”
“They are that skilled?”
“Yes. It’s definitely not normal to successfully bring down an entire orc settlement along with a General Orc with just five party members. Usually, you would need over a hundred skilled knights for that. Orcs are quite dangerous when they attack in groups. One orc probably won’t pose a problem to seasoned adventurers, but if five or ten of them swarm you, that will be a different story. And they defeated seventy-five! Alan looked nonchalant as he related their feats, but that just goes to show how confident he was of their skills. In other words, he didn’t even consider seventy-five orcs as a problem at all.”
“I’m also quite curious about the fifty-eight individuals who will be forming a Clan with Alan-sama and the others.”
“Oh, that’s right. Normally, a Clan is something that grows in strength and influence gradually over the years. But they will be creating a Clan with over sixty members all at once. Well, if other guys attempt such a thing, I’m sure they will run out of funds sooner or later and collapse under their own weight.”
“But Alan-san and the others looked quite wealthy, so I suppose that doesn’t apply to them,” Arista observed.
“It’s not just their wealth. If you don’t have the charisma to attract others to follow your lead, you won’t be able to create a successful Clan. Well, after getting a glimpse of Alan and the other’s abilities, I can understand why people would be compelled to follow them. I’m sure Alan and the others would not group up with average folk, so those comrades of theirs should all be considerably skilled as well. Perhaps we will get to witness the birth of a brand new strongest Clan.”
“Father, what about the matter with the alcohol? Is it really possible?”
“Yes, I was also quite shocked. But judging from his tone, he was pretty confident about it. There’s also the commission he brought up. That was something he mentioned while being completely aware of just how much money you could potentially earn from selling a newly developed type of liquor. Even with that knowledge, he only mentioned such a paltry sum as his commission.”
“Eh!? 2,000,000 Guineas is a paltry sum!?” Arista exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes. If he does manage to make a brand new liquor that surpasses what we brought out tonight, then earning several million would be a simple affair. No, perhaps even tens of millions is a conservative estimate. It’s so big of a deal that it may potentially endanger our lives if we make the wrong step. And even then, he actually agreed to lower the payment to 1,500,000 Guineas. …In other words, what he’s after isn’t money per se.”
“Come to think of it, I managed to notice something while we were having dinner. It seems Alan-san, Sharon-san, and Selena-san aren’t from this country. The way they handled cutlery was somewhat different from ours,” Arista revealed.
“Hou, so you managed to notice such a thing.”
“They tried to follow after what the rest of us were doing, but all three of them have certain habits ingrained which they couldn’t completely discard. However, they were far from inelegant. Rather, they were impressively refined. Their basics are fundamentally different, but they were still quite the sight.”
“I see. Well, if their country treats producing alcohol on par or better than my special stash as commonplace, then it’s not hard to imagine their basic table manners to be exemplary as well. So the three of them are most likely from one country huh?”
“On the other hand, Ria-san and Elna-san’s table manners were completely similar to our own. They should be citizens of this country or other neighboring kingdoms.”
“I see. They are comrades hailing from different countries huh. I’m now quite curious about how they came together as a party.”
“Silas-sama, don’t you think the bandit subjugation request will be difficult even for a party of Alan-sama and the rest’s caliber? Though they did seem to know how to go about it when they rescued us…” Karina asked in concern.
“Oh, that matter huh… I also thought so earlier, but they might actually pull it off.
Normally, groups that go after bandit gangs try to match or exceed them in numbers in order to ensure success.
But if such a large group went out, the bandit’s scouts will be able to easily spot them and allow their comrades to flee or hide.
But what about them? If their group approaches a bandit-infested territory with just one carriage, I’m sure those knaves will just think of them as easy prey.
But the one waiting for them is a group with enough strength to completely decimate an entire orc settlement all on their own. Who will win out, in the end, goes without saying.”
“So, you really will have Alan-sama and the others…?”
“No, it’s not that simple. Even if there are a lot of incidents involving bandits within the general area, they won’t always be present on every road, and there’s no guarantee they’ll walk into the trap either.
There are many winding paths along the roads after all. This may sound strange, but under such circumstances, you just wouldn’t be able to ensure you’ll run into some bandits even if you actively search for them.
It would be a different story if you knew the location of the bandits beforehand, but since that’s not possible most of the time, it probably won’t go so well in the end.”
“That’s… Yes, that may be the case.”
“Well, they did say they wanted to have a go at it first. If so, then why not let them?”
“But they really are such a mysterious group, aren’t they?”
“Yes, certainly. I was actually thinking of inviting them to be our Commerce Guild’s exclusive contracted adventurers, but they don’t seem to be the type to accept such a thing. I still can’t see their depths. In any case, I sure became acquainted with some pretty interesting folks after so long. Karina, sorry to dump this on you, but please look after Alan and the rest for me for a while.”
“Understood, Silas-sama.”
Translator: SFBaka
Editor: Thor’s Stone
“Now then, since we’ve managed to eat our fill, let us move on to business. It’s about the reward for Arista’s rescue I mentioned yesterday.”
It looks like we’re moving on to the real topic for tonight. Of course, I already had an idea this wasn’t going to be a simple dinner. Now then, how will things go, I wonder.
“To tell you the truth, we were quite stumped thinking about what reward would be appropriate for you all. And so, we thought of asking you directly instead of risking handing you all something you wouldn’t find satisfactory.”
“I see. So that’s why you invited us to dinner tonight. Thank you very much for your consideration. Just as we said yesterday, we only did what we thought was right at the time, so any reward you are willing to give us would be just fine.”
“Fumu. However, Alan, I am truly grateful for what you and your party did. Even with all my wealth, I treasure my daughter Arista the most. And given that you’ve rescued and protected my darling, I want to give you all something you will find the most pleasing in order to express my utmost gratitude.”
“Father…”
“……I see. I understand your feelings, sir. If so, then there’s actually something we need some help on if possible.”
“Oh! What is it? Pray tell.”
“Actually, some of our comrades are set to arrive here in about a month or so. Since there is quite a number of them, we would like to secure a place where all of them would be able to stay.”
Captain Dalshim and the others from the Royal Guard arranged to arrive after a month, barring no mishaps that happened along the way.
Cleria and Elna reacted when I broached the topic.
“Hou, about how many are you expecting?”
“More than fifty, I suppose.”
“It’s fifty-eight people, Alan.”
“Fifty-eight people!? …Are you planning on founding a Clan, Alan?”
A Clan is an organization composed of several parties and is formed in order to accomplish things unsuitable for one party alone and is officially recognized by the Adventurer’s Guild. That’s right. We were planning to make a Clan of our own.
“That’s right. Due to various circumstances, we and the comrades who have decided to follow us have arranged to gather in Gantz city.”
In truth, they were Cleria’s trusted subordinates. More specifically, her Royal Guard.
“Well, with your abilities, I’m sure there would certainly be a lot who would decide to follow you… I see, so you want to secure a Clan base huh.”
“Yes. But we’ve only just arrived here and we were having trouble coming up with how to proceed.”
“……You guys may have not heard of it, but actually, one of the top five biggest and strongest Clans in Gantz city, the「Great Storm」, just disbanded two months ago. Several of the main members went up and died one after another, and the rifts caused by such incidents eventually led to the Clan’s collapse. The Commerce Guild actually secured their former base, you see.”
“Oh! That sounds perfect!”
Silas-san laughed heartily after seeing my reaction.
“It sure is.「Great Storm」had more than one hundred members in its heyday, and the facilities in the base are all top-notch. It’s aged a bit, but that’s not something a little renovation here and there wouldn’t fix.”
“Please, Silas-san! Can you make a referral for us?”
“Oi, oi, weren’t we talking about your reward here? If you say you need it, then there’s no reason for me not to deliver. But of course, I can’t just hand over the entire thing. However, I can lease it to you at the lowest price possible. I’ll also handle the renovations for free.”
“That’s… We’d be really grateful if that’s the case, but is that really alright?”
“Of course. We were planning on renovating it and scouting for new tenants anyway. We’re just going to speed up the plans a bit. Well, the expenses will be shouldered by the Commerce Guild’s coffers, so I don’t really lose out here. It’s practically killing two birds with one stone!”
Will that be really okay with the Commerce Guild? Well, it’s the Guild chief who’s saying it, so I guess it is.
“I hope this won’t cause any inconveniences…”
“What are you saying? There’s no use having power and authority if you don’t flaunt it from time to time. One of the reasons I became so rich is because I used the authority my position as the Guild chief afforded me to favor my company you know.”
“Um, I think you should refrain from saying such things so openly though, father…”
“Well, that’s about it. It’ll be fine as long as I don’t go overboard. No problem.”
“Thank you very much. Now that’s one less thing to worry about.”
“Hold on. Save the gratitude for when you finally settle down. Well, just leave the renovations to us. But we can’t provide you the furnishings and equipment. It won’t go over well if I did that and some might complain. You’ll have to procure them yourselves.”
“Of course. If it’s possible, I’d like to check out the site as well.”
“Sure. We’ll introduce you to some skilled craftsmen as well, so go ahead and check it out along the way. I’ll have Karina accompany you.”
“Thank you very much. That would really help.”
“But this will be the birth of a Clan with more than sixty members right off the bat huh… You’ll probably be the fourth or fifth largest Clan in Gantz once you begin operations. What exactly are you aiming for by doing such a thing, Alan?”
“Of course we’re aiming for the very top. We came to Gantz in order to make a name for ourselves after all. Since we’ve decided to do so, it goes without saying that we’ll aim for the top. No, we won’t just aim for it. We will become the number one adventurer Clan in Gantz city. ………But, well, we’re still B rankers though, so the first agenda on the list is achieving A rank as soon as possible.”
“Hou! Those sure are some bold aspirations! Being the number one here in Gantz practically means being number one in the whole world you know? Interesting! Fine, I’ll take a piece of that action myself.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Adventurer ranks are determined via an internal grading system implemented by the Adventurer’s Guild. Of course, it could also be influenced by the instructions of the upper management. And regarding that grading system, managing to successfully complete requests that are specifically designated by other guilds nets you a fairly substantial amount of points compared to regular ones and could make quite the difference.”
It was much the same as what Verse told us back then.
“I’ve also heard of such a thing from someone.”
“Hou, that person’s pretty knowledgeable regarding the trade then. Well, in other words, I’m saying our Commerce Guild will be putting up a request and designating you guys specifically. But the results will still depend on your overall performance.”
“That will be immensely helpful. If you can do so, then please.”
“Now then, what would be ideal? An escort request? Material collection? There are also investigation requests, but I don’t really recommend those. The benefits aren’t on par with the effort you’ll be putting out.”
“……Are there bandit subjugation requests?”
“……Well, bandits certainly are the worst enemies of us merchants, Alan. We loathe them to the bone. They won’t hesitate to go after our friends, relatives, and loved ones after all. But they are elusive and pretty hard to track. You could chance upon them by luck sometimes, but they usually aren’t people you can hunt down whenever you feel like it.”
“If there really is a request for bandit subjugation, would it be okay to let us try it out?”
“……Alright, fine. Just try it out first. I’ll put up the request at the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“Oh, but I would like to check out the Clan base first, if that’s alright with you. I’d like to see what type of furnishings will be suitable.”
“Of course. The request can wait. It’s not like it’s urgent. I’ll make sure to not put up a deadline as well. How about you check out the base along with the craftsmen tomorrow?”
“Thank you very much. I’ll do so.”
“Okay then. I guess that’s it. Oh, right. Hey Alan, how about you become a member of the Commerce Guild? There’s that matter about the liquor as well.”
“Understood.”
“Um, I would like to ask something as well. It’s about that magic tool you lent us while we were at the camp. Just where did you procure such an article? If possible, I would also like to purchase one for myself, so…” Arista interjected.
The rest of the party all moved their gaze toward me.
“Ah, that’s actually something I built. I still have two spares on hand, so would you like to purchase those?”
“……Just what do you mean, Alan? You made a magic tool?”
“I’m actually an A rank member of the Magic Guild as well, you see. I learned magic tool production methods from the guild.”
“A rank…… So you were a full-fledged mage.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not too familiar with these kinds of matters. Are you considered a full-fledged mage if you become an A rank Magic Guild member?”
“Well, it’s just that most, if not all, A-rank Magic Guild members are full-fledged mages.”
“I see. I’m both an adventurer and full-fledged mage then.”
“I personally haven’t encountered someone like that until now though. Well, no matter. So how much are those magic tools of yours?”
“Since we’ll be in your care, I’ll give you a discount and sell them for 20,000 Guineas each.”
“Twenty thousand! That’s quite cheap. I’ll take you up on your offer then and purchase both items.”
“Thank you very much. Well then, we’ll be coming over again tomorrow to check out the base.”
By the way, Alan-sama. We’re sorry for the delay, but please receive this. It’s your reward for those bandits you handed over to us,” Karina said as she handed me the money.
The Guineas was placed inside a small leather pouch. I opened the pouch and checked the contents. There were exactly six gold coins inside.
“Yes, I’ve certainly received them.”
After that, we finally bid farewell to our hosts since the dinner and the talks were essentially over. We were brought back to the inn via carriage by Karina-san as well.
“Well then, Alan-sama. Since there will be a need to check with the craftsmen’s schedule first, shall we depart for the base at ten o’clock in the morning?”
“Of course. I’ll match your schedule.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
Karina-san left with the carriage.
“Let’s talk a bit while having tea, everyone.”
We had Kira-san serve some tea as we sat around a table in the dining area. Since there were no other guests present apart from us, our current outfits posed no problems.
“I ended up settling the discussions earlier without talking it over with you all, so I want to ask if you have any objections. Um, do you?”
I asked a bit nervously. I did end up making decisions all on my own so it’s probably too late, but still…
“I don’t have any problems whatsoever. I’m actually very happy that you considered the circumstances of the Royal Guards as well, Alan.”
“That’s right, isn’t it, Ria-sama? To think you were able to make a 1,500,000 Guinea deal with the chief of the Commerce Guild and secure a Clan base as well as an exclusive request. Making you our leader really wasn’t a mistake, Alan.”
Oh! Cleria and Elna both gave rave reviews!
The thing with the liquor just seemed really interesting, and I brought up the base because I thought it’ll be hard to house all of the Royal Guard members in an inn. I’d also feel sorry if we were the only ones who get to stay in an inn with a bath. And I also brought up the bandit hunting thing because I simply thought it would be a lot more profitable than monster hunting. I should probably not reveal my real reasons though. All’s well that ends well, as they say.
“Do you guys have no problems with it as well, Selena, Sharon?”
“Of course. It all turned out well, so I have nothing to complain about. Just like Elna said, you were wonderful, Alan.”
“We wouldn’t oppose anything Alan decides in the first place.”
I just went with the flow, but it looks like there are no problems. I’m on a roll today.
“I see. So I guess there are no problems. We’ll check out the base tomorrow then.”
“I’ve returned, sir.”
“Oh, welcome back, Karina. Since you’re back, how about we discuss what happened tonight a bit with Arista and Natalie?”
Before long, Arista and Natalie also joined the two.
“Now then, what do all think about those adventurers?”
“The first thing I was thoroughly surprised about were the clothes Alan-san and his party was wearing. Just how did they manage to procure such splendid articles?” Arista began.
“Yes, that’s right. I didn’t want to seem rude, so I stopped myself from staring too much, but those certainly were uncommon articles, weren’t they?”
“I was able to observe up close while sitting alongside them inside the carriage. All of their clothing had a certain unique style to them, but they were all so intricate to a somewhat terrifying extent. Or rather, I could not even imagine they were weaved by human hands because of their extreme intricacy,” Karina added.
“You’re right. I also had that impression. There’s also their design. The designs of Alan-san and Ria-san’s clothing were, as Karina described, so intricate and sophisticated that you couldn’t help but feel their magnificence. The clothes of the others were quite wonderful as well, but those two were just on a league of their own. Ah, to think such divine-looking clothes existed in this world…”
“What’s clear from this is that Alan and his group possess clothes that are far superior to anything our company produces. That also goes for the made-to-order clothes exclusively sold to royalty.”
“That’s right. They were definitely even more magnificent than the clothing worn by the royal family, or even the king himself.”
“Another point is the abilities of Alan and the others as adventurers. They are even more impressive than what you three described. They can be said to be top A rankers, or maybe even S rankers.”
“They are that skilled?”
“Yes. It’s definitely not normal to successfully bring down an entire orc settlement along with a General Orc with just five party members. Usually, you would need over a hundred skilled knights for that. Orcs are quite dangerous when they attack in groups. One orc probably won’t pose a problem to seasoned adventurers, but if five or ten of them swarm you, that will be a different story. And they defeated seventy-five! Alan looked nonchalant as he related their feats, but that just goes to show how confident he was of their skills. In other words, he didn’t even consider seventy-five orcs as a problem at all.”
“I’m also quite curious about the fifty-eight individuals who will be forming a Clan with Alan-sama and the others.”
“Oh, that’s right. Normally, a Clan is something that grows in strength and influence gradually over the years. But they will be creating a Clan with over sixty members all at once. Well, if other guys attempt such a thing, I’m sure they will run out of funds sooner or later and collapse under their own weight.”
“But Alan-san and the others looked quite wealthy, so I suppose that doesn’t apply to them,” Arista observed.
“It’s not just their wealth. If you don’t have the charisma to attract others to follow your lead, you won’t be able to create a successful Clan. Well, after getting a glimpse of Alan and the other’s abilities, I can understand why people would be compelled to follow them. I’m sure Alan and the others would not group up with average folk, so those comrades of theirs should all be considerably skilled as well. Perhaps we will get to witness the birth of a brand new strongest Clan.”
“Father, what about the matter with the alcohol? Is it really possible?”
“Yes, I was also quite shocked. But judging from his tone, he was pretty confident about it. There’s also the commission he brought up. That was something he mentioned while being completely aware of just how much money you could potentially earn from selling a newly developed type of liquor. Even with that knowledge, he only mentioned such a paltry sum as his commission.”
“Eh!? 2,000,000 Guineas is a paltry sum!?” Arista exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes. If he does manage to make a brand new liquor that surpasses what we brought out tonight, then earning several million would be a simple affair. No, perhaps even tens of millions is a conservative estimate. It’s so big of a deal that it may potentially endanger our lives if we make the wrong step. And even then, he actually agreed to lower the payment to 1,500,000 Guineas. …In other words, what he’s after isn’t money per se.”
“Come to think of it, I managed to notice something while we were having dinner. It seems Alan-san, Sharon-san, and Selena-san aren’t from this country. The way they handled cutlery was somewhat different from ours,” Arista revealed.
“Hou, so you managed to notice such a thing.”
“They tried to follow after what the rest of us were doing, but all three of them have certain habits ingrained which they couldn’t completely discard. However, they were far from inelegant. Rather, they were impressively refined. Their basics are fundamentally different, but they were still quite the sight.”
“I see. Well, if their country treats producing alcohol on par or better than my special stash as commonplace, then it’s not hard to imagine their basic table manners to be exemplary as well. So the three of them are most likely from one country huh?”
“On the other hand, Ria-san and Elna-san’s table manners were completely similar to our own. They should be citizens of this country or other neighboring kingdoms.”
“I see. They are comrades hailing from different countries huh. I’m now quite curious about how they came together as a party.”
“Silas-sama, don’t you think the bandit subjugation request will be difficult even for a party of Alan-sama and the rest’s caliber? Though they did seem to know how to go about it when they rescued us…” Karina asked in concern.
“Oh, that matter huh… I also thought so earlier, but they might actually pull it off.
Normally, groups that go after bandit gangs try to match or exceed them in numbers in order to ensure success.
But if such a large group went out, the bandit’s scouts will be able to easily spot them and allow their comrades to flee or hide.
But what about them? If their group approaches a bandit-infested territory with just one carriage, I’m sure those knaves will just think of them as easy prey.
But the one waiting for them is a group with enough strength to completely decimate an entire orc settlement all on their own. Who will win out, in the end, goes without saying.”
“So, you really will have Alan-sama and the others…?”
“No, it’s not that simple. Even if there are a lot of incidents involving bandits within the general area, they won’t always be present on every road, and there’s no guarantee they’ll walk into the trap either.
There are many winding paths along the roads after all. This may sound strange, but under such circumstances, you just wouldn’t be able to ensure you’ll run into some bandits even if you actively search for them.
It would be a different story if you knew the location of the bandits beforehand, but since that’s not possible most of the time, it probably won’t go so well in the end.”
“That’s… Yes, that may be the case.”
“Well, they did say they wanted to have a go at it first. If so, then why not let them?”
“But they really are such a mysterious group, aren’t they?”
“Yes, certainly. I was actually thinking of inviting them to be our Commerce Guild’s exclusive contracted adventurers, but they don’t seem to be the type to accept such a thing. I still can’t see their depths. In any case, I sure became acquainted with some pretty interesting folks after so long. Karina, sorry to dump this on you, but please look after Alan and the rest for me for a while.”
“Understood, Silas-sama.”
