Chapter 130 - A Bird's-Eye View of Exembra
I prefer to think alone. Just being quiet and immersed in my thoughts. Sometimes we think together, but there are times when solitude is necessary.
We make Exembra our home and plan various things here. When I look at the city, specific images come to mind, and just looking at the map gives me a good sense of the place.
I often gaze at the map when I'm alone in my room.
The overall shape of the city is somewhat square or circular.
The long and sturdy outer walls, a product of magical civilization, enclose a city that continues to develop rapidly and has a rapidly growing population.
Surrounding the city are vast grasslands, and there's a great forest to the northeast. There are lakes and rivers, and the city is blessed with abundant groundwater, making it a very fertile land. But, let's put the environment aside for now.
What I'm thinking about now is territory, also known as 'turf.'
Exembra's territory can be explained in broad strokes, especially if we consider the division by the Five Great Families.
If we include the administrative district, it's like a cake cut into six equal slices.
Of course, the city isn't a perfect circle, and the 'equal' slices are quite distorted in reality. But this is a broad explanation.
The north of the city, which corresponds to the administrative district, is a blank zone that doesn't belong to any turf from the underworld's perspective. While there's not much to gain from it, as it primarily consists of government facilities and high-end residential areas, it's still necessary to have such a buffer zone. It's best to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with the administration.
However, it's a bit unfortunate that the administrative district has a lot of undeveloped land. Especially at the edges, the amount of unused land is significant, which is why massive structures like the arena can be built there.
Anyway, this area has no turf disputes and is relatively peaceful.
Moving clockwise from the administrative district, the McDallian Family, the Clad Family, the Gandrault Gang, the Snake Head Society, and the Anastasia Union control the respective regions.
While the divisions are not perfectly clear, there are buffer zones and neutral areas, but this broadly explains the general layout.
The McDallian Family is a thorn in our side, a clear and obvious enemy.
There are several reasons for our enmity. First and foremost, we have destroyed several sub-families, including the Marzio Family, and taken over their territories. From our perspective, we were just responding to a challenge, but the logic doesn't apply to them.
During the last general meeting, Siegrune beat up their combat leader, damaging their pride.
Rumors suggest that the McDallian Family split from the Clad Family long ago, and the old grudge still lingers.
The Clad Family is considered the most powerful organization in Exembra, at least within the city.
In terms of overall strength, they are far ahead in both military power and financial resources.
They excel at making money, both legally and illicitly, and have amassed a substantial fortune. They have strong connections in politics and business, and they transcend the conventional underworld. They have diverse and extensive means of generating wealth.
Interestingly, they are friendly towards the Kikyo Society. Perhaps because we are enemies of the McDallian Family, or because they have close ties with the Bruno Gang, which is under their umbrella. The top member, Balgar Clad, is especially kind to us, and they even helped fund our purchase of the Delta.
The Gandrault Gang has a reputation for being straightforwardly nefarious.
They are primarily motivated by money. They engage in extortion, protection rackets, blackmail, land grabbing, fraud, drugs, and human trafficking. They are also getting into murder and human trafficking. They love violence and often use it openly, even in public, making them one of the most hated groups in Exembra.
The Kikyo Society has no direct dealings with them, as their territories are far apart. However, we might be a bit disliked and are occasionally targeted behind the scenes.
The Snake Head Society is an even more extreme version of the Gandrault Gang.
They are involved in extortion, drugs, theft, robbery, forgery of Record Cards, kidnapping, human trafficking, and even contract killings. They are truly terrifying. While the Gandrault Gang is hated, the Snake Head Society is a symbol of fear.
They are secretive, and their organizational structure and personnel are not well understood. They might have been the toughest group in Exembra, but they have weakened and are now on their last legs.
Since their headquarters are abroad, they will likely receive reinforcements if left alone. However, I believe they will be completely eliminated from Exembra before that happens. The other Five Great Families are not so lenient as to allow their revival.
The Anastasia Union is primarily composed of beastfolk. They do not discriminate against women, and several women hold high-ranking positions.
Their Exembra branch is actually a subsidiary, with the main headquarters abroad. Despite being a branch, they are counted among the Five Great Families, so the full scale of their operations is immense.
Interestingly, they have a respectable public image, unlike the Snake Head Society. With their overwhelming military power, they have specialized departments for VIP security and connections to large merchant guilds and national leaders. They are truly formidable.
A notable feature is their emphasis on individual combat skills, making them a highly martial organization. Many of our Kikyo Society members, who are combat enthusiasts, might get along well with them.
Currently, they are the most friendly to the Kikyo Society among the Five Great Families. While there are no formal ties between the organizations, the top leader and his sister, especially the sister, have built a personal friendship. They even helped fund our purchase of the Delta.
As for the Kikyo Society, we are adjacent to the territory controlled by the Clad Family and have carved out a niche within the territory of the McDallian Family. It's only natural that the McDallian Family sees us as enemies.
Currently, the most heated attention is on the administrative district, and we have a stake in it.
To the northeast of Exembra, in the administrative district, is the planned site for the massive arena, which is expected to generate enormous revenue. This site is adjacent to the Kikyo Society's territory, and our influence will likely grow significantly in the future.
Other important organizations in the city include guilds, in addition to the administration and the Five Great Families.
Each of these guilds is a massive organization with connections worldwide.
While the situation of the guilds based in Exembra varies, the main ones we are involved with are the Commerce Guild, the Mercenary Guild, the Construction Guild, the Healer Guild, and the Adventurer Guild.
The Commerce Guild was in a state of chaos until recently.
There was an incident where the council member Jallens was framed due to internal conflicts. Currently, Jallens, with the support of the Kikyo Society's backing and funds, is retaliating against the opposing faction. His influence in the guild has grown, and the Kikyo Society finds him a reliable ally.
The guild supports various commercial transactions, making it an indispensable organization.
The Mercenary Guild provides services that soldiers would otherwise handle. In Exembra, they are currently specialized in hunting bandits.
In the past, when Retnark was still around, the Exembra Garrison was small, and they were often employed by the administration. However, with Retnark's demise, there's no war, and adventurers handle monster hunts, while the underworld manages the city. Bandit hunting is one of their few remaining duties, which is quite profitable.
While bandits often appear in the areas surrounding Exembra, which attract many people, they do earn a fair amount from it.
The Kikyo Society has connections with former mercenaries, and we exchange information. Personally, I don't have a bad impression of them.
The Construction Guild is thriving, enjoying a boom in construction projects.
They are constantly receiving new construction projects, including renovations and street improvements, and there's a shortage of labor. The Kikyo Society has also formed an architecture unit to benefit from this boom.
The Healer Guild oversees healers and is a crucial organization responsible for human medical care.
The Exembra Healer Guild is often seen as elitist, and many members are difficult to deal with. I've had a conflict with them before.
Both Rosabel-san and Colette-san, who serve as advisors to the Kikyo Society, held high positions in the Healer Guild. They left due to the complicated relationships within the guild.
The Kikyo Society has its own employed and trained healers, and with my expertise in potion magic, we don't need to interact with the guild much. However, we do have various plans in the works.
The Adventurer Guild is very popular.
Becoming an adventurer and achieving fame can make anyone a hero, realizing a dream similar to the American Dream. Many people around the world aspire to this dream, and its popularity is understandable.
Popularity means a large number of people, which in turn means a lot of money. Where money gathers, so do unsavory characters. Thus, the Adventurer Guild is constantly dealing with various issues.
I don't have much direct involvement with the Adventurer Guild, aside from using it to send letters.
While I had a slight interest in the adventurer profession in the past, my current job means I won't be getting involved in it in the future.
The current state of the Exembra Adventurer Guild is not very positive. This seems to have started with internal power struggles in the upper echelons, similar to what happened in the Commerce Guild.
The new guild leader, appointed a while ago, is rumored to be a shady character with a problematic past, according to Josephine. There are also issues with rogue adventurers, and it might be wise to be cautious about the Adventurer Guild.
There are many other guilds, but these are the ones I've been involved with.
Other major guilds include the Blacksmith Guild and the Newspaper Guild, among others.
Lastly, there are merchants who wield influence through wealth, not force. They are a formidable force.
The Kikyo Society has connections with regular customers at our casino, wealthy individuals we met through Jallens, and more recently, with people from Sarah-chan's school.
Merchants, as individuals, have significant wealth, but what stands out is their strong horizontal connections.
They have impeccable information networks and are vigilant. Some even hire private armies and possess valuable and powerful magic artifacts.
They should not be underestimated. While we have ruthlessly eliminated opposing merchants in the past, we do not take them lightly.
However, as individuals, they can be more approachable.
For example, they are very pragmatic. If we have something they desire, negotiations can be quite smooth. My magical aptitude is particularly useful in such cases.
While healing potions are invaluable, they sometimes fall short in certain situations. This is where my magic can truly shine.
I've made several potions with specific effects for wealthy acquaintances. These are highly sought after by them.
Developing these potions is something only I can do in the current world. They are the real deal, unlike the plethora of fake potions on the market. Once they try mine, they won't go back to the others.
These potions are also highly valued by the wives, mistresses, and daughters of wealthy merchants, and they remain a valuable bargaining chip for the Kikyo Society.
Of course, potions are just one of many bargaining tools, and there are times when force is more effective. There are also fair and equal negotiations.
In any case, there are various ways to deal with merchants.
There are also influential noble and administrative officials, but that's a different matter. For now, we have no particular relationship with them, either as an organization or individually.
In any city, various interests and intentions cause the situation to change constantly.
We must create as many allies as possible and develop the ability to respond flexibly.
While looking at a map, I reaffirmed this thought.