Chapter 186 - The Incredibly Busy Kikyo-kai
After the funeral, people returned to their daily tasks, some went to check on the damaged territories, others handled resident affairs, and some pursued remnants based on unsettling information. Modestly speaking, there's a mountain of work to do. Everyone, especially those in the Secretariat, is swamped due to the reduced workforce.
In the current state of the Kikyo Society, no one can escape the busyness. As President, there are tasks I need to handle, but the Vice-Commander is taking the lead on most of them. It's better to keep the President as a rare character for future strategy. I'm happy with this arrangement, and Siegrune seems to prefer distributing tasks to Gradena and other executives rather than doing everything herself. It's a good approach to involve different people as needed. For example, I want to give Margaret, the head of the Public Relations Bureau, more opportunities to participate.
As for me, I took on the responsibility of repairing and reinforcing the damaged Headquarters. It's a tedious job, but the specialized floors and walls are something we can't entrust to just any contractor. We need to get the Headquarters back in shape as soon as possible.
The information gathered so far, along with new insights from each section, is being compiled and refined by the Intelligence Bureau. Information officers are consolidating the data, and during the executive meetings, each department head reports and answers questions to ensure everyone is on the same page. While it's possible to just distribute summarized reports, face-to-face meetings are crucial for mutual understanding and uncovering new perspectives or issues.
The Kikyo Society's executive meetings are held as needed, not on a fixed schedule. Anyone in the executive can call a meeting, but it's usually Siegrune who coordinates them.
Everyone worked hard throughout the day, and as the night grew late, the long-awaited executive meeting finally began.
"I'm starting the executive meeting. Given the late hour, we'll keep the agenda focused. Today, we'll discuss the McDallian Family's territory and the Legisamo Cartel. New executives, feel free to share your opinions and questions. The veteran executives, please be a bit considerate."
The meeting began with Siegrune's usual declaration, showing her thoughtfulness towards the new executives.
Typically, the meeting would proceed with reports from department heads or team leaders followed by a Q&A session. However, Siegrune seemed to want a different flow today, encouraging new executives to speak first.
"Um, can someone tell me what happened to the Legisamo Cartel and the Gandrault Gang?"
Pushed by the atmosphere, one of the deputy heads spoke up. If we followed the usual routine, the meeting would be dominated by the veteran executives, so it's important to help the new ones adjust.
I encourage everyone to ask questions freely. As the meeting facilitator, I benefit from their insights.
Josephine, the information officer, responded as usual. Although Graylease, the deputy head of the Intelligence Bureau, is also an executive, she's often too busy to attend. Graylease is frequently in the field, sometimes absent for days. The bureau's policy is to let her learn from practical experience.
Josephine is also incredibly busy, but as a desk worker, she has an obligation to attend, so she always shows up. For her, attending the executive meetings might be a bit like taking a break. I hope to gradually improve this situation, but increasing the staff just results in more work being assigned, not less. As President, I'd like to reduce the workload and give people more rest, but the bureau seems to have a tendency to overwork itself. As long as they're enjoying it, that's fine, but I'd like to see a bit more balance. If anyone is truly unhappy, I'd consider a transfer.
"Well, based on what Yukari and the Clad Family observed, the Gandrault Gang was either completely absorbed by the Legisamo Cartel or in a similar state. The exact timing and details are unclear. It's a mystery whether the Gandrault Gang was always the Legisamo Cartel, if they were replaced, or if they were absorbed. It's all very puzzling."
"That's understandable. We had little connection with the Gandrault Gang and didn't consider them a major threat, so it's not surprising we fell behind."
I agree with the Vice-Commander's consoling remark. The Gandrault Gang was primarily a concern for the Snake Head Society and the Clad Family, who shared adjacent territories. If Josephine and her team had more bandwidth, they could have focused on other matters. Even the other Five Great Families didn't catch on, so it's questionable whether our Intelligence Bureau could have detected everything in advance. While they might have caught it with better monitoring, such speculation is pointless now.
"What about the captives we caught? Did they provide any useful information during interrogation?"
"No, we couldn't get any useful testimony. They're so desensitized to pain that it doesn't work well. Their drug use is abnormal."
As expected, the captives with the eye tattoos were heavily drugged. Instead of direct intelligence, we learned about their drug use. They enhance their physical abilities to the extreme using magic drugs and narcotics, eliminating pain and boosting aggression while ensuring loyalty. It's a ruthless way of using people as disposable tools, but it's an effective strategy. This is why the Legisamo Cartel has become so powerful.
"Could we wait for the drugs to wear off?"
"It's too late. They died overnight. According to Rosabel, they died from drug withdrawal. Right?"
"That's correct. Once you start using these drugs, you need to keep taking them or face death. Even if you continue, you won't live long."
The dark side of a massive drug cartel is evident here.
The room fell silent at the realization of the unique and terrifying nature of these adversaries.
"Even if we know the true identity of the Gandrault Gang, why did they flee?"
Another deputy leader asked.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a definitive answer. There are hints of a deeper conspiracy, but our sources haven't provided anything concrete. It's frustrating, but we have a few theories. If we had more time, we might find some clues, but we have an information exchange with the Clad Family and the Anastasia Union tomorrow, so there's no point in speculating further. The Clad Family, in particular, likely has solid information."
Josephine looked genuinely frustrated. It might be a personality trait, but it's understandable. The Clad Family, with its long history and large organization in Exembra, would have more insights into the Gandrault Gang. It would be unusual for us to match their level of information. Besides, the Clad Family has also suffered significant losses. It took them time to be confident in their information.
For the Kikyo Society, dealing with the Gandrault Gang was unexpected. We couldn't predict it, and it's hard to predict future actions. Everyone understands this.
Let's shift the focus. More questions about the Gandrault Gang won't lead to concrete answers.
"Siegrune, let's inform everyone about the Legisamo Cartel after tomorrow's information exchange. Josephine might find it difficult to discuss only theories."
I don't think her theories are wrong, but if they turn out to be, we need to correct them. Confused information can cause problems, so it's best to wait for more concrete details. I understand the curiosity, but we'll have answers tomorrow.
"Fair enough. I agree. Josephine, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. We'll address the questions about our enemies tomorrow. Let's move on to the McDallian Family's territory."
Understanding that we don't have all the answers is important. This is enough for now.
"Shall I start? Based on what I observed today, things are relatively stable for now. But only for now."
The shift in topic was smooth, thanks to the proactive members. This helps the meeting run smoothly.
"Residual operations based on the information we received have been handled. According to the Intelligence Bureau, we've largely eliminated the more aggressive remnants. What about the interrogations of the remaining members?"
"We got some leads on potential hideouts, but they seem scarce. Most of the McDallian Family's associates fled the city, possibly heading to regional organizations connected to the family. A large group seems to have escaped."
"We need to verify this, but if true, we can focus on hunting down the few remaining remnants. What do you think?"
"While optimism is risky, the thorough crackdown on the McDallian Family has likely reduced the resistance more than expected. The remaining city residents might form independent small factions, so we should monitor new emerging forces more closely."
"Understood. The Intelligence Bureau will handle the assessments. Let me know if you need anything."
Indeed, it's good that we don't have to worry much about the remnants. However, we need to be vigilant about new forces trying to establish themselves.
"What about the territory? How do we manage it?"
"That's a good question. Yukari, how much of it do you plan to take?"
"Everything."
Her simple, decisive answer froze the room. Even the usually enthusiastic fighters were skeptical. They've grown more realistic than I expected.
"Yukari, what do you mean by everything? Surely, you don't mean all of the McDallian Family's territory?"
"Onee-sama, if you're serious, I'll do my best."
"Me too!"
No need for such grim determination.
"I'm talking about the future. Not too far in the future, but realistically, we need to be selective."
The tense atmosphere relaxed with relief.
Taking everything would be a monumental task. Maintaining control would require nonstop work and a constant supply of recovery potions. It's unrealistic.
With our current workload, managing the vast new territory would lead to severe understaffing. Each person would be overwhelmed with multiple tasks. We'd need to fend off new forces, win the trust of merchants and residents, and establish mutual benefits. Just showing up occasionally wouldn't work, and coercive measures would give other organizations a reason to act.
We'd need to rebuild and maintain trust, much like we did in the early days on Lightning Street and Sixth Avenue. Just thinking about it shows how massive the McDallian Family was.
"Yukari, when you say that, it doesn't sound like a joke..."
"Exactly. When you say 'future,' you're not joking, right? What's the plan for now?"
It's not a joke. We will take it when the time comes, and it will be sooner rather than later.
For now, as President, I'll outline our immediate goals.
"What we want right now is the McDallian Family's main base and its surroundings, Central Avenue, and the entertainment district. These are essential."