Chapter 245 - The Course of Negotiations
The department head, whose knees had been shattered and thrown to the ground, writhed in agony, left to suffer. Now, it was time to apply pressure to the other department head. I approached the one trapped in the sofa, pressing an iron rod against his throat to heighten his tension.
Just then, Valeria opened the closed door and tersely ordered everyone to leave. The men who had set up the trap fled first, and the women followed in their wake. The department head tried to say something to the fleeing clients, but I pressed the iron rod harder against his neck, silencing him.
I glared down at him through my sunglasses, maximizing the intimidation before pulling back the iron rod. "…Next is you. You’re the one who wronged Fine, aren’t you?"
"I get it! I get it, just wait a moment!"
Fine was one of the victims. I don’t know what she looks like, but I’m using her name. I doubt anyone will remember her in three days.
I decided to listen to the department head’s side of the story, if only to gather some useful information. I nodded for him to speak, and he took a deep breath before starting. "…I know a woman named Fine, but I have no grudge against her. You must be mistaken."
He seemed to have resigned himself to his fate. Despite his terror, his quick shift and bold demeanor were impressive. His logic held up, in a way. When someone mentions a grudge, it usually means the target is dead. So, he could argue that even if she were dead, he didn’t kill her.
In reality, Fine wasn’t dead, but she was in such a terrible state, both mentally and physically, that she couldn’t recover. Even if she hadn’t been killed physically, there was plenty of reason for revenge.
To suggest it was a mistake was a cruel thing to say. It didn’t matter to me, but his denial was something to consider. My job was to intimidate. I angrily slammed the iron rod down on his knee again, not to listen but to apply more pressure.
The department head was supposed to be terrified. This was the kind of work Rosmerta expected from me. The man’s pained groans and tears were pitiful, but compared to the lives he had ruined, this was a relatively light punishment.
I was in no position to judge others, but I had a job to do. The man’s anger seemed to explode, and he lashed out. "Who do you think you are! I won’t stand for this, I absolutely won’t! First of all, your claim of a grudge is absurd! You’ve been misled by a receptionist’s lies! You won’t get away with this, you won’t get away with this! Be prepared!"
This guy probably used such threats to silence anyone who dared to challenge him. His confidence was impressive, but how long would it last?
He claimed the story was a lie, but his tone suggested he was aware of the violence he had committed. He must have realized the woman was dead, though she wasn’t. Still, he denied it brazenly.
Rosmerta’s agents had conducted a thorough investigation. I trusted their findings over his lies. Even if Rosmerta had manipulated me, as long as it benefited me, it didn’t matter.
It was a matter of choosing what was more advantageous. If it turned out to be a lie, I might seek some retribution, but I doubted it.
"…Interesting. You have the nerve to call it a lie? If you’re talking about evidence, it’s easy to eliminate all traces and leave no proof. Besides, no one needs your permission."
At that moment, Valeria approached and used Collapse Magic to turn the broken table into a pile of dust. The threat was clear, and the department head’s bravado crumbled immediately.
"H-hey, wait! I’m the department head of the Magic Item Guild! What do you think you’re doing?"
I had seen this before—arrogant men turning into cowards when cornered. It was ridiculous. But it made sense. They were used to using people and plotting schemes, not to facing violence directly. They had no real resolve.
"You don’t seem to understand. You don’t recognize this emblem, do you?"
"What? Emblem?"
I pointed to the purple amethyst Kikyo crest on my chest. "This is the Kikyo crest. We are the Kikyo Society. We’re the ones who destroyed the Adventurer Guild branch in Exembra. Afraid of the guild now? It doesn’t matter if you don’t know. You can go to hell not knowing."
"Kikyo Society? The Kikyo Society!?"
Before he could react, I struck down with the iron rod, shattering his other knee. The department head’s despair was evident.
"Don’t think you’ll die easily. I’ll send you to the real hell after you’ve tasted this one."
At the right moment, Valeria interrupted. "Onee-sama, it’s time. The guards will be here soon."
"Already? I’ve heard the Royal Capital’s guards are quick. We don’t have time to play… but letting you die this easily wouldn’t do justice to their grudges."
"We can do this another time. There will be plenty of opportunities."
"True. Let’s leave it at this for today."
The department head’s face was a mix of despair and fear. I hoped he understood that we were not to be trifled with. The Kikyo Society’s reputation had done its job.
I felt we had intimidated him enough for today. This setup would make future negotiations smoother.
"Next time, I might be standing by your bedside. Try to live in fear."
With those final words, he wouldn’t sleep easy. I would keep pushing him into a corner to gain the upper hand in negotiations.
This should also deter him from making unreasonable demands to his clients. No one would know who was behind the attacks.
I walked out of the room with a calm stride, nodding to the store employees before heading outside. Back at the fortress, I reported to Rosmerta, who was still buried in paperwork.
"…Good job. If you can keep them intimidated and make them think there’s more to come, they’ll be desperate to negotiate."
"Probably. If they offer weak terms, I’ll reject them and make them suffer again. That should get us some favorable concessions. Once we see the right moment, we can offer them a deal to solidify a better relationship."
Threats alone wouldn’t sustain a long-term relationship. We needed to show that a good relationship with the Kikyo Society and Rosmerta would benefit them. For now, establishing a clear hierarchy was essential.
"Let’s monitor and plan our next move. We should give them a few days to stew in fear."
"Alright. How’s the smuggling going?"
"So far, it’s on schedule. The next handover will happen in the slums the day after tomorrow."
"The security seems tighter, but it shouldn’t be a problem for us. What about the other department head?"
The Magic Item Guild had four department heads. One was heavily involved in smuggling, and we were pressuring him through our raids. The other two were womanizers and involved in various other misdeeds, but threatening them with the women’s cases should be enough. If not, we could apply pressure from other angles. One remained.
"The last one is involved in large-scale black market transactions with nobles and merchants, particularly in supplying equipment to private armies of local lords."
"Private armies? Don’t local lords maintain order in their regions?"
"Yes, maintaining order with armed forces is a noble’s duty, but the number and equipment of soldiers must be reported in detail."
"So, some nobles have more troops and better equipment than reported?"
"It’s not a rebellion, but it could become a spark. We need to nip it in the bud."
This was a serious issue. For the department head, it might just be a way to line his own pockets, but the potential impact was significant. At worst, it could lead to political upheaval, but I didn’t want to get involved in that.
"Department heads are just troublemakers."
"They do make significant contributions to the kingdom and the public through legitimate transactions and everyday magic items. We can overlook small issues, but this is too much."
Rosmerta’s main concern was preventing local nobles from secretly building up their forces.
"The kingdom is rebuilding, but as it gains stability, some people start causing trouble. Nobles have their own challenges."
"Your main task is to dismantle the black market within the kingdom. I’ll leave the department head to you, but for now, focus on the smuggling operation tomorrow."
"Alright. What about Valeria?"
"She hasn’t been active since we came to the Royal Capital. She said she’d join the Crimson Knights’ training as a pre-bedtime exercise."
"Ah, good for her. I’m rebuilding my new knight order, so if you have time, could you train Yukarinowe as well?"
"Sure, I don’t mind. The Crimson Knights used to be Rosmerta’s private army. They’ve become legendary for their role in the kingdom’s reconstruction. Flannel, the former leader, resigned from the royal service and now leads my new knight order, though his departure was a significant loss. There were many negotiations, but I won’t get into the details."
Private armies were a complicated topic. The Oversta Duke had a private army in the eastern territory, but bringing one to the Royal Capital was unusual. Rosmerta’s exceptional service might have made it possible, but politics were always complex.
I spent my downtime training and reading. The next day, we successfully raided another smuggling operation. In the afternoon, I harassed the Magic Item Guild and then returned to the fortress, where Rosmerta called me to her private room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. What’s up?"
Rosmerta rarely stayed at the fortress, only coming when necessary. We sometimes chatted, but it was usually about work.
She called us in, and the room had a tense atmosphere.
"Sit down, both of you."
We took our seats, waiting silently for her to speak.
"…Earlier today, the head of the Magic Item Guild branch came to my estate. Unexpectedly."
"Interesting. A surprise visit."
"He suggested we settle things between us directly."
"Sounds like he’s aware of what we’re doing."
"The connection between the Kikyo Society and me is an open secret. Using the Kikyo Society’s reputation was fine, but I didn’t expect the branch head to show up."
Even Rosmerta was caught off guard.
"Could he be the real mastermind? It’s surprising he came forward after staying hidden."
"He probably thought the issue would resolve itself if he did nothing. He wants to negotiate."
"Negotiate? I’m open to it, as long as it meets our needs."
Our plan was to continue raiding smuggled goods, intimidating the womanizers, and dismantling the internal black market. If they wanted to stop us, they had to meet our demands first.
"Their demands are to leave the guild members alone and return the stolen magic items."
"Return them? That’s ridiculous. If they’re serious, there must be something in it for us."
Rosmerta’s goal was for the guild to operate legally. They were a valuable asset as long as they stayed within the law. We just wanted them to supply us with security magic items, and we were willing to pay.
The issue was that the guild had been engaging in criminal activities and refusing to work with us due to their authoritarian stance.
If they stopped these practices, we would have achieved our minimum goals.
"Let’s see how the negotiations go tomorrow. Can you remind me of your demands, Yukarinowe? I want to ensure we get the minimum results."
"Minimum, huh? They seem tough."
"Yes, very. He’s a seasoned negotiator. He seems to be a noble from Berliza, sent from the guild’s headquarters. We can’t act rashly."
The Magic Item Guild’s headquarters were in the northern superpower, Berliza. A noble from there was a different opponent altogether. If violence wasn’t an option, I would leave it to Rosmerta.
"Don’t worry. His weaknesses are obvious, and I plan to exploit them."
"I’m counting on you. If you can’t handle it, I won’t complain."
Before the negotiations, I would reiterate the Kikyo Society’s demands and push for as much as possible. The rest was up to Rosmerta.
Sometimes, you have to trust others with your fate, even if it’s frustrating.