Chapter 279 - Scavenging the Ruins and a Quiet Road Home
Everyone was already aware of the gist of what happened, it seemed, thanks to Valeria. I added a few details about my interaction with the Underboss, and they seemed impressed.
"Damn, you're one hell of a guy. But, did it really do the job to leave it at that?"
"Well, it might've been half-measures, but I think doing that much will make them think twice before crossing me again. They're not so stupid as to not realize that opposing me is suicide. Besides, this time they weren't targeting me specifically, and that guy's too valuable to just kill."
The Halmstad Family barely acknowledged the existence of the Kikyo Society, and they were likely unaware of my ongoing conflict with the Ljungberg Family. From their perspective, this was a disaster.
"Considering it as retribution for their interference, it should be sufficient. Now, the question is what to do with the traitorous authority figure who brought in the Halmstad Family."
Members of the Intelligence Bureau were supposed to have secured the traitor. At this point, it might be best to hand them over to the Halmstad Family.
"Let the Halmstad Family deal with the traitor. It would be a fitting target for their anger, and it makes sense to let the Donditch people handle their own. It feels cleaner that way."
"You're right. The Halmstads weren't really trying to oppose us; it was just a matter of their own convenience that led them to cross us. A bit of a warning should be enough. Traitors won't have a tomorrow, after all."
That's right. The Ljungberg Family, our original target, is gone, and we've dealt a significant blow to the Halmstad Family. I don't think the Kikyo Society's reputation is tarnished.
"Let's collect the spoils and head back."
It's best for us to leave quickly. We decided to split into two groups: one to return to our hideout and prepare for the withdrawal, while the other would go to the burned-out Ljungberg Family estate to look for valuables. I joined the latter group, the looters.
I was impressed by the Combat Support Unit members who remembered the route as we arrived at the scene. There were already a lot of other looters there, and the Halmstad Family members who had been in the hotel were trying to drive them off. They were in the middle of a confrontation. Ignoring the commotion, we drove up in our jeep, and Liliane took action.
"I'll clear them out."
Before I could ask what she was going to do, she cast a wide-area spell that sent clumps of earth flying.
It seemed to be a toned-down version of her usual combat magic, but it still looked painful if it hit. She cast it repeatedly, and the looters had no choice but to run away, cursing under their breath. The calm combatant was unexpectedly efficient.
"This is legitimate debt collection, you know."
We had every right to recover our expenses.
Performing a magic scan in the still-smoldering ruins, I detected a few promising signals and an unnatural space. It must be a basement. It seemed to have been damaged by the fire, and there were no signs of traps or magical wards.
"There's a vault down there."
"Right, it doesn't look like just a regular basement. We might be able to recover everything."
The fire had only just started to spread, and the basement hadn't been thoroughly ransacked. The vault seemed intact. If the contents had been removed before or during the fire, there would have been no way to recover them.
Liliane used magic to clear away the debris, and we quickly found the stairs leading down. We sent a fresh breeze to clear the air before descending. A sturdy, charred metal door awaited us. It was dented and slightly warped, as if someone had tried to force it open.
"Onee-sama, I'll handle it."
My protégée stepped forward and touched the warped door. No matter how sturdy it was, it crumbled into dust at her touch. It was anticlimactic.
"There's someone inside."
Looking over her shoulder, I saw a man lying on his back on the other side of the door.
"He's dead."
I initially thought he had died from lack of oxygen after being trapped during the fire, but he was lying in a pool of blood. I made sure to ventilate the area to avoid any unpleasantness.
The vault was untouched by the fire, and it was filled with a collection of swords. This made it easier to recover our expenses and provided some relief.
"Yukarinowe, this is the Ljungberg Family boss."
"Really... I recognize his face from photos."
"He must have come here to retrieve the collection or to hide from the fire and attack. He's been stabbed in the back. That's the cause of death."
"True. If he died surrounded by his collection, he probably died a happy man."
We witnessed the ironic end of our original target. At least we could confirm the boss's death.
"Let's hurry and collect everything."
We moved the dead body outside and buried it, then proceeded to collect the treasures. The collection of swords was impressive, and there was even a catalog. As a collector, it was a goldmine. Each sword was a rare or famous piece. There were no other weapons like spears or defensive gear, only swords. This was clearly a personal collection.
"If the Halmstad Family had taken valuables, it would be strange to leave this collection untouched. They must have known about it. Liliane, what do you think?"
"As a famous collector, they couldn't have been unaware. They probably planned to come back and collect it later. Opening a sturdy vault door is a lot of work."
"That makes sense."
Valeria's Collapse Magic would make short work of any obstacle. We all looked at my protégée with admiration as we agreed with Liliane's reasoning.
Hmm, that means they might have taken other treasures. There were hardly any valuables in the hotel, so they must have hidden or stored them elsewhere. They would need the money for medical bills, so it's unlikely they would return to retrieve them. We'll let them off the hook.
We carefully transported the swords to our hideout, loading them onto trucks. Once that was done, our mission was complete.
Reflecting on our journey, I couldn't help but wonder why we had come all this way to a foreign land. Interference from third parties and betrayal by a supposedly bought authority figure were not entirely unexpected, but the unexpected intervention that didn't target the Kikyo Society was a rare irregularity. It was a valuable experience, at least.
We all returned together, including the Intelligence Bureau members who had stayed with us in Donditch. We would continue to monitor Donditch's situation, but we had hired spies to provide regular updates.
These spies wouldn't engage in risky activities. They would gather information from newspapers and magazines, or compile rumors and reports for us.
The Kikyo Society had no immediate plans to expand into Donditch. We were content with the information we could get from our hired sources.
We would gather information from the west through our hired sources and from the east through the Rose Madder Mercenary Corps. The central region was less relevant to us, so we wouldn't invest much effort there. Any significant movements would likely be reported to us through the east or west.
For us, the most important area to focus on was the east, not the northern neighboring country.
We needed to keep a close eye on the situation in the former Retnark, and we had already started doing so.
If we wanted to pursue new interests outside the eastern region, the southern cluster of small countries would be more accessible than Donditch. This would naturally lower Donditch's priority.
Acquiring a port would allow us to connect directly with various chambers of commerce and organizations from other countries, opening up new possibilities. It would also provide opportunities for interaction with regions outside the continent. The potential was vast.
Our future growth would come from the east, and we planned to secure port rights and expand our influence in other areas.
Once we gained a foothold, the Kikyo Society would grow and become more stable. This would allow us to take a more aggressive stance against other countries.
On a personal note, I would love to establish an office in Berliza, the largest country on the continent. It's still a distant dream, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If we keep moving forward, we will eventually reach our goal.
"President, the vehicles are ready to depart. We can head back to Exembra once everything is set."
"Let's go, then."
We had three large jeeps, one medium truck, and two medium jeeps used by the Intelligence Bureau. We also took a small armored vehicle that we had seized from a powerful traitor. It was a war trophy.
The armored vehicle's magic authentication key had been bypassed. We had purchased a useful tool from the Magic Item Guild, and one of the Combat Support Unit members had easily broken through the security.
This tool was not easily obtained, but it could be acquired with the right money and connections. The same tool could be used against us, making it a double-edged sword.
While vehicle theft isn't a major market yet, the increasing number of vehicles on the streets suggests it will become significant in the future. Before such criminal organizations emerge, we need to secure the market. This would reduce the risk of our vehicles being stolen and make it easier to recover them if they were.
Securing a port would also be crucial, as stolen vehicles are harder to track outside the country.
As a criminal organization, it's important to control the market ourselves to prevent others from doing it.
If we were to engage in vehicle theft, we couldn't do it in our own territory or in the territories of the Clad Family or the Anassia Union. In Exembra, we might target hostile individuals or emerging organizations. In other cities, we could buy stolen vehicles and resell them. Alternatively, we could offer a high-price recovery service for stolen vehicles.
The expansion of our territory would bring new opportunities, but it would also require strengthening our organization. I would need to discuss these matters with the executives once we returned.
Thus, we left Donditch for the first time, driving through the melting snow. The return journey was peaceful.
We enjoyed the winter's end by casting spells to create destruction patterns on the snowy plains and experimenting with burning the snow with chemical concoctions. It was a fun and adventurous trip.
We were almost back to the Royal Capital, and Exembra was just a short distance away.
"Valeria, you have training with Ashley, right?"
"Yes, Roberta and Violante will be there too. Ashley is aiming for a top finish in the spring tournament."
Ashley, the determined young fighter we had recruited, had become a close friend of Valeria. They often trained, shopped, and ate together. It was good for her to have a friend. Once the snow completely melted, things would get busy again, so it was best to enjoy the downtime now.
"What about Liliane?"
"I have an appointment to assist Verone with magic development. We'll be conducting thorough experiments with the R&D Bureau members."
"Sounds interesting. I only have training and experiments planned. If I get bored, maybe I'll join you."
"It's the best time to relax. Paula should do what she enjoys."
"What about you, Yukari? Any plans?"
Hmm, what should I do? There were plenty of invitations from various people, but I couldn't keep up with them all.
"I'll probably stick to training and experiments. I'll also stop by the Royal Capital on the way."
"Then I'll join you. There's a bar I want to visit."
"Onee-sama."
"Valeria, you can go back first. Paula will be there to handle any issues."
"Got it, leave it to me."
By evening, we had arrived at the Royal Capital. Paula and I switched to a medium jeep. Valeria wanted to come with us, but I convinced her to honor her commitments. My detour was just a whim, and it wasn't worth making her change her schedule.
A few others also planned to stop in the Royal Capital, but we would all act independently. A short detour wasn't a big deal.
"Shall we head to Rosmerta-sama's place first?"
Paula, in the driver's seat, seemed eager to enjoy her rare break in the Royal Capital.
"Sure, let's go to the fortress. If she's there, you can do as you please. There's no need for guards."
"Good point. How about meeting up later?"
"At this hour, we'll need a place to stay. If Rosmerta is there, let's get two rooms at the fortress. If you want to stay out late, feel free to. We'll meet back here by noon tomorrow."
We discussed our plans as we approached the fortress. Today, I was visiting as a friend, not for business.
Sometimes, valuable experiences come from unexpected detours. Next time, we'll continue with "Unannounced Fortress Visit."