Chapter 306 - Port Town Mission, Next Phase!
An elderly gentleman pleading for help to save his kidnapped granddaughter. To any objective observer, it was a pitiful sight.
However, any merchant worth their salt would have easily noticed that the atmosphere around Sieggrune and me had shifted from casual to annoyed.
"I assume you've heard what we want from your guild?" I asked.
"From what I've heard, it's an offer so good I can only see it as a blessing. Too good, even. To be honest, I was wondering what the catch was..."
"If you're in charge of a guild, it's only natural to think that way. But there's no catch. Entrusting dirty work to a legitimate guild like yours wouldn't work out in the long run anyway."
"Furthermore," Sieggrune added, "to put it bluntly, even if we were to deceive and take over a guild on the verge of collapse, the gains wouldn't be worth the effort."
Setting these people up and seizing the guild was pointless. We didn't want the guild itself; we wanted the people who could actually run the shipping business. If we took it over and all the employees stayed, maybe it would work, but there was no guarantee of that.
For our current purposes, finding people we could cooperate with was the best path. That was why we made the offer.
"Well, you might not believe me. I was hoping we could get to a point today where we wouldn't need to probe each other's hidden motives... but things have taken an annoying turn."
I had thought today would be enough just for introductions and seeing if we liked each other.
"If you are asking us for a favor, we will have to demand a fitting compensation. This is for your precious granddaughter. The price won't be cheap, you understand?" Sieggrune stated clearly.
To be honest, even if all the thugs in this backwater town teamed up, they were no match for us. Rescuing a single hostage was just a trivial chore we could do on the side. But by normal standards, it was a fairly difficult mission.
You had to defeat the enemy while ensuring the safety of the hostage. The enemy would definitely resist desperately, and it was normal to expect the rescuing side to take some casualties. It wasn't the kind of trouble you could easily ask someone to solve. At least, not for a normal person.
If we complained about being asked to risk our lives for nothing, he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Conversely, it would be weird if we accepted too easily.
Saving the Chairman and his heir previously was entirely for our own benefit. The granddaughter wasn't part of that deal. If he was going to say he wouldn't accept our proposal unless we saved her too, that would be biting the hand that fed him. If he said that, I wouldn't be able to see him as a potential partner anymore.
"It is exactly as you say..." The Chairman hesitated. Even if he wanted to offer compensation, he seemed stuck on what it should be.
This was a guild in dire straits because business wasn't going well. According to our investigation, he had even thrown his personal fortune into the guild. I didn't think he had the leeway to pay us in coin.
Even so, we demanded compensation.
We didn't need any heartwarming tales here. If the man we were considering as our maritime manager had naive ideas, we needed to reconsider.
Now, what would he offer? How would he satisfy us enough to move?
"...I understand. I will provide a ship that you may use freely. Including the crew."
Ho, that was a bold one. It felt like an answer he had prepared in advance rather than something he just thought of.
"You understand the risk? Even if it's just one ship, it's a vital tool of your trade. And can you really send out precious guild personnel for a personal family matter? I assume you are not unaware that the pirates are using warships."
It was common knowledge that it was impossible for a merchant ship to stand against a warship. The mobility and defensive power were on completely different levels. The combat capability of the crew would likely be worlds apart too.
If things went poorly, the ship would sink, and the crew would become fish food. We couldn't guarantee their safety either.
Well, having a ship we could use freely would be incredibly convenient, so I welcomed the offer.
"Either way, if we can't do something about the pirates, the guild is finished. As for the personnel, I intend to rely on my personal connections."
"I see. You'll lend the ship under the guise of anti-pirate measures and bring in personnel from the outside. That way, you can somehow persuade the guild executives while keeping the matter of your granddaughter hidden," Sieggrune summarized.
I nodded along with Sieggrune. It wasn't a bad proposal.
"The ship and the personnel. If you can promise those, we'll save your granddaughter."
"Thank you!"
Deciding to treat this as the final nuisance, I moved quickly to resolve it.
The Chairman had been summoned by the perpetrators, so we let him go as planned. I didn't think they'd make a move on him yet, but we'd provide protection from the shadows just in case.
If the hostage was there, it would be a quick fix. If not, we'd catch whoever met the Chairman and make them talk.
We returned to the warehouse once to share the info with everyone, then moved out as the appointed time approached.
Since guards for the Chairman were already in place, if anything happened on the way, we'd be able to respond immediately and get a report.
The designated location was a building slightly outside the town center. Even during the day, there wasn't much foot traffic there, so at night, there were even fewer people. It was an unexpectedly good hideout.
Since we knew the location, we were able to investigate in advance. So far, the hostage wasn't in the building, only a small number of men. We weren't sure if they were the hostiles yet. Well, they probably were.
There were no suspicious figures around the building. we set up a surveillance perimeter by dispersing our members, and some had already infiltrated the building.
"This is Violante. One suspicious vehicle is heading your way. Three men and one child."
"Sieggrune here, acknowledged. Continue to watch the perimeter."
They actually brought the hostage with them? That saved us some trouble.
We could have ambushed the vehicle at that point, but it would have been the worst if it turned out to be an unrelated car.
Or so I thought. The suspicious vehicle stopped right in front of the building, and they went inside with a child who looked terrified. There was no mistaking it.
Just as I was thinking of finishing them off before the Chairman arrived, another vehicle approached. This time it was him.
The enemy would be watching to see if the person they summoned had come alone as promised. We couldn't exactly wave to the Chairman to show we were watching over him. I didn't think they'd do anything to hurt the precious hostage, but the world was full of bigger fools than one could imagine. We had to be careful.
The arriving old man looked anxious, but with a look of determination, he entered the building.
"This is Yukari. It's time. Infiltration team, use your discretion. No need to reply, just be careful."
Mary and the others were lurking inside the building, watching for an opening. They'd suppress them the moment they saw a chance.
Just as I was about to take a breath, a communication came in.
"This is Mary. Hostage secured. The Guild Chairman is safe as well."
That was fast! The sheer speed of it was enough that I could hear the surprise and praise from the others even without the comms.
Well, when the opponents were pathetic enough to take a kid hostage, there wasn't much of a fight to be had. I knew it would be easy, but that was too fast. As expected of Mary.
The speed was almost laughable, but I cleared my throat and gave the orders.
"Anyway, good work everyone. That's one phase done, but there's still dirty work left. We don't need this many people, so you can either join the team escorting the Chairman and his granddaughter back or head back to the warehouse. Let's see... Sieggrune, take the extra personnel back to the warehouse. Valeria and a few others, stick with the Chairman as guards."
I didn't care much about the distribution. I listened to their replies as I entered the building.
"Alright, let's do this."
I flipped my mental switch to 'Underworld Boss' mode as I walked.
The members following me seemed to pick up on the shift in my aura, pulling back their casual attitudes. The chatter stopped.
On the way to the back room, the rescued Chairman and his granddaughter walked toward us from the opposite direction.
"Chairman! Thank you so much for your help, I..."
The Chairman, who had approached us to give his thanks, froze and trailed off as he began to tremble. The young granddaughter started crying.
"Go home quickly. We'll handle the rest here."
Oops. I hadn't intended to scare them, but they must have been overwhelmed by our aura. It seemed like it would only be counterproductive to stay near the girl, so I just said my piece and walked past them.
In the back room, the members who had handled the infiltration and suppression were waiting.
"Good work, Yukari-san."
"You too. Did they say anything?"
"No, the interrogation starts now."
"Then let's make them spill everything."
Six men were lying on the floor. It looked like Mary and the others had given them a severe beating; they were already covered in bruises.
I spoke down to the men who were curling up in pain.
"Get up. Lift your heads and look at me. If you don't look within three seconds, I'll kill you."
"One... two..."
As Mary began her count with cold precision, the thugs scrambled to lift their faces.
And then they shivered in terror.
The torrent of mana I was intentionally letting off was my anger made visible. Even for fools who couldn't sense mana, this would make them understand exactly what kind of existence they had made an enemy of.
To take a child hostage and threaten an old man... they were scum. I'd make sure they regretted it from the bottom of their souls.
I already basically knew who the mastermind was, but I asked anyway.
"Tell me whose orders you were moving on. No need to show any backbone; you're going to talk eventually. If you want to experience unnecessary pain, I don't mind playing along for a bit."
I knew the frozen men wouldn't be able to answer immediately, but I treated that split-second of silence as a refusal and stepped on the hand of the man closest to me.
I put enough force into it to nearly crush the stone floor beneath. I wanted to instill the fear in all of them that none of them would get away unscathed.
"If you don't talk, I'll crush both hands of everyone here. Then your feet. Next... where should I go?"
With twisted faces and cracking voices, they spilled everything easily.
Of course, I wouldn't forgive these perpetrators just because they answered my questions. I made sure to let them know, even if indirectly, what happened when you made an enemy of the Kikyou-kai. As usual, I expected them to serve as living witnesses, so I let them keep their lives. Only their lives.
Remember the name Kikyou-kai in Righaim.
"I'll pass this on to the Intelligence Bureau."
"Yeah. It's a grisly thing, but for idiots, it's better to make it easy to understand."
We had cut off the right hands of every thug involved in the kidnapping. We were going to pack them in a box and send them to the mastermind.
Considering they were the kind of scum who would take a kid hostage, not sending their heads was quite a merciful treatment.
Just to be sure, I wrote 'Your head is next' in blood on the inside of the lid. Even an idiot could understand that. How kind of me!
"Yukari-san, are we not going to finish off the mastermind?" Mary asked.
"The Chairman wouldn't want that. They are relatives, after all. If we kill him without being asked, it'll just scare him unnecessarily."
"The Chairman is going to be our business partner, after all," she noted.
That was exactly it. It was necessary to show some power as a warning. but if we went too far with a legitimate citizen, we'd just end up losing out in the end.
Well, that should be one phase settled.
...A few days after the kidnapping incident.
After clearing up the unexpectedly numerous troubles that had cropped up, we had finally reached a state where the stability and control of Righaim were nearly complete.
The recruitment of the Vigilante Captain, the Mayor, and the Shipping Guild, along with the elimination of numerous hostile factions in the process... the groundwork for the post-war era was mostly set. Now the real work began. Man, that was a long prelude.
"Now we can finally focus on the pirate problem."
"Yeah, finally. And it seems the ship will be ready in two days. We should be able to secure enough time for naval combat training."
"Being able to use the ship is a big help," I said.
Combat on a ship was an experience none of us had before. It wasn't certain if we'd actually have to fight, but it would be good training.
For our current assignments, the Intelligence Bureau would focus on investigating the pirates, while the 2nd Combat Unit would continue to keep an eye on Righaim and expand their investigation to the surrounding waters, islands, and nearby towns.
Since training was essential, I planned to set up a rotation so they could engage in practical exercises every day.
"Did you plan to start negotiations with the pirates at the same time the war starts, Big Sis?" Valeria asked.
"Yeah. But first, we need to spread rumors about the Kikyou-kai along the coastal regions. Whether they recognize our name or not will make a huge difference in how easy the negotiations go."
We wouldn't just bet on the possibility that they might know us; we'd have the influential people and the guild we'd brought in actively spread the word.
Our organization was rare and interesting. Even if they didn't know us, it would surely pique their interest.
"I'm scheduled to head out for negotiations with Rosabelle-san when the time is right, but that's actually the hard part," Sieggrune said.
"Is the problem the pirates' location?"
If we didn't know where our negotiation partner was, we couldn't even start a conversation.
Even if we waited for them to pull into a port somewhere, we couldn't make a plan if we didn't know when that would be.
We weren't some errands boys. To negotiate from a position of power, we needed to find their hideout or at least get a handle on their movement patterns. But even our excellent Intelligence Bureau hadn't found any specific patterns in their previous investigations.
It seemed the pirates weren't stupid; they were moving in a way that wouldn't let anyone grasp their patterns.
"Luckily, we have time. Some things will surely become clearer as we go. We can just think as the situation changes," Sieggrune added.
"It would be nice if we could make friends with a pirate," Valeria suggested.
"Haha, that would be something. If they pull into Righaim, there might be a chance," I laughed.
It would be great if we had that kind of luck, but it was hard to imagine something that hadn't happened before would suddenly start happening now.
The probability wasn't zero, but it was unrealistic to expect it without any basis.
First, we'd continue our steady information gathering, but we had secured a faster method.
Since we'd be able to use a merchant ship freely, they'd probably take the bait on their own if we just sailed out into the open sea. Just making contact with them should be easy enough.