Chapter 347 - The Traditional Method: Carrots and Sticks
A moment of silence dominated Captain Thompson's room as I leisurely turned my back to him and gazed out the window. The city was bustling this morning. People and vehicles streamed through the streets, and ships continuously entered and left the harbor. The developed cityscape hinted at an enormous economic scale. No wonder Berliza, the capital of this influential nation, was hailed as the best on the continent.
I was about to pick a fight with one of the country's most powerful organizations. How could that not be thrilling?
To gain the upper hand and set the stage for future moves, my heart raced with anticipation.
"Let me make one thing clear: I'm just a platoon leader in the First District. For more complex demands, you'd need the approval of the battalion commander, the security chief, and possibly even higher-ups."
Thompson seemed to consider whether he could catch me off guard, fiddling with a magic device in his hand. In the end, he decided against it and resumed the conversation. Smart move.
I turned away from the window and gave him a thin smile. He must have realized I saw through him. Despite his tension, I continued as if nothing had happened.
"So, I wanted to meet the security chief. But as I mentioned earlier, my demands aren't that significant. How about you act as the liaison? You're the next in line for battalion commander, right? You must have some influence, don't you?"
"I have some, but it's not certain I'll become the battalion commander."
"Your rival is the Third Platoon, right? Who will get the promotion?"
"How did you know that?"
"It's not a problem. Take a look at this."
I pulled out another document and showed it to him.
"......That bastard, he's been up to this?"
The Third Platoon leader had been supporting a theft ring for extra cash. He leaked patrol schedules and informed the thieves about the Bluecoats' movements after reports, making it easy for them to escape.
He was practically part of the theft ring. His caution was evident, as he kept this activity to himself and didn't involve other corrupt officers. However, his choice of crime was unfortunate. The Phantom Thief Guild had him completely figured out.
"Too frequent for a side hustle, isn't it? And hoarding all the profits will surely sour your superiors. Even you don't pocket all your side income. Greed can be dangerous."
Ultimately, it was about money. If he had paid his dues, he wouldn't be threatened by other corrupt officers.
Thompson seemed to doubt the authenticity of the document but probably had some suspicions. He didn't dismiss it as a lie.
"What you do with this is up to you. You can report it to your superiors, approach the person and demand a cut, or use it to oust him and take over his racket. You can even pretend you never saw it. Consider it a gift."
The corrupt platoon leader hesitated for a few seconds before a sly smile spread across his face. I preferred this smile to the shallow grin of a pick-up artist.
"......Is that all you're offering? The Bluecoats aren't that cheap."
"Hehe, I don't expect to manipulate an elite Bluecoat with such a small favor. Don't worry."
In an organization dominated by power and corruption, what qualifies as competent is clear: the ability to gather money. Those who diligently deliver tribute to their superiors rise through the ranks. And those skilled at making money are often good at spending it too.
Using money to gather information and achieving results in their primary duties ensures a smooth and justified promotion. Superiors consider all these factors in their evaluations, and things run smoothly only if they do.
The top priority is money, followed by arrest records and other achievements for the Bluecoats. Those who excel in both are considered competent and are promoted.
Working with me would not only bring in money but also provide opportunities for achievements.
To catch criminals, it's efficient to team up with someone who knows them well. I could hand over the Kikyo Society's nuisances and irrelevant riffraff. Then, they could either extort money from the criminals or arrest them for their records. The choice was theirs.
However, they had to comply with my demands, and that was a priority.
"You haven't told me your purpose yet. Depending on the content, I might not be able to decide alone. Who are you, anyway? How do you know all this?"
"Right, introductions are in order. I'm a lecturer at Saint Emeralda Girls' Academy."
"The academy on the hill? Why would a lecturer be here... Ah, I see."
Thompson, lost in thought, likely knew about the Anastasia Union's internal strife and the Leader's sister enrolling at the academy. As a platoon leader in the district overseeing the academy, he must have this information.
Considering someone from the academy with exceptional combat skills, he would naturally think of Anastasia Union. Adding her knowledge of corruption, he would assume she was more than just a lecturer, possibly connected to a powerful organization.
"The reason I'm here for this negotiation is part of a power struggle. Do you want to know the deeper details?"
If I hinted at it, he would figure it out on his own. A person with common sense wouldn't want to delve too deep.
My combat prowess, capable of massacres, and mysterious information about Bluecoat corruption were no joke. Objectively, it was reasonable to suspect that the super-militant organization Anastasia Union or other powerful nobles were backing me. And they were.
"......I'll pass. I still value my life."
Not bad. Secrets can be dangerous, and those who understand this tend to live longer.
"Smart move. My demands aren't complicated."
"What are they?"
"You Bluecoats are being used by the academy's students, aren't you? I bet it's quite a nuisance."
"I find that offensive."
"If you're doing it willingly, that's fine. But if you receive any requests related to me, find a plausible reason to dodge them. Especially from the Student Council. That's all for now."
It was a simple order, even to me.
"For now, huh......But the Student Council includes noble ladies from prestigious families. What kind of situation are you anticipating?"
"I'm their educational supervisor, and I plan to crack down on them. It might get a bit extreme. I can see them trying to use their 'power' when that happens. I just want to prevent that."
Dodging the students' demands with a plausible reason should be easy. If they couldn't manage that, they were useless.
"Will you go that far? To frame an unsatisfactory educational supervisor, you want to use us Bluecoats?"
"Recently, they tried to have me attacked by thugs and then have you Bluecoats arrest them. I won't let you claim it was an order."
"......You mean that incident? There were many people beaten half to death......"
I see. They were moved without knowing the full details.
"Planting false evidence to arrest inconvenient people isn't new, is it? What the students are trying to do is no different. If you arrest me, it will cause a lot of trouble. Depending on the situation, in various ways. For your own sake, stay out of it. This is a warning."
"It's not that simple. I have no intention of investigating you, but my superiors might not see it that way. We have to follow orders. How do you plan to handle that?"
"That's why I brought a gift. A different one. Trying to please the students and their parents won't get you far. A thoughtful gift directly to them would be more effective. If you use this information well, it could lead to further promotion."
For me, negotiating with multiple people was inefficient. With his ambition, he seemed capable of leveraging the benefits I offered.
"......A gift, huh. I understand your power and the backing you have, but words are cheap. Can you give me something concrete? I need results. If you can provide them, it will be easier to convince my superiors."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure you earn a lot."
I smiled and shared a juicy piece of information.
It wasn't from the Phantom Thief Guild but from the ledger in Jienko Nigi's vault. The foolish Jienko Nigi had hidden a large amount of gold.
Like Kudanseer, Jienko Nigi paid tribute to the Bluecoats to avoid interference in their business. There was a discrepancy in the payments.
The Bluecoats received a fixed percentage of Jienko Nigi's profits in exchange for turning a blind eye to their covert operations. However, if there was a discrepancy in the total profits, it would be a breach of contract. The ledger in the vault proved this. Despite their foolishness, they kept meticulous financial records, which backfired.
The hidden gold was converted into Record Cards through trusted transporters and antique dealers, effectively laundering the money. They did this in small amounts to avoid suspicion, but it required a secure storage location, which became the key information.
According to the ledger, they had about two hundred million Gist in cash, and even when the amount was low, it was estimated to be around fifty million Gist.
Of course, the hidden assets had been moved after the vault was taken, but thanks to Layla's pre-installed transmitter, the location could be tracked in real-time.
"――They're making a fool of us!"
"Confronting them directly won't get you anywhere. I recommend a heist."
"Wait. You want the Bluecoats to commit robbery?"
"What's a corrupt officer complaining about? Stealing the whole stash will earn you more points than extorting small amounts. Since it's off-the-books, they can't report it, and it won't affect the tribute if it's not discovered. This is a golden opportunity."
"You make it sound easy, but what if we get hurt? Failure isn't an option."
Caution was expected from a corrupt officer.
Of course, there were risks of injury and potential damage to their relationship with Jienko Nigi, which could affect future tributes and lead to reprimands from superiors.
But weighing the risks and rewards, this was a move worth taking, if he had the ambition.
"Don't worry, they're not heavily guarded. According to our intel, only four people are stationed at the hideout."
"Four? That's a small number for such a large sum. What about their armament?"
"They're equipped with magic devices, but they're amateurs. We know the location and workings of the alarm systems, so we can disable them in advance for a surprise attack. The Bluecoats should have access to building blueprints in their jurisdiction, right?"
"That's not a problem. What about the cash transactions?"
"They happen almost daily, but they're done openly during the day. Avoiding them at night should be easy. Attacking at dawn, when they're asleep, would be a breeze."
I provided all the information. If he hesitated after all this, he wouldn't be worth working with.
Caution was important, but a lack of action made him useless. We had to start somewhere, with mutual suspicion.
"......I see. With this much information, a small team should suffice. But I can't fully trust you yet. I need time to verify this."
"Go ahead and verify. But ignore any requests from the Student Council. If the Bluecoats try to move against me, I'll target you first."
I infused my words with a piercing magical aura as a final threat.
I had offered both threats and benefits. The rest was up to him.
Thompson nodded, swallowing hard.
"I don't think we need to communicate frequently, but if anything comes up, contact the Yukareed Evilbanshee at the academy."
"Understood. I'll contact you once there's progress."
With that, my business was done. I put on my sunglasses and left the Bluecoat district office.
Being in such a shady place made me uncomfortable, given my own secrets.
Sigh. Only time would tell how this would play out. Thompson was ambitious but cautious. He would likely investigate the academy's situation, the Yukareed Evilbanshee, and the information about Jienko Nigi and the Third Platoon. His speed and decisiveness would be key.
The Student Council would have noticed my visit to the Bluecoat district office through the transmitter's location data. They would wonder what I was up to. With the influence of my threats and benefits, Thompson would likely be evasive or misleading. This could breed distrust between the Student Council and the Bluecoats.
This was a good opportunity to show the privileged students that they couldn't have everything their way. Combining this with the retaliation against the fools who attacked me earlier, I would gradually reduce their options.
By weakening them, I hoped they would start listening to reason. I would push them to the brink as quickly as possible. This would make my role as the Magic Doll Club's advisor easier.
Still, it was baffling why I had to go through all this trouble as a lecturer and club advisor.
Despite the self-inflicted and self-serving aspects, the protagonist is incredibly busy. She's a hard worker, actively embracing the challenges of her youth.
From the next chapter, the tone will shift, and we'll move away from the underworld. The club activities will begin, hinting at the start of the Magic Doll battles!