Chapter 98 - Dividing the Work
Leaving the boisterous sounds of morning combat training behind, I returned to the warehouse for a break.
I really wanted to take a shower, but I had to wait. The bath was still under construction and would be ready soon, I heard.
Sipping tea, I thought about confirming some things with the members that I hadn't been able to ask yesterday.
After Zenobia and I finished training, the executives and younger members gradually returned. I called them over to confirm yesterday's mission results. Since I had skipped this part last night, I needed to catch up.
Gradena's base defense team's results were straightforward.
Their tasks were to defend the base and gather information about the surroundings. They patrolled the area, checking what was there and who was around.
They found that most of the surrounding warehouses were empty, and the few in use were occupied by groups similar to ours. Very few warehouses were functioning properly. The Royal Capital's logistics were almost at a standstill, and the existing supplies had either been taken out or looted.
If any of the nearby troublemakers showed up, they would deal with them, but they wouldn't bother us unless provoked. As long as there was a clear boundary, it was fine. Still, I doubted that male troublemakers would leave a group of women alone. If they did cause trouble, we could just take care of them.
Ophelia and Albert's compensation team returned with significant results.
The information they extracted was extensive, covering the connections between noble families and merchants. This would be highly useful, but it needed to be verified from multiple sources. That's where the Intelligence Unit would come in. They also had a member with them for on-the-spot assessments.
Their material gains were clear.
They mainly obtained preserved food and alcohol, as well as some jewelry.
For other supplies, they negotiated with the nobles and merchants, who offered alternatives in exchange for sparing essential items for daily life. The compensation team had a lot to do today and tomorrow, reviewing these alternatives.
Mia's food procurement team's results were also clearly visible.
Popular game was easily found at the edge of the forest, and they brought back a few large catches.
Their main task was food, but they also cleared some monsters along the way and collected materials. Any supplies would be welcome in the current Royal Capital and should fetch a good price. I hope they keep up the good work today.
The Intelligence Unit's results wouldn't be definitive in a short time.
They had to gather and verify a lot of information. They would continue as usual.
Then, I outlined the plan for today and discussed it with them.
Gradena's team would continue with base defense and area exploration.
Additionally, they were instructed to eliminate drug dealers and irredeemable troublemakers they encountered. It was a mix of reconnaissance and reducing enemy numbers, but if they encountered organizations related to the Snake Head Society, they might be drawn into a conflict. This could create new rivalries with organizations unrelated to us, which could be a problem.
Our goal was to provoke the current enemies of the Kikyo Society. Engaging with underworld organizations from other countries at this stage wouldn't be interesting. However, if it came to that, we would deal with it. Being on the offensive was more important.
Ophelia and Albert's compensation team planned to gain more results.
They were going to a noble's house, introduced by another noble, to 'borrow' items and magic tools. They would need the Delta for transporting large furniture and magic tools. Gradena, who wanted to drive, was assigned a different task.
It was like breaking into an empty house. Since it was unoccupied, there was no issue. It was a practical use of resources, and the Kikyo Society would gladly accept them.
The house they were visiting should have enough sofas, tables, and bedding, and they might even bring materials for the bath. If they visited multiple houses, they might get everything they needed.
Mia's food procurement team's plan remained the same.
Today, they planned to target different prey and might also clear some monsters if they had time. Whatever materials they collected would be welcome in the Royal Capital and should fetch a good price. I hope they do well today.
Josephine's information gathering team would continue their usual tasks.
However, they were also tasked with gathering information about the Oversta family, particularly about the countess, who seemed to be in control but had disappeared. I wanted to know what kind of person she was before meeting her.
Unlike the Gerdodus family, who operated in the underworld, the Oversta family was a prestigious house. Gathering information should be easier. The countess was a prominent figure, and I didn't need deep, secret information, so it should be manageable.
I also instructed each team to eliminate any troublemakers they encountered. This would be a strategic move for the future.
We would take the initiative against our enemies in the Royal Capital. From the Kikyo Society's perspective, it was already a done deal. We would crush them based on the information we gathered.
It would be great if we could provoke them, but we couldn't do that today.
Additionally, I decided to send a messenger to Exembra.
I would inform them of our current situation and that we wouldn't be returning soon. I would also request healer apprentices to be sent to the Royal Capital to assist. This would be a good experience for them and would reduce my workload. The demand for recovery potions would continue, and I couldn't openly produce them, but Rosabel and Colette's apprentices could handle it without issues. They could even perform healing magic directly.
Another task was to assist the Royal Capital in its dire situation.
This would alleviate Zenobia's burden and indirectly benefit Caroline.
Of course, the Kikyo Society couldn't do everything alone. The easiest way was to support the guilds. Providing recovery potions would revive them.
I then asked Zenobia to provide more details about her current tasks.
She could handle whatever came her way, especially with the guild members' recovery and the support of recovery potions. This gave her hope.
She explained the current roles of the Mercenary Guild.
There were no surprising details. Mainly, they dealt with monster hunting, bandit suppression, and maintaining order in the Royal Capital.
The Mercenary and Adventurer Guilds were working together, but they were severely understaffed. Monsters were about to overflow from the forest, and bandits were taking advantage of the weakened guilds. Maintaining order was barely possible on the main streets of the Royal Capital. Foreign underworld groups were running rampant, and the situation was worse than in Exembra.
This explained why Mia's food procurement team could easily achieve their goals. I would encourage them to cull more monsters.
Maintaining order was different from Exembra, and it wasn't something we needed to handle. We would deal with drug dealers and obvious troublemakers, but not for the sake of maintaining order. We had no intention of getting involved with foreign forces.
However, dealing with bandits was more suitable for us.
"I don't know much about bandits. How many groups are there, and how often do they attack?"
"There are too many to count. Some come from Retnark, while others are former citizens of Brenark who lost everything and turned to banditry. There are large and small groups, and they often merge or split. They attack almost every day. We're exhausted, and they retreat if things get tough. It's impossible to eliminate them all. The Royal Capital has suffered many losses, and I can only imagine the state of the surrounding towns and villages."
"I see. If there are that many, we can reduce their numbers significantly. Do you know where their bases are?"
"To some extent. Bandits often work together, making it difficult to attack them. We also want to avoid causing casualties."
Knowing their locations would make things easier. We, the Kikyo Society, wouldn't be deterred by the number of bandits, and a few injuries wouldn't matter. I could handle them alone.
Bandits are ruthless in their plundering. If left unchecked, more villages like Sophie and Mary's could be destroyed. I don't want to see that happen again.
"That's settled. I'll deal with the bandits. I don't care about their situation. I'll crush them."
"I know your strength, Yukari. Understood. I'll guide you. Shall we go now?"
"I like to finish things quickly. If you're ready, let's go. Valeria is coming too!"
Valeria, who had been listening, was eagerly checking her equipment.
We borrowed a spare mid-sized jeep from the mostly empty warehouse and set out.
Zenobia drove, and we headed out of the Royal Capital. After a while, she removed the speed limiter and sped up.
We weren't sightseeing, so we aimed to get there and finish quickly.
Our destination was one of several large bandit bases. They hadn't moved despite their exposed location, either due to confidence in their strength or underestimating us. If things had been fine until now, they probably saw no reason to relocate.
As we approached, Zenobia slowed down. It was time.
We parked the vehicle in a convenient spot and proceeded on foot.
The bandit base, a dilapidated or poorly maintained village, was visible from a distance.
There were guards in the watchtowers, and the village seemed to have more than just a few dozen people. Many were wandering around, looking busy.
Indeed, with the current state of the guilds, attacking such a large group would likely result in heavy casualties or a disastrous retreat. It must have been frustrating to know they couldn't do anything about it.
I could also see people working like slaves. They were either original villagers or brought from elsewhere. There might be captives as well.
With hostages, we couldn't attack indiscriminately. It would be troublesome if they were taken as leverage.
"What do you think? Should we charge in head-on?"
Valeria nodded enthusiastically, and Zenobia was eager for battle. However, it would be troublesome if hostages were taken. We were outnumbered, and they might attack recklessly.
Since we were here, let's try to lure them out instead of charging in. That way, we wouldn't cause unnecessary damage to the village.
"Let's try a ranged attack to lure them out."
First, we needed to decide what to target. We wanted the bandits to notice us, so we left the watchtowers and guards alone.
I looked around and spotted a figure who seemed important. I readied my usual iron ball and threw it.