Chapter 20: A Brief Interlude (The Guild Master, Part 2)
This is bad. Honestly, I have no idea how much I should concede. Worst case scenario, I might end up accepting unfavorable terms for all future transactions.
“Guild Master…”
“…Can we crush that bastard’s guild?”
“Yes, indeed. We’ve had our eyes on them for a while, so we can act immediately. Shall we proceed?”
Now’s the time. We’ll dismantle them from the ground up. If the dealings with that trading ship, Paraiso, succeed, this city will be safe for a while. There were many unbelievable things involved, but above all, that thread and cloth. If we can continue to acquire those, we can manage anything, even in the current situation.
And all of this is being jeopardized by those fools blinded by greed…!
“Do it. Annihilate them completely. Show those who complain that, and silence them. Damn it, we were on the verge of a great deal…!”
“Understood. Everything will be taken care of by today.”
“If anyone dares to resist, crush them too. They’re likely in cahoots behind the scenes anyway. Even if they aren’t, those who can’t see the tide turning need to disappear…!”
“Right! Let’s go, boys! Time for a raid!”
Until now, I had endured because of my connections with others, but I no longer need that. I will shut out every guild that dares to oppose me here. Killing them might be too harsh, so I’ll settle for exile… Though, once exiled, they won’t survive. Outside of this place, it’s a lawless land. If they can reach the capital, they might have a chance, but if they’re capable of that, they wouldn’t have dared to oppose me in the first place. I’m not saying they should become slaves; I just want them to stop openly defying me.
I can also put the Cutlass I acquired during the initial exchange to practical use. From what I’ve seen, its quality is astonishing. If we can obtain these regularly, they will serve as excellent bargaining chips. The metalwork should also appeal to the nobles of the capital.
No matter what, I must finalize this negotiation. It’s not an exaggeration; the fate of this city hangs in the balance. To be honest, I had already begun making plans to escape from this city.
“…But still, it’s quite a sight to behold…”
Those Paraiso folks.
When they claimed to have dealt with the bandits, I wondered what would happen next.
They began to silently hang the slain men from an unused dock. Naturally, I expected chaos, so I quickly dispatched the guards to secure the area. I asked for their intentions, and they said it was a warning. They mentioned that we could retrieve the bodies in a few days.
Still, it seems they managed to wipe out twenty bandits who boarded simultaneously, without sustaining any injuries. They captured three and sent them over to us. I gratefully accepted them, but well, they’re also sentenced to death. There’s no need to extract information from them. I’ll make an example of them with a public execution.
“For now, the discussions are set for the afternoon. Until then, I need to clean up as much as possible. I must gather as many cards as I can.”
There are other port towns besides this one, albeit of varying sizes. If they flow there, it would be disastrous. Recently, all places, including this one, have been on the decline, but with those trade goods, we could recover. Conversely, without them, we would be doomed.
Despite being in a state of war, this kingdom is crumbling from internal strife. I don’t know what the people in the capital are thinking, but the food we used to acquire through trade has ceased to come in, all out of fear of plunder. We’re managing to procure some through our own ships, but most of them have been seized and are no longer available. The uneducated masses are shouting about independence, but if they pursue that, they’ll be crushed by the local lords in an instant.
In such a situation, having high-quality goods that can only be obtained here is invaluable.
Of course, if I don’t maneuver skillfully, they’ll be taken from me, but that’s where I can showcase my abilities. If I can monopolize the trade while ensuring the nobles keep each other in check, it would be ideal.
“Damn it, why can’t I think and act more strategically…!”
With just a little thought, it should be clear what the best course of action is…!