Chapter 26: A Brief Interlude (The Guild Master, Part 3)
“Guild Master! They’ve arrived, the crew of the Paraiso!”
“…They’ve come.”
At that report, Guild Master Kuravia Terek let out a sigh of relief.
Since the last transaction, she had been bombarded with urgent requests from the royal capital’s merchants. Naturally, they were aware that the goods were trading items. Given the tone of the letters, she could only imagine that the sender held a significant position—likely a high-ranking noble or perhaps even royalty.
“Still, that was quick. From the way they spoke, I thought they were quite far away.”
Previously, she had confirmed that a round trip would take several months. It was said that it took half a year just to reach the Port Town of Terek after setting sail. They had mentioned that this time would be faster since they knew the route, but…
To think they would return in just a little over two months was a delightful surprise.
“Guild Master, it seems they’ve brought three ships with them!”
“What?!”
With more ships, naturally, the cargo would increase. If the volume of trade increased, so too would their bargaining power.
The Guild Master felt an overwhelming urge to revere those cold-eyed women like goddesses. Since their arrival, the winds of fortune had undeniably begun to blow. For the dwindling Port Town of Terek, it was a wind of luck, a breath of life.
“You have the iron ready, right?!”
“Guild Master, we confirmed it yesterday! We’ve gathered as much as we could!”
For some unknown reason, they had shown an unusual interest in iron. They had requested iron ingots, but from their demeanor, it seemed they would accept any form of iron. Fortunately, there was a mining town a little inland, making iron readily available. Although the quality was somewhat lacking, they had managed to allocate some for the royal capital and redirect it to their own needs. They had stockpiled a considerable amount in their warehouses, but with three ships arriving, it might not be enough. However, they were likely to have gathered much more than the visitors had anticipated.
“Alright, let’s go greet them. Also, send word to the other guilds to supply iron! They must have been hoarding it! The rate is 1000:1; they’ll probably even bring back nails from the pillars!”
“…The pirate flag.”
“Yes. We captured it on the way here. I thought it might be significant, so I retrieved the pirate flag.”
The girls, each with animal ears and identical faces, had increased in number this time, with about ten of them disembarking. After introductions, they were about to engage in casual conversation when one of them suddenly spoke up.
“Do you know? I want to ask. We have brought the flag.”
The captain, or rather the fleet commander, Zwei, gestured for another girl to place a black cloth on the table.
The pirate flag.
A flag that pirates raise to signify their allegiance.
Naturally, it bore a hefty bounty. If it belonged to a well-known pirate, the mark would be recognized in the surrounding areas, and a bounty would be placed on it. However, given the current situation, it was common for the countries that were supposed to pay the bounty to be unreachable.
“This is…”
As the Guild Master spread the pirate flag and confirmed the skull emblem, she gasped.
“…Red Cap.”
“Isn’t that the infamous and ruthless pirate? You girls defeated them?!”
“I don’t know their name. We were attacked, so we fought back.”
The black flag with a white skull, adorned with a red hat. The notorious pirate, Red Cap, commanded a massive warship armed with nearly a hundred cannons. The sight of that pirate flag carelessly spread across the table was hard to believe.
“Red Cap, that massive warship, right? You actually defeated them…?”
“As long as we didn’t get hit by their cannons, it was no trouble.”
At that response, the Guild Master shivered. She recalled the previous incident where a single shot had obliterated that scoundrel’s mansion without any test firing. Everyone had been too focused on the destroyed mansion to notice the implications.
The rotating turret of the Paraiso. From a stationary position, the turret had spun and elevated its cannon in less than ten seconds, firing a shell without any precise observation. Moreover, to minimize collateral damage, the cannonball had been shot in a parabolic trajectory, landing squarely in the center of the estate. There was no doubt that the shot had hit its intended target.
A chill ran down her spine. The time taken to aim and fire. With a rotating turret, there were hardly any blind spots. In such a scenario, a warship wouldn’t stand a chance. The power of those cannonballs was formidable. A few shots would be enough to sink any large vessel.
“While there’s a bounty on them, payment here is impossible. Normally, we would contact the royal capital for the bounty to be paid, but…”
“I understand the situation here to some extent. You may use this. I want you to take advantage of it.”
“Wait, wait, that’s quite a generous offer…”
It was an incredibly bold statement. Defeating a renowned pirate was an honorable feat. If leveraged correctly, it could facilitate negotiations at every port. Yet, they were casually willing to relinquish such an advantage.
“We only desire trade. We seek neither status nor honor.”
That was it.
Guild Master Kuravia Terek understood. They sought neither status nor honor. Typically, both are desired, but they did not see the need for either. It was undoubtedly because they possessed immense power. In this world, strength was everything. With enough military might, one could obtain anything. Wealth and power were merely means to generate that strength.
If they directed that power against someone…
The Port Town of Terek could become a ruin overnight.
Last time, there had been one ship with only two cannons. But now, there were three. If they were to fire those powerful cannons, their forces would be easily annihilated.
Understanding this correctly was why they were willing to part with such a pirate flag.
They were offering it to her, urging her to use it wisely.
Gather trading goods and make themselves useful.
“…Understood. I will graciously accept this. …Hey.”
“Yes!”
She instructed her subordinate to store the pirate flag and let out a light sigh. What had started as casual conversation had turned into an unexpectedly heavy discussion.
“Now then, let’s start anew. You must be tired. I would like to postpone negotiations until tomorrow, so please take your time to rest today. How does that sound?”
“That would be appreciated. If possible, I would like half of my crew to disembark. Do you have accommodations? We will pay for them.”
“Oh? So you’ll be disembarking this time?”
At the Guild Master’s inquiry, Zwei nodded.
“We are considering half the crew disembarking for a while. This port is thriving, and the security is good. Unlike our last visit, we have more crew members and currency. There should be no problem.”
“Understood. You are welcome to disembark, but may I assign a guide to you? No offense, but you may not be familiar with our customs, and we are also unaware of your ways. I would like to avoid any unnecessary troubles.”
“That’s fine. All crew members can understand our language to some extent. Having a guide would be welcome.”
Zwei’s unhesitating agreement brought a sigh of relief from the Guild Master. No matter how good the security was, fools could be found anywhere. If these strikingly beautiful women accidentally wandered into an alley, one could easily imagine the consequences. No, it might even be dangerous in the central city.
“That’s a relief. Also, we will prepare accommodations for you. Please, don’t hold back. To us, you are very important guests.”
At this point, the Guild Master had not yet seen the appearance of the crew members belonging to the Paraiso. She had never imagined that they would all be beautiful girls with animal ears. Had she known, she might have proceeded with a bit more caution.
However, she proceeded without much concern, treating them as if they were nobles. In other words, she made a grand announcement and gathered people to facilitate their disembarkation.
As a result, the appearance of these girls became known to many in the town.
Not a single man was among them; instead, a procession of beautiful girls with animal ears and tails marched through the streets.
This brought a shock to the Port Town of Terek, which had been filled with a sense of stagnation. Residents flocked to catch a glimpse of them day after day, and to protect against the ensuing fervor, security personnel were increased. For a time, it became a common sight to see them strolling through the town, accompanied by a throng of people.