Episode 10: Angel Echo
The rain was relentless, pouring down for days on end. I was thoroughly fed up with the gloomy clouds blocking out the sunlight, showing no signs of letting up.
Yet, regardless of our plight, the Fog continued to appear without mercy.
The pounding rain mercilessly stole away our body heat. Moreover, battling in such poor visibility was undoubtedly wearing down both our bodies and minds.
Our wishes for the rain to stop went unanswered, and it showed no signs of relenting.
As a result, the burden on the personnel tasked with eliminating the Fog became exceedingly heavy.
Fighting in the rain, soaked to the bone, was both exhausting and disheartening. Our role was more of a guerrilla operation, focusing on eliminating the Fog that had slipped through the cracks of other teams, rather than just taking out the Fog in designated areas. This made our burden even greater than that of the other squads.
After finishing our extermination duties, the three of us returned to the mansion. Miro and Deete had engaged in a fair amount of conversation at the start of the day, but as the hours passed, their words dwindled, and by the time we were heading back, they had fallen completely silent.
“We’ve arrived. Thanks for your hard work today. We’re disbanding for now, but make sure to rest up for tomorrow. No staying up late, alright?”
The two replied with a cheerful “Okay!” like children and dashed off to the mansion. I understood their feelings all too well.
We quickly finished our baths and meals, diving into our free time. Though our options were limited to drinking, chatting, or playing card games… well, that was more than enough.
“Row, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Emerging from ahead was the hooded figure, Anon.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I feel bad for putting a tough task on Row’s party in this rain.”
“That’s just how it is.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. But that’s not all. Omi is waiting too. Let’s head to my room for now.”
I thought it was a bit forceful today—just as I was pondering this, he grabbed my arm and hurried me to Sensei’s waiting room.
Sensei was elegantly enjoying her coffee. When I entered the room, she waved lightly at me. She personally brewed coffee for both Anon and me, then settled into a chair with a relaxed “Well then,” and got straight to the point.
As I had heard before, the progress in the Sealed Domain was ahead of schedule. There was a possibility that the pace would increase even more from here on out. If that happened, the emergence of the Labyrinth could occur much sooner than anticipated.
In short, Sensei’s message was clear.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if the Sealed Labyrinth manifested at any moment. It could be within a week or even a month. So, Ichiro, it’s time to tighten up your focus.”
Sensei delivered this to me.
“That’s all for my part. Next, Anon will speak.”
Then Anon shared his thoughts. Given the irregularities—this prolonged rain—there was no doubt that we were short on personnel needed for extermination. Even if we managed to gather more people, we had to consider the increased consumption of food and other supplies that would come with it.
From the beginning, negotiations had been underway with Lord Bordaf and various local trading companies regarding the addition of personnel and supplies. However, due to the enormous expenses already incurred for the private armies, mercenaries, and Seekers dispatched until now, they were reluctant to agree to any further support.
Anon had prepared negotiation materials for this situation. He estimated the total amount of Magic Stones obtained from defeating the Fog based on Sensei’s information and the quantities we had gathered so far. He concluded that even considering the expenses for our requests, we could still make a substantial profit.
Using this information as leverage, Anon had been persistently negotiating with Lord Bordaf and the trading companies in nearby cities.
However, despite being told by Anon that profits could be made, the negotiation partners were hesitant, finding the basis for such claims to be flimsy.
Deep down, they likely thought it would be better if someone else handled it, or they wanted to minimize unnecessary expenses, especially considering the potential need for reconstruction after the issues in the Sealed Domain were resolved.
Understanding the reasoning of the lords and trading companies, Anon remained undeterred, continuing to negotiate with unwavering persistence.
“Wow, Anon is really running the show here. In a situation like this, it wouldn’t be surprising for the lord to come to us and ask for cooperation.”
“Well, that’s just how he is. He has a love for this frontier, but he’s also quite pragmatic. Being practical and steadfast isn’t usually a bad thing, but in the face of sudden anomalies, that rigidity can backfire. This situation is a perfect example.”
“You really know the lord well.”
Anon replied, “Yeah, to some extent.”
“Back to the topic. I was consulting with the five major trading companies in the nearby cities, including the Gore Trading Company, about purchasing a large quantity of supplies, but honestly, it was quite tough.”
He let out a long sigh. Just imagining the stress of negotiating even a simple discount with a single individual was overwhelming for me.
In web novels where an ordinary high school student gets transported to another world, the protagonist often negotiates with seasoned veterans and easily outsmarts them.
But think about it. Thrown into a world where everything is different—culture, common sense, everything—and carrying the handicap of being an outsider, it’s utterly impossible for an ordinary high school student to win negotiations against local experts.
“Thanks for your hard work. I really feel bad for putting you through this, Anon.”
I genuinely felt sorry for relying on him for all the brainwork.
“Honestly, Anon shouldn’t have to work this hard.”
At my words, he looked taken aback.
“What are you talking about? You said it yourself.”
What did I say— I didn’t ask.
“You said if you see someone in trouble, help them out. Isn’t that what our lives are about? If we think our efforts will eventually circulate from person to person, then it’s worth it to give it our all.”
Ah—
Ah, ah, I was at a loss for words. Sensei smirked at my expression.
After listening to his account, I thought we were gathered to discuss what we should do next—but that seemed to be off the mark.
“No, that’s not it.”
That was completely off base.
“That issue was resolved the other day. I called you all here to report on that. We might finally get a bit of relief.”
Apparently, the other day, an offer for discussion had come from the border lord and the Gore Trading Company.
“Unlike before, both the border lord and the Gore Trading Company are now more open to negotiations. Upon meeting, they immediately expressed a desire for ‘documents.'”
From there, things moved quickly, Anon concluded.
“Why the sudden change of heart…?”
After a brief pause, Anon answered.
“I found it strange too, so I asked about the sudden shift.”
Then, with a hint of joy in his voice, Anon continued.
“Both of them said they were ‘advised by their daughters.'”
“Daughters…?”
“Yes. Both Lord Bordaf and Heinz Gore, the president of the Gore Trading Company, have daughters. I don’t know the reasons or circumstances behind their persuasion.”
But, Anon added,
“It seems they weren’t just foolish parents or simple doting ones,” he murmured, as if something profound lingered in his words.