- Shari -

"As you see, it didn't work out quite as without consequences as we wished it to." (Myra)

"I still believe we did the right thing!" (Lorel)

"Yeah, the right thing. The right thing is going to bring up every single involved noble against the guild. Even now I have no idea how I'm going to talk them down." (Elkon)

"Should we have left them for dead?!" (Lorel)

"Mind your place, boy!" (Elkon)

Lorel almost rushes up hearing this, but Jacob puts his hand on his shoulder.

"It was a very tense situation, guild master. You should forgive his idealistic viewpoint. His intentions were pure and thus can hardly be held against him." (Jacob)

"Jacob, you are the leader! It lies in your responsibility to keep your members in check." (Elkon)

"In check?!" (Lorel)

"Please. I wish to discuss the situation. In a civil manner, that is. As of now, the town of Ekoras stands before a never-seen upheaval. We need to prepare, or the coming days will end in disaster!" (Gareth)

"What exactly are you referring to? And how is... this one connected to this?" (Elkon)

"First, what we'll now discuss can't leave this room or the resulting bloodshed and loss of human lives will be insurmountable!" (Gareth)

"Hah, human lives he says." (Elkon)

I heard it.

"Fine. If you'd listen, please. As of now, there are concrete plans to coordinate a decisive strike against the various criminal organizations in town. We intend to simultaneously raid all known bases at once, or at least in quick succession, hopefully apprehending or eliminating all, but at a minimum, eighty percent of them." (Gareth)

"Open warfare against the criminal underground?! Did you fucking lose it?!! I thought you wanted to avoid the civil war! Instead you want to declare it now yourself?! You must be joking." (Elkon)

"No, we're not. The lord already signed the respective documents. It will be my duty to oversee the practical handling of the situation." (Gareth)

The probably most shitty job anyone ever had.

And my duties already led me deep into the sewers and literal shitholes.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me that Felion Varros suddenly grew a backbone out of nowhere and decides to openly engage in a battle that has questionable chances of success at best?" (Elkon)

"Well, at this point, our dear royal agent comes into play. Regarding my investigation, it seems she basically forced the concession to this permit out of him. The looming threat she poses serves as a sufficient deterrent for him not to change his mind." (Gareth)

"Well, I need to say this is a creative method for a monster to destroy the town. The criminals outnumber us by far, and as someone here already mentioned, quite a number of them are trained ex-adventurers!" (Elkon)

Seriously?

Even fighting crime is now a scheme of mine to kill humans?

"We are supposed to receive reinforcements to even our chances. If we can manage to perform a coordinated attack, it might be possible to deliver a decisive strike." (Gareth)

"Speak, Gareth, how many of your men can even be trusted to fight on your side?! This won't end well and you know it!" (Elkon)

He's got a point.

Ekoras might be too far gone.

Especially regarding the degree of corruption in the official institutions, there are many sources of concern.

"It won't be easy. That much is clear. Which is why I'd like to request the guild to contribute." (Gareth)

At this, even Jacob's group gasps in surprise.

I, on my side, need a full second to wrap my core about the boldness of this statement.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The guildmaster on the other side apparently has no intention of digesting this information silently.

"Did you get anything of what I just said?!" (Elkon)

"I'm not asking you to take a side in this conflict you're trying to avoid. I merely wish that the guild is taking care of their very own members who disrupt public order." (Gareth)

That's an interesting angle.

Different from when we asked them to hunt down the slave traffic that is crucial to the plans of the nobles from the pact, this is more impartial.

Just fighting crime in this city.

However, this is a vague line.

I know that some nobles are backing the criminal underground.

Those are likely interchangeable with noteworthy members of the pact.

"You're asking for the same thing, only that you word it differently. It's still dangerously close to meddling in the inner affairs of a nation." (Elkon)

"See it like this. You may either support us now or deal with the aftermath. Do you really want to find out what Ekoras will look like if the last remnants of order are gone, the criminals have won, and the capital stops all trade and support, which will likely end in the complete demise of the town? Do you really want this?" (Gareth)

Oh damn.

I don't even want to imagine this.

As much as crime and corruption are rampant in this town, a semblance of public order is still necessary to keep everything going.

Ekoras barely has fields of its own, so without continuous deliveries, it won't take long till people starve.

Not to speak of general anarchy leading to countless deaths.

While the criminals might be powerful, they lack the coordination to keep this place going while only focusing on instant personal profit.

Without administration, this town will completely break down.

A metaphorical sinking ship in the middle of a killer forest ocean.

Such a situation can't be good for the guild.

"I see. So you're extorting me into guaranteeing you support. Either we help you survive the coming days or we'll drown in the resulting flood of your loss." (Elkon)

"Precisely. Not like I want to let things get so far, but you may have noticed, I'm somewhat desperate." (Gareth)

"Tsk. You were always rather cunning. A shame you switched sides." (Elkon)

Does that mean they have a history?

Not like this would change anything right now, I just would like to know.

"The irony is that I just wanted a calm, safe job." (Gareth)

"Hah! ... I appreciate your boldness, Gareth. However, the current political situation is just too loaded as that we could afford to openly position ourselves against the nobles in power." (Elkon)

"I see. So you're betting on the chance that the local nobles would use their influence over the gang lords and assume formal control over the town, which would allow the guild to somehow prevail through this." (Gareth)

"I wouldn't word it like this." (Elkon)

"And you shouldn't. The issue with your reasoning is that Koreso isn't officially involved yet. So you wouldn't even partake in an international conflict. On the other hand, the fact that members of your guild indulge in crime in this city to various degrees, and therefore more or less openly support a side that plans to eventually bring down this country, can be seen as a rather difficult subject." (Gareth)

"Gareth, you..." (Elkon)

"Let me say this clearly, Sir Elkon. If the rebellious factions within Ekoras aren't defeated by the end of the week, the town will likely lose its support. This means no food, no luxuries, no beverages, and no sanitation items. The town is going to be done for. But even if we win, the royalists probably won't look kindly upon your indirect support of our enemies' cause. All the adventurers who committed crimes within the walls are your responsibility, Elkon." (Gareth)

"Gareth, how do you imagine this might work?" (Elkon)

"Simple. You're going to 'take care' of your problematic adventurers. By pure chance, on the same day we'll start our operation. Rather than mix your people with the guard, you'll head out and apprehend your unruly members. No taking sides in any way. This will be a purely guild internal affair. Everything else will be pure coincidence. I'm sure you have lists where you keep track of their actions and locations. We'll coordinate to make sure that they won't be entangled with what we're doing." (Gareth)

Wow, this sounds like quite the plan.

Sure, guild members committing heinous acts are the guild's responsibility.

Even if they don't directly engage in combat, the added manpower will suppress some of the strongest gang members and prevent them from coordinating.

At least the manager seems so far as to give it some thought.

"Elkon, look at them!" (Gareth)

At this, he points at Jacob's team, who flinch at the sudden attention.

"If you're asking me, this is what adventurers should look like. Courageous, curious, ambitious, and full of vigor. Up for the challenge! Not those idiots who take the easy way at the cost of others. Doesn't this state of affairs bother you as well? Where's the man that rightfully terrified us when we started any misconduct? I ask you, as a friend, to help us remedy what already went wrong for too long." (Gareth)

.

.

.

"Hah! When did you turn into a politician, Gareth? You wield these words better than you ever handled your sword." (Elkon)

"Elkon." (Gareth)

"What? You got me. It's thanks to your siren-like voice that completely befuddled me. If the guild uppers come for me, I'll just claim a temporary lapse in judgment due to this." (Elkon)

He did it.

This was possibly one of the most impressive things I ever saw.

With the support of the guild, there should be a realistic chance to get this city back to order.

"Thanks, my friend." (Gareth)

"Don't thank me yet. Whatever you’ve planned for the day of reckoning may just as well fail. Believe me, if things turn dire, I'll make sure to break up and cut my losses before it drags the guild down with you. I hope you have more of a plan than just throwing manpower at the issue. You of all people should know best about the problems your guard will be facing." (Elkon)

"I have, and our friend over there hopefully brought me what I need to make it happen." (Gareth)

Seems like I'm going to get involved again.

And that while I was so comfortable with my place on the sidelines.

"Huhu, yeah, that kind of support is at least something they're not going to expect." (Elkon)

Ehm, am I currently getting more involved in something than I'd like to be?

"Hey, this looks like they came to an agreement. Does that mean we're not getting punished?" (Lorel)

"Shut up, you idiot! Don't set them up!" (Myra)

"Oh, believe me, you certainly don't get out of this scot-free. I already have some mandatory service in mind for such upstanding civilians as you are." (Elkon)

"Sigh." (Jacob)

I concur, Jacob.

I concur.

With this, the adventurers finally leave the office.

Thus, I'm now finally freed from the dread that this club might've been used against me.

Well, it's still a general possibility, but not as much of an immediate threat anymore.

He might use this time to rally his adventurers for all I know.

"Hah, just as stubborn as I remember that old geezer." (Gareth)

Well, to me it looked like he had everything under control.

"Now that this is settled, I'd like to speak to you about your mission." (Gareth)

Oh, well, why not?

If everything else is settled, I don't see why I shouldn't do what I initially came here for.