Chapter 147 Part 1
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Translator: “Hakou” Editor: “Weasalopes”
A large town square in the center of the Royal capital.
To the east is the shopping street, the west is the red-light district, the south is the city’s main gate, and the north is where the castle is.
It’s the cross intersection of big streets that connected those places.
Large numbers of people come and go, street performers perform their skills, and events are held here sometimes. It was the prime location in the royal capital.
On the east side of such a place was the three stories building of the merchant guild.
In the guild master’s room on the top floor of the building, two people were talking.
「Lately, the number of people sniffing around is increasing」
The one who sat on the sofa and reported so was a thin man with narrow eyes.
His body was thin, but one could feel a whip-like suppleness from him. If people with a certain amount of skills look at him, they could see that he’s someone without any opening in every of his actions.
「Even though there were nothing of the sort until now」
The guild master looked out through the window with his back against the man sitting in the reception set.
Many people were coming and going in the town square below under the cloudy sky.
「Do you know who sent them?」
「It is probably the Empire」
The guild master groaned at those words.
「…They finally onto us, huh」
And he answered himself.
「There’s the achievement in the battle of northern countries, after all. They probably felt a connection between Tauro’s fighting style and the incident in Awoke」
The thin man with narrow eyes was silent.
He was the head of the Assassin Guild. And he has been secretly protecting Tauro’s private life.
It has such a frightening name, but their main job is actually, escorting.
「It won’t go the same way as those bunches from the adventurer guild huh」
The adventurer guild that was most likely to do harm. But they didn’t do anything when they became aware of the involvement of the assassin guild.
There was a reason why the adventurer guild targeted Tauro.
It was because they’ve been greatly disadvantaged by the merchant guild’s Knight’s activity.
With Tauro riding the Old lady, the safety of the trade route has improved dramatically.
As a result, the need for escort has dropped significantly.
『Buy everything until your wallet got empty and carry them! 』
With that as their slogan, merchants sat on the driver’s seat of the carriage that was full with goods and began roaming to various places.
A slow, yet expensive escort.
Being released from them, the merchants now bought various goods to the limit of their funds, merrily filled the highway, and sold their goods with passionate speech.
「What is the meaning of this!?」
While the flow of goods improved, there were some who were greatly disadvantaged. It was the adventurers.
The highway where the demon beasts and thieves are thriving. All this time, to safely pass this highway, the merchants need to hire them as an escort.
Also, due to the poor flow of goods, raw materials had to be locally produced for local consumption.
Therefore, the collection requests have never stopped.
「Don’t fuck with me! I won’t be able to keep my daily needs if this goes on!」
In the adventurer guild’s lobby.
Their faces when drawing near the counter were desperate.
Lately there were only a handful of escort requests remaining, and now, even collection quests were almost none.
This was because even if the merchants didn’t make a collection request, they could find it sold with a low price in the shopping district.
「…..It’s that bastard’s fault, isn’t it?」
The adventurer guild became hostile to the merchant guild’s pilot as a matter of course.
「He’s an important existence for us. Absolutely protect Tauro at all cost」
The guild master who was concerned about the movement of the surroundings, applied an escort request to the assassin guild.
Perhaps frightened of that name, no one appeared to do any harm. At least so far.
「Tauro is not their only target. All the people who are related to the Knight, such as the higher ups of the merchant guild, the guards in the hangar, and the mechanics, is also being targeted」
The guild master’s expression became more bitter.
「Should we get rid of them?」
If the merchant guild is willing to back us up until the very end, we will do it. The chief’s eyes say so.
No matter how much they covered it up by saying 『Our main job is escorting, Assassin was only a front』, they’re still a group of assassins.
If one was willing to back them up, they wouldn’t hesitate to take action.
The chief waits for a reply without moving a muscle.
(There is no way I can consult with the prime minister and the knight commander about this matter)
I was targeted by the empire so I want your assistance, if he said something like that, he would likely be asked, why?
And if that power were to be known, something like “Landbarn take over operation” would definitely be carried out.
Some crazy people might even suggest to launch a counter attack and invade the Imperial city to take the Emperor’s life.
(Such acts is nothing but stupid)
They believe that if ordered, the merchant guild would definitely do as they told.
The servant follows their high brass. They take it for granted.
High-ranking officials who spent time in the executive branch. It’s a professionalism disease that’s often seen in such people.
(If so, then I too, have to make my resolve)
The guild master turned around, and looked at the assassin guild’s chief’s eyes.
「Do it, thoroughly. The money and responsibilities, the merchant guild will take care of it」
He said it in a low tone, but it carried a force that could shake the ground.
The chief swallowed his saliva and unconsciously pressed his back against the sofa.
「….Understood. That resolve, I’ll bear it in mind」
He wiped the sweat on his forehead. The chief stood up.
The guild master turned around like before and continued to look at the town square through the window.
***
A large group of stone warehouses built in the sand-colored city.
It was the hangar of the Empire’s blacksmith guild.
Knights of the imperial army were lined up inside and are undergoing maintenance and repairs.
In the office in the corner of the building.
An elderly man was sitting on a chair with a serious expression and his arms folded.
(What a work of a genius)
He sighed in his heart.
The view of the hangar from the window.
He fixed his eyes onto a white Knight lying in the hangar.
A word of praise was not reflected in those eyes.
(It was too self-centered. I can only think that it was put together to how the owner likes it)
He was the vice guild master of the blacksmith guild.
And he was in charge of analyzing the boxed girl.
(To be honest, I doubt there’s even a blueprint to begin with)
A Knight that seems to have been coated with expensive paint and looks pearlescent from an angle, the boxed girl.
He glared at it with contempt.
The combination of magic circles like a tangled ball of string significantly hindered the analysis work.
And he has been continuously pressed by the guild master of the blacksmith guild for answers.
(Its magic attack was disappointing)
A new technology that was highly anticipated at first. A magic formation that could activate a high-output magic with only a small amount of magic power.
But there was no such thing.
All that was inside the boxed girl was a gluttonous conventional magic circle that demanded an amount of magical power that the pilot alone could not cover.
In other words, the magic power required to activate this is the same as before.
(We’re stuck)
Feeling the need to change his mood, the vice guild master took a deep breath.
(Guess I’ll try cutting it another way)
『How did it activate the high-powered long-range attack magic?』, was how they have been researching it so far.
Therefore, this time, he tried thinking about it the other way around.
(Not the strong points, but disadvantages. Just what fault did it have that made them hesitate to operate it?)
He thought of the information he had one by one in his mind.
However, a violent wave of sleepiness attacked him.
(Was it because I haven’t had a proper sleep recently?)
He managed to endure, but he couldn’t stand it and lost his consciousness while leaving his back on the chair.
People were entering and leaving the office, but no one wanted to wake him up. It was because they knew he was pushing it.
It was a few minutes after that.
(…Ah!)
It’s not time to make up for lack of sleep. However, the vice guild master stood up without feeling slumbered.
He felt something connected while he was asleep.
(A high-output attack magic that requires a large amount of magic power. The Knights of the Kingdom that fell around it. And the boxed girl who attacked its allies)
The scene of Landbarn battle was projected in his mind as if he saw it with his own eyes.
(Could it be that… magic power was drawn from the depths of the pilot’s soul?)
That is a new technology. A technique that could achieve a high output attack magic.
(Ugh!)
For just a moment, he felt cold air run through his spine and every hair on his whole body stood up.
He felt like he was peeking at a forbidden abyss.
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