The appointed ti. Ian stood before the mansion gates with Airi.
’Don’t tremble so much.’
’I-I’m n-not...’
Airi, standing beside him, was vibrating visibly.
A high-ranking military officer was essentially a person of power in the city. It seed she was far more nervous compared to eting regular people.
The mansion gates opened, and Airi’s trembling did not stop until they t Leona.
She could barely even rember how she walked inside and stood before Leona.
’I-I-I am Airi...’
Hearing Airi’s quite impressive self-introduction, Leona asked back with a faint smile.
’A-A-Airi?’
’I am Airi!’
It was only after several deep breaths that Airi could properly re-introduce her na.
Having finished the greeting, Airi finally sat down next to Ian.
Once the introduction of the party was over, Ian delivered the gift he had brought to Leona.
’We’re eting for work, there’s no need to bring sothing every ti you co.’
’A guest of our rcenary group wanted to pass this along.’
Inside the box Ian delivered was an accessory made of small jewels.
Though small in size, it was sothing crafted with clearly superior skill at a glance.
Leona recognized Elena’s small signature written on the box and spoke to Ian.
’I heard news that Elena had co here. It seems she’s doing well.’
’She seems very interested in materials coming out of the Labyrinth lately.’
’Please convey my gratitude.’
Due to her profession as a jeweler, Elena was a figure more famous among the upper class and nobility than among ordinary people.
Leona carefully closed the box.
’Speaking of which, I heard sothing worth congratulating has happened to you as well.’
’Sothing worth congratulating?’
’I heard a hot spring burst forth this ti.’
To say it was recent, it was sothing that happened just yesterday.
The speed at which rumors spread was truly terrifyingly fast. Then again, with a hot spring bursting in the middle of the city, there wouldn’t be anyone who wasn’t curious.
’...Has the rumor spread that much already?’
’Probably the whole city knows by now. People looking to buy the land will be lining up soon.’
’In fact, several people have already co since this morning.’
People offering twice or thrice the price of the land Ian purchased had co, but it was out of the question.
Leona casually asked Ian, pretending not to be very interested.
Since a hot spring appearing in the middle of a city was not sothing that could be explained by general luck, everyone naturally thought of that first.
’...Do you happen to have a close precognitive mage?’
’I don’t...’
Leona sohow looked a bit disappointed.
Everyone called precognitive mages scamrs everywhere, but it seed the expectation for a potentially real precognition was unavoidable.
’Well, enough with the idle talk. Shall we discuss this?’
The monster data Ian brought was already sitting on Leona’s desk.
A new species of monster from the Labyrinth. It was the sa as last ti.
Leona looked at the data she had reviewed several tis throughout the night with a fed-up face.
If Ian hadn’t brought the information in advance back then, it was impossible to even properly calculate how much damage would have occurred.
The information Ian brought from the Labyrinth was sufficiently reliable.
Thus, for Leona as well, there was a desire to grant Ian’s request as much as possible.
However, the scale that had to be undertaken for the current matter was different from the matter back then. It was a problem for which even Leona could not readily give a firm answer to help.
’This matter isn’t sothing that can be decided as easily as last ti. Is this sothing that cannot be stopped without doing it this way?’
’I won’t say it’s the only way, but.’
In actual combat, one cannot guarantee what variables will occur. Even if one doesn’t prepare, it’s not like there’s no possibility of luckily blocking it sohow.
Ian was rely using his past experience to minimize variables as much as possible and proposing a way to increase the probability.
’I am proposing the thod to overco this with the least amount of damage.’
’The least amount of damage...’
Leona muttered upon hearing Ian’s words.
’Conversely, does that an failing to follow this will result in great damage?’
’There’s that possibility too.’
It was an irresponsible statent.
Because he wasn’t the one taking responsibility. That wasn’t Ian’s job.
Leona, who was in a position closer to being responsible than Ian, was silent for a long ti.
Biting the tip of her pen and staring down at it for a while, Leona asked Ian quietly.
’You must know that this is a difficult task. However, there is one problem with your proposal.’
The plan Ian made itself... one would have to analyze it further to know, but it was likely perfect. Because it had been that way until now.
The problem lay in a slightly more external part.
’Even if this plan succeeds, there is no benefit for our side. Since the responsibility lies with the Mayor, the achievent conversely returns to the Mayor as well. If we persuade the Mayor to execute your plan and successfully block the crisis, it will actually result in restoring the current Mayor’s credibility and approval rating.’
The current Mayor was in a competitive relationship with the candidate Leona supported.
If they persuaded the Mayor to move the defense forces and successfully blocked the invasion, as a result, it was an act that benefited the Mayor, her competitor.
Leona stared at Ian quietly as if waiting for an answer.
Ian opened his mouth as if the answer was already decided, without much deliberation.
’Then I suppose I should deliver this
proposal directly to the Mayor as it is.’
’You’d flip your palm overnight?’
’Isn’t this place originally rampant with such things.
It was because they were coincidentally headed in the sa direction. They were rely traveling together because they were helpful to each other; they were in a relationship where they could split at any ti if their paths diverged.
Not just Ian and them, but most political cooperative relationships in this city were like that.
Ian, in turn, questioned Leona.
’When we talked last ti, Leona, you said you started this because you couldn’t leave the city in the hands of the unqualified.’
’Did I say such things? I must have been drunk and drowning in sentint.’
’If you were sincere about not being able to work under those unqualified to handle the city. Leona, you should go that way as well.’
’Are you telling to defect together? Hahaha.’
He had surely promised that he would be different from those rchants who weighed citizens’ lives and money together. If she rejected this for the reason that there was no profit, in the end, she was doing the sa thing.
Leona emptied the half-full glass in one go.
’Fine. You said you were Airi?’
’Y-Yes!’
Is it right for to be sitting in this spot.
Airi, who was sitting quietly while thinking such thoughts, answered in surprise when her na was suddenly called.
’I’ve read the exploration log. You played a big part in the Labyrinth exploration, and it’s planned for you to take on a big role this ti as well?’
’I, I don’t know anything...’
For Airi, there was still nothing she knew. Before the flustered Airi could say anything, Ian and Leona continued the conversation on their own.
’Is that equipnt you requested all intended for Airi to use? With that level of equipnt, one could place a high-ranking mage on the wall as a main force. Can she play a role greater than that?’
’She will be able to perform sufficiently.’
Airi could not understand why Ian nodded so confidently.
＊ ＊ ＊
After finishing the talk and Ian and Airi had left.
Leona entered the room right next to where she had just greeted her guests.
Soone was already sitting in the room waiting for Leona.
’Has Captain Ian returned?’
’Yes. He said he would let us know the results by letter.’
The one in that room was the influential next candidate aiming for the city’s Mayor position. A person nad Lucia.
’How was he?’
’You’ve found a human who doesn’t seem like a rcenary.’
This place, attached right next to the room where Leona greeted guests, had very thin walls. To the point that the conversation in the next room could be heard clearly.
Lucia had eavesdropped on the conversation going back and forth in the next room from beginning to end.
’Is it because he’s a fellow who doesn’t seem like a soldier? He finds people like himself sowhere.’
’Oh boy. You said you hated the rcenary I introduced last ti because he was too much of a rcenary.’
Leona plopped down in the seat opposite Lucia.
’So. What will you do, big sister?’
’...I’ll et the Mayor at the next eting and talk. Even that side won’t be able to refuse in the end.’
Lucia replied after a mont of deliberation to Leona’s question.
The city’s citizens were still trembling in anxiety. Because of what happened during the last invasion, the Mayor’s qualities were currently being doubted as to whether he could properly protect this city.
In order for the current Mayor to overco that, he had no choice but to show so major action.
If it were a peaceful ti, he naturally wouldn’t have complied, but in a rapidly changing situation like now, appearing conservative would be a big minus.
The Mayor ultimately has no choice but to accept this plan.
’Then it will eventually beco that side’s achievent. Once the anxiety of the city defense is resolved, that side’s approval rating will recover to so extent again. That man earns money remarkably well, after all.’
’That can be solved easily.’
’How?’
’We just have to make this matter sothing that is the achievent of neither nor the Mayor.’
Lucia, receiving Leona’s question, tapped the operation plan for this ti lying on the table with her finger.
’Shouldn’t a hero appear in tis of crisis?’
If he doesn’t want to be labeled as a pathetic person in power trying to snatch a hero’s achievent from the citizens, even that side will have no choice but to back down quietly.
Reviews
All reviews (0)