The Druid Who Devoured the Great Nature

The conference room we went up to with the two of them was huge, fitting the scale of the factory. The attendees barely filled about half of the large conference room, but because of their presence, the room felt full.

Hella and Waver went to one side and sat down. That must be the Drexier Mercenary Corps. There were unfamiliar faces mixed in, probably new recruits.

The other side was filled with people armed with military gear such as bulletproof vests, like a special forces unit of the military. They must be Claire’s private soldiers to be deployed in this operation.

“……”

Their number was about half that of the Drexier Mercenary Corps. I had already checked the number of Claire’s private soldiers with my own eyes during the negotiations between the cities. Probably only the executives were attending this meeting.

The one who seemed to be the leader among them crossed his arms and just turned his head to stare at me.

‘I think I know why Waver said he ran away.’

A very disdainful look. The sight of them sitting opposite each other and having a battle of wills was a common sight in this industry. A behavior that risked their lives for competition rather than cooperation. It seemed they would start a fight at any moment if they had a chance.

‘Let’s just watch the situation for now.’

The fact that unconditional cooperation towards a single goal is a dream-like story is something you learn after rolling in this industry for a little while. If you don’t expect anything, you won’t be disappointed.

As I sat in the seat of honor as if to show off, all eyes were on me.

“You’re here.”

Milina was among them. She was not intimidated by the harsh atmosphere, and on the contrary, she had a cool demeanor that was not inferior to them. It was a completely different appearance from the clumsy one she had shown me. Well, she was Claire’s closest secretary. It was natural for her to show a professional appearance in public.

“With this, everyone has gathered. I am Milina, who is in charge of management and supervision in this operation. Then, I will start the briefing now.”

Milina personally took the command tower of this mission. The fact that she had dispatched her closest aide revealed how much Claire valued this plan.

“From today, we will wipe out the forces that have a stake in the weapons factory in District 17 and take control of the industry.”

The stake structure of the weapons factory in District 17 was complicated. There was a factory manager who owned the factory, and an underworld organization supported them directly and indirectly. Some organizations provided personnel for security, and some provided funds, and in that way, they claimed a stake and shared the profits from the sales.

In other words, it was like a complicatedly tangled skein of thread. Their stake structures were so complicatedly intertwined that it was impossible to cleanly be hostile to just one of them. That characteristic united the inside and became a breakwater that blocked the entry of external forces.

That’s why Sylvester did not consider compromise or conciliation when entering this board. The goal was to take control of the entire District 17.

“First, we will start by cutting off the flow of goods to District 17.”

“You mean you’ll start by blocking any corner where external support might come in.”

“That’s right.”

The biggest obstacle that Sylvester had judged when planning this operation was not the inside of District 17, but the external checks. It was a judgment to isolate District 17 before starting the work in earnest.

“The information is that these two organizations are dividing the management of goods in District 17.”

As Milina touched the crystal ball connected to her laptop, the surface flashed, and a screen was reflected in the empty air.

“The Cherrypicker gang, a medium-sized organization with 150 members. They control the smuggling market in District 17 by moving the small gangs under their control.”

A red line stretched across the map of District 17. It was a visual representation of the area where the gang’s influence was projected.

“The number of direct members is small, but you should see it as a deception. The Cherrypickers are closer to a parent company with subsidiaries. If you calculate the subordinate organizations as one lump, the number reaches nearly 400.”

Dozens or hundreds. It’s a number that feels small when you just look at it as letters on a document. But if you had gathered them all in one place and looked at them, you wouldn’t have said that. 400 was by no means a small number.

“And the other side is the Balban Mercenary Corps.”

At the word ‘mercenary corps’, it was an irreversible flow for the gaze to turn to one side. Waver from the Drexier Mercenary Corps raised his hand and asked in a slick tone.

“I haven’t really heard of that name in the industry, are they really a mercenary corps?”

“In reality, they are no different from a gang. They just call themselves a mercenary corps because they are active in guarding and escorting the transportation of goods in District 17.”

When you say mercenary corps, there is a perception that they are generally more skilled or reliable than contractors. Since there is a screening process. However, not all mercenary corps were that clean. I had experienced this in the request in District 16. Those guys who were attached to the underworld were also a mercenary corps if you called them a mercenary corps.

“The Balban Mercenary Corps, unlike the Cherrypickers, is a small elite force. The level of each and every one of them is high, and especially their leader, Digger, is said to have inherited the bloodline of an ogre, although it is quite faint.”

If you say ogre, it’s a bloodline from the southern city of barbarism. It’s a rarer bloodline than the orcs from the same city, but the image was the exact opposite. Unlike the orcs, who were called a warrior race, they were closer to rowdies who couldn’t control their temper.

Putting aside that disadvantage, they had an aptitude for physical work that was second to none. It could be said that he was perfect as the leader of a mercenary corps attached to the underworld.

“We will definitely destroy one of the two. We will leave the choice of which one to prioritize to you, Allen.”

Was this how they planned to center the plan around me? One side was a human wave tactic, and the other was a small elite force. The characteristics of each organization were clear. No matter which one was taken down first, there would be no big difference in the overall picture.

Just…

‘They’re being too cautious.’

At the same time as I thought that, a voice came from the side of Claire’s private soldiers.

“How about we take care of both instead of choosing one?”

It was the leader of the private soldier group.

“We have reviewed it, but we have excluded it. It would be the best result if things went well, but the risk is high. Since blocking external support is the key to this plan, the company’s view is to take it one step at a time rather than being greedy.”

“In other words, it’s a matter of being able to do it.”

Milina, Claire’s direct secretary. In Sylvester, there were very few people who could question her claims. However, they were not Sylvester’s mercenary unit, but Claire’s private soldiers. Since the hierarchy was different, they had the right to express their opinions like this.

Also, the reason he didn’t look at Milina while speaking was not because he was ignoring her.

‘In reality, it’s a statement directed at me.’

He looked directly at me as he opened his mouth. It was probably because he had noticed who the center of this meeting was by looking at Milina’s reaction.

“I thought you would think so too.”

It was also a provocation disguised as a better opinion. I think I can do it, but can’t you? At the simple hidden meaning, I let out a chuckle.

“You’ve just said what I wanted to say.”

“……”

“If the goal is to block external support, then destroying both is the best. Crushing only one side might just give them an excuse.”

They wouldn’t act under the name of Sylvester in the first operation. But it was uncertain how the surviving other side would take this. It was highly likely that they would try to solve it internally according to the rules of District 17, which had established its own ecosystem.

On the contrary, there was also the possibility that they would realize that it was not something they could handle on their own and would call in a countermeasure from the outside. The companies that looked at Sylvester’s actions with displeasure would help them as if they had been waiting.

If you assume the worst-case scenario, it would be better if the passage for external support was only half, but worrying about failure while carrying out a request was a foolish act.

“Instead, we’ll have to strike quickly enough to take out both of their leaderships in a short period of time. The key is not to give them a pretext and timing to interfere from the outside.”

“Then the distribution of personnel…”

That was not something to worry about.

“I and the Drexier Mercenary Corps will take on the Cherrypickers, and the rest will take on the Balban Mercenary Corps.”

In this kind of atmosphere, forcing cooperation by mixing the personnel equally would be counterproductive. The subtlety of human relationships was that one plus one could become a minus, not two.

“You guys would prefer that too, wouldn’t you? Right?”

“……”

And I had to investigate the origin of the pendant while carrying out the request. A separate mission progress was what both sides wanted. The leader of the private soldier group nodded his head, and the conclusion was made.

***

“My name is Poldon Marx.”

“Allen.”

Poldon, the leader of the private soldier group, offered a handshake as he left the conference room.

“I’ve heard a lot about your achievements. They say you’re the hottest prospect in the industry, causing a stir with every move you make.”

The hand he shook was hard with calluses.

“You haven’t been a contractor for long, but you’ve made a connection with the Mage Tower, repelled the Mad House, and carried out requests from the city government and the Public Security Bureau. Although monsters often appear in the industry, it’s an unbelievable achievement.”

I had wondered why the guy who had been setting up an angle was suddenly praising me. The real intention was at the end.

“Are you trying to hear from my own mouth whether the rumors are true or exaggerated?”

“It’s not cool to ask the person directly. You can just prove it in this request. Isn’t that how it is in that industry?”

I also knew how many fakes were rampant in this industry. Most of them were exaggerated packaging in collusion with a broker. Although my reputation had been hitting the ceiling recently, it was not wrong to doubt it.

“Well.”

Then was the reason Poldon had been weighing things in the conference room just because he was a cautious person and wanted to gauge me? If it was just a display of loyalty to his master, I could understand and let it go with a broad mind.

Of course, just by looking at his expression, I could tell that wasn’t it.

“What right do you have to evaluate me? Don’t beat around the bush with things like proof, just say you don’t like me if you don’t like me.”

“……”

“This matter has already been settled with your master. You’re not in a position to evaluate me.”

In the first place, this was a guy I had seen during the negotiations between the cities. To ask me to prove my skills now was just a nitpick.

‘I think I know roughly why he’s doing this.’

The reason he had maintained a tense atmosphere with the Drexier Mercenary Corps at first, I could roughly guess. It wasn’t that he was trying to fight with them for the initiative of the operation, but he was having a battle of wills with the mercenary corps, the manpower I had brought in, as a way to check me.

‘Was he bothered by the fact that I had the initiative of the operation?’

The war for the succession of Sylvester was practically coming to an end. A suitable reward was scheduled for Claire’s private soldiers, who had gone through thick and thin with her. Since they were a sword she could wield personally, apart from the company, she couldn’t treat them poorly.

But just looking at this request, Claire was treating me better than them. An outsider who was just a contractor. That’s why he was setting up an angle like this, but…

‘It’s a very common-sense judgment to plan the operation centered on me in this request.’

It was unfortunate for them, but I had practically saved Claire from her downfall. From her perspective, who would be more reliable? Poldon, Claire’s aide, would know this better than anyone.

The reason he was trying to confront me despite that was probably because of his emotions, not his reason. He wanted her to treat her direct subordinates better than a mere contractor.

“It’s not the first or second time I’ve been treated like this, and I’m not your superior, so I don’t want to tell you to fix your attitude.”

I didn’t want to say that they were wrong. I just hoped they wouldn’t get in the way.

“This request is as important to me as it is to your master. Let’s not be petty with our pride out of a sense of competition. We’re professionals, right? Let’s act like professionals.”

Even a rotten fish is still a fish, so they would be better than the Python Mercenary Corps, who had tried to troll. That was all I was hoping for.

(End of Chapter)