Chapter 425
The thief who attacked Ingrid, overwhelmed by her presence, trembled uncontrollably and spilled everything.
"A low-level operative, was it?"
"I suspected as much, but he claims to have no knowledge of who hired him."
Although everything turned out fine, the fact that they were attacked during Liberta's absence was unsettling. Ingrid interrupted her shopping and immediately returned to the inn to report the situation to Esmeralda, who had been waiting.
"What happened to the thief?"
"He's currently been handed over to Genjirou-sama, who is trying to extract more detailed information. So, Nell-sama and Amina-sama, please stay away from him as it could be dangerous."
"Understood."
"Okay."
After sharing the information, Esmeralda realized they weren't in a position to leisurely go mountain climbing and let out a heavy sigh. Sensing what might be happening in Genjirou's room downstairs, she thought they'd probably need to pay the innkeeper extra later, while steering Nell and Amina away from topics better left unknown for now.
"However, why target the magic bag? It's a rare item, certainly, but not something worth targeting in broad daylight."
"Do you think they were after its contents?"
"That would be the logical assumption. But at that time, it only contained money, at most. They couldn't have been certain there was something worth obtaining through an attack. So what were they after? That's the problem."
People targeting Liberta are everywhere in this world.
First, the nobles.
Not just those who resent Liberta for his role as a catalyst strengthening the powerful House of Edelgard.
There are naturally opposing factions, but many also consider whether they could use him rather than eliminate him.
Next, the recently discussed Heretic Church.
As the apostle of the current goddess of wisdom, it wouldn't be surprising if they saw him as an obstacle.
That would inevitably lead them to consider elimination.
But that would make targeting Ingrid somewhat understandable, yet stealing the magic bag is harder to explain.
These two are the broad organizations we can predict. The only other possibility that comes to mind is...
"They're seeking something. That raises the possibility of the Merchants' Guild."
"...Sadly, I can't deny that."
The third possibility Ingrid arrived at after deliberation.
The wealthiest organization in this world is undoubtedly the Merchants' Guild, a mutual aid group for merchants worldwide.
"The Merchants' Guild attacked Ingrid-san?"
"...Nell-san, it's just a possibility. It may not actually be them."
The one most shocked by this possibility is Nell, who aspires to be a merchant.
For Nell, a merchant embodies her father's image—the man who raised her.
Gathering good products, delivering them, and making customers smile.
She'd grown up witnessing what seemed like the ideal form of commerce.
"I know. But I also know there are merchants who do such things."
However, she also knows it's not all ideals.
Her father, Zink, had sternly taught her what happens to organizations that gain the power of money.
That was his wish for Nell to become a merchant with strong self-discipline.
"You okay, Nell?"
But it's also true that it's not pleasant to hear.
Amina looked at her worriedly, and Nell flashed a bright, sunny smile.
"I'm fine! I just have to not become like that!"
Declaring that even if there are such merchants around, she just has to not become one, slightly brightened the mood.
"Besides, hearing this, I think the Merchants' Guild is the most suspicious."
"May I ask why?"
Nell took the lead in suggesting the possibility of Merchants' Guild involvement.
"I heard from Dad that ever since our village completed those walls and started doing various things, the Merchants' Guild has been approaching us asking, 'Would you like to establish a branch?'"
"A truly merchant-like move, having a nose for profit. I've heard of this too. But Liberta said, 'It's premature; we should avoid it while our foundation isn't solid,' and put it on hold."
Those who know merchants are, after all, merchants themselves.
While not knowing everything, including both good and bad, to get one's own business on track, you must constantly monitor competitors' movements.
Liberta even sends Entertainers to various places to investigate commercial information.
"That's it. There's a profit opportunity, yet they can't get in on it. There are definitely merchants who want a connection at any cost. I think the Merchants' Guild is at the top of that list."
"But wouldn't that be a huge problem if discovered? It'd be trouble for us, and if they're bad guys, I wouldn't want to associate with them!"
Among that information, the discussion again turns to the Merchants' Guild, the mutual aid association.
In terms of distribution routes, this guild is more powerful than nobles.
What to sell, what to buy.
It's an organization specialized in such information, so its ability to manipulate money flow is considerable.
There's no way information about Liberta's pioneer village wouldn't reach such an information network.
"Concealing information to avoid that would be easy for the Merchants' Guild. In fact, regarding this incident, no decisive evidence will likely surface. Even if it did, they'd claim it's slander and probably have the accuser convicted instead."
Furthermore, merchants in this world aren't saints.
More accurately, the upper echelons aren't saints.
If Liberta were here, he'd probably recall the faces of those at the top and grimace.
As the daughter of a ducal house, she's been introduced to the relevant figures of this continent's Merchants' Guild.
And she knows their characters.
"They'd do that?"
That's why she can guess what they would and wouldn't do.
She doesn't dispute that they "do bad things" per se, but Amina's image of merchants is shaped by people like Nell and Zink.
She tends to chase ideals.
"...They probably would. After all, right now, Liberta is threatening the position of being able to manipulate the most important cog for the Merchants' Guild: 'economics.' If they can't have him, they're likely thinking of crushing him."
"Huh?"
Esmeralda momentarily wished things could stay as they are, but then thought, would it be okay to remain caged? Believing they can fly even after knowing the ugly world, she conveyed the reality.
Liberta's position is more precarious than he himself imagines.
He's currently hailed as a hero, but one misstep could have led to his head on the chopping block as the worst kind of criminal.
Esmeralda believes the current peace is maintained precisely because he has connections with the ducal house and the temple, maintains minimal interaction, and only operates within the undeveloped pioneer village.
If Liberta were to make a move under the current circumstances, there would certainly be a path to victory. But she understands that path would be a thorny one.
The balance of risk and reward.
Considering that, he chooses development to build up strength and overwhelm rather than confront other forces.
"Please don't worry. It's just a possibility. It could be my misunderstanding, or perhaps this thief is lying and trying to pin the crime on someone."
However, it's also true there are those who think to obstruct this strengthening.
They chose the frontier and are developing in ways normally impossible.
Esmeralda also knows that before coming to Areiya, they discovered a mine and arranged for Don and the others to prepare for excavation, so a smelting furnace will likely be completed soon.
"Um, so... the ones who might have hired the thief are nobles, the Heretic Church, and the Merchants' Guild, and we still don't know who actually did it?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Investigating the cause of trouble occurring at such a time is extremely laborious.
With three possible organizations, it means any of them could have committed the crime while shifting blame to another.
While suspicions fly about who did it, the real culprit completely erases evidence and feigns innocence.
Once that scenario is set up, it's game over.
"Alternatively, it's even possible all three factions conspired to trap us."
"..."
So far, we've assumed a single organization acting alone.
The worst-case scenario is all three conspiring.
"...Is that possible?"
"I'm afraid Amina-san's wish likely won't be granted. To put it bluntly, I can only say, 'unfortunately.' There isn't a single noble without connections to the Merchants' Guild, and if asked whether all nobles have no ties to the Heretic Church, I'd have to say that's impossible too."
Esmeralda had no way to ease Amina's anxious expression, hoping such a possibility didn't exist.
She thought Liberta would reassure them with a simple, "It's okay, I'll handle it."
Unable to view their situation optimistically now, they naturally developed the habit of thinking, if something happens, there must be a reason.
This wasn't just true for nobles like Esmeralda and Ingrid, nor even for a practitioner like Claudia—even Nell and Amina, commoners by birth, had acquired it. Being by Liberta's side was that special.
"'Act assuming the worst'—Liberta-kun always says that. This is what he means, isn't it?"
"Yeah, he always says 'never stop thinking.' That's why even when things like this happen, we don't panic."
It became an opportunity to reaffirm that they must not neglect the effort to maintain that specialness.
Amina and Nell are always the learners.
But it's precisely because they consistently show a willingness to learn that Liberta generously teaches them his knowledge and skills.
If they were the type to slack off, they probably wouldn't be here.
But they are here.
The experiences gained from being here mean they feel anxious, but they don't panic or get confused.
"But we're back to the question of what to do. If we knew who was behind this, we might manage somehow, but we're not at our home base—we lack manpower, and safety isn't guaranteed."
"Hmm, true. Ingrid-san could cook for us, so meals would be safe, but we'd have to be careful going out, which would burden Genjirou-san and the others, right?"
"In that case, maybe it's better to wait for Liberta to return?"
"But could that be exactly what they're aiming for?"
As a result of Liberta's education to make "thinking" a habit, they've learned to think independently rather than relying on others.
Esmeralda and Ingrid, internally wryly noting how their thinking was becoming more like Liberta's, accepted that being able to think for themselves was a good thing.