Day 2 of Ogre Hunting: Consultation with the Trade Guild
After finishing the handover of the people who attacked me, I headed to Priscilla’s place.
It seems she will decide how the Trade Guild will handle this incident.
Since a Copper-ranked merchant from the Trade Guild participated in the Adventurers’ Guild’s request, and adventurers who received the same request attacked, they can’t escape blame.
Priscilla, what’s your plan?”
“Well, Lily, I’d like to confirm the circumstances under which you were attacked.”
“Sure, Priscilla. Um, I got up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, finished my business hidden in the bushes deep in the forest, and when I was getting ready to go back, I was caught.”
“What about your escorts?”
“They didn’t come with me. Even though we’re all women, it’s embarrassing, you know?”
“Hmm. Your carelessness at that time is your fault, but… judging from your story, they were probably monitoring you from before you got up, waiting for the right moment to attack.”
“I think so, too. When I got up and went outside, I felt uncomfortable stares, so I intentionally separated myself.”
“By the way, in your case, you have a familiar, right? Situations where you’re not accompanied by your familiar are obviously traps… but they didn’t even notice that.”
“If they noticed, they wouldn’t attack me.”
After that, the interrogation continued, but the information I provided was about this much.
The Wildcat Claws members provided additional details.
Tomoa, who was on guard duty at the time, received some reprimands, but regardless of who was on guard duty, the plan was for me to be alone.
After a while, Alizée came to Priscilla’s room.
She seemed to have brought the statements of the captured adventurers.
I thought it wouldn’t be that easy to make them talk, but apparently, she managed to extract everything from them using some secret method.
What’s that? Scary.
“I see. Most of the adventurers conspired to frame Lily’s group.”
“It seems so. They planned to capture Lady Lily and threaten her to get the Wildcat Claws to exterminate the High Ogre. Part of the adventurers who didn’t participate seemed to be female adventurers who had a connection with Lady Lily’s shop.”
“What a foolish thing to do. Aren’t they looking down on the Trade Guild too much?”
“They have just become novice adventurers. They have never even received a proper escort request, so they probably don’t know the fear of making enemies with the Trade Guild.”
“I understand. Deal with them according to the rules of the Trade Guild.”
“Are you sure? Wouldn’t it be better to use this information in negotiations with the Adventurers’ Guild?”
“There’s no reason to treat adventurers who have been charged with ‘attempted kidnapping’ with anything other than proper punishment. The Trade Guild prioritizes the protection of its members, that’s all.”
Uwah, the Trade Guild is really something.
But trade relies on trust, after all.
Betrayal is not to be tolerated.
Afterward, we confirmed our stance based on the Adventurers’ Guild’s response.
Priscilla seemed to know how the Adventurers’ Guild will react.
I can imagine it to some extent, too.
According to Melanie, they’re muscleheads.
They probably can’t negotiate well.
Around the time our strategy meeting ended, we received a message from the Adventurers’ Guild requesting a meeting with Priscilla.
So, we decided to let them through.
And then, who came to Priscilla’s room was…
“Melanie?”
“… Hello, good morning. Lady Priscilla, Lady Lily. And everyone from the Wildcat Claws.”
“You came in person, Vice-Guild Master Melanie?”
Huh, Vice-Guild Master!? Melanie was the Vice-Guild Master of the Adventurers’ Guild!?