Two Organizations
The Hero’s Party’s “Orthrus” Subjugation Completion Ceremony.
That was the original purpose of this gathering, so major figures like ambassadors from various countries and guild grandmasters had assembled.
The South Margrave House… a prestigious family well known even to foreign ambassadors. For nations harboring ambitions against the Titania Kingdom, they were the number one house to watch out for.
Their military strength was the greatest in the kingdom. They bordered the Demon Forest, and prospered from monster hunting and the production of magic stones.
Everyone was holding their breath, watching to see how relations between the kingdom and the Margrave House would unfold.
The kingdom had already laid the groundwork with the various guild grandmasters and secured them as allies.
“Ohh, as expected of King Jimetz, the Merchant Guild will support the Hero’s Party.”
“The Adventurers’ Guild as well.”
“The Craftsmen’ Guild too…”
Like betting on a winning horse, the guild grandmasters moved in unison, and soon the nobles joined in, enthusiastically discussing support for the Hero’s Party.
Who would contribute how much, requests to have the Hero’s Party dispatched here or there, it was as if they’d completely forgotten about Julius.
Among this gathering, two organizations stood out as especially important.
One was the world’s strongest adventurer clan, “Shiranui.”
It was said they had over ten top executives, but six of them were present here now.
First Squad [Ginka] Yukimi: silver hair, wolf beastkin, female.
Second Squad [Castlebreaker] Sammy: brown hair, dwarf, female.
Fourth Squad [Rakshasa] Dadan: black hair, oni, male.
Sixth Squad [Whirlwind] Elia: blonde, elf, female.
Eighth Squad [Iron Fist] Giri: red hair, tiger beastkin, male.
Ninth Squad [Corpse] Hatena: none, unknown, unknown.
Stationed in one corner, their aura was overwhelming, no one could even approach them.
It was said the clan had over two thousand members, though its full scale remained unknown.
And the captains? Supposedly, they could casually take down dragons.
All of them wore black coats, with their squad number emblazoned on the back.
The other was the “Yotsuba General Trading Company,” said to have stores across the world and even control the global economy.
They wore armbands with a four-leaf clover, their rank indicated by color.
They dealt in every kind of business imaginable, even peddling goods to remote villages.
They were also active in charity, providing food aid to slums, sending supplies and personnel to disaster areas, helping with reconstruction, and were highly trusted worldwide.
They even controlled distribution, and were the only organization in the world to possess airships.
This great trading company stood opposite Shiranui, with leaders from each field assembled, especially the top executives in the front row.
General Director Charlotte: human, female
Deputy Director Dante: human, male
Both wore silver armbands.
They quietly observed how things would unfold.
And then, the noble houses affiliated with the Margrave House… remained silent.
All of them had long served under the Margrave House, protecting their lands from the Demon Forest.
That was because their loyalty lay more with the Margrave House than with the royal family.
Originally, the Margrave House had been royalty ruling the region around the Demon Forest.
However, during a massive monster stampede from the forest, they were driven to the brink of destruction. They sought aid from the Titania royal family on the condition that the princess at the time would marry into the royal line, and afterward, they were absorbed into the kingdom.
That history was why these houses still followed the Margrave House.
But the royal family had long wanted to do something about that, and also about Julius, whose evaluation as the next head was… low.
The marriage engagements had been a way to keep the Margrave House tied to them, but it was ultimately judged more advantageous to pair Princess Elizabeth with the Hero instead.
If the Hero were dispatched to various nations, all achievements would become the royal family’s accomplishments, giving them an advantage over other countries.
And above all, out of love for his daughter, it was only natural for the king to support the princess who loved the Hero.
Duke Gulf, too, welcomed the breakup with Julius, it was exactly what he wanted in order to deepen ties with the royal family.
He aimed to become the next prime minister and sought to draw closer to the throne…
Furthermore, the Gulf Duchy was a vast granary region, and the Margrave territory imported a significant amount of food from it.
Holding control over food, that was what made this bold move possible.
And aligning with the royal family made it even easier.
The Harmetz Marquis House also sought stronger ties with the royal family and the Gulf Duchy. They possessed mines rich in ore and gemstones, supplying large quantities to the Margrave House.
The frontier, by its nature, was always short on weapons and thus needed those mineral resources.
As the Hero’s family, they had grown increasingly arrogant in recent times.
They agreed to this plan in exchange for benefits involving trade routes.
And then there was one more house, the Zanger Viscount House, a vassal of the Margrave House and the birthplace of the [Saintess] Almeria.
But they were not here.
Even though most of the Margrave House’s vassal nobles had gathered, their absence was strange…
Only the [Saintess] Almeria felt a slight unease.
What do you think about this chapter?
