Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 190

“Do you have any idea who sent these guys?” Jilboa asks while still seated.

“I have some ideas, but I don’t know of anyone who would use such careless individuals,” I reply. 

The men, brought to the office, sit shivering and trembling with swollen faces at my feet. It seems they don’t have the guts to remain silent even when faced with armed, battle-hardened men in the Sword Fangs Legion’s office.

I try questioning them from various angles several times, but in the end, it turns out that the ones who attack us are just drifters who have recently fallen on hard times and come to this city. I’m not surprised, as I already suspect as much.

What bothers me is that they all say they have been paid to attack and kidnap me.

What catches my attention is that they all state in unison that they have been paid to attack and abduct me. Considering that I have made quite a few enemies in this city, it isn’t surprising that someone might want to kidnap me for the know-how related to my development and shoe business.

However, at the same time, the Sword Fangs Legion has my back in the shoe business, and the church is involved in the development efforts. If someone is knowledgeable about the situation, they wouldn’t think that sending a few desperate men like these would achieve anything.

I ponder who might have recently acquired information about my business and have little knowledge about my backing—someone reckless enough to take action… As I think about it, a face comes to mind.

“Maybe Gooljin screwed up,” I say. I told him to build connections with the inter-city merchants to expand, but perhaps he spread information to unreliable individuals, leading to these foolish men taking action first.

Come to think of it, Gooljin also said at first that he’d kidnap me and make me tell him my secrets. From the perspective of the rough inter-city merchants, that might seem like a natural course of action.

When I share my speculation with Jilboa, he nods in agreement.

“Indeed, this crude method is reminiscent of the inter-city merchants. Considering that these merchants have been away from this city for a long time, it makes sense that they are out of touch with your recent circumstances.”

The fact that I run a shoe business is widely known among the residents of this city. Despite being a low-ranking and newly established merchant, I have accumulated some wealth, and there are many who have turned against me. However, I have taken measures to mitigate this danger by placing the Sword Fangs Legion as my backing and building connections with the upper echelons of society, like the count and the church, to prevent my business from being taken away.

However, it’s impossible to prevent all types of backlash. I had hoped Gooljin could bring together and control those violent individuals. For now, though, it’s all just speculation.

First, I need to summon Gooljin and hear his side of the story. Just when things seem to be going well, a problem arises. That’s how business is, but I may need to rethink the distribution strategy a bit.

Now, I just need to get rid of these guys.

As I stare coldly at the group of thieves, those who have been sitting tremble in fear.