Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 271

Sara looks at me with concern after my declaration.

“So, what are you going to do? I know what you want to accomplish, Kenji, but you have to think about the company too. If it’s too difficult, maybe you should reconsider.”

She has a point. My financial and personal connections all stem from my shoe manufacturing business. If that fails, everything falls apart. It’s no wonder she’s worried—I’m already stretched thin as it is.

“No, it’s easy enough to pull off. The tricky part is making the necessary adjustments. And I can’t really say much until I’ve looked into whether it’s even worth doing.”

“Huh? Really?”

I can tell she isn’t buying it from the way she says it, even after I explain the simplicity of the task.

“No, seriously, it’s simple.”

“Really? Then why don’t you just tell me?”

“Uh, sure…”

The way she’s pressing me makes it feel like an interrogation, but I go ahead and explain my idea.

“Even if a small village doesn’t have an Adventurer’s Guild, there’s always a church, right? We could ask the church to display a price list for hiring adventurers. A priest can read and wouldn’t cheat their followers, right? Plus, the church could send the request to the town through their communication network. There’s already a system in place between the Adventurer’s Guild and the church, so the request could get to the guild that way.”

“Amazing! That’d be incredible if it worked!” Her skepticism quickly turns to enthusiasm, and I feel a little boost from her praise, but still, it’s just an idea.

“Yeah, but if it’s such a good idea, there must’ve been a reason it hasn’t been put into practice.”

“Really? I think it sounds like a great plan.”

“I’m glad you think so, but I’m not one to get too full of myself.”

In reality, meeting people like Jilboa and Father Nicolo has shown me that there are plenty of people in this world far beyond my level. I can’t afford to get too confident. If the idea hasn’t been implemented yet, there’s likely some significant hurdle.

“Hmm. I think it’s a solid idea, but… what kind of problems do you think might pop up, Kenji?”

“I’m expecting all sorts of issues once we actually try it. Remember when I was asked by Father Nicolo to train those three deacons? We ran into one unexpected problem after another.”

Sara makes a face, recalling that time. “Oh, yeah…”

I had been asked to teach, but right from the start, there were issues with the way the lectures were structured. Then, when we arrived at the village, we discovered errors in the numbers and maps that were crucial to the entire plan… It turned out to be a string of unexpected problems.

This new idea of mine will probably face similar unforeseen challenges.

“First off, the biggest hurdle will be whether the church and the Adventurer’s Guild are even willing to accept this proposal. For both organizations, it’s extra work without any clear benefits. That’s going to be the main issue.”

“What? But isn’t it a good thing? I mean, it’s the church, so if it’s for a good cause, they’d help, right?”

I think back to Father Nicolo’s calculating expression and answer Sara, knowing it’s not as simple as that.

“Just because something is good doesn’t mean it’ll automatically get support. The Adventurer’s Guild and the church are organizations, and like all organizations, they’re motivated by reputation and profit. In the end, they’re run by regular people.”

Sara pouts, unable to accept my blunt view of organizations. “I don’t really agree, but I understand why Kenji thinks so.”

“You don’t have to agree. But the good news is, we actually have something to offer the church in return.”

When I nod, Sara looks at me with suspicion.

“You mean the statistical stuff? Is that really worth anything?”

“I think it is.”

“I’m not so sure…”

It seems that Sara isn’t fully convinced by the idea of using statistical knowledge as a bargaining chip.