Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 309

A few days after I escort the excited Baron to the city—following his long-held dream of observing a living monster in an unexpected way—I receive a message through Anne to visit the mansion’s atelier at a later date.

“It seems like the Baron really likes you. He’s in a good mood and is painting creepy pictures in his atelier,” Anne relays, delivering the message.

I have only seen the Baron’s sketches, but judging by the trends in this world, they are probably highly realistic paintings. Given Anne’s aristocratic tastes, she might describe them as “creepy” because of their unsettling detail.

“So, what are you going to do? When will you go?” Anne’s voice sounds urgent, probably concerned about how this might affect the progress of the shoe production.

I don’t mind. “I’ll go as soon as I can.”

Anne, seemingly satisfied with the answer, quickly leaves the company. Before she does, she adds casually, “Oh, and bring the Captain with you. You should be the one to greet him. The Baron seems to like him too. What on earth are a bunch of grown men doing here?”

I am working on something that could dramatically improve the success rate of adventurer requests, but with no immediate cash in hand, I understand why Anne, who worships money, might think I am just wasting time.

Now that I think about it, the women had seemed cold when I had tea with the Baron at the atelier last time.

To be sure, I ask Sara if she is going. She replies, “Not this time.”

Why?

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Since this is a good opportunity, I decide to speak with Jilboa beforehand at the Sword Fangs Legion office. I want to understand his plan.

Even though we haven’t made an appointment, Jilboa is easy to meet—likely because he also sees the need to talk.

“That Baron is interesting. It seems like there are even more intriguing things in his atelier,” Jilboa comments, a rare remark for someone who usually doesn’t speak in such terms.

Of course, knowing Jilboa, it’s not just about being interesting—there has to be some calculation behind it. As the negotiation seems to be dragging on, I decide to ask him directly.

“So, you said you’d cooperate with the Baron’s business, but what exactly does that entail? Is there anything in it for the Sword Fangs Legion?”

Jilboa meets my gaze for a few seconds, then explains his position. “Of course, the Sword Fangs Legion will benefit. With the Baron’s drawings, it’ll be easier to hunt monsters, and it’ll help with training. If we want to expand the Corps, we have to train new recruits with no combat experience. Knowing the monsters’ appearances, behaviors, and weaknesses beforehand makes a huge difference in efficiency.”

Monster knowledge is power. Few adventurer clans understand and apply this principle as well as Jilboa. Until recently, I thought the Sword Fangs Legion relied solely on direct combat to defeat monsters, but after witnessing the goblin hunt, I realize I have been wrong.

The Legion knows the ecology of goblins and uses that knowledge to neutralize a group with almost no fighting. Understanding monsters allows you to hunt them more efficiently.

That, I realize, is what Jilboa sees in cooperating with the Baron.

Jilboa breaks my thoughts by asking, “So what’s in it for you? Aren’t you satisfied with just the shoes?”