Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 355

Since Father Nicolo was the one who sent them, the two clergymen were likely talented young individuals.

However, being on the path to success from a young age in an organization like the church — where competition is fierce — often has its drawbacks. Some tend to unquestioningly adopt the church’s internal values as those of society as a whole.

At least, that was the case with the deacons I trained last time.

To prevent such misunderstandings this time, I decided to have them form teams with people who had different values from the start.

“First of all, please introduce yourselves briefly to each other.”

The two clergymen stumbled here as well. They struggled to explain themselves clearly — much like the company’s craftsmen.

In contrast, Sara, a former adventurer, and the two members from the Sword Fangs Legion handled it well.

Adventurers are skilled at introducing themselves quickly and clearly. This ability comes from their frequent need to form temporary parties, where swift introductions are crucial. Those who can’t introduce themselves well often don’t survive as adventurers — unless they possess an exceptional skill or strong reputation.

At this point, the two clergymen seemed to grow anxious, realizing that things were different outside their usual environment.

I wasn’t intentionally being harsh, but they were undoubtedly experiencing firsthand the simple truth that everyone has strengths and weaknesses — and that some values and skills don’t translate well outside the church.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

“We are about to take office as magistrates in the territory assigned to us by the church, but we currently have no accurate data about the area.”

Upon hearing this, five of them — everyone except Sara — reacted with shock.

“That can’t be! This territory belongs to the church, so there should be charity records!” said Deacon Paperino.

“That’s right. Tax figures can’t be falsified, so we should be able to check the ledger,” added Luc, a young man from the legion whom I recalled came from a merchant family.

I made a mental note that these two seemed comfortable with numbers.

“You’re right,” I said, first affirming their points before adding a warning. “We don’t have the records on hand, but they’re out there somewhere. However, we won’t get them unless we request them. And simply asking for them won’t guarantee accurate figures.

“So, we’ll start by gathering materials. What materials should we collect? Where can we find them? What evidence do we have to confirm their accuracy? Is there any testimony that could support those materials?

“Make a plan for your investigative activities. We’ll hear your results in three days. Discuss thoroughly with your team. We’re always open to questions.”

Anyone who’s done investigative work knows that the information you seek rarely exists in an ideal form.

That’s why it’s crucial to ask yourself what exactly you need to know. As long as they kept that question in mind, they’d be able to approach the investigation in various ways.

First, they’d have to face the difficulty of the task — and then I’d see how well they could demonstrate intellectual flexibility.

It may be a high hurdle for their first challenge, but that’s precisely what I expect from them.