Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 73

The caravan parking area is bustling and full of energy. Merchants shake their heads and make grand gestures to secure better trading conditions, porters carry heavy and expensive loads that seem almost to break their backs, adventurers head out in armor with their spears and bows, and horses pulling carriages neigh.

In front of us, a large man is shouting loudly. This is Gooljin, a former member of the Sword Fangs Legion who now leads a major city-to-city caravan.

“Hey, Gooljin, business seems to be going well as ever,” Swiberry calls out casually.

“Eh!?” Gooljin turns around with a booming voice that hits our eardrums even louder. “What the hell!! What’s the deputy leader of the Sword Fangs Legion doing here!!”

“It’s not me who has business with you,” Swiberry says, pointing to me. 

I look Gooljin in the eye and raise my voice to match his. “I’m Kenji! I’ve come with a profitable opportunity for you today!”

Men like Gooljin dislike indecisive people and arguments. They prefer hearing useful information out loud.

The gaze that had been passing over me and ignoring me until now shows a slight sign of interest. “Swiberry, who is this?”

“He’s Kenji. He might not be very skilled, but he’s knowledgeable. Thanks to him, the Sword Fangs Legion has been doing quite well lately.”

Gooljin’s voice conveys an increased level of interest. “What has he done? Does it have something to do with the clan’s recent success?”

I recognize this action. The attitude is one of someone facing trouble and wanting to consult but being hindered by their pride.

“If you want to discuss a profitable opportunity, we can’t do it here. It’d be problematic if secrets leaked out. Why don’t we go somewhere quiet?” I suggest. As expected, Gooljin quietly agrees and follows.

If I can skillfully draw out the details of his troubles and solve them, I might be able to negotiate more favorably.

As I walk, I observe Gooljin’s caravan and listen to his story. I notice one of the carriages is new, and its wood is unusually light compared to the others.

“It looks like you’ve added more new carriages. Business must be good?” I ask.

Gooljin replies with a voice that sounds like he is chewing on something sour. “That one’s a replacement for a carriage we lost before. When you have eight carriages in a caravan, some will inevitably fall behind. Not all routes are open and clear. Carriages get isolated and attacked due to reasons like dense forests, mountain paths, and tired horses.”

“Isn’t it because the monsters are strong and you’re sacrificing the rear carriage to escape?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re made up of retired members of the Sword Fangs Legion and top-notch fighters from combat clans. The attacking monsters are mostly goblins at worst. The issue is their numbers. When a carriage is isolated, we don’t have enough hands to defend it, so the cargo and carriage get taken.”

“Hmmm,” I reply, giving an acknowledging nod. “I think I might be able to do something about that.”

Gooljin glares at me, probably feeling his pride is wounded.

So, I turn to Swiberry and ask, “Hey, the Sword Fangs Legion also conducts marches, right?”

“Of course. We operate as a single unit. That’s why we undergo rigorous training.” he replied

“How do you organize the marching order?”

“First come the sword-and-shield soldiers, then the axe-and-spear soldiers, and finally the crossbowmen.”

“And why is that?”

“For combat purposes. Maintaining formation is crucial to preserving the clan’s combat effectiveness.”

“What happens if you march in the reverse order?”

“The formation would spread out and become ineffective.”

“And why is that?” I ask.

“Crossbowmen are the lightest and fastest, followed by the axe-and-spear soldiers. The sword-and-shield soldiers have heavier equipment and move slower,” Gooljin explains.

By now, it seems that not just Swiberry but also Gooljin and Sara are starting to understand the point.

“So, we should put the slowest people at the front!” Sara exclaimed

“Exactly. The speed of the group needs to match the slowest member. So, it’s better to place them at the very front. It goes against intuition, but a group moves more efficiently when arranged in order of slowest to fastest,” I explain. I look at Gooljin with a challenging expression.

The large Gooljin frowns and asks Swiberry, “Hey, who’s this guy?”

Swiberry laughs, snorting with amusement. “Our captain and I thought the same thing. We wondered, ‘What’s with this guy?’”

“I said it too!” Sara chimes in, raising her hand energetically.

“Well then, let’s at least hear about this profitable opportunity,” Gooljin finally seems ready to listen.