Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 104

As we leave the audience chamber and head to the waiting room, Jilboa speaks up.

“Kenji, was that acceptable?”

“Yeah, it was sufficient.”

Our strategy against the enemy’s attack is to neutralize their top leader before they can react. If the enemy is using their top leader’s authority to attack, we need to address the top leader directly. This is an interesting aspect of organizational dynamics: when the top leader faces outward, they often go to extremes to protect the organization’s reputation, but when facing inward, they generally focus on maintaining internal control.

In more colloquial terms, it’s like the difference between saying, ‘If this keeps up, the organization’s reputation will be completely ruined! We need to go all out!!’ and ‘I’ve settled the matter! Anyone who has objections, speak up now!’

This time, we use the organization’s external face and poor communication to our advantage. We ensure to talk to the top leader before their subordinates’ actions reach them, forcing the leader to control their subordinates’ excesses to preserve their reputation.

During the audience, we secure the Count’s endorsement of the Sword Fangs Legion’s shoe manufacturing, as evidenced by the gifts we present. Naturally, we display replicas of the luxurious shoes we offered to the Count in the workshop to showcase his approval.

The enemy cannot openly interfere with the shoe business because that would undermine the Count’s reputation. Any direct violent intervention would be thwarted by the Sword Fangs Legion.

We may need to present different shoes each year, but this is a small cost for ensuring security. It buys us time until the business grows significantly.

However, I anticipate that the enemy likely will not resort to direct violence. If they intended to do that, they would have done it from the start. The current attack is either just a probe or they simply don’t have the power to mobilize openly—one or the other.

As we follow the officer down the hall, I notice a sculpture that wasn’t there when we arrived. It seems we are being directed somewhere else and not toward the waiting room.

I glance sharply at the guiding officer, but since they have their back to me, I can’t read their expression.

“Jilboa,” I whisper to get his attention.

“Yeah, I got it,” Jilboa responds, lightly tapping the hilt of his sword.

You might be fine with whatever comes, but I’m unarmed…

After walking for a few minutes, mentally bracing myself for a possible ambush, we are indeed led into a different room from the waiting room.

“Please wait here,” the officer says, opening the door to the room.

Isn’t it the officer’s job to open the door?

“This seems different from the waiting room we were in earlier,” I say, trying to buy some time with a question.

“When you leave, you will be asked to wait here,” the officer replies.

What a lie. I have already researched the audience process beforehand and have never heard of such a procedure. Damn it, I forgot to bribe the guiding officer.

“What should we do?” Jilboa asks.

“We have a chance to see the other party’s face. Let’s graciously accept the invitation.”

Jilboa’s calm response surprises the officer, but there is no time to indulge in the confusion of such a minor official.

What awaits beyond the door? A crowd of assassins jumping out at us, or guards lined up with spears? It would be nice if a group of upper-class beauties, intrigued by the wild charm of a lowly man, were waiting for us.

Well then, the second round of the audience with the nobleman begins.