Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 119

After several days of gathering information, I learn various details about the double-chinned man. His name is Urbano. He lives in a mansion in the second district, where he has a room in a separate building.

Within his family, which has produced many officials, Urbano is not considered particularly capable. He has held a managerial position in the Adventurers’ Guild for about five years. It seems he is aiming for a transfer to another official post, but his poor performance and personal issues with women are problematic. Recently, he has been infatuated with a high-class courtesan and has been spending a significant amount of money on her.

However, the courtesan shows little interest in him. For a high-class courtesan who deals with nobles, someone like Urbano, a third-rate bureaucrat, lacks sufficient power or wealth.

“Well, he’s being played with,” Anne, who gathered the information, scoffs. Anne, who is seeking a patron for her theater company, has a very clear standard for judging men—they either have money or they don’t.

According to Anne, Urbano doesn’t measure up. By the way, I’m on the borderline, she says. I need to put in a bit more effort.

“I have high hopes for your future,” Anne evaluates me. During this discussion, Sara stands behind me, smiling and pinching my side.

As for the noble who oversees the Adventurers’ Guild, we know the name is Arban, but the details remain unknown. We’ll continue to investigate that, but first, we need to decide what to do about Urbano.

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“What are you planning to do with that double-chinned man?” Sara asks as I formulate a strategy based on the gathered information.

“Well… Changing Urbano’s behavior isn’t actually that difficult,” I say.

“Really?!” Sara exclaims in surprise.

“Yes. The quickest way would be to coerce him into doing what we want.”

“Coerce him… What? Can you actually do something so outrageous?”

“Certainly. When we compare Urbano to us, what he lacks is the power of direct violence. It’s not just Urbano; it’s the same with Roro. Bureaucrats may be well-versed in the law, but they are weak against violence. The Sword Fangs Legion’s military power is an outstanding force in this city. Jilboa is starting to accumulate a power that the city’s bureaucrats and nobles can’t easily contain.”

“Huh… So, Kenji, are you planning to threaten him into compliance?”

Sara looks at me with some unease. Don’t worry, I dislike and am not skilled at violence either. Besides, we’re only discussing the theoretical possibility.

“No. While it’s possible to temporarily coerce him with violence, there’s a risk of turning Urbano’s entire family, and by extension, the noble class, against us. So, it’s a last resort.”

“That’s true! Well, I did think it might be nice to give him a little punch, but it’s better to avoid that.” Sara says, somewhat disappointed, while clenching and opening her fists. It seems she has more or less come to terms with her feelings from our last meeting.

“Another option is to use money to make him comply.”

“Money… Do we even have that much?”

“Well, we have enough to bribe a poor bureaucrat like Urbano. We don’t need to support his whole lifestyle. If he agrees to do something, we could give him a small gift. It’s a common practice among merchants.”

“Um… So, should we do that?”

“We might have to if there are no other options. However, I’d prefer not to. Monetary demands start small but can escalate, and if you refuse, it could lead to resentment. If it’s exposed during an audit, we might face charges too. It’s not a very wise approach. Urbano might get carried away.”

“That’s true, that double-chinned man seems like the type to get carried away.”

“Besides, if we give him money, he’ll likely just spend it on that high-class courtesan, right? I’m against wasting money.”

“Yes, wasting money is not acceptable!” Sara nods vigorously and looks at me. “So! Kenji, you must have a plan, right? Stop being mysterious and tell me!”

Did it sound like I was being evasive? I thought we were discussing each method together.

“Do you remember the story about the landowner and the tenant farmer we talked about the other day?”

Seeing Sara nod, I continue.

“I plan to promote that double-chinned tenant to a higher position.”