Chapter 40 – The Best Product (5)
“It seems I’ve heard some news. I’m not sure if it’s related to that elf named Arisa and her village, though.”
“Is it news about the curse?”
“I’m not sure. The only rumor I’ve received is that some village far away from here was completely wiped out for no apparent reason.”
Renia was also keeping a watchful eye using all the contacts she had, and I had asked Ethan to gather news just in case there were any areas experiencing erosion.
Utilizing the networks of our organization’s connections, he actually managed to relay similar news. Of course, there was a possibility that it was completely unrelated gossip, but it was definitely worth looking into.
“I’m going to check on something else for a bit.”
Smiling to myself, I took that news and went to find Renia. Instead of having to move myself, I intended to get Renia, who was already investigating this matter, to verify the facts.
“Could it be that you’ve already heard the news?”
However, when we met again at the rendezvous point after a few days, Renia, who had come at my summons courtesy of the wind spirit, had an excited look and immediately asked if I had heard the news.
“What? You know too?”
“I heard it this morning. It’s about an incident that occurred in a village located on a distant continent to the west, in the Garland region.”
The Garland region she mentioned was part of a continent once referred to as Europe long ago, but Renia claimed that, thanks to her spatial jump ability, the news she warned about had already spread there.
“As I warned, those who observed the anomaly reported it to me immediately using their spatial jump abilities.”
“Is it definitely related to erosion?”
“They will probably investigate it themselves. Since I’ve informed them about the erosion, they will be cautious in their explorations.”
Renia smiled faintly as if to say not to worry. Having already shared the information, she implied it was unlikely that they would fall into danger knowingly.
I couldn’t argue with that. Both she and I had done our best with what we could at the moment.
“If it turns out to be true, it could be quite dangerous, right? If things are happening on the other side of the continent, then the entire world would be at risk.”
“Still, I believe being informed and prepared is the best course of action.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
Her words, with a flick of her tail, were indeed rational. It was far better to act in advance rather than be caught off guard.
“By the way, that’s impressively quick, isn’t it? So you heard the news almost as quickly as the local authorities?”
One thing that surprised me during this experience was Ethan’s substantial information network.
Of course, considering the nature of the underground organizations that didn’t shy away from illegal activities, they would often be ahead of those in the light, but I hadn’t expected it to be to this extent.
“Not to mention, your headquarters is mostly based on this peninsula.”
“While that’s true for our headquarters, our allied organizations and informants are spread across the entire world. With spatial jump capabilities, it’s necessary to avoid falling behind.”
When I praised Ethan and his organization upon returning from meeting Renia, he raised his nose with pride. He even boasted that the fact they actively sent informants to different regions and forged connections and deals was solely his achievement.
“I’m starting to feel a bit greedy.”
Hearing that only fueled my interest further. I had found Ethan’s support quite convenient so far, which made me desire it even more.
“W-What do you mean, greedy?”
“I want to have your organization. It’s quite useful.”
Ethan flinched at my words, but I didn’t hide my intentions. Whether in simple daily life or in situations where specific information was needed, Ethan’s organization was incredibly efficient.
It didn’t particularly matter what business they were involved in; I only wanted their information network, sprawling endlessly under the product of spatial leap civilization.
“U-Um, that is…”
“I’m not saying I want to take your position. I simply want people who can help me whenever I need it. For that, my colleague, you need to rise a little higher, don’t you?”
“With Herman, my rival, having tripped over himself, the chances have increased significantly. There will still be opposing factions trying to keep him in check, but it’s certainly possible.”
Ethan, taken aback by my endorsement, nodded while clearing his throat. The competition among the group leaders to be elected as the new leader was still ongoing behind the scenes.
If it weren’t for that competition, Herman wouldn’t have faltered in his reckless pursuit of elf slaves.
“Is there a leader who dislikes you?”
“With the factions divided, it’s unavoidable.”
He informed me about the faction that did not support him and the leader who followed that faction in response to my question.
Since other leaders were mostly neutral, as long as he could keep the hostile leader and their faction at bay, his promotion was practically assured.
“If that man is left unchecked, it will only prolong the situation and the outcome will be uncertain. So how can we remove that leader?”
I naturally wanted to get rid of that person. Just like disrupting Herman’s plans. Hearing this, Ethan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“We can’t directly harm a leader. It’s different from removing a small group leader.”
“That might be the case in general, but think outside the box. Isn’t it impossible even in this situation?”
I frowned at Ethan, who appeared flustered.
He was ambitious, but he was also cautious and meticulous. Rather than making reckless decisions, he preferred to follow a calculated process, but sometimes boldness is necessary.
“Don’t be confined by common sense. The situation you are in now is precisely a construct of such circumstances.”
“They already know too much about me. Moreover, with Herman, who was at the forefront trying to keep me in check, having fallen, all eyes are likely to be focused on me now, so if I try to do something, the chances they’ll notice right away are…”
As I encouraged him to think outside the box, he suddenly appeared to realize something as he shook his head with a wry smile.
“If I do it right, I might be able to undermine them from within. In a way they would never have imagined.”
“Exactly, just think like that.”
Seeing him shiver as if he had thought of a brilliant method, I applauded in excitement. I knew he was capable, so I believed that if I pushed him, he would come up with a solution.
“So, what idea did you come up with?”
“The leader, Erns. That greedy bastard is a former merchant who dealt in intermediary trade, and he’s obsessed with money and luxury, just like his protruding belly.”
He smirked as if it was amusing and then began to look at me with a strange gaze.
“That guy, being one of the main sources of money for the organization, revels in flaunting the wealth he acquired. Collecting the treasures of the world and tasting the finest delicacies is his lifelong goal and pleasure. So, what would happen if I offered him a bribe of a single product that no one else could procure?”
“W-What? You can’t be serious?”
“I think I know how Herman felt, desperately craving elf slaves.”
He gulped, then sat back in his chair and chuckled as he looked at me.
And upon realizing what he was thinking, I was utterly astonished. I had told him to break convention, and he was the first one to consider throwing me under the bus.
“Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that you plan to sell me out. What about me, who’s left behind if you become the leader?”
“Do you think you can escape on your own?”
“That means you won’t help me.”
Of course, there was a critical flaw in that plan. It was whether I could escape before getting into a dire situation after being sold.
Having had experience so far, I wasn’t lacking in confidence for a fight, but the more I consciously walked into danger, the more insurance I needed.
‘If I can find a sure weakness…’
If I could penetrate their inner circle and catch Erns in a critical vulnerability, I wouldn’t need to fight clumsily.
Rather, I could use it to turn him into Ethan’s lapdog.
“…Erns has a daughter. She’s the only child he had with his late first wife. It is widely known how much he cherishes that daughter.”
“Truly brutal, typical of someone from the underworld. So you plan to take an innocent child as a hostage without hesitation?”
“That is my way of surviving. It’s a cowardly and vile thing to do, but I decided to willingly become trash rather than be the one consumed.”
When I made a joke while smiling, he simply nodded without adding any excuses.
“If that daughter is used correctly, it could lead to an escape. Then let’s give it a try.”
Now that a method had emerged, it was worth attempting.
Perhaps because we had already somewhat successfully executed a plan, I felt quite confident. After all, we were the ones designing everything, so it was bound to be a high-probability gamble.
