Read Novel Full Vol 25 Chapter 1
Vol 25 Chapter 1
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Chapter 1 – Strengthening Plan
A large-scale bandit raid. Through this experience, I became acutely aware that the girls around me had extraordinary abilities. Thanks to their efforts, we overcame the attack and acquired over five thousand criminal slaves. This allowed Gothenburg, a town already showing signs of recovery, to accelerate its rebuilding efforts.
Ten days after the raid.
The chaos of welcoming over five thousand new laborers and their victims finally subsided.
Normally, it would take more than ten days for such chaos to settle. Fortunately, however, our side was unscathed, and the bandits had only a few who were seriously injured. This prevented severe disorder, as they were made criminal slaves without question.
During this time, the interrogation of the bandits turned criminal slaves began. Remarkably, Donatella-san and Mear-san secured about two hundred criminal slaves as spoils of war.
During the battle, it seems that Donatella-san and Mear-san assessed the bandits’ character from the outside while the other girls did so from the inside. Based on these evaluations, they secured individuals who were deemed to have decent character and a certain level of skill.
Given the circumstances of the defeated nation, many had been forced into banditry, which made the selection process relatively smooth.
The most notable figure among them was an unexpected one.
He was the man who, in the final moments, was held hostage by his own band of bandits with a sword pressed to his throat. Then, he was sent flying through the air by Ines’s explosive blast. He had originally been a squire to a knight who served a minor local lord. He had a decent conscience, martial skill, and education.
Because of this, he frequently voiced objections to the bandits’ excessively brutal actions. Eventually, his fellow bandits found his criticism bothersome and ended up using him as a hostage.
The fact that a man with the skill and conscience to speak truth to power among bandits would fall into banditry himself reveals the terrifying nature of war.
Claretta-san neatly healed the wound Ines caused, and now he seems quite cooperative, as if a weight has been lifted.
He became a bandit after losing the knight he served and his family in the war. It’s truly a deep darkness.
Well, ten days have passed since the bandit raid. It’s time to stop running from reality and face what’s right in front of us.
“Um, Donatella-san, Mear-san, what are you planning to do with the two hundred people you captured?”
I finally mustered the courage to ask while serving dessert to Rimu and Pent during dinner aboard the Stronghold.
I know it’s late, but opening the temporary shop in Gothenburg and dealing with the aftermath of the bandits meant that absolute chaos reigned. The atmosphere just wasn’t right for me to ask such questions casually.
Incidentally, Mear-san has been residing on the Stronghold since we signed the official contract.
When we return to the northern continent, she will go back to Gothenburg. However, since she’s gotten used to life aboard the Stronghold, it might be difficult for her. I plan to do my best to prepare a comfortable living environment for her in Gothenburg.
Specifically, I plan to purchase items typically found on ferries and luxury liners.
I’m considering purchasing clothing, daily essentials, beauty products, alcohol, canned goods, and retort pouch meals. While the quality won’t match that of life aboard the ship, I want to make sure she can live reasonably comfortably.
However, I’ll also need to take action for the employees at Toyoumi Trading Company in Beastmen Town, or a disparity might arise. I also want to discuss improving their treatment.
The tricky part is that the Beastmen Town employees have deep local ties. If we favor only the employees, it could cause problems within the town itself.
Rather than constantly improving living conditions, it might be safer to provide money or goods as bonuses at specific points. This is another area that needs discussion.
“We’re talking about two hundred people. First, we plan to utilize fifty of them as assistants to the employees. We’ve recruited personnel with the necessary skills, so they should form the foundation of the Southern Continent branch of the Toyoumi Trading Company.”
I had just started to think about improving employee conditions when Donatella-san answered my question.
Fifty people are a significant number for foundation and support roles. It makes me wonder just how large Donatella-san intends the Southern Continent branch to be. Considering the land we’ve acquired, however, that many people seem necessary, so I’ll refrain from questioning it.
We’ll have two large stores in prime locations, plus a warehouse district and a private dock under construction outside the port. Thinking about it, even fifty people might be too few.
“What about the remaining one hundred and fifty?”
“The Southern Continent is rough territory. We plan to utilize them as security and escort personnel for the guard unit.”
Mear-san answered the next question. Security was definitely necessary. Both the prime location trading company and the warehouse district would undoubtedly be prime targets for people desperate for money.
“That brings me to something I need to discuss with you, Wataru-san. I’d like your help training the escort unit.”
“Huh? Me? …You mean power leveling?”
I was taken aback by Donatella-san’s request, but I understood what she wanted, as the extent of my help was limited.
“May I ask why?”
As a criminal slave, there’s little chance they’ll be freed, so the risk of my abilities being exposed is low.
However, if the guard unit suddenly becomes stronger, suspicion might fall on me. Still, since I plan to live on the northern continent, the risk is minimal. Still, there’s no reason to take that risk, no matter how small.
“Even though the war ended, the southern continent remains unstable. If a merchant guild starts to thrive there, it will become a prime target. Both for bandits and for those in power.”
I can understand bandits, but those in power, too? Yeah, it’s entirely plausible that someone like a magistrate would come after us.
“I see. So, one way to counter that would be to train criminal slaves for protection, right?”
“Yes, while they don’t need the intense training that Mear-san and I undergo, I want the four people being considered for commander-in-chief and the three squad leader positions to aim for around level 150. As for the other members, I want them to reach the high double digits.”
“Four people at level 150 and 150 others in the high double digits? That sounds less like a guard unit and more like a mercenary group.”
That’s 150 C-rank adventurers. Four B-rank individuals will lead them.
For people like Alessia-san and her group, it’s an easily manageable level range. However, from the general public’s perspective, it becomes a fairly powerful military force.
“That’s right. It’s a military force that would make most factions hesitate to interfere. Since we’ll establish a strong cooperative relationship with the city of Gothenburg, we’ll become a force that not even the nation itself can carelessly provoke.”
“The nation itself…? No, that’s precisely the point, isn’t it?”
“Yes, right now, the victorious nations seem preoccupied with their own affairs. But once things settle, they’ll surely come to claim their share of the spoils, using their authority as victors. If that happens and we don’t have the means to counter them, we’ll just be plundered.”
That’s why we’re training criminal slaves. Their character has been verified, and, since they’re criminal slaves, they can’t betray us. That’s a big factor—even if we give them powerful military strength, we can still control them.
If we were training ordinary people off the street, even Donatella-san and the others would have hesitated.
“…Understood. I’ll train the executive candidates that Mear-san selects for the Southern Continent branch of Toyoumi Trading Company, along with four captain-class members, up to level 200. Regular members will be trained up to level 150. It’s better to be safe than sorry, since stronger is always more reassuring. However, I’ll have them sign a confidentiality contract with the God of Commerce-sama.”
I believe the criminal slave contract should suffice, but I want to add more restrictions just to be safe.
It’ll probably mean more paperwork, but I’m just sending the ship out. Alessia-san and the others will handle the actual training, so that much shouldn’t be a problem.
The real issue is time. We’ll need to consider efficiency, or our stay on the Southern Continent could drag on considerably. I’ll have to discuss that with Alessia-san and the others.
“I appreciate it, but are you sure you want to go this far? It will significantly increase the time needed for leveling up, you know?”
“Well, going from 100 to 150 does require a lot of experience, so it’s definitely a hassle.”
“It would be heartbreaking if Gothenburg, which we worked so hard to rebuild, were destroyed again. I think this is where we need to push through. Besides, we still need monster materials. If we think of it as combining that collection, it’s not a problem.”
It’s better to be safe than sorry, and having more safeguards means less worry when we leave the Southern Continent.
“Thank you, Wataru-sama.”
Mear-san bows deeply in gratitude. She seems to have realized that I was worried about leaving her behind. I think her faith in me just increased.
“Fufu, capturing prisoners is still entirely possible. How about we increase our numbers and take over the country? If we add more people and level up, it could be done, right?”
“A country is way beyond my capabilities. Huh? You’re joking, right?”
I dismissed Donatella-san’s suggestion with laughter, but her eyes were serious.
“Of course it’s a joke, but if that’s what you desire, Wataru-san, I’ll give it my all.”
“No, that’s quite enough.”
I almost casually said, “Then please do,” but I sensed the terrifying possibility that she might actually start working on it.
The fact that it could actually succeed was even more frightening. Even in Beastmen Town, I was on the verge of running away—or rather, I had already run away, in a sense. A country? That’s no joke.
Wataru’s Great Adventure: The Founding Chapter? No thanks.
“I see. Well, that’s only natural. Once the preparations are complete, Wataru-san, I’ll count on you for the leveling up.”
Was that a slightly disappointed look an act?
“Understood. I’ll get ready.”
I felt like there was something scary in there, but for now, I’ll consider Gothenburg’s reconstruction somewhat on track.
Once we secure monster materials, build two shops, a warehouse district, and a dedicated dock, and strengthen the acquired personnel, the business network follow-up will be complete.
In Gothenburg and the Adventurers’ Guild—they’re practically the same organization now—they’ve already started utilizing the acquired personnel.
Accompanied by criminal slaves deemed dangerous offenders, they venture outside the town to hunt monsters, gather medicinal herbs and other materials, and secure timber and stone.
If this momentum continues unhindered, a substantial commercial network will likely expand outward from Gothenburg. Merchants are resilient when it comes to profit.
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