Chapter 3

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

 

Schmidt excused himself with a brief “I’ll be right back” and departed the room. His mention of retrieving something suggested its importance to their business discussions.

 

The fact that the department head personally handled this task rather than delegating to a subordinate highlighted the current staffing constraints at the base.

 

During Schmidt’s absence, Barnabas seized the opportunity to address Ekuu directly.

 

“I must admit, I never suspected you were Crown’s vice president,” Barnabas said with a gentle smile, though inwardly he felt completely deceived.

 

Ekuu tilted her head slightly, maintaining her own pleasant expression. Whether she understood Barnabas’s underlying sentiment remained unclear.

 

“I haven’t lied to you. My role as receptionist for Wolf Fang is a fact.”

 

“That seems contradictory,” interjected the Anessa Company representative. “Isn’t Wolf Fang under Crown’s umbrella?”

 

Ekuu decisively shook her head. “No. Wolf Fang is a genuine, independent guild recently established here in Seichun. It has never belonged to Crown.”

 

This revelation surprised Barnabas considerably. The seamless transition from Wolf Fang to Crown had led him to assume the guild was originally a Crown subsidiary. The others present appeared equally stunned.

 

The Baltic Company member voiced their collective confusion. “From what we understand, Wolf Fang was acting on Crown’s behalf, correct?”

 

“That’s entirely wrong,” Ekuu replied. “Wolf Fang represents the first guild that Kou-sama created in Seichun.”

 

The Anessa Company representative spoke without thinking. “That’s impossible. Are you claiming he established this guild independently and then relocated Crown here?”

 

Before the representative could voice further objections, Ekuu nodded with a smile. “Precisely. Otherwise, I would never have acted independently in this manner.”

 

Throughout his time in Seichun, Ekuu had performed her receptionist duties for Wolf Fang flawlessly. Such a position would typically be beneath someone of her stature within an organization as vast as Crown. This arrangement implied that the adventurer Kou possessed sufficient influence to personally direct Crown’s deputy director.

 

“That’s… that’s impossible,” Barnabas muttered aloud.

 

He had never encountered anyone capable of personally influencing Crown’s deputy director. Even the Queen of Razequa Amamiya in the Central Continent would lack such power.

 

Observing Barnabas’s skepticism, Ekuu continued, “You’re free to believe or disbelieve, but these are facts. To put it simply, Kou-sama possesses personal assets equivalent to Crown’s annual budget.”

 

“What?” The exclamation came from everyone present except Ekuu.

 

The Central Continent, despite having fewer towns than other continents, remained vast. Crown controlled the entire region and managed over half of all logistics, operating with a budget larger than any trading company and rivaling the national budgets of major countries across all continents. Had anyone other than Ekuu made such a claim about personal wealth, it would have been dismissed as either jest or madness.

 

Understanding the impact of her words, Ekuu allowed Barnabas and the others time to process this information. Just as Barnabas prepared to ask another question, Schmidt returned carrying a package.

 

“Oh? Did I interrupt something?”

 

“Nothing significant,” Ekuu replied. “I was merely explaining that Kou-sama’s assets are comparable to Crown’s annual budget.”

 

Schmidt nodded gravely. “Indeed. That certainly seems within the realm of possibility for him.”

 

Having both Crown’s deputy director and the merchant department head confirm this assessment sent Barnabas and his companions into fresh shock.

 

Seemingly oblivious to their distress, Schmidt settled into his seat and addressed the group. “Before we discuss business, there’s something I’d like you to examine. This also represents that person’s achievement.”

 

Schmidt placed the package on the desk and began unwrapping it, revealing a magical tool designed for preserving liquid materials. This device, developed by Crown, could store liquids for extended periods while maintaining their quality. It had proven useful across numerous applications.

 

Schmidt positioned two of these magical tools before Barnabas and his companions. Initially skeptical, the visitors’ expressions changed as they recognized the implications.

 

All present conducted business in Seichun and knew that the adventurer Kou had reached the 60th Floor. They possessed sufficient intelligence to deduce what he had brought back.

 

“Already?” the Anessa Company employee beside Barnabas whispered, his face reflecting stunned disbelief.

 

Barnabas shared this sentiment. He had expected more time before this development, but such optimism had proven naive.

 

Observing their reactions, Schmidt nodded, apparently deciding that detailed explanations were unnecessary. “Yes. Our business discussion concerns this Aeris Water.”

 

At Schmidt’s confirmation, Barnabas and his companions groaned collectively, and their reaction was entirely justified. Aeris Water represented the most crucial product that each company supplied to their respective national Royal Families. Barnabas’s Minail Company and the other two firms maintained branches in Seichun specifically to secure access to Aeris Water.

 

The three companies had been conducting careful negotiations and employing adventurers to draw water from the single remaining unified Aeris Water source, taking precautions to prevent depletion. The presence of Aeris Water before them meant this delicate balance had been shattered instantly.

 

Schmidt delivered an even more shocking revelation. “We have already located several sources which Aeris Water can be drawn.”

 

“What!?” The three responded in unison, astonished by this seemingly impossible information.

 

Over the years, the number of springs yielding Aeris Water had diminished one by one until only a single source remained. Now they learned that multiple sources existed, not just one. This intelligence alone placed Barnabas and his colleagues at a severe disadvantage against Crown.

 

Naturally, Barnabas anticipated difficult negotiations ahead. As expected, the subsequent discussions proved challenging for his side. Their sole success lay in securing larger quantities of Aeris Water than ever before.

 

However, in terms of water procurement capabilities, the three companies could not compete with Crown. Crown’s adventurer department provided access to high-ranking adventurers at any time. Regarding confidentiality, Crown also maintained clear superiority over Barnabas and his colleagues, who relied on requests to external guilds.

 

This marked the first time Barnabas had experienced such a pronounced disparity between organizational capabilities. The others present undoubtedly shared this sentiment.

 

After negotiations concluded and Ekuu and Schmidt departed, those remaining exchanged glances and released collective sighs of exhaustion.