Published: August 15, 2025
In a certain part of Gimul Town, there is a tavern that bears a sign reading "Closed," yet people still enter.
On this day, nine men visited that place.
They arrived in groups of three; one person would sit at the central table in the tavern, while the other two remained at a table behind them.
One by one, representatives of these groups gathered around the central table, and a tense atmosphere hung over the tavern.
"Wanz... explain yourself. What’s going on here?"
"Yeah, are you just going to stay silent, you silver-tongued conman?"
"Explanation, you say... We admit our plans haven't gone as expected. But it seems you’re in the same boat. Isn’t that right?"
"What did you say!?"
One of the representatives sitting at the leader’s table was Wanz—the man who once formed a group called the Gimul Mid-scale Store Alliance and held meetings where he engaged in heated debates with Ryoma.
Wanz’s provocative response caused one of the representatives to raise his voice, and another clicked his tongue in displeasure, tension rippling through their companions.
But it was the man who clicked his tongue who stepped in to stop things.
"Enough. Arguing here won’t change anything."
"Right. Up until now, I had been successfully gathering merchants and preparing to launch the Gimul Mid-scale Store Alliance as planned..."
"Huh? Hey, what about after the ‘successfully’—"
The man who had raised his voice earlier still tried to push for more, somewhat confrontationally.
"Yes, yes, it was going well... up to a point (…). We did thorough groundwork beforehand, pulled a few people to our side in advance, and had the discussions under my control at the start—but that damn brat stirred everything up."
"...So this guy, I thought he was just a smug jerk, but turns out he’s this kind of guy."
They stepped back, watching Wanz as he muttered curses with a blank expression.
"I expected it, but it really is Ryoma Takebayashi who’s the cause... We’re troubled by that kid too. He sent subordinates disguised as job seekers to pick fights, making the scrutiny on job seekers tougher..."
"You can say that again. When we tried to lure them into wrongdoing by exploiting their financial struggles, hearing that kid was going to hire lots of people gave them hope and made them resist harder. He actually hired hundreds, and there’s another recruitment coming. How much money could he have? Does a laundry service really make that much?"
"Haha, no, that can’t be it. If you look at the recruitment terms, the wages, housing, meals, even medical care for injuries and illnesses are offered—a remarkable package. True, that shop appears prosperous, but it can’t cover the needed funds alone.
Naturally, we’re not the only ones curious about where the funds come from. Rumors say the kid’s inheritance from his grandparents is the source. But it’s too convenient to claim he secretly held onto such an inheritance, and if it were true, no one would just scatter it around like this. If anyone did, they’d be a real saint or an idiot who doesn’t understand the value of money.
It’s clear from the situation that they’re aiming to crush us, acting with the Duke’s household’s orders and funding. That brat is just a decoy, a puppet... well, maybe he’s clever enough for his age to play the role of a puppet convincingly."
Wanz seemed calmer as he spoke, regaining his composure and tone, and the other two nodded in agreement.
"It makes more sense to think the brat isn’t running everything himself. Besides, the Duke’s agents are probably among them. Putting that aside, what now? There’s talk of that security company starting patrols. Won’t it be harder for you ‘thieves’ to operate?"
"It already is... That security company issued warnings through the Guild, revealing most of our targets and methods. Seems like someone over there knows our work well."
"...I see. On our side, some vacant houses in the slums we eyed as hideouts or trade spots have been shut down. Not only that, the entire slum district is getting more open under the pretext of land readjustment."