The Gillen Merchant Guild. It was one of the five most famous merchant guilds in the empire and had established a branch in Blackout, living up to its reputation.
Chloe Gillen was the branch manager of this Black Forest branch. She sighed as she reviewed the report that had just come to her.
“The number of goblins in the Black Forest has far exceeded our expectations…”
It was a follow-up report on the recent failed goblin subjugation. Even now, the memory of that time sent a chill down Chloe’s spine.
“I thought it was just goblins and was ready to invest heavily… We really dodged a bullet.”
Usually, when such subjugation campaigns occurred, the commander would seek investments from those nearby. If the subjugation was successful, the investors would receive a portion of the rewards, but if it failed, they would lose everything they had invested.
“I almost gambled on it because my recent performance was not good … It was just as he said, wasn’t it?”
A low-ranking mercenary mage with black hair. That mage with whom Chloe had developed a connection through certain circumstances had participated in the subjugation and predicted its failure.
When she recalled his remarkable analytical skills from before, Chloe had decided to cancel all investments in the subjugation. This allowed her to avoid huge losses.
“Now the problem is how to turn this situation to our advantage…”
They had managed to avoid disaster by chance, but it couldn’t end there.
As a merchant, Chloe knew she had to find a way to profit, even in situations like this.
“The sale of supplies prepared in case of failure is going well, but it’s not enough.”
Chloe had started the succession process later than her other siblings, and because of that, if she didn’t show overwhelming results, she would inevitably fall behind.
Knowing this all too well, Chloe bit her lips as she considered other options. At that moment—
“Lady Chloe, that mage has come to see you.”
“What? Speak of the devil and he shall appear, as they say. Let him in right away… No, actually, have him wait for about ten minutes. I have other matters to attend to.”
Though she was young, Chloe was fully aware that as a branch manager, she shouldn’t let the other party think she was in a hurry.
“Humm humm, as a merchant, I should always present myself neatly…”
Chloe stood in front of the mirror and began combing her hair in a hurry.
***
“Welcome. I heard reports that you returned alive, but you look perfectly fine in person.”
Jun who was greeted warmly by Chloe entered the office and waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t even mention it. I barely escaped death multiple times.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
Exaggerating? She wouldn’t say that if she’d faced a golem up close.
“By the way, who’s with you?”
At Chloe’s question, Aiden bowed his head and introduced himself.
“I’m Aiden, a member of the White Whale Mercenary Group.”
“Nice to meet you. But the White Whale Mercenary Group? I heard they disbanded. Weren’t you the only survivor?”
“Correction. This guy and I were the only ones who made it. And I took over the mercenary group.”
“Oh?”
Chloe’s interest was piqued.
She had known Jun for over half a year. During that time, Jun had avoided getting directly involved whenever possible.
“Are you okay with it now?”
“Yeah. Enough time has passed since then. It’s time I started taking action myself.”
“…I see. So you’re personally getting involved now.”
Chloe showed interest for a moment but then quickly changed the subject.
“So, why did you come to see me?”
“What else? I’m here to pitch an investment.”
“An investment… You want me to invest in a newly formed mercenary group?”
“No. Not in me. Invest in the person you originally intended to support.”
“…What?”
As Jun’s words sank in, Chloe fell into thought for a moment then narrowed her eyes sharply.
“So, this was your plan all along?”
“No, I originally intended to gather the members one by one.”
After he said this, Jun gestured toward Aiden.
“But I managed to find a decent vanguard. This changes things, doesn’t it? Now we can raise the mercenary group’s reputation and recruit more members without any problem.”
“Ha, unbelievable.”
Chloe’s glaring eyes were anything but ordinary, but Jun responded with his usual weary smile.
“Still, it’s nice that you catch on quickly.”
“You want to use me as a broker.”
“What’s so bad about that? The income you earned this time isn’t enough, is it? You need results, don’t you?”
Though Chloe found his nonchalant attitude, as if he knew everything, to be very annoying, she couldn’t deny his words.
“Tch. This is why smart guys are so annoying.”
“You do realize you’re insulting yourself, right?”
“Enough. Just wait for now. I need to think this over.”
At the order to go out and wait, Jun shrugged his shoulders and walked out with Aiden.
“Um, senior. What exactly is going on here?”
Aiden who had been silently listening finally asked, and Jun answered him.
“It’s simple. I told her to invest in the commander who led this subjugation.”
“…What?”
***
“Originally, Chloe had planned to invest in the commander who led this subjugation.”
“Invest, you say…”
“Blackout is too vast a land for the Empire to monopolize. That’s why they’ve been working on it for such a long time, and naturally, the budget is limited. Because of this, the imperial family has allowed civilians to invest in the missions they are carrying out.”
When a mission funded by investments is successfully completed, a portion of the resulting profits goes to the investors.
This means that one could potentially earn enormous profits from a single investment.
It’s no wonder merchants have flocked to Blackout.
Even now, merchants are waging life-and-death battles with swords made of money behind the scenes.
“Most merchants, including Chloe, decided to invest in this goblin subjugation. Who would back out of a goblin subjugation? Naturally, they assumed it would be a success.”
If the subjugation succeeded, they would have the right to occupy the region at least until the end of this year.
In other words, they would have a certain level of monopoly.
“…. The subjugation failed. But if the Gillen Merchant Guild had invested in it, it would have been a substantial amount.”
The Gillen Merchant Guild was one of the Empire’s top five merchant guilds. Naturally, the investment amount would have been significant.
“That’s right. That’s why it was tricky.”
“Tricky, you say?”
“It means the subjugation wasn’t completely blocked from the start but almost faltered midway.”
If Chloe’s investment had gone through, far more mercenaries would have been mobilized in the previous subjugation.
Not only that, but the troops’ equipment would have been prepared with much better gear.
They might have advanced much deeper.
“Wouldn’t that have been a good thing?”
“No. No matter how much Chloe invested, it would have been difficult. That’s why I said it was tricky. If something had happened deeper inside, you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”
“…Are there really that many goblins?”
“Goblins, yes, but the real problem is that there’s a king in that forest.”
“A king…?”
“A Goblin Lord. That’s what I’m talking about.”
***
In the end, Chloe accepted Jun’s proposal.
The negotiations took three days.
Since a large sum of money was at stake, Chloe bombarded him with questions to a degree that could only be described as relentless, and Jun succeeded in convincing her by providing appropriate answers.
“Let me remind you; the opponent may be a fallen noble, but he’s still a commander with noble blood. And the commander he follows is a noble who is deeply involved in central imperial politics. Keep that in mind.”
“I feel like you’ve told me that five times already.”
“Then I’ll tell you a sixth time, so be careful.”
“Alright, alright, I get it.”
On the well-paved road.
At the end of their journey, the place where the Gillen Merchant Guild’s carriage arrived was a huge building located at the heart of the Black Forest Fortress.
While the previous building of the Gillen Merchant Guild had given off a luxurious vibe, this place gave off a strong and solid feeling like a pyramid.
“What brings you here?”
“I am Chloe Gillen of the Gillen Merchant Guild. I have an appointment with Commander Ginovan.”
“The Gillen Merchant Guild… Please wait a moment.”
Soon, after they were guided by a soldier, Jun and Chloe entered the building and met with Commander Ginovan at the scheduled time.
“Pleasure to meet you. I am Ginovan Edmiller.”
The young commander who had just recently graduated from the military academy was clearly disciplined.
He looks just like the fresh platoon leaders I used to see on Earth. Maybe even more disciplined.
But perhaps due to the recent failed subjugation, there was a faint weariness on his face.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Chloe Gillen of the Gillen Merchant Guild.”
“Hmm. The granddaughter of the Golden Hand, I see. As beautiful as the rumors say.”
“You flatter me.”
“And this gentleman is?”
“I am Jun, in charge of the White Whale Mercenaries.”
“A mercenary group… Well, please, have a seat.”
It was unclear whether Ginovan didn’t recognize the name of the White Whale Mercenaries or if he just assumed it was a coincidence that they shared the same name.
Ginovan then turned to Chloe and asked her,
“I hear you’re interested in investing.”
“Yes. Just as I mentioned in the letter.”
“Before we proceed, I have one question. From what I understand, the Gillen Merchant Guild initially expressed interest in investing but then withdrew. What made you change your mind now?”
On the surface, it seemed like a casual question but there was a sharp edge to it.
If the Gillen Merchant Guild had invested, the subjugation would have been more stable.
However, Chloe answered without a hint of change in her expression.
“I thought the returns wouldn’t justify the investment. Besides, you’ve already secured substantial investments from others.”
In truth, she had refrained from investing based on Jun’s advice. Since the latter predicted the subjugation would fail. However, her statement wasn’t entirely false either.
The returns wouldn’t have been significant compared to the investment.
“That’s true. I also thought the amount we had was sufficient for the subjugation.”
He’s agreeing faster than I expected.
People who make mistakes usually try to shift the blame onto someone else.
But Ginovan didn’t do that.
Because of this, Jun held the commander before him in high regard.
“But isn’t it too late to invest now?”
“On the contrary, isn’t now the perfect time? The greater the risk, the greater the return.”
“Haha, so this is the granddaughter of the Golden Hand. You certainly have the courage.”
Due to this failure, Ginovan lost not only the trust of the mercenaries but also his credibility with the merchants.
The failure of the subjugation caused him to squander all the investments he had received from them.
As a result, the only merchant still willing to invest in him was Chloe right here.
If the subjugation that was to be carried out again with her help succeeded, it would bring her huge returns.
“But it seems you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“What do you mean?”
“The authority over this subjugation operation has already been transferred to another commander. It’s under Commander Dortagon’s orders now.”
“Aha…”
For a very brief moment, Chloe’s gaze shifted to Jun.
It wasn’t a look of reproach, but rather one of mild surprise.
Jun had predicted this during their previous meeting.
“So, it was as expected.”
“… As expected?”
Chloe readily acknowledged her mistake when she sensed the displeasure in his question. His tone seemed as if he was asking if she had expected him to be removed.
“Oh, I apologize. I don’t doubt your capabilities as a commander. However, after conducting some research, I found that the number of goblins in the Black Forest far exceeds our expectations. I thought a new subjugation operation might be in the works because of that.”
“Hmm…”
“But you haven’t yet started recruiting mercenaries on a large scale, right?”
“That’s correct. I’ve been advising the commander on that matter as well…”
“Perhaps you suspect the presence of a Goblin Lord?”
“Indeed… Your insight is as sharp as your family’s reputation suggests.”
Just as Chloe had mentioned, Ginovan also suspected the existence of a Goblin Lord.
The organized movements of the goblins in the Black Forest clearly indicated they were operating under a well-defined command structure.
If the goblins had merely relied on sheer numbers, Ginovan wouldn’t have been so easily overwhelmed.
“If you’ve thought that far, then it makes sense. You’re correct. Facing a Goblin Lord requires thorough preparation.”
It might seem like an overreaction when they were facing mere goblins, but the power a Goblin Lord possessed was not something to be taken lightly.
Once a clear command structure was established, the difficulty would increase considerably and their numbers would become overwhelming.
It was similar in the game. The Goblin Lord was a nightmare for newbies who underestimated goblins.
Therefore, Jun could fully understand Ginovan’s reaction.
“But the commander says it’s still too early to make a definitive conclusion.”
It wasn’t because the commander was incompetent.
There was simply a good reason behind it.
Chloe pointed out that very reason.
“Indeed, it’s too soon for a Goblin Lord to appear.”
***
The Goblin Lord is considered a field boss.
However, a field boss doesn’t appear at just anytime; there’s a specific cycle.
That cycle coincides with the emergence of the Area Lord.
Area Lord.
They were a type of region-specific raid monsters. And field monsters typically appear just before the emergence of such an Area Lord.
In the case of the Black Forest, it takes the form of a huge and stationary spirit-type monster known as the “Forest Guardian”.
However, the appearance of the Forest Guardian was still months away.
Naturally, it was far too early for a field boss like the Goblin Lord to appear.
“That’s why the commander is skeptical about the emergence of a Goblin Lord.”
The failure this time was likely seen as the recklessness of Ginovan who was still just a novice commander.
Other commanders probably mocked his failure and dismissed his claims.
“In any case, I haven’t just lost the trust of mercenaries and merchants.”
Ginovan let out a bitter smile. He was implying she had come to the wrong person.
“What if you could restore your tarnished honor and bring back solid evidence of the Goblin Lord’s existence?”
Chloe’s clear voice rang in Ginovan’s ears.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. I’m a merchant, after all. I’m skilled at turning crises into opportunities. It’s a quality any good merchant should have, right? Of course, I’m not offering a gamble. But if you could restore your honor and present credible evidence… could you convince the commander?”
“……Well, that goes without saying.”
“Fufu, then Commander Ginovan, you’re in luck. This mercenary here has brought the solution.”
When Chloe’s gaze shifted to Jun, Ginovan’s attention finally turned to him who had been left standing there like a bystander.
He sensed that the timing was right and so Jun also began to speak.
“First, if it’s evidence you’re looking for, I have it right here.”
With a firm voice, Jun placed the box he had brought with him onto the table.
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