Chapter 32
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Secretly and Greatly (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ultimately, the contact with the merchant guild fell to me and Lumia. After all, we were supposed to go out to buy furniture anyway.
The problem, however, were the 'thugs' who had been associated with Rex.
If Rex himself said that the thugs had put a price on his head, we might have our tails stepped on the moment we entered the city.
So, I—
"How is this? Do I look a bit different?"
"...Wow."
Lumia let out a short exclamation of admiration.
"The black hair suits you well, too."
I had dyed my hair last night. And it was black.
Fortunately, dyes existed in this world too. Well, since it's set in the late 18th century, it would be strange if they didn't.
Of course, since it was water-soluble, the color would wash off just by rinsing my hair in the river.
But that was enough for a short trip to the city.
We weren't planning on staying there for days, just stopping by furniture stores and raw material shops for a look.
Lumia also decided to wrap herself in a robe to hide her conspicuous silver hair.
On top of that, she wore the simplest designed clothes possible, making her look no different from a porter.
"With this getup, as long as no one looks too closely, there's no way we'll be found out."
"They're a bunch of blockheads anyway, so even if they look closely, they won't notice."
"I-I see..."
"Yes, of course."
I said to Lumia with a grin. It was a tradition of possession stories that a simple disguise was enough to hide one's identity.
"By the way, how do we get to the city?"
"The Battalion Commander said he would prepare a carriage. He told us to wait and then load the materials onto it."
"A carriage too?"
"Since the Military Police are involved, it seems they're providing firm support."
They said external carriages might draw attention, so we decided to ride the military logistics carriage that Battalion Commander Rockheart personally provided.
Since it was a carriage operated directly by the Battalion Commander, it was practically like riding in his personal car.
'He really has a nose for smelling out opportunities for merit.'
Thinking about it again, he really was an easy man to read.
Since I had already scored quite a few points with Rockheart, his personality was actually quite beneficial for me.
'You have to climb the right ladder from the greenhorn days if you want to rise to better places.'
But that was only true when the results were good.
If the results weren't good, the risk of facing a backlash was even greater.
High expectations meant high disappointment, so in the end, it would be decided with 'I knew it,' and I might never get another chance.
I have no intention of ending things that way.
The beginning may be a failure, but the end shall be glorious.
Since I've inadvertently stepped into the military again, shouldn't I at least try to climb to the position I've dreamed of?
I'll become the 'true' hero of this weak nation, caught between powerful countries and unable to move.
"Shall we get going then?"
"Yes, Platoon Leader."
A second chance had come.
Unlike the last time, where I was just swept along, this time it was my turn to achieve a perfect result with my own hands.
Gulp.
I swallowed my dry saliva. Lumia, standing next to me, also seemed a little tense.
"The 3rd Magic Battalion, you say?"
"Yes, we're here to procure materials for repairing the barracks."
"Hmm...! Pass!!"
The guard guarding the city's entrance scrutinized my appearance, then opened the way. I was finally able to wipe away the anxiety I had felt for a moment.
Clatter, clatter.
As the carriage, which had stopped for a moment, entered the city, Lumia also let out the breath she had been holding.
"Puhah, they're checking us more thoroughly than usual."
"Didn't I tell you? It's a hundred percent local collusion."
The security force in charge of guarding Cherno City and the criminal organizations had formed a symbiotic relationship.
That was my conclusion.
If the thugs are acting so brazenly and even threatening the military, they must have a backer at least as powerful as the city security force.
Only then could they control the city to some extent.
They bribe the security force, and the security force turns a blind eye to their criminal activities.
In return, the thugs secure their interests without physically harming the citizens as much as possible, and they wreak havoc on outsiders who aren't protected internally.
That was how Cherno City's society functioned.
'This screams K-style, no matter who looks at it.'
It was the same even when I was dispatched to the front lines for a while. A PC bang was charging 2,000 won an hour.
And it wasn't even in Gangnam.
But that was the same not only for the soldiers but also for people coming from the outside.
Here and there, they were sacrificing the soldiers and outsiders to fill their own pockets.
"There's no word about Sergeant Rex yet, but the guys we took care of last time with Sergeant Bell will be keeping an eye out."
"Seriously... what do they think soldiers are?"
"If things go wrong, we can just flip the table. Those guys won't know our identities anyway."
"Keuk, is that so?"
At the joke I threw in to lighten the mood, Lumia let out a light laugh. I looked at her and let out a new sentiment.
"Sergeant Lumia, you look good when you smile."
"Huh?"
"Sergeant Lumia, you've been told you have a cold expression just like me, haven't you? When you smile, that feeling disappears completely."
"Th-that. Um, is that so...? Thank you."
Lumia seemed a little flustered, mumbling before lowering her head.
Her shy reaction was quite amusing.
"Platoon Leader, we've arrived at the city carriage station. From here, you'll have to move on foot."
Just then, the carriage stopped, and the soldier sitting on the driver's seat said.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Thank you."
Lumia and I expressed our gratitude and jumped off the carriage.
"If you go a little to the right from here, you'll see the 'Guild' building right away. This station is also part of the Merchant Guild."
As the driver said, just around the corner, there was a crowd of people. They were dressed in colorful, high-quality clothes and were chatting noisily.
Anyone could see it was the front yard of the Merchant Guild.
'It's one of the few civilian forces that can be contacted in the Hojoe.'
The Merchant Guild, the Mercenary Agency, and the Magic Tower.
If it's not related to military or political matters, the only civilian forces that can be used are those three.
Among them, the Merchant Guild was useful for procuring and transporting military supplies, as well as securing funds.
So, it was a force I had used frequently as well.
Last time, I mainly roamed around the workshop street and the central commercial district, so I must have overlooked it.
"Should we procure the materials first? We can look at the furniture slowly anyway."
"I think that's a good idea."
As we confidently opened the door and entered the Merchant Guild, a man dressed in rough clothes blocked the path.
"What is your business?"
His outfit was finished with metal materials in places, and he wore a sword at his waist.
At a glance, he looked like a security guard managing the guild.
"We're from the 3rd Magic Battalion. We've come to sign a contract for materials for building renovations."
"Ah, you're from a nearby unit? Could you perhaps show me your ID?"
"I don't have an ID, but I have a letter from the Battalion Commander."
I handed the document I had prepared in advance to the guard. It was a solid proof document, clearly stamped with the signature of Battalion Commander Rockheart Cromwell and the seal of the 3rd Battalion.
"This should be enough."
The guard subtly stepped back and cleared the way. Since it wasn't a fake forgery, there was no reason to feel intimidated.
'But where do we go now?'
Actually, in the game, the Merchant Guild was an element that could be handled with just one window. Without that now, it just looked like a complicated building full of people.
As I was fidgeting slightly, Lumia, standing next to me, winked at me.
"Leave this to me."
Sergeant Lumia went to the reception desk without hesitation and began to converse skillfully with the clerk who was fiddling with an abacus.
"We're here to procure construction materials for the battalion. We need Northwood White Oak."
"Should we use the standard military purchase price?"
"Yes, please do that... and we'd also like to look at some furniture for the barracks."
Even though she didn't have a separate list, Lumia listed the types of furniture without hesitation.
Her way of hitting the key points made the initially indifferent clerk straighten his posture and start writing down documents diligently.
I could feel Lumia's genuine passion for interior design, just as Bell Mayer had said.
"Then, please issue the shipping invoice and receipt as well."
"Ah... I'm sorry, but we can't issue shipping invoices at the moment."
"What? Then how are we supposed to guarantee the shipment?"
"You'll either have to operate your own unit's carriage, or contract a separate shipping carriage from our guild and move with an escort."
In other words, they don't deliver.
Basically, for bulky and heavy items like construction materials or furniture, isn't it usual for the Merchant Guild to handle the transportation as well?
It was only natural, since they were already taking a cut for the shipping fees.
"Could you tell us the reason for this?"
As I joined in and asked, the clerk answered in an awkward voice.
"I don't know the details either. It's just that the Guild Master has ordered a freeze on all shipping documents."
"A freeze on the documents?"
A freeze on documents meant that the issuance and cancellation of all documents related to shipping were suspended. Why all of a sudden at this point?
Something smelled fishy.
Lumia also seemed to sense something was off, and just as our eyes met—
Boom!
A large man, wearing a Cuirass with only the upper body plated, burst in. He had the standard-issue pistol of the Ukran Duchy Army at his waist.
Following him, soldiers in guard uniforms rushed into the Merchant Guild.
"W-Wait! Even the security force can't just barge into the guild like this...!"
The guild guard who had blocked us earlier tried to stop them.
"What did you say? You bastard!!"
Whack!
He was hit by the giant's fist and tumbled to the floor.
"I'm Ramur, the captain of the Cherno City security force! Tell Shakof, the guild master, to come out! Otherwise, I'll throw you all in jail for disobeying orders!"
Security Captain Ramur.
One of the people that Lieutenant Lanis had told me to be wary of was right in front of me.