Co-management?　What does that mean?

　Best Fred has been in charge of the Mithril mine here for over five years.
　Being so far away from the center of the city, it is too unfavorable to get fresh information.

　Nevertheless, the gossip related to the merchant chairman, Litges, has reached the backcountry as well.
　According to him, his skills, which made him rise to the top of the Chamber of Commerce at a young age, are vicious. That's the only word for it, he said.

　He only sees others as pawns to be used and others as pawns to be used, and there are many people who have been used and discarded by him.
　And the number of people who have been destroyed by him far exceeds that.

　Anyway, he was a person who left a bad impression.
　My impression of Best Fred is that he is the complete opposite of Dariel, who is a man of virtue.

　I thought I would never have to face such a person in my life, and now I am in front of him.
　Life was an unexpected thing.

''It has been decided that the Mithril Mine here will be tightly controlled by the Adventurer's Guild. Mithril is a vital commodity. It only makes sense that it would be centrally controlled by one agency.
Yes, it's better to be safe, but wouldn't it be better to venture out now for the sake of civilization? But wouldn't it be better to embark on an adventure for the betterment of civilization?

　Best Fred began to think that this question was a bad idea.

　The presence of the Chamber of Commerce here now is an act of hostility that threatens the security of the Mithril mine.

　There was no way they were going to be at peace with the intruder.

"Mithril should be more closely connected to the lives of the human race, so that the human race can become more prosperous. Then the human race will be richer and new technologies will be born out of that wealth. The human race will become more prosperous, and new technologies will be born from the affordability of the human race. With the distribution network of our Chamber of Commerce, Mithril will be more efficiently distributed throughout the Human Nation!
With an exorbitant price tag?

　But Best Fred had a reason why he couldn't bypass it.
　A simple difference in strength.

　While the opponent rode in in large groups of a hundred men, the Mithril Mine's security was at most fifty men.
　If you exclude the clerks and other non-combatants, the number is even less.

　In contrast, many of the group that Rittges had brought with him were armed, and seventy percent of them were likely to be able to join the fight.

　They are here to take the mine by force.

　Bestfred immediately read the intentions of his opponents.

'The Chamber of Commerce is too greedy. Everything that is sold through the Chamber of Commerce is subject to exorbitant price increases, and all the difference is exploited as a payment to the Chamber of Commerce. This is the evil that prevents the development of a civilized society. The absurdly high prices hinder consumption and slow down circulation.
This is a quibble often trotted out by those who falsely accuse us of being a trade association. The money we get from each merchant is a pittance. It's a fee for the use of our distribution network to move goods efficiently. It costs money to maintain the distribution network. If we pay it, we won't have a penny or two left in our hands.
That's never been proven to be the case, though.

　But it was clear that the situation could not be resolved by stalling on this futile talk.
　Best Fred was a member of the Adventurer's Guild and not someone who wanted to avoid a fight at all costs.

'Anyway, your intrusion is a serious hostile act. You have even built a large passage in the dark and threatened the defensive capabilities of the human race's treasure, the Mithril Mine. This outrage will officially draw a protest from the Adventurer's Guild.
You're the one calling it an outrage.　The Mithril Mine is the treasure of the human race, and we can agree on that too. But that's why the monopoly of the Adventurer's Guild is the height of outrage!　The treasure of the human race should be entrusted to the entire human race!

　He rants.

''So, we are forced to eliminate by force the adventurer's guild that commits the cardinal sin of monopolizing the supreme treasure!
''........As I thought, that's why you brought a large army with you!

　That was the true purpose of the Chamber of Commerce.
　The forced occupation of the Mithril Mine.

　By doing so, the Chamber of Commerce would take control of mithril management and even distribution and sales with its own hands.
　It was also the purpose of the Litges to have the road carved out of Campbell Street.

　It was to create a pathway to send the forces for the mine occupation.
　Because the battle is also about numbers.

''Kukkuu.......it's your fault, isn't it?　I gave them a chance.

　Litges smiles triumphantly.

'I wanted to do business with you guys in harmony and cooperation. Trust and harmony are the basis of business. ........But you guys, that cocky country village chief also refused my offer. You have trampled on my good intentions!

　You've already met Dariel.
　Bestfred was impressed by the way Litges spoke, how typical of Dariel to behave.

'So our actions are justified!　We will assert our legitimate rights and appeal to merit!
'Do you think such lawlessness is going to be allowed to stand?　If we appeal to our strengths, how can the Chamber of Commerce be a match for the Adventurer's Guild?

　Adventurers are professional fighters who keep the human race safe.
　They are governed by the Adventurer's Guild.

　Compared to that, no matter how large the Chamber of Commerce is, it is an organization that can only account for money.
　When it comes to a serious killing match, the Adventurer's Guild, which has real-world capabilities, cannot be defeated.

''The armed group you guys brought in are also........adventurers, right?

　The majority of the confronting group flinched at Best Fred's suggestion.

''Perhaps they belong to an adventurer's guild in a town or village that cooperated with the Chamber of Commerce? The only place around here that could have done so would be Campbell Street.

　The speculation that was on target was causing more and more turmoil on the other side.
　As Bestfred pointed out, the people Litges brought in were adventurers who belonged to Campbell Street.

　Adventurer's guilds were scattered throughout the towns and villages, and although the policies were coordinated by the center guild, the basic decisions were left to their own discretion.

　It wasn't impossible for the Campbell Street Adventurers Guild to follow local policy and side with the Chamber of Commerce.

However, in that case, the Campbell Street guild would be considered to have taken an illegal action from the guild as a whole. They will be executed by the center guild and stripped of their guild management rights, and all the adventurers they belong to will be stripped of their adventurer status?
Not at all. I assure you that we at the Merchant's Association will defend their rights.

　Litges proclaims the words with the ear of an impostor.

'I have long wondered about the arrogance of the Center Guild, which gives humans their aura abilities, and which wears its privileges. I have long wondered about the arrogance of the Center Guild, which wears the privilege of granting aura abilities to humans. I think the Adventurer's Guild as a whole should take this opportunity to make a major change. Don't you think we should decentralize our privileges for a more just and peaceful world?

　That's how you rounded up the adventurers as individuals.

　I'm sure there are some adventurers who put their own profit and loss before their loyalty to the guild, and others who love their hometown.

　Did he skillfully use the hearts of each of these people and make them into pawns in his hands?

　Lithoges thinks that their arrogance is forgiven.
　That would be a conclusion drawn not from foolish self-centeredness, but from cunning calculation.

　It's true that the Chamber of Commerce doesn't have actual combat power, and if they went head-to-head with the Adventurer's Guild, defeat would be obvious.
　However, they are convinced that they won't actually go head-to-head with the guild.

　This is because even though the Chamber of Commerce does not have the power to fight, it also has a hold on the economy.
　If the Chamber of Commerce is crushed, the distribution of the entire human territory will collapse, the economy will be in turmoil, and the adventurer's guild will suffer great losses.

　No matter how much of an eyesore they may think it is, there is one thing they cannot destroy because it is essential to their livelihood.
　That is their trade association, he said.

　That's why they think they can push through a little recklessness.

　The adventurer's guild will not be able to come out strong even if they are forced to occupy the Mithril mine, and they will find a way to get out of it while it's still in limbo, and the Chamber of Commerce will be able to get involved in Mithril's management.

　I'm sure they will be able to find a solution and the Chamber of Commerce will be able to get involved in running Mithril.

It's a big gamble. It is true that the Adventurers' Guild and the Chamber of Commerce have been at odds with each other for some time now. The loss of the Chamber of Commerce will be very disruptive to the Adventurers' Guild.

　That's also true.

''But if you go this far out of control, the cracks on both sides will be irreparable, won't they?　At the very least, it leaves a lump. Are you taking that much risk into account in your execution?
'It's all your fault. It's all your fault, because you're making us look bad. Shouldn't we all be making money when we make it?　That's what you call helping each other?
'Nonsense. It's always up to the person in question to make the most of it.

　Bestfred, you step forward.

"It's true that your army is too small to prevent a fight. You will have no choice but to vacate the mines in vain. But don't underestimate the Adventurers' Guild. Soon, a hordes of men will descend upon this place and slaughter every lawless plunderer.
What are you trying to kill?　Can you take it and leave us in peace?
You drew your sword first. That's a fighter's way of standing up to a challenge. That's a man's way of life.

　Bestfred turns around once and looks at the adventurers in the same camp.

''You will die with me, won't you?''
'That's the quest to get in there, isn't it?　You don't want me to remind you now, do you?

　The adventurers smiled good-naturedly at each other.

I'll teach those merchants who can only count money a lesson in the horror of the field. Once you take on a quest, you complete it even if it kills you. That's the way of life of an adventurer.
It's just like the adventurers dispatched from Rax Village. You've been well educated.

　Life energy erupts from Best Fred's body.

"What?　That can't be... an aura?
I'm a member of the Adventurers' Guild in my own way. Did you think that because you're in management that you couldn't fight?

　'Best Fred,' he says, clenching his fists.

'Well, let's get started, as you wish, on the blood-drenched shura!　I've tested the resolve of a professional adventurer, I'm sure you're ready for it too!