There's no doubt that things are headed in a way that Lithoges did not intend at all.

　He is essentially a merchant, and he has hunted down and ruined many of his opponents with threats and deceptions.
　But he has never laid a direct hand on anyone.

　I have never stained my own hands with blood, and never breathed the last breath of a true man, not with metaphor or exaggeration.
　I had never thought that I would ever have to face such a situation.

　That's why I couldn't imagine the situation that had just been brought about.

　I'm not sure I could have imagined that Bestfred and his friends, who are vastly outnumbered, would be attacking me from the other side.

''Kick them out!''

　Bestfred's shout was enough to make the Campbell adventurers he led cower.
　Who would have imagined that he, who was supposed to be in charge of managing the Mithril Mine behind the scenes, would be the first to fight.

　Best Fred's unleashed fist pounded the ground.
　The uninitiated are puzzled as to what is going on. But that was just the first stage of a powerful ranged attack.

''Earth Flow Bursting Force!''

　He strikes the ground with a fist that is filled with aura thickly.
　The aura that permeated with the impact shattered the ground, and countless grains of earth and stone scattered and avalanched forward.
　The Chamber of Commerce and Campbell's forces that were confronting each other got a decent amount of dirt and sand.

''Uhhhh!　Upepepepepepepe!
''Watch out!　This sediment aura is moving in!　If you get exposed to it properly, you'll take damage.

　Best Fred was a generalist aura user with an aptitude for two types of generalist aura: guard (defense) and hit (hitting).
　The small shield that made the most use of this aptitude could also be worn in front of the fist to become a knuckle guard for fist strikes.

"Best Fred........?　Aren't you just an office worker?
You didn't do enough research beforehand, Mr. Chamberlain. You are the ones who insist on investigating the people you are negotiating with to a sickening degree.

　Best Fred, full of irony.
　A high-pitched metallic sound rang out as the small shield set in my right fist and the one set in my left fist clashed with each other.

''I used to be the director of the Center Guild, but all of the directors were raised by good ol' boys, and if you think you've risen through the ranks with money and connections, you're mistaken.　Some of them are stubbornly beaten up, and it's not impossible that some of them have experienced active adventurers and joined the board of directors. Like me here.
''Nahhh...?

　Unnervingly, at this moment, Litges remembered a rumor he had overheard a long time ago

　A man with a rare background of having joined the board of directors from an active adventurer, for some reason, he became enraged and beat up three center guild directors of the same rank.
　All three of the victims were seriously injured, with their jaws shattered or their internal organs ruptured, and were forced to resign.

　The assailant, a former adventurer board member, was temporarily imprisoned, but thanks to the special arrangement of the Center Guild President, he only had to resign from his post and was transferred to some remote area.

''That couldn't be...?
''I was still young back then...!　I couldn't even pass up a cheap provocation from the monk director...!

　Best Fred strikes a fighting pose to show his fighting spirit.

I'll summon the fist I've been keeping shut up since then. Don't think you can get away with a C-level maniac?

　With that proclamation, there is tension on Campbell's side.

You know what I'm talking about?　There isn't a single A-level adventurer in the Campbell Street guild right now, is there?　It's a shameful situation, even if you take into account the fact that the talent is flowing to LUX Village. It's probably because we're not training people properly.

　Best Fred quickly unleashed a fist on the spot.
　He only struck the empty space, but for some reason, the Campbell adventurer, who was much further away, danced his chin up and was blown away.

''Wha?　Huh?　Eh......?
Oh, really?　You're in trouble, everyone, watch out!

　An adventurer with some experience with the Campbell's group shouts.

"That old man is punching the air out of us at breakneck speed!　It's hitting them like a rock and blowing them away!　You can't let your guard down just because you're in between!
Well spotted, are you a B-level adventurer?

　The more Best Fred thrusts his fist out, the more the Campbell adventurer is blown away.

It's a small tweak that applies aura. The hit characteristics are not naturally suited to long range attacks, but by using air as a substitute, you can increase your distance to some extent. In addition, I have a slight aptitude for guarding, so I can briefly solidify my aura.

　Then the fixed air is sent flying like a projectile at fist speed.
　If you hit it, it hurts, but not enough to cause a fatal wound. As a result of the fact that it relies on an ambiguous object like air, it is not possible to demonstrate the characteristics of the aura, and its power is much less powerful than regular long-range attack techniques like the Searing Sky.

This is why it is not a decisive factor, but each strike is quick and has few gaps, making it an excellent technique for checking. It's something to remember.

　As explained by the person in charge, the flying fists that were unleashed without a separate curtain were draped over all of the Campbell adventurers, confusing them and stirring up their formations.
　The problem is that it is invisible because it relies on air.

　The only way to deal with this is to predict the trajectory of Best Fred's fists, and even then, you're forced to concentrate, and your vision narrows.

''Now, 'earth flow bursting force'!
''Whaaaaahhhh?!''

　When they were sufficiently alerted to a distant hit from a fist strike, they suddenly switched to an earth and sand attack.

　Campbell's group was utterly caught up in the art of Best Fred, who was a veteran adventurer.

''Now!　Take them on!
""Yes!"

　Under Bestfred's command, the adventurers on the mine side brandish their weapons.

　The Campbell's side is completely unable to respond to the assault in the midst of being scratched and kicked around.

　The swords swung down, the flying arrows, and the circling chained iron balls cleave the frightened Campbell adventurers and chop up their formations.

'Nah, what are you idiots doing!　Are you still a professional adventurer?　Can't we just hurry up and get back on our feet and fight back?
I'm giving you one too.
''Aaaaah!''

　The pneumatic fist released by Best Fred hits Litges' chest.
　The attack is heavy on the amateur who isn't even protected by an aura, and it blows up big and rolls around, finally spitting up the stuff in his stomach in a big way.

'Ogee!　Eeeeeeee!
Shit!　Company president?　All hands on deck!　Protect the VIPs!

　The Campbell adventurers can't afford not to protect the important guests from the center.
　The counterattack was also put off for later and they lingered in front of Lithoges and turned into a shield.

　But that was just as the veteran adventurers had calculated.

'Now!　Withdraw while the enemy is on the defensive!
""Got it!"

　The timing of the offensive break to defend Litges was beautifully timed.
　Best Fred and his team retreated quickly and swiftly, like a receding wave.

　The Campbell forces didn't even have time to say 'wait'.

　They were commanded by a seasoned veteran, and the professionalism of the miner adventurers was on display as they carried out their instructions without delay.

Have they........fled to the depths of the mine.......?
We'd hate to be holed up in here, but are you okay, Mr. Shangguan?

　Litges managed to stand up after being lifted from the Campbell adventurers.
　But his expression was filled with displeasure and annoyance.

'What are you doing, you idiot!　Go after them!　Capture them all and bring them in front of me!
Well, I don't think that's a good idea.　This is their home base. The advantage of the ground is out there...?

　!" said one of the Campbell's adventurers who showed signs of experience.

We don't know the terrain here at all, and we can't prevent them from ambushing us. We have to proceed with caution...!
'Don't take your time!　What do you think I've brought so many of you here for?　Don't you just have to go forward without regard to the sacrifice of one or two people!

　Litges couldn't suppress the feeling of screwing up here.

　According to his calculations, this should not have happened.
　An opponent is a thinking person.
　If they were overwhelmingly outnumbered, they would have realized that resistance was pointless and surrendered on their own.

　But he was completely wrong, and the battle plunged into a boggy mess.
　You didn't expect your opponent to be willing to die for you in an all-out fight.

　Rittges did not expect that at all.
　He had a top-notch brain as a merchant, and he had never missed a beat in anticipating the changes in prices and trends.
　But those and the determination of the men who went through the shura were different.

　There was a realm he didn't know about, and thinking it was as guessable as his daily coinage was the beginning of his mistake.

''What do I do........?　What do I do........?

　Litges's head spins around after all this time.

　Anyway, it must not become an all-out conflict at this point.
　It's obvious that the Chamber of Commerce will never win against the Adventurer's Guild if it becomes an armed conflict.

　That's why we should definitely have left room for negotiation.

　Through negotiations, we must force the Chamber of Commerce to allow them to participate in the Mithril Mine.
　That was the main objective of this project.

　Even if the field is ahead of the curve in resisting, there will be people at the top who can understand what's going on.
　What we need to do to prepare for them before they come out....

All right, everyone, chase the enemy. We've got the advantage in numbers. If we spread out and surround them, they will surely catch up with us.
You're not going to retreat, are you?
'Of course!　....and then, we don't kill the enemy, we capture them.
''What?!''

　It was an essential step to keep negotiations going.
　No matter how well-informed the people at the top, if someone died in a mishap, negotiations would fail.
　There would no longer be anything but an all-out war between the Chamber of Commerce and the Adventurer's Guild.

　It's a good thing that the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Litges, understands that much.

''Of course don't kill them, and if possible, don't injure them either. It would be ideal if we could capture them unharmed.
'It's not possible!　You're dealing with a professional adventurer with a fighting spirit!　He's even an A-level adventurer, albeit retired!　How can you leave that thing unscathed?
Obey my d*mn orders!　I'm entrusted with the right to direct you from your mayor!　I will not allow you to disobey!

　There are a number of reasons why things fail.
　One of them was to stir up action on the ground for political reasons or something like that.