VOLUME 2
Chapter 3: Raid Guild
Part 7
According to earlier reports, it seemed that some Illusionary Brigade members would visit Payang to buy consumable items in bulk in order to replenish their stockpiles. Fortunately, it just so happened that the day right after Jun met with them was one of those item restocking days.
Before their forces could return to town, adventurers working under Isao scoured the city for all of the alchemists and merchants, and then the auction house, buying up all of the anti-corrosion agents and burn salves.
Seven days remained.
“Yo, I let adventurers skilled in smithing and alchemy know what’s going on.” Isao announced happily. In the morning, as usual, he had gone to the inn where Jun and co were staying.
When training alchemy or smithing, the biggest hindrance proved to be the requirement of a suitable working area. In the city, there was only one place where these skills could be used. Therefore, those who wanted to hone those skills became referred to as craftsmen.
As a result, so-called alchemists and blacksmiths formed their own networks. Even if they didn’t join any large crafting guilds, they could still feel solidarity with the rest of the crafter community in smaller guilds. Jun’s plan depended on them being able to make use of this solidarity among craftsmen.
If even a single alchemist or blacksmith did not cooperate, his plan’s prerequisite would not be satisfied…
“Those Illusionary Brigade dudes really have an awful rep ‘round here. Dead a.s.s. Everybody gladly agreed to cooperate. They’re on lookout around all the blacksmithing and alchemy areas.”
“How’s buying up everything?”
“We’ve put in a word with some adventurers who possess some stock. We should have everything from within the boundaries of the city. But hey, is this fine, Jun? We’re spending a lot, man.”
“Doesn’t matter to me. Keep going. If necessary, I’ll repay the favor sometime… do we not have enough money?”
“Nah, seems the guild’s got a large stockpile. Got it bro, I’ll do what I can.”
Fortunately, Jun had valuable security items.
It was the airship that he had just recently lent out to those cooking aficionados. They borrowed money from Isao’s guild, the Sage a.s.sociation, to serve as collateral.
Members of production guilds, besides selling their products, could use alchemy to craft mostly consumables. Luckily, the Sage Union had ama.s.sed a lot of liquid capital.
“Next, we’re off to the port, right?”
In the southern part of Payangwas the island’s sole airship port. It was an open place where, unsurprisingly, regularly scheduled airships could anchor in between their routes around the islands.
“Dead a.s.s? All of the Illusionary Brigade’s main force is on the fourth ring or higher, right? Surely it would take at least seven days for regularly scheduled airships from there to reach here.”
Without using personal airships, there was no way to go from the fifth to fourth rings without having unlocked the weekly airship service by completing the Fuelfai Campaign. Even with personal airships, in order to access the route, a special item from the Fuelfai Campaign was still necessary. According to the first to make it through, there was a special whirlwind that could only be crossed if timed in a particular way. This was known as the Grand Storm.
The next hole in the Grand Storm would appear after three days. Following the route of a regularly scheduled airship, it would take an additional four days after that to land on Lao Thai.
“I’m pretty sure of it.”
“Often the people will stay on the fourth ring anyway. In a guild shrouded by secrecy, information rarely travels even within it, yo.”
“Ah, well, that would be unexpected.” Jun responded, avoiding the question. At any rate, his informant was Sakuya. Since then, she had pa.s.sed along information several times, happily informing him of the Illusionary Brigade’s movements.
“Jun, if you could beat the Illusionary Brigade into a corner, I would be really happy,” she said, laughing happily from the bottom of her heart. “Well, it’s your battle. Or just my own wish.”
“It’s both of ours.”
It seemed like they were at the brink of an awful confrontation with the Illusionary Brigade.
“Yeah, yeah. They have one personal airship. Since it’s small, even packed in like sardines, it would only hold ten people, but … it’s really fast. They could make it over to you just a single day. That’s if they were careful enough to leave the day after a hole opened in the Grand Storm,” reported Sakuya the previous day.
“Isao-san. Please keep getting players to join our cause.”
“Got it!” Isao nodded intently.