Chapter 271_I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy

<h4>Chapter 271</h4>

 "Disarm...? What do you mean? Why disarm?" Fael asked with wide eyes.

 The official continued without a hint of expression, "Our lord granted permission for a gathering of merchants from various cities, not a meeting of armed factions. From what I’ve heard, six tradingpanies are gathering. How many armed guards do you think that adds up to when they all meet?"

 "...." Fael’s mouth hung open in surprise.

 The official calmly added, "I don’t know the exact number, but I’m sure it exceeds the legal limit quite a bit."

 Ian let out a faint chuckle. He hadn’t expected such a reasonable exnation. Perhaps it was because they were in the central region, where the rules were stricter.

 If I remember correctly, Imperialw allows each tradingpany to bring around a dozen guards. Mercenaries can only be hired when traveling outside the city.

 Ian wasn’t fully versed in the details of imperialw, but he knew enough. Even if each merchant brought only ten guards, that would amount to sixty heavily armed fighters gathering in one ce. Add in the porters and drivers, and that number could easily double. If there were malicious intent, it would be more than enough to cause chaos in the city.

 The official added, "It would be a different story if you were just passing through. However, since you have a purpose for visiting the city, you need toply with thew. If you disarm, your guards won’t be considered armed personnel, and we’ll return all weapons when you leave."

 "That’s perfectly reasonable, but... there are a lot of valuable goods in the carriages that we brought for trade. How are we supposed to protect them without being armed?" Fael asked.

 "Are you saying that Basmut’s security is unreliable?" the official’s voice turned cold.

 Fael quickly shook his head. "No, no, not at all. If I didn’t trust the city’s excellent security, I wouldn’t have requested the meeting here in the first ce. Not only is this city a key hub with bothnd and river routes, but its excellent security was also a major factor in our choice."

 "Then you understand there won’t be any issues. Of course, we’re not asking for a full disarmament of all guards. The previouspanies were allowed one personal guard to remain armed. For yourpany..." The official nced down at the bottle of wine in his hand before adding, "We’ll allow two."

 Acting like he’s being generous while sticking to the legal limit.

 As Ian pondered the situation, Fael released a sigh of relief. At a minimum, Ian and Philip wouldn''t have to disarm. Ian had no problem keeping his weapons in his pocket dimension, but Fael didn''t know about it.

 "Thank you for your generosity," Fael said, motioning to the driver to have all the guards, except for the two personal ones, surrender their weapons. Soon, the tradingpany’s guards and porters came forward, loading their arms onto the supply wagon.

 Fael suddenly asked, "By the way, how many other tradingpanies have arrived?"

 "Yours is the fourth."

 "Four?"

 "Yes. Is there a problem?"

 "No, no problem. Could you tell me how many arrived bynd and how many by water?"

 "Three bynd, one by water."

 Nodding, Fael thanked the official with a smile. By then, all the weapons had been loaded into the supply wagon. Fael spread his hands and looked at the official. The official nodded his head slightly to the side, signaling that they could proceed.

 "You can now enter. The meeting hall you requested is located in a mansion on the southwestern outskirts of the city, which our lord uses as a vi. I trust you will use it with care."

 "Of course. Have a good day," Fael responded, gesturing for the drivers to move ahead. He then began walking through the gate, evidently nning to walk the rest of the way.

 Ian, watching the official smiling at the wine bottle, shrugged and trudged after Fael. As they passed through the city walls, Ian loosened his helmet slightly.

 "Could there be an issue with the ship''s schedule...?" Fael mumbled ahead.

 Taking in the city''s view, Ian asked casually, "Is there another problem?"

 Fael turned and smiled. "It’s nothing. Just that we’re almost at the agreed time, and I thought we’d be thest to arrive. Dyed departures aren’t unusual, though. At worst, they’ll be an hour or twote."

 Ian chuckled, ncing at the old castle tower that seemed to overlook the river. "From what I’ve seen so far, I wouldn’t trust your intuition all that much."

 "You sound like Bor," Fael replied with a chuckle. "You saw for yourself, didn’t you? The lord here is incredibly strict. I even sent a heap of gold with the request, and look how cautious he still is. I guess it’s no surprise—too many outsiderse through, so he’s bound to be suspicious."

 Shrugging his shoulders, Fael added, "Still, it’s reassuring. At least now we know why the city’s security is so tight."

 "Well, let’s hope your intuition is right this time," Ian said dryly, before briefly meeting Fael’s gaze and adding, "If I were you, I’d still be prepared for the worst."

 "You''re quite the worrier, aren''t you?" Faelughed heartily, turning onto a wide road leading to the outskirts.

 They had only taken a few steps when he hesitated.

 "... But what exactly is this worst you''re talking about?" Fael asked in a whisper, ncing back to ensure the wagons were still following.

 Despite his confident words earlier, Ian''s response seemed to have unsettled him, especially with their weapons surrendered. One of Fael''s strengths, despite his stubbornness andck of intuition, was that he ultimately listened to advice.

 "You''re asking the obvious..." Ian replied with a low chuckle. "The worst-case scenario would be getting attacked here tonight, wouldn''t it?"

 "No one would be crazy enough to do that, right?"

 "I don’t know about that. If I were them, even if I couldn’t kill you all, I could make sure the me falls entirely on you."

 "... You’re not joking, are you?" Fael murmured, his mouth slightly agape.

 Ian just shrugged. "It''s just a possibility. If things go smoothly and everything wraps up before nightfall, you won’t have to worry."

 "But... if, by chance, things don’t go smoothly," Fael swallowed nervously and moved closer to Ian, "what should we do?"

 "You’re asking the obvious again. You should inform the others and prepare for the situation," Ian replied.

 "That’s exactly what we can’t do! You’ll understand when you meet the other merchants, but revealing something like that would be just as bad as the worst-case scenario. It would destroy the alliance, and ourpany would be finished. The big tradingpanies already have their eyes on us."

 "If that’s the case, there’s not much we can do."

 Ian nodded casually, having never expected much in the first ce. All he cared about waspleting the quest and the request. He had never counted on their help, anyway.

 Fael, looking even more anxious at Ian’s indifferent attitude, asked, "Is there perhaps a backup n?"

 "There is... but it won’t be easy either."

 "Go on, tell me. Of course, I expect nothing to go wrong, but in case something happens, I’d like to at least try."

 "First, give me some space."

 "Ahem, right." Fael, who had been standing practically glued to Ian’s side, coughed awkwardly and took a step back.

 So this is why Bor was so worried.

 Ian clicked his tongue inwardly before speaking.

 "If ites to that..."

 ***

 The meeting ce provided by the lord was arge mansion with a spacious garden. Just as the official had said, it was clearly the lord’s vi. The space was likely chosen for itsrge grounds, which could amodate several carriages. Naturally, there was also a sizable stable.

 Carriages from the other tradingpanies that had already arrived were parked in the garden. The Ark Trading Company’s carriages pulled up alongside them. As porters unloaded crates and the guards took the horses to the stables, Fael frowned.

 "So the Salt Trading Company is runningte?"

 He said this just a few minutes after exchanging smiles and greetings with the other trade merchants.

 A Vantruian merchant, dressed in flowing robes, nodded. "We were the closest, so we got word just before leaving. Seems there was an ident with the ships getting tangled up. They’ll be about half a dayte and asked me to pass on the message. They also asked to not start the meeting without them."

 "Late and still worried about losing out on something, huh?" The Imperial merchant, seated diagonally across on a wooden crate, twisted his mustache and muttered irritably. He had a somewhat fussy demeanor.

 Another merchant, standing across from him and sporting a golden nose ring, nodded in agreement. "All thepanies that took the longer ovend route made it on time, yet the ones who took the river route are mostlyte, except for one."

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 "So, it looks like the meeting won’t start untilte afternoon," Fael muttered, ncing back at Ian and clearing his throat.

 Feeling embarrassed, huh? 

 Ian didn’t even snort—he wasn’t surprised by any of this.

 "The Swift Trading Company should be here soon. They’re probably getting their weapons confiscated at the docks right now, just like us," the Vantruian merchant added with augh.

 The merchant with a mustache snorted. "Late iste. For a merchant, trust is everything, and those two have already disqualified themselves from leadership."

 "Agreed. We’ve got plenty of issues to discuss, and we’re starting off behind schedule."

 At that moment, Ian finally understood why Fael had been so secretive about everything. The merchants were already busy calcting their strategies, even before the meeting had started. It wasn’t surprising that none of them had grown theirpanies into massive enterprises, despite being stationed in key locations throughout the central region.

 Just like Fael’s poor intuition, each of these merchants likely had their ws. This alliance was likely their way of covering for each other''s weaknesses.

 In any case, the pieces are falling into ce.

 While the merchants continued their idle chatter, Ian quietly observed their guards standing behind them. Like Ian, they were all armed. Northerners, Imperials, Vantruians—there were a variety of races, but they were all human.

 I expected at least one beastfolk.... 

 Then again, hiring them would be expensive. Beastfolk had a reputation for demanding payment that matched their pride, just like Charlotte had back when she worked for the Libra Trading Company.

 "...."

 At any rate, there were no signs of dark magic among them. One of the Northern guards caught Ian''s gaze and gave him a slight nod of the chin—a typical Northern greeting. Ian noticed that the man also had ck hair and eyes.

 Honestly, I don’t look like a Northerner at all, Ian mused, though he calmly returned the nod and shifted his gaze. The unarmed guards were gathered around the wagons, and the porters, having finished their tasks, were resting. Even among them, Ian felt no sign of tainted magic or curses.

 Beyond the garden, people wereing and going from the stables. Among them, Ian spotted Philip, with his face covered by a visor, walking beside Elia. It seemed they had handled putting the horses in the stable. Judging by how long it took, they must have taken additional precautions.

 Elia noticed Ian watching and waved her arm high in the air.

 Ian smiled quietly at herck of tension, just as Fael’s voice broke the moment.

 "Once things are settled, wouldn’t it be better to send the guards and porters outside?" Fael asked.

 Ian looked forward again. The heads of the various tradingpanies were now focused on Fael, who shot another quick nce at Ian. This was the n Ian had suggested earlier. If the dark mage attacked or had ced a spy among them, the unarmed guards would be vulnerable.

 "By the way, I see you’ve changed your guard. Did the Northern one who usually apanied you quit?" a Vantruian merchant asked, steering the conversation in a different direction. Judging by his gaze, he was considering hiring Bor himself.

 Fael waved his hand dismissively. "Bor is dealing with a bout of illness. For this trip, I’ve asked two skilled frence knights I know to handle the security."

 "Ah, knights, I see... no wonder," the merchant replied.

 Fael quickly steered the conversation back on track. "But what do you think? Without weapons, they’ll just sit around talking. Wouldn’t it be better to send them into the city to rx a bit? The lord would appreciate it, and it’d lift their spirits."

 The Imperial merchant snorted. "We can’t just leave the wagons unattended, can we? The goods we’ve brought here are worth quite a bit."

 The Vantruian merchant nodded in agreement. "No matter how safe this ce is, leaving everything unattended isn’t an option. Well, if the discussion drags on, everyone will end up getting tired, though."

 "How about we take turns, sending half of them out on shifts?" the Vantruian merchant suggested. The others nodded in agreement, and they each gave orders to their personal guards.

 "We’ll send all of ours out. I doubt we’ll be stealing from each other," Fael added with a smile, ncing at Ian and licking his lips.

 "I’ve done my best, but as you said, it wasn’t easy," Fael admitted.

 Ian shrugged. Truthfully, even getting half of the guards sent out was a sess. Turning to leave, Ian responded, "I’ll ry the message."

 "Understood. Oh, and... I’ve decided not to trust my instincts anymore," Fael added sheepishly.

 Ian smirked. "That might be your best decision today."

 Ian walked over to meet Philip and Elia, who were approaching. Philip’s voice came through the gap in his visor.

 "Is there a message to ry?"

 "Send out all the Ark Trading Company’s men. Tell them to have a drink and rest up. Don’t let them overdo it, though. I’ll call them if needed. Also...," Ian’s voice lowered as he stepped closer, "it seems this might be our battlefield."

 "Is that your intuition speaking?" Philip asked.

 "I sense nothing yet. It’s just a feeling."

 "Based on experience, that’s usually the most urate," Philip murmured, his eyes darkening behind the visor.

 "Indeed. It’s a perfect ce to spread a curse," he added.

 Elia whispered, "Then shouldn''t we try to get everyone out of here?"

 Ian shrugged. "Unless you’re nning to break up the meeting entirely, this is the best we can do. Whatever happens, as long as we do our part, the rest of the responsibility falls on them."

 At that moment, the iron gate of the mansion creaked open with a loud noise. Another group of carriages was entering—it was probably the Swift Trading Company.

 Ian nced at the iing procession briefly before turning to Elia and adding, "So, prepare yourself as well, Elie."

 ***

 As expected, all the tradingpanies gathered shortly before sunset. The meeting took ce in a second-floor conference room of the mansion. Once the windows were shut and the curtains drawn, the space felt entirely cut off from the outside world.

 "Then, we’ve decided that the name of our alliance will be the Hexagonal League," one of the merchants dered.

 The six heads of the tradingpanies, seated around arge round table, continued their discussions. It had taken them over an hour just to agree on the name of the alliance. Typical of merchants—they always had to haggle over every little detail.

 "Now, let’s discuss whether there are any additional rules to add beyond the three we agreed on beforehand," Fael suggested.

 Standing by the wall in the hallway behind Fael, Ian couldn’t help but feel a twinge of impatience.

 This is painfully boring...

 If this were a game, it would have been over in a matter of minutes as a cut scene. But in reality, he had to stand here, listening to a tedious conversation that neither interested nor entertained him. Philip, standing next to him, and Elia, between them, looked equally uninterested.

 Elia’s presence at the meeting had been Fael’s decision. The other merchants had initially objected to an outsider attending, but Fael had appeased them by mentioning that there would be a proposal involving her after the meeting. It was likely about sponsoring her research under the alliance’s name.

 While this hadn’t been agreed upon in advance, Ian didn’t object. After all, he didn’t expect the meeting to go smoothly, anyway. If anything, he found it hard to believe they would make it through the night with no incident.

 "..."

 And it became clear that his instincts had been right about an hourter.

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Chapter 271