Volume 2 Chapter 28 [Alliance SIDE] Loss of Trust
"I've heard that members of the Alliance are blowing through cash like it's nothing! What the hell is going on?!"
"Thanks to them occupying the area, our credibility with our partners is tanking! The merchant guild of Dragonstone Kingdom is starting to distance themselves from us!"
"Sure, the system you created brought in more money, but it's these bastards who screwed it up!"
"It's not just about occupying the major veins! Lately, there are even those selling equipment they bought from us on the side!"
"Think about the high-end approach, the hospitality──none of that sweet talk! In the end, the hero community is flooding the market with that kind of stuff! Your mistake of judgment!"
"Sure, it's true I said we should use that Alliance, but you're the top of the Adventurers' Guild! You should've seen this coming! Why didn't you oppose it?!"
In the heart of Jewel City Lapis...
Alvaro was summoned to a luxurious, large conference room, where he faced a barrage of accusations from the merchant guild associated with the 'Alliance.'
Of course, it made sense.
After all, his subordinates in the 'Alliance' had used up the coins from the 'Alliance's treasury' and occupied the main area of the major veins with 'barrier magic tools,' reselling items bought from the merchant guild related to the Alliance.
Naturally, the merchant guilds from Dragonstone Kingdom would cast a suspicious eye on the Alliance.
And that suspicious gaze wasn't just on the Alliance, but also on the merchants associated with them.
The number of transactions was decreasing.
...And as for the primary reason for operating in this Dragonstone Kingdom, the 'procurement of rare metals from the major veins,' Alvaro, who aimed to obtain them through entertaining merchants, had utterly lost.
Interior, fashion, cosmetics.
Every technique to enhance the 'intensity' of luxury and hospitality.
The alliance only manages the funds──they don't have what it takes to compete. So, they went and got supplies from a major merchant guild they're allied with. But even then, they're powerless against us.
Cosmetics, especially, are obvious.
The easiest way to impress in a social setting? Flirt with foolish men using a stunning woman's appearance. But──thanks to the *level of sophistication*──once the hero community starts pushing that kind of thing, there's no stopping them.
The cosmetics bought from the hero community make you look gorgeous──of course, everyone prefers to buy from them.
Plus, hero members don't even bother with makeup. They have naturally incredible looks, flawless figures, and *perfect skin*──so customers might think, 'Hey, if I use that, I could look just as beautiful as the heroes.'
Basically, the alliance's position? Totally beaten. Completely outmatched.
"If you can't handle your responsibilities, then first, we'll cash out all our bonds. After that, you're out. We'll seat people who *are* trustworthy. Don't think for a second you have a place here!"
The merchants are practically shouting their heads off.
Alvaro doesn't have a secret ace up his sleeve to turn this all around──the position is unchangeable.
In fact, the merchants believe in the concept of increasing money flow through bonds──this system, on paper, is pretty good.
But due to system quirks, bonds carry ultra-low interest rates, with repayment deadlines set *so far in the future* that it's almost like keeping money in a bank account.
They know Alvaro's capable, but... they're jealous. Resentful, maybe, of how he seems to control the money all on his own──more than anything, they've wanted to push him out from the start.
And Alvaro's involvement in founding the Cedal Alliance? Likely not his own idea. It was probably the merchant's plan, in secret.
Even after Cedal and Pastor disappeared, the merchants made it clear──they still plan to keep using the alliance.
Sure, they probably saw a bright future ahead. But the adventurers──so utterly clueless about their own roles──that's what's brought this all crashing down.
They're building a case against Alvaro, arguing that as the top of the Guild, he's had years of watching Adventurers.
They say his experience should've told him if having Adventurers on board was truly the right move.
(...A mistake was made. But these guys are trash too.)
Inside, Alvaro seethes.
Don't get it twisted──it's not the members of the S-Rank Guild 'Parasite' causing all this 'trouble'. It's the 'alliance members who instructed the merchants' that are the root of this mess.
True, the buck stops with Alvaro, but that doesn't make him entirely at fault.
Considering the hero and his master, the strategy to 'drop them at the reception' was a fairly straightforward approach.
It shows he's aware of the danger. If that failed, and he's held accountable, then Alvaro has no choice but to bow his head in acceptance.
But to blame him for the Adventurers' rampage?
No, it was the merchants who pushed for the policy of 'aligning with Adventurers'.
If Alvaro hadn't held the alliance together, it would've fallen apart on its own.
Beyond that, whatever problems they cause aren't his concern.
...Of course, the merchants understand that.
Yet they still point the finger at Alvaro and say, "He's the bad guy."
It's a tale as old as time.
"If you can't pay in cash, perhaps you should dive into a dungeon and repay us for eternity! Understand? This is a bond! Your debt! You should know that very well. Demanding repayment is our rightful claim!"
The due date may be far off, but to say the creditor has no right to demand anything until then?
That's just absurd.
"..."
"Did you think staying silent would make it all go away! We are the ones lending the money. That's a fact. We'll call in the troops and drag you to the dungeon──"
That's when he cut in.
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