On the night Rei and his group arrived at Dolgana, the town was in an uproar.
That said, it wasn't a commotion in any negative sense—it was closer to a festive atmosphere.
For all its size, Dolgana was still just a town in the small nation of Reblurina.
Naturally, having nearly a thousand people descend on it in a single day was no ordinary occurrence, so a stir was inevitable.
The Zorgeh Merchant Guild had also been making purchases from various shops around Dolgana, generating a sizable commercial windfall. On top of that, when night fell, an enormous ship suddenly materialized just outside the town walls, and many of the women who had arrived during the day—along with a handful of men—began filing into the vessel. There was no way that wouldn't attract attention.
In the first place, few residents of Dolgana had ever laid eyes on a real ship, and for a great many of them, the Sand Ship was the very first vessel they had seen.
As a result, a large number of people even ventured outside the town gates for a closer look. Seeing the crowds, Gimekara actually blurted out to Rei that perhaps they should have charged admission.
Once night fell, the sightseers naturally filtered back inside Dolgana. Rei and his group had finished their meals and were now enjoying some free time.
...Incidentally, Rei had assumed that since they were mid-journey, many people would choose to eat at Dolgana's establishments. In reality, however, most of the group returned to the Sand Ship for their meals.
This was partly a matter of cost, but more than anything, it was likely because so many of them craved the water produced by the Dagger of Flowing Water, which was only available to drink at night.
It was nothing more than water, yet in terms of taste, it was a masterpiece that even royalty and nobility would be unable to obtain.
When they could drink something like that, it was only natural that many would choose it over dining in town.
After all...
"Rei-san! You could sell this water!"
Even Gimekara, who was normally mild-mannered, said so with a hungry gleam in his eyes.
With the Dagger of Flowing Water and Rei's magical power, they could produce water that might as well be called Celestial Nectar.
Since the material costs were essentially zero, from a profitability standpoint, it would be an unmatched product—of that there was no question.
"Sorry, but I have no intention of turning this into a business. It's enough to just drink it among ourselves."
In truth, Rei knew full well that selling this water as a commodity would lead to all manner of trouble.
Nobles seeking fine water—or worse, royals—might want to claim Rei for themselves, and it wouldn't be the least bit surprising if they did.
If that happened, Rei would naturally refuse, and conflict would ensue.
And in the worst case, there was a real possibility he would no longer be able to remain in the Kingdom of Mireana.
Rei was prepared to abandon the country if it came to that, but he had no intention of deliberately steering things in that direction.
Besides, the water produced didn't come out in large quantities—it only emerged in small amounts at a time.
If he were to sell it in earnest, Rei would have to spend all day continuously producing water.
"I see... But the reason the dropout rate from this group has been so remarkably low is undoubtedly this water. You only distribute it at night, correct?"
"That's right."
"If daytime fatigue is healed by this water, it's no surprise they simply fall asleep where they are. Then they wake up the next day, wanting to drink it again, and walk with everything they have all day long... and when night comes, they get to drink it once more. Then they sleep to recover from their fatigue... and the cycle repeats. I see."
That was indeed what was happening, but it was more accurate to say it had occurred naturally rather than being something Rei had deliberately engineered.
After all, when Rei first started distributing the Dagger of Flowing Water's water at night, it was simply meant as a gesture of thanks for everyone's hard work that day.
"Well, setting the water aside... Elena, the Paired Orb, please."
"Understood."
Outside the Magic Tent, near the campfire, Elena activated the Paired Orb.
It was apparently Gimekara's first time seeing one, and he watched Elena's actions with keen interest.
The Paired Orb activated, and before long, Ara's figure appeared within it.
"Lady Elena, how are things on your end?"
"Not bad. ...Actually, thanks to the arrangements made by the Zorgeh Merchant Guild, our travel speed from tomorrow onward should improve considerably. So then... Rei."
Receiving Elena's glance, Rei nodded and called out to Ara.
"As you heard from Elena, since Gimekara fulfilled his promise, we need to fulfill ours. You're still at the Lord's Manor, right, Ara?"
"Yes. Since I never know when it might become necessary to contact Lord Daskar."
"Perfect timing. Could you hand it over to Lord Daskar?"
"Understood. One moment, please."
At Rei's words, Ara nodded immediately and stepped away from the Paired Orb.
This was a busy period for Daskar.
Under normal circumstances, having business to discuss wouldn't be enough to make Daskar come running right away.
The fact that it was possible spoke volumes about the great expectations Daskar placed in this endeavor that Rei was a part of.
Gimekara cast a look of sheer astonishment at Rei, who had so casually sent someone to fetch Daskar without any prior appointment.
"That's remarkable, Rei-san."
"It just means Lord Daskar has high expectations for what we're doing. Taking in this many people was probably an unexpected stroke of fortune for him."
"Unexpected, yes, but I did have a feeling something like this might happen."
The voice that cut into the conversation between Rei and Gimekara from the other side of the Paired Orb belonged to Daskar.
"Lord Daskar, my apologies for reaching out while you're so busy."
"No, don't worry about it. So... this is about the Zorgeh Merchant Guild matter, is it?"
"Yes. They've gathered everything I set as a condition for an introduction to you, so I've decided to deliver on our end of the bargain."
"I see. Carriages and the horses to pull them, along with various supplies and escorts... And they seriously put all of that together?"
"I confirmed it with my own eyes. The carriages, the horses, the escorts. All the other supplies as well—I'm satisfied there are no issues."
"Understood. ...So? Where is the person from the Zorgeh Merchant Guild?"
Prompted by Daskar, Rei directed his gaze toward Gimekara.
Taking that as his cue, Gimekara stepped before the Paired Orb, his expression taut with tension.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Daskar. I am Gimekara of the Zorgeh Merchant Guild."
Gimekara bowed before the Paired Orb.
What radiated from him was an intense sense of tension.
Ordinarily, Gimekara had dealt with all manner of people throughout his career, and meeting someone—especially through a Paired Orb rather than in person—wouldn't have made him this nervous.
But the figure now projected in the Paired Orb before Gimekara was Daskar, the central figure of the Neutral Faction, one of the Three Great Factions of the Kingdom of Mireana.
Depending on how these negotiations went, the Zorgeh Merchant Guild itself could crumble.
On top of that, the vast sums of money and effort expended to create this opportunity would all go to waste.
With those stakes, in a negotiation where even the slightest misstep was impermissible, there was no such thing as being too focused.
"I've heard about you. You were in bed with Jaya, were you not?"
Daskar's tone carried a provocative edge.
It was a probe—designed to observe what kind of reaction Gimekara, his negotiating counterpart, would display to the words that had just left his mouth.
If Gimekara were to fly into a rage at that, Daskar would have immediately written him off as someone not worth negotiating with.
But whether Gimekara understood this intellectually or sensed it instinctively, he opened his mouth with a composed demeanor.
"From an outside perspective, it may well have appeared that way. But the Zorgeh Merchant Guild merely fulfilled its fundamental duty as a merchant guild. When a party desired goods and had sufficient funds to pay for them, as a guild, we had no choice but to comply."
"Oh? Then let me ask you this: if you come to Gilm and a criminal organization approaches you with a deal, will you comply with that as well?"
One wrong word here and the negotiations would be terminated on the spot.
With that thought sending a chill down his spine, Gimekara somehow managed to speak.
"If we were in Reblurina, such a thing might be possible. But in Gilm—a completely unknown place, an entirely unknown world to us—I do not believe we could commit so reckless an act."
Read deeply enough, those words were simultaneously a pledge not to touch the underworld until they had built up their strength in Gilm, and an implication that once they did gain power, they would be open to dealing with criminal organizations.
To Gimekara's words, Daskar did not respond immediately. He simply held Gimekara in a steady gaze.
Despite not being physically present, that gaze carried what felt like actual physical pressure.
Gimekara had weathered countless ordeals in his career, yet the pressure radiated by someone he had never even met face-to-face almost made him involuntarily take a step backward.
Of course, the ordeals Gimekara had experienced were not literal life-or-death battles in a direct sense.
But in the sense that the failure of a negotiation could determine whether the dozens, even hundreds of people working for the Zorgeh Merchant Guild could continue to make a living, they were far harsher crucibles than direct combat.
In that respect, one could say he had survived harsher ordeals than even those who staked their own lives on the line.
And yet even a man like Gimekara could not negotiate with Daskar the way he normally would.
Daskar, staring intently, wasn't saying anything particularly extraordinary, yet he forced upon Gimekara the irrational sensation that the surrounding temperature was dropping—or perhaps rising.
The silence stretched for several minutes. ...Then, without warning, the pressure radiating from the other side of the Paired Orb vanished.
"I see. I understand how you think. ...But let me be clear: just because I allow you into Gilm does not mean I will show any leniency in investigations or punitive actions should something happen. Bear that in mind."
The confidence in Daskar's voice spoke volumes about the faith he placed in his own subordinates.
In truth, the capabilities of Gilm's guards and knight order were exceptionally high.
As the only frontier in the Kingdom of Mireana, it was a place teeming with profit.
Materials from plants that only grew on the frontier. Materials and meat from monsters that only inhabited the frontier. Magic Stones.
And the high-rank adventurers who gathered precisely because it was a frontier—a significant human resource in its own right.
With that much at stake, it was only natural that criminal organizations would flock there seeking their cut, and groups of all sizes operated in the underworld, including the slum district.
The guards and knight order that policed these groups—and sometimes fought them head-on—naturally boasted an extremely high level of proficiency.
Even if the Zorgeh Merchant Guild wielded considerable influence in a small country like Reblurina, whether they could behave the same way after relocating to Gilm—the answer was a firm no.
If anything, should they attempt to, being devoured by the existing organizations was a certainty.
No matter how much Gimekara insisted they would only take such actions after building up their strength, whether they could successfully navigate against organizations that had survived and thrived in Gilm—that was no easy thing.
"Furthermore, if you were to connect with criminal organizations in Gilm, that would mean smearing mud on the face of the man who permitted your entry—me. And if that were to happen... you understand what would follow, don't you?"
Looking at Daskar, who wore a smile as he spoke those words, one could easily imagine what would happen if they actually committed such an act.
Embarrass the lord, and at worst, it wouldn't be surprising if he sent skilled adventurers—someone like Rei himself—after them.
"If you're still fine with that, then do as you please. ...Of course, if that doesn't sit well with you, there's always the option of not coming to Gilm."
Those were the terms Gimekara received. But they had already prepared the carriages, the horses, and a mountain of supplies.
Under those circumstances, choosing not to go to Gilm would inflict enormous losses on the Zorgeh Merchant Guild.
Above all, when he considered the damage the guild would suffer if they remained in Reblurina, the option of walking away here simply didn't exist.
What about somewhere other than Gilm? The thought flickered through his mind, but there were not many places as attractive as Gilm.
And above all, the fact that Gilm was in the midst of expansion construction was, for the Zorgeh Merchant Guild, an appeal beyond compare.
In the end... Gimekara, having thoroughly absorbed the weight of Daskar's words, nodded.