Konrad

Akane took me to a cottage atop a low hill on an uninhabited island. Yes, a cottage. It was an exceptionally fine building, too: a two-story structure with even a pool in the yard. Why was there such a mansion on an uninhabited island?

"Is my bro here?"

"He is. This is a house built by the boss's friend. Come in."

What sort of person was Usuba's friend on this uninhabited island? At the very least, he had to be either an artisan player capable of building something this large or someone with enough connections and money to commission such a player. And if he was friends with Usuba, too, what kind of network did he have...? Just who was he?

I entered the grounds of the large cottage as Akane urged me onward. Beyond an imposing stone gate stood a brick mansion, and when we approached, someone opened the door for us from inside.

The people who opened it were a male Human and a female Beastman. The man was a dashing, middle-aged gentleman with his hair slicked straight back. His slender, toned build and perfectly still posture gave him the air of someone highly capable.

The woman appeared to be a dog Beastman, judging by the floppy ears hanging down through her brown, unruly hair. Perhaps because she was so nervous, she was fidgety and gave off the impression of a clumsy girl, the exact opposite of the man.

Their Races were irrelevant, but there was one thing about their appearance I couldn't help noticing: their clothes. The man was wearing a tailcoat, while the woman wore a maid uniform. They looked exactly like a butler and maid. Was I supposed to interpret this as some kind of role-play?

"Welcome home, Akane-sama."

"I'm back. Where are the boss and the ogre?"

"Usuba-sama and Jigoro-sama are in the game room with the Young Master. Is that the guest in question?"

"That's right. The boss's precious friend."

...It felt as though they were badmouthing him in his absence. Did his companions think of him as a lonely man? I would be meeting him soon, but I was beginning to feel that I ought to be kind to him.

Speaking of which, they called him the 'Young Master.' The way the man who seemed to be a butler spoke was so polished that he sounded accustomed to saying it. That meant he was either a die-hard role-player or genuinely serving someone. This was yet another question I kept coming back to: just who was the master of this place?

"Welcome, Izamu-sama. I am Sebastian, the butler of this household. This is Asuka, our maid apprentice. I hope you will remember us."

"I-I hope you'll remember us!"

Sebastian smoothly delivered his words of welcome before bowing with elaborate courtesy. Seeing him, Asuka hurriedly bowed as well. That air of inexperience... She really was an apprentice.

"I would like to confirm one thing first. Did Usuba tell you about Jigoro and me?"

"Yes, just as you say. Usuba-sama is the Young Master's dear friend, and he appears to have told him about Izamu-sama."

"So you invited me because that piqued your interest?"

"Yes. Now, if you would follow me, please."

Usuba didn't seem like the sort of person who talked freely, so he must have trusted this Young Master a great deal. If so, he might have told him what he knew about my identity.

What was the reason he had contacted me, then? To learn his purpose, I would have to meet and speak with him in person. For now, following along obediently seemed like the best course of action.

I moved through the mansion with Sebastian leading the way, and every piece of furniture was elaborately crafted. Not only was there impressive artwork, but even the hallways were properly covered with carpet. Since I had only bones to begin with, my body was already light; I almost felt as though it had become even lighter.

The event had only started a short while ago, yet he had already built a mansion and furnished the interior perfectly. I wasn't going to be surprised anymore.

"This way, please."

"The game room... I see. It certainly is one."

The room Akane and I were brought into had a wonderful atmosphere. Like the hallway, it was covered in soft carpeting, with a billiards table in the center, a dartboard hanging on the wall, and several tables with various board games laid out on them.

If it also had a bar lined with expensive liquor, it would be the perfect adult playground. It was a tasteful space.

"Oh... damn! I pocketed the cue ball!"

"Heh heh heh. Is it my turn next?"

"Oh? You're using backspin? Not bad. And hey, looks like you finally made it."

Jigoro, Usuba, and another man were enjoying a game of billiards in that room. That must have been the Young Master. He seemed to notice our arrival, leaned his billiards cue against the wall, and waved at us with a smile.

The Young Master was a tall, slender young man with long black hair tied back and narrow eyes. His Race was presumably Human. Wearing a slightly rumpled dress shirt and black slacks, he was a dapper man with a sophisticated air.

"Yo, bro. Took you long enough."

"If I kept you waiting, my apologies. And it's been a while, Usuba. Did you enjoy the brawl?"

"Yes, of course. I was relieved to see that your skills had improved rather than grown rusty."

"So... who exactly are you, the person who invited me here?"

"You really don't know me? I thought I was fairly famous, though... Well, I suppose it can't be helped."

The Young Master gave a sly grin before making an elegant bow like a character in a play. The movement was so practiced that, despite being incredibly affected, it suited him strangely well.

"Hello, Izamu-kun. I'm Konrad, the head of the 'Kontra Trading Company' clan. I hope you'll remember me."

"The 'Kontra Trading Company'... So you were a merchant player."

He had the financial power to build a mansion in the event area, as well as the connections to gather artisan players for the job—or perhaps employees under his direct control. Either way, it had to be a large clan possessing both of those things.

However, we operated in an environment completely cut off from human society within the game, so we had no information about famous clans. To be precise, we had done a little research into places where combat might occur, but we had assumed merchant and artisan clans were irrelevant and hadn't looked into them.

"That's right. By the way, do you know where the name 'Kontra Trading Company' came from?"

"Since you went out of your way to ask, I assume it isn't a play on your name, Konrad."

"Good deduction! The hint is a word related to business."

"A word related to business... Kontra... contradiction?"

Contradiction. An old saying tells of a merchant who introduced his wares as 'a spear that could pierce any shield' and 'a shield that could block any spear.' When a customer asked, 'What would happen if I used your spear to pierce your shield?' the merchant was unable to answer. I deduced that the name came from part of the English translation of that idiom.

Konrad nodded with satisfaction at my answer. Hey, that didn't tell me whether I was right or wrong!

"Correct. As expected of Usuba-kun's friend."

"I'm glad I managed to meet your expectations. Now, could you tell us why you called us here?"

"That's true. Let's leave the pre-business small talk at that."

With that, Konrad sat down on the billiards table. To borrow his expression, the 'business meeting' was about to begin.

"I'll ask you directly, Izamu-kun. Would you be interested in forming an alliance between our clans?"

"An alliance between clans... with a group of strangers like us?"

An alliance between clans meant exactly what it sounded like: two clans forming a cooperative relationship. There were several benefits from a game-mechanics standpoint, but more important than those was probably public perception.

In other words, if word spread that 'that clan is close to this clan,' and the former was known for repeatedly causing trouble, the latter's reputation would suffer as well. In a game with so many players, being known to do business with suspicious people like us could be a problem, especially for someone playing as a merchant.

"It doesn't matter that we're strangers. What matters is the prestige of being able to say, 'We even do business with a clan of monster players.' Besides, my clan's financial power means I can deal with whatever the nameless masses have to say."

"Konrad even uses the fact that he does business with us as promotional material."

So he was making his broad network a selling point. That was certainly another way to demonstrate a merchant's skill. Wealth and influence enough to silence objections even while doing business with a PK clan... He was running an even larger operation than I'd imagined.

"If you're amenable, Konrad, I personally have no objection. But I would like to discuss it with the other members before making a decision. I hope you'll allow that."

"Okay. I'm not asking you to decide right now. But I'll be looking forward to a favorable answer, all right? Now that our business is concluded, how about joining us, Izamu?"

Apparently, Konrad had no intention of pressuring me to decide immediately. That was convenient. He seemed like the kind of man who was probably devious but impossible to dislike, so we added each other as friends to ensure we had a way to contact one another.

After that, four men and Akane, the only woman among us, enjoyed various games in the game room. Billiards and darts were fun, but as a beginner, I spent almost all my time in last place. The difference in experience made that inevitable, but I was surprised that Jigoro was so often competing with me for the bottom spot.

When it came to card and board games, however, Konrad was unquestionably the strongest. His accurate reads, precise strategies, and impeccable timing when using his trump cards let him snatch victory away from me, and I won only a handful of times. He said that I was a fun opponent to play against for the first time in a while, but I was sure that was just lip service.

"Oh? So the 'Kontra Trading Company' does business with other continents as well?"

"That's right. Armed merchant ships were expensive, but they were well worth the price."

While playing games, we exchanged information under the guise of small talk. The 'Kontra Trading Company' was involved in various businesses, including buying items from players and arranging requests for weapons and armor to be crafted by the artisan players under its employ. On top of that, it had entered the intercontinental trade business and seemed to be growing rapidly.

Apparently, they had used the profits from intercontinental trade to buy a shipyard and were having new vessels built at a breakneck pace. It was probably an investment for the future, but it was an astonishingly bold way to spend money.

Naturally, they had apparently gotten into disputes with large NPC-run merchant houses as well. But through skillful negotiations, groundwork, and occasionally hinting at the use of force, they had absorbed those businesses through mergers and grown even larger. The innocent expression on Konrad's face when he told us about it left a strong impression.

"Call. Hey, bro. Don't you think these guys will come to where we are someday?"

"Probably... Call."

While the five of us were playing poker, Jigoro said that to me. Konrad wasn't having only armed merchant ships built; he was also having ships made that could withstand long-distance voyages for exploration. We had reached the continent of Timbrica by air rather than sea, but it was only a matter of time before his completed exploration ships discovered it.

When that happened, the impression we made would differ greatly depending on whether we had kept it secret. This information could become a weapon, but perhaps I should tell them now.

"Call. The place where you guys are? Now I'm interested."

"Indeed. I'm curious too... Call."

Konrad and Usuba eagerly seized on what Jigoro had said. Akane remained silent, but she was staring intently at me as well, so she must have been curious too.

"King's full house... We're in a special place called the continent of Timbrica, where not a single Human is said to exist."

There was no benefit to hiding it, so I revealed the truth as I turned my cards face up.