Just as the manager was developing a massive headache over how to compile his report for the corporate headquarters, he spotted the guard captain marching back into the perimeter with a visibly lighter expression. Without a word, the officer shoved the recovered container directly into his hands.
Upon catching sight of the polished wooden frame, the manager's pupils constricted sharply. He recognized it instantly as the very item the two traitors had plundered from the cargo racks during the height of the crisis.
"This container..."
He reached out to steady the box, weighing it carefully in his hands. Discovering that the internal contents were actually intact, he looked up at the captain with a questioning gaze.
The captain gestured over his shoulder, pointing out toward the dark clearing where the isolated carriage was parked on the grass. "After those two fools escaped our ring, they must have attempted to hijack that vehicle to secure a rapid escape from the wilderness. Unfortunately for them, they didn't realize they were running straight into a terrifyingly tough opponent and were incapacitated on the spot. The other party cleanly handed both the perpetrators and the plundered merchandise over to my custody."
"That carriage? Those women didn't perish outside?" The manager's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
After all, even with their massive numerical superiority, hardened combat personnel, and the structured advantage of their defensive wagons, his own crew had almost been completely overrun by the onslaught. That isolated vehicle housed nothing more than a few lone women; by what possible right were they still drawing breath, let alone catching thieves in the middle of a pitch-black forest?
The captain considered the matter for a moment before offering his analysis. "Those Pincerbugs were explicitly lured to this clearing to target our specific cargo signature. Perhaps that is the exact reason why their camp was lucky enough to avoid being affected by the pheromone draw. Regardless of the underlying mechanics, this is an incredibly good outcome for our organization; at the very least, because of their presence, the corporate assets were preserved, and the saboteurs were secured."
Hearing the breakdown, the manager reluctantly accepted the explanation. When he inquired about the current status of the two traitors, his answer arrived in the form of a series of long, pathetic wails echoing from the main entrance of the camp.
Looking toward the bottleneck, he observed the two men being dragged across the dirt by the security guards, their clothes heavily stained with blood. These were indeed his trusted veterans.
Witnessing the miserable state of the captives, not a single individual present within the camp felt the slightest inkling of pity. It was these two saboteurs who, driven entirely by their own private greed, had nearly caused the entire caravan to be buried alive in the frontier. If it weren't for the fact that the merchant guild required them alive for an official interrogation back at the hub, the guards would have gladly sliced them into a thousand pieces on the spot. Now, seeing them endure a bit of well-deserved torture, the surrounding crew felt nothing but a deep sense of satisfaction, and the general mood regarding the cleanup duties improved significantly.
The captain pulled the manager away from the main crowd, whispering the specific terms Sakuya had delivered.
The manager narrowed his eyes, contemplating the request before asking under his breath, "Could it perhaps be that they were the ones who..."
After all, the timing of their appearance along this stretch of the road was far too coincidental. They just happened to remain entirely unaffected by the raging Pincerbugs, and they just happened to seamlessly assist the caravan by capturing the fleeing thieves. To his administrative mind, an excessive amount of coincidence felt less like a random stroke of luck and more like a calculated play.
"Let me offer you a very clear warning first," the captain interrupted, his voice dropping into a freezing register as he shot the manager a chilling look. "The maid I encountered out there does not resemble an ordinary domestic servant; she is absolutely not the type of asset a common noble could ever afford to employ. If you harbor a desire to court your own death, that is entirely your business, but do not dream of dragging my security division down with you. If your office is unwilling to provide the requested reward, I shall fully finance the sum from my own pocket."
How could he not comprehend what the administrator was plotting? The manager was simply desperate to locate a convenient scapegoat to offset the steep financial losses of the broken merchandise, and like a rabid dog, he was willing to bite at anything that moved.
But the captain possessed zero intention of colluding with such foolishness. This was Leithanien territory. Although he hadn't personally witnessed the exact method the maid had utilized to cleanly pierce the limbs of those two men and pin them to the damp earth, possessing that level of precision meant her combat capabilities were monstrous. Furthermore, the manager's desperate scheming risked severely offending a powerful aristocratic house. The captain certainly wasn't going to gamble his own survival away because of a bureaucrat's momentary lack of intellect.
Catching the icy glare of the officer, the manager shuddered violently, his defensive posture instantly collapsing. "Of course, of course... it was merely a passing hypothesis, nothing more. The financial reward should naturally be settled by my branch."
He was well aware that not only was the security captain refusing to back his play, but the officer would undoubtedly submit a comprehensive report detailing every single aspect of this evening to the corporate higher-ups upon their return. If he forced the captain to pay the reward out of pocket, that upcoming report would be loaded with an immense amount of professional embellishment.
In the merchant guild's operational structure, the manager and the guard captain held a relationship of mutual checks and balances. If the security division's official record arrived at the home office with a heavily negative assessment, the directors would immediately dispatch an internal affairs circle to investigate the branch. At that point, tonight's entire failure would be thoroughly exposed.
Improper personnel management that nearly resulted in total cargo loss and heavy casualties, followed by an unauthorized attempt to frame a high-ranking noble to cover his tracks? By that point, being permitted to quietly pack his bags and leave the territory would be considered an act of profound corporate magnanimity; being dragged directly into a local Caster High Tower to serve as a disposable tool for human Originium experimentation would likely be his true destination.
The mere thought of that fate caused a violent shiver to ripple down his spine, and his demeanor grew exceptionally docile.
Seeing that the administrator was no longer indulging in desperate fantasies of finding an easy scapegoat, the captain withdrew his harsh gaze. "Secure the currency immediately, and accompany me to their position in a few minutes to express our institutional gratitude in a proper manner. Remember, if a single detail goes sideways during the exchange, your office will bear the entirety of the consequences."
Leaving the warning behind, the captain ignored the manager further, turning around to direct his men in clearing the remaining insect carcasses.
Ten minutes later, the manager stood waiting, cradling an exquisite wooden container. The container itself was technically a piece of commercial cargo from their current inventory; while it wasn't inherently expensive to manufacture, its elegant design made it an exceptionally popular item among wealthy families, who routinely purchased them to decorate their parlor cabinets or store delicate personal items.
At this exact moment, however, the velvet lining was packed to the brim with gold coins, making the box incredibly heavy. Beside him, the captain held a fine sheet of white cloth, upon which rested the silver dinner knives, each weapon having been meticulously washed until the steel glinted spotlessly in the moonlight.
The two men walked cautiously across the grass toward the silent carriage, keeping their postures loose and non-threatening.
"Walnut Vine Merchant Group Supervisor Edward and Guard Captain Isole pay our deepest respects to you, My Lady!" they called out loudly well before they crossed into the immediate perimeter of the vehicle.
In response to the shout, they observed the chief maid stepping down from the carriage runner. After sizing the two figures up with a cool, sweeping glance, her eyes locked onto the captain.
"You at least possess a functioning intellect," she noted softly.
Without waiting for a reply, she reached out with one hand to cleanly lift the heavy wooden container filled with gold coins, utilizing her other hand to accept the white cloth wrapping the dinner knives. Turning smoothly on her heel, she marched back toward the vehicle without offering another word.
The manager opened his mouth, intending to deliver a formal closing remark to build rapport, but the moment his boots shifted forward, he was violently grabbed by the collar and dragged backward toward the caravan by the captain.
"What exactly do you think you are doing?" a distinct trace of murderous intent flashed within the captain's eyes, causing the manager to feel a sudden, icy chill settle against his neck.
"I... I merely desired to establish a formal introduction!" the manager explained in a frantic, hurried whisper, sensing the genuine danger radiating from the officer. "Our merchant circle travels far and wide across these territories; expanding our network of elite clients is vital for our long-term operations. That maid possesses such extraordinary capabilities, which means the background of the figure residing within that vehicle must be immense. If our branch could establish a reliable connection with a house of that caliber..."
Upon observing Sakuya's poise up close, the manager had completely realized the accuracy of the captain's warnings; the underlying background of that carriage was something his station could never afford to cross. Consequently, his administrative instincts had pivoted, hoping to salvage the financial loss by turning the encounter into a lucrative business relationship. If he could secure a direct line to a prominent Leithanien noble, then even if he was eventually dismissed from this specific caravan, he would still be able to secure a comfortable position within any other merchant collective across the empire.
Hearing his justification, the captain offered a quiet, mocking scoff. "Did your eyes fail to register her physical actions? She didn't grant you a single direct glance throughout the entire exchange. The meaning behind her words was completely transparent: they heard every single line of our private conversation from inside that cabin. Tell me, you fool—do you truly believe an empire noble would willingly establish a friendship with an administrator who was actively plotting to frame them just ten minutes prior?"
The manager stared back at the distant carriage in absolute disbelief. As his mind rapidly replayed the encounter, he realized with a sinking heart that the captain's assessment was entirely accurate; from the moment she approached them until the second she turned away, the maid had treated his presence as if he were nothing more than empty air.
A volatile mixture of deep shame and professional frustration welled up within his chest as he trudged back toward his wagons, his shoulders slumped in utter defeat. He hadn't managed to secure a single corporate asset, yet his office had just suffered a massive financial loss, and the heavy gold coins he had been forced to surrender without achieving a single beneficial result made his heart ache with unbearable intensity.