Preparation is key.

We got straight to the point and decided to ask Cid for help.

I figured since I was the one making the request, I should go to Draco Village myself—but Dyne advised against it, saying I should just summon him instead. So we had Cid brought here.

As a result, Cid showed up that same day with a knight escort in tow.

We had Niku wait nearby for security and greeted Cid in the reception room.

"Sorry to make you come all this way, Cid-dono."

"No, no, I appreciate you reaching out. I'd be glad to help."

Hmm? Did he get taller? Must be a growth spurt.

That "if you haven't seen a young man for three days, look at him anew," saying was really applying itself here. With all the stuff going on in the Karisoto Ward, we hadn't seen each other for months.

Meanwhile, Niku—who didn't look like she was growing at all—was eyeing Cid a little enviously.

"Kehma-dono, I heard Dyne-dono was almost assassinated. And the culprit is supposedly a merchant controlling the slums in Pavuera?"

"Yeah. We got that out of the assassin who came after him."

"… You got an assassin to spill information about their client? You must have one hell of a skilled interrogator."

"She used to be an imperial intelligence agent reporting directly to one of the Four Heavenly Generals. Former black ops."

"Makes sense."

Right? The Four Heavenly Generals carry serious weight. You hear that and it all just clicks.

"So then, shall I simply hand over the merchant? I'll seize him and his assets, and deliver his head on a platter."

"Huh? Isn't that moving a bit fast? I mean, don't you want to at least verify whether what I'm saying is true?"

"No need. I trust you, Kehma-dono. Of course, if you prefer to keep him alive, we can do that too."

Hmm. He's got a point. If there's a deeper conspiracy behind this, capturing him alive would be better.

Guess I'll ask that former black ops agent—now Kusaan's wife—for another favor. Maybe offer her a reward like a free night in the sweet suite with meals. They're newlyweds, after all.

"By the way, even if you hand over that merchant, will the slums in Pavuera be okay?"

"Hm? It's just the slums. Not really something we need to worry about, is it? Someone else'll step in and take over, or whatever. That's just how slums work. Besides, most of the slums are already vanishing."

"Huh? Is that so?"

"Yup. Thanks to the Karisoto Ward."

… Ah. I'd been wondering where all the people filling the Karisoto Ward were coming from. So it's folks moving out of the slums.

It's like someone planted a new pie where there used to be a fixed number of slices.

And people swarmed in like ants, heading from the slums to Karisoto. As a result, the slums started disappearing.

… But now there's a chance new slums might form near my territory, huh? The new pie isn't infinite, after all. So people hearing about opportunities come rushing in, only to find themselves left out—and forming a new slum.

What a hassle. If that happens, I'll dump the problem on Soto. Lucky me, having such a capable and lovely daughter.

"Oh. So that merchant just got pissed off because his turf—the slums—shrank?"

"Wouldn't be surprising. I can understand the feeling, at least a little. But if he were a proper merchant, he'd see it as a business opportunity and try to enter the new market."

Apparently, the population in Draco Village had also been growing, influenced by the Karisoto Ward.

Looks like the area around Karisoto is booming economically.

"Hmm. This might actually wrap up real smooth."

"Kehma-dono, there's nothing wrong with problems resolving smoothly, is there?"

"Well, no, but… it feels a bit anticlimactic."

Still, it's true—easier jobs aren't a bad thing.

Just following proper procedures and doing groundwork beforehand really lowers the difficulty.

More importantly, it means we don't have to resort to illegal methods, like retaliatory assassinations.

And if the other party is using illegal methods, you can completely ruin them legally just by reporting it to someone higher up the chain.

No way some random slum-running merchant can beat the local lord in terms of power. From there, it's just a matter of applying legal violence and taking control!

Yeah… procedures and groundwork really are vital.

"There's going to be a raid on that merchant. Want to come watch?"

"Eh, he's just some regular guy, right? Doesn't sound too exciting."

"… True. For someone like you who commands dragons, some merchant and his bodyguards wouldn't be anything special."

Cid gave a little shrug, as if to say what can you do?

Then Niku spoke up.

"Master."

"Hmm? What is it, Kuro?"

For a second I almost called her Niku, but I caught myself just in time. Close one.

"I want to help with the raid."

"… I see. Cid-dono, Kuro says she wants to assist. Is that alright?"

"Eh? Oh. Uh, sure. I don't mind."

"Thanks. Let her cut loose a bit."

Niku's been doing nothing but solo training lately—she's starved for real combat.

She'd even been playing around in a dungeon recently by possessing a kobold and messing with adventurers. I heard she caused a bit of a stir as a wandering mutated kobold boss.

Still, she wants to fight in her real body. Makes sense—it's hard to find chances to show off what you've trained so hard for.

"I'll bring back his head for you, Master."

"We need to interrogate him, so capture him alive."

"Understood."

Fwoosh—she gave an enthusiastic snort. Her expression was blank as usual, but her tail was wagging fast.

By the way, "capturing alive" in this world often involves slicing off a few limbs.

As long as you've got the severed parts, healing magic can reattach them. Growing new ones from scratch is a lot harder.

"I hope there's a secret escape tunnel or something. Makes the hunt more fun."

"… We should check in advance. I'll arrange for a mage who specializes in earth magic."

"Wouldn't it be better to storm the place before they get a chance to escape? Let's go today."

"Hmm. Kuro-dono makes a fair point. But isn't it a bit much to go right now? What do you think, Harvey?"

"Yes, sir! It is doable. We'll need to report to the lord, but I believe after-the-fact notification will suffice."

"Alright, then let's go."

Even Sid's escort agreed, so it was decided—we'd launch the raid right away.

… Sorry, merchant guy. Looks like Niku being all eager to fight has sped things up for you.