Earth Dungeon 73.2

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Chapter 73.2. Union

He considered it not a bad business move and was making excuses to stop his purchases from the abandoned town.

Then he heard rumors of a dragon being defeated by some students. These students were known as the "Three Houses", the top three in Tokyo, equipped with luxurious gear and accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Marume, who possessed powerful skills.

It appeared the children of the Three Houses had defeated the dragon, which was remarkable, almost suspiciously so. Captain Anayama did some research, but he couldn't find any information beyond the fact that the sons of the Three Houses had defeated it.

However, Captain Anayama still has questions. Lieutenant Colonel Marume was the officer in charge of this area. He had met him several times and knew his character. Marume was an exemplary military man. If he were given an escort mission, he would perform it as a soldier should, rationally and efficiently.

If it were merely an escort mission, they would have completed the field trip without leaving the vehicle. If dungeon conquest was necessary, they would quickly accomplish it and return. 

In other words, there was no reason for him to go to the riverbank to defeat a Kappa. Something was off.

Captain Anayama decided to keep an eye on the situation since he had witnessed the transported dragon. Something was definitely amiss.

Moreover, not too long ago, Kamishiro Serika had transported a skilled individual to Amatsugahara Corporation. Upon investigation, Captain Anayama learned that Kamishiro Serika had recently received a laboratory from the Minamoto family. Such a person transporting a valuable skilled individual to Amatsugahara Corporation, or the abandoned town, had a deeper meaning.

Amatsugahara Corporation was a covert unit of the Minamoto family. The Minamoto family had likely deployed a unit capable of defeating a dragon to the abandoned town. They established a market and built their influence. Amatsugahara Corporation had been created around the time the Core Stores began to appear. The timing was too perfect.

There were few dungeons in the inner town and almost none in the outer town. The abandoned town had plenty of unexplored dungeons, and cores were easy to come by. It was ideal for both raising funds and expanding influence.

If the Minamoto family was involved, Captain Anayama couldn't ignore the trivial demands of the small fries in front of him. He would be relieved of his positions at best, or worse, sent to the forefront of dungeon conquest. Captain Anayama had decided to cut ties with the union leaders. He also intended to meet with Amano Sakimori again soon.

The union leaders might complain loudly, but he brushed it all off casually.

"Is it appropriate for you to take such an attitude? I may be an outer town union leader, but my brother is an officer, and our clan is of the warrior class."

Suwa shouted angrily, showing his frustration with a visibly irritated expression, but Captain Anayama continued eating, unfazed.

"I know about your reputation, Suwa-dono. What of it?"

The Suwa clan had a few high-level skilled individuals and even an officer in the military. They were a reasonably powerful faction. At the very least, they were stronger than Captain Anayama's, though they were still insignificant compared to the Minamoto family.

"...We also have a small security company."

"Are you threatening me?"

Captain Anayama glared at Suwa. If he wanted to issue threats, he had his strategy. He had navigated through numerous crises in his time. The position of Supply Officer was quite lucrative, and many were eyeing it.

Fearing Captain Anayama's intense gaze, the Suzuki family hesitated but didn't back down completely.

"We're not thinking of doing anything to Captain. Just let it be known that from now on, we'll be your exclusive trading partners." 

Suwa said with a sly, cunning grin.

Captain Anayama sighed as he looked at Suwa. The meaning of those words was easy to understand.

"Why not stop the foolishness and aim for coexistence and mutual benefit? If we negotiate with them, they should be willing to make some concessions. I doubt they want things to get messy either."

We had a long history together. It was a warning, nothing more. Captain Anayama decided not to mention the Minamoto family's involvement. He valued his life too much. Loose lips sink ships.

"Captain Anayama, I've been looking into our counterparts as well. The strongest man in the abandoned town. Ha, it's laughable. I suppose I should educate the specialists a bit about their true profession."

"Amano Sakimori is strong."

"Such a person doesn't exist on the records, but my brother will take care of any ghosts. We'll make sure the market can function even without those ghosts."

Sipping wine slowly, Captain Anayama watched as Suwa and the other union leaders stood up and exited the room. The people of the abandoned town weren't counted as individuals, nor did they have rights. In an extreme sense, it meant they could do whatever they pleased. However, it also means no one could held responsible for their actions, even if Captain Anayama died. It was similar to treating them as monsters, though it was an extreme example and not something typically done.

It seemed that Suwa intended to break the norm.

"With armored vehicles and automatic rifles, my brother being a Level 4 skilled individual. Well then, excuse us."

With a confident expression, Suwa left, leaving Captain Anayama somewhat bewildered.

"Well, it looks like the abandoned town will get a bit noisy. Let's hope for a more decent successor as the next union leader."

If it was the Minamoto family's secret unit, they could eliminate the Suwa clan and the like. Captain Anayama considered working behind the scenes to prevent any disturbances. There was nothing wrong with currying favor with the Minamoto family.

Captain Anayama decided to savor the dishes before him slowly. The food here was quite delicious.