Guildmaster Bradt had to admit that this was one of the most novel letters that he had ever read in his entire life. It was truly an experience in and of itself.
He suspected that the author intended for it to be that way, they could have been a lot more cut and dry regarding this matter, but they chose not to. He had gone in-depth into a lot of the other conditions and offers but lightly added the most shocking offer in the entire letter. Which was the offer of a detailed map of the Shionel Dungeon that was highly accurate and precise, allegedly.
He still wasn't convinced that the claim was true. However, if it was true, there really was only one way that such a thing was true.
"A Martial Art technique, hm?" He mused to himself.
It was one of the more frustrating things about trying to predict the future of civilization as a merchant. While he possessed the ability to evaluate sociological, cultural, commercial and economic, and even technological trends to a certain degree, he possessed very little insight into Martial trends.
This was because Martial Art, as a field and a sector, was far more prone to being influenced by individual influences than any other field of pursuit that currently existed. It was a highly exclusive field that denied entry and insight to those who were unworthy to enter this realm of Martial Paths.
Unlike in the fields of science, where scientific progress was generally hoisted by the scientific community at large, it was much easier for a Martial Artist to make radical progress by developing a powerful technique with high dissemination viability that shook up Martial trends out of the blue
He could look at scientific fields and make much more accurate gauges of their trends with some consultation, but the same could not be said for Martial Art. Sometimes he went to sleep afraid that some Martial Master would develop a revolutionary technology that would allow for instantaneous transport between great distances.
He had no indication that such a thing was particularly unlikely, he could only handle them as they came.
In this case, the sheer confidence with which this particular individual declared his ability to provide a highly accurate and precise map of the Shionel Dungeon would probably be based on a Martial Art technique, rather than through conventional means. This was still assuming that there was truth to this claim and it wasn't fabricated lies and nonsense.
[I'd like to set up a meeting in the Inner Ring of the Adventurer Ring town. Specifically, in the Guild office number thirty-two, at nine PM on the fortieth of Winter. I will offer you proof of my identity of the Voider, and proof of my claims regarding the map.]
The Guildmaster frowned at that date. That date was special as it was five days from now and also was the day that the native Martial Squires of the Shionel military would be attempting to raid the latest floor discovered, the thirteenth floor of the Shionel Dungeon.
Furthermore, the time of the meeting had been scheduled after the many Martial Squire adventurers of the Shionel Confederation would enter the dungeon.
Guildmaster Bradt couldn't help but feel suspicious. He also noted that the location of the meeting necessarily excluded the presence of Martial Seniors, since they could not be anywhere near the Shionel Dungeon. This was probably intentional and the reason for the location of the meeting since Martial Seniors would obviously catch him and Guildmaster Bradt would have an overwhelming advantage in any engagement that they then come to an agreement over.
"Clever…" He narrowed his eyes.
This was good because it meant that the person was competent, which meant the probability of failure of any such endeavor was very low. However, it was not good in the sense that it would be difficult to force an agreement that was disproportionately beneficial to him. Still, it was overall a positive thing. He would still rather deal with an intelligent and competent person than a careless idiot, especially when the person he was dealing with had a very important role in all of this.
"Hm…"
He had no choice but to go especially when proof of identities and proof of the dungeon map was guaranteed. Especially the latter, he absolutely could not allow a dungeon map to slip out of his hands under any circumstances whatsoever.
Still, he had some preparations to make, so he appreciated the few days that he had for the meeting. He had many considerations to go over as well.
For one, couldn't he just capture the Voider with force in that meeting?
True, the Voider was obviously powerful for soloing the second floor, however, could he really handle a huge number of Martial Squires outside the dungeon?
Probably not.
In that case? What was to stop Guildmaster Bradt Patrick from capturing them then and there once their identity had been confirmed under the charges of tax evasion and breaking and entering the guild master's office illegally?
Then he could use all forms of persuasion to use the Voider as he wished. Wasn't that a less risky route to go? Than to trust some random stranger into keeping their word, and ensuring that they act carefully and cautiously at all times.
He was not averse to engaging in such measures, certainly not for moral reasons. He had walked over a mountain of corpses, that he was responsible for, to reach where he was, and he did not mind adding one more to the list if necessary.
If necessary, of course. Frankly, it entirely depended on the Voider. If it turned out to be the case that the Voider had arrived in person with no countermeasures against such a foreseeable outcome, then Guildmaster Bradt Patrick was inclined to capture them alive than let such a moron run around freely.
However, if it turned out to be the case that they had fully accounted for this possibility, then he would be a lot more reliable and credible in his eyes.
