It wasn't until the sun set at dusk that Ichihime finished her day of field investigation.
But she had only examined one town; in the Land of Waves, there are many such towns that need to be investigated one by one to truly understand the state of the country.
Returning to the cruise ship on the sea, in the lounge, Ichihime held the information she had collected in her hands, flipping through each page, pondering her next strategic move.
"Special clubs, casinos, gang influences... this country truly has many internal problems. Solving them will likely not be a matter of a short period."
Ichihime frowned in frustration.
She knew the situation in the Land of Waves might not be as good as imagined, but she didn't expect such a massive dark industry chain to be so entrenched beneath the surface in the Land of Waves.
"Miss."
After knocking and receiving permission, a Ninja of the Land of Demons entered the lounge and respectfully addressed Ichihime.
"What's the matter?"
"President Kado has returned."
"Oh? It seems he might have some results over there. Send him in."
Kado had been visiting the Daimyo of the Land of Waves since yesterday morning, so after a day had passed, there ought to be some feedback.
Moreover, she wanted to delve deeper into understanding the situation between the Daimyo and the nobility in the Land of Waves.
"Yes."
After the Ninja of the Land of Demons left, it wasn't long before the door was knocked again.
"Come in."
As Ichihime spoke, the lounge door was pushed open.
A middle-aged man of rather short stature, wearing a black formal suit, stepped in.
He had a handlebar mustache and wore round-framed sunglasses, beneath which one could barely see his sharp eyes that exuded a strong sense of aggression.
He held a black iron cane in his hand, which he needed to walk.
Kado.
That was the name of the middle-aged man.
He was an early follower of Ichihime's father, Hakushi, and a senior who had served among the top echelon of the Shion Flower Merchants Association. He had led the development of Shion Flower Pharmaceutical Technology Company, before moving to the shipping company under the association, serving as president. He had strong connections in various countries and was a highly skilled business talent.
"How are things on the Daimyo's side? Is there still no way to recover the debt?"
After Kado entered, Ichihime glanced at him and inquired.
"I'm very sorry, Miss. The Daimyo of the Land of Waves is unable to repay the debt. He hopes we can grant an extension for a while longer."
Kado truthfully reported.
This had been confirmed long ago, and Kado's trip this time was merely to verify it again.
Or rather, it was just to touch base with the Daimyo of the Land of Waves.
"As expected, what did they actually spend the funds borrowed from the association on?"
Ichihime continued her inquiry.
"They claim it was used for the construction of the country and its military, as well as the development of domestic shipping and fisheries."
The Land of Waves is an island country surrounded by sea on all sides, providing an excellent environment for the development of shipping and fisheries, which is why the Shion Flower Merchants Association initially agreed to lend the Daimyo of the Land of Waves money.
After all, the association's objective is profit, and if they couldn't recoup the investment, they wouldn't have entangled themselves with the Daimyo of the Land of Waves from the start.
As for Kado's claims, they are quite vague.
"In reality, the funds were secretly used to support pirates at sea to raid merchants traveling to the Land of Waves, and also to develop domestic black industries, right?"
Ichihime seemed to see through something and spoke.
"Miss is already aware?"
"Those pirates have formidable combat strength, and their weapons are sophisticated. It's not something ordinary people can nurture within such robust pirate forces. Moreover, where hidden places in the country's interior cultivate such rampant black industries, yet internally the country remains stable and balanced... It is abnormal despite already facing external and internal threats."
Ichihime voiced her speculations.
Kado nodded, his lips curling into a smile that outsiders would interpret as very malicious.
"Indeed, normally, what else can bring quicker profits than gambling, drugs, and prostitution? It's a lucrative business."
Although the Land of Waves has a good foundation for developing shipping and fisheries, these industries require substantial capital investment over long periods.
Also, there's no guarantee they will bring tangible benefits.
After all, the Land of Waves is a very small country with limited land, and not many people visit the country under normal circumstances.
For more profits, they open certain special industry privileges to entrepreneurs within the Ninja Realm, so they can earn money effortlessly.
As for the pirates at sea, it's uncertain if they're connected to the Daimyo's forces in the Land of Waves or if they could be a private army funded by some major figure, merely under the guise of pirates.
This way, it also makes the Land of Waves appear to be in a difficult predicament, making it seem impossible to produce funds to repay debts.
"Quickly find the treasure vaults hidden by the Daimyo of the Land of Waves and those nobles; they must have stashed the gathered funds somewhere in this country."
This time, when she came to the Land of Waves, her team included a Ninja from the Hyuga Clan.
In front of the Byakugan, those treasures cannot stay hidden.
A small country like the Land of Waves likely has a hard time recruiting powerful ninjas; just deal with them cautiously.
"Yes."
"Additionally, find someone to spread the word, aiming to create some influence among the populace in the Land of Waves. Begin warming the atmosphere."
Ichihime proposed another request.