As Players grew stronger, it was only natural that their social status and influence would rise. Before, the government could still use the conventional weapons at its disposal against some low-level Players. But once Players reached C-rank, even ordinary items could block weapons that hadn't been upgraded. The government couldn't start a war in the city over minor disputes, so it had to rely on its own Players and Player organizations.
The Players in the Special Defense Department and the military were nowhere near enough. That gave Player organizations and groups leverage in negotiations. In some small cities that the Special Defense Department couldn't look after, it was rare to find even a few Players who could actually solve problems. Add in the private demands of the wealthy and powerful, and the price of hiring Players kept climbing. It was inevitable. From the moment Players first appeared, some members of the old elite had become targets. Although the government had stabilized the situation, some lawless Players still remained, so hiring Players as bodyguards became the first choice.
It wasn't just private citizens hiring them. The Special Defense Department sometimes brought in Player organizations as outside help, too.
With a market for their services, Players naturally had more clout.
Demanding benefits was normal enough. There had also been many tragedies caused by Players pulling the strings. When something happened, the Special Defense Department had to step in and clean up. If they caught the culprit, that was one thing, but if they didn't, there was nothing they could do. Besides, these incidents usually involved groups of Players, making it difficult for the Special Defense Department to crack down hard.
So everyone understood, without needing to say it aloud, that the law had to make concessions to Players.
This wasn't helplessness in