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War is merely an extension of politics.

The state represents national interests, and businesses pursue private gains.

Whether you’re engaging in political maneuvering or playing with money, there’s no room for losses.

Minimize risks as much as possible, and maximize returns. That is the value and goal every person strives for.

No one wants to live suffering losses in this world.

And that goes for me, living off espionage as well.

—

Episode 11 – No Issues on the Northern Front

Francesca’s plan was simple.

We would pressure the Palm Tree Trade Guild operating in the northern black market to extract information.

Whether we seize control of the black market and negotiate with Guild Master Hormoz or intercept the Palm Tree Guild’s northern connections to gather information on our own, it didn’t matter. The key was to get the pesky little guy to crumble beneath us or trample him down to gain the upper hand.

In that sense, our first goal was to nibble away at the guild’s share of the black market.

“What do you mean ‘nibble away’? That sounds pathetic.”

“Then what would you call it if not nibbling away at their share?”

“Please, say we’re sweeping it all up instead.”

*Clap.*

Francesca, who lightened the mood with a casual clap, spoke in a gentle voice.

“Anyway, while it’s a plan put together in a short time, we are more than prepared. We’ve dispatched a ship from the Secretariat, so we should be able to bring goods into the north as soon as the smuggling route opens.”

I read through the document passed to me by Francesca.

The paper inscribed with anti-counterfeiting magical patterns from the Magic Tower listed the smuggled goods owned by the Economic Management Department of the Secretariat. The cargo ship, loaded with the smuggled items, was noted to have landed at the western port of the Kien Empire earlier this morning.

“I believe you’ll manage to get the goods just fine. What kind of price are we looking at for these items?”

“While I’ll need to discuss the specifics with the broker, since we’ll be moving a large quantity at once, the price shouldn’t be too high. They’ll be sold at a reasonable price, I’d guess.”

“I’ll tell the broker to take a minimal commission, so sell them as cheaply as possible.”

To lower the Palm Tree Guild’s market share, we had to sell as many goods as we could. To put pressure on Hormoz, who makes ridiculous profits, taking advantage of a single can, hitting them hard with a low-price strategy was our best bet.

Francesca and I tentatively agreed on a strategy of selling cheaply in bulk.

“Let’s not think about anything else; our priority is cutting off that little guy’s cash flow. There’s nothing more shameful than tanking your business and withdrawing from the Dark Elf society, so there’s bound to be some response from them.”

“Right.”

It was a strategy unthinkable for a typical black market trader, but since I wouldn’t be the one making the profits, I had no reason to care.

After wrapping up our simple business plan, Francesca leaned back on the sofa with a sigh of regret.

“What a pity. I was hoping to rake in some hefty year-end bonuses…”

“Messing around just for pocket change could lead to headaches. Money can be way more lethal than you’d think.”

“Scratches while playing with money? What’s that…. Anyway.”

Francesca, cutting her words short, looked at me with a question.

“By the way, isn’t the Colonel interested in this line of work…?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You seem to know how this industry operates and have connections, so I thought you might want to join in on making money….”

I waved my hand dismissively without a moment’s hesitation.

“Business between friends? Didn’t we establish that? No deal. No deal.”

“…Were we friends?”

“I’m saying that because we aren’t friends. How many close friendships are ruined when they start doing business together? How could I partner with you?”

“……”

Francesca blinked a few times, then broke into a quiet chuckle, shaking her head as if she hadn’t expected such a blunt refusal.

As she sat there shaking her head, for some reason, she hugged herself with a playful smile.

“I think I just got a wound in my heart…”

“Then go die.”

“What a bore.”

—

Humanity became the apex predator and the top of the food chain because of the discovery of fire.

The origin of fire appears in myths across cultures. In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give to humanity, and the legends of the Dogon people also describe fire as something taken from the heavens.

Although it might not originate from fire, similar accounts can be found in creation myths passed down through oral tradition. I believe there’s a myth handed down from the Hamgyeongdo region, but it was so long ago that I can’t quite remember the details anymore.

Thus, stories about the origin of fire exist in all cultures, regardless of time and geography. And so, the same could be said for this area as well.

“…Long ago, when the divine gods created the world, there existed an angel who served the deities. This angel, feeling pity for the humans wandering in the dark night and languishing in the cold, damp earth, stole the divine fire from the heavenly forge and delivered it to the earth.”

“…….”

“But while transporting the fire, the angel was caught by another angel, and in their haste, they hurled the fire from the heavens to the earth, which then fell as lightning. That is the background of thunder described by the Cult and the story of the origin of fire.”

*Tap. Tap.*

A small campfire flickers to life. White snowflakes descending from the sky melt away in the warming air.

The brightly glowing flames continue to dance. The blackened charcoal crumbles away. The scent of burning wood wraps around my nostrils, and the sounds emanating from the campfire capture my ears.

I stirred the campfire with a metal skewer and continued my explanation.

“Of course, the accounts depicted in the indigenous religious myths of the Mauritania Continent or the eastern fables vary completely. The religions differ fundamentally. But when viewed broadly, the explanations from religious people all tend to boil down to the idea that fire ultimately descended from the heavens. In other words, fire is a gift from the gods, cherished equally for all humans.”

“…Wow.”

“…Camila, are you listening to me?”

When I stopped my narrative, I turned to look at Camila. Just a few moments before, she had been attentively listening to my explanation about the myths and customs of this region, but at some point, she had become mesmerized by the campfire, not paying attention at all.

I glanced back and forth between her blue eyes fixed on the flames, the stick in her hand, and finally, the three marshmallows skewered on that stick.

Instantly, my neck stiffened.

“Ugh…!”

A rush of blood pressure sent my head spinning. Seeing Camila, who was barely paying attention while I was giving an elaborate cultural lesson, made me want to blow a fuse.

It had already been a tough few days. Even though I hadn’t been conducting espionage due to Leoni’s orders to stay low, simply hiding in the heart of the Empire felt like walking on thin ice every day.

Still, I couldn’t afford to stop training Camila, so I pushed myself to teach diligently, even cutting back on my sleep, yet here she was, not even paying attention.

I felt like I might explode. My hands trembled, and I felt a tear come to my eye.

Finally unable to contain myself, I clutched the back of my neck and made a commotion.

The person who came to my aid was Francesca, who was sipping coffee beside me.

“Whoa… if I had been even a second slower, the Colonel’s head would have been smashed.”

Francesca smiled brightly and used her whole body to energetically push me back into my seat. Once positioned back, I glared at Camila with my eyes wide open.

Realizing something was off, she seemed to catch on a bit late. Like a student caught using her phone in class, Camila shrank back and avoided my gaze.

“…Camila, why weren’t you listening?”

“Uh… I was listening carefully, you know…?”

“What did I just say earlier?”

Camila’s lips twitched. After a moment of hesitation, a tiny response trickled out.

“…Fire is equal?”

I smiled brightly. Drawing a deep breath, I pinched Camila’s cheek and raised my voice.

“You insisted I teach you! Teach you about culture! But why aren’t you focused? Huh!? Didn’t I say the religious part is the most important?!”

“Kyyaaa…!”

“If you’re going to be like this, don’t even bother! Just quit! I said don’t do it!”

“Giieeeek…!”

Francesca, having returned to her seat, watched the situation like a bystander at a distant fire across the river while sipping her freshly brewed coffee.

As she savored her bitter coffee, Francesca beamed and interjected.

“Are you not being a bit too harsh? There are quite a few eyes watching, so maybe tone it down a bit.”

“Shut up!”

“Why are you snapping at me…?”

*Slurp!*

Even after eating the Kkulsari, Francesca seemed to revel in her delight as she laughed continuously.

Be it as it may, I stretched Camila’s cheeks out to either side, demanding her to promise me she wouldn’t get distracted again until I got a satisfactory answer.

Moments flew by like a storm, and after finally calming down, we found ourselves seated around the campfire.

“Just one more distraction, and I swear I’ll toss you right into the icy river. Got it?”

“Hiiee….”

—

We sat together around the campfire, chatting. A minor issue arose in the middle, but with Camila’s cooperative attitude, it was resolved smoothly.

Once the situation had settled, Francesca leisurely sipped her coffee and spoke up.

“You two seem quite close.”

“Close? How do you figure that…?”

Francesca’s shoulders shook, as if to suggest “so what if they are?”.

With a light smile, she added in a soothing tone.

“Apologies for the late greeting, but welcome to the Rift. It must have been a hard trek through the mountain paths, right?”

“Yes…

Camila gently caressed her flushed cheeks and muttered weakly.

We visited the Rift that Francesca had dispatched to. The basin located in the heart of the mountain range. The Rift, formed centuries ago, was right there.

I gazed at the aurora painting the sky.

“The Rift really is an incredible thing. Even after hundreds of years, the magic power still lingers in the air like that.”

“That’s because it’s magic power that’s been condensed over thousands of years. It’ll likely remain for at least another hundred.”

“Well, the Rift is like the lifeblood of the Empire, so it better live up to its name.”

Francesca, bringing her coffee cup closer, nodded in agreement.

Perhaps because it was winter, or maybe due to the mountains, the sun set faster than expected. As darkness enveloped the surroundings in an instant, the colors of the magic floating in the sky deepened further.

In the early evening of the North, the blue magic rising from the basin lit up the night sky.

Camila couldn’t take her eyes off the Rift emanating magic. Completely captivated, she absentmindedly opened her mouth, lost in wonder.

“That’s the Rift…”

“That’s right, Hero. That is the Rift,” Francesca said, her smile gentle as she looked up at the surging cold light.

“Magic stones imbued with the northern chill are said to boast a quality as good as the magic stones from the Mauritania Continent. The Imperial Ministry of Magic has limited their export due to production control, but there are countless people yearning to obtain the magic stones from there.”

“Is it because of their good fuel efficiency?”

“Well… that’s not entirely wrong, but the crucial reason lies in the dense magic contained within the magic stones.”

As Francesca set down her coffee cup, her fingers flicked, causing a pouch to drop from the air into her hand.

Unraveling the tightly secured thread, Francesca flipped the pouch and let its contents spill into her palm.

It was an alchemical gem.

“I don’t know if I’ve mentioned, but one of the objects alchemists cherish as dearly as their lives is this alchemical gem.”

An alchemical gem refers to the stones used in alchemy. Just like the magic stones from the Rift, they absorb the magic flowing underground, and over time, when the magic’s density increases, they become materials for alchemy.

“Of course, they can’t compare to magic stones. However, gems with high-quality magic are traded at a price higher than low-grade magic stones.”

“The value varies according to the quality of the magic, huh?”

“That’s right, Hero. The same goes for magic stones. That’s why the rarest alchemical gems and magic stones fetch astronomical prices, and storied wizard families always have at least one of such treasures stored in their vaults. The Ranieri family used to be the same once.”

“Used to be, huh…”

It was a claim that while it was true in the past, it was not the case anymore.

Francesca’s gaze shifted to the basin.

The dense magic contained in the Rift, which had been spewing magic into the sky for hundreds of years, was something no human knowledge could fully comprehend.

“Magic stones imbued with heat are spread across the Mauritania Continent, but those with cold magic can only be found here. Aside from the frozen lands ruled by the demon race and the northern regions of the East, the Kien Empire is practically the only supplier.”

“……”

“That’s why they’re so desperate to defend this place.”

Regardless of the sacrifices they had to make.

She omitted the latter part, but it seemed Francesca wanted to express those words.

After gazing at the Rift with melancholy eyes for a moment, she took a sip of her coffee. Camila watched the Rift with a furrowed brow, while Francesca leaned slightly towards the fire after setting her cup on the flames.

A smile had somehow appeared on her lips. A rather mischievous-looking smile, to be precise.

“I was actually pondering whether we could monopolize the magic coming from there by eating away at the black market and using that money to butter up the military or the Ministry of Magic. What do you think, Colonel?”

“There are plenty of people who wouldn’t take kindly to the Magic Tower gobbling it all up.”

That meant the President of Patalia and Prime Minister Abas wouldn’t just stand by and watch. It also suggested that countries on the Mauritania Continent which relied on trading magic stones wouldn’t remain passive either.

Of course, unless the Emperor had lost his mind, he wouldn’t grant the Magic Tower the right to export magic stones. But if such a thing were to actually happen, the first people to protest would be the kings and dictators of the Mauritania Continent.

After all, even the global village has organizations like OPEC where oil-producing countries collude. What would be different here?

Francesca wasn’t oblivious to this.

“I was just joking. Let’s not take it too seriously.”

“Oh dear…”

“But… hypothetically, if someone were to gain the right to export those magic stones or a similar authority…”

Francesca’s voice trailed off for a moment.

“That right would definitely not end up in the hands of the Magic Tower.”

“……”

I stopped poking the campfire and looked at Francesca. She was staring deeply into my eyes with a serious expression.

It was a brief moment of silence between us. Just then, Camila shuddered as she turned to the fire, crawling closer.

“Ugh… it’s freezing… How about we stop this and go inside? The campfire is nice, but it’s just too cold. Look at my teeth chattering.”

Camila’s jaw was quaking uncontrollably. The sound of her teeth clicking was like a woodpecker pecking a tree.

Wrapped in a blanket she had pulled out from somewhere, Camila urged us with a trembling voice. Francesca wore an awkward expression, responding bitterly.

“Hero… it’s a heartbreaking story, but even if we go inside, it won’t make much difference.”

“Why not?”

“What did I say when I explained about the Rift earlier?”

“Um…”

Camila’s eyes rolled up as if trying to recall. After a moment of confusion, she exclaimed, “Oh!” and responded.

“You said it’s the only place where magic stones with the chill from cold regions come from. But why does that matter all of a sudden?”

“The Rift exposed to the surface for thousands of years releases the dense magic accumulated over time. And the Rift over there is a type that emits magic, capable of releasing it into the atmosphere. Just like the aurora over there.”

Pointing to the blue magic that adorned the night sky, Francesca continued explaining.

“So…”

Then she smiled as if feeling a little sorry.

“This means, no matter how much we use warmth spells or turn on a heater around here, it won’t help at all.”

“Uh…?”

“Actually, it’s not completely useless, but the magic water supplied to the heating system in accommodations froze and broke down. I requested personnel and materials from the Magic Tower to fix it… but it looks like it’ll take quite a while to arrive.”

In an instant, Camila’s face went blank. She looked as if she had been hit with a hammer.

Speechless for a moment, Camila opened her mouth in shock and, realizing the situation, began bombarding us with frantic questions.

“W-what do we do then? We’re not going to freeze to death, right? It’s too cold! How do the people working here eat and sleep? The guards and laborers have to sleep too, right?”

“They’ll figure it out themselves. Honestly, if you bring a few hot packs and crawl into a sleeping bag, you can sleep even in below-zero weather.”

“Is that even reasonable?”

“I know because I’ve done it.”

“……”

By this point, it seemed her mind was in a daze. Taking over for the dazed Camila, Francesca who had been sipping her coffee and warming herself by the fire stepped up.

“Colonel. Is there no other way?”

“What other ways do we need? We can just go down right now. Camila! I’ll give you the keys, so go start it up.”

“…Excuse me, Colonel?”

“What?”

“Are you joking right now?”

What on earth was this? I looked at Francesca, who blurted out something incomprehensible, but she seemed genuinely asking if I thought she was kidding.

Francesca said, “Did you not see the road conditions as we were coming up?”

“I saw it. It looked like there was quite a bit of snow, but it seemed manageable if we drove carefully.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. During the day, the sun would have melted some of the snow, right?”

“That’s true.”

“So, now that it’s night, do you think the melted snow has refrozen or not?”

“…Uh.”

Suddenly, memories of going skiing in Gangwon-do flashed in my mind.

Skiing in the early morning was clearly much more difficult to control than during the day because of the ice forming on the snow.

And indeed, the mountain road leading up to the Rift was steep and treacherous. If we weren’t careful going down, we would soon fall off the cliff…

“……”

As I thought about that, a small gasp escaped my lips.

“…Ah, I forgot.”

I looked at Camila, who wore a look of despair, and Francesca, who shook her head in disappointment.

As much as I hated to admit it, it seemed we were indeed stranded on the mountain.

 

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