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“In the beginning, the Great Father created the heavens and the earth, but the earth was without form and the heavens were cloaked in darkness.”

A dark warehouse.

A deep voice and heavy footsteps resonate in the silent warehouse, accompanied by a sacred verse.

“Yet at His gesture, the Spirit hovered over the abyss, and darkness withdrew from His path.”

-Thud!

Bright lights drove away the darkness, illuminating the interior of the warehouse.

An impeccably dressed Orc raised his arms high.

“Behold, light has come forth!”

“……”

I stared blankly at Victor.

“…When did you convert to the Cult?”

“Convert? No way. That was my father. I’m a cradle Catholic, Freddy.”

—

**Episode 12 – The Mightiest Magician in History**

In the port area of the Kien Empire’s west, the dock.

The deep blue sea stretched endlessly beyond the distant horizon. Despite it being past midnight, the harbor shone brightly. Countless ships and many containers were unloaded and loaded repeatedly at the gesture of a magician.

I visited this dock in the western port of the Empire with Victor.

The Orc pointed at the rows of warehouses and spoke up.

“These are the warehouses my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather have handed down and managed over the generations. You’ve been here once before, right?”

“Yeah.”

“It feels good to reminisce.”

Victor personally opened one of the warehouses and checked the contents.

Food produced with the magic of the Shamans from the Lushan Federal Kingdom, winter supplies manufactured at the factories supplying the Ratuan Duchy’s army, medications brought from somewhere in Patalia, and more.

The warehouse was filled with goods imported through a ghost company managed by the Economic Management Department of the Magic Tower Secretariat. As I reviewed the charts, Victor asked me.

“Is everything correct?”

“The numbers match perfectly.”

“Whose work do you think this is? It has to be right.”

*Sigh* – Hah.

Victor took a deep breath. The salty air of the sea filled his lungs and then released in a single go.

“It smells.”

“What kind of smell?”

His white fangs gleamed. Victor replied.

“What else? The smell of money.”

—

The operation to pressure Hormoz had begun.

“Francesca! The goods have arrived.”

As soon as the cargo prepared by Victor hit the Empire, Francesca sent someone to retrieve it.

“Gentlemen, it’s a special item, so please handle it with care. Watch out for any delivery mishaps.”

“Understood, Administrator.”

Francesca wielded her authority from the Economic Management Department of the Magic Tower Secretariat, mobilizing the magicians.

Although she had stepped down from her position as an Administrator after being chosen as Camila’s colleague, she still enjoyed treatment and authority on par with a high-ranking executive.

It was an order from a senior executive in the Secretariat who conveyed the commands of the Tower Master and the Oracle, so the magicians delivered the cargo without a hint of suspicion.

“There’s one hitch, Colonel.”

“What kind of hitch?”

“It’s the method of bringing goods into the North. You haven’t mentioned it to me yet.”

To bring anything or anyone into the North, one must pass through a checkpoint.

Checkpoints are conducted by troops stationed at each checkpoint along the Central-North boundary, all under the authority of the Military Government Headquarters.

Just like obtaining permission from the Martial Law Command if you’re bringing something into an area where martial law has been declared, we also needed the Military Government Headquarters’ approval to bring in cargo for the black market.

Typically, that is.

“Don’t worry, Administrator. There’s always a way.”

I had the authority to permit the entry of special cargo into the North.

The special permission was granted to me to avoid the Military Government Headquarters from supervising every time Francesca and Lucia needed to bring in items.

Utilizing my position, I orchestrated the passage of the cargo through checkpoints, under the pretense that Francesca was transporting pension supplies and materials necessary for repairing the railroads. I even changed all the exterior packaging and created plausible passage documents along with a few forged ones.

Even if smuggling was detected, Francesca and Victor would manage to escape unscathed because I created the hole for them. Both are clever, so they’ll figure it out.

Of course, this method wasn’t without its limitations.

If the items weren’t for Lucia and Francesca to use, we couldn’t import them, and there was a possibility of post-oversight, plus the magicians transporting the goods would still have to pass through checkpoints, so we couldn’t entirely avoid scrutiny.

Still, can things in the world work out as neatly as mathematical equations?

I solved the problem using the methods of the intelligence officers with their long history and tradition.

“Ah, Colonel! You’re heading to Petrogard today as well?”

“Yep. I have some business at the embassy. Any gifts on the way back?”

“You’ve improved your Kien language skills! I wish for some alcohol.”

“Vodka? Gin? What was the pronounciation again for… honey or something?”

“Honey, please?”

“Oh, yes, that one.”

“Honey sounds great. I’d be grateful if you brought some. Ayatoli! Open the door!”

—

After nearly a month of bribing people at the northern checkpoints, getting a few cargo items through was child’s play.

Knowing that I was receiving assistance from Senior Lyudmila, the interpreting officer, they were well aware I needed to feign a poor Kien accent in front of them.

Anyway, after all the twists and turns, Francesca and I successfully transported the goods safely to the North.

I paved the way for magicians to cross the northern checkpoints safely, while Francesca found a stable smuggling route through ghost companies and ships of the Economic Management Department.

Victor also provided her with small assistance.

“You’re welcome to continue using my warehouse while you’re in the Empire, Lady Ranieri.”

“Oh my. Is that alright?”

“Absolutely! I’d feel terrible if I couldn’t offer more help. Tragically, I’m contracted with the Imperial Ministry of Defense. However, I’ll see if I can find a supplier route for goods to the North through my connections.”

“I worry that I’m imposing too much.”

“It’s just a favor for a friend; it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Thus, with a large stock of goods secured, we finally set foot in the northern black market.

To eliminate the hindrance.

“Release people and flood the North with supplies. You can do that, right?”

“I know business better than you, Colonel.”

“That’s true. Don’t worry about the supply. I’m going to unload a gift bundle from the homeland soon.”

No matter how wealthy the Dark Elves might be, they can’t outpace a nation in wealth.

A humanitarian aid law signed by Prime Minister Abas would go into effect, and the Abas government would provide funds and relief supplies…

“They’re going to send it to the Kien Empire from a ‘humanitarian’ standpoint.”

Not all of it, just a fraction. Even if a little of that huge supply gets released, Hormoz’s heart will surely race.

But who said that?

A sharp stone will get hit, and money knows no family or brotherhood.

The conflict I feared arrived much sooner than expected.

*

“…I apologize, Administrator.”

“……”

The magician draped in robes bowed deeply. His shoulders drooped like a wilted flower.

Francesca, with her stoic expression, stared at the magician of the Magic Tower who had his head down. The usual cheerful smile was nowhere to be found, replaced only by a cold aura that swirled around in the emptiness.

We met in an alley of a city in the Northern Regions.

“…You don’t need to apologize to me.”

Francesca’s voice was no different than usual, but her complexion was so icy that even her polite words felt lifeless.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m not seriously injured.”

Yet, the magician looked utterly miserable.

His hair was matted with clotted blood, and his face bore a dark bruise. It seemed like he had been trampled by an opponent while he was knocked down.

“What happened to the goods?”

“They were stolen.”

The low-ranking magician who visited the black market to sell groceries reported being attacked by a mysterious thug.

To be precise, he had gone alone to the black market and was ambushed. Surrounded by multiple assailants and beaten up before he could even prepare for a counterattack.

“Were you alone?”

“There were many of them. They attacked me from all sides….”

“No, I meant did you go to the black market by yourself?”

“…There’s no excuse. Yes, I was alone.”

As he spoke, a gap between his slightly parted lips revealed that one of his front teeth was missing, likely lost after being punched in the face.

Given the state of his teeth, it was likely that the inside of his lips and his cheeks were all swollen. He probably wouldn’t be able to drink properly for a while.

Francesca quickly gathered a brief report from the attacked magician.

In the meantime, I examined the scene of the ambush for any trace of evidence.

“Colonel.”

“Hmm, is it over?”

Francesca, dressed in a typical winter outfit common in the Empire, called me softly.

“What did they say? Who attacked you?”

“They seem to be a local small-time crime organization.”

The black market is mostly associated with criminal groups. The black market in the Northern Regions is no exception.

War is a national-scale mobilization of everything a country has, which includes administrative power.

When the administrative power exercised throughout the nation is concentrated in one place, it inevitably creates a gap elsewhere.

Just like when the Magic Tower summoned police forces to crack down on the three factions of pseudo-Nazi, anarchists, and fusion communists, leading to a complete breakdown of order in the slums nearby. The Northern Regions also invested heavily in border disputes with the demon tribes, resulting in significant losses in law and order.

As a result, countless crime organizations are flourishing in the North.

“Calling them a crime organization seems a bit harsh. If anything, you could call them a vigilante group? A union?”

“In the Empire, everything organized without the Royal Family’s approval is considered illegal.”

I heard the detailed situation from Francesca, who had been talking with the magician.

As we had previously agreed, Francesca had selected personnel dispatched from the Magic Tower who were discreet, quick-witted, and strong negotiators and sent them to the black market. Additionally, she had organized a team with armed individuals just in case.

However, the magician we just met went to the black market alone and got ambushed.

There was no particular reason.

“He thought he could go in and out of the black market without any trouble, even by himself.”

“That’s quite the confidence.”

He simply overestimated himself.

“But why did he get beaten up and have his goods stolen there?”

“That’s what I’m curious about too.”

It’s not a concern if the goods stolen are something a person can carry. They’re not jewels anyway; they’re just canned goods. You could fill an entire cart with that at a grocery store. They didn’t kill him and just took the goods, so it could even be considered fortunate.

Muttering while searching for a lighter that I had partially bitten with my lips.

“I doubt they attacked the magician without saying a word. Didn’t he say anything?”

“They immediately asked who gave him permission to sell here, and then they attacked.”

“…Huh.”

Honestly, the stolen goods aren’t that important. Nor is it crucial that someone was hurt.

What really matters is that the magician was attacked and his goods were stolen.

And this is not the first time.

“Weren’t there similar issues just yesterday?”

“That’s right, Colonel.”

Some magicians active in the black market are being threatened by local crime organizations. It’s only been three days, and the reactions are already surfacing.

From unexpected places.

“Has the Palm Tree Trade Guild responded at all?”

“There’s been no movement yet.”

Francesca let out a light sigh.

“Right now, it’s not a major problem, but if the rumors spread, other magicians frequenting the black market could become targets. Everyone will see us as prey.”

“I know.”

This isn’t only about the crime organization that holds the interests of the black market. Even ordinary citizens could look down on the magicians entering and exiting the black market.

In an unstable, harsh environment where people struggle to survive, anyone could turn into a robber at any time.

Whatever it may be, we need to resolve this issue quickly.

I sighed and directed my gaze back to Francesca.

“Administrator.”

“Yes?”

“There’s a famous saying left by a drug lord who was once the richest man in the world. Do you know what it is?”

“Well, I’m not sure. Can you tell me?”

It’s either silver or lead.

You either accept money and bow down, or you resist to the end and end up with a hole blown in your head.

I stood up from my seat.

“I’m just stepping out for a bit.”

“Where to?”

To catch a fox, you must head into the tiger’s den.

“Military Government Headquarters.”

 

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