Ch.212Episode 11 – All Quiet on the Northern Front

# War is an extension of politics.

Nations represent national interests, while corporations pursue private interests.

Whether engaging in politics or money games, one should never incur losses.

Minimize risks and maximize returns. That’s the value and goal everyone pursues.

After all, no one in this world wants to live at a loss.

And that applies to me too, making my living as a spy.

## Episode 11 – All Quiet on the Northern Front

Francesca’s plan was simple.

Pressure the Palm Tree Merchant Guild operating in the northern black market to extract information.

It didn’t matter whether we seized control of the black market and negotiated with Hormoz, the guild master, or intercepted the guild’s northern connections to gather intelligence ourselves. The key was to gain the upper hand by either pulling down the elf or stepping over him.

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

“Eat away? That sounds so cheap.”

“What else would you call taking their market share?”

“How about saying we’re ‘sweeping it up’ instead?”

*Clap.*

With a light applause to refresh the mood, Francesca spoke in a gentle voice.

“Anyway, though it’s a hastily conceived plan, we’re well-prepared. The Secretariat has launched ships, so we can bring goods into the north as soon as the smuggling routes open.”

I read through the documents Francesca handed me.

The paper, marked with the Magic Tower’s anti-forgery magical pattern, listed smuggled goods held by the Secretariat’s Economic Management Department. It also stated that a cargo ship loaded with contraband had docked at the western port of the Kiyen Empire just this morning.

“I trust you’ll handle the goods properly. At what price range are you planning to sell these items?”

“I’ll need to discuss specifics with the broker, but since we’re dealing with large quantities at once, the prices likely won’t be very high. Probably at a reasonable rate?”

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

To reduce the Palm Tree Guild’s market share, we needed to sell as many goods as possible. To pressure Hormoz, who was making over 30 times profit on a single can of food, selling cheaply and in volume was advantageous.

We tentatively agreed on a high-volume, low-margin strategy.

“Let’s focus solely on drying up the elf’s money supply. There’s nothing more humiliating for dark elves than failing in business and having to withdraw, so they’re bound to react somehow.”

“Let’s do that.”

It’s a strategy no ordinary black market merchant could afford to take, but since I wasn’t the one making money, I didn’t need to worry about it.

After finalizing our simple business plan, Francesca leaned back on the sofa. Then, with a somewhat regretful expression, she clicked her tongue.

“What a shame. I was hoping to earn a big year-end bonus…”

“Playing around for pocket change and getting scratched up will only give you a headache. Money is a more venomous thing than you might think.”

“A few scratches in the money game are nothing… Anyway.”

Cutting herself off mid-sentence, Francesca looked at me and asked:

“By the way, are you not interested in this line of work…?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You seem to understand how this field works, and you appear to have connections… I was wondering if you’d like to make money together…”

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

“They say friends shouldn’t do business together. I’m not buying it. Not buying.”

“…Were we friends?”

“I’m saying this precisely because we’re not friends. How many close friends have ruined their relationships by doing business together? How could I possibly go into business with you?”

“……”

Francesca blinked twice, then broke into a smile and shook her head. As if she hadn’t expected such a blunt rejection.

After sitting quietly and shaking her head, Francesca placed a hand on her chest with a playful smile.

“I think I just got my feelings hurt…”

“Then die.”

“You’re no fun.”

*

Humanity rose to become the lord of all creatures and reached the top of the food chain because we discovered fire.

The origin of fire appears in myths across all cultures. In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans, while in Dogon mythology, fire is also depicted as stolen from the heavens.

Though not about the origin of fire itself, similar content can be found in creation myths passed down orally. I remember hearing one from the Hamgyong region, though it’s been so long that I don’t recall it clearly now.

Thus, stories about the origin of fire exist in all cultures throughout history. And this place was no exception.

“…Long ago, when the celestial god created the world, there was an angel who served the deity. This angel, pitying humans who wandered through dark nights on cold, damp earth, stole sacred fire from the heavenly forge and brought it to the mortal realm.”

“……”

“But while transferring the fire, the angel was caught by other angels and, in haste, threw the fire from heaven to earth, which became lightning pouring down to the ground. This is the background of lightning as explained by the church, and the story of fire’s origin.”

-Crackle. Crackle.

A small campfire burns. White snowflakes falling from the sky melt away in the heat.

The reddish flames never cease their flickering. Charcoal turning black. The smell of burning wood envelops my nostrils, and the sound of the campfire captivates my ears.

I continued my explanation while poking the campfire with a metal skewer.

“Of course, the descriptions in the indigenous religious myths of the Moritani continent or Eastern folklore are completely different. Their religions themselves are different. But broadly speaking, religious people explain that fire ultimately came down from heaven. In short, fire is God’s gift, equally cherishing all humans.”

“…Wow.”

“…Camilla, are you listening to me?”

I stopped talking and turned my head to look at Camilla. She had been listening attentively to my explanation about the myths and customs of this region just minutes ago, but at some point, she had become distracted by the campfire and was no longer paying attention.

I alternately looked at her blue eyes fixed on the campfire, the stick in her hand, and finally the three marshmallows skewered on the stick.

Seeing this, the back of my neck stiffened.

“Urgh…!”

My blood pressure spiked momentarily, making me dizzy. I couldn’t help but feel furious seeing Camilla only half-listening while I was explaining about culture and common sense, which I had emphasized so much.

These days were already difficult enough. Though I wasn’t doing any spying due to Leoni’s instructions to lay low for a while, living among imperial people felt like walking on thin ice every day.

But I couldn’t give up on training Camilla, so I was teaching her diligently, even cutting back on sleep, yet she wasn’t even listening to my explanations.

It felt like a thousand fires were burning inside me. My hands and feet trembled, and I felt like I might cry.

Finally, unable to contain myself, I grabbed the back of my neck and collapsed.

The person who caught me was Francesca, who had been drinking coffee beside me.

“Oh my… A moment later and you might have cracked your head, Officer.”

With a grin, Francesca used her whole body to push me forward forcefully. Back in my place, I glared at Camilla with wide eyes.

She seemed to have noticed the commotion belatedly. Like a student caught using their phone in class, Camilla awkwardly avoided my gaze and shrank back.

“…Camilla, why weren’t you listening?”

“Um… I was listening well…”

“What did I just say then?”

Camilla’s lips quivered. After hesitating for a while, a small answer escaped her mouth.

“…Fire is equal?”

I smiled brightly. Then, taking a deep breath, I pinched Camilla’s cheek and raised my voice.

“You asked me to teach you! You asked me to teach you about culture! So why aren’t you focusing? Huh?! Didn’t I tell you the religious part is the most important?!”

“Gyaaah…!”

“If you’re going to be like this, don’t do it! Just quit! Don’t do it!”

“Kieeeek…!”

Francesca, who had returned to her seat, observed the situation like someone watching a fire from across a river. All while sipping her freshly brewed hot coffee.

After taking a sip of the bitter coffee, Francesca smiled and joined the conversation.

“Aren’t you being too harsh? There are many eyes watching, so please show some restraint.”

“Be quiet!”

“Why are you getting angry at me…”

-Slurp!

Despite being scolded, Francesca continued smiling, clearly amused by something.

Regardless, I scolded Camilla, stretching her cheeks sideways until she promised never to get distracted again.

After a few stormy minutes that passed in the blink of an eye, we finally calmed down and sat around the campfire.

“If you get distracted one more time, I’ll break the ice and throw you into the river. Understood?”

“Hiing….”

*

We sat around the campfire, chatting quietly. There had been a minor issue, but it was well resolved thanks to Camilla’s cooperative attitude.

As the situation settled down, Francesca, who had been leisurely drinking her coffee, spoke up.

“You two seem to get along well.”

“How do you figure that…?”

Francesca’s shoulders shrugged. A gesture that meant “take it or leave it.”

With a light smile, she added in a gentle voice:

“Though my greeting is a bit late, welcome to the Rift. The mountain path must have been difficult, right?”

“Yes….”

Camilla mumbled weakly while rubbing her reddened cheeks.

We were visiting the rift where Francesca had been dispatched. A basin located in the center of the mountain range. The rift, formed hundreds of years ago, was right there.

I looked at the aurora adorning the sky.

“The rift is truly remarkable. Seeing magic still drifting in the atmosphere after hundreds of years.”

“It’s magic that has accumulated over thousands of years. It will probably last at least another hundred years.”

“Indeed, for a rift that’s practically the lifeblood of the Empire, it should live up to its name.”

Francesca brought her coffee cup closer and nodded in agreement.

Perhaps because it was winter, or maybe because we were in the mountains, the sun set faster than expected. As the surroundings quickly darkened, the colors of the magic drifting in the sky intensified.

Early evening in the north. Blue magic rising from the basin illuminated the northern night sky in a dizzying display.

Camilla couldn’t take her eyes off the rift emitting magic. Completely captivated and focusing all her attention on one spot, she unconsciously opened her mouth slightly and became entranced.

“So that’s the rift…”

“Yes, Hero. That’s the rift.”

With a smile, Francesca looked up at the surging cold light and added:

“The magic stones imbued with the northern cold are as excellent in quality as those from the Moritani continent. Although the export quantity is limited due to the Empire’s Magic Department controlling production, countless people desire the magic stones that come from there.”

“Is it because of their good efficiency?”

“Hmm… That’s not wrong, but the decisive reason lies in the dense magic contained in the magic stones.”

As Francesca’s finger twitched after setting down her coffee cup, a pouch fell onto her hand from mid-air.

After untying the tightly secured string, Francesca turned the pouch upside down and poured its contents onto her palm.

They were alchemy gems.

“I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but one of the items alchemists cherish like their lives are these alchemy gems.”

Alchemy gems are, as the name suggests, gems used for alchemy. Like the magic stones from the rift, these gems absorb magic flowing underground, and only when the concentration of magic they contain deepens over time do they become materials for alchemy.

“Of course, they can’t compare to magic stones. But gems containing good quality magic are traded at higher prices than low-grade magic stones.”

“So the value varies depending on the quality of the magic?”

“That’s right, Hero. The same applies to magic stones. That’s why the most rare alchemy gems or magic stones are traded at enormous prices, and every long-established magician family keeps at least one such item in their vault. The Ranieri family once did too.”

Once did.

Meaning they used to in the past, but not anymore.

Francesca’s gaze fell on the basin.

The dense magic contained in the rift, which had been continuously emitting magic into the sky for hundreds of years, was simply beyond the limits of human knowledge to gauge.

“Magic stones imbued with heat are abundant on the Moritani continent, but magic stones containing cold can only be obtained here. Except for the frozen lands ruled by demons and the northern regions of the East, the Kiyen Empire is virtually the only supplier.”

“……”

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

At any cost.

Though she omitted the last part, it seemed like Francesca wanted to say it.

After gazing at the rift with melancholic eyes for a moment, she drank her still-warm coffee. Camilla looked at the rift with a sigh, and Francesca put her cup down on the campfire before leaning her upper body toward me.

A smile had already formed on her lips. A somewhat wicked-looking smile.

“I was thinking, if we consume the black market and use that money to bribe the military or magic department, couldn’t we monopolize the magic coming from there? What do you think, Officer?”

“The Magic Tower would gobble it all up, and that would twist the guts of more than a few people.”

I meant that President Fatalia and Prime Minister Abbas wouldn’t stand by and watch. Furthermore, it implied that the countries of the Moritani continent, which make their living from magic stones, wouldn’t tolerate it either.

Of course, unless the Emperor develops dementia, he wouldn’t give the Magic Tower the authority to export magic stones, but if such a thing actually happened, the first to object would be the kings and dictators of the Moritani continent.

Even on Earth, organizations like OPEC exist where oil-producing countries collaborate daily. This place wouldn’t be much different.

Francesca knew this too.

“I was just joking. Don’t take it so seriously.”

“Oh my…”

“Still… if by any chance, someone were to gain the right to export magic stones from there or similar authority…”

After a brief pause, Francesca continued:

“It would never fall into the hands of the Magic Tower.”

“……”

I stopped poking the campfire and looked at Francesca. She was staring into my eyes with a rather solemn gaze.

A moment of silence passed between us. Camilla, who had been admiring the night sky dyed with cold light, shivered and crawled toward the campfire.

“Augh… so cold…. Why don’t we go inside the building instead of staying out here? The campfire is nice, but it’s too cold. Look at my teeth chattering.”

Camilla’s jaw trembled uncontrollably. Tak-tak-tak-tak. A sound like a woodpecker pecking at a tree was coming from her mouth.

Wrapping herself in a blanket she had produced from somewhere, Camilla urged us with a trembling voice. Francesca gave her a troubled expression and delivered a bitter response.

“Hero… it pains me to say this, but going inside the building won’t make much difference.”

“Why not…?”

“What did I tell you earlier when I was explaining about the rift?”

“Um….”

Camilla’s eyeballs rolled upward. As if trying to recall something, she rolled her eyes and then exclaimed “Ah!” before answering.

“You said it’s the only place where magic stones imbued with the cold of cold regions come from. But why bring that up suddenly?”

“Rifts exposed to the surface during formation release dense magic that has been condensed for thousands of years. And the rift here is an emission-type rift, with the property of releasing magic into the atmosphere. Just like the aurora you see there.”

Francesca pointed at the blue magic adorning the night sky and continued her explanation.

“So…”

And then she smiled as if regretfully.

“It means that no matter how much thermal magic you wrap around yourself or turn on heaters in this area, it won’t help.”

“What…?”

“Actually, it’s not completely useless, but… the heating equipment in the lodging broke down when the magic water supply froze. We’ve requested personnel and materials from the Magic Tower to fix it, but… it seems it will take quite some time for them to arrive.”

Camilla’s face went blank instantly. She looked as if she’d been hit with a hammer.

After losing her words for a moment and gaping blankly, Camilla finally grasped the situation and began bombarding us with questions. Her voice was very urgent.

“Th-then what do we do? Won’t we freeze to death? It’s so cold! How do the people working here eat and sleep? The security forces and workers need to sleep too, right?”

“Those people will manage somehow. Honestly, if you have several heat packs and get into a sleeping bag, you can sleep even in sub-zero weather.”

“How is that reasonable?”

“I know because I’ve done it.”

“……”

By this point, Camilla seemed mentally dazed. In her place, Francesca, who had been drinking coffee and warming herself by the campfire, stepped in.

“Officer. Is there perhaps no other way?”

“What other way do we need? We can just go down right now. Camilla! I’ll give you the keys, so go start the car.”

“Excuse me, Officer?”

“What?”

“Are you perhaps joking right now?”

What is she talking about? I looked at Francesca, who had uttered something incomprehensible, but she was genuinely asking if I was joking.

Francesca said:

“Didn’t you see the road conditions when we came up?”

“I did see. There was quite a bit of snow, but it seemed like we could drive carefully.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. The snow would have melted a little under the sunlight during the day, right?”

“Right.”

“Then now that night has fallen, has the melted snow frozen again or not?”

“…Oh.”

Suddenly, I remembered going skiing in Gangwon Province.

The skiing I did at dawn was definitely much harder to control than during the day. Because ice had formed on the snow.

And clearly, the mountain path leading up to the rift was very steep and treacherous, and if we weren’t careful going down, we could easily fall off the cliff…

“……”

As that thought struck me, an exclamation escaped involuntarily.

“…Ah. I forgot.”

I looked at Camilla, whose expression suggested the sky had fallen, and Francesca, who was shaking her head as if I were pathetic.

Though I hated to admit it,

“…Hehe.”

It seemed we were stranded on the mountain.