Ch.237Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

“The great Father created heaven and earth, but the earth was without form, and darkness covered the heavens.”

A dark warehouse.

A deep voice and heavy footsteps, sacred verses echoing through the silent warehouse.

“But at His gesture, the Holy Spirit hovered over the depths, and darkness retreated where He walked.”

-Click!

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

An orc in neat attire spread his arms high.

“Behold, here there is light!”

“……”

I stared at Victor with a blank expression.

“…When did you convert to the church?”

“Convert? What conversion? My father converted. I was born into the faith, Freddie.”

Episode 12 – The Greatest Magician Ever

The harbor district in the western part of the Kiyen Empire, the dockside.

A deep blue sea stretching beyond the distant horizon. The harbor shines brightly despite being past midnight. Countless ships approaching along the coast and numerous containers being loaded and unloaded at the magicians’ gestures.

The dock located at the western harbor of the Empire. I visited this place with Victor.

The orc pointed to the row of warehouses and spoke.

“These are our family warehouses, managed and passed down from my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather to their children. You came here once before, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s nice to reminisce about old times.”

Victor personally opened one of the warehouses and showed me its contents.

Food produced by the shamans of the Lushan Federation using magic, winter supplies manufactured in factories that also supply the Latuan Duchy’s military, medicines from some production line in Fatalia, and so on.

The warehouse was filled with goods imported through ghost companies managed by the Magic Tower’s Secretariat Economic Management Department. Victor asked me as I examined the charts.

“Is everything correct?”

“Even the numbers are exact.”

“Whose handiwork do you think it is? Of course it’s correct.”

Ssshhh-hah.

Victor took a deep breath. His lungs expanded and contracted once with the salt-laden sea air.

“I can smell it.”

“Smell what?”

His snow-white fangs gleamed. Victor said:

“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 arrived in the Empire, Francesca sent people to retrieve it.

“Gentlemen. These are special items, so please handle with care. And be careful not to have any delivery accidents.”

“Understood, Administrator.”

Francesca mobilized magicians using the authority of the Magic Tower’s Secretariat Economic Management Department.

Although she had stepped down from her position as administrator after being selected as Camilla’s colleague, she could still exercise treatment and authority equivalent to that of a high-ranking official.

The magicians delivered cargo from all over the Empire without a hint of doubt, as it was an order from a high-ranking official of the Secretariat who conveyed the orders of the Tower Master and the Oracle, as well as from the noble Lady Ranieri.

“There’s one obstacle, Officer.”

“What obstacle?”

“How to bring cargo into the North. You haven’t told me yet.”

Whether goods or people, anything entering the North must pass through inspection.

Inspections are carried out by troops stationed at each checkpoint at the Central-Northern border, all under the command of the Military Government Headquarters.

Just as you need permission from martial law headquarters to bring something into an area under martial law, we too needed permission from the Military Government Headquarters to bring in cargo for sale on the black market.

That is, in normal cases.

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

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

This was temporary authority granted to me because the Military Government Headquarters couldn’t supervise every time Lucia and Francesca needed to bring in items.

I used my authority to arrange for the cargo to pass through the gates. Under the pretext that Francesca was transporting alchemy supplies and materials needed for railway repairs. I even changed all the external packaging and created plausible transit documents and several forged papers.

Even if the smuggling were detected, Francesca and Victor would be able to escape safely. Because I had created a loophole for them. They’re both clever, so they’d find their way out.

Of course, this method isn’t without constraints.

I can’t import anything that isn’t for Lucia and Francesca’s use, there’s a possibility of post-supervision, and anyway, the magicians transporting the cargo still have to pass through checkpoints, so we can’t completely avoid inspection.

But when do things in this world ever align perfectly like a mathematical formula?

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

“Ah, Officer. Are you going to Petrograd again today?”

“Yep. I have business at the embassy. Would you like a gift when I return?”

“Your Kiyen language has improved. I’d like some alcohol if possible.”

“Vodka? Gin? Bul, bulkk… what was the pronunciation?”

“Honey wine?”

“Ah, yes. That’s it.”

“Honey wine sounds good. I’d be grateful if you’d bring some. Ayatoli! Open the gate for them!”

After going back and forth through the northern gates for nearly a month and bribing people a few times, passing a few pieces of cargo through was no big deal.

Since they knew I was receiving help from Senior Interpreter Officer Lyudmila, I had to speak Kiyen with the most awkward pronunciation possible in front of them.

Anyway, after various twists and turns, Francesca and I succeeded in safely moving the cargo to the North.

I created a path for magicians to safely cross the northern gates, and Francesca found a stable smuggling route through the Secretariat Economic Management Department’s ghost companies and ships.

Victor also provided her with some minor assistance.

“Feel free to continue using my warehouses during your stay in the Empire, Miss Ranieri.”

“My. Would that be alright?”

“Of course! If anything, I’m sorry I can’t help more. Unfortunately, I’m contracted with the Empire’s Defense Department. But I’ll look into routes that could supply goods to the North through my acquaintances.”

“I’m worried I might be imposing too much.”

“It’s a request from my friend, so that’s no problem at all.”

Having secured a large quantity of goods, we finally set foot in the northern black market.

To remove a stuck stone.

“Deploy people and flood the North with goods. You can do that much, right?”

“I know business better than you do, Officer.”

“Indeed. Don’t worry about the supply. Soon, the homeland will be sending gift packages.”

No matter how wealthy dark elves are, they can’t have more money than a nation.

The Humanitarian Aid Act signed by Prime Minister Abbas will be implemented, and Abbas’s government will send donations and relief supplies to the Kiyen Empire for ‘humanitarian’ reasons.

Not all of it, just a portion. Even releasing just a small amount of those supplies would make Hormoz’s blood run cold.

But as someone once said:

The protruding stone gets hammered, and there are no parents or siblings before money.

The conflict I was concerned about arrived much sooner than expected.

*

“…I apologize, Administrator.”

“……”

A robed magician bowed his head deeply. His shoulders slumped lifelessly.

Francesca stared at the Magic Tower magician who hung his head, with an expressionless face. Her usual smiling face was gone, replaced only by a cold aura.

We met in an alley located in a northern city.

“…There’s no need to apologize to me.”

Francesca’s voice was no different from usual, but her complexion was so cold that even her polite tone seemed dry.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Nothing serious.”

The magician’s appearance was utterly miserable despite his words.

His hair was matted with blood from being hit on the back of the head by someone, and his face was covered in dark bruises. Judging by the black marks here and there, it seemed he had been knocked down and stepped on.

“What happened to the goods?”

“They were taken.”

The junior magician said he had been attacked by thugs while visiting the black market to sell food supplies.

More precisely, he had gone to the black market alone and suffered an assault. He was surrounded by multiple people and attacked, beaten severely before he could prepare to counterattack.

“Were you alone?”

“They were many. They attacked me from all directions…”

“No. I mean, did you go to the black market alone?”

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

Judging by the gap between his slightly parted lips where one front tooth was missing, it seems he lost a tooth after being punched in the face.

With teeth in that condition, the inside of his lips and cheeks must all be torn. He probably won’t be able to drink water properly for a while.

Francesca received a brief report from the attacked magician.

Meanwhile, I examined the attack site for any traces.

“Officer.”

“Hmm, are you finished?”

Francesca, dressed in a robe over typical winter clothing common in the Empire, called me in a low voice.

“What did he say? Who attacked him?”

“Seems like a minor criminal organization in this area.”

Most black markets are associated with criminal organizations. The Empire’s northern black market is no exception.

War is a national activity that mobilizes everything in a country, including administrative power.

When administrative power exercised throughout the country is concentrated and invested in one place, gaps inevitably appear elsewhere.

Just as when the Magic Tower pulled in police forces to crack down on the three major factions—pseudo-Nazis, anarchists, and fusion communists—and the security in slum areas was destroyed. Similarly, the northern Empire has suffered considerable losses in security due to investing heavily in border disputes with demon territories.

As a result, numerous criminal organizations are rampant in the North.

“It’s a bit much to call them criminal organizations. To put it more mildly, vigilantes? Associations?”

“In the Empire, they’re all collectively called criminal organizations. Any group formed without imperial approval is illegal.”

I heard the specific details from Francesca, who had spoken with the magician.

As we had previously agreed, Francesca selected people from the Magic Tower who were discreet, quick-witted, and good at negotiation to send to the black market. She also formed teams of armed individuals just in case.

But the magician we just met had gone to the black market alone and was attacked.

The reason was simple.

“He thought he could enter and exit the black market without problems even alone.”

“Impressive confidence.”

He simply had too much faith in himself.

“But why was he beaten and robbed there?”

“That’s what I’m very curious about too.”

It’s not a problem that a portable amount of goods was stolen. They’re just canned goods, not jewels—how expensive could they be? You could fill a cart with such things at a supermarket. It’s actually fortunate they only took the goods without killing anyone.

With a cigarette filter pressed between my lips, I mumbled while looking for my lighter.

“They wouldn’t have attacked a magician without saying anything first. Did they say nothing?”

“They asked who gave permission to do business here, then attacked immediately.”

“…Huh.”

Honestly, the stolen goods aren’t that important. The same goes for the injured person.

What’s truly important is the fact that a magician was attacked and goods were stolen.

And that this wasn’t the first time.

“Didn’t we have a similar problem yesterday?”

“That’s right, Officer.”

Some of the magicians operating in the black market are being threatened by local criminal organizations. It’s only been three days, but we’re already getting a response.

From an unexpected place.

“No response from the Palm Tree Merchant Group?”

“No movement yet.”

Francesca let out a faint sigh.

“There’s no major problem yet, but if rumors spread, other magicians entering the black market could become targets. They’ll all see us as prey.”

“I know.”

This isn’t limited to criminal organizations holding interests in the black market. Ordinary citizens might also look down on magicians frequenting the black market.

People living in unstable environments with poor security can turn into robbers at any time.

Whatever the case, we need to resolve this issue quickly.

I sighed and looked at Francesca.

“Administrator.”

“Yes.”

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

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

Silver or lead.

Either take the money and comply, or keep resisting and get a hole in your head.

I got up, dusting myself off.

“I’ll be going somewhere briefly.”

“Where to?”

If you want to catch a fox, you have to go to the tiger’s den.

“The Military Government Headquarters.”