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132. Visitor

「It’s the western neighbor, Narshe. Word is that large quantities of medicine are being shipped out of a town called Fathie, just past the mountains.」

「Rinono, are you sure about this?」

「I confirmed it with four different merchants. No mistake. They’re even offering tax breaks to peddlers to help move the medicine.」

If what Geran and Rinono were saying was true, this was no longer just some rural incident. It was a full-blown international problem.

Shizuku, seeming to grasp the situation, murmured quietly:

「An invasion… from a neighboring country?」

「Hmph. The sharp-eared market brokers are already on the move. Which means a lot of people are thinking the same thing.」

These ‘market brokers’—those who profit off fluctuations in currency and grain—are always quick to act and rational in their assessments. If they thought this was an invasion, the public would likely follow suit.

Of course, this wasn’t an invasion through outright military force. Rather, they were weakening the country from within through medicine and economics. Geran nodded with arms crossed, as if it were only natural.

「Launching a military invasion across the Leon Enagoris Mountains would be absurdly costly and complicated.」

This land, the Abik Domain, sat at the westernmost frontier of the country. Naturally, it would be the first point of contact from a neighboring nation.

In that sense, Duke Abik, who had been ‘sealed off’ to this post, had essentially been entrusted with the vital task of guarding the border. However, because the Leon Enagoris range was so high and treacherous, a military invasion through it seemed unlikely, making the duke’s strategic importance… somewhat questionable.

Especially given that Duke Abik hailed from a royal bloodline ousted from the center of power.

「’You’re in charge of border security, so do your job properly.’」

「’They’re not going to invade anyway, so you don’t need much funding.’」

「’You want to increase military spending? You’re not planning a rebellion, are you?’」

No doubt he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

If the neighboring country was targeting this territory, then surely they’d see the discord between the central government and Duke Abik as the ideal opening. And yet—Bellman said, with a strangely proud look on his face:

「But of course, Duke Abik is not so easily swayed! No matter what promises are dangled before him, the enemy lies beyond the mountains. He’s not the kind of man to forget that being cut off means checkmate!」

Exactly. He wasn’t some dime-a-dozen corrupt noble. Duke Abik was not so short-sighted as to be blinded by immediate profit.

「That must make him quite the nuisance for the neighboring country.」

They couldn’t launch a military attack because of the mountains.

They couldn’t buy off or win over the local lord.

They had tried flooding the market with counterfeit coinage, but the oversupply of gold had diluted its impact.

「So now they’re trying to rot us from within with drugs. The money spent on those drugs flows back into the enemy’s pockets, and if we crack down too hard, the addicts and those profiting off the trade will push back. That’ll split the country. A classic two- or three-birds-with-one-stone tactic.」

「…The Elves.」

Shizuku murmured.

Asagi was quick to chide her.

「Shizuku, be mindful of your words. This is a council of governance.」

「You’re right… That was thoughtless of me. I apologize.」

「No, I’d actually like to hear Asagi’s opinion. Do you think this is the work of the Elves?」

Asagi took a moment to ponder, then replied gravely:

「I’d say it’s about fifty-fifty.」

「Your reasoning?」

「First, the reasons why it could be the elves: Poisoning one’s enemies to destroy them from within without direct combat. That’s their style. They abhor open conflict.」

「So because they hate fighting, they kill anyone who might fight them before a fight even starts, huh? That’s… a new perspective.」

「Also, creating strange drugs that disrupt demi-human abilities and skills—that’s something only the elves would be capable of.」

However—Asagi frowned.

Even so, he said, he couldn’t definitively say it was the Elves. The scale was simply too large.

「The methods certainly match theirs. But the Elves are a reclusive race who prefer to live in small communities, tucked away in quiet lands. I don’t know how they’ve lived since they fled beyond the mountains to avoid the war, but I find it hard to believe they could orchestrate or support a conspiracy of this magnitude.」

「We don’t even know if they survived after fleeing across the mountains, do we?」

「Just so. The methods are theirs. The tools are theirs. But I can’t believe they would—or could—pull this off. Nor can I say with certainty they even still exist. That’s why my judgment is ‘fifty-fifty.’」

The Elves had once lived on this land alongside the Werewolves, the Dwarves, and other demi-human tribes. Back then, the region had been a rich, lush forest that could sustain such diverse peoples.

Then the humans invaded, stripped the land of forests and resources, and left behind only a withered grassland. The demi-humans fought back but were defeated—either destroyed or scattered. According to Shizuku and the others, it was the Elves who chose to flee into the mountains early, to avoid the conflict altogether.

Asagi knew the situation best. And if his assessment was “fifty-fifty,” then the only way to know for sure was to head beyond the mountains.

「We’ll have to go there and see for ourselves…」

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a young Werewolf came dashing in, visibly flustered. He was the one standing guard in front of the office.

「Y-Your Majesty! I apologize for interrupting!」

「What is it this time?」

「We, um, have a visitor.」

This was Geran’s office. It wouldn’t be unusual for the occasional walk-in to appear. Shizuku responded casually.

「Geran’s guest? Let them wait.」

「H-Hey, Shizuku…! What if this is a big business opportunity!? Hey, who is it? If you don’t know the name, at least tell me if they look like they’ve got money!」

「Th-That’s the thing…」

「Fortunately, I am not troubled by coin. Thanks to all of you.」

The man who entered wore a hood. Behind the door, armed men and women—clearly his guards—kept sharp watch on the surroundings. He was someone of high status.

Though somewhat elderly, his back was straight and his steps firm. His face was mostly hidden save for a glimpse of white hair, but his figure and voice were familiar.

Of course, the first to recognize him was Bellman.

「D-Duke Abik!?」

「There were… circumstances. I had no choice but to come myself.」

「The Duke of Abik in person!? Eldro, tea! Bring the finest blend we have!」

The visitor was none other than the local lord—Duke Abik himself. Naturally, it was no small thing for such a noble to walk around incognito.

After taking a sip of the tea Geran hurried to serve him, the duke let out a small sigh.

「Delicious… It’s been so long since I could drink tea without fear.」

Saying only that, he pressed his lips into a firm line and fell silent. For a lord to come here in person—it could only mean something dire. We all held our breath, waiting for him to speak.

After just a moment, he finally spoke in a heavy tone.

「The knight orders have been defeated.」