58 – 58. Deal
Negotiation with the elven grand elder.
This woman seemed already captivated by heroin.
“It was a feeling that could be sensed even through the magic barrier.
“Human. You must know that peace is not simply the absence of conflict,” I believe. “Peace is based on consideration for one another, and only through active intellectual exchange can we break down the walls of discord. If you are truly an envoy sent for the reconciliation of both sides, then you must be aware of this. Isn’t that right?”
Though long-winded, it ultimately boiled down to a request for heroin.
Business was good, but first, I had to remove that packaging. Dealing dru*gs was never a noble endeavor.
Quantity, price, location, method. That was all.
So, I deliberately responded dryly.
“Commander. Peace has already been established. Hasn’t all the conflict come to an end? The Empire has completely withdrawn from the operations in Dae Sulin and even pulled back its military forces. …But why do you insist on offering heroin and seeking your favor?”
Even after saying this, there was no immediate response.
‘I guess they never expected to ask a human for a favor.’
The Commander must have been around 650 years old, if I recall correctly.
They had been guarding Dae Sulin since before the founding of the Empire, so it wouldn’t be easy for them to humble themselves before a human who was about 630 years younger.
But they would hate to give up the heroin even more.
To exert some pressure, I added, “As the leader of Dae Sulin and the representative of the 5th Clan Alliance, I would like to show respect. However, if you don’t have any specific requests, I would like to end the communication magic at this point. I am busy with the schedule to return to my territory.”
“Human…! No, did you say Alan Maydoff?”
“Human is sufficient. Please call me whatever makes you comfortable.”
“……”
“Do you have anything to say? If there are no changes, I will leave this place tomorrow.”
A notification that this is the last opportunity to acquire heroin.
In the end, the Commander also raised the white flag.
“Alan Youngsa. Bring me the heroin. …I’ll pay the price. It’s not about getting it for free.”
That’s how it should be.
He didn’t immediately enter negotiations. Instead, he pondered what conditions to propose while intentionally sighing as if he were listening to the elders.
It would be better to supply at a reasonable price until a settlement is reached. To give the impression that they are trading as equals, not submitting.
“I have to preserve my dignity, for now.”
While contemplating this, an elf suddenly came to mind.
Marcella.
The elf leader who was the first among the elves to taste heroin.
There was a need to confirm her current situation.
Although not an elder, she is supported tightly by the hardliners. She might be wavering just like last time I saw her.
Pretending that it crossed my mind by chance, I asked about Marcella.
However, the High Elder’s response was somewhat unexpected.
“It was my mistake to send the warrior Marcella as our representative.”
“Marcella was caught trying to monopolize the heroin you gave us by using shallow tricks. She even tried to snatch the pipe, saying not to smoke it. From now on, Marcella will not represent us in negotiations with the Empire.”
“Anyway, when can we receive the heroin, and how much? And I have one more question. That peculiar-looking pipe. We tried putting it in our pipes, but it didn’t burn well. If possible, could we also…?”
“Now they don’t even bother to hide it.”
But the High Elder didn’t seem bothered.
It was because he had heard the news that Marcella had tried to prevent her fellow elves from smoking heroin.
He didn’t fully believe it. She was a woman who would drink lemon tea and shed tears.
It could be that she was greedy and wanted to monopolize it, as the High Elder said. It’s almost impossible to become aware of the danger of heroin in such a short time.
“But I can’t let my guard down.”
Marcella’s power was as real as ever. It was only natural, considering she had reached the level of a Master over fifty years ago.
The overwhelming Imperial Army, boasting superior numbers, had suffered a defeat in the Great Forest, thanks to Marcella and her small guerrilla unit.
Of course, her disposition was extremely aggressive as well. If the elders had supported a full-scale battle, she would have gladly led the vanguard of the Elven forces and crushed the Imperial Army. That’s who she was.
“It’s not just her formidable power, but also the fact that she has a strong foothold in the Great Forest. Even the elders cannot afford to ignore her.”
If she was genuinely trying to prevent the influx of heroin?
From my perspective, it was like hitting a wall for the first time.
Marcella alone wouldn’t be able to stop the spread on her own, but at the very least, she could interfere. If I personally got involved in the deal, there was a possibility that she might try to kill me. After all, I had already revealed to her that I was the producer of heroin.
The moment I realized that I almost died from a sword strike while swinging the Morning Star.
Fortunately, thanks to the Grand Elder, it seemed like I could restrain Marcella.
I immediately started scheming.
“…Grand Elder. Are you telling me that the representative warrior of the Great Forest has classified heroin as a poison? From my perspective, it’s a very insulting matter. And yet, you express a desire to trade heroin. It’s quite contradictory, isn’t it? Especially since it’s something I’m not interested in from the beginning.”
“Human. Marcella does not represent the Elves.”
“But then why did you send her as a representative before?”
“That is…”
The Grand Elder stammered, as if he had nothing to say.
I paused for a moment and then spoke into the communication device.
“If you genuinely want heroin, I am willing to supply it at a reasonable price for the sake of reconciliation between the two sides. Before I am a diplomat, I am a businessman, so I cannot provide it for free. …But I do have conditions.”
“Speak quickly.”
“I will determine the terms of the deal. You just have to follow along. I will inform you of the specific details later.”
The conditions were set to safely sell heroin and control Marcela.
The Grand Elder immediately accepted the conditions I presented.
It seemed that as long as they could obtain heroin, the method didn’t matter.
**
Three days later.
It was the first trading day with the elves.
The trading location was the military camp of the army division stationed in the border city of Antrim.
If I personally went to Medellin to sell heroin, Marcela might send his subordinates with the mindset of “everything will be resolved if we kill that guy.” That’s why I chose this place.
Soon, the elves arrived to buy heroin.
“I am the representative of the Olivares family. Where is the heroin?”
The elder urged anxiously with a desperate expression.
Although he looked young, he must have been at least five hundred years old. I could keenly sense that the elven leadership had developed a taste for heroin.
To reassure him, I showed him the goods first.
“It’s here, elves.”
“Oh…!”
Three kilograms of heroin, divided into 100-gram portions.
Assuming it would be smoked in measured quantities, it would last for approximately 300,000 sessions. It was a significantly larger amount compared to the cute sample I had given before.
Last time, I had put it in a pretty ceramic jar, but now there was no need for that. After all, addicts didn’t care about packaging.
However, to prevent overdoses, I also provided measuring tools. I gently attached a leaflet that mentioned how excessive use would diminish the pleasure.
“Human…! What about the pipes?”
I have prepared a few more. However, if there is a shortage of pipes, you can heat it on a spoon and inhale the smoke. You can even roll it up in paper and absorb it, right?
“That’s a matter of taste.”
I’m not one to judge taste. Of course, I didn’t mock it.
“The effectiveness is the same. It’s even more convenient.”
Then it doesn’t matter,” the elder nodded.
Now it was time to receive payment for the 3 kilograms of heroin.
“Did you bring it?”
“Here.”
The elves, with eyes as cold as the elder’s, presented the payment.
It was estimated to be worth around 4 to 5 million talers.
The reason for the ambiguity was that the composition was quite diverse.
Among the items were gold bars, which were likely used for trade between the elves and the kingdom, high-value banknotes issued by the Royal Bank of Hwanglip (essentially gold deposit certificates), and several solid silver coins of unknown origin, but presumed to be from the Jin Kingdom.
There were even several large-sized pumpkins.
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It was evident that the elves were not a race accustomed to trading.
“It’s alright. We didn’t originally want this.”
What the Empire wanted was the resources of the Great Forest.
Minerals, natural gemstones, and vast amounts of timber, among others.
However, since it was still in the early stages of negotiation for resources, they had simply agreed to pay in this manner. Eventually, they would have to involve finances, but for now, it was important to emphasize that heroin was not free.
“Good. That’s enough.”
“Hmm!”
The elder looked at me as if he was neither listening nor caring, just staring blankly.
He must want to return to Medellin as soon as possible to have a smoke. Maybe he wants to smoke it in a new way I taught him.
However, there was one thing to discuss before completing the deal.
“Marcella, do you still oppose heroin?”
“Yes.”
The elder’s face darkened faintly.
“But you came here with such a fortune to buy heroin.”
“….”
“You didn’t inform Marcella, did you?”
“I won’t answer.”
So, he came secretly.
Judging by the elder’s expression, Marcella seems to be strongly against it. To the point where even the elder’s wives discreetly smoke their pipes. Maybe they even brought in the elves who support them to restrain her.
“I never thought she could truly resist heroin.”
Honestly, I was surprised. If she wanted to, she could smoke as much as she wanted. How on earth did she restrain herself? She probably didn’t even know the reason why she had to restrain herself.
Anyway, it wasn’t really a problem.
Because I could use Marcella’s resolute attitude to my advantage.
“Fine. Then work with the other elders and act like this. It’s not difficult.”
“Human. Why would I follow your orders…”
“It’s not an order, it’s a suggestion. Don’t you want to smoke comfortably?”
At these words, the elf elder turned to me, lending his ear. I began to give him instructions simple enough for even a novice to execute.
If this succeeded, Marcela’s resistance would soon be neutralized.