Chapter 153

“Now, it’s time to get to work.”

The reason Second Princess Siena Caruthill swiftly returned to the State was due to this one sentence Alan had relayed via communicator.

No further explanation was necessary.

After all, she was the only person capable of assisting Alan with his work.

There were employees at the factory who produced materials such as sulfuric acid and ethanol, and three wizards who managed the ventilation.

However, they were a group who didn’t even understand the meaning of their own tasks.

“Nobody else but me can do this.”

What could be a stronger sign of trust than sharing dangerous knowledge?

She was already well-versed in solvent extraction. She could synthesize and procure something like ether whenever needed. She’d never suffered burns or inhaled toxic gases due to her quick learning, though even if she had, she could have just called the Saintess for treatment.

But what Alan was about to undertake now was something entirely different.

She thought her interest in narcotics had waned, but creating drugs without raw plant materials—now that was novel. It was also intriguing to be invited to collaborate on such fresh work. Though it might simply be that Alan was short-handed and asking for help because of his character, her interest hadn’t diminished.

The thought of what could be done with synthetically produced drugs made her heart race.

She had to hurry.

However, before heading to the production room, there was somewhere she needed to visit.

“To the maids’ quarters.”

“Princess Siena? Why?”

“What do you think? I just want to see her.”

“Oh… Yes, I shall lead you.”

The shocked handmaiden bowed respectfully and guided Siena.

The destination was the maids’ quarters.

While many palace attendants came and went for their shifts, some, who had nowhere else to go, were provided with accommodation. The majority of them were maids who handled the palace’s menial tasks, but there were a few who were entrusted with special duties.

Actually, the one Siena was about to see wasn’t really a maid at all but rather a guest dependent on the palace for free room and board.

“It’s been a while.”

“A?”

The moment Siena appeared, a girl gasped and visibly startled.

Though her clothing was slightly worn, she had a pretty face.

Black hair, black eyes, and an exotic mix of Eastern and Western features, creating a harmonious beauty.

Hybrid appearances were rare, but a beauty like her was even rarer. Back in the day, several nobles had praised her beauty. Some had even composed songs to present to her. But now, no one praised her.

“Anais.”

That was because this girl had been disgraced and banished like a pot boiled into ash. Though she lived, her spirit was as good as dead.

“Your Highness.”

“Looking good. You seem to be making the best of things.”

“…”

She still struggled with managing her expressions.

It wasn’t that Siena had said this to mock Anais.

In reality, she appeared to be adapting smoothly to her new life.

Proof of this was the fashion doll similar in stature to Siena, the undergarments fitted on the doll, and the needle and lace fabric in Anais’s hand. Apparently, she wasn’t just knitting; she was also sewing.

Siena herself found this skill to be peculiar.

Had she been born a commoner, she might have lived a life of honor and wealth.

Honestly, Siena wanted to tease her but restrained herself as she regarded Anais. She noticed Anais’s trembling needle in her hand but doubted she would attack with it.

There was an urgent message for Anais.

“Your maternal uncle seems smarter than you.”

“Your Highness…?”

“Alan told me that your uncle has discovered the method to produce morphine and is putting undue pressure on him. In fact, it’s not unwarranted because it really is a threat. But whether this benefits the Empire is questionable.”

“…”

Anais blinked in confusion before slowly lowering her head, sighing in resignation.

‘She understands.’

Thinking about it, Anais wasn’t completely dimwitted.

If she had been outright stupid, her fall wouldn’t have been this extreme. She probably wouldn’t have had the idea to mix syrups, opium, and ephedra.

But her intelligence landed her in this predicament.

Anais provided the catalyst for future conflicts in the Empire.

It was surprising that a girl sewing in the maids’ quarters had set off events leading to these conflicts.

‘Whether this will lead to a real war remains uncertain.’

But it was certain that whatever happened would leave deep scars.

Later, once things escalated, wouldn’t it be entertaining to show Anais the resulting devastation? Without any demand for repentance, just out of pure interest to see what expression she might make.

Of course, that was something for the future.

“See you later.”

First, she needed to assist Alan and get the product made. Siena gave her cute younger sibling a pat on the shoulder before leaving the maids’ quarters, heading toward the production room where Alan awaited her.

Anais observed her departure with a gaunt expression, maintaining proper decorum.

* * *

Now, it was time for production.

Traditionally, distribution was more crucial than production in the narcotics business.

Her former younger sibling from her past life and other drug smugglers wouldn’t have expected to push all their secured quantities onto the market. Even if some smugglers were caught while transporting goods from foreign countries, securing even more than half was still profitable.

But Alan didn’t have to worry about distribution.

It was due to Siena, his fiancée, who had been hard at work repurposing East Asian refugees fleeing into the Empire into drug dealers.

“Alan, I think we can establish bases in the Empire.”

“Bases?”

“Yes.”

For someone who had never been to the Empire, she sure was talking about bases.

But it wasn’t baseless for Siena to say such things.

There was apparently a prince in the Empire whose life would be precarious once the current crown prince officially ascended the throne. One of the recruited members was related to this prince and served as his retainer. Observing Siena’s expression, it seemed like she was already in the process.

“I can recruit them. Do you want more details?”

“No.”

At this response, Siena’s face showed a fleeting look of disappointment.

“If you say so, then that’s how it is.”

But her face lit up again with a smile when she heard my next words.

Her proclamation of absolute trust had melted something in me. In truth, there was no need to hear the specifics. I could roughly imagine how Siena had manipulated someone into cooperating. Both of us had similar working styles, after all.

The difference was that Siena worked cheerfully with a bright smile, while I worked without much emotion, focused solely on getting things done quickly.

Because of that, I felt more at ease being honest with her.

“Siena, look at this.”

“Hm?”

I placed the drug in front of a bewildered Siena.

It was less than a gram of white crystalline substance in a Petri dish.

“What is it?”

“It’s methadone.”

Methadone, the opioid substitute I originally intended to mass-produce.

Compared to morphine or heroin, it had relatively lower addiction potential and slower onset of side effects. It was also used by heroin addicts during the detoxification process, since not taking it could result in withdrawal symptoms that would make daily life impossible.

In my past life, many addicts went through rehabilitation programs where they consumed methadone for a year or two, especially in countries like the United States or Europe. Methadone can be seen as the last line before it gets too debilitating to hold down a job.

“I originally planned to focus on this.”

“Such a good girl.”

“No, it’s because with a slower progression, we can quietly infiltrate. If we introduce something too potent too early, the Empire’s government will respond quickly. If people are lying around the streets due to addiction, they’ll quickly suspect something strange.”

“Ah… So you’re planning a quiet infiltration.”

“Yes. By the time they realize the problem, it’ll be too widespread to control.”

The quiet infiltration was the original plan.

A drug that calms users, eliminates pain, and makes them crave more but isn’t so addictive that they can’t function without it. The recruited Empire nationals could use their wits to disguise these as common medicinal herbs.

“The Empire, even as a great power, should be fully infiltrated within a year.”

“Is that enough?”

“Bulongyi is also necessary, and once we have room, I planned to produce amphetamines.”

Methadone for pain patients,

Amphetamines for scholars preparing for exams or martial artists.

With this combination, we could spread the drugs and siphon off the Empire’s wealth. Over time, we could weaken their national strength.

‘That was the original plan.’

But now, methadone alone wasn’t enough.

We couldn’t quietly spread small quantities here and there over one or two years. During the time we’d be selling methadone, the Empire might distribute morphine to counter us, and the disparity between the two nations might make it clear who would crumble faster.

So something stronger was necessary.

Not just any drug, but something that would create a catastrophe.

Something so harmful that its discovery alone would terrify the Empire’s populace and perhaps spark unrest, forcing the Empire to abandon any plans related to drugs.

“Then, let’s just make it, shall we?”

Siena asked, crossing her legs.

She wore a dress considered mini by this world’s standards, revealing her long, flawless legs. A white skin tone without a single blemish and slender ankles. It was obviously intentional, so I let myself appreciate it without guilt.

‘Right. We need to make it.’

The production process wouldn’t differ much between methadone and the current project.

However, the potency was another dimension altogether. While there are people who manage to survive by taking 120 milligrams of methadone daily, the substance I was now considering could easily claim dozens of lives with the same quantity.

I hesitated because I couldn’t predict the ripple effects of its use.

“Alan?”

Responding to Siena’s prompting, I slowly stood up instead of replying.

I intended to finalize the details while working alongside her. After all, we were going to spend the next few days immersed entirely in drug production.

After donning my lab coat, I entered the production room.

What we were creating was fentanyl.

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