Chapter 157

Narcotics are more important to distribute than to manufacture.

I planned to send the goods through the route Sienna had prepared.

Sienna herself also interrupted her rest and came out to personally oversee things for once.

There were various methods.

The ordinary way, via merchant ships that passed through the fiefdoms of the Empire,

The long-distance teleportation route to Langsuka, an island nation between the two continents, where fast ships would then transport the goods,

And we even planned to try an express courier service using the Namhaeshinggu, a mythical creature that delivers messages, which we had taken from a smuggler native to the Empire, since small amounts of fentanyl could be delivered this way.

The goods for dispatch included 200 kilograms of methadone and 3 kilograms of fentanyl.

By quantity alone, the majority was methadone.

However, in terms of the harm it would wreak upon the Empire, the fentanyl was overwhelming.

It wasn’t as though we were simply sending the fentanyl; it had already been through secondary processing. Since it was such a dangerous substance, we couldn’t trust the locals with it.

Truly, it required much attention.

“Do we really need to go to such lengths?”

Even Sienna asked this question. I immediately nodded.

“If we just dumped it, it’d be no different from a massacre.”

“True, the lethal dose of fentanyl…”

“2 milligrams. It doesn’t matter how it’s ingested; death is certain.”

“…”

“Inhaling it, keeping fentanyl pills in the mouth, or nasal inhalation—any method results in death. The only way with a slightly lower probability of death would be oral administration, just swallowing the drug.”

“Will it still lead to death though?”

“It will.”

With my brief reply, Sienna nodded, now understanding that death was indeed the result.

Her gaze fell upon the fentanyl that had undergone various forms of processing. It seemed she wanted to hear an explanation about it before we sent it to the Empire, so I decided to clear my throat and speak. Since I would have to use the route Sienna had prepared anyway.

First, there were tea leaves.

Tea leaves dried after spraying them with a solution that mixed fentanyl with fatty alcohol. Taking it in this form has a bioabsorption rate of less than 35%, but for that very reason, it was more suitable. If someone died outright, they wouldn’t become an addict.

It wasn’t only tea leaves that were prepared. Other forms were made as well.

Pills that combined 20 milligrams of methadone with a trace amount of fentanyl.

Lastly, there were sheets of paper that had been soaked in fentanyl solution and dried. This method, often used by European drug addicts to take LSD, could also work for fentanyl. I thought this might be the most effective way for it to spread in the Empire—there would be less resistance to it.

Though it took some effort, it was unavoidable. Since the purpose was not direct killing but sale, it had to be distributed carefully.

…

It was now time to send the goods.

I planned to personally supervise this process.

Sienna could surely handle it on her own. But I wanted to handle it cautiously.

“Just sending it isn’t the end.”

We needed a firm assurance that the supplies would enter the Empire. More than that, some items intended for special purposes had to be delivered separately.

Sienna nodded, understanding what I was thinking.

“It’s alright. I’ve secured trustworthy couriers.”

“Well, that’s true, but even so, I can’t completely trust unless I go myself.”

“Well, they’re pretty trustworthy. Especially one of them.”

“…?”

“Shall I show you?”

Sienna signaled one of the bodyguards.

Not long after, a woman appeared.

She was ‘Jin Ying,’ one of the few remaining intimates of Empress Lianhua, a middle-aged maid.

Though Empress Lianhua had been stripped of her princess title and sent away most of the palace maidens from the Empire, she kept a few devoted individuals by her side. Jin Ying, in particular, had been a close companion since the Empress’s youth—they shared a special bond of loyalty.

What’s more, she wasn’t just an ordinary maid.

As a shaman, she was equivalent to a fifth-rank magician in the Empire.

Originally, the Empire would grant palace women of that quality a rank to ensure their continuation of service. By the Empire’s standards, she was considered a valuable resource.

‘So, she’s the courier the Empress sent to me.’

I wasn’t particularly surprised up to this point. After all, the Empress was, in a way, on the same boat as us, wasn’t she?

The problem was that the mission assigned to palace maid Jin Ying was more than just delivery.

I observed her for a moment, then gave her a warning.

“It might be a little dangerous.”

“I’m fine.”

“It isn’t fine. Of course, most of the shipment just needs to be handed over to local distributors. However, 1 kilogram of fentanyl is intended for a different purpose, so it must be delivered directly to the capital, Nanjing. You will also have to observe its appropriate use.”

“I can do it.”

Palace maid Jin Ying bowed her head steadily.

Was it solely out of loyalty to the Empress?

She said it wasn’t.

“I have a younger sibling in the Empire. They are my only family.”

“Explain.”

“A commander of the White Tiger Temple, a junior rank at the seventh level… his situation must be difficult since I stayed in the Empire to serve Her Majesty the Empress. He’s likely already been dismissed from his position.”

“That seems so.”

“If Lord Alan manages to achieve his goal…”

“That’s right.”

I seemed to understand what Jin Ying wanted and nodded.

If she successfully carried out her mission, she was probably hoping for favors toward her brother. A junior commander is rather low-rank—about the level of a captain—but he would undoubtedly be persecuted without exception.

“I’ll not only care for your brother but also guarantee his descendants’ prospects.”

“Do you mean it?”

“And the palace attendants in the Empress’s chamber who remain from the Empire—your comrades—I’ll ensure their safety as well. I’ll arrange for them to move freely between the Empire and here if necessary. Once I prevail, it will be easy enough for me to offer those things.”

Jin Ying’s face brightened.

Though it was a generous promise for delivering narcotics once, considering the risks involved, it might have been rather modest. We had a plan to directly attack the imperial court of the Empire. Even if it failed, if it succeeded, it would drastically accelerate the Empire’s decline.

I handed the 1 kilogram of fentanyl to Jin Ying, who looked determined.

“This is the cargo that must be delivered to the capital.”

“Please tell me the specific location and person.”

“Once you arrive at the Empire, I’ll separately issue instructions.”

Jin Ying nodded without questioning.

A poorly executed mission might cost her her life.

Still, she would somehow carry it out for the sake of her family, comrades, and her lord. In a way, this act of contributing to her homeland’s downfall didn’t need to burden her with guilt.

After all, I could weaken the Empire without her help.

“You’re simply speeding things up.”

“…Understood.”

“And please inform your lord—Her Majesty the Empress—that this mission will surely be beneficial to her. Once the Crown Prince who stripped Her Majesty of her title falls, her reappointment will be smoother. So, don’t worry, just deliver it.”

“Understood. I’ll do as you say.”

A rational decision.

…

That evening.

Delivery personnel carrying 200 kilograms of methadone, 4 kilograms of cocaine, and 3 kilograms of fentanyl departed for the Empire in sequence, following the route designed by Sienna.

Narcotics of efficacy on an entirely different level from the initial shipment.

I couldn’t predict the extent of the damage these goods would cause in the Empire.

**

After sending the items.

“What will you do while we wait, Alan?”

In response to Sienna’s question, I said I needed to go to the production room.

Naturally, to produce narcotics.

This time, it wasn’t about synthesis but natural processing.

It wasn’t destined for the Empire either. Instead, it was the morphine for the army and heroin intended for the addicts living in the Great Forest.

It might seem odd to return to natural extraction now that we had the facility to produce synthetic drugs, but there was a reason.

“The opium farmers need to make a living, too.”

As I said this, Sienna stared at me curiously.

She didn’t assist me in my work.

Having rested fairly well, her interest in participating in the production of narcotics hadn’t yet fully returned. Probably, she just wanted to stay close by and watch, fidgeting with her legs. I didn’t mind.

“I didn’t think Alan cared about farmers, too?”

“I have to care. They’re not just small farmers. Most are nobles, and even those who aren’t are at least well-off farmers—it’s hard to get involved in opium otherwise. One farm employs anywhere from dozens to hundreds of people for sustenance.”

“I see. It’s just that your concern for other people’s livelihoods surprises me.”

“…”

Sienna seemed to find it strange that I was worried about other people’s livelihoods.

I understand why, but all I’m doing is preparing for the future.

“It’s possible the methods for making opium have already been leaked by the imperial people. We may just not know yet, and it might already be spreading somewhere.”

“Ah.”

“If we suddenly cut off opium purchases, the farmers and vendors might have some strange ideas. They have to dispose of the raw opium they’ve produced, since it would be a huge loss if they didn’t. They might even try to manufacture morphine themselves and sell it.”

All I’m doing is consuming opium to block the Empire’s advances.

“In fact, I already figured that much out.”

Sienna finally nodded, as if it was clear now. Sipping her coca tea.

Still, I couldn’t totally stop it if these narcotics spread.

But it wasn’t entirely futile.

If morphine spreads among the civilians or has already spread, the most likely person to solve the problem will be me, so reducing my workload for later is practical while I have the time to handle it.

‘Besides, it’s not a difficult task anyway.’

Perhaps because I switched from manufacturing fentanyl back to plant materials, the process felt remarkably smooth.

Not that I’d likely ever need to, but I could produce it in my sleep.

The employees breaking apart and packaging the raw opium were also handling their tasks proficiently.

Perhaps we could live quietly for a while until the fentanyl spreads to the Empire. This fleeting thought crossed my mind.

…

But that seemed like wishful thinking.

After manufacturing the natural narcotics for about a week.

“…Lord Alan.”

Eventually, the Empire also began to encounter issues.

Looking at it, the first exposure was inevitable.

After all, narcotics, especially downers, spread quietly.

Considering that, we actually detected it relatively early, but upon learning the location of the incident, it made sense.

“There was an incident at the Academy.”

The Academy.

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