Chapter 159

Currently, two gangs dominated the narcotics market within the Academy.

First, there was the Academic faction. This group primarily consisted of commoners or nobles who had fallen from grace.

This gang had succeeded in finding substitutes for Monglongyi and Bulongyi through relentless effort.

Their products were narcotics carefully mixed with toxic herbs such as digitalis or belladonna that contained stimulating-hallucinogenic effects, as well as hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Recently, having acquired the method for manufacturing morphine, they had been expanding their influence.

Then there was the Noble faction.

This group was led by dropouts of noble origin.

Thanks to their relatively superior finances, they easily procured sugar, opium, and Ephedra sinica, then produced and sold a product similar to Health Syrup.

Anyway, these two factions, whose clientele and main products were different, had until now coexisted peacefully.

They had a relationship based on mutual respect, sometimes even cooperating, with their only goal being to sell drugs quietly and without getting caught.

But news arrived that would disturb that peace.

“Remember Todd and Selene? The kids who caused an explosion while extracting morphine in the club room?”

“Did they die?”

“Apparently, they just submitted their resignation letters and left, but these days, they’ve been throwing money around. They’ve bought a house in Iduino Port and even purchased a carriage.”

“Those morons?”

The rumor that the couple, who used to make fools of themselves trying to produce morphine in school, had suddenly become wealthy spread throughout the school.

At first, nobody believed it.

But over time, more convincing rumors began circulating.

A rumor that this couple had been entrusted by Medoff Pharmaceuticals to sell cocaine.

A rumor that they had obtained the method for producing Bulongyi from other merchants, not Medoff.

And, worst of all, a rumor that they had become part of Imperial Princess Siena’s inner circle.

For the two organizations that dominated the market, this was not news they could ignore.

After all, Bulongyi was the aspiration of all drug addicts.

Of course, morphine (Monglongyi) was an excellent product… but what the drug dealers and addicts in the Academy truly sought was Bulongyi.

Whoever secured Bulongyi would dominate the Academy.

Bulongyi must be secured.

There was no way those morons could be allowed to become rich.

Their desperate ambition ultimately created a rift between the two organizations, as each was obsessed with obtaining Bulongyi before the other.

…

One week later.

Finally, trouble broke out at the stronghold of the Academic faction located in the slums on the outskirts of the State.

“You bastards think this is fun?”

Over a dozen gang members, emitting a threatening presence, had suddenly invaded. They were members of the Noble faction.

“Did you really think we’d sit idly by and suck our thumbs? You’re taking us for fools, goddammit.”

Startled by this unexpected provocation, the members of the Academic faction showed signs of confusion on their faces.

“What’s all this about, all of a sudden?”

“We heard it all from Todd and his girlfriend.”

“What did they say?”

“That you guys have already moved over 800 doses of Bulongyi, and that you’ve agreed to deliver that amount monthly going forward… That kid, being rather timid, told us everything after we slapped him a few times. You really thought we wouldn’t find him?”

What the hell is this nonsense?

The members of the Academic faction looked at each other in bewilderment.

800 doses of Bulongyi?

Of course, they too had desperately wanted to obtain Bulongyi. After all, Monglongyi and Bulongyi should go together.

Eating Monglongyi alone can make you feel good, and so can eating Bulongyi alone, but the customers were inclined to mix them. This was largely due to the influence of the tragic genius, Leon Rothe Dale. It was established that eating both helped with cultivation.

However…

The Academic faction had never received Bulongyi from the so-called moronic couple—not even a sample. They hadn’t even seen their faces.

Given that they called themselves the Academic faction, they quickly grasped the situation.

“You idiots, it’s all lies.”

“Are you trying to hog it all for yourselves?”

“Excuse me, just hold on for a moment. If you think about it, we don’t know whether this Bulongyi is cocaine or Ephedrine, but if Todd had it, why would he give it to us? He’d either sell it directly or sell it to you for a lot of money…”

“Shut up.”

“What?”

“Shut up and hand it over. I’ll pay.”

As the Noble faction growled menacingly, they began pressuring the Academic faction.

This was no ordinary pressure.

“Just hand it over cleanly and let’s be done with it.”

The Noble faction was armed.

Pocket knives, blackjacks, hatchets.

One of them from the Department of Magic was even wielding a wand.

It was a declaration that they would plunder the Bulongyi (which didn’t exist) from the Academic faction, no matter what the cost.

The Academic faction, who had wanted initially to resolve this verbally, began to grow more serious.

“What do these guys take us for…”

After all, they were the Academic faction—the title given by their customers.

They were a group that had been selling drugs despite the unseemly appearances.

Just collecting money from addicts who took drugs on credit was not an easy task. Every time they dealt with addicts screaming “montonge montonge” and demanded payment, their aversion to violence decreased.

In the end, the Academic faction too resorted to retaliatory measures for self-protection.

“We’ve never received any goods.”

“You think we’re going to believe that…”

“Whether you believe it or not, it’s the truth. If you can’t believe us, go ahead and kill all of us, then search for non-existent Bulongyi.”

“Herb-gathering children.”

As the atmosphere grew more ominous…

Still, no one was wielding weapons.

Primarily due to the fact that both the Noble faction and the Academic faction knew that once the fight began and blood was shed, both would find themselves in trouble.

Expulsion was not the issue here. After all, nearly half of the students present were already dropouts, expelled, or had abandoned their studies. What they feared was not losing their student status but ruining their business.

“Drop your weapons…”

“You first.”

Everyone hesitated, only making threats.

It would have been the wise course of action to withdraw quietly, growling and tussling, and wait for another opportunity. A dose of Bulongyi, no matter how desperately needed, was not worth risking their safety.

Ultimately, wasn’t this why they ventured into the drug trade—to live well, to rise like Alan Medoff, the Chairman of the Privy Council?

But here they were—staring at each other with weapons drawn.

Without one side humbly stepping down, maintaining peace would be impossible.

And in this business, concessions were almost impossible.

Finally.

“Wooaaaaah!!”

One of the addicts mobilized by the Noble faction suddenly swung a club.

“Shit, attack!”

No one had wanted such a brawl.

But once it began, it could not be stopped.

…

The fight unfolded in an incredibly dirty manner.

“Aaaaagh…”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

The Noble faction, having mistakenly launched a Magic Missile into their own teammate’s back, stood panic-stricken.

“AAAAAA!! We’re dying!”

“Khup, Kup…!”

Meanwhile, with merciless brutality, a member of the Academic faction mercilessly pounded the face of an already incapacitated enemy with their fists, only to have the Noble faction retaliate by striking their head with a club.

Noses collapsed, teeth broke, and blood splattered.

“Stop it! We’ve all been duped…”

In the midst of it all, the leader of the Academic faction desperately tried to stop the fighting.

But it was an effort in vain.

“Idiots.”

Bam!

Already surrounded and targeted by those with blood-shot eyes, the leader received a blow to his back with a blackjack.

Miserably falling to the ground, the merciless violence rained down on him—kicked while surrounded, having his hair torn out, and eventually struck with a hatchet.

“Hand it over!”

Desperate cries echoed across the area.

…

The brawl was finally contained some time later.

Upon arriving in response to reports of the commotion, the military police stood frozen upon witnessing the gruesome scene before them.

Blood-smeared individuals crying out in pain, frenziedly searching for something, and some who were unable to move at all.

“Where did they go? Where did they go?”

A student sprawled on the ground sobbed and murmured pitifully.

But it was a tragedy that could not be undone.

*

That evening, in the Audience Chamber of the Heiress Apparent.

Victoria sat upright while listening to the report from the commander of the military police.

It was a report about the violent disturbance that had occurred earlier in the outskirts of the State.

“There are four fatalities: three current students and one dropout. Others, including all the participants, were injured. The leader of the gang that initiated the attack was the third son of Count Braverton… His leg also got broken. Everyone’s been rounded up, but some of them are crying out to be taken to the Saintess.”

A brawl involving over twenty Academy students.

It was all over the possession of a stimulant type of drug known in the Academy as Bulongyi.

They must’ve thought that securing Bulongyi, in addition to morphine, which they had learned to manufacture from Chinguk, would lead them to dominate the scene.

Of course, the Bulongyi they were after didn’t even exist—they were simply deceived by the bait Alan Medoff had thrown out. The couple used as bait had already been quietly removed by Siena.

Victoria stifled a smile midway through the report.

“Alright. I understand how it all happened.”

Even knowing that, she couldn’t believe they would fight to the death over such trivial drug possessions.

After all, these were the pillars of the Empire.

Though she was reluctant to consider these individuals high-level talents after what they’d done, this was the reality. After all, hadn’t Victoria herself graduated from the Royal Academy? Her fiancé Alan had as well. Most of the Empire’s ruling class were alumni of the Royal Academy.

Still, she wasn’t displeased.

It was almost fortunate that they had been caught before they became more affluent and cunning drug dealers.

Victoria soon made her decision.

“Disturbance charge seems appropriate.”

“Disturbance… Are you implying we should treat this as a riot, Your Highness?”

“Exactly.”

A statement to punish the participants for participating in a riot that threatened the security of the State.

She was leaving it to the military police to decide without further instruction, but since she had used the word “rioting,” it would be carried out without fail.

There was only one fate awaiting those who caused a disturbance in the State.

Execution. And at the very least, the principal instigators would be executed.

Victoria gave the command fully aware of this.

Because, after all, the country she ruled was currently at war with Chinguk.

To minimize their sacrifices while striking the enemy, it was necessary to win that war.

Though losing more than twenty students was certainly a great loss, Victoria could endure it.

Because she was confident that the Empire’s blow would be even more significant to Chinguk. What was considered minor for the Empire might as well be hell for Chinguk.

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