The shared carriage had a roof.

  The sides had only low backrest boards and pillars supporting the roof, allowing a full view of the vast farmlands all around.

  The crops were heavy with grain, the wheat heads bowing gracefully in the wind.

  The wheat harvest would begin very soon.

  Yesterday it had rained at sea, soaking the new clothes he had just bought and leaving them sticky with seawater.

  Upon entering port early in the morning, he immediately went to the bathhouse.

  Elvinas had hot springs.

  Perhaps because of the nearby volcano, hot water emerged along the coast.

  They collected it in concrete baths to create public bathhouses.

  He could not possibly meet a prominent figure from the capital looking like a vagrant.

  But there was another reason he might not be able to meet them.

  It happened after Farid’s banquet, while the two of them were sitting on the couches enjoying Van wine.

  A messenger arrived out of breath with an urgent report, and Farid left his seat.

  When he returned, his face was grim, brows deeply furrowed.

  “Did something happen?”

  “Yes… this is going to be bad…”

  “…What is it?”

  “It seems Tragia has captured Libra…”

  “No way…”

  Libra was a neutral city south of Lidonia, located precisely at the base of a peninsula shaped like a forked carrot.

  Because the city sat exactly in the middle between the Ionian Sea to the west and the Valens Sea to the east, it prospered through trade, but it also served another vital role.

  It was the hub for cross-border settlements.

  Transporting cash during maritime trade carried constant risks of loss due to weather or pirate attacks.

  To avoid these risks, the seafaring peoples had created a system that allowed settlement without carrying physical cash.

  Companies or nations with deposits in Libra could settle accounts between accounts using standardized payment orders.

  Of course there would be a gap between the contract date and payment date, but it was far safer than carrying large amounts of cash, and above all, much lighter.

  Each port had branch offices; after the contract, one submitted the order and paid the fee, and it would be carried on regular ships to Libra.

  Even if pirates attacked the ship, the branch office kept records, so only the paper was lost.

  For this reason, Libra functioned as a neutral city belonging to no nation.

  And now it had been occupied.

  The merchants at every port must have shuddered.

  Every country needed urgent countermeasures.

  The matter of obtaining the knives, the introduction to the blacksmith, and the shop discussion would have to be put on hold for now, but he was given another request.

  He was asked to deliver a letter to the Farnese family.

  When he had spoken about how he obtained the knife, he mentioned leaving his ring as deposit.

  Of course the contents were not disclosed, and he had not asked.

  But one thing was certain: it concerned Libra.

  And another thing he knew was that the sealing wax on the letter bore not Farid’s personal seal, but the seal of the “Eastern Regional Governor.”

  In other words, he had been entrusted with a confidential military document.

  A cold sweat broke out on his back.

  And the unusually heavy coin purse Farid had given him weighed even more heavily on Denaro’s heart.

  He left Hera as quickly as possible and headed for Elvinas.

  From Elvinas he took a carriage toward Elis.

  The vast farmlands seen from the carriage were breathtakingly beautiful.

  It looked as if the wind was gently stroking a golden carpet.

  The journey from Elvinas to Elis was a gentle uphill slope.

  The city walls were visible in the distance.

  Identification was required to pass through the gate, but the immigration documents should suffice.

  The problem was finding the location of the Farnese residence.

  The carriage stopped in front of the western gate of the capital.

  Although it was a shared carriage, he had been the only passenger, so it felt almost like a private hire.

  After showing his identification to the gate guards, he was granted passage.

  When he asked for the location of the Farnese house, he received directions surprisingly easily.

  It seemed he needed to cross the bridge.

  The cityscape was unexpectedly peaceful.

  There were no people loudly soliciting customers or rushing about busily.

  The system of this country was interesting.

  Because taxes were paid in grain, city dwellers bought grain from the countryside to pay their taxes.

  This mechanism allowed money to flow into rural areas.

  As long as they paid that, all further earnings were their own, so perhaps there was no need to work frantically.

  They had devised a clever system.

  However, if trade itself stagnated, government revenue could also decline.

  Elysia was not immune to this.

  The Farnese residence was found quickly.

  The grounds were enclosed by white plastered walls, with an open entrance at the corner.

  Various plants were growing there, and a middle-aged woman was tending to them.

  “Good day. Is this the Farnese residence?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “I am Fan Biel Denaro, a merchant from Lidonia. Is Lord Aquinas at home? If you tell him I’ve come regarding the ring, I believe he will understand.”

  “Please wait a moment.”

  The woman went inside the house and returned shortly.

  “He will see you. This way, please.”

  The reception seemed normal, so changing clothes had been worth it.

  The people of this country were not overly fastidious, but they liked cleanliness, bathed frequently, and wore clean clothes.

  He seemed to have passed the minimum standard.

  Denaro crossed the garden and was led to a detached building.

  Inside was a library.

  Countless shelves were packed tightly with rolled documents tied with string.

  Paper was valuable and used only for specific purposes: politics, administrative procedures, records, contracts, and scholarship.

  Scholarly books were kept in the royal library and could be viewed by anyone who followed certain rules.

  If one wanted a copy, they could pay a scribe who would accurately transcribe it in beautiful handwriting.

  For domestic authors, a portion of the fee went to the writer.

  This collection represented considerable wealth.

  “You’re quite early.”

  He was putting away what he had been reading in the back of the library.

  “Yes, the situation has become rather complicated.”

  With that, Denaro took out the leather coin purse filled with gold and handed it to Aquinas.

  It contained fifty silver coins.

  When he had opened the purse Farid gave him upon accepting the task and checked the contents, he had no choice but to steel himself.

  He decided to take it as proof of trust.

  “This is quite a lot. What you said was correct.”

  With that, Aquinas gestured for him to follow and headed to his private room.

  He took the ring from a desk drawer and returned it to Denaro.

  “What kind of deal did you make? It can’t be just selling one knife and done, right?”

  “Yes, he was very pleased with it and even offered support for expanding into shops. However, circumstances have changed, so it will likely be put on hold for now.”

  “The Libra matter?”

  “You hear quickly. I have a letter for you regarding that.”

  “A letter for me? I don’t have many acquaintances in Ashir, but…”

  Denaro handed him the envelope.

  Aquinas’s expression changed when he saw the seal on the wax.

  Inside was another envelope and a letter.

  The letter appeared to be addressed to Aquinas.

  Upon reading it, Aquinas looked surprised.

  He had been informed of his deep connection with Supreme Commander Cletus.

  The letter asked that the contents be conveyed to Cletus.

  “Do you know the contents of this letter?”

  “I’m not reckless enough to want to know the contents of a letter bearing the seal of the Eastern Regional Governor of Ashir Kingdom.”

  Holding that position meant he had been granted full authority over the defense of the east by the king.

  In other words, Farid was responsible for the security of the Valens Sea.

  “I see. That’s true. Are you familiar with the situation in Tragia?”

  Denaro struggled to gauge the true intent of the question.

  “Through business I try to keep track of the situation in countries other than my trading partners. Currently, Tragia is seeing deepening conflict between east and west over the right of succession to the throne. However, the emperor’s western faction holds overwhelming superiority, and I’ve heard the east is in a critical state due to food shortages caused by recent poor harvests. I was especially horrified when I heard they had cut off the salt supply.”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “I see. Lately people have been flowing over the Elphant Mountains from Tragia, and we’re struggling to deal with them.”

  Aquinas pressed his fingers to his temples and rubbed them.

  “Is it that bad in Tragia?”

  Tragia referred to the forested region north of the Elphant Mountains, where the Tragia Empire had originated.

  In other words, it was their ancestral land.

  “Yes. For example, that region originally cleared forests to make fields, planted barley or rye in autumn, harvested before summer, and made bread and barley brewing wine. It’s what’s called slash-and-burn agriculture; when the land grew poor they moved to another area. When winter cold is severe, the roots of growing wheat freeze and harvests are halved repeatedly. Furthermore, in summer they grow beans, flax, and root vegetables, but when there is heavy rain, drainage is poor because the fields were created by clearing forests, so those harvests also decline. On top of that, cutting off the salt supply is practically a death sentence.”

  Aquinas looked at Denaro with a surprised expression.

  “You’re quite well-informed.”

  “Yes. Because selling salt there would definitely bring profit, I looked into it. However, since it goes against the emperor’s wishes, no one goes.”

  “I see. Farid seems to trust you a great deal.”

  “Yes. He helped me when I was young, so he is my benefactor.”

  “He seems to be a man of strong principles. There is something I would like to ask such a man.”

  Here it comes.

  Denaro thought, bracing himself inwardly.

  “I want you to help with the work of returning the refugees from Tragia. To make it easier for you to work in Elysia, we will register a name for you in this country and issue identification papers. We will also cooperate in concealing your real name. Of course we will cover all expenses. How about it?”

  “In other words, you want me to be a spy?”

  “That’s what it amounts to. Naturally we will ensure no disadvantage comes to your mother country, and we will guarantee your position there.”

  Denaro ran his fingers through his hair and scratched his head.

  “I cannot do anything that would harm Farid or Lidonia. I want you to understand that I will only work for the benefit of both sides.”

  “Of course. We have no intention of confronting either country. Farid is my friend, and your motherland is a friendly nation. I understand. That is fine.”

  “Then I accept.”

  The two shook hands firmly.

  Aquinas left with the letter to meet the Supreme Commander.

  His servant showed the guest to the parlor.

  “Sorry to trouble you, but I’d like to get my hair cut. Could you tell me where?”

  There were no bathhouses in this area, he was told.

  Haircuts were also done at bathhouses.

  So they called someone who could do it, and he had his hair cut in the garden.

  Since Elysian men kept their hair short, it was safer to match them.

  The ship and his crew were on his mind.

  He had no parents, wife, or lover.

  His crew were like family to him.

  Aquinas did not return that day.

  He came back the next day in the early afternoon.

  “You took quite a while.”

  Aquinas looked momentarily surprised when he saw Denaro’s head.

  “Persuasion took time. Not about you. It was about countermeasures for Tragia.”

  It had been difficult to persuade Cletus to intervene in the Tragia region.

  Elysia had wanted gold in the treasury from grain exports and had not used Libra for that.

  Therefore they thought the impact on national politics would be small.

  What Aquinas argued was the problem of buyers.

  In the short term, they might have to use cash without Libra for a while.

  The ones who would rejoice at that were the pirates.

  Until now they had only stolen cargo and sold it on the black market, but now they would also gain cash income.

  With trade companies already facing more bankruptcies and more sailors turning to piracy, the fall of Libra could accelerate that trend.

  Many merchants kept funds in Libra, so more people might run short of working capital and be unable to purchase goods.

  As a result, maritime trade itself might shrink.

  If that happened, it would affect Elysia’s finances as well.

  With that argument he persuaded them to actively intervene, applying internal pressure from eastern Tragia to destabilize their domestic politics.

  However, the intelligence department was already overwhelmed.

  Aquinas explained that he had a trustworthy merchant and would use him.

  He told Denaro what he had said to Cletus.

  “So, we induce internal conflict in Tragia by having people sell salt there against the emperor’s wishes?”

  “Correct. There are already sparks for internal conflict.”

  Denaro stared into Aquinas’s eyes.

  “The core part of Farid’s letter states that the youngest brother Darius, who was supposed to succeed the emperor, was reported to have died in an attack. In reality, he was imprisoned after the attack and later escaped. Darius probably fled to the east.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “The current emperor Edmund exiled the two older brothers who opposed his succession to the east. Then at the beginning of the year he cut off the salt supply. Furthermore, he has deployed troops to encircle the eastern forest region. This is information about the incident that triggered the east-west conflict.”

  “So the current emperor imprisoned his younger brother Darius and usurped the throne?”

  Aquinas nodded.

  “Yes. The Tragians have the unusual custom of youngest-son inheritance. They thoroughly educate the youngest from a young age and place him on the throne. The idea is that this extends the reign and stabilizes politics. For Tragia with its vast territory, political stability is indispensable.”

  Denaro nodded in understanding.

  Aquinas took a breath and continued.

  “Therefore, Farid thinks this way. There are many suspicious aspects surrounding the current emperor’s ascension. At the very least, if there is a banner to raise, it should be used.”

  Denaro nodded.

  “There are two ways. One is to mobilize the Tragians and threaten the imperial capital from the east. The second is for Elysia to take possession of the Tragia region, support Darius, and force the emperor to abdicate. This would mean full-scale confrontation with Tragia, so we want to avoid it.”

  “The second option is too heavy a burden for a mere merchant.”

  “Of course. I want you to proceed with the first approach.”

  “Understood. However, one concern I have is that no matter how much of an emperor he is, it’s hard to believe he would cut off the salt supply out of personal grudge. If the goal is to cause a flood of refugees into Elysia’s northwest, then deploying troops to pressure from the west also makes sense. Using the danger of military invasion by the older brothers as a pretext…”

  Aquinas frowned.

  “You mean deliberately starving the people and using the refugees for political manipulation…?”

  Aquinas clicked his tongue.

  “It’s the vilest method, but if true, the impact would be immeasurable. Tragia has hundreds of thousands of people. If they all come pouring in, we won’t be able to handle it… I hadn’t considered that perspective…”

  Aquinas slammed his fist on the desk.

  “If trade shrinks and finances are strained, Elysia will suffer a double blow!”

  Aquinas pressed his fingers to his temples and gritted his teeth.

  “I need to meet Cletus again. Come with me.”

  With that, he asked his servant to prepare a carriage, and the two left the residence.

  When they arrived at military headquarters, they were told Cletus had already gone to the palace.

  Aquinas hurried to the palace and, brushing past the guards, headed for the king’s office.

  In the office, King Helios and Cletus were talking.

  He handed over the personal letter from the Eastern Regional Governor of Ashir Kingdom.

  As Helios read the letter, voices could be heard from outside the room.

  The one arguing with the sentries was Aquinas’s voice.

  Cletus opened the door.

  “You’re being noisy. Where do you think you are? What’s gotten you so worked up?”

  “Sorry, Cletus. I was na?ve. I may have missed a critical perspective.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Aquinas answered concisely.

  “The possibility of political manipulation using refugees.”

  Cletus frowned.

  “Explain.”

  From the back of the room came King Helios’s voice.

  Cletus urged him to enter.

  “Explanation from him. This man is Fan Biel Denaro, a Lidonian merchant who brought a personal letter from the Eastern Regional Governor of Ashir Kingdom.”

  Helios looked at Denaro and urged him to speak.

  “The information Farid obtained is likely factual. The imprisonment and escape of the youngest brother Darius, the demotion of the two older brothers who opposed the succession to the east, the deployment of troops to watch the east, poor harvests in the Tragia region, the halt of salt supply, and the influx of refugees into Elysia’s northwest. From these facts, Farid foresaw internal conflict between east and west.”

  Helios and Cletus listened silently to his words.

  “I considered the possibility that the refugees themselves are an attack, and that by causing a contraction of trade through the fall of Libra and putting pressure on Elysia’s finances, they aim to weaken Elysia and ultimately invade.”

  Silence fell.

  “Your Majesty, it is an utterly despicable method, but if true, the consequences would be immeasurable. Tragia has hundreds of thousands of people. If they all come pouring in, we will have no way to cope.”

  Aquinas said.

  Helios looked at Cletus, who nodded with a grave expression, hand on his chin.

  “This is the worst-case scenario we can imagine. We must address the refugee issue more seriously than before, or we will invite crisis. We need to gather more detailed information.”

  Everyone present nodded.

  “I think it would be wise not to change our immediate course of action. However, we will attach personnel from the intelligence department to him for support and ensure close collection and reporting of information.”

  Cletus said.

  He must have taken Denaro’s point seriously.

  “There is one thing I want to confirm with you.”

  Cletus looked Denaro in the eyes.

  “I want to confirm your position.”

  Denaro let out a slow breath and spoke.

  “First, I am a Lidonian. Second, I wish to repay the debt of gratitude I owe to Lord Farid. Third, I want to protect maritime trade. These are my intentions. If Elysia were to fall under Tragia’s influence, my motherland would starve, commerce would be dominated by Tragia, and my benefactor would be placed in danger. I wish to avoid that.”

  “So you are willing to cooperate against Tragia?”

  Cletus said.

  “Yes.”

  “Lidonia and our country are mutually dependent. For Ashir, our country serves as a breakwater against Tragia. That is why he passed the confidential information to us.”

  With that, Cletus looked at Helios.

  “What does Ashir’s governor say?”

  Helios slowly spoke about the contents of the letter.

  “Lately red sea lice have been attaching themselves to ships and causing trouble, so Elysia from the land and Ashir from the sea should divide the extermination work. Let us share a drink soon. There is a merchant bringing fine wine. I await your reply… Something like that.”

  Everyone chuckled at the mention of red sea lice.

  The Tragia flag was red with a winged horse with horns and a chariot.

  He had called them red sea lice.

  “The merchant bringing fine wine is you. Farid seems to trust you deeply.”

  “I am unworthy of such words.”

  Helios nodded.

  “For the time being, it is difficult for the nation to intervene overtly in the Tragia region. Open action would lead to full-scale confrontation. That is undesirable. You will be given status and move on our behalf. We will also properly compensate you for the dangers you will face. Can we count on you?”

  “That is my intention.”

  With that Denaro bowed his head.

  “Everyone, support this man.”

  At Helios’s words, the two nodded.

  However, Denaro did not take it at face value.

  The fact that they could not move openly also meant that if things went wrong, they would cut him loose.

  If he failed, he would die. Even if captured, he would die.

  He had to resolve himself that there would be no help.

  On the return carriage, Denaro asked Aquinas about his crew.

  “Regarding that, they are currently under our protection. We explained that we are questioning them about an important national matter. They are probably worried, but they are being housed in a confidential location. The ship has also been moved to a place where our country’s vessels are moored and is being kept safe. I would appreciate your understanding.”

  “Not as hostages?”

  “Of course not. But the situation is complicated and difficult to explain, so we had no choice.”

  “Is it possible to have them help?”

  Aquinas touched his forehead and rubbed his temples.

  “Will there be no risk of information leaks?”

  “We are merchants. We sometimes touch on clients’ side businesses. We keep those deep in our memories and never speak of them. Because we understand that speaking would destroy ourselves.”

  Aquinas thought for a while and agreed.

  “You should speak to them. I’ll take you tomorrow. In that case, we’ll also need to issue identification papers for them…”

  “Sorry for the trouble. But if we’re doing this kind of work, they are probably better suited than me. We only change our identities and do business. That way it’s harder for the enemy to suspect us.”

  “Understood. The intelligence department will probably assign several guards and liaisons. I’ll remind them to keep a low profile.”

  “Thank you. I think it would be more natural if those people only think of their duty as protection.”

  “I’ll tell them that.”

  The next day, they left in Aquinas’s carriage.

  The carriage had no windows.

  Probably to keep the location secret.

  To engage in activities beyond the law, one must be thoroughly familiar with the law.

  One must understand what manipulations would not be exposed.

  In that sense, the man named Aquinas was ideal.

  Rather, without deep knowledge of such work, one could not serve as Minister of Justice.

  He was probably deeply involved with the military’s intelligence department.

  Denaro steeled himself.

  After a while the carriage stopped and the door opened.

  There was nothing but an empty plain, with a single house standing there.

  Four people stood in front of the entrance.

  Philo, Davto, Marik, and Ena.

  Generally sailors disliked having women aboard, but Denaro carried them.

  It was necessary for business.

  She was excellent at drawing out information, and he didn’t know how many times she had helped him.

  Ena was good at it.

  “Denaro-san, are you all right?”

  Philo looked unusually anxious.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s talk for a bit.”

  They sat in the shade of a tree beside the house, and Denaro explained the situation.

  Everyone looked incredulous.

  “I see. So that’s what happened. We’ve been avoiding this kind of thing until now, but now we’re doing it.”

  “Yeah. With Libra fallen to Tragia, we won’t be able to survive with our old methods. It’s also a request from Lord Farid. I intend to help Elysia and give Tragia some trouble.”

  “I have no problem with it. I’ll follow you anywhere.”

  Denaro nodded.

  “Me too.”

  Everyone answered one after another.

  “Speaking about it is forbidden, and names will be temporarily changed. Don’t slip up.”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Picking a fight with Tragia. This is one hell of a job.”

  Marik said.

  “Just do what we always do. Don’t get too worked up.”

  Everyone seemed relieved.

  “All right, let’s go.”

  When Denaro nodded to Aquinas, Aquinas told the driver to depart.

  On the return carriage, the atmosphere was like when they were all aboard the ship.

  Denaro resolved that they would all return alive.

  Near where the Elphant Mountains descended along the river, a group huddled together.

  Some were so weakened they could not even stand.

  There were no children or elderly—only eight young men and women.

  They had fled from Tragia, crossing the Elphant Mountains.

  Border security troops had surrounded them.

  They had lent them tents, but had not provided food.

  If word spread that aid was available, Elysia risked being flooded with refugees.

  Since they could not respond until receiving final orders from headquarters, they were being held in this location.

  When a messenger arrived on horseback, they watched with fearful eyes.

  After the conversation ended and the messenger left, the man who appeared to be the unit commander drew his sword.

  The troops gradually tightened the encirclement.

  The refugees clung to each other and wept.

  They had lost all hope of surviving in their homeland after the salt supply was cut off and fled to another country, only to find no place of peace here either.

  “Wait, wait! Stop!”

  A voice called from behind, and the unit commander turned.

  Two two-horse carriages were approaching, and the driver of the lead carriage was waving.

  The border security troops raised their weapons warily at the carriages.

  The carriages stopped, and a man stepped down.

  He had short black hair and wore neat clothes.

  The man took a paper from his bag, unfolded it, and showed it.

  “You don’t need to be so wary… I’m Elysian. A merchant from Elvinas.”

  He spread his hands to show he had no hostile intent.

  The unit commander took the certificate and checked it.

  “Byuros Denarius? What’s your business?”

  “Business.”

  “Business? With who? Them? They have orders to be eliminated. Don’t interfere.”

  As the man grew agitated, Denarius blocked his path to calm him.

  “Wait. I also want them eliminated. Listen. No matter how many you eliminate, more will come. They’re staggering because they have no salt. The emperor cut it off. That’s why I want to sell salt on the other side of the mountains. We’ll take them. You just need to watch. It’ll save you trouble too.”

  Denarius gestured somewhat exaggeratedly as he spoke.

  “You think they have money?”

  “Of course not. We’ll take the money from the lords on the other side. Plenty of it. So please let us handle it. I think there will be even more of them from now on. If you don’t deal with them over there, Elysia will be flooded with refugees. That would trouble us merchants too. So we’ll take them back to their country and have them meet the lords. Okay? Sound good?”

  “If you can persuade them, go ahead. We don’t understand their language.”

  “Understood. I understand a little, so wait here.”

  With that, the man approached them empty-handed.

  He raised both hands, removed his cloak, and made it clear he carried no weapons.

  “Don’t worry.”

  He spoke loudly in their language.

  Hearing those words, a little of the terror and despair faded from their eyes.

  “Relax. We’ve come to help you.”

  When he told them that, they wept.

  Whether from relief or not, he didn’t know.

  But Denaro felt a slight pain in his chest.