Chapter 37: El Municionero (5)

Chapter 37: El Municionero (5)

Ricardo quickly dismissed the concern I had raised.

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Why not?”

“Because we have a deal with the navy. Contra Almirante Martínez, who currently controls that area, will cooperate with you. The ammunition boxes will have humanitarian aid labels and will be transported to the airport. So, you need to pay attention to the packaging.”

Contra Almirante Martínez. I didn’t know much about the Mexican military’s rank structure, but I could tell he was quite high up, given that the word “Almirante (Admiral)” was involved. However, if he held such a high position and was corrupt enough to accept bribes, he would probably have already received bribes from the Sinaloa side...

This could potentially turn into a repeat of the Myanmar incident. The five who were left behind in the jungle were still a painful memory. They were lives that should have been put to better use. I added some weight to my suspicion and asked.

“How much can we trust this Admiral Martínez?”

“It’s not about trusting him; it’s about trusting an old comrade he owes a favor to. You could say it’s a friend’s guarantee. This friend is also in that area, so don’t worry too much.”

“And who is this friend?”

“Diego. José Diego Svaralska.”

Ricardo’s response was filled with confidence, and I could sense a touch of pride when he mentioned the name. I understood that they had prepared diligently, whether out of eagerness or urgency. All this preparation was a precaution for receiving goods from across the Pacific. If the contract with the arms dealer from Northeast Asia wasn’t finalized, all this preparation would be meaningless.

Despite that, I couldn’t completely shake off my unease. No matter how much effort went into the preparation, it would all be in vain if the results were disappointing. Was this truly the rare “friendship guarantee,” or was it a scam masquerading as a guarantee? In such situations, it was wise to consider the worst-case scenario. I should accept the deal but also prepare separate security measures...

“Alright.”

Clap! Ricardo clapped his hands.

“I’d like to hear your response soon.”

The eyes of an inexperienced negotiator were fixed on me. Through those eyes, I glimpsed tension, excitement, and anxiety. Would I try to haggle on the price? Did I schedule the delivery too urgently? If this negotiation failed, what should I do next? If it fell through, could I find a new trade route within the given time frame? It was impatient. This was why negotiations with tight schedules were disadvantageous. Even when Suyeon was dealing with the Chinese, she took several weeks to reach a resolution.

“One condition.”

I held up my index finger.

“If we agree to only one condition, your brother won’t run into shortages of weapons and ammunition.”

Ricardo took a deep breath and asked, his voice trembling.

“What’s that condition?”

“Advance payment. We need to receive half of the blueprints as an advance payment.”

“Wait...”

“And your technicians and our technicians need a chance to communicate with interpreters present. Before handing over the goods, we need to confirm the fact that you possess the blueprints and that these blueprints meet the level of quality I require.”The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.

Up to this point, I had spoken, and then I glanced sideways.

“Have you not even considered an advance payment?”

The supply officer, who had been acting like a malfunctioning robot, struggled to maintain his composure.

“You can verify the payment when the exchange takes place.”

“Verify the truth on-site?”

Nonsense. I couldn’t help but sneer at the absurdity of it.

“Ricardo, what I need to receive are the blueprints of the submarine. I’m not talking about some ordinary semi-submersible, but the blueprints of a top-notch, state-of-the-art submarine with all sorts of advanced technology. How long do you think it will take for a technical verification of those blueprints?”

Therefore, I needed enough time to be able to turn the ship around mid-voyage. I firmly stated,

“Exactly half of the entire blueprint. Until that is in my hands, the shipment won’t leave the home port.”

“Let’s do that.”

“It’s best not to disappoint us.”

“Don’t be surprised if the goods arrive too quickly. Be prepared to receive them in advance.”

“...I’ll try to have faith in that confidence.”

Now, stop pretending to be strong. I gave a reassuring nod to put my counterpart at ease. This negotiation had been quite satisfactory. They might tamper with the remaining half of the blueprints when I receive them in person, but having already verified half would dramatically reduce the time required to confirm whether any tampering had occurred. Their technical experts would likely want to discuss this as well, making it burdensome to engage in any deception.

Thinking that the business here was done, Ricardo brought up a peculiar topic.

“By the way, do you have any Tau-Runners in your organization?”

“Tau-Runners?”

“That’s what they call people with unusually strong abilities these days. Here, we refer to them as Tau-Runners or Tau-Masters. I’m not sure what you call them in your country. It can’t be ‘Bendecido.'”

I didn’t ask because I didn’t understand the question. It was just out of context.

In this region, which was the southern United States, a few people had recently gained special physical abilities known as “Thaumaturgy.” This term originally meant magic. They resurrected a dead word and gave it a new meaning.

The Greek letter “Tau (Τ)” was used as an initial letter for “Thaumaturgy” and symbolized “Thaumaturgy.” Now, it had become a symbol of the origin of mysterious power. Tau-Runners and Tau-Masters were those who used the “Tau.” These people were considered top-priority recruitment targets for all sorts of organizations, including militias, cartels, private military companies, sports teams, and more.

In the same context, “Bendecido” likely referred to “Blessed” and was probably a term used in Mexico.

“Why are you asking about this?”

I questioned, and Ricardo continued with his strange talk.

“We’re just considering that it might be a good idea to send Tau-Runners when we launch the ship.”

“Do you want mercenaries?”

“No, it’s just that we want to be prepared for any eventuality. It’s also a recommendation for your side. It’s about having minimal self-defense capabilities.”

It was getting even stranger. I furrowed my brow.

“Eventuality? Didn’t you say earlier that the Naval Port Security would be guarding the site?”

The Mexican Navy’s Naval Port Security, known as “UNAPROP,” was no ordinary security unit. It was a specialized unit for maritime and port security operations, one of the warning groups to remember as a potential risk factor for maritime smuggling. Ricardo’s friend was a Lieutenant Colonel. A special unit’s Lieutenant Colonel led his subordinates to ensure safety at the deal site. Why would there be any kind of eventuality with them there, barring one exception: if they were to betray us.

“It’s just...”

Ricardo hesitated and finally let out a sigh along with the information.

“Recently, there have been rumors of madmen in the Guadalajara area wearing armor and using swords to slice up ‘Sicarios’ from ‘Sinaloa’.” (+)[1]TLN: Sicario = a hired gunman or assassin

“Armor and swords?”

“Yes.”

“Could it be the ‘Templar Knights’?”

“You know about those farmers too. Yes, it could be them. It’s still speculation, but these lunatics in armor wielding swords and shields, engaging in guerrilla warfare, are probably just imitating that order of knights.”

As he spoke, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of deep absurdity.

1. TLN: Sicario = a hired gunman or assassin Author's Thoughts

Disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction! While it may incorporate elements inspired by our "real" historical world, including historical events, settings, and cultures, it is important to note that the story and characters are entirely products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work should be enjoyed and interpreted as a work of fiction and not as a representation of historical facts or reality.

Also, if you find some error in translation please do let me know by tagging me (@_dawn24) in our Discord server. Since this series is kinda hard to translate. But I'll try my best to make it at least readable :)

Enjoy reading~!