Chapter 60: Light and Shadow (2)

Chapter 60: Light and Shadow (2)

As the multipurpose ship approached the dock, the Admiral admired the ship’s name.

“‘Sapphire Express.’ You have a fine ship.”

“Do you think so?”

“I expected something more like an old bulk carrier... but it seems that being an arms dealer is a rather lucrative profession. At a glance, I can tell that it’s a superior vessel compared to our navy’s supply ships. We needed a ship like that.”

“You’re being too kind.”

“I’m sincere. Our ‘Isla María Madre’ may be called a navy supply ship, but in reality, it’s nothing more than an ornament that delivers prisoners and supplies to a prison.”

“A prison?”

“I’m talking about the Federal Prison of the Marias Islands. They might make excuses like acquiring technology from it, but the ‘María Madre’ has no value as a supply ship. El Muni, have you ever evaluated yourself as an arms dealer? How valuable can a supply ship be when it can’t even carry a single container of cargo and can’t supply fuel?”

“It’s indeed useless.”

“That’s right. They initially designed a lightweight combat ship, but they turned it into a supply ship just by attaching a crane. From the perspective of commanders like me, it’s absurd. They waste a 240 million pesos ship for the sole purpose of supplying a prison mission that a cheap ferry could handle. I can guarantee you that the high-ranking officials of our government received some money from the Dutch.”

The disdainful words poured out from Admiral Martínez. Judging by the talk of technology acquisition and the Netherlands, it was likely a Dutch ship. Given the price and nationality, one could make a rough guess about the ship’s identity. I wasn’t sure about the exact construction date, but if we calculated it based on the exchange rate before the Chinese pandemic, 240 million pesos amounted to slightly less than 12 million dollars. It wasn’t an exorbitant price for a warship, but for a mere transport ship shuttling back and forth to a prison, it was outrageously expensive.

The Admiral’s tone was filled with anger. Even after pouring out long words, he still had a strong sense of regret, palpable in his eyes. At least he didn’t seem to be pretending.

This created a contradiction in the current situation.

Should I treat him as a common hypocrite and let it pass, or should I investigate further? Considering the Admiral’s physical signs, I leaned toward the latter. From my perspective, this Admiral was a trade partner who could come or go. Therefore, it was better to confirm the “quality” and then make a decision.

Ropes were thrown from the ship as it reached the dock, and soon the unloading process would begin.

“I have something to ask.”

“What is it?”

“It seems like Admiral, you strongly dislike corruption among high-ranking officials. So, it’s hard for me to understand why someone like you would want to engage in a trade with an arms dealer like me, especially considering the commission from the cartel. Could you please explain if it’s not too intrusive?”

The question made Admiral Martínez’s face turn red in an instant, and his heart rate skyrocketed. Even without further elaboration, I could read a lot into it. He clenched his jaw, and after an awkward pause, he spat out a gruff response.

“That’s not it. I...”

Though his words were cut short, their contextual meaning was clear.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I was just curious. Admiral, I’m merely trying to understand who you are and if there might be a trap here. When you work in this industry, you tend to become suspicious. Do you understand?”

A composed attitude and a reasonable excuse helped ease the Admiral’s embarrassment.

“It’s not a trap. If it were, actions would have already been taken against you since the cargo entered the port. We’d have seized the ship, arrested you and your subordinates, and even wiped out those Northeastern Faction guys who are arriving soon.”

“So, what is it, then?”

“Do you really need to know?”

A curt response. Why would I engage in trade with you if you don’t even explain? I should be grateful for you asking. The background information about the Admiral was included in Suyeon’s report, but it was difficult to deduce his motives for engaging in illegal arms trading based solely on that information.

It appeared that he was disappointed with the subject I had introduced, which I had created with non-existent conditions. This was a common issue with soldiers. The authority bestowed by rank was ingrained deep into their core. In my experience, this flaw became more pronounced in less developed countries. Exceptions like South Korea existed, but...

I sighed lightly and continued,

“What you say is your freedom, Admiral. And it’s my freedom to decide whether or not to trade. If I had bought and sold weapons haphazardly just because they made money, I wouldn’t have survived this long. I’m a cautious person when it comes to choosing business partners.”

“A cautious person selling weapons to a drug cartel?”

“This is a one-time trade contract, and it was a deal I didn’t particularly want to accept. Once I receive what’s due to me, I won’t have any further dealings with them. However, Admiral, what you want isn’t just a one-time deal, is it?”

“Well...”

“I already have many suppliers. Established and reliable sources over a long period. Diversifying trading partners is always beneficial for a businessman. But, in other words, Admiral, your value to me is only about that much.”

“Can I make that much money without shaking hands with those damned cartel bastards?”

“I’d like to ask the reverse. The weapons you supply will ultimately be used to kill people. Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

“I won’t.”

Surprisingly, in a rather uncharacteristic manner, the Admiral’s response was immediate.

“In this devil’s shithole of a world, I have only two things to protect: my responsibility to my subordinates and the duty to protect the citizens. If I give weapons to the cartel, they’ll probably be used on Mexican soil a hundred times, but not so with the Asian merchant.”

The Admiral took a breath and concluded his remaining thoughts.

“Regardless of how many people die beyond the borders of Mexico, I don’t care.”

He seemed like a quality individual. I asked again, though:

“Are you sure you won’t consider selling the weapons I receive from you to the cartel? I did say I didn’t want to deal with them again, but just that alone might not be enough. Considering the transportation distance, doing business with the cartel might be the most economical option.”

“I trust me and my comrades, not you. I will strictly supply by sea, and venturing into Mexican waters would be very dangerous for you.”

Indeed.

“There’s a saying.”

I mentioned.

“A just man will always perish among the unjust, so those in power must recognize injustice as a means to achieve justice.”

Admiral Martínez watched my hand and then responded with a handshake.

“I welcome you as my trading partner, Admiral.”

“...”

He watched my hand quietly and then asked.

“It might sound like I’m asking the obvious, but are you really going to believe everything I’ve said? I did mention that I don’t trust you.”

“For now, yes. I have a different way of seeing things.”

“Ha.”

“We can’t start with a big deal right away, but as we build trust step by step, the day will come when both of us will reap satisfactory benefits.”

“...I hope that day comes as soon as possible.”

After that, I requested a list of available products and quantities from the Admiral. In response, he listed various items, including decent-quality firearms, ammunition, and equipment. For example, medium to long-range automatic weapons ammunition that was expected to be in high demand from now on, as well as portable rocket launchers (LAW) that had been captured in large numbers in the mountains.

As I listened to the Admiral, I suddenly detected a powerful magical field rapidly approaching from the sea. I instinctively turned my body and entered a defensive posture.

“What’s wrong? Why are you like this?!”

Startled, the Admiral asked for an explanation, but I was too busy investigating the source of the magical field. However, after a moment, I felt my tension ease.

“No, it’s nothing. I apologize for startling you.”

A powerful magical field owner, to the extent that one might think one of the Round Table Masters had gone on an expedition, turned out to be not a human. It was a few killer whales that had come to the shallow sea at this late hour. Among them, one had a particularly dense circuitry. Just as there were geniuses among humans, there were also individuals with exceptional talents among animals.

The killer whales that had stayed briefly swam away at a surprisingly fast speed. What kind of influence these powerful beings would have on this world in the future, given the vast power they held in the sea, left me with a sense of curiosity. While I didn’t have enough time to observe their circuits, this unexpected encounter filled me with a variety of thoughts.

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~!