There Was No Jackpot
With a gleeful grin, I began to sift through the documents in the basement.
Crude oil existed here?
They could extract Elixir from the carcasses of demonic beasts?
They could build massive greenhouses to achieve food self-sufficiency?
This was a cheat code!
My days of misery were over, and a life of luxury was about to begin!
...Or so I thought, for less than ten minutes.
My excitement quickly froze over.
Thinking about it logically, if these things could have been commercialized, the original female and male leads would have done it long ago.
Yet, the North currently possessed no facility to squeeze Elixir from demonic beasts.
No oil production facilities.
No large-scale greenhouse farms.
And there were very good reasons for that.
• We have successfully designed a reactor that injects Elixir into demonic beast carcasses to neutralize the dark mana, extracting over six times the amount of high-purity Elixir in the process.
• However, constructing this facility requires a large number of experienced mages, specifically those with practical experience in reactor design and operation.
• Magic is a privilege of the South. They refuse to lease their mages to us.
The North was a land of knights, not mages.
Mages were already scarce, and then the ten-year war broke out. The few mages they did have were ground down and killed in the conflict.
Even if they wanted to build it, there were no engineers or practical staff to make it happen.
• We leave behind the blueprints for a large-scale greenhouse and seeds for various crops specialized for the Northern soil.
• The problem lies in the energy required to run the greenhouse.
• Relying on coal for energy will likely degrade the Northern air quality to a severe degree. Oil is far too expensive.
• An energy supply utilizing Elixir is the safest and most powerful option. However, we lack Elixir.
• Unless we build a facility to extract Elixir from demonic beast carcasses, greenhouse cultivation remains nothing but a pipe dream.
The greenhouse faced a severe energy crisis.
And what about the highly anticipated crude oil reserves?
• We have confirmed that a vast quantity of high-quality, commercially viable crude oil—comparable to the oil in the central region managed by the Imperial Family—is buried beneath Northern soil.
• There is only one problem.
• The oil reserve is located in the Magic Realm, three kilometers beyond the Blood Wall.
• To build an oil production facility, we would need a massive civil engineering project to enclose the entire reserve within an additional fortress wall.
• Furthermore, we must construct it while fending off constant attacks from demonic beasts throughout the entire construction period.
"Talk about giving a disease and then offering the cure," I muttered, letting out a sigh as I set the documents down.
And these weren't the only ones.
Plans for a massive industrial complex.
Plans for expanding the railway network.
Plans for food self-sufficiency using mountain goats and mushroom cultivation, and so on.
The basement was filled with the original male and female leads' utterly desperate attempts to rebuild the North.
Yet, the more I examined those papers, the less admiration I felt. Instead, a profound pity welled up inside me.
• The North is collapsing under the weight of a ten-year war.
• We must overcome this. I must remain strong. I am the only one my husband can rely on to hold out.
• Four months pregnant. I called the doctor after sudden hemorrhaging.
• A miscarriage.
• Today, Theodore cried in front of me for the first time.
• I am so tired.
• Is there really any hope for the North?
Korean notes and records were left all over the documents.
Some of the memos still bore the faint, wrinkled traces of dried tears.
My heart grew heavy.
They say a novel is most beautiful when it remains just a novel. Reading the realistic aftermath that I never needed to see cast a dark shadow over my mind.
I climbed back up from the basement.
After locking and concealing the secret passage's entrance once more, I slumped into the chair that had belonged to my brother, the original male lead, Theodore Adrakin.
Is there really any hope for the North?
It was my turn to answer the most chilling question left in those notes.
I lit a cigar and exhaled a long stream of smoke.
No matter how much I racked my brain, the only answer I could come up with was "I don't know."
Everything was uncertain, and there was no guarantee the world would wait for the North to rebuild itself.
Fuck, for the first time, I actually miss my past life before transmigration.
I wished that when I opened my eyes, I would find myself back in my familiar studio apartment.
Back then, my only worries were rent, utility bills, deciding whether to eat instant ramen or a convenience store bento for dinner, figuring out where to get a job, and wondering when my stocks would finally go up.
I wanted to go back to those days.
But that was never going to happen.
I was Volka Adrakin, and I had the North and the beastmen to take responsibility for.
I stubbed out the cigar in the ashtray.
Then, I opened the study door and stepped outside.
"Butler. Are the servants being paid on time?"
"No, Your Grace. Their wages have been backlogged for over six months."
"I will give you a portion of the funds we brought back. Pay the servants and maids, and spruce up the ducal mansion. Clean it properly, maintain it well, and plant flowers in the garden. Make it look as it did when my brother and sister-in-law were alive. I don't want us looking like miserable paupers. What would the people of the North think?"
At my words, the butler's face lit up instantly.
"Of course, Your Grace! I will make sure it is beautifully decorated!"
"I'm counting on you. And, Adjutant."
"Yes, Commander?"
"Has Kka-Chi arrived in the North yet?"
"I am not sure. But considering when we left the South, he should be here soon."
"Once Kka-Chi arrives, gather him, Hybel, and the battalion commanders. We need to draw up a proper plan for the future."
"Understood."
"Until then, eat well and rest up. Go spend some time with your father and your pack. This is the only rest you'll get. We're going to be very busy soon."
The adjutant let out a small chuckle and saluted.
"As you command."
"Don't worry too much."
"Pardon?"
"Whenever you worry, your left ear droops slightly. Did you think I wouldn't notice? I keep my promises. I will make the North a true home for your people. So stop worrying and go rest."
At my words, the adjutant lowered her hand and stared at me with a strange look in her eyes.
Her ears twitched, and her tail puffed up significantly.
It was proof she was feeling some intense emotion.
"What? Did you suddenly fall for me? I guess you are a woman after all. Finally recognized my charm, have you?"
"As if. It's just that hearing such sweet words from a face like yours creates a terrifying amount of cognitive dissonance."
"You ungrateful dog. I try to be nice, and this is what I get?"
"Yes. And I don't know how many times I have to say this, but I am indeed a canine."
The adjutant leaned forward, resting her forehead against my chest.
"I will do whatever it takes. Just... please don't fall apart. If you go down, we will be abandoned all over again."
I patted her head.
She seemed to like it, given how her tail was wagging—a rare sight.
The next day.
Kka-Chi and the rat beastmen of the Southern Twisted Tail Clan arrived in the North.
They brought with them mountains of grain and crates of Elixir.
"Hybel! Have the rabbit beastmen use their vehicles to handle the food transport. Once you're done, you and Kka-Chi come see me. We need to talk!"
For the first time in a long while, the Northern warehouses began to overflow.
The people of the North cheered at the sight of trucks and carriages loaded with food, while the rat beastmen sat atop the grain sacks, squeaking and shouting in excitement.
Everyone is in a good mood when there is food to eat.
However, the high spirits of Hybel and Kka-Chi plummeted to the depths of hell the moment they stepped into my conference room, the Chamber of Swords.
"A breach in the Blood Wall?"
"The demonic beast attacks have been unusually frequent," I explained. "Because of that, holes have formed in the wall, and they keep breaking before we can even finish the repairs. Patching this up is our top priority. Hybel, Kka-Chi—I need your people to help with the reconstruction."
Having worked in the entertainment districts, Hybel possessed a keen sense of tact.
But Kka-Chi, our sewer rat beastman, did not hold back.
"Chik! What kind of godforsaken, half-dead territory is this? Why hasn't it collapsed yet? Honestly, running away seems like the smarter option."
Rabelt-Chi, the 2nd Battalion Commander, shot Kka-Chi a warning glare, but Kka-Chi didn't care in the slightest.
"I have to take care of the Twisted Tail Clan," Kka-Chi continued. "We came here because we were promised proper houses and beds to sleep in. We can help with the repairs. But what I need is hope. Hope that this city will survive and prosper in the long run."
"I understand."
"Because from where I'm standing, there is no hope in the North right now. Commander, you have a plan, don't you? If you do, now is the time to speak. I have a duty to ease the anxiety of my people."
"That is exactly why I called you here."
Currently, there was not a single noble of Northern origin in the Chamber of Swords.
Only beastmen stood before me.
The Northern nobles were loyal, but it was impossible to know which of them might be a traitor. Because of that, I could speak freely to the beastmen about things I hesitated to share with the nobility.
"I have a way to save the North," I said. "If we play our cards right, we can do more than just make the North livable. We can turn it into a wealthy territory on par with the South, East, and West."
The beastmen exchanged looks.
Kka-Chi's expression brightened instantly.
"Chik! I knew you had a—!"
"But Kka-Chi, two things must happen first. The first is simple: we must secure mages."
"Mages?"
"Yes, mages. We have plenty of engineers and skilled laborers in the North. During the ten-year war, our large industrial complexes manufactured the firearms and artillery shells used here. The North's problem is that we have no mages. It's a chronic, long-standing issue. Without mages... rebuilding the North is impossible."
Large-scale greenhouse cultivation.
Mass production of Elixir.
To succeed in these two endeavors, the presence of mages was not an option, but a necessity.
And the beastmen did not hold the solution to this problem.
"I plan to take some of the Northern nobles and visit the Magic Tower. To put it bluntly, you guys won't be of much help in persuading mages."
It was a harsh truth, but none of the beastmen in the room took offense.
"Chik. Those stuck-up staff-wielding bastards would definitely act like that. I understand," Kka-Chi muttered.
"Mages..." Hybel sighed. "The only mage I've ever met who didn't gag at the sight of us was you, Commander. I understand completely."
Mages were a class of people with an exceptionally strong sense of authority and privilege.
Their hatred of beastmen was beyond normal comprehension. They viewed beastmen as inferior, uncivilized creatures incapable of using magic.
It was far better to bring the Northern nobles for this task.
However, that did not mean the beastmen were useless.
"Kka-Chi, Hybel. The two of you will accompany me. You won't be helping with hiring the mages... but you have a separate task."
Hybel and Kka-Chi looked at me, curiosity piqued.
"What do you need us to do?"
I slowly scanned the room.
Understanding the meaning behind my gaze, my adjutant and the battalion commanders immediately stood up and left the Chamber of Swords.
A moment later, the adjutant returned and reported respectfully.
"We have cleared the surrounding area. There is no risk of anyone overhearing."
I nodded and turned my attention back to Kka-Chi and Hybel.
A traitor.
No matter how much the North tried to develop, if there was a parasite eating away at us from the inside, we would eventually be dragged down. The traitor had to be eliminated first.
And though it was just a vague hunch, I felt that catching the traitor would reveal the truth behind the deaths of the original male and female leads.
"There are traitors inside the North," I said. "Since you are outsiders, it obviously isn't you. Finding them—that is your role."
The eyes of Hybel and Kka-Chi sharpened.
"What must we do?"
"Two things. First, you will accompany me when I leave the North to recruit mages. Second, you will contact the beastman communities across the Empire and gather information from them. You two should be able to do it."
"We can," Kka-Chi said. "But if we just ask around blindly for a Northern traitor, we won't get the information we want. We need at least a clue."
"There is a clue. The name is the Crow Brotherhood. Have either of you heard of it?"
At my question, both Kka-Chi and Hybel frowned simultaneously.
"I've never heard of such a name," Kka-Chi replied. "It doesn't sound like an assassin or rogue clan. If it were, there's no way we rat beastmen wouldn't know about it."
"It doesn't sound like a magic faction either," Hybel added. "Many mages frequent the entertainment districts, so we rabbits know a lot about them, but this is the first time I've heard of it."
As expected, it wasn't going to be that easy.
However, it wasn't a complete dead end.
Why?
"But there is one race that might know about them," Kka-Chi said.
"Yes. There is a beastman tribe that is highly knowledgeable in that area," Hybel agreed.
The two of them spoke almost in unison.
"The goat beastmen. They specialize in sorcery and the occult, so they likely know things we don't. Finding them won't be difficult, either."
Goat beastmen.
They were particularly mysterious even among the beastmen.
The sages of the slums and back alleys.
And...
"If we search the brothels, we're bound to find at least one of them."
They were a race famous for their insatiable lust.
Satyrs.
Just as Hybel said, they were a race you were practically guaranteed to find in a brothel.