The Imperial Hunter 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.”

“Listen here!”

The Admiral’s sharp reaction came, but I interrupted him calmly.

“Listen further. To be honest, if it weren’t for this job, I would have had no reason to meet you. I’m based in East Asia, and I had no business coming all the way to Mexico. Now, if you can’t detain me here, realistically, the only potential buyer for your weapons is the cartel. Those drug lords who are turning your homeland into a Mexican version of Somalia. Given that you seem reluctant to create such a situation, am I wrong in my assumptions?”

“… “

“In all honesty, whether you’re an Admiral in the Mexican Navy or not, in this market, you’re just a newcomer without connections or avenues. If you’re a newcomer, act like one and seize the opportunity when it’s given. It’s not common luck for a novice who’s just starting in a market to have the chance to negotiate with an established expert with a solid foundation.”

The Admiral’s face was scrunched up, but he couldn’t refute my words. He remained silent, his expression filled with wounded pride. While he stood there with a resentful look on his face, a multipurpose ship that had completed its docking began operating a pair of cranes. The folded mechanical arms extended gracefully.

Personnel and vehicles to transport the cargo were only now entering the dock. They had been waiting nearby all this time, probably to ensure no other factions intruded on the scene. They were cautious about any other parties entering this place, especially amidst the chaos engulfing the city.

The leader of the first vehicle got out, accompanied by an unarmed group of individuals. They engaged in a conversation with Suyeon. After a brief exchange, the on-site manager of the Northeastern Faction handed a USB drive to Suyeon.

Verification of the schematics and unloading operations began simultaneously.

The Admiral only spoke again after the first cargo was brought down.

“You’re quite fearless. Nonetheless, I have the upper hand here when it comes to firepower.”

That might be the case on the surface.

“So, what’s your reason, Admiral?”

In response to my question, Admiral Martínez fell silent once more before summoning one of his subordinates.

“Lieutenant Colonel Svaralska!”

“Yes!”

“Come over here for a moment.”

An officer hurried over and assumed an at-ease stance. This man was Diego Svaralska. With my keen eyesight, I could anticipate what the Admiral was going to say.

“Remove your shirt.”

The Lieutenant Colonel hesitated slightly at the Admiral’s command. After glancing between his superiors and me, he reluctantly put down his weapon and began removing his equipment. Eventually, he stripped off his shirt completely and resumed the at-ease stance. His exposed upper body bore numerous black spots, a type of magical power-driven cancer that spread through the skin.

The Lieutenant Colonel didn’t have much time left to live in this condition. He was probably under the influence of drugs. However, it wasn’t the common cocaine found in Mexico but rather the components of a military-grade painkiller laced with magical power.

“This is what we call ‘Immortality Cancer.'”

Immortality Cancer referred to a recent term in the world, encompassing both magical power cancer and mana cancer. The difference lay in whether the cause was magical power or mana, but as the disease progressed, the distinction faded, making it reasonable to refer to both as a single condition.

“Now, let’s go.”

After dismissing the Lieutenant Colonel, Admiral Martínez revealed a bitter sense of disillusionment.

“The government and the Ministry of Defense are interested in utilizing the abilities of these so-called ‘blessed ones.’ However, they’re not interested in taking responsibility for the consequences. Despite the warnings from the World Health Organization that misusing the power bestowed by ‘blessings’ increases the risk of Immortality Cancer, the government still refuses to provide any compensation, saying it’s just an unproven hypothesis.”

It sounded like a story I’d heard before. When they were rich, they were the nation’s sons, but when they were hurt, they became someone else’s children.

“The same happened during the first half of the year when the coronavirus was rampant. That damn Chinese lung disease, as they called it. It would have been better to die if you got infected. People suffering from the aftereffects were discharged en masse, regardless of whether they were conscripts or officers. I can understand that much. If your lungs solidify to the point that you can’t perform your duties, I’ll understand. But what comes after that?”

In a world plagued by a global recession, Mexico, a country that couldn’t even provide economic assistance of one peso to its poor, retired officers and soldiers, had no chance of receiving adequate care.

“Discharging them without a plan is like a collective death sentence in these times. I’ve seen too many soldiers leaving the military without a hint of emotion on their faces.”

“I understand what you mean.”

In response to my words, Admiral Martínez spoke with a menacing tone.

“I need money. A lot of it.”

Then, he posed a question.

“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.