Chương 102: Chapter 101: Demon Realm Smugglers and a Translated Book

The Demon race's secret outpost, deep in an underground ravine along the southern edge of the Tartarus border, sat bathed in the dim purple glow of mana-crystal clusters. A crew of Demon-race handlers, over two meters tall, jagged horns sprouting from their heads, carefully wrapped large wooden crates in moisture-proof arcane silk. Each strap tightened, each seal charm applied, was handled with the care of someone transporting a strategic-grade arcane bomb.

Stamped on the outside of each crate, gold thread letters gleamed under the lantern light: 'The Elegy of the Nameless Knight, Volume 4: Fire Beneath the Earth.' The black-market edition was an unauthorized Ancient Demonic translation produced by rare border scholars. The language was never truly lost. Its possibilities were.

"Careful, you idiots!" a Demon-race smuggling captain growled through gritted fangs.

"One of these books goes for thirty silver on Tartarus's capital black market! Tear a single page and it's half a month's pay!" At the same time, in the council chamber of the Twelve Demon Lords — Tartarus's hereditary warlords, each of whom held the military role of Grand General. A freshly delivered pirated copy of Volume 4 sat squarely on the black stone table, in front of twelve Grand Generals. BOOM!

General Baelor slammed a steel fist onto the table, pointing at chapter eighteen of the book, his roar shaking the very vault of the castle.

"Look closely at this passage! The protagonist arrives at a dark city, and instead of drawing his sword and killing, he opens a chain of 'Convenience Stores,' open twenty-four hours a day, selling fried chicken, instant noodles, and carbonated soda to the residents of the shadow realm!" Baelor breathed heavily, his bloodshot eyes sweeping across the assembled generals.

"This is humanity's insidious 'Convenience Store Invasion Tactic'! They want to use greasy fast food and sugary soda to weaken our bodies, soften our bones, and destroy the will to fight of our entire demon race! Devious! Utterly devious!" The remaining eleven Demon Generals all drew a sharp, cold breath in unison, nodding rapidly in absolute dread.... At the office of the Ancient Language Club, Solaris Academy. Lucian sat with his feet propped on the desk, a cup of hot chrysanthemum tea in hand.

He read Sylvia's freshly submitted intelligence report from the Demon Realm, his mouth twitching without pause. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it"A convenience-store chain selling instant noodles... and they're analyzing it as a genocidal psychological-warfare plot?!" He let out a long, helpless sigh. For three hundred years, the major human states had enforced a formal civilian and legal trade embargo on Tartarus, especially food and medicine.

It had devastated ordinary people; it had never perfectly stopped smugglers, neutral intermediaries, border casinos, private debt networks, or nobles rich enough to buy through them. Click. An elegant, purple-silk-wrapped gift box was set down on the table in front of Lucian. Sylvia opened the lid and pulled out a sleek, dark shadowfur cloak, a stunning dark purple magical gem fastened at the collar.

Along with it came a handwritten letter in Ancient Demonic, scented faintly with smoked plum and incense from Countess Carmilla.

'Young Master, I've sent you this shadow-fox fur cloak to keep you warm through the winter. If you truly intend to conquer the Demon Realm with convenience stores, Castle Lilith's kitchens demand the first shipment. Countess Carmilla von Lilith.' Lucian had just picked up the letter when the research room door burst open. Eleanor walked in, in her crisp knight's uniform. The moment she spotted the jewel-fastened fur cloak and caught the unfamiliar perfume in the room, the smile on her face froze instantly.

Eleanor walked over to the desk, crossed her arms, and narrowed her blue eyes into two ice-cold blades.

"Who sent you a gift, classmate Vance?" Lucian immediately shoved the letter into his coat pocket, fingers trembling slightly, answering evenly.

"Just a customer-appreciation gift from a Tartarus ore supplier..." Eleanor reached out and touched the purple gem on the cloak lightly, her lips curling.

"A customer-appreciation gift that includes a royal Demon-race Soul Marrow Gem? What a considerate supplier you have." Ting! A dim black Unified System V2. 0 notification appeared before Lucian. [CULTURAL MARKET EXPANDED TO: THE TARTARUS DEMON EMPIRE] Pirated-copy distribution confirmed in sampled Shadow Noble households: 15%.

'Monopoly Negotiation' skill leveled up: Lv. 3! [MARKET AND INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT:] Intercepted council notes: several Demon Generals have begun calling convenience stores 'psychological warfare.' Lucian gave a dry cough to cut through the freezing atmosphere in the room. He pulled out his quill and signed the export plan on the desk with a decisive stroke.

"Sylvia! Under the Crown-approved three-month humanitarian-and-trade pilot corridor, ship five hundred thousand bottles of arcane hot sauce and a hundred thousand authentic copies of Volume 4 to the Demon Realm immediately. Classify the food portion as relief goods and the books as licensed cultural exports." He tapped a finger on the table.

"Sell it at cost. Let's see if any of those Demon Generals still have the energy to pick up a blade and invade after they've eaten instant noodles with hot sauce and finished reading Volume 4." Lucian suspected that once both races were too busy cracking sunflower seeds, reading novels, and snacking, invasion would become much less marketable without a single military treaty required. Click. Sylvia stamped the export document for approval, then looked up at Lucian, her voice turning serious.

"Lucian, aside from the Demon Realm matter, an urgent intelligence report just came in from bookshops in the eastern city." She laid a promotional poster on the table.

"Someone's impersonating the Nameless Knight, calling himself 'the True Direct Successor of the Author,' running fraudulent dungeon adventure tours and collecting money from thousands of fans."