Elf Tensei Kara no Cheat Kenkoku-ki

Book 5: Chapter 14-2: Covert Operations

He was surprisingly cautious. Well, getting caught using counterfeit bonds would inevitably lead to severe punishment. His caution made sense. 「Have the orcs used imperial bonds before?」 I asked to confirm. The orcs primarily sustained themselves through hunting, agriculture, and plunder, but they also purchased what they couldn’t obtain for themselves from the Empire. Therefore, I was certain they were familiar with the use of the Empire’s bonds. 「Of course. In a year, five gold coins become six. Of course, we would buy them. Plus, they're light. We have to buy food for a thousand people. The weight of gold coins alone is significant. If we can buy things with these light papers, there's no reason not to use them.」 「I see. When was the last time you used the imperial bonds for shopping?」 「It was two days ago. Nowadays, almost everyone shops with them.」 「I see.」 It seems these bonds were functioning more effectively as paper currency than I thought. The orcs' exhaustive search for errors in the counterfeit bonds ended, and it seemed they were convinced that they could pass as real. 「So, Cyril, what do you demand in return for these sacks full of Empire bonds? I will pay a fair price.」 「There are two misunderstandings here. First, who said it was just this sack? Please open all the sacks except for the two smaller ones.」 As I instructed, Lingaga signaled his subordinates to open the sacks. 「Boss, this sack is also full of bonds.」 「This one too.」 「Incredible, the one I opened is also full!」 Cheers arose from the orcs one after another. Indeed, except for the two sacks containing Shoji, all the others were filled to the brim with bundles of bonds. 「Wha… What is this? With this much, we could live in leisure for years.」 Lingaga exclaimed with a dazed expression. 「Right? And the second misunderstanding: I never said anything about compensation.」 「What!? Then what's in it for the elves?」 「Weakening the Empire.」 The excessive influx of counterfeit bonds would damage confidence in the bonds and eventually destroy their value, damaging the Empire’s economy gravely. Also, in the process of circulating the fake bonds all sorts of items will be hoarded, leading to an unprecedented shortage of supplies. This would inevitably lead to great chaos. 「So all these imperial bonds…」 「Yes, I’ll give them all to the orcs for free.」 「Really?」 Leaning forward, Lingaga exclaimed in astonishment. Well, his surprise was understandable, after all, no one gave something of value for free. I could probably ask for something big in return, but there was no time to lose, and doing them a favor here could lead to long-term benefits. 「It's true. However, I have one request.」 「A request?」 Lingaga visibly tensed, his wariness apparent. 「When you go shopping in the Empire with these bonds, could you also sell the medicine that is in the smaller sacks?」 「Medicine, you say?」 「Yes, medicine. Of course, I won't ask you to buy them. I'll give you these for free as well. But you must promise to sell them without using any. They are the devil's medicine.」 As soon as I referred to it as ‘devil's medicine’, the expressions of the orcs turned stern. 「Does it kill you if you drink it?」 「No, it makes you feel uplifted, increases your appetite, and makes food taste better. It even enhances sexual pleasure.」 「Sounds like a good medicine.」 「But the more you use it, the more you become dependent on it, and in the end, you will not be able to live without it. It's fine if you use it once a week, but if it becomes a daily habit, you can kiss your life goodbye.」 「So, it's alright if it's just once?」 「If it's just once.」 「Then, let's give it a try.」 With that, Lingaga put some Shoji in his mouth and swallowed it. Due to being a pill, the drug takes a while to take effect. 「It takes some time for the medicine to kick in, so let me use a little magic. [Metabolic Enhancement]​​」 I enhanced Lingaga's metabolism to speed up the drug's effect. His cheeks quickly turned red. 「Wow, this really works. I feel exhilarated. Ah, this is great. Haha, this is good stuff. But man, I'm suddenly starving.」 Lingaga laughed heartily, clearly enjoying the heightened mood. 「Try this. It's a limet fruit.」 I handed him a fruit with brown skin. Peeling it revealed a bright orange flesh inside. A sweet and sour aroma filled the air. You could hear the sound of someone swallowing saliva eagerly; it was Lingaga. 「Wow, how delicious this looks. Who would've thought that a simple limet fruit could look this appetizing? Ha, I can't stand it.」 Unable to contain himself any longer, Lingaga snatched the limet fruit from my hand and bit into it voraciously. 「Wow, delicious! What is this texture that clings to the tongue? It's irresistible, sweet, so sweet, it's like it's melting. Hey, Murtaka, hurry up and bring all the fruits you can find, especially llimet! I want more!」 At Lingaga's bellowing command, his orc subordinates hurriedly began to bring in more fruits. He devoured them with a terrifying gusto, exclaiming their deliciousness. The fruits kept disappearing, and he must have eaten several kilograms before Lingaga finally stopped. 「Damn, that was the best I've ever had. Phew, after eating, I really got in the mood. This is insane. When was the last time I felt this excited? Cyril, I need to step out for a bit.」 「Feel free to leave, but make sure to come back soon. We still have things to discuss.」 「I'll try. Hey, you guys, treat Cyril with the utmost respect. Use whatever he needs, no limits.」 ◇ About two hours later, Lingaga returned , looking quite refreshed, evidently having enjoyed himself. 「That was the best sex ever. That medicine is incredible, man!」 「Yes, but you shouldn't use it ever again, you’ll get addicted.」 「Of course. If you say so, it must really be the devil's medicine. It's really dangerous. Ordinary people won’t be able to resist this pleasure even if they know the dangers. At the very least, my men can't be allowed to use it. They would definitely break the ban and try it. To create and sell this… are you really an elf? I would be less surprised if you told me you were a devil without a tail.」 Lingaga seemed to understand my intentions. He wore a wicked smile, knowing what would happen if this was released in the Empire. 「Alright, we, the Orc tribe, will take responsibility for selling this drug in the Empire.」 「Thank you. One last piece of advice, the orcs are not the only tribe we’re giving these counterfeit bonds.」 「…I see. So, we need to quickly dispose of our stock of Empire bonds, both the real and the fake ones you provided, or they'll turn into worthless paper in no time.」 「Exactly right. You're sharp, Lingaga.」 I smirked. It saved me the trouble of explaining. When too much money circulates and goods begin to disappear, the money’s value disappears as well. Eventually, the imperial citizens would realize that counterfeits had flooded the market, and that the guarantee of exchanging the bonds for gold coins no longer existed. At that moment, both real and fake bonds would become worthless paper. 「We need to spend all these bonds, both real and fake, while they still hold value. We have to do it before the other villages start acting. Men, prepare to head to the Empire immediately! Get all the carriages ready and load them with bonds. We're going on a shopping spree! Food is the top priority, then we'll buy up gems and iron.」 「Yes, sir!」 Lingaga's swift decision-making was impressive; he was indeed a man I wouldn't want as an enemy. At that moment, members of Nettle were likely having similar conversations with the leaders of the other villages. Now, things were about to get interesting. This was the preemptive strike against the Empire.