41 Stardus (1/2)
Jarek scribbled down information as Petrov directed, pasting little notes onto the map of Konstanz they'd created with magic. Creating a spell to copy the image from the Eye had been a task Nikolai set for his apprentice as a test. A task he'd succeeded in. Only a few tweaks were necessary in the spell structure for it to function as expected and he'd praised the boy for his efforts.
Now that Elya's weakness had passed, and she was almost fully recovered, Nikolai called for a meeting with guard Commander Petrov. With a few days of investigation under his belt, Petrov was able to mark down information on routes and suppliers of Stardust. Based on the number of notes being pinned to the map, Nikolai's frown deepened, it looked grim. According to the information, Konstanz was turning into a hub for the drug trade in the west.
”How is this possible?” Nikolai whispered. ”There's no way these routes could have popped up after the battle, there hasn't been enough time for supplies of Stardust to come in so quickly. Not in this volume.”
”But if they've been here for so, long someone should have noticed.” Elya finished the thought. Tracing one of the paths marked in bright red ink, she called for Petrov.
”This has to have been established months ago. You've already confiscated a dozen cases of Stardust from various merchants in just two days along this route.”
”I fear you may be correct Milady. I would not have believed that so much of the guard would turn a blind eye to these… traders… yet the evidence is clear. This could not have happened without the assistance of the guard's senior officers.” He coughed furiously, veins bulging on his temple in suppressed anger.
”I don't want to suspect the entire guard but I have little choice. There is a short span to make a move while the gangs are still reeling from the attacks. We must move even faster. So Elya, would you be willing to assist?” Nikolai grimaced at several slips Jarek placed near his own mansion. This was literally occurring right under his nose.
”We're a little under-strength since the battle but we can take over the customs posts and guarding the gate to catch as many as we can. Although, how will the guard take the move?” She shot him a glance, hesitating whether it was acceptable to usurp the local authorities, no matter her position as the future Countess of Volhiniya.
Nikolai pursed his lips and considered. In a sense, this wasn't a major problem for Konstanz, since most of the Stardust was being shipped to other parts of the Empire rather than being sold to the locals. It was the main reason why the trade didn't die down after the battle since the consumers weren't in the town. However, the Emperor would surely be displeased if he let them go. The Son of Heaven had little interest in an economy he couldn't tax.
The drug traffickers were disguised as traders, backed by the merchant Houses or Vezani Princedoms, so the chances of their goods being searched would be minimal. That didn't mean they were able avoid inspections, but it gave them a layer of protection which coupled with the guards willing blindness made for a dangerous combination.
”We'll say it's to free up their resources to hunt down remnant gang members. A flimsy excuse I know but better than nothing.”
”It will suffice Milord.” Petrov passed a list of names involved with a shaky hand.
”Are you sure you don't want me to check your health with magic Commander? It seems worse than ever today.”
As expected Petrov refused the offer. Whether it was fear of magic or being resigned to his condition, after Nikolai's first attempt revealed no tangible results in understanding the man's illness, Petrov remained indifferent to magical assistance.
”I have good days and bad days Milord. There's no need to trouble yourself.”
”Alright.” Nikolai returned to the map, patting Jarek on the head as he walked by, ignoring the boy's grimace. Now that his apprentice was growing older there were hints of rebellion in his attitude. Not the sort of rebellion that brought down Kings, but a teenagers rebellious attitude to authority when they felt they weren't being treated equally. ”What can we do to crack down on the traffickers?”
”I believe we should ignore them for the moment and focus on the suppliers.” Petrov scratched at red eyes and Nikolai felt sympathetic. The Commander wouldn't sleep until things were under control.
”Why?” Elya asked curiously, coming to stand beside Nikolai and hold his hand. She'd become affectionate recently, wanting to stay in physical contact with him. Not that Nikolai would complain about her changed behaviour, he enjoyed her presence immensely, but the shift in her attitude had been so sudden he was still out of his depth when interacting. He wasn't sure how much contact was allowed.
”If we round up the traders and gang members within the town, it would temporarily stop the outflow of Stardust but after some time the suppliers would find someone else to do their work.”
”By the same token, the suppliers bosses would find someone new to do their bidding.” Nikolai pointed out. It was strange for Petrov to propose an action which had such a simple flaw, especially for something which had no true solution. Any form of crime would rear its head again after a while.