I Became the Narrow-Eyed Villain in a Dropped Novel

Imperial Capital logistics revolved around the Mo River flowing beside the city.

When including its tributaries, the river, stretching across half the Black Continent, carried all sorts of goods.

Naturally, suspicious items moved along the river as well.

Oil bottles mixed among the liquor entering the Imperial Palace, or dubious drugs flowing into the capital’s slums.

“So, you’re saying to catch the drug peddlers?”

“That’s correct, Count.”

The man in black clothes nodded stiffly.

Valheit, with a bored expression, flipped through the scattered documents on the desk.

‘What’s with this? Why is Valheit getting involved in something like this?’

Even after the coup, the Borgia Liquor Guild had significantly expanded its business.

In particular, many Federation merchants were interested in the low-end liquor market.

The problem was that drugs, far more addictive than alcohol, had already spread rampantly among the poor.

“They’re saying the drugs peddled by these junkies are making liquor sales difficult, so they want them dealt with, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Will getting rid of the drugs make people turn to liquor?”

“That’s for the businessmen to worry about… We’re just hired to handle the request.”

“You’re the acting commander, right?”

“Yes, sir!”

Valheit smirked at the sight.

“No need to be so tense. Since it’s a request from Cesare, we’ll handle it well. However…”

Valheit tapped a document.

The large text at the top, ‘Business Plan,’ caught his eye.

“It doesn’t seem like they’re just planning to sell liquor.”

“……”

Everyone knew that those addicted to drugs would inevitably return to them.

To sell liquor to such people, the Liquor Guild planned to add certain additives.

“Are they planning to turn all the Imperial Capital’s citizens into junkies?”

“Well… they say the new extraction method enhances flavor while reducing addictiveness.”

“You believe that nonsense?”

Valheit clicked his tongue.

“I understand. It’s not something you can control, is it? Since we were only hired for a simple cleanup, we have no right to interfere.”

Valheit stood from his seat, patted the poor man’s shoulder, and smiled ominously.

The acting commander, swallowing dryly, felt a heavy pouch placed in his hand.

“So, let’s do this. I give you money, and you give me the list of names behind this business plan. Then we go our separate ways. There weren’t any orders against this, were there?”

“Well… that’s true.”

Weighing the money in his hand against the risk of angry barons’ wrath, the acting commander quickly made up his mind.

“Check under the tree stump outside tomorrow.”

“Then, have a good day.”

As Valheit cheerfully left the shabby office, Ede immediately clung to his side.

“Count, so what’s the job?”

“They want us to take care of a group selling highly addictive drugs in the capital’s slums.”

“…Cleaning up society’s trash, huh? I’ll do my best not to disgrace the Chartra name!”

Watching Ede dash off to her juniors, Valheit shook his head.

“She’s easy to handle, at least.”

* * *

“Is this the place?”

“Yes, it is.”

“This is… unexpected.”

They had expected a drug production site to be filled with rough-looking gang members and suspicious facilities, but the scene before them was entirely different.

Small houses clustered together, low fences stretched along the paths, and fields of unknown crops swayed in the breeze.

No matter how you looked at it, it was a peaceful rural scene.

“Are you sure this is where the drugs entering the Imperial Capital are made? It just looks like an ordinary village…”

Ede tilted her head in confusion.

It didn’t seem like a place where an organization Cesare would call a rival could exist.

“This is definitely where they grow the raw material, Opio. But I’m not sure if they process it here too.”

I could roughly guess why Cesare had specifically asked me for this.

If it was just about eliminating a competitor, Cesare could handle it alone, but investigating further risked getting caught by the guards.

“Then, I’ll leave the handling to you.”

Cesare’s men left without looking back.

This was getting more complicated than expected.

Of course, the easiest way would be to raze the village and fields to the ground…

‘But it’s obvious how Ede would react to that.’

I had told her we weren’t some apostles of justice, but wiping out an entire village would be unthinkable for someone trained by the Chartras.

“Count, what’s the plan?”

“If this village is only supplying the raw materials, someone will come to pick them up.”

“Oh! So we ambush the ones who come for the materials? Should we set up and wait?”

“How long are you planning to wait?”

“Hmm… until they show up, right? Oh, back when I couldn’t find a job, I trained hard in stealth and surveillance to join the Three Blades. Of course, I failed the interview.”

It’s obvious why she failed.

Still, waiting was indeed the safest option.

“What if there’s no external organization?”

“Huh? You mean the villagers are making and selling the drugs themselves? That seems unlikely, doesn’t it?”

“You never know.”

It’s a cliché that a small village like this turns out to be a hotbed of crime.

Even if that’s not the case, waiting indefinitely for an unknown outsider didn’t make sense.

Time wasn’t exactly on our side either.

With the mediation between Vestol and the Demons approaching, we had a few days at most, but we couldn’t just sit around waiting for someone who might never show up.

“Ede and I will enter the village. The rest of you stay here and keep an eye out for any outsiders lingering around.”

“Won’t it seem suspicious if we just walk in? This place is far from the main road. It doesn’t seem like travelers would pass through here.”

“That depends on how we present ourselves. We’ll head in at dusk.”

“Oh, got it! I’ll go arrange the team.”

Her way of giving orders was surprisingly competent.

The positions she assigned were reasonable too.

Seeing her like this, she almost gave off the vibe of her original character.

“So, what’s our cover story? Noble and attendant sounds plausible, right? Or maybe disguised as simple travelers! Or even a family…”

“Noble and attendant.”

I firmly cut off her increasingly wild suggestions.

Left unchecked, her imagination would spiral to terrifying places.

Leaving Ede, who looked slightly disappointed, I turned back to the map.

There were no large forests or mountains nearby.

There didn’t seem to be any corners where a criminal organization could hide.

‘Are they really making the drugs in the village?’

I steeled myself as I scanned the village.

If things went as I suspected, this wouldn’t end cleanly.

* * *

“Come in.”

“Thank you.”

The owner of the largest house in the village was younger than expected.

The interior was much more modern than it appeared from the outside.

“We only have one guest room, so I hope that’s alright.”

“That’s fine. We’re grateful to have a room at all.”

Ede, keeping her mouth shut, nodded.

My strict instructions to stay quiet unless necessary were paying off.

“Have you had dinner? If you’re alright with it, join us.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

“I’m not sure if it’ll suit a distinguished guest’s taste, but make yourself at home, haha.”

The owner laughed good-naturedly.

He was the picture of a kind-hearted rural man.

As soon as we entered the guest room to unpack, Ede, who had been holding back, opened her mouth.

“He seems like a really nice person.”

“He appears to be, at least.”

“By the way, for such a remote place, they’ve got everything you’d need. It really hits you how fast the world’s changing.”

“I wonder what they’re making money from.”

“Huh? Didn’t you see? It’s a mill.”

What?

I didn’t see any windmills or waterwheels.

Ede, noticing something I missed, looked inexplicably proud.

“There’s a millstone powered by oxen next to the house. Waterwheel mills are common, but in places without a river, they use mills like this! I know this stuff because I’m from the countryside.”

“Is that so?”

“Well… yeah, that’s right.”

Interpreting my short reply as displeasure, Ede scratched her head and trailed off.

That wasn’t my intention, but since it quieted her down, I let it be.

‘I’ve heard mills used to be decently profitable in the past… so maybe it’s not strange for them to live this well?’

I had been suspicious of a well-off house in such a remote place, but maybe that wasn’t it.

With the lead I thought I had slipped away, I had no choice but to pry for information during dinner.

“Ede, you said you know a lot about rural life, right?”

“Huh? Yeah, I do. Before the recruiter came, I thought I’d spend my life farming. Then I caught the recruiter’s eye, joined the Chartras, my family got some support, and the village got livelier. Though I struggled to find a job afterward.”

“I didn’t need your whole life story. During dinner, subtly ask if there are any outsiders around and what crops they mainly grow to gather information.”

“Interrogation, huh? Got it, leave it to me. I’ll do it right!”

She seemed overly enthusiastic for her first mission, but her brash approach might actually draw out more honest answers.

“Let’s head down.”

A large table was set with bread, vegetable porridge, and a bit of meat.

It was simple but plentiful.

The owner’s family sat around the table, welcoming us.

I gave a light greeting and took a seat, while Ede sat next to the kids.

“Where are you headed?”

“We’re on our way to meet someone we know in the area.”

I answered politely while observing the owner’s reaction.

Since this place was far from other villages, I wondered how he’d react to the idea of us having someone to meet nearby.

“Just watch out for wild animals, and you’ll be fine.”

His response was bland, with no notable reaction.

I couldn’t tell if he genuinely had nothing to hide or if he was good at concealing it.

“This food reminds me of my hometown. I grew up in a place like this.”

“Thank you for the kind words.”

“What’s in this?”

Ede naturally took control of the conversation.

The slightly tense atmosphere gradually relaxed.

I quietly chewed my bread, watching for any unusual reactions.

“I’m jealous. My family wasn’t poor, but we didn’t eat this heartily. What do you mainly grow around here?”

“Nothing special. We grow more vegetables and fruits than wheat and sell them. We also grow some flowers.”

“What kind of flowers?”

“Tasty flowers!”

A child eating heartily answered proudly.

The dinner remained warm and friendly, but the owner’s mouth twitched slightly.

“Flowers that produce a lot of honey?”

“Honey too, and after the red flowers bloom, we dry and sell the round fruits.”

“Growing that much in a remote place like this is quite a lot.”

His tone was friendly, but it was clear he didn’t want to linger on the topic.

The corner of my mouth curled up slightly.

The flowers mentioned in the conversation matched the description of Opio, the raw material for the drug.

I had found a lead.