"Escanor Your Highness. You may not remember me but you've helped my wife give birth a year ago"

I did not lie.

"Your Highness, this is a foreign city. The nobles are more powerful here and they're more prone to scheme. Be careful Your Highness. If you need help, I'll try my best to assist you"

I did want to help her.

"Think nothing of it Your Highness I want to see my brother again anyway. Luckily I have three horses hidden in a secret location."

All I wanted was to return the favor. She is a kind girl and I am a grateful merchant.

"I'm sorry Princess. I forgot to tell you about the crossroad. It seems you took the wrong way"

I even messed up many times. But that was because I didn't know their identities back then.

"I think there's more to Lucia Vanadis and Timothy Castonia than we originally thought. I request assistance"

I came looking for copper. But soon I realized that…

"Shadow I think they are them. I think we humans can help you now"

I found Gold.

**********

Fair flakes of snow drifted in the wind- brazen, harsh, unyielding.

It was the snow season, the season of hot broths and the huddling children in the corners with blankets and furry clothing. It was the season of inactivity- hibernation of sorts. Farmers cease their plowing, miners stop mining, merchants don't haggle and diddle, and soldiers have a respite in bleeding and dying.

But the city of Solon didn't follow the norm. Like an old man toiling for his starving family, the city was alive in the snow season. Hundreds of forges lit the night, burning, churning and eating iron ores like monsters with insatiable appetite. Horse-drawn carts went back and forth between the mines and the city, feeding the beast with inexhaustible supply of ores.

Cobert was enjoying the sight of the burning furnaces from his room. Standing by the window and cupping a bowl of steaming stew, his eyes were fixed on the furnaces. His feet were wrapped in winter boots. His coat was that of thick authentic fur of beavers- an animal found only in Vanadis. On his hands were black mittens, knitted by his lovely wife.

Behind Cobert was his brother, Escanor, who was reading reports from fellow merchants while sitting on the couch. The room was dimly lit and Cobert worried about his brother's eyes. Nevertheless he remained silent as he knew from Escanor's meeting eyebrows that there was a problem.

"So what is it brother? Problems for the monarchs?" Cobert asked, failing to withstand his curiosity.

Escanor did not utter an answer right away and just shuffled through the papers with his soft merchant hands.

"Yeah" Escanor fixed his eyes on the papers. Still reading he continued "Wismar, Hadea, Canton and Inkit are pissed as expected. Our merchant connections have heard that the leaders of the four nations are meeting soon. I bet they are forming a coalition of sorts. Vanadis and Castonia could face a coalition war by the end of the snow season"

Cobert stepped towards his brother and sat beside him. The soft cushion of the couch provided relief to his bottom.

"But I think the monarchs have already expected this brother. The Castonian army is at its peak. Vanadis is also guarding the waters. While trade is greatly disrupted at the moment, the Vanadian treasury can support a long war."

"Yeah, the King and the Queen have a plan. It's just… Inkit, Hadea, Canton and Wismar- those four are not the best of friends. Wismar even invaded Canton just a decade ago. And yet they have banded together in just a short time. But the greatest threat comes from within. Many Vanadians and Castonians are against the union. I've heard hundreds of arrests were done in the city of Holm alone. Some people here in Castonia are also resisting although not as strongly as in Vanadis"

Fair point, Cobert thought. He was amazed by how his brother's skills had developed. Escanor was still the same older brother that he was familiar with but at the same time there was something different about the current Escanor. If Cobert was to guess, the change started after Escanor came back from a few years of trading in the north.

Escanor had become a little paranoid after he came back. Cobert even heard that Escanor helped Queen Lucia escape once using a secret tunnel. He scratched his head after he heard that Escanor had a secret tunnel under his room in Nirvana. They were merchants, not fugitives. Normal merchants wouldn't have tunnels under their rooms. He was starting to suspect that his brother is dealing with illegal merchandise or smuggling or both.

Cobert took a piece of paper from the pile still unread by his brother. He squinted and read the contents.

"Holy tariffs! This is insane. This says that Emperor of Dandaria is dead. Heirless!"

Cobert turned a look at Escanor expecting his brother's bulging eyes. But Escanor was nonchalant. His eyes were glued on the papers he was reading.

"Brother! Didn't you hear me?"

"I heard you Cob"

"Then do you realize what will happen to the Dandarian Empire?"

"Power vacuum, warring nobles, include the interference of other nations and you got a perfect civil war. No, not just civil war. It will be anarchy in the south soon. The Dandarian Empire is done for" Escanor said, still shuffling through the reports.

Cobert remained staring at his brother. Escanor seemed to notice him and sighed.

"Look, the Dandarian Empire is a few hundred leagues away. Their matters don't concern us. We can't save everyone Cob"

Cobert rubbed the back of his head. He took another piece of paper and resumed his reading.

"A fleet of Lutani merchant ships were sunk in the strait of Mesali."

"I have already read that one. Lutan is accusing Borondi of the deed. A valid casus belli"

Cobert held another paper "And this. Raised taxes in some Kingdom whose name I don't know how to read"

"Feschi. Yeah they will soon face a rebellion"

Cobert put down the paper "Everyone is at war with someone huh? Conflicts everywhere. It's like the Omniscient is punishing us humans"

"Like a cull right?"

"That's the word. A cull."

There was a silence between them. The only sound Cobert could hear was paper rubbing against paper.

"Cob" Escanor suddenly voiced "What if I told you that the conflicts and chaos we are currently having are all instigated by some people?"

Cobert shifted his body towards his brother "What do you mean by that? Some people? Like a group or something?"

"Yeah. Like that"

"Their purpose?"

"Chaos and division of all humans. This is just hypothetical but what do you think?"

Cobert pondered for a while. He then opened his mouth and opined. "They have to be powerful. Like really powerful to do that"

"And do you think they will succeed?"

"Eventually, yeah. Why do you ask me these strange questions? Don't tell me you think everything that is happening- the death of Dandaria's Emperor, the sinking of Lutani merchant ships, the increased taxes in Feschi, and even the conflicts here in Castonia- are all caused by some secret organization? That's impossible brother"

Escanor chuckled. He rubbed his eyes "Impossible right? Don't mind me Cob. I'm just probably tired"

Cobert shrugged and just grabbed another paper.

"How about this? Counterfeit coins and increasing prices of food. Multiple accounts of nobles hoarding food"

"Ah, the triangle of economic collapse. Hoarding, counterfeit coins and snow season. Next thing the people will starve. And when people starve they blame the King. And when they blame the King, they will murmur whispers of rebellion. And after the murmurs… well let's just hope that it'll stop at that. That nation is done for without help. Where is that anyway?"

Cobert agreed in his heart. Being a merchant for a long time, he immediately noticed that the things written in the report were precursors to economic turmoil. He eyed the name of the writer. His brows soon furrowed.

"It's… in the city of Anthapis, Eastern Castonia"

Escanor finally looked at him. His brother then grabbed the letter from his hands.

"This is bad. We need to inform the King and the Queen. But we must confirm this news first. Let's finish reading all of these"

Although shaken by the news, Cobert nodded in agreement. Both of them read through all of the gossips, news and reports. The candles were almost melted to the base when they finished. They confirmed that the eastern region of Castonia could soon face starvation. They also found many more subtle problems that could soon cause big problems for the union.

"So... the same things are happening in Vanadis huh? Hoarding and counterfeit coins" Escanor voiced a trembling utter.

Cobert was also trembling. His eyes were blank after realizing that they have discovered a hidden plot to destroy the union of Castonia and Vanadis from within.

"Also the rise of banditry and the missing companies of mercenaries" Cobert took a deep breath and turned his head towards Escanor "What you asked me about earlier. That thing with powerful people trying to cause disorder amongst us"

"What about it?"

"I'm starting to believe that's the case brother"