Chapter 84: Cold War and Neutrality

The next day after deciding on their course of action, Miller Pharmaceuticals approached them, just as Cassie had predicted.

Their subsequent actions were also exactly as Cassie had foreseen.

They declared that last night’s attack was orchestrated by Neville Pharmaceuticals and requested Amon and Sonia’s cooperation.

The two immediately accepted the proposal.

Once the Miller Pharmaceuticals representatives left, the duo sprang into action.

***

[Coen Ulrich Forge]

The two headed to the forge the doctor had mentioned.

The forge was located in Marseille, far from Paris.

Because of the distance, traveling by car was impossible, so they had to take a train.

For security reasons, they rented an entire train compartment.

“I looked it up online, and no matter how you spin it, it’s not just a private workshop,” Amon explained during the journey.

Contrary to its name, the forge resembled a corporation more than a simple workshop.

While there were multiple workshops, they all operated under the umbrella of Coen Ulrich Forge.

The forge divided its vast territory into sections, each overseen by master blacksmiths.

These masters were direct disciples of the Coen Ulrich Forge’s owner, each specializing in their own field.

They crafted custom orders based on their expertise.

Coen Ulrich Forge didn’t just produce weapons and blades; it also manufactured cars, bikes, and even airplanes.

In short, if it could be made from metal, they likely made it.

This incredible versatility was possible due to their unparalleled craftsmanship, magic, and divine power.

While technology and industrialization had replaced most traditional blacksmiths, mass production couldn’t replicate items imbued with magic, divine energy, or materials derived from entities.

In a world rife with variables and magic, individual demands for items varied greatly.

Mass production couldn’t fully meet these unique needs, which is why forges like Coen Ulrich still thrived.

“This sounds like the perfect talent pool for us.”

Cassie was impressed after hearing Amon’s explanation.

The service center Cassie envisioned for Paris needed to repair items imbued with special energy.

In situations where the exact requirements were unknown, skilled blacksmiths like these were far better suited than regular factory technicians.

However, Amon seemed skeptical of Cassie’s surprise.

“You mean to tell me you didn’t consider this? Are you just flattering me?”

“Of course, I thought of it! Even before seeing the future! But I deemed it unlikely to work.”

According to her, the problem lay in connections.

“The Coen Ulrich Forge’s owner is notoriously difficult to deal with. Until I saw your future… Oh, that’s all I’ll say.”

Amon chose to let it slide, pretending not to hear her vague comment.

Cassie, in turn, played innocent and asked Amon directly,

“How are you connected to them? I genuinely don’t know.”

“Secret.”

Amon suspected the doctor was involved, which might have blocked Cassie’s foresight.

Cassie accepted this reasoning, though Sonia seemed unsettled.

She chewed on her lip but said nothing.

***

Eventually, they arrived in Marseille, France’s largest port city.

Bustling with people, it was the second-largest city after Paris.

“Surprisingly, there were no attacks,” Sonia remarked.

“Amon, don’t sound so disappointed.”

“Did it really sound like that?”

“Yes. You’re addicted to thrills.”

Amon was about to argue but stopped himself.

Strictly speaking, he hadn’t been hoping for an attack.

He had simply been reminded of one of the absolute rules of this world: “Trains are the most dangerous mode of transportation.”

This rule was on par with “Helicopters always crash.”

That’s why he had remained vigilant during the train ride, only to feel anticlimactic when nothing happened.

However, trying to explain this would only make him sound like a thrill-seeker, so he let it go.

Their peaceful train journey ended, and they headed to the forge.

Located on the outskirts of Marseille, the forge required another car ride to reach.

While driving, Amon turned to Sonia.

“By the way, wasn’t there a Neville Pharmaceuticals branch here?”

“Technically, it’s a subsidiary.”

No sooner had the words left Sonia’s mouth than a loud pop came from one of the car’s tires.

“Shi… Oh no. Mother of God,” Amon cursed before catching himself.

Sonia sighed. “Happy now?”

“No, that’s a complete misunderstanding.”

Amon felt wronged, but considering he had jinxed it earlier, he had no excuse.

After fending off several attacks, they finally reached the forge.

The assaults ceased abruptly five minutes before their arrival.

“They probably don’t want to risk unnecessary conflict with the forge,” Sonia speculated.

Amon wholeheartedly agreed with her.

In terms of scale, the forge didn’t qualify as a megacorp or even a large corporation.

Despite its extensive facilities, it was just one factory, and its handmade products couldn’t compete with mass-produced items in volume.

By corporate standards, the forge was a mid-sized enterprise.

However, its influence far exceeded its size.

The equipment and vehicles it produced were exclusively used by megacorp executives, elite mercenaries, or governments.

Only the forge could repair or upgrade its creations, making it a metaphorical missile-launch button.

Easy to press, but you’d have to deal with the consequences yourself.

Their stance of neutrality ironically granted them absolute power.

The owner’s stubbornness also stemmed from this position.

Sonia reflected on the current situation.

“And we’re supposed to disrupt this neutrality?”

Amon shook his head.

“We don’t need to break their neutrality.”

“But you’re planning to make them a subsidiary of Cassie’s company, aren’t you?”

“Exactly.”

“How does that not disrupt their neutrality?”

“I can’t tell you that either.”

“Oh, so you’re pulling a Cassie with your foresight now?”

As always, Amon deflected with his foresight.

However, this time it had nothing to do with his game knowledge.

“Who knows.”

Amon kept his explanation vague, and Sonia accepted it.

Before they knew it, their car arrived at the forge.

Calling it a forge felt inadequate.

The forge owned an entire village, making “industrial district” a more fitting term.

The sheer scale of the place left Amon and Sonia in awe.

“All of that is where they make everything, right?” Sonia asked.

“Pretty much,” Amon replied.

From the outside, though, it was impossible to see what was being produced.

The area was surrounded by fences and magical barriers, completely obscuring the view inside.

“Let’s hurry up and take a look,” Sonia urged.

Amon sighed, shaking his head as if to say he couldn’t stop her.

Though, truth be told, he was just as eager.

As they approached the entrance, guards emerged from the checkpoint.

“What’s your purpose here?”

The guards, clad more like soldiers than security personnel, had a sharp edge to their tone.

Their attitude struck a balance between politeness and rudeness—somewhere uncomfortably in the middle.

Given the number of people coming and going in the forge village, their neutral stance was understandable, ensuring no trouble no matter who visited.

Amon wasn’t bothered by their demeanor and responded politely.

“I have some business to discuss with the owner.”

“We haven’t received any notice.”

“We tried to contact them several times, but they didn’t respond. I was told this might help.”

Amon handed over the business card he had received from the doctor.

It was a fascinating card, cold and metallic to the touch yet light and fluttery like paper.

The guards took the card and swiped it through a reader-like device.

A green light flashed.

The guards’ attitudes instantly changed.

“Welcome, sir! How can we assist you?”

Their earlier neutrality gave way to a sudden and excessive politeness.

Amon could have asked to proceed immediately but couldn’t resist his curiosity.

“Is it really okay for us to go through without contacting anyone?”

“No need. The boss never answers calls or texts anyway,” one guard replied, likely speculating the owner was too engrossed in their work to care.

Another guard added, “That’s why the owner gives out these cards. You must have been referred by someone?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Welcome, sir. Just a heads-up, our boss might come off as rude at first, so please bear with it.”

The guard’s sincere demeanor earned a wry smile from Amon.

After a brief exchange of farewells, Amon and Sonia headed toward the heart of the forge.

Following the guard’s advice to avoid getting lost, they relied on the navigation system to guide them to the owner’s workshop, catching glimpses of various workshops along the way.

“Look, dozens of people are hammering away at something. Are they building a plane?”

“Probably a private jet for the chairman or something.”

Inside the forge, unlike the obscured view from outside, the open structure allowed a clear view of most ongoing projects.

Amon speculated that this transparency might be a way to pique clients’ curiosity and drive sales as they walked past.

However, as they got closer to the central area, the workshops became increasingly closed off, likely to protect the most sensitive projects.

Eventually, they arrived at the central workshop of the village.

***

[Owner – Yotron]

The massive workshop was exclusively dedicated to Yotron.

After parking the car, they knocked on the workshop door.

There was no answer.

“Huh?” Amon muttered, surprised by the unexpected silence.

“Maybe you need to swipe that card on the reader next to the door?” Sonia suggested.

Following her idea, Amon swiped the card.

A speakerphone activated.

“Just how much do they hate being disturbed?” Sonia muttered in exasperation as Amon spoke into the speaker.

[Hello? Is anyone there?]

A voice responded from the other side.

[Who is it?]

[We were referred by Dr. Dante.]

[Dante? You mean Dr. Dante?]

[Yes.]

The speaker cut off abruptly.

Moments later, the door opened, and a soot-covered figure emerged.

“Welcome,” the person said.

Amon’s face fell slightly in disappointment.

“Are you Yotron?”

“Of course not. I’m one of the apprentices.”

Amon’s expression brightened immediately, causing the apprentice to tilt their head in confusion.

The apprentice led them inside toward Yotron’s workspace, providing explanations as they went.

The forge was a blend of traditional and modern.

Blacksmiths hammered away at red-hot steel, a scene Amon and Sonia were familiar with.

Yet other areas showcased techniques they had never seen.

One station compressed and froze a mixture of iron powder and magic stone dust, while another used a 3D printer-like machine to create complex structures with molten metal.

In one corner, workers polished what appeared to be the hide of an entity, though its purpose was unclear.

Amon and Sonia were captivated by the sights as they finally reached the owner.

***

Yotron was a dwarf, and Amon’s face lit up with excitement.

Noticing the change in his mood, the apprentice seemed puzzled.

Fortunately, Yotron wasn’t busy working when they arrived but was in the middle of a heated phone conversation.

“You son of a—! I’m never dealing with you again!” Yotron roared before slamming the phone down.

As Amon and Sonia tried to form their first impressions of the owner, the apprentice cautiously asked, “Master, was it them again?”

“Yeah, those damned Yankees. Always using their stupid units.”

“Master…”

“Bondor, don’t accept any more jobs from those Yankee bastards.”

Unaware of the visitors, Yotron continued to rant.

The apprentice, visibly sweating, stepped in to calm their master.

“Master, we have guests…”

“Oh, sorry about that. Didn’t see you there.”

Yotron didn’t bother to change his gruff demeanor as he turned to Amon and Sonia.

“You saw the atmosphere just now, right? So, where are you from?”

“America.”

“Not interested. Get out.”

The apprentice broke into a cold sweat again, trying to intervene.

“They were sent by Dr. Dante!”

“I don’t care. Apologies to Dante, but I’m done dealing with those inch-pound-using fools.”

Amon chuckled and interjected, “I shop using metric.”

“… My apologies.”

“It’s fine. My partner and I aren’t exactly American-born, anyway.”

“Immigrants? Mixed heritage?”

“Something like that.”

“Well then, welcome.”

Yotron’s sudden change in tone left the apprentice glaring at their master in disbelief.

Ignoring the apprentice, Yotron focused on Amon.

“So, what’s your business here?”

“I’d like to discuss a potential partnership.”

“Not interested.”

“At least hear me out.”

“I’m not interested in business deals.”

But Amon pressed on.

“What if you could freely use essence materials, even legendary-grade ones?”

“… Tell me more.”

Amon grinned.

“That’s exactly why we’re here.”