Chapter 212 — Silver Moon's First Trouble in Foreign Landscape
S.C. 1512 — Same Week
Kingdom of Illusia — Port Elys Drift
The Silver Moon caravan had arrived before sunrise.
Four wagons packed with:
• refined salt
• dried fruit
• special flour
• new medicinal herbs
• lightweight tools
• basic industrial goods
Mira stood at the head of the group, cloak fluttering in the sea breeze as the harbor slowly awoke. Leo and Bram were far away on their missions; she was alone with her squad.
Twenty Silver Moon members stood behind her, disciplined and alert.
The port was big, lively… and tense.
Dockworkers moved hurriedly. Soldiers patrolled more than usual. Civilians kept glancing toward the center of the city—toward something Mira couldn't yet see.
One of her men, Rem, leaned closer.
"Captain Mira… something feels off."
Mira nodded.
"I can sense it too."
Her wolf perception picked up stress from the voices around her—fear, frustration, impatience. The atmosphere was thick.
Silver Moon had arrived during a crisis.
Perfect.
Or terrible.
Depending on how well she could use it.
1. A Problem at the Port
When Mira approached the customs checkpoint, a young port officer stepped forward. He looked exhausted, face pale from sleeplessness.
He bowed stiffly.
"I apologize, merchant group… but all foreign trade is temporarily frozen. The city is under emergency lockdown."
Mira frowned.
"Reason?"
The officer swallowed.
"…The king is ill. Gravely. And the city has panicked. Some nobles think there's poison involved. Trade restrictions are meant to prevent outside interference."
Her eyes sharpened.
Poison…
Nobles…
Lockdown…
All stress triggers.
The officer continued nervously:
"Please understand. You may dock your cargo here, but you're not allowed to enter the city or sell anything. Not until the order lifts."
The Silver Moon members stiffened.
This threatened everything.
Their profits.
Their food routes.
Their plans.
But Mira didn't panic.
She bowed slightly.
"I understand. Thank you."
And then she added:
"May I speak with someone of higher authority?"
The officer hesitated.
"N-No one has time right now… the palace is in chaos."
Exactly what she needed to hear.
2. Mira's Sharp Ears Catch a Clue
As the Silver Moon regrouped near the wagon line, Mira focused her senses.
Voices drifted from two guards near a warehouse.
She filtered out background noise…
…and listened.
"—the king hasn't woken up—"
"…doctors are useless…"
"…if the trade stops for a week—food shortages—"
"Everyone blames the merchant council—"
"No shipments from outside—"
"What if rebels take advantage—?"
Mira's eyes narrowed.
Chaos.
Tension.
Blame.
Opportunity.
Rem approached quietly.
"What now? Should we wait?"
Mira shook her head.
"No. We adapt."
3. The Palace's Summons
Just as she prepared her next move, a group of armored cavalry approached the docks.
Their captain spoke loudly:
"Where is the caravan from Meridian Group?"
Silver Moon members exchanged looks.
Mira stepped forward calmly.
"I am Mira, leader of Silver Moon."
The captain examined her—her steady posture, calm eyes, and disciplined troops.
"We were informed your group deals in medicinal supply and industrial tools. Correct?"
"Yes."
He nodded.
"The kingdom requires assistance. Immediately. You will be escorted to the palace. The merchants who came earlier were useless, and we received a report that your group may have expertise."
Rem whispered, panicked:
"Captain Mira… is this safe?"
Mira smiled slightly.
"No. But it's necessary."
She faced the soldiers.
"We accept."
4. Inside the Palace Walls
The palace was crowded with frantic servants and armed guards.
Mira walked through it like a calm blade.
Her Silver Moon escorts were allowed to wait outside while she alone was brought into a chamber lined with curtains.
A royal physician, trembling, approached her.
"You… are the one with medical supplies?"
"Yes," Mira answered. "And knowledge."
The physician stepped aside, revealing—
A pale, unconscious man lying on a gold-lined bed.
The King of Illusia.
His breathing was weak.
Skin tinted gray.
Veins lightly darkened.
A poison.
But not a fast one.
Mira's wolf senses kicked in—
smell, pattern recognition, instinct.
She leaned closer.
"This is not an assassin's poison," she muttered.
The physician blinked.
"What do you mean…?"
"This is something ingested slowly," Mira explained. "Through water, herbs, or spoiled medicine. The king has been sick for weeks. Not days."
The room fell silent.
Mira's mind raced.
If she helped cure the king:
• Silver Moon would gain royal favor
• Meridian Group would get trade privileges
• And she would control the entire situation
She stood straight.
"I can help."
The physician stammered.
"How?! Do you have an antidote?!"
Mira smiled faintly.
"No. But I have knowledge… and tools."
5. Mira Calms the Storm
She opened her pack:
• refined powdered charcoal
• electrolyte salts
• two filtered herb extracts
• a small KEA alloy purifier device Ren had made
The court physician's jaw dropped.
"What are those?!"
"Science," Mira answered.
She worked methodically:
First, checking pulse and breath pattern.
Second, filtering the king's blood sample using the purifier.
Third, detecting residue—
Bitter.
Plant-derived.
Common in aged tea leaves.
She exhaled.
"He's suffering from chronic toxin buildup. Nothing deliberate."
The nobles watching became deathly still.
She mixed treatment:
charcoal + distilled water + electrolyte salts + stimulant extract
Then she administered it through a small feeding funnel.
After a minute—
The king coughed.
The nobles gasped.
The court physician almost fainted.
"Y-You revived him…!"
Mira shook her head.
"No. He will revive himself. I simply gave his body what it needed."
6. Silver Moon Gains a Kingdom
Two hours later, as the king slowly woke, the Queen approached Mira with trembling hands.
"Mira of Meridian Group… you saved my husband."
Mira bowed.
"I simply fulfilled a duty."
The Queen handed her a scroll sealed with royal wax.
"From today… Meridian Group is granted full trade privileges in Illusia. Tax exemption for four months. And full protection within our borders."
Mira accepted it.
"This will help the people of our island greatly."
The Queen smiled warmly.
"Then consider it a gift of gratitude."
Outside, the Silver Moon members erupted in cheers.
Rem hugged her—something he never dared before.
"You did it, Captain!"
Mira simply nodded.
"We did what had to be done."
She glanced at the sea.
Ren would be receiving her report soon.
And the Meridian Group…
Had just secured an entire kingdom.
End of Chapter 212