Ch.122Episode 6 – The Omniscient Spy’s Perspective

# The Girl Looked Up at the Sky

The girl looked up at the sky.

A gloomy weather with cloudy skies. Streets where ancient, serene architecture blended with modern, stylish buildings.

Whenever she gazed at the city shrouded in mist from the light drizzle that fell in the morning, memories of London as she had last seen it a year ago naturally came to mind.

The strange excitement and tension she felt when flying vigorously toward the Black Continent, crossing the equator with the vast ocean beneath her feet.

The serenity and dreamlike quality experienced while walking through meadows thick with undergrowth, crossing trees faintly illuminated by moonlight.

Though far from those emotions, this place had its own charm that evoked a different kind of atmosphere.

“……”

So the girl silently gazed up at the sky above the Magic Tower for quite some time.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Oh, Lucia, you’re back?”

When she turned her head, Lucia had returned and was greeting her with a bright smile.

“Were you watching something interesting?”

“Hmm… I was just looking around the city.”

“The Magic Tower is a fascinating place, isn’t it?”

Lucia nodded lightly as they exchanged greetings, then took off her pure white robe and hung it on the coat rack.

“Hmm? What’s this?”

While looking around the room, Lucia suddenly noticed something unfamiliar and asked the girl.

“Why did you put tape on this plastic bottle? You can just throw it away if it gets crushed.”

“What? Oh… it’s nothing.”

The girl hesitated briefly before awkwardly smiling and hiding the plastic bottle that had been on the table.

Lucia stared at her for a moment, then shook her head slightly to clear away fatigue and thoughts.

“So. What were you thinking about?”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t think you were just sightseeing. Is something bothering you?”

“…It’s not that. Just—”

The girl smiled faintly and looked up at the sky again.

At that ashen sky reminiscent of London’s,

“I think it’s going to rain,” she said.

A storm was rolling in.

# Episode 6 – The Spy’s Perspective

A state is primarily composed of three elements.

Territory.

People.

Sovereignty.

Land where people can live.

People who live on that land.

Sovereignty that protects the rights of those people.

We call a group that encompasses these three elements a state. And we call the group that represents the state and leads its affairs a government.

Although the titles for heads of state and government vary depending on the system, there’s no disagreement that a government is not run by a single leader, but is a community operated by many people working together.

Whether the person leading the government is called a president, chairman, or premier, ultimately, it’s not politicians but civil servants who handle the practical work.

In that context.

The group that controlled the Magic Tower was the Secretariat.

A bridge connecting the Oracle with government agencies. The command center directing all government agencies in the Magic Tower.

The Secretariat was the Count’s first target.

There were various methods.

“130,000 dinars. That’s quite a debt you have? How much do you earn monthly?”

“…About 5,500 dinars, sir.”

“Let’s see… with a monthly salary of 5,500, that’s 66,000 dinars a year. Even assuming no interest accrues from now on, you’d only pay off half after working your fingers to the bone for a year without spending a penny?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

“I’ll give you 50,000 dinars. Do a few favors for me, and all this money is yours.”

Bribery.

“Your son likes sports, right? But can he run with his neck cut off?”

“Y-y-you b-bastard…!”

“If you don’t want to see your son become a cripple, open your ears and listen carefully to what I say, you son of a bitch. Got it?”

Intimidation.

“It’s been a while, Deputy Director.”

“Oh, Administrator. Why did you suddenly want to meet—”

*Slash!*

“Guhk…!!”

Assassination.

“…Is that really adequate? It seems insufficient for killing someone, no matter how I look at it.”

“Have you ever strangled someone with wire?”

“No.”

“Then don’t speak. Besides, it doesn’t matter since we’re disguising it as suicide.”

The targets were civil servants of the Secretariat.

Some readily cooperated for money, others were forced to cooperate through threats, and those who refused to cooperate were quietly eliminated.

It wasn’t something I did.

I neither did it nor planned it. Such an enormous undertaking couldn’t possibly be decided upon and executed by a mere operative like me.

Logically, one operative couldn’t decide to attack a foreign government agency.

So,

-‘The Prime Minister has approved it.’

There were others who planned and approved it. Clevins calmly explained the details of the incident to me over the communication device.

-‘The Prime Minister approved it, and Parliament allocated the budget. Of course, the Royal Family gave their final approval too, though that was just a formality.’

The operation was approved by the Avas government.

Specifically, the Prime Minister approved it. The Intelligence Committee members allocated the budget. And though it was a formality, the King gave his final stamp of approval.

Of course, neither the government nor the Military Intelligence Service came up with the plan to physically attack the Magic Tower government.

“Who drafted this plan?”

-‘The Royal Intelligence Service.’

The group that drafted the plan was the Royal Intelligence Service. While intelligence agencies created the plan, only elected officials could approve it.

-‘I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance, Frederick. Are you very surprised?’

“To be honest, yes. I’m quite perplexed.”

-‘This was originally a competitor’s project, but we only learned about it recently, so I couldn’t tell you beforehand.’

I don’t know why the Prime Minister approved such an operation. I didn’t even know about the operation’s existence, so how could I know?

What’s important is that the Avas government approved a covert operation.

And that I became involved in that operation.

-‘Have you read the plan?’

“…Yes. But is this really a feasible operation?”

-‘Are you worried?’

“…This is essentially an operation to overthrow a government. If it fails, the damage will be no joke.”

This operation was meant to overthrow a government. In other words, a subversion operation.

A covert operation to overthrow a foreign government by instigating a coup or destroying approval ratings, creating a political environment favorable to one’s own country.

It was the kind of operation the United States and Soviet Union repeatedly conducted in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

And now the Avas government was attempting it.

Right here, in the Magic Tower.

-‘Frederick.’

“…Yes.”

-‘There are things you don’t know. There are some dirty backstories. I’d like to explain everything, but unfortunately, I can’t do that right now. The situation on the ground is urgent. Just remember this one thing. The goal of this operation isn’t government overthrow. It’s more like shaking the tree to create confusion. To make it easier for us to operate in the Magic Tower later.’

“……”

-‘And as you well know, we wouldn’t even attempt this kind of covert operation if we thought it might fail. So don’t worry.’

“……”

-‘We’ve done this many times before.’

The Avas government unleashed its intelligence agencies with a single stamp. The hunting dogs, freed from their leashes, began to run wild.

The Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Service immediately assigned missions to all intelligence officers and operatives deployed to the Magic Tower.

Of course, ordinary intelligence officers or operatives couldn’t carry out missions like bribery, intimidation, or assassination. Their mission was intelligence gathering, not covert operations.

However, there were people within intelligence agencies who specialized in handling such matters.

People who knew how to fight dirty and despicably.

“Thank you all for coming. The boat journey must have been difficult?”

“The seasickness was bearable, but the fishy smell was strong. It wasn’t bad for me, but seeing my friend with a sensitive nose constantly dry heaving made me realize it was pretty bad.”

“Well, it was an ocean fishing vessel.”

“Anyway, nice to meet you. These ladies and gentlemen are from the Royal Intelligence Service, and these gentlemen are from the Military Intelligence Service.”

“Welcome to the Magic Tower, operation officers. I’m Frederick, and I’ll be your guide during your stay.”

Their official title was Paramilitary Operations Officer. In the field, they were called operation officers or special operations officers.

As the name suggests, these were people who specialized in handling special tasks. Assassination, kidnapping, destruction, guerrilla warfare, terrorism…

Experts who handled all sorts of dirty operations that intelligence agencies wouldn’t dare conduct openly.

The Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Service dispatched paramilitary operations officers to the Magic Tower. I helped them smuggle into the Magic Tower.

Specifically, I helped quietly bring personnel and materials into the Magic Tower, evading customs surveillance by using the timing when an international ocean fishing vessel docked at the Kiyen Empire port.

Helping with smuggling wasn’t particularly difficult. I’d done it often in Russia.

Of course, I wasn’t here just to help these people smuggle in, and they certainly hadn’t come to the Magic Tower for tourism.

“First, our Royal Intelligence Service will contact local politicians and civic groups. We’ve decided to prioritize contact with groups leading the protests and the political parties supporting them.”

“The list is here. However, since the protest-leading groups have extremist tendencies, it would be much easier to buy them with money rather than ideology or beliefs.”

“Totalitarianism, communism, anarchism. I understand these three groups are currently leading the protests, but which one would be best to approach?”

“The anarchist group would be the easiest to approach.”

Political operations.

“I’ve read the plan. However, considering the current situation in the Magic Tower, it will be difficult for you to destroy important facilities. Police forces have been reinforced at each facility.”

“Then what would you suggest?”

“We need to modify the plan. How about changing the target to utility tunnels? That would be much easier than sabotaging individual facilities.”

Terrorist operations.

“Looking at the list of Secretariat members, there are quite a few names that need to be removed. Do you have any weapons?”

“We have firearms. But due to recent incidents caused by Reconnaissance Command operatives, assassinations using firearms will likely be difficult.”

“Then let’s disguise them as suicides or accidents.”

Paramilitary operations.

The paramilitary operations officers who infiltrated the Magic Tower immediately dispersed to various locations to carry out their assigned missions.

Some contacted political parties, schools, civic groups, unions with bags of money. Others contacted armed groups with military funds. In sophisticated academic terms, this was political operations.

More precisely, it was support operations, a subcategory of political operations. It was a method frequently used by the US CIA when providing political funds to pro-Western politicians or when using right-wing guerrillas to beat down communist guerrillas in Latin America.

I’m not sure what their intentions were, but seeing how anti-government protests intensified after the Royal Intelligence Service’s paramilitary operations officers began their activities, it seemed they were inciting the protests.

But whatever they were doing, it wasn’t my business.

“Section Chief, the operation team is ready to move out. They need a guide to the utility tunnels. Who should we assign?”

“I’ll go myself. You all provide support from the delegation.”

I wandered through the Magic Tower’s sewers with the Military Intelligence Service’s paramilitary operations officers.

Seeing fog creeping up or bloated corpses walking with outstretched arms wasn’t something a person should do, but there was a reason I was wandering through the sewers.

The Military Intelligence Service’s paramilitary operations officers paralyzed all sorts of social infrastructure as they traversed between the layers of the Magic Tower. To be precise, they destroyed utility tunnels.

Water supply. Sewage. Electricity. Magical power. Gas. Communications, and so on.

Underground facilities housing utilities and equipment necessary to maintain social infrastructure and urban functions. Attacking power plants or communication base stations protected by armed police was a very high-difficulty task, but destroying underground electrical and communication lines was much easier.

As the utility tunnels were destroyed, the Magic Tower’s urban functions began to fail one by one. Water was cut off, lights went out. Cooking food became unimaginable, and even turning on lights at home became impossible. Communication went without saying.

With disaster striking the already unsettled Magic Tower, the chaos became uncontrollable.

Although crimes like looting, arson, and robbery didn’t flourish, magicians began causing incidents in all sorts of places, taking advantage of the paralyzed public authority and administration.

Normally, government departments would take measures first and report to the Oracle through the Secretariat, or the Secretariat would compile reports from various departments and take the lead in defusing the situation.

“How did it go?”

“All the names on the list have been taken care of.”

But the people who could do that had long been under the control of the Royal Intelligence Service or Military Intelligence Service, or were already dead.

The Magic Tower’s unstable situation was reported worldwide through foreign media. Although it didn’t receive much attention due to the civil war that broke out in the Moritani region, the Magic Tower’s stock market repeatedly surged and plummeted as the situation deteriorated.

As the stock market rode the roller coaster of rises and falls, speculative capital flooded in, not missing the opportunity. As speculation heated up, the economy became disrupted, and private companies faced management difficulties. Consequently, public opinion in the magical community toward the Magic Tower government and Oracle began to turn negative.

But this alone couldn’t bring down the Magic Tower government or economy. The Magic Tower wasn’t an incompetent group.

A powerful additional blow was needed.

At that very moment, the Avas Treasury Department stabbed the Magic Tower economy.

[Today, the Avas Central Bank indicated in its regular briefing that it is considering raising interest rates. Experts explained that a sudden tightening decision could lead to an economic recession.]

[Meanwhile, as interest rate hikes are anticipated in various countries following the Avas Central Bank’s consideration of raising rates, fears of economic recession are spreading. Continental stock markets have been experiencing sharp fluctuations daily…]

[The Avas Treasury Department meeting decided on the mass sale of copper and nickel. Amid concerns about the collapse of international commodity prices, the Avas Economic Association, worried about manufacturing industry slowdown, has unanimously opposed the government’s decision.]

On the surface, they claimed to be raising interest rates to calm the overheated real estate market and selling government-held metals to stabilize commodity prices. But considering that the world economy, including the Magic Tower’s stock market, was affected by Avas’s economic policies, and given the Magic Tower’s geographical characteristics where primary industries don’t exist and manufacturing accounts for a significant portion of its industrial structure, this was clearly an attack aimed at the Magic Tower.

However, no one connected the Treasury Department’s measures with the intelligence agency’s operations.

Selling raw materials appeared to have no connection with intelligence agencies on the surface. But this was clearly a covert operation called economic warfare, and I knew well how effective such economic operations could be.

During the Cold War, the US CIA once sold large quantities of copper, Chile’s main source of income, to devastate the Chilean economy in an attempt to undermine President Allende. Although they couldn’t prevent Allende from being elected president, considering that strikes broke out across Chile and the military used the collapsed economy as justification for a coup, the effect was certain.

If it hadn’t been effective, the CIA wouldn’t have routinely sabotaged Latin American economies during the Cold War.

As I expected, the effect was definite.

-‘I checked yesterday’s report from the International Trade Division of the Foreign Ministry. Concerns about manufacturing industry slowdown due to plummeting raw material prices, worries about increased corporate debt and rising procurement costs if interest rates continue to rise, along with dampened investment sentiment and stock market disruption due to influx of speculative capital… The Magic Tower economy has taken a big hit. Did you check the report?’

“Yes.”

The Magic Tower economy was instantly devastated.

As major stocks maintained a downward trend due to unstable domestic conditions and measures by the Avas Treasury Department, all sorts of investors sold their stocks. Stock prices plummeted, and Magic Tower companies were critically hit.

[According to the industry, if the stock price collapse continues and no special measures are taken, massive restructuring will be inevitable…]

[A construction industry official explained that due to the decline in credibility following the stock price collapse, several countries are questioning the creditworthiness of domestic construction companies…]

[As the collateral value of securities held by companies has decreased along with stock price collapses, financial institutions are showing movements to demand additional collateral or withdraw loans. As domestic companies’ funding difficulties show signs of intensifying, some companies are selling treasury shares to raise funds along with restructuring…]

The stock price collapse increased companies’ debt ratios, and as the debt ratios that companies had struggled to reduce suddenly swelled, the credibility of Magic Tower companies began to plummet. As credibility fell, problems arose in raising funds to maintain companies.

As companies failed to receive timely capital injections and suffered from arteriosclerosis, the media, which survived on corporate advertising fees, screamed in agony. Prominent figures appeared on cable news channels, spitting blood and criticizing the government’s incompetence, while announcers and anchors demanded countermeasures from the Magic Tower government.

Of course, this was just a temporary phenomenon.

-‘Yesterday, the Magic Tower representative used the ambassador’s corridor to meet the Vice Minister. According to rumors, he has scheduled dinner appointments with the Economic Committee coordinators this week, and seems to be contacting corporate executives as well.’

“Sounds like they’re busy. But sis, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs handles international trade and commerce, and the Economic Committee refers to the Joint Economic Committee of both houses, right?”

-‘Yes, it’s the standing committee overseeing the Treasury and Foreign Ministry. Originally, the Foreign Ministry is handled by the Foreign Affairs Committee, but the Vice Minister also attends inquiries related to trade and commerce.’

The Magic Tower government wasn’t an incompetent group, and they wouldn’t sit idly by while the economy was tanking. Moreover, it was obvious that companies would employ all means to defend their stock prices if they weren’t fools.

So it was appropriate to view the Magic Tower economy as temporarily shocked and momentarily staggering.

It could even be a positive factor.

-‘A national economy doesn’t collapse as easily as you might think. It’s not necessarily bad if stocks fall. In fact, companies can increase their shares by buying back their own stock during a market downturn. The current decline in the Magic Tower stock market isn’t due to failed economic policies but largely due to protests. Foreign assets are being withdrawn because domestic security is unstable. Once the situation stabilizes, stock prices will recover.’

The eldest son of the Nostrum family, an economic official working in the Treasury Department, briefly summarized the Magic Tower’s economic situation. Perhaps because he called near the end of lunch break, his voice sounded slightly drowsy.

-‘From a company’s perspective, now is a good time to buy back their own shares. Plus, it’s good for removing troublesome executives through restructuring, and if they reduce workforce, various costs including labor costs decrease, reducing the deficit and increasing the company’s survival probability.’

“What the hell are you talking about? Speak so I can understand.”

-‘Ah, you economic illiterate. What did you study at the Academy?’

“History.”

-‘Even when told to choose economics if you didn’t want to starve, you stubbornly refused. Geez…’

Of course, that didn’t mean I could understand it. Although I was in humanities, I didn’t know economics. I only knew a few terms that the Military Intelligence Service had taught me as common knowledge.

But my brother working in the Treasury Department didn’t give up explaining, despite his crude swearing.

-‘Don’t think of it as complicated, think of it simply. Restructuring is removing a company’s excess fat. It’s like dieting. Just as an overweight person isn’t healthy, a company with too much fat doesn’t perform well. Understand?’

“So restructuring is losing that fat?”

-‘Yes.’

To borrow my brother’s expression, restructuring was dieting. He said that when companies consolidate departments and reduce employees through restructuring, cutting various expenses, the company becomes lighter, improving performance and stock prices.

In fact, according to industry information (commonly called stock market rumors) collected by a domestic intelligence officer from the Cabinet Security Office, there was intelligence suggesting that Magic Tower companies would implement massive restructuring. Though it didn’t seem highly reliable given that the source was an executive from some unknown company.

-‘You might suffer temporary losses, but from a long-term perspective, it could be beneficial. That’s the idea. However, if the Magic Tower business community enters massive restructuring, there’s a high possibility that subcontractors will go bankrupt in succession. Of course, there are variations between companies and variables, so it’s still uncertain whether it will really be beneficial or harmful.’

“Well, I don’t understand the detailed principles, but I get the gist. The news mentioned speculators getting involved. Is that not a problem?”

-‘Economic criminals can be arrested. I’ve heard that Magic Tower Treasury Department bureau directors are taking action, and they’re also shutting down the stock market to prevent speculation…’

“What about restructuring?”

-‘Restructuring? I haven’t heard anything about that. No news from the Foreign Ministry either… Wait, come to think of it, you call after three years and this is what you ask-‘

“Ah, ah, I got it! I got it! I’ll call more often!”

Anyway, the long introduction aside, the consensus was that the Magic Tower economy wouldn’t completely collapse. At least, that was the judgment of the Avas Foreign Ministry and Treasury Department.

But that was from the perspective of diplomacy and economics. From an intelligence perspective, the story was a bit different.

What the Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Service wanted wasn’t the economic collapse of the Magic Tower, but chaos. Chaos severe enough to make people rush into the streets out of anxiety.

In that sense, the news of massive restructuring by Magic Tower companies was truly useful intelligence.

“Oh? What brings you here, Merlo? Are you here to see articles about drugs? The neighborhood is rough these days, so we’re still investigating and I’m not sure I can show you yet.”

“No, not that. Dmitriev, are you still close with the economic reporters?”

“Yeah, but why do you suddenly ask?”

“I have something to tip off.”

I spread it to the media. Of course, I carefully concealed the source.

The effect was definite.

[The Magic Tower is currently engulfed in chaos! Blood spills on every street, and violent clashes between protesters and police continue…!]

[Positive evaluations of the Oracle’s governance have been declining for four consecutive weeks. Amid record-low government approval ratings, distrust of the three major schools is spreading, centered around minor parliamentary factions…]

[The situation in the Magic Tower is, uh, appropriately viewed as the greatest political crisis since the signing of the Nastasiya Treaty…]

[It’s the worst situation! The greatest political crisis since the founding! The country is collapsing! What is the Oracle doing in this critical situation, and where is the Magic Tower Lord and what is he doing?]

[Negotiations between the Magic Tower and the Empire regarding the export and import of magical power and natural resources to resolve the power shortage took place today at the Imperial Foreign Ministry. The Magic Tower representative to the Kiyen Empire visited the Imperial Foreign Ministry. However, some interpret that the export of natural resources, which are strategic materials, is virtually impossible due to the state of emergency declared because of the conflict with the Magic Border…]

[Negotiations between the Magic Tower Manufacturing Association and the United Union have broken down. As factory operations are hampered by plummeting raw material prices and power supply issues, the United Union’s emergency committee has declared it will not hesitate to call a general strike if dialogue is not accepted.]

[Police authorities are focusing all efforts on suppressing protests. The spokesperson expressed through a regular briefing that ‘any illegal act threatening the government’s existence and public order cannot be tolerated’…]

[Yesterday around 9 PM, a couple in their 60s who ran a business were found dead at their home. Their suicide note contained apologies and regrets toward their remaining family and employees.]

[The Prosecution’s Public Security Department has indicted executives of the United Union and anarchist-leaning organizations. These executives face seven charges including arson of industrial facilities, destruction of public facilities, and incitement of violent protests…]

[Next news. This morning, Aeternus Lux, a Magic Tower state-owned enterprise, officially requested the Kiyen Empire to increase the supply of magical power exported to the Magic Tower. While the spokesperson for the Kiyen Empire’s Magic Department explained that they are considering significantly increasing the magical power supply, there has been a major ripple as the Defense Department publicly opposed the Magic Department’s decision to increase magical power exports.]

[Cardinal Raphael expressed concern about the situation in the Magic Tower during the Mass. Meanwhile, voices of concern for the safety of Saint Lucia, who continues relief activities in the Magic Tower centered around the Kiyen Empire’s Military Ordinariate, are emerging…]

[We inform all citizens. Currently, there is a blood shortage at the 17th District Hospital. The Health Department and hospitals are conducting blood donations, so please participate…]

[Amid the intense standoff between protesters and police, analysis suggests that hired workers composed of former knights have been deployed to dismantle illegal structures built by protesters…]

[Foreign ministries of 17 countries including Avas, Fatalia, and Lushan Federation have advised their nationals staying in the Magic Tower to leave. Delegations to the Magic Tower have activated emergency contact networks and are focusing on securing the safety of their nationals.]

As time passed, the situation in the Magic Tower spiraled toward the extreme.

Discordant sounds erupted from all sectors of society, and the Magic Tower’s public order and administration were driven to the brink of collapse.

Naturally, the Magic Tower wasn’t a group that would just sit back and take it. Logically, when foreign intelligence agencies cause trouble, the normal response is to capture spies and strongly protest through unofficial channels. Or to retaliate massively, prepared for escalation.

But the Magic Tower couldn’t take any measures.

Because they lacked the ability to respond.

When they were already struggling to disperse protesters gathered in front of government agencies and diplomatic missions, how could they go around catching spies? And to begin with, the Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Service weren’t such sloppy intelligence agencies that they would be caught by Magic Tower counterintelligence agencies.

Police and Public Order Protection Bureau field personnel were exhausted by prolonged protests and seriously understaffed. They rehired retired police personnel and even brought in knights who were treated as has-beens and lived off scraps, but that was insufficient to suppress protests occurring nationwide.

Someone perceptive realized that the situation was taking an ominous turn and argued that fighting should stop and resolution should come through dialogue, but-

“There’s been an injury in the operation team. During an assassination mission, an engagement occurred with civilian security guards…”

-‘Civilian security guards? Security company personnel shouldn’t be able to defeat an operation team.’

“They were adventurers who live off scraps. There were more of them than our intelligence officers expected, and resistance was fierce. Since there was a magician on their side, we had injuries. The field medical team can’t treat the serious injuries, so we’ll need to evacuate them to the rear.”

-‘So their numbers have increased… Compile a list of local security companies that have recently contracted with high-value targets and track their movements.’

“Yes. I’ll get information from our collaborator.”

-‘And prepare for additional troops including escort personnel to be dispatched, Frederick.’

“I’ll bring them to the safe house as soon as the fixed spy meets with the guide.”

…such people quietly disappeared not long after.

Chaos swept through the Magic Tower like a tsunami.

Society floundered in a quagmire of conflict and confrontation, while the political sphere was filled with debates over responsibility. The waves engulfed everyone, both above and below the surface.

No one could escape it.

The Magic Tower, which led the magical society, was divided, and the government leading the Magic Tower fell into great confusion. There were even rumors that not only the three major schools that had been revered for a hundred years since the establishment but also the Oracle should be held accountable.

But the Magic Tower didn’t disintegrate, nor did the Magic Tower government collapse.

Because.

*

“The Magic Tower isn’t just a state or organization. Rather than a state… it’s closer to a religion.”

Francesca Ranieri muttered with a slightly twisted, awkward pronunciation.

“The Magic Tower is the birthplace of all magic. Elemental magic, sorcery, astrology, alchemy, illusion, necromancy, and so on… Of course, the Magic Tower isn’t really the place where magic first originated. Thanks to the Inquisition’s persistent witch hunts… finding the true birthplace of magic is nearly impossible…”

Her eyes, reminiscent of violets, were half-glazed.

Her face looked somewhat unhinged.

“So all magicians are obsessed with the Magic Tower. It’s a kind of spiritual homeland. Because it’s the place where modern magic was established, and where magicians were first recognized and settled… Even magicians who have been exiled want to return to the Magic Tower…”

She was the complete opposite of the Francesca Ranieri I had previously known.

A calm and composed civil servant from a noble family.

An impulsive and scattered alchemist from the Magic Tower, unlike what one would expect from an elite.

Two contradictory faces.

“So the collapse of the Magic Tower is impossible. The Magic Tower isn’t just a state, but a spiritual pillar symbolizing the birth of magical society… Unless the regime changes…”

I’m not sure which is her real face.

However, sitting across from Francesca Ranieri in a quiet room and looking at her face, I can sense something.

“Even if the Magic Tower disappears for some reason, or becomes something other than what it was before. Then another Magic Tower will appear… Whether it’s an Ivory Tower or whatever…”

Francesca Ranieri was too scattered to be called calm, and too composed to be called impulsive.

Also, she was too political to be an administrator, and too worldly and fussy to be a scholar.

She’s the strangest person I’ve ever met.

In other words, I can’t figure out what kind of person she is.

“If a new Magic Tower is born, the power structure will be reorganized, and then it will become difficult for everyone to control magicians as they do now. Whether it’s the Empire, Avas, or Fatalia…”

“……”

“And that’s a result no one wants, right…?”

Muttering that magicians are absolutely not ordinary people, Francesca Ranieri continued speaking gently with a sorrowful smile.

“The Magic Tower Oracle is a system where nine commissioners take turns governing the Magic Tower. Although excessive authority is concentrated in the Magic Tower Lord… all Oracle commissioners have two weapons.”

Francesca Ranieri held up two fingers.

“Voting rights, and veto rights. The right to vote in Oracle meetings and the right to reject proposed agendas or bills… In the case of veto rights, they take effect immediately if just ⅓ of the members agree…”

Veto rights.

The Magic Tower Oracle’s veto rights are slightly different from those exercised by permanent members of the UN Security Council. In the Security Council, if even one permanent member exercises veto rights, the resolution becomes impossible, but in the Oracle, if ⅓ of the members oppose, they can prevent an agenda from being brought to discussion. Since the Oracle has 9 members, just 3 people agreeing can reject any agenda.

A very dangerous authority.

“In the early days, the condition for veto rights to take effect was that just one person could reject it?”

“Yes, so there was internal division in the Oracle for a while. After problems arose, they raised the condition for it to take effect…”

At this point, I asked Francesca Ranieri:

“But what’s your point?”

To this, she drifted for a moment before calmly smiling.

“Sir Knight, do you know how many people from the Kiyen Empire are currently in the Oracle…?”

“Three, including the Magic Tower Lord.”

For reference, the Magic Tower Lord’s term is 3 years. Oracle commissioners serve as Magic Tower Lord according to their order, and when their term ends, most quietly become old men in the back room and disappear from the Magic Tower political scene, as is customary.

And since the current Magic Tower Lord is from the Empire and has been a notorious pro-Empire commissioner from before, if he flies away, only two Empire natives will remain in the Oracle.

But.

“There’s another Imperial candidate among the upcoming Oracle commissioner candidates.”

There’s a possibility that his vacant seat will be filled by an Imperial. As I mentioned earlier, the Oracle can exercise veto rights with just ⅓ of the members agreeing.

In other words, while they can’t control the Oracle’s decision-making, they can cause disruption. And they can do it by Imperial-born commissioners working together.

And in my experience, the group that actively leads such mischief in the Empire was the Imperial Guard. It’s not an exaggeration to say that nine out of ten times when Imperial bastards cause trouble, it’s their doing. They’re the kind who would even assassinate church cardinals to create saints, so this sort of thing would be easy for them.

As I was about to start calculating while fiddling with a punch I hadn’t even taken a sip of—

*Thud*

Francesca Ranieri placed her hand on top of mine.

My thoughts were interrupted, and I looked at the woman sitting across from me with an expressionless face.

She speaks.

“Just a moment.”

“……”

“Let me guess what you’re thinking…?”

The administrator began to mutter, swaying drunkenly.

She wasn’t eloquent.

“On the way back to the hotel… some crazy woman suddenly hired knife-wielding thugs to kidnap you… Then brought out alcohol and started talking about the Oracle, so you’ve probably figured it out…? Ah, this girl wants to become an Oracle commissioner…”

Impulsive actions and scattered attitude. Pronunciation that’s slightly slurred rather than crisp and clear.

“Talking about how occupying just three Oracle seats enables veto rights… And then bringing up the Empire in front of an Avas intelligence agency person…”

This couldn’t be explained simply as being drunk. It would be more appropriate to call it drunken rambling.

However, I couldn’t push Francesca Ranieri away.

I realized the true nature of the strange dissonance I felt in our conversation.

Her impulsive and scattered attitude unlike usual. Half-glazed eyes. A body that sways slightly left and right even when sitting still. Pronunciation that was once clear now stretched, blurred, and slightly leaking.

That’s all I had seen until now.

And only now did I realize one fact.

A pair of eyes reminiscent of violets,

“How stupid do I look?”

Had not wavered for a single moment.

This woman isn’t drunk.

“Right?”

“……”

Francesca Ranieri smiled brightly.

“I’m not interested in positions like the Oracle. I wouldn’t take it even if offered, and I don’t particularly want to do it. I’m most satisfied with the current Secretariat.”

“What do you want?”

“Revolution.”

Between gently folded eyes. The deepest and darkest valley.

“The Secretariat isn’t simply a link connecting government departments and the Oracle. It has the authority to be deeply involved in all practical matters. The Economic Management Department oversees the Magic Tower’s economic policy formulation and international trade. In short, it’s a department that holds financial power.”

From that deep valley, a pair of violets look up at me.

“The Magic Tower is a group that leads the magical society, and it can exert influence anywhere in the world where there’s a magical society. Connections, funds, public opinion… If you can easily mobilize these—”

Eyes glistening with greed.

“You wouldn’t have to be pushed around by the Church like you are now, right?”

“What do you mean by—”

“The Inquisition. Why pretend not to know when you do?”

“……”

“The Inquisition has been poking around everywhere, spreading information networks, claiming to look after the Saint’s safety. Even though they’d love to tear apart the witch who’s sticking close to the Saint, they can’t kill her because she’s a companion appointed by the oracle. And if they did kill her, the fundamentalists wouldn’t stand idle. So the Inquisition has no choice, right?”

“Are you going to oppose Lucia?”

“Is there any reason to clash with the Saint? She seems uninterested in whatever the Inquisition does.”

“You’re just targeting the Inquisition?”

“That would look prettier, wouldn’t it?”

“……”

“I won’t have to fight with the Saint or the Hero. I’d rather help them if I can. I’m not so ill-mannered as to ruin harmony.”

“…So you were the close younger sister Veronica said she’d introduce.”

Francesca Ranieri smiled brightly and remained silent. Her silence was affirmation.

A useful card had rolled in from an unexpected place. Though less valuable than Veronica, she was the strongest information source I could hold in the Magic Tower where I had no connections.

“Did Veronica attach you to me?”

“No. It was my wish.”

And she rolled in voluntarily.

Ignoring the kidnapping and all that, I’d be a fool not to take this.

The problem is,

“Administrator.”

“Yes.”

This isn’t a line connected by Veronica.

“Who told you my quitting time?”

It’s a line connected by an intelligence agency.