Ch.16Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent

The protagonist in the photo was a woman wearing a hat pulled down low.

Black hair and red eyes.

It was indeed the attacker. Though I had only glimpsed her face briefly, I remembered it clearly. As I examined the small photograph, Pippin began his report.

“These photos were secured by our undercover agent.”

He held up another photo. This one showed her holding a phone while surveying her surroundings.

“Did you identify her?”

“Yekaterina. 29 years old. Former military intelligence officer, now an agent with the Imperial Guard.”

“Source of information?”

“Personnel files from the Imperial Army obtained by our operatives.”

“Have you verified it’s not disinformation?”

“The documents were seized from their unit. The document itself is genuine without a doubt.”

He handed over a file stamped with the Imperial Army security mark. It contained a photo of a somewhat youthful face along with basic personal information.

Poor work attitude. Insubordination. Desertion of post. And so on.

Seems she caused all sorts of trouble and was dishonorably discharged.

“Which division of the Imperial Guard is she with?”

“First Directorate, Counterintelligence Division.”

Imperial Guard First Directorate.

A security agency whose name alone makes countless imperial citizens wet their pants. The department responsible for managing educated intellectuals and political prisoners who lost power struggles, as well as rooting out spies.

The guys I frequently clashed with while handling Kiyen Empire intelligence were precisely from the Imperial Guard First Directorate.

But why would they be operating within the Order?

“The First Directorate operates domestically, right? I thought foreign operations and intelligence gathering were handled by the Second Directorate. Is the information incorrect?”

“No, sir. I was skeptical too, so I double-checked, but she is indeed with the First Directorate.”

I pressed Pippin, but judging by his expression, he wasn’t lying. If this information came from Intelligence, it would have been thoroughly verified.

Having spent considerable time in intelligence agencies, I understand how they operate.

Even when an intelligence agency is responsible for a single function, when you look under the hood, there are multiple departments handling different tasks.

A prime example would be Colonel Clevins, who handled counterintelligence, and myself, who collected foreign intelligence.

In truth, I don’t know exactly what Colonel Clevins did. I just heard he dealt with spies. In an organization where security is paramount, it’s normal not to know what others do.

Thus, within intelligence agencies, numerous departments exist, and unless you’re a high-ranking official, you rarely know what others are doing.

Which means they generally don’t encroach on each other’s territories. If they deliberately did so, agency heads would remove their rank insignia and duke it out in the conference room. Sounds like a lie, but it’s true. In this neighborhood, it’s common for representatives to pull out knives to stop opponents’ speeches.

In that context,

The embassy counterintelligence agent who provided information about the terrorist attack.

The former intelligence officer turned counterintelligence agent who attacked me at the scene of the terrorism.

The Imperial Guard counterintelligence agents had crossed a line.

Why would they do that?

“Should we put a tail on her?”

“…Yeah.”

Something smells fishy.

Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent

“Major Frederick?”

“Ah, I apologize, Your Eminence.”

Cardinal Raoul’s question broke my train of thought.

The recent information Pippin brought has been making my mind complicated, causing me to lose track of the conversation.

I speared a piece of meat with my fork and chewed it slowly.

Nom.

“You must be working hard with the recent events.”

“Not at all. I’m fine.”

Cardinal Raphael smiled gently as he addressed me from across the table.

Raoul, Raphael, and other cardinals sat around the round table, cutting their beef. A feast rarely seen in today’s world.

“You must be tired from guarding the Hero. I hope we’re not imposing on you, Major. Haha!”

An unnamed cardinal laughed and flattered me.

Perhaps it’s because this gathering includes the heads who control the Order, but I feel so uncomfortable I can barely tell if the food is going into my mouth or nose.

“Thanks to you, Major, the venue feels much safer…”

“How true. Perhaps it’s because you’re a soldier, but your expertise is evident.”

“Indeed… You inspire confidence.”

These wrinkled old men smile kindly and shower me with praise. A devout follower of the Order might consider this an honor.

But knowing these men aren’t kind grandfathers but rather raccoons with dozens of snakes in their bellies, their empty compliments aren’t particularly welcome.

“By the way, I’m making good use of the fountain pen you gifted me.”

One cardinal smiled and showed me the pen.

It was a recent gift I had distributed to high-ranking officials of the Order. In other words, a bribe.

“Perhaps it’s because they say only court officials in the Kingdom of Abas use these pens? The writing experience is indeed excellent!”

“I’m honored that you like it.”

I put another piece of meat in my mouth and chewed thoroughly.

Delicious.

Come to think of it, considering the relationships between the attendees, this is quite an awkward situation.

Raoul and Raphael, competing for the position of the next Pope.

Raoul was building his position within the Order as a supporter of Priestess Lucia, while Raphael had been heavily criticized after the terrorist attack occurred during his oversight of the Hero’s protocol.

And here they were, praising expertise and safety in front of Raphael.

“…”

Glancing at Raphael’s face, I noticed his lips twitching subtly.

Seems the former Inquisition Chief’s pride had been scratched.

Good grief. How am I supposed to eat in this atmosphere?

Raphael must have had similar thoughts, as he put down his cutlery and interrupted the flow of conversation.

“Well, it seems we’re about done with the meal… Let’s discuss the upcoming schedule.”

*

The core agenda of the schedule coordination was officially recognizing Camilla Rowell as the Hero.

The process is simpler than one might think. She just needs to listen to some appropriately public-spirited speech in front of people and receive baptism and blessing from the Pope to be recognized as the Hero.

However, a brief debate arose regarding venue security. In the end, it was decided to limit attendees to officials and deploy a large security force.

Up to this point, everything proceeded smoothly.

The problem was when to hold the event.

Cardinal Raphael was the first to offer an opinion.

“As you all know, since security is a critical matter, I believe we should keep the detailed schedule confidential and proceed swiftly.”

Raphael argued that they should proceed as quickly as possible to prevent terrorism.

As the former Chief of Inquisition and the person in charge of the Hero’s protocol, he requested prompt handling to prevent further incidents.

It was a practical argument.

If a bomb were to explode at a gathering of the Pope, cardinals, and famous figures from various countries, the situation would be unmanageable. For this reason, his argument for prioritizing safety over grandeur gained traction.

That is, until Cardinal Raoul countered.

“The Hero’s appointment ceremony is a historic event. Given its significance, I believe it should be conducted in a format open to all, even if it requires more time and effort.”

Raoul emphasized legitimacy.

The Order is an organization that rapidly expanded its influence by exploiting continental crises. However, the recent terrorist attack has shaken the Order’s position.

Everyone except me was a high-ranking official of the Order—parasites who had latched onto the Order’s prestige and sucked it dry.

What would happen if the Order conducted the Hero’s appointment ceremony privately while in a precarious position?

They would naturally face criticism for cowering under terrorist threats.

I’ve said it repeatedly, but this world is not a beautiful place.

It’s a crazy neighborhood where people can’t stand others’ success and will stab you in the back at the first opportunity.

If the Order’s position weakens, the cardinals currently in power would inevitably suffer massive losses.

Since they’re not pure religious figures but hybrids with one foot in politics and business, they would likely face financial or political damage.

Of course, no one knows for certain if the Order’s position will actually weaken or if the cardinals will suffer.

But humans are animals who believe only what they want to believe, and conspiracy theories need no evidence.

I can already see some cardinals wavering at Raoul’s words.

“Cardinal Raoul. Are you saying that adding a few lines to history is more important than people’s safety?”

“Safety is important too, but considering the Order’s current situation and the Hero’s position, I believe a public ceremony would be better.”

When opinions clash, normal people debate.

But humans are animals driven more by emotion than reason. This is especially true when something important is at stake.

And what happens then?

“As I just said, safety is the priority…”

“Then you should have properly ensured that important safety. What was the Inquisition doing while the bomb went off?”

“Cardinal Raoul!”

All hell breaks loose.

These elderly men turned bright red and veins bulged in their necks.

“Is the Order’s position more important than the safety of His Holiness the Pope and the Hero?”

“Isn’t overcoming God-given trials and hardships our duty?”

“Are you insane!? People could die, and you’re worried about position?”

“What? That’s blasphemy…!”

The old man from security and the one who’d been around election campaigns started hurling insults at each other.

Before I knew it, the cardinals had split into two groups and were fighting.

This is ridiculous. In the 21st century, this would be breaking news, but in this neighborhood, it’s practically endearing.

This is a place where representatives brandish sashimi knives to block speeches in parliament, and punching each other in the face during debates is commonplace.

In a neighborhood where human life is worth less than a fly’s, merely exchanging insults could be considered affectionate.

Of course, displaying such vulgarity in front of a young man like me is clearly disgraceful. But I suppose they’re angry enough to disrespect me and spew such crude insults.

People should watch their words, but the conversation is taking a concerning turn.

“Blasphemy? You bastard! I told you to watch what comes out of that hole in your face!”

“How dare you! Who’s grabbing whose collar…!”

“Shall I spill what you did at the convent six years ago!? Huh? Did you think the Inquisition wouldn’t know?”

“W-what is this person saying?!”

Indeed, as befits someone from security, his voice carries intimidation.

He’s also quite large, dragging Raoul around by his collar.

The cardinals, belatedly realizing the gravity of the situation, began struggling to separate the two.

“Y-Your Eminence! Please calm down!”

“Raphael! Let go of him first!”

It’s a comedy in itself.

Not particularly wanting to get involved in that mess, I took out the fountain pen from my breast pocket and twirled it while clearing my throat.

“…Ahem.”

“…”

“…”

“Have you all calmed down?”

The two old men barely composed themselves and straightened their clothes. The dining table was stained with spilled wine from the intense scuffle, and broken dishes were scattered on the floor.

What a mess.

“…I showed an unseemly display. I apologize.”

“Well, when people talk, opinions can clash and emotions can run high. There are countless problems in the world without clear answers.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

I smiled brightly, put the pen back in my breast pocket, and stood up.

“Let’s take a break to cool our heads.”

“…Let’s do that.”

“…”

Cardinal Raoul hastily left, and Cardinal Raphael glared at his back before apologizing to me and departing.

The cardinals split exactly in half and rushed after Raoul and Raphael. It seems they have their own factions.

I’ve memorized their faces, so I’ll have to investigate them when I return to the embassy.

“…”

Sitting in the empty banquet hall, I pretended to rest my chin on my hand while bringing the fountain pen close to my ear.

-Click.

-“…Cardinal Raoul. Are you saying that adding a few lines to history is more important than-“

-“Blasphemy? You bastard! I told you to watch what comes out of that hole in your face!”

-“How dare you! Who’s grabbing whose collar…!”

-“Shall I spill what you did at the convent six years ago!? Huh? Did you think the Inquisition wouldn’t know?”

-“W-what is this person saying?!”

“…Something that happened at a convent six years ago, huh.”

It seems Raphael knows something interesting. Twirling the pen a few times, I heard his angry voice play back.

-Click.

-“…That Raoul is a problem! A problem!”

-“Please calm down, Raphael. How could you bring up that incident?”

-“If we’re talking about blasphemy, it was Raoul who committed it, not me! How could a bishop possibly…!”

“…Oh.”

Although the meeting ended in disaster, I obtained useful information.

Indeed, people should be careful with their words.

Because listening devices can be anywhere.