Ch.171Episode 10 – Turn Your Course to the North-Northwest

“First, bring someone from the Empire.”

Leoni said.

“Is it a rescue operation?”

“Something like that.”

The former head of the Military Intelligence Agency’s Kiyen Empire division spoke.

“A few months ago, one of the Empire’s high-ranking officials sent a letter to the embassy. He wanted to hand over information he had in exchange for compensation.”

“What did you do?”

“What do you think? Of course, I took the goods and gave him the money. It was a very satisfactory deal.”

The former director of the 2nd Division of the National Operations Bureau of the Royal Intelligence Department said.

“But the staff member handling him was expelled. When the branch was destroyed by the Empire’s counterintelligence activities, everyone was kicked out wholesale. We had just rebuilt our intelligence network, and to lose something so valuable…”

Leoni clicked her tongue with a bitter expression. She genuinely looked regretful.

“If the intelligence officer was expelled, does that mean the informant was arrested?”

“I don’t know. Our local intelligence network is paralyzed. How would I know if he was captured or executed in that chaos? But fortunately, it seems he has a long lifeline. He’s still alive. The contact that had been cut off has been reestablished, much more cautiously than before.”

“Is he asking for asylum?”

“Along with his family.”

Including himself, his wife, and one child each. A total of three people. The entire family wants asylum.

“Anyway, there’s no reason to stop him, so you take charge of this. He seems to know some interesting things.”

“When will the operation details be available?”

“Next week.”

The operation plan will come down in a week. Once the details are out, I’ll need to prepare various things, which will also take about a week.

For reference, I have two weeks of vacation left.

In other words, I’ll have to head to the Empire right after my vacation ends.

Episode 10 – Turn Your Course to North-Northwest

Since I had driven through a blizzard for over an hour to get here, I needed a car to get back. But because they had taken my car away to prevent any possible tailing, I had no means of transportation now.

Of course, I still had my two sturdy legs intact.

But walking back the same route I had driven for an hour, especially through a December snowstorm, was unreasonable.

Fortunately, the company provided me with a vehicle.

To be precise, they gave me a ride.

“We’ve arrived.”

The intelligence officer had procured a decent car from somewhere and drove me to the townhouse.

He was the same person who had searched me at the safe house I first entered. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be a junior officer without much experience. I wasn’t sure which agency he belonged to. Either the Royal Intelligence Department or the Military Intelligence Agency.

He seemed unfamiliar with the vehicle, removing the key with slightly awkward movements before handing it to me.

“If you park the vehicle in front of your house, we’ll collect it later. Please use this vehicle during your vacation.”

“Ah, yes. Is this a company car?”

“It’s rented. Please handle it carefully since you’ll have to pay for any damage.”

I locked the door with the car key I received. The intelligence officer trudged away through the deep snow and disappeared somewhere.

I put the key in my pocket and headed home, touching the still unfamiliar pistol.

*

Although I was on vacation, I didn’t have much to do. I had no friends I could casually call for a drink, and I wasn’t dating anyone.

It was also awkward to spend time with family.

My father, mother, older brother, and older sister are all civil servants, so it’s not easy for them to leave work. They said they took time off, but I can only meet them next week. My younger sister, who used to be unemployed, was in a better situation, but now she’s got a job, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to meet her.

Of course, I plan to half-kill her when I do see her.

Anyway.

Even though I was on vacation and supposedly lazing around, I wasn’t completely without things to do.

“Welcome, sir.”

In the early morning, too early to even call it morning, I entered the hotel lobby, greeted by the staff.

The uniformed employees with name tags bowed their heads in greeting, while plainclothes police officers in suits glanced at me before turning away.

In this place where everything ran with businesslike efficiency, only one person welcomed me with genuine warmth.

“It’s good to see you, Saint Lucia.”

“Ah, you’re here.”

Lucia smiled gently. Despite the early hour, she was perfectly groomed from head to toe as she greeted me.

“When did you wake up? Even though it’s winter and the sun rises late, it’s still dawn. Was your bed uncomfortable?”

“No, I slept well, but I don’t usually sleep for very long.”

“Ah, I see.”

She gestured for me to lie on the bed. As always, a silver tray with warm holy water and a pristine white towel was placed on the table.

“Are we doing the treatment today as well?”

“I told you it’s best to do it daily. Of course you need to receive it today too.”

Lucia answered with a firm tone. Well, if the Saint says so, then that’s how it is.

I took off my jacket and lay down on the bed.

*

Since my thumb regrew after being bitten by a therianthrope terrorist, Lucia has been in charge of all my treatments.

According to protocol, I should have been treated at a designated military hospital, but the major wounds had healed long ago.

Of course, there was a medical opinion that while discharge was possible, periodic outpatient treatment was necessary. But that was more like rehabilitation than actual treatment, so there was no real need to go to the hospital.

Therefore, the Military Intelligence Agency permitted me to rehabilitate somewhere other than a military hospital if I wished. Above all, it was Veronica, not a military doctor, who reattached my severed finger, so they judged that receiving her help would aid my recovery.

And that judgment was correct.

“Could you try moving your finger?”

As Lucia instructed, I slowly moved my right thumb. Unlike before, when only one or two joints would twitch when I applied force, now I could bend it almost as well as my left thumb.

The efforts she had made over the past few weeks were beginning to show results.

“Are you alright?”

“Hmm… yes.”

Lucia looked at me with a relieved expression.

Although her time as a healing priest was short, Lucia’s skills from traveling through conflict zones were nothing short of expert level.

She gently pressed my finger with a warm towel, slowly stroking downward, then pressed around the thumb with her fingers as she began to speak.

“Your recovery is certainly faster because you don’t have mana in your body. I always struggled when treating people with mana, but I’m not sure if this should be considered fortunate.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Mana and divine power have properties that don’t easily harmonize and tend to conflict. It makes recovery slower, especially for internal injuries rather than external wounds.”

This didn’t apply to me. My mana compatibility was too low to use magic, and I couldn’t even enhance my body by utilizing internal mana like a half-baked mage. I never thought that not being able to use magic would be helpful.

“But how do you know that mana and divine power conflict? Divine power is a field where research is prohibited…”

“I’ve treated mages before. In the Empire.”

“Ah.”

Well, after serving in the northern conflict zone for nearly three years, she must have encountered injured mages once or twice.

As I watched the light flowing through her fingertips, Lucia said:

“I heard you’re going to the Empire soon.”

“Where did you hear that from?”

“From the Ministry. They said they’ve encountered obstacles in searching for the individuals determined by the oracle. So they might need to go to the Empire first, despite the difficult situation there. I heard it from the bishop during the process of adjusting the date for the Star Ceremony.”

Lucia wrung out the moisture from the towel and dipped her finger in the holy water. As her slender white fingers touched me, I answered calmly and nonchalantly:

“I don’t know much about my colleagues, but as you said, going to the Empire is a foregone conclusion. The diplomatic circles are already buzzing with rumors.”

“Is that so? Being a diplomat, you must have heard things.”

I nodded.

Although Avas’s human intelligence assets in the Empire have been decimated, intelligence agencies are still intelligence agencies.

The Military Intelligence Agency, centered on its signals intelligence unit, intercepts Imperial military communications, and by activating open-source intelligence collection and remaining intelligence assets (HUMINT), they maintain a reasonable grasp of the northern situation.

Although the counterintelligence activities of the Imperial intelligence agencies have reduced the incoming intelligence, it means they can still make educated guesses about what’s happening in the north. At the very least, it’s not the worst-case scenario of blind men feeling an elephant.

Of course, explaining this to Lucia was impossible, so I curated information from diplomats and media reports to share with her.

“The conflict between the Empire and the Magical Realm is intensifying. If previous conflicts were similar to previous years, this year’s has escalated incomparably compared to last year. The level of armed provocations has risen, damage to infrastructure and industrial facilities is significant, and with some areas being occupied by demon folk, the frequency of military operations has increased.”

“Hmm…”

“So I understand the Empire’s position. If the Ministry explained it directly to you, there must have been discussions between the Church and the Empire regarding the dispatch. Financial negotiations might also be in progress.”

That’s a lie. In fact, the working-level negotiations have already concluded.

The Kiyen Empire, Avas, and the Church’s foreign ministries have finished their working-level negotiations. Special envoys have been dispatched, and coordination between embassies is complete, so I’ve heard they plan to make an official announcement soon.

However, Lucia doesn’t seem to know that much.

“Hmm…”

She forgot to channel divine power as she fell deep in thought, stroking her chin with the finger that had been healing my thumb.

After pondering with a pensive hum, Lucia suddenly exclaimed “Ah!” and came back to her senses.

“…Oh, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

“What were you thinking about so intently?”

“Well, that…”

Lucia opened her mouth with a shy smile.

“I just felt a bit regretful.”

“Regretful? About what?”

“Just, various things.”

She gave an awkward smile. It also looked slightly bitter.

“The Empire is one thing, but there must be people in need of help elsewhere too. The Magic Tower is still in a chaotic situation…”

“…Ah.”

“There are many people who need help, but few who can provide it. That’s what suddenly came to mind.”

“……”

When silence answered instead of a response, Lucia laughed awkwardly.

“Was that too presumptuous of me?”

“……”

Lucia smiled kindly as always when she asked.

But at this moment, it was difficult to look directly at her face.

So I said nothing.

It was an awkward silence.

*

Staff members dispatched overseas as diplomats from intelligence agencies are objects of envy.

First, when you become a diplomat, you’re granted immunity from criminal prosecution in the host country. Whether you drive drunk, get a speeding ticket, or engage in espionage, you won’t be arrested by the security forces. You’ll just be expelled, and that’s it.

Even excluding such intense reasons, the status of diplomat itself is prestigious, so the selection of official cover intelligence officers is always fiercely competitive. Of course, Africa and the Middle East are exceptions. Those are counted as undesirable postings even by the Foreign Ministry due to labor shortages and underdeveloped infrastructure.

But despite all that, there was a reason why staff dispatched as diplomats were envied:

They could spend their vacations in their home country.

“Huh?”

At the warp gate between Avas and the Magic Tower, the guy’s eyes widened as he passed through immigration, dragging his carrier.

“Boss?”

“What, the Major is here?”

I waved to the guys returning to their home country while waiting with a cup of coffee.

“Hey, Pippin, Jake, welcome back.”

Pippin and Jake approached with their hands full of luggage. My subordinates, on vacation after a long time, greeted me with quite pleased faces.

“Oh my god. We couldn’t reach you since you went on vacation, and now you’re here?”

“How long have you been waiting here?”

“About 30 minutes. I heard you guys were coming back on vacation, so I came to pick you up.”

I took out the keys the company had given me and nodded toward the exit.

“You’ve worked hard for months, let’s go get something to eat.”

So I headed to a restaurant with Pippin and Jake, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time.

And there, I encountered a familiar face I had hoped never to see again.