Ch.172Episode 10 – Turn Your Course to the North-Northwest

The tumultuous assignment at the Magic Tower has finally ended. Pippin and Jake have already returned after wrapping up their personal affairs, as they’ll soon be heading to the Empire.

We sat comfortably around the table eating pizza.

Pippin and Jake, who had just put down their heavily packed luggage, each grabbed a slice of pizza and grinned.

“Happy to be back home?”

“Yes. It definitely feels good to be back. The Magic Tower’s prices are way too high these days.”

Jake shook the hot sauce bottle a few times before handing it to Pippin. She casually sprinkled hot sauce on her pizza and took a big bite.

Munch, munch.

“There’s no place like home. The embassy was killing me. Why is there so much work?”

“That’s what diplomatic missions are like. And what about me? Every day it was ‘analyze this’ and ‘supplement that data’…”

“That’s why you couldn’t even leave work on time.”

“Exactly.”

Pippin, who had been muttering away, suddenly shuddered and furrowed her brow.

“Hey, hey, don’t talk about work while we’re eating. It’s making me feel sick.”

I tilted my head as I poured some soda.

“Weren’t we always talking about work? I don’t think we’ve talked about anything else lately.”

Jake said:

“That’s because you’re just a loner, Major…”

“What?”

“Nothing, sir.”

Episode 10 – Change Course to North-Northwest

After demolishing a pizza, we quenched our thirst with our respective drinks. Pippin and Jake giggled while holding their ice-filled cups, and I pulled out a cigarette.

“Major, you smoke?”

“Yeah.”

Pippin looked at me curiously while sipping her drink. In a world where many people smoked, it wasn’t particularly strange, but my subordinates seemed surprised that I was a smoker.

Jake said:

“You never even touched cigarettes before… How did you end up smoking?”

“I wonder about that myself.”

Come to think of it, I started smoking because of the military. To be precise, I started after joining military intelligence. I never even looked at cigarettes during college, and I never visited the smoking area when I was a platoon leader after being commissioned. So it must have been after joining intelligence.

“What have you been up to, Major?”

“Me? Just resting a bit, and slowly preparing for my next assignment.”

“Ah, to the Empire?”

I nodded.

Pippin chimed in:

“I heard from the delegation that Empire construction companies will be participating in the Magic Tower reconstruction project.”

“Wasn’t Lushan going to take that? From what I heard from the Treasury, Fatalia was also eyeing that contract.”

The project to rebuild the Magic Tower’s infrastructure, damaged during the recent protests, was originally supposed to involve the Lushan Federation and Fatalia. To be precise, I understand those two countries had lobbied to secure the business rights.

And now the Kiyen Empire is suddenly getting involved?

“The stakeholders are also puzzled. The Empire wasn’t included in the original plan, but now that they’ve jumped in, everyone’s in an awkward position.”

“I bet. The Magic Tower is right in the middle of Empire territory.”

“But considering the current situation in the north, shouldn’t they be doing projects in the Empire rather than the Magic Tower? There are so many sabotaged facilities—railways, power plants, terminals. It doesn’t make sense to go put out someone else’s fire when your own house is burning…”

Jake answered Pippin’s question. He snickered as he bit into the pizza crust.

“I heard the damage in the north is minimal? The infrastructure might be damaged, but overall the northern infrastructure is intact enough to live with. Except for a couple of casualties.”

“Jake, that’s news from the state broadcast. Do you actually believe that?”

“Of course not. How could I?”

I thought for a moment while chewing on the stretchy cheese.

OSINT (Open Source Intelligence), which collects intelligence through media and press, is vulnerable to propaganda. This is especially true in countries like China, Russia, or North Korea, where state-controlled media, public broadcasting, and press censorship run rampant.

From that perspective, the northern war situation reported by Empire media outlets is likely not the actual situation in the north. Of course, Pippin and Jake probably know this too.

But even in such propaganda-heavy media, there must be corners from which intelligence can be extracted.

Of course, I already have a rough idea of the extent of the damage from military intelligence reports.

“The more intelligence, the better. Want to gather some?”

“Us? But we’re on leave!”

Pippin and Jake looked at me with expressions that said I was crazy. It’s impressive how in sync they are at moments like this.

Still, I didn’t really intend to make them collect intelligence, so Pippin and Jake just took it as a joke and moved on.

Pippin, who was eating some fried food, let out a deep sigh.

“Goodness. The Magic Tower is a mess, and so is the Empire.”

“Why?”

“The country is falling apart, but neither the Oracle nor the Emperor is showing their face. At least the Oracle issues statements. The Emperor hasn’t appeared at military founding day or national founding day ceremonies for how many years now?”

“Well… about two years, I think?”

I stroked my chin once.

“But the Emperor doesn’t do many public activities anyway. When he was younger, he exercised, hosted events, and was quite active, but I remember he became reclusive as he aged.”

“That’s right. He appeared in public just a month after rumors spread about something happening to him. Multiple times, in fact.”

“Anyway, it’s probably nothing. The reconstruction project is just about money, and the Emperor’s seclusion is nothing new.”

The more dictatorial a country is, and the more difficult its situation, the more rumors spread. Even if there were a one-in-a-million chance that something had happened to the Emperor, there’s no way to know without special means.

So it’s best to refrain from speculation until something concrete emerges or becomes official.

“By the way, about the Magic Tower.”

“Yes?”

“Did the health examination results come back?”

Jake shook his head regretfully. Then he glanced around and lowered his voice significantly.

“Not yet. The Magic Tower situation is still quite unstable. And the Hero doesn’t have enough… samples, I guess. She’s from another world too.”

“Right, right.”

“So it might take a while.”

Pippin picked up the conversation. She delivered some rather hopeful news in a bright, positive voice.

“But the Magic Tower isn’t completely idle. They guaranteed results within three months at the latest, or even by the end of this month at the earliest.”

“The Advanced Military Magic Research Institute was expecting about the same timeframe. They started their research earlier—does it make sense that they’d finish later than the Magic Tower?”

“It’s the Magic Tower, after all.”

“…True, the Magic Tower is the Magic Tower.”

Anyway, it’s good news. We might finally find out why Camilla faints. Hopefully, we’ll get positive results as soon as possible.

I hope nothing goes wrong.

“Well, we’re on leave, so let’s stop talking about work.”

I wiped the grease off my hands with a tissue and blurted out:

“What are you two planning to do on your leave? I’m guessing you got about two weeks.”

Pippin and Jake put down their forks, which they had been using to pick at the salad. They seemed to have plans already set, as they started chattering about their upcoming schedules.

Pippin spoke first. She wiped sauce off with a tissue as she began:

“Well, I’m planning to meet a friend first.”

“A friend?”

“Yes. Someone I served with in the same unit who’s coming back to Abas soon.”

Pippin is a naval intelligence officer.

She handled intelligence analysis both on ships and on land, and joined military intelligence on the recommendation of a senior intelligence officer.

“If they’re navy, were they out sailing? Where are they coming back from?”

“The Pembe waters in northeastern Moritani.”

“…Ah, the pirate-infested area?”

“Yes. They left a year ago and are coming back now.”

The Pembe waters are similar to Somalia on Earth. As the example suggests, it’s a hellhole where rebels run wild on land and pirates rule the sea.

Of course, in the Pembe waters, it’s not just humans causing trouble—there are also land monsters, sea monsters, and other races like sirens, making it even worse than Somalia. It must have been tough to serve there.

“Oh my, that sounds difficult.”

“But they’ll be stationed on land for a while after returning, so it should be fine. They said they’re bringing back gifts too, so they must be doing well.”

Pippin said she would spend her leave with her friend returning from deployment.

Jake was next. The guy who had been enthusiastically eating mashed potatoes opened his mouth.

“I’m planning to stay with a friend.”

“Huh? You’re going to spend your leave with a friend?”

“Well, yeah. He’s discharged now, but he’s been making some money lately and lives in the capital. So we’re going to hang out…”

Jake spoke casually, and Pippin raised her glass while looking at him. But the way Jake vaguely trailed off suggested there was more to the story.

So I carefully broached the subject while tapping my cigarette ash.

“Hey. Just asking, but you two aren’t dating, are you?”

“Pffft-! Cough, cough…!!”

Pippin choked on her drink.

And spat it out.

“……”

On my face.

*

It wasn’t easy to wipe the drink off my face with tissues. I spent about five minutes in the bathroom, scrubbing with soap everywhere before I could solve the problem.

Of course, the real issue was something else.

“……”

“……”

Pippin and Jake hung their heads so low over the table that their noses nearly touched it. The atmosphere had suddenly become awkward. What kind of game is this?

“…Alright, lift your heads, you two.”

I wiped the moisture from my face and hands with a tissue.

“You’re not caught stealing or anything, why are you being so sheepish? Everyone at the delegation already knows you two are seeing each other anyway.”

Jake raised his head with a bewildered expression and asked:

“…I think there’s a misunderstanding, Major. We’re not like that.”

“Jake, remember when you went to the delegation in the middle of the night to get something you left behind? When Pippin was on duty.”

“…Y-yes?”

“An employee working overtime told me that you two were hiding in the office slacking off. Told me directly.”

On the day Pippin was on duty, Jake went to the delegation to retrieve something he had left behind. When he didn’t return after waiting for a long time, I contacted security, who confirmed that both Pippin and Jake were in the military attaché’s office.

At the time, I thought he was just taking a while to find his things. But the next day, an intelligence officer from the Magic Tower branch came to me and told me to rein in my subordinates. I had no idea and got scolded as soon as I arrived at work.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a major issue, so the attachés kept it quiet, but my face was burning with embarrassment.

“You were caught then, you idiots. Thanks to you, I couldn’t hold my head up for a while.”

I grumbled as I threw the damp cigarette butt into the trash.

“……”

“……”

Pippin and Jake were sweating profusely with their mouths tightly shut. Their eyes were trembling and their pupils were spinning around. They looked like a married man and his mistress whose carefully hidden secret had been exposed.

Of course, no one would blame them for dating at work, and intelligence agencies tend to slightly encourage office romances, but humans can’t bear embarrassment.

Jake, who had been squeezing his eyes shut, started making excuses while sweat dripped down his face unnoticed.

“Well, you see, Major. I think there’s some misunderstanding…”

“Go ahead and try to explain, Lieutenant.”

“We were so busy with work that the employee must have misunderstood what they saw.”

“So nothing happened?”

“Yes. We were just really busy. Remember how the protests broke out and the delegation was in chaos? Even now, the Foreign Ministry and everyone else are still focused on recovery…”

Jake rambled on, trying desperately to salvage the situation. However, he was so flustered that he was stumbling over his words, and his excuses were flimsy at best.

Finally, Pippin couldn’t take it anymore and stepped up.

“That’s right! We, we, you know, were working overtime every day because of the protesters and ongoing projects. Haha…”

“……”

“……”

“…Well. If that’s what you say, then that must be it.”

Only in your imagination.

I filled a fresh glass with soda. The military attaché’s office didn’t really make a big deal out of it, and I didn’t intend to scold them either, so I decided to drop the subject.

Having roughly grasped the situation, Pippin and Jake hastily changed the subject. They’re certainly quick-witted when it comes to things like this.

Jake wiped away his cold sweat with his sleeve and spoke first.

“By the way, didn’t you say you were going to receive a medal, Major? You mentioned there might be a reward when you returned. Did you get it?”

“No.”

“Oh… Why not?”

When I was running operations at the Magic Tower, Clevins mentioned that there would be a reward for successfully completing three consecutive missions.

Of course, having been promoted to major this year, I couldn’t get lieutenant colonel rank, so they decided to give me a medal instead. The problem was that the medal disappeared when I was referred to the disciplinary committee.

Although it was a makeshift disciplinary action to catch potential double agents, the punishment had to be carried out properly. How would a spy react if I received a medal before the disciplinary process was even over?

So as soon as the disciplinary committee convened, military intelligence canceled all planned rewards. Honestly, I’m not that disappointed. Just a little regretful, I guess?

But explaining all this in detail would be too painful, so I just gave a vague answer.

“It just fizzled out when the major incident happened.”

“Ah…”

Right on cue, the news came on. On the TV screen, a well-dressed government official was announcing that the commotion in the middle of the capital was a terrorist act by stateless individuals.

Pippin and Jake looked at me with expressions that suggested they understood the situation after hearing the government official’s announcement.

“……”

I took my eyes off the TV and put a new cigarette in my mouth.

Just then, a waiter approached with quick steps and politely stopped me.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but if you want to smoke at your seat, you’ll need an ashtray. It’s a fire hazard.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. Do you have an ashtray?”

“Yes. Would you like me to bring one?”

“It’s fine. I’ll get it myself.”

I got up from my seat with an embarrassed smile.

Feeling apologetic, I gave the employee a tip and ordered some new food. The employee smiled brightly and asked me to wait a moment, and I left Pippin and Jake to get an ashtray.

“Let’s see. The ashtray…”

Found it.

After spotting an ashtray in the corner of the restaurant, I started heading back to my seat.

-Thud!

“Ah!”

“Ouch…!”

And I bumped into someone.

I collided with someone who came from my blind spot, lost my balance and staggered, while the person I bumped into fell on their backside with a low scream. Some sticky liquid got on my clothes. Judging by the sweet smell, it was honey mustard.

Getting sauce on my suit was annoying, but this wasn’t the time for that. I needed to check if the person I bumped into was hurt. Looking at their build, they seemed like a child.

I quickly got up, dusted myself off, and tried to help the kid up.

“Ah, sorry kid…”

“Where on earth is your mind wandering that someone your age would bump into others…! You should be ashamed…!”

“Huh…?”

“…Oh?”

Orange hair. Pointed, triangular ears. Round, bright eyes. A high-pitched, childlike voice, and the Inspection Office.

“Why are you here…?”

Why is this one here?

*

Not many people know this, but there’s a very special employee working at the Military Intelligence Inspection Office.

You could consider them a sort of mascot. It’s similar to how word spreads when there’s an attractive medical officer—same principle.

The Inspection Department is known for only accepting exceptionally talented individuals, so it wouldn’t be strange for employees working there to be called special, but this employee is an exception.

The reason is simple.

Because they’re not human, but a fairy.

Charnoi, a nymph from the Inspection Office.

The inspector in charge had appeared before my eyes.

Out of nowhere.

“Ah, you are…!”

Charnoi exclaimed with wide eyes, pointing at me. The loud voice startled me as well.

“Fr…”

“…?”

“Fre…”

“……”

“What was it again…?”

Charnoi stood there blankly, muttering quietly. Seeing this, I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t help but sigh.

Charnoi frowned as if pondering something, making incomprehensible sounds like “Uuu…” for quite some time.

“……”

“Ah…! I remember now…! You were that embezzler…!”

“……”

Should I agree with this?

Strictly speaking, I did commit embezzlement. But was it really deserving of punishment? No. Still, since I had been investigated for embezzlement charges, it wasn’t exactly an incorrect statement.

Charnoi, who had been pointing at me accusingly, suddenly muttered with a dejected face:

“However, this Charnoi is lacking sugar, so the name doesn’t come to mind…”

What does sugar have to do with memory? I can’t understand.

Could they be a liberal arts major too?

“But that’s a closed case… Continuing to bring up matters that have been punished by the disciplinary committee violates the principle of double jeopardy…! So this Charnoi will treat you as an ordinary employee…!”

“Charnoi. Well, nice to see you. But why are you here?”

“I’m here to meet a friend…!”

“A friend?”

Charnoi nodded vigorously.

“I have a friend returning from abroad today… A friend coming back after two whole years… It’s truly a moving occasion… So we promised to have a meal together as soon as they arrive…”

“Ah.”

“Of course, if they were an employee, debriefing would take priority, making an immediate meeting impossible… But my friend is a civilian, so it doesn’t matter…!”

Their acquaintance is returning after staying abroad for a long time. Considering Charnoi’s age, they might be coming back after getting a master’s or doctoral degree, or returning from a business trip abroad. Or maybe from traveling.

I’m envious. I wish I could travel abroad freely too.

As I was licking my lips with a slightly envious heart, Charnoi, who had been dusting off their clothes, spotted something and raised their hand high.

“Ah, finally… Charnoi’s friend has arrived…!”

They hopped up and down on the spot before dashing off. I picked up the fallen ashtray and looked at the person greeting Charnoi.

Slightly tanned skin, perhaps from working in a hot place. Short pants and a t-shirt.

Abundant black fur. Small, vertically slit green pupils.

Ears that resembled a perfect triangle, much more so than Charnoi’s.

“It’s so good to see you after so long…!”

“Meow.”

“…A cat beastman?”

It was a beast of ill omen.