Ch.179Conversations like this are usually held in the dark.

# Chapter 179: These Kinds of Conversations Usually Happen in the Dark

As I walked through the underground facility of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency with Ambassador Samiya and her entourage following behind, I glanced back at them.

[PAUSE]

I immediately activated the pause function and brought up yesterday’s message before my eyes again.

[Event: Anomalous Situation within Prosnack]

[Including the recent breakthrough operation at the John-Bernator Line and the sudden invasion operations against the Kerzin Federation.]

[As the ambassador dispatched to the Holy Sebelli Empire, Ambassador Samiya had received no prior notification from her home country regarding these operations.]

[As the daughter of Supreme Commander Fern’dus, leader of the Prosnack Union, she judged the situation to be completely abnormal and focused on understanding the situation in her homeland rather than her original diplomatic mission within the Sebelli Empire.]

[Before long, she realized that there were serious problems throughout every part of her homeland, the Prosnack Union.]

[Related event in progress…]

‘Straight to a related event without any separate results…’

There was only one case when this kind of event message appeared.

‘Ah, it seems like some major event is about to unfold.’

And the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

‘Just as I secure enough power to effectively confront the Prosnack Union head-on, this kind of event comes looking for me.’

Isn’t this a very, very, veeeeeery interesting situation?

It was no coincidence that I chose to use this underground secret facility of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency to maintain security right after properly listening to Ambassador Samiya’s words yesterday.

‘Well, I’ll need to hear the details first anyway.’

After finishing my review of the current situation.

[UNPAUSE]

I released the pause and continued walking.

————————————

Shortly after, we arrived at the secret underground facility to have our discussion, but…

“What in the world is this?!”

“Son of a… FIGHTING SPIRIT!”

“…”

The Prosnack Marines who had accompanied Ambassador Samiya descended into madness upon seeing the remodeled underground facility, causing our conversation to be postponed.

“What’s everyone so worked up about?”

“Ambassador, this is truly astonishing… How could that bleak place filled with nothing but fighting spirit turn into something that looks like it belongs to those heat heretic bastards…!”

From their words, I realized that these Marines currently having a fit(?) were the very ones who had been stationed here briefly years ago when they were mobilized to kick Levia out of Eternia.

“Ah, so you’re those heroes of the reversal from back then.”

And as I took interest, memories of their actions that had left indelible marks in my mind began to resurface one by one.

“I still occasionally remember how you all performed that space walk to infiltrate the ship back then.”

“Hehe, thank you for your kind words.”

The stark contrast was quite jarring—they used their fighting spirit-marine terminology among themselves, but responded perfectly normally to me, an obvious outsider.

“By the way, what really happened here? When we were stationed here, the underground of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency wasn’t nearly this clean…”

Meanwhile, as naturally as breathing, someone threw a punch at the Purification Corps with a “You guys were filthy” remark.

I noticed the shoulders of the Purification Corps members, who had entered as escorts, continuously twitching.

‘You should have done better when you had the chance.’

Of course, the Purification Corps members had absolutely no excuse for this, so they could only flinch at the Prosnack Marines’ fact-calling without offering any response.

While I was watching the unsightly appearance of the Purification Corps members:

“Oh, that? It’s a bit of a long story… Actually, most of that wasn’t our doing.”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”

This time, Riel, who seemed to be pursuing a femme fatale vibe, began to unfold the tale of how the underground of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency had become bright, splendid, and magnificent(?).

Of course, since I had already heard and even witnessed this story in real-time…

It wasn’t particularly interesting to me.

“…So you’re saying that the Templar Order, who were captured during that Vatican incident, directly remodeled the place because they couldn’t stand being confined in such a bleak environment?”

“Yep.”

Apparently, this story was quite absurd to the Prosnack Marines hearing it for the first time.

Before they knew it, they had gathered around Riel, eagerly listening to her story.

Of course, I could understand the marines being interested in what Riel was saying, given their peculiar tendencies, but…

‘…Ambassador Samiya, why are you there?’

Somehow, even Ambassador Samiya, the plenipotentiary, had subtly moved closer.

Pretending to be nonchalant while listening, I felt my sense of reason fly away once again.

And regardless of what I felt, Riel’s story continued:

“You see, the Templar Knights we captured were originally assigned the facilities that the Purification Corps members used to use.”

“Hmm.”

“But they kept complaining about how poor the facilities were, and later they went so far as to remodel the entire underground facility, installing furniture, wiring, and even plumbing themselves.”

“Ohhh…”

“That’s… the very essence of fighting spirit.”

While they seemed quite entertained, we couldn’t waste time on this story forever.

So I pushed my way between them and decided to take over the latter part of this story.

“That would be fortunate if that’s all they did.”

“Ah, Minister.”

“Those guys changed their status to my fanatics as soon as I ascended to the merely nominal position of Saint.”

Hearing this, the Prosnack Marines expressed their interest in a different sense.

“We’ve occasionally encountered Sebelli Empire’s fanatical knights on the battlefield in the past.”

“They were irritatingly persistent bastards who would charge at you even with half their bodies blown off, driven by their fanatical beliefs.”

“By the way, what does that mean, Minister Arto?”

In response to their question, I nodded and decided to blurt out the facts as they were.

“As soon as I was elevated to sainthood, those guys started completely overhauling the underground of the Enforcement Agency…”

Speaking thus, I naturally led Ambassador Samiya and her entire entourage, like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, continuing my story until we arrived at a certain door.

The security system of the door immediately began scanning me, and then…

-Beep!

-Highest level administrator, Saint Arto Virtorius Sebelli confirmed. Welcome, Saint.

“…”

A massive temple appeared, surpassing the level of all the spaces we had seen before—infinitely splendid and majestic, yet with a sense of restraint.

The pillars supporting the walls and ceiling were made of a material reminiscent of pure white marble.

The walls were adorned with “constellations” of the empire’s “saints,” painted with all kinds of premium paints and art supplies, each exuding such liveliness that they seemed about to breathe at any moment.

“What in the world…”

“What level of tax waste is going on in Sebelli?”

Naturally, no one present could have expected such a massive “cathedral” to exist in the plain, rugged underground of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency.

Although one tactless person spoke carelessly in the midst of this:

-Poke, poke.

Ambassador Samiya’s elbow mercilessly jabbed the side of that Prosnack Marine, giving him a pointed look.

After observing them briefly, I turned my head to look at the “grand temple” before me and said:

“…Just for reference, that’s a kind of tribute built by the Templar Order using their own funds.”

“That makes it even more bizarre and frightening.”

Since I thought so too, I nodded inwardly while extending my hand toward Ambassador Samiya.

“So let’s hurry, Ambassador Samiya.”

“…Pardon?”

“That place is the safest from eavesdropping and all sorts of problems.”

Would I have brought her to this underground dungeon-cum-bizarre space where torture chambers, temples(?), and accommodations coexist for no reason?

This was the safest place, so I had chosen it doing my best, but…

In response to my behavior, Ambassador Samiya’s poker face, which she had maintained until now, crumbled, revealing an expression that was difficult to describe.