Ch.184Episode 10 – Turn Your Course to the North-Northwest

Snow fell from the cloudy sky.

A gloomy sky. Perhaps it’s because of the dark clouds. It seems twice as dim.

Slurp. I drank coffee while looking out the window at the world. An espresso after dinner.

Honestly, I’m not particularly fond of coffee, though tea would be different. While stationed in the Middle East, I experienced a wide variety of teas, but when it came to coffee, I only ever had Maxim coffee mix or franchise americanos.

My seniors who went to the National Intelligence Service used to rave about having a bakery inside the agency.

Looking back now, I wonder if I should have applied for the NIS recruitment after being discharged.

“Do you have water and ice by any chance?”

“Yes, we do. But why do you need them?”

“I want to add them to my coffee.”

Francesca gave me a look as if she were staring at garbage.

Apparently, to a coffee enthusiast from Fatalia, an americano is a sin in itself.

We maintained silence as we flew through the continental night sky. Only the faint sounds of staff and attendants moving through the airship corridors echoed around us.

I naturally put a cigarette in my mouth and lit it.

“…Phew.”

With a lit cigarette between my fingers, I stared into the void. The familiar bitterness lingered in my throat, and empty smoke escaped between my lips.

It feels empty.

As I sat quietly watching the lonely dispersing smoke, Francesca’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“Are you worried?”

Worried?

“What do you mean?”

“We’ll arrive in just a few hours. I was wondering if you might be feeling anxious.”

“……”

Despite her words, she didn’t particularly seem concerned.

Francesca gently closed her eyes and drank her coffee, while I silently smiled and looked out the window.

Far away.

The shattered waves and familiar coastline, the bright moonlight illuminating the mountain peaks, and the distant lights beyond.

“…It’s been three years.”

I stubbed out my cigarette while gazing at the Empire’s coastal city spread out beneath the vast sky.

Episode 10 – Turn Your Course to the North-Northwest

After sleeping one night above the clouds, I woke up in a different country.

The Kiyen Empire.

I gazed down at the panoramic landscape flowing below and marveled.

“Wow… nothing has changed here at all.”

Camilla, who was getting dressed, gave a slight eye-smile. She also grinned mischievously, as if an amusing thought had occurred to her.

“When you say that, you sound like an old person.”

“You mean I’m a boomer?”

“I wouldn’t go that far as to call you a boomer…”

A fresh-faced college student who hadn’t even lived two decades teased a civil servant hardened by social life. She thinks she won’t age? I was a college student just a few years ago too.

“Tsk! Be honest. You’re still upset about me calling you an elephant yesterday, aren’t you?”

“Be quiet!”

-Tap. Tap.

Feeling a touch on my left shoulder, I turned to meet Francesca’s eyes as she extended her finger.

She spoke to me with an expression that was hard to tell whether she was smiling or expressionless.

“Officer, we’ve received word from below. We’ll be arriving soon.”

“Has someone from the embassy come out?”

“While it’s a formality, identity verification is still necessary. However, I’ve heard that the immigration process will be simplified as much as possible since diplomatic officials of counselor rank or higher will vouch for our identities.”

“The embassy staff are working hard. Thank you for letting me know, Administrative Officer.”

Francesca nodded and walked toward where the attendants assigned by the Magic Tower were. Camilla was beside me, but Lucia was nowhere to be seen.

As I wandered around looking for the missing Lucia, a priest approached with hurried steps and whispered in my ear.

“Where is Lucia right now?”

“She’s taking a bit longer with her preparations. But she should be out soon.”

It was good to hear there was no problem.

I chatted with Camilla while looking beyond the clouds.

A cold wave sweeping through the dark cloudy sky.

The gloomy clouds covering the sky began to clear.

“…Wow.”

Camilla approached the window and placed both hands on the glass as if entranced.

A forest of skyscrapers standing tall as if reaching for the sky. Roads and railways crisscrossing the city like veins. The lights of vehicles racing on the asphalt.

A massive castle located in the center of the jungle-like urban area.

The gray city covered in pure white snow,

Revealed itself before us.

*

In this world, there is no air force. Only the army and navy exist.

Also, in this region, airships are treated as vessels, not aircraft.

So we landed at a base managed by the Imperial Navy.

“001, proceed to taxiway number 3. Wind direction 060/04.”

“Slowly! Slowly!”

“Inserting chocks now. Cutting off magical power supply.”

Seeing the familiar uniformed navy personnel busily moving for the airship’s landing and the people dressed in suits and uniforms, it finally hit me that we had arrived in the Empire.

Sitting in my seat, I closed my eyes briefly to wait, and soon an announcement confirmed that the airship had landed safely.

Shortly after, the captain and first officer (they introduced themselves as the ship’s captain, but the title of aircraft captain seemed more fitting) came out in naval uniforms and greeted us warmly. We exchanged greetings with the crew, thanking them for what must have been a difficult flight.

We then disembarked under the guidance of imperial officials.

-Wooooah!

A massive cheer engulfed us.

As soon as the door opened, cheers poured in like a flood, followed by the golden trumpets of the military band.

Camilla laughed incredulously at the sight.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I was just thinking that if they have budget for this kind of ceremony, wouldn’t it be better to support the north?”

She was suggesting that sending manpower and budget to the north would be much more beneficial than spending time on this.

Indeed, with people freezing and starving to death in the north every day, she had a point.

But with so many eyes watching, I couldn’t openly say such things, so I just quietly laughed. Fortunately, Camilla’s words were drowned out by the noise.

Amid camera shutters clicking rapidly, boys and girls dressed in Imperial Academy uniforms approached and presented us with bouquets. Not only Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca, but even I, dressed in Abas military attire, received flowers.

While shaking hands with the academy student who had given me flowers, Camilla suddenly appeared beside me and began whispering.

“Who are these kids?”

“Camilla, do you know about the Soviet Pioneers?”

“Ah, the Soviet version of Boy Scouts?”

I nodded in affirmation and answered quietly.

“They’re called Vyacheslav, similar to the Pioneers. I’ll explain in detail later… for now, just know they’re children mobilized when important figures visit the Kiyen Empire.”

Camilla smiled in acknowledgment and added in a low voice.

“By the way, no Nazi references this time? I thought you’d compare them to Hitler Youth instead of Pioneers.”

“……”

“…Those kids are from something like Boy Scouts, right? Not Hitler Youth?”

I just smiled silently.

While enduring Camilla’s suspicious gaze and gathering both our bouquets, attendants for Lucia and Francesca approached and took away the flowers.

I dusted off my palms and said to Camilla, who still wore an uneasy expression.

“Shall we go?”

“Oh, yes, let’s.”

*

For security reasons, our time at the naval base was kept very short. Though the sudden security issue was somewhat puzzling, our group didn’t mind much and exchanged greetings with the officials who had come to receive us.

Meanwhile, I went through a simple identity verification process with the help of diplomats from the embassy. Even though I was a colleague vouched for by the Order and appointed as a defense attaché by the Abas Ministry of Defense, principles were principles.

Then we arrived at the venue.

The Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs, having chartered an entire hotel, held a grand banquet and invited notable domestic and foreign guests.

“Ah…!”

An elderly man with abundant white hair prostrated himself on the floor.

The old man, clearly a clergyman, took Lucia’s hand with his wrinkled fingers, kissed the back of it, and welled up with tears.

“May the blessings of heaven be upon you, Holy Maiden.”

“May the blessings of heaven be upon you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bishop Joel.”

The people Lucia met were the bishops of the Kiyen Empire.

Bishops and selected priests active in the Empire had rushed to welcome Lucia.

With a benevolent smile, Lucia took hold of the prostrated bishop’s back.

“Please rise, Bishop. I am fine.”

“How could I dare to… before the Holy Maiden who has come such a long way…”

“You are not a sinner but a priest. Raise your head.”

The Order’s clergy didn’t know how to act in front of Lucia. They seemed a bit like fanatics with their excessive behavior, but everyone around treated it as normal and familiar.

While Lucia was meeting with the bishops, Francesca was mingling with what appeared to be mages.

“It is an honor to meet a seeker of intellect and truth. Have you been well, Professor?”

“Heh heh. What could happen to an old man like me? I’m just living out my twilight years with the joy of teaching good disciples a little longer.”

An elderly mage with a neatly arranged white beard welcomed Francesca with an open-hearted laugh.

“Miss Francesca. How is your work at the Secretariat? I’m curious about your recent activities.”

“Although I have less time for research, I’m happy day by day, having found work that suits me, Professor.”

“Less time for research! This is serious. For a mage, especially an alchemist, time and money are the most precious resources…”

“How have you been, Professor? If I recall correctly, it’s been quite some time since you presented a new paper at a conference.”

“Come to think of it, I’ve been away from conferences for several years now, focusing on recovery rather than research. I have found a new topic though…”

The old man’s eyes began to burn with academic fervor as he looked at Francesca.

“…Ah! Miss Francesca, how about researching together after all this time? Since it’s related to alchemy, I find your help essential.”

“Why not just ask me to attend graduate school?”

“Would you come?”

“Have you gone senile?”

“Ha! As always, Miss Francesca treats her mentor’s proposals like garbage. Even when I asked you to join the School of Alchemy, you insisted on entering the School of Elements. I’m almost tempted to petition the Oracle for your excommunication.”

“Then when you die, I’ll dig up your grave and take your bones. I’ve been increasingly interested in necromancy lately.”

I have no idea what kind of crazy conversation this is. From what I can gather, that old man and Francesca seem to have a professor-student relationship.

Both seemed equally insane—Francesca for telling her professor she’d desecrate his grave to raise his corpse, and the professor for trying to recruit a civil servant who graduated years ago back into graduate school. This is why one shouldn’t associate with mages.

A clergyman who reacted to the word ‘necromancy’ glared sharply at Francesca and the mage, so I quietly moved away.

I wandered around the tables, observing the key figures of today’s party.

“I want to keep the mass brief and focus on relief activities.”

“Understood, Holy Maiden.”

The 59th Holy Maiden of the Order, Lucia.

She was surrounded by clergy, Order diplomats, and devout believers. While others were already enjoying the pre-party atmosphere, Lucia’s mind seemed to be in the north already.

“When will the Oracle arrive?”

“Most of the committee members have already arrived in the Empire. However, Eleonora…”

“She’s disappeared again?”

“I apologize. We currently have people searching for her.”

Administrative Officer of the Magic Tower Secretariat, Francesca.

Though soon to be promoted to a higher position, Francesca was prioritizing Magic Tower affairs like the civil servant she was.

I took a broad look around the party venue.

Judging by the staff’s busy movements and journalists setting up their equipment, it seemed the Imperial government officials had not yet arrived. The diplomats were also bustling about in confusion, which confirmed it.

In truth, we had arrived early due to the schedule being shortened for security reasons, and everyone had come down to look around because they were bored of waiting. So the Empire hadn’t committed any diplomatic faux pas. They were probably rushing over at full speed right now.

Amidst everyone’s busy movements,

One relatively calm person approached me.

“What are you doing?”

Camilla.

Walking with small steps, Camilla approached me as she looked around the venue with curiosity, her hands behind her back.

“Just looking around.”

“Looking around? Were you really just looking around?”

“There’s nothing else to do. Of course, I was also thinking about the upcoming schedule.”

The deployment of Camilla, Lucia, Francesca, and myself to the Empire was already an agreed-upon matter.

However, working-level negotiations were needed for detailed coordination.

“If this were simply a diplomatic event, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could handle it. But there are more organizations involved than expected.”

“That’s right. There’s the military, the police. Foreign governments are involved too.”

“Plus inquisitors, holy knights, mages, volunteers… there are too many to list.”

The conflict between the Empire and the Borderlands wasn’t just a military issue. It meant that simply sending Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca to the north wouldn’t resolve everything.

The clergy accompanying Lucia,

The mages traveling with Francesca,

Additional military units to support those already deployed in the north,

Volunteers, foreign journalists, relief supplies, and so on.

Including the personnel and administrative power needed to manage all this, considerable effort would be required. Especially for food and medical supplies—it’s not just about delivering them but also establishing distribution plans.

“Well, most of these issues are almost resolved. We’ll probably conclude negotiations this week and prepare for the deployment of supplies and personnel.”

“So we’ll be heading north starting next week?”

I nodded.

“Once we enter the north and begin activities, support from the Order and Magic Tower will follow. They’re already sending clergy and mages to the northern conflict, but according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they’re likely to increase the scale.”

“Ah, I saw that news. The Magic Tower’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced it yesterday.”

Camilla mentioned the Magic Tower government’s announcement with a bright smile.

She glanced around briefly, then stood on her tiptoes to bring her lips close to my ear.

“But what are you going to do in the north?”

She wasn’t asking about what Camilla would do.

She was asking what I would do.

In other words,

“It seems like everyone from the military to foreigners, journalists, and non-profit organizations will gather in the north.”

“……”

“I might be going to help people, but a diplomat wouldn’t go to a conflict zone just for humanitarian work, right?”

“Do you enjoy saving people?”

“If I didn’t, I would have stopped following my sister when I was dragged to South Sudan. Why would I have gone all the way to Syria?”

Hearing that, she had a point.

I suddenly realized that Camilla wasn’t quite right in the head either. Why are all the women around me like this?

“It’s not common for a diplomat, especially a military attaché, to go to a conflict zone.”

“I’m just following my colleagues.”

“This is a hostile country.”

“……”

“What are you really going there for?”

I met Camilla’s blue eyes.

In response to her direct questioning rather than subtle probing, I silently responded with a smile.

Then, with a meaningful grin, I added:

“I’m just doing what I’ve always done.”