Ch.188The culprit is among us!

# Chapter 188: The Culprit Is Among Us!

A shocking reality unfolded before my eyes as the Minister slammed the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency’s assistant to the floor with a German suplex.

“Everyone, forget what just happened.”

“Yes, sir! Understood!”

“I’ll keep that in mind!”

“I didn’t see anything!”

Not just the supervisors and investigation team, but even the purge unit members who happened to be present unanimously agreed.

After using my authority to erase what had just occurred from existence, I naturally sat down on my personal sofa and addressed those who had entered my office.

“So, did you find out what I ordered you to investigate?”

“Yes, Minister.”

The supervisor who responded to me was now clean and tidy, unlike before when he was covered in blood.

And during this brief conversation, Riel, who had been planted face-first into the carpet, naturally got up, approached my side, and whispered additional information.

“It’s quite complicated and serious, so rather than jumping to conclusions, you should hear everything from the beginning.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded in agreement with Riel’s suggestion.

“Then Riel, go and brew me another coffee.”

“Yes, sir.”

After ensuring she would pay the price for wasting my precious handcrafted coffee beans…

“Now then, shall we hear your report?”

“Yes, Minister.”

I adjusted my posture properly, exuding anticipation about what results our investigation team had brought back.

————————————–

About an hour after the briefing ended.

“That concludes our report, Minister.”

“Do you have any questions?”

I was on the verge of irritation as the heat in my stomach wouldn’t subside even after gulping down the remaining coffee Riel had brought.

The problem was that this issue wouldn’t end with just finding the “root” of the previous attackers.

“Wait… sigh, so are you certain about these investigation results?”

“Yes, Minister. I stake my position on it.”

As we were having this conversation, a new event window suddenly appeared before my eyes.

-Ding♬

[Time Pause]

[Event: Finding the Mastermind’s Roots]

[After investigating the source of various drugs administered to the Papal Knights and Prosnack’s Cobard vaccine.]

[Surprisingly, it was revealed that the Holy Sebelli Empire’s Health and Welfare Agency was directly responsible.]

[However, unlike now, the Health and Welfare Agency at that time was under the influence of the previous Pope I, who has since died in an explosion.]

[Currently, after the purge of the previous Pope and his loyalists, massive personnel restructuring is taking place in the Health and Welfare Agency.]

[The investigation team chose to act first and report later, rather than making a preliminary report to you, in order to gather as much information as quickly as possible.]

[And as a result, they discovered something shocking.]

[Namely, that apart from the fanatics, gangs, and knights who attacked you and the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency, an enormous number of people have received injections of this vaccine.]

‘No way, this is insane.’

As soon as I saw the event message, I felt my head go numb.

But since this event message didn’t provide any separate options and merely summarized what I had just heard…

[Time Pause Released]

I immediately released the time pause and asked the supervisor, Riel, and the investigation team why such a thing had happened.

“Why on earth…?”

In response to my question, Riel provided additional answers.

“According to the internal meeting records of the Health and Welfare Agency that we found… at that time, there was a prevailing concern that the Cobard epidemic spreading within Prosnack might also spread to our empire.”

“…So, was it because they were worried it could be transmitted to us?”

Riel nodded at my words and began manipulating the screen in the office.

“Yes, but according to the internal meeting records, the goal wasn’t to import Prosnack’s vaccine itself, but to replicate and produce it on our side.”

I felt skeptical about this explanation.

‘If it was newly manufactured, there shouldn’t have been any of those damn berry chips mixed in the vaccine?’

But perhaps my thoughts were evident on my face.

Riel looked at me, shook her head, and said:

“Minister, just to clarify, Prosnack’s chip doesn’t look like a ‘chip’ at all on the surface.”

“What?”

“If anything, it looks exactly like the solution inside the vaccine syringe.”

What are you saying, Riel?

You said it was a chip, are you deceiving me?

But if Riel’s words were true, then despite being under the Papacy’s influence, the Health and Welfare Agency would have invested enormous resources to set up replication production facilities and paid all kinds of costs to prepare for potential side effects.

‘How unfortunate.’

And the moment I heard all this from Riel and the investigation team…

-Dingalingaling♪

[Time Pause]

With an unnecessarily cheerful notification sound, the world froze again, and a new event message appeared before my eyes.

But unlike before, this wasn’t a simple situation explanation event…

[Emergency Quest: Vaccine Removal Operation]

[Remove the Prosnack Cobard Type-C 19 vaccine and “berry chips” from citizens who have received the injection.]

[Time Limit: 1 year]

[Available Operation Time: 180 days]

[Progress: 0%]

[Failure within the time limit will result in -90% stability throughout the Holy Sebelli Empire and the creation of large-scale rebel forces]

You have now awakened to everything.

There is nothing more to tell you.

So descend from the mountain now—this absurd quest event reminded me of martial arts novel masters who abandon their disciples after minimal training. I was momentarily stunned.

‘Is this a joke?’

Seeing these berry chips, which only deranged conspiracy theorists would believe in, now screwing me over, I nearly burst out with profanities.

Moreover, the quest UI status was extremely displeasing.

‘Why aren’t they telling me the reward?’

It’s supposed to be a quest, but there’s no mention of rewards, only detailed descriptions of the debuffs I’ll get if I fail.

It felt as if the system UI was looking at me with a profound expression saying, “So what are you going to do about it? What can you do?”

Feeling like I was being trolled by something I had no way to counter, I released the time pause.

[Time Pause Released]

“Riel, gather all senior personnel remaining in the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency building immediately.”

“Yes, sir. Anything else?”

“And prepare to send a raid port to the Health and Welfare Agency. Additionally, make preparations to coordinate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and any other departments capable of handling this damned vaccine injection.”

After giving orders to Riel, the investigation team before me, and the secretarial staff who would be listening from across the office, I stood up.

——————————–

A little while later.

“By the way, Minister, where are you preparing to go?”

As I was changing into outdoor attire, Riel, who had quickly returned after completing the summons, asked me from behind.

“…I need to speak separately with His Majesty.”

“Shall I come with you? The senior staff will take some time to gather anyway.”

I shook my head at Riel’s suggestion.

“No, this time I need to deliver the message quickly via communication only.”

“…Do you think the Emperor will let you off that easily?”

Of course, I knew that Artraia greatly disliked when reports were sent via communication instead of in person.

After looking around to confirm no one else was present, I turned to Riel and said in a rather gloomy tone:

“A time-limited emergency quest has appeared.”

“…Ooh.”

“They’ve given me a year, but it actually takes 180 days—half a year—to complete the quest, so there’s not much leeway.”

“Minister, you seem to have peculiarly bad luck.”

At Riel’s words, I felt an indescribable feeling as I looked at the small “Lucky One” trait flickering between my status windows.

‘You… a trait whose very existence makes no sense…’

Anyway, after finishing my conversation with Riel, I adjusted my outdoor attire—no, my formal suit—once more.

-Communication Connection

-Sebelli Imperial Palace, Personal Channel XKVV-767 Access.

As the connection to the hotline I had established with Artraia was confirmed, and Artraia’s beautiful face appeared on the communication screen…

“Artraia, this is truly urgent, so please excuse me for connecting via communication!”

Before Artraia could say anything, I immediately performed a perfect grand bow to preemptively block any other conversation.

However…

“Minister, you’re facing the wrong direction.”

“What?”

Despite the situation warranting nothing less than a grand bow to Artraia, I had inadvertently performed a reverse grand bow, essentially greeting her with my lower body, and froze in that position upon realizing my blunder.