Ch.200Episode 11 – All Quiet on the Northern Front

# A Rare Creature in the Military Intelligence Bureau

A rare creature works in the Inspection Division of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

Charnoi, a nymph from the waterways.

Despite encountering numerous races in the diverse lands of Abas and Kiyen, I wasn’t familiar with nymphs as a species.

“How dare you refer to a nymph as ‘that thing’! You must show proper respect toward nymphs!”

“……”

Charnoi pointed accusingly while jumping up and down.

Though clearly angry, her appearance and voice were so childlike that she wasn’t intimidating at all. It felt more like watching a child throwing a tantrum.

Leaving the wildly gesticulating Charnoi behind, I turned to Pippin and Jake.

“So, what’s going on here?”

“Well, you see…”

## Episode 11 – All Quiet on the Northern Front

Staff shortages are practically a chronic disease for intelligence agencies.

Due to the nature of the work, employees are required to have at least a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university, and diverse experience related to their duties is essential since they never know what assignments they might face.

Add to that the requirement for a thoroughly vetted background.

Intelligence agencies present numerous conditions to prospective employees, and only those who meet these conditions can join.

The problem is that recruiting people with such qualifications is difficult.

The Military Intelligence Bureau faces a similar situation.

I’m a case in point. People with my rank typically work with at least four staff members, but I only have Pippin and Jake.

Does that mean my workload is light? Honestly, no.

That’s why I’ve been consistently requesting new personnel from the Military Intelligence Bureau for the past few months.

The problem is…

“…That nymph joined our team?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

I made an incredulous face as I watched Charnoi perched on the driver’s seat, unwrapping candy. Honey candy or something. Whatever it was, she’d been eating it since the inspection room and was still at it.

“I specifically requested an intelligence officer…”

Why did it have to be her of all people?

As I was giving her a look that conveyed this sentiment, Pippin, who was organizing the vehicle, spoke up.

“I heard she was in charge of analysis work in the foreign affairs department before joining the inspection division?”

“Analysis?”

That nymph?

I pointed at her questioningly, and Pippin nodded in confirmation.

“She graduated from university and has been working as a military civilian employee ever since. I asked around, and some acquaintances said they’d seen her in passing a few times.”

Pippin and Jake explained that Charnoi was the additional personnel sent by the Military Intelligence Bureau. How should I put it? It felt like opening a birthday cake box only to find a rice cake inside.

The story was so unbelievable that I contacted the Military Intelligence Bureau to confirm.

-“Nymph? Ah, I remember now. She is indeed assigned to your team.”

“…Really?”

Leoni confirmed that she was genuinely sent as a team member.

-“Why would I joke about this? What’s wrong, young man?”

“Well, she’s of a different race, isn’t that too conspicuous?”

-“Her skills are solid, so it doesn’t matter. Aside from being a nymph, she’s quite a competent analyst.”

Leoni added that a nymph was actually decent compared to some alternatives, then continued in a tired voice. She seemed to be struggling with the Mauritanian continent issue.

-“What, do you think like those sorcerers who believe humans are the superior race and everyone else should be killed?”

“Of course not.”

-“Then do you have an issue with the personnel selection?”

“No, I don’t.”

-“Good. Report back as soon as you arrive in the north.”

*

I desperately wanted to request different personnel, but unfortunately, there was no time for that.

The troops deployed from foreign countries would briefly stay in Petrograd, the imperial capital, before heading north.

I completed the final procedures for my northern assignment.

“Everyone, please greet each other. From the left, this is Pippin, Jake, and Charnoi.”

I introduced Pippin, Jake, and Charnoi to the group.

Pippin and Jake had been with me for so long that they were at least familiar faces to the others, but Charnoi was a new recruit, so introductions were necessary.

The reaction from the group gathered in the hotel room was much better than I had anticipated.

“Wow! A fairy!”

Camilla seemed fascinated by the nymph race itself and offered Charnoi some snacks.

Meanwhile, Lucia and Francesca regarded Charnoi with slightly different perspectives.

“A nymph… a noble race indeed.”

Lucia viewed Charnoi from a religious standpoint.

According to “The History of Nymphs” published by the Abas Royal Interspecies Society, nymphs are fairies who have served the gods since the creation of the world. Thus, Lucia, being religious (she was originally a priestess), saw Charnoi as a sacred symbol.

“Certainly a rare creature.”

Francesca viewed Charnoi from a more secular perspective.

Considering that nymphs are so few in number that even scholars struggle to study them, meeting a living nymph seemed like a novel experience for her.

Apparently not displeased by having three of the world’s most famous people gathered around her in fascination, Charnoi placed her short arms on her hips and smiled arrogantly.

“There’s no race more precious than nymphs.”

“Hmm… that’s a nymph-friendly perspective!”

Francesca crouched down to meet Charnoi’s gaze. Then, in a slightly gloomy, sticky voice, she began to speak.

“Charnoi, was it? Would you perhaps be interested in some money…?”

“Money…! That’s a wonderful thing!”

“Then would you like to make a deal with me…?”

“Hmm… let me hear your terms…”

The alchemist from the magic tower smiled slyly. Between her neatly folded eyelids, purple irises sparkled.

“If you happen to die someday, I’d like to make a contract to acquire your corpse.”

“…What?”

“There’s nothing with better magical conductivity than a wand made from nymph wrist bones… I’ll compensate you generously, so if you’re agreeable, let’s make a contract…?”

“Eeeeeek!”

Startled, Charnoi trembled violently and hid behind my back in the blink of an eye.

“Crazy psycho magician! Not even a dark magician would trade in nymph body parts… I must report this to the Magic Department immediately!”

Hidden behind me, Charnoi made a fuss, citing unfamiliar laws and precedents, insisting we report Francesca to the Magic Department right away.

I looked back and forth between Charnoi and Francesca with an exasperated expression, then let out a deep sigh.

“That’s enough teasing, Administrator.”

Francesca smiled with her eyes while remaining in her crouched position.

“Was I too harsh?”

“Very.”

“Well… I suppose it can’t be helped. I am a magician, after all.”

What a jerk. Like Veronica, she’s another crazy woman who acts nothing like her appearance suggests.

“Anyway, if the introductions are over, let’s get organized and start.”

We sent all the attendants out of the room.

The first to leave were Pippin, Jake, and Charnoi.

Pippin and Jake seemed to want to linger and chat with the attendants from the church or magic tower, but Charnoi, who had just been asked to sell her corpse for money by a magician, scurried out of the room on her short legs as if fleeing.

In the end, Pippin and Jake had no choice but to leave the room, calling after Charnoi.

After them, the church attendants led by Priestess Rebecca left. Having received Lucia’s gentle dismissal, Rebecca quietly led the priests away.

As soon as the clergy left, the magicians rose from their seats.

The Magic Tower Secretariat attendants, who had been hiding their discomfort while keeping their distance from the church group, left the room following Juan Pablo Martinez’s instructions. Francesca, seated in a chair, exchanged a brief nod with Juan Pablo Martinez, the head of the secretariat delegation.

I watched Juan Pablo Martinez’s retreating back and casually asked a question.

“Do you two know each other?”

“It’s less that we’re acquainted and more that I’ve heard of him…?”

Francesca, a civil servant of the Magic Tower Secretariat and an alchemist, leaned against the velvet cushion as her words trailed off.

“In this field, most people are connected by just one degree of separation. I heard he’s a member of the same social club as Lord Evangelos.”

“Evangelos? …Ah, from the Lysidice family.”

“Yes, the commander of the first magic battalion deployed to the north.”

Stroking my chin, I glanced in the direction where Juan Pablo Martinez had disappeared.

The Lysidice family, like the Ranieri family, descends from an “Archmage.” Moreover, Evangelos Lysidice is the magician leading the magic tower’s advance party in the north.

According to information from the Royal Intelligence Bureau, Evangelos Lysidice is considered the most likely candidate among living magicians to achieve the rank of Archmage.

Considering that hardly any magician has been recognized as reaching the level of Archmage since the war with the church a hundred years ago, he is truly a once-in-a-century genius.

And this Martinez person belongs to the same social club as such a figure.

“…Hmm.”

I haven’t heard of the Martinez surname before. I’ve heard he’s of noble status, but not from a powerful family.

If we assume Evangelos and Juan Pablo Martinez are on the same level, then Juan Pablo Martinez is likely quite skilled as well.

The magical community operates strictly on ability—whether as a magician, scholar, or politician.

As I sat quietly pondering, Camilla, who had been watching from the side, began to whisper in my ear.

“What are you thinking about? Surely you’re not thinking about work again? Like trying to recruit the person who just left…”

“What do you take me for?”

How did she know? She’s too perceptive.

I dismissed Camilla’s accusation and quickly stuffed her mouth with snacks from the table.

Mmph! Mmph! Leaving Camilla flailing her limbs behind me, I turned to Francesca and Lucia.

“Is everyone prepared to go north?”

“Of course.”

“Yes, I’ve prepared with the bishops.”

I cautiously asked the two of them.

“Would it be alright if I take a look at your luggage?”

*

Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca must soon head to the northern part of the empire.

If this were a simple trip, I wouldn’t need to concern myself with what they packed, but the north is an entirely different story.

The imperial north isn’t a tourist destination—it’s a battlefield.

I don’t think Lucia or Francesca would have packed carelessly. Especially Lucia, who served in the north for three years.

But you never know, so I needed to check their luggage here and now.

Fortunately, both women readily agreed.

“Of course.”

“Shall I go first?”

“Whatever is comfortable for you, Saint.”

Lucia and Francesca laid out the luggage they had prepared. I didn’t need to check Camilla’s since I had packed for her myself.

First, I examined Lucia’s luggage.

“Medicines, holy water, bandages, herbs… mostly medical supplies?”

“There are bound to be many patients in the north. Injuries are inevitable in a war zone, but poor hygiene management also leads to epidemics causing significant damage.”

“So you packed a lot of medical supplies.”

“It will take some time for relief supplies to arrive, so I want to prepare as much as I can.”

Lucia had packed plenty of medical supplies. Among the four of us, she was the only one who had been to the Empire-Magical Realm conflict zone.

Perhaps due to her experience as a healing priestess serving for three years, Lucia’s luggage was not just modest but almost insufficient.

Apart from rations for the journey, a few changes of clothes, and thick winter boots, her only personal items were religious artifacts like scriptures, crosses, and stoles.

I wanted to advise her to remove all the medical supplies and pack more clothes and food, but Lucia was so adamant about bringing medical supplies that it wasn’t easy to persuade her.

In the end, I compromised with Lucia on the condition that she would pack more cold-weather gear and personal medicines.

“You may not need personal medicine, but you absolutely must bring cold-weather gear. You might have to camp outside, and if you sleep on cold ground, your face could become paralyzed.”

“Couldn’t I heal facial paralysis with divine power?”

“You’d be lucky to get any sleep at all.”

Next was Francesca.

“How have you packed, Administrator?”

With a gesture from Francesca, luggage slid out from inside her cape and floated through the air. Camilla and Lucia watched in admiration. It was certainly befitting of a magician.

I slowly examined the items Francesca had prepared. Indeed, her preparation was truly characteristic of a magician.

Her luggage was well-packed. She had thermal-enchanted cold-weather gear, spare clothes, and the saber and rune sword I had seen a few times when she visited Abas.

But a few items caught my eye.

As I silently stared at the luggage, Francesca tilted her head and asked in a puzzled voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Why is your luggage like this?”

Potions, spellbooks, alchemy tools, magical quills, gems, and so on.

Alright, magical items I can understand. Francesca is an alchemist, and alchemy tools might come in handy in the north. She could make potions on the spot if supplies run low.

But this seemed a bit much.

I picked up a gem from among Francesca’s luggage.

“…What is this?”

“A gem.”

“I know that, but why are you bringing it to a conflict zone?”

The alchemist answered as if it were obvious.

“Gems are also ingredients for alchemy. They’re expensive, but quite useful if you know how to use them properly. And if necessary, they can be converted to cash.”

“…Cash?”

“Rather than exchanging Minats for Takrons and carrying them around, wouldn’t it be easier to sell gems locally? They’re not heavy and don’t take up much space.”

Minat is the currency of the Magic Tower, and Takron is the currency of the Kiyen Empire.

Both currencies are accepted on any continent, barring special circumstances. Nobody dislikes money, and Minats and Takrons can be exchanged at higher rates than most national currencies. Think of them as equivalent to the Euro, if not quite the Dollar.

In other words, instead of going through the hassle of exchanging Minats for bundles of Takrons, Francesca planned to bring universally accepted gems and exchange them locally.

It’s not a bad idea.

Intelligence officers going abroad also consider it important to secure high-value items with small volume. I myself have memories of using gems effectively while working in Eastern Europe.

But not in conflict zones.

“It’s not a bad idea, but since the north is currently under access control, you won’t be able to easily exchange gems even if you bring them.”

“That would be true if exchanging through normal channels. But there are many other ways, aren’t there?”

I paused and glanced at Lucia.

Fortunately, Lucia was busy organizing her displayed luggage. After confirming that Lucia was definitely distracted, I began in the most careful tone possible.

“…Surely you’re not planning to exchange gems on the black market?”

Francesca responded with a silent smile.

She’s insane. Planning to carry gems around in a conflict zone.

Come to think of it, Francesca was the one who managed Oracle’s slush fund at the Secretariat. She had dabbled in smuggling and illegal trade, and recently got caught creating political funds through double contracts with private companies.

To be precise, Sophia from the National Security Bureau detected her contact with corporate executives and informed me.

“Good grief…”

She’s truly one of a kind.

I’ve heard that magicians as a species have special quirks at best, eccentric tendencies at worst, and are half-mad at worst, but I’d never met someone quite like her. A refreshingly unique lunatic.

At this point, I’m curious about what Francesca plans to do in the northern black market. I wonder if she’ll end up framing refugees to sell her goods.

“Let’s say carrying gems in a black market, especially in a conflict zone, is problematic. Do you even know where the black market is?”

“Not yet. Not yet.”

“Sigh… Forget about exchanging gems in the north. Gems will likely have low value there anyway.”

“Why?”

Just as I was about to answer.

Camilla, who had been listening from behind, joined the conversation.

“In conflict zone black markets, food and medicine are usually valued higher than gems.”

“……”

“Areas under access control are isolated, so food, medicine, and even daily necessities are absolutely scarce. I’ve seen people fighting over a single roll of toilet paper.”

“……”

“But gems have low value. To use those gems, you’d eventually need to leave the controlled area, but most merchants can’t leave! Of course, it’s different for merchants who can travel in and out…”

“…How on earth do you know all this, Hero?”

Camilla smiled brightly.

“I often went on medical volunteer trips with my sister!”

“…To conflict zones?”

“Yes!”

Despite her words, her expression was incredibly cheerful. Her words and expression were completely at odds.

The discrepancy was so severe that Francesca blinked, looking at Camilla as if wondering what she had just heard.

I sent Camilla to Lucia for a moment, then addressed Francesca, who was staring blankly into space.

“Since you say they’re alchemy ingredients, I won’t interfere. But please try not to exchange gems in the north if possible. It’s dangerous.”

“…Oh, um, okay.”

“You don’t even know where the black market is yet, right?”

The company doesn’t even know how things work in the north, so how would Francesca know?

I conveyed this sentiment in passing.

“Hmm…”

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I’ve just always thought… you seem unable to trust people… Am I wrong…?”

“……”

“Officer, shall we make a bet…?”

In the quiet hotel room, with her back to the Petrograd sky where a snowstorm raged, Francesca smiled sweetly.

“After all, neither of us is the type to sit quietly doing volunteer work in the north, are we…?”