Chapter Index





    “They were killed by a cleric.”

    The cause of death for the Imperial combat mages had been determined.

    “Holy energy was detected. When we applied the test paper to the wounds on the bodies, that’s what the results showed.”

    “…Damn it. Who confirmed this?”

    “Lord Martinez conducted the test himself. Everyone verified it.”

    Francesca continued her explanation in a monotone voice.

    “From our side, three mages from the Elemental School, Ritual School, and Secretariat attended, including myself and Lord Martinez. From the Church, Lord Ferretti, a healing priest, and an inquisitor were present as observers.”

    “Does the Imperial Army know?”

    “Of course they do. All their officers watched the examination.”

    The sudden monster attack.

    Combat mages dispatched from the division to support the Rift.

    But they never reached their destination, found dead in a secluded valley.

    The suspect is a cleric. Coincidentally, priests from the Church were at the Rift.

    No one knows what will happen next. The future looks bleak.

    But one thing is certain.

    “…Where is everyone?”

    The easy times are over.

    Episode 12 – The Most Powerful Mage in History

    When anger rises to the very top of one’s head, a strange calmness takes over.

    Like coal burning black rather than a roaring flame, people suppress their anger quietly instead of raising their voices.

    They swallow that magma-like rage boiling inside until they reach a breaking point, and only then do they erupt like a volcano, pouring out their heightened emotions.

    The scene at the autopsy site was not far from what I had expected.

    “……”

    “……”

    The people gathered at the scene were divided into exactly three groups.

    Clerics in black robes from the Church, soldiers in uniforms from the Kiyen Empire, and mages in capes from the Tower. Everyone clustered according to their affiliation.

    Perhaps it was due to the red insignia on the Imperial uniforms or their expressionless faces, but the red of their uniforms seemed particularly intense today.

    Black priestly robes and red uniforms.

    A clear contrast of red and black.

    When I first arrived in this neighborhood, I had thought about becoming either a cleric or a soldier, like in that Stendhal book my French friend gave me.

    But when I came to my senses, I found myself working as an intelligence officer again, just like in the old days.

    Old habits die hard, I suppose.

    “So this is where everyone is.”

    “……”

    I felt like I was walking into a lion’s den as I pushed my way through the three groups.

    Francesca, who had come to my quarters with the news, as well as Lucia and Camilla, walked alongside me.

    While the Tower officials and Church dignitaries maintained proper etiquette in the presence of their high-ranking superiors, the looks they cast at their counterparts were anything but friendly.

    I quietly whispered to Lucia and Francesca.

    “The situation doesn’t look good, so it might be better if you two separate. I’m a foreigner so it doesn’t matter for me, but seeing you two standing together doesn’t look particularly good right now.”

    “…I understand.”

    “Indeed.”

    The two naturally distanced themselves and returned to their respective positions.

    Francesca, seemingly accustomed to such situations, maintained her composure well, but Lucia’s expression was noticeably rigid.

    The faces of the Church and Tower people darkened further, while the Imperial soldiers stepped back to observe the atmosphere between the two sides.

    The situation felt like it could turn bloody at any moment, so I decided to take the initiative before things got worse.

    “This discussion seems like it will be lengthy, but the current setting seems inappropriate for a conversation.”

    I spoke with the feeling of walking a tightrope over high-voltage wires.

    Turning to the Imperial soldiers, I suggested:

    “Perhaps we should move to a different location?”

    *

    In this part of the world, there are mainly two ways to resolve conflicts.

    One is through constructive dialogue to narrow differences of opinion, and the other is to crack the opponent’s skull to leave only one opinion standing.

    The latter is commonly known as a duel.

    In most countries, dueling is legally prohibited, but in private matters where courts cannot easily intervene, duels are often used to settle scores. This typically happens among people entangled in matters of love and jealousy.

    However, dueling is impossible in public matters, especially if they’re related to diplomacy.

    So, I proposed an exchange of opinions through the most civilized and gentlemanly dialogue.

    No matter how angry one might be, brawling in foreign territory, especially in a military facility, would be a major diplomatic faux pas.

    Whether they’re clerics or mages, shedding blood in Imperial territory while Imperial soldiers watch would be unacceptable. Metaphorically speaking, the Imperial soldiers are the homeowners, and the clerics and mages are merely guests.

    Moreover, considering that these homeowners have tanks, bloodshed must be avoided.

    “According to international law and diplomatic conventions, this incident clearly falls under the jurisdiction of the Kiyen Empire. Also, since this gathering was arranged after lengthy negotiations by diplomats from various countries, I believe it’s right to have a calm discussion to understand each other’s positions and clear up any misunderstandings.”

    “……”

    “Besides, isn’t it inappropriate to exchange opinions on the street? We also need to take care of those lying here.”

    I indirectly expressed the sentiment “don’t raise your voices when you don’t even have investigative authority” and “please step in before these guys draw their swords.”

    Moreover, the bodies of the Imperial mages were still at the scene. Though they had been brought out for examination, raising voices in front of the deceased would be frowned upon in any culture.

    Fortunately, my persuasion seemed to work.

    The clerics and mages who looked ready to grab each other’s collars took a step back, and the Imperial soldiers said they would arrange a meeting room and asked everyone to wait.

    That was the good part.

    The problem was that unlike the courteous diplomats I had met over the past few months, the people gathered here knew nothing about diplomacy.

    And this problem became evident as soon as the meeting began.

    “It was definitely a cleric who killed them. 100% certain. There’s nothing more to see.”

    “……”

    This was what a Tower mage blurted out when given the floor to share opinions on the autopsy results.

    The mage, resting his arms on the armrests and waving his hands dismissively, spoke as if stating the obvious.

    “The test paper developed by the Ritual School is perfect. It’s widely used by investigative agencies in the Kingdom of Abas, the Republic of Fatalia, the Kiyen Empire, as well as on the Moritani continent and in the Eastern regions. With an error rate converging to decimal points, there’s no room for doubt.”

    The mage spouting this wore a cape with the emblem of the Ritual School.

    While it might seem like he was just boasting about his school, this was actually a fact. Even the forensic scientists in Abas use test papers made by the Tower’s Ritual School to detect magic or holy energy at crime scenes.

    But even correct statements can become irritating when repeated too often, and even the truth can become defamatory.

    -Bang!

    Someone on the opposite side of the mage slammed the table.

    “It’s investigators, not forensic scientists, who catch criminals! Even if holy energy was detected on the body, that doesn’t prove that a Church cleric is the culprit.”

    The person who raised his voice was a priest.

    Despite his young age, his presence at such a meeting suggested that he was either highly compatible with holy energy or deeply devout, enough to be recognized even in the conservative Church.

    Of course, his statement wasn’t wrong either.

    It’s the police investigators, not forensic scientists, who investigate crimes. The National Forensic Service examines crime scenes and autopsies bodies, but ultimately it’s the police who find the criminals. So the priest’s words weren’t incorrect.

    Yes, rationally speaking, he’s right.

    But sometimes emotions precede reason.

    “I understand that, but that doesn’t mean Church clerics are off the suspect list. Honestly, who else here can handle holy energy besides clerics?”

    “So you’re saying we killed the Imperial soldiers?”

    “Combat mages, to be precise. Imperial ones. Yes.”

    The religious man clenched his fist. The veins on the back of his hand were visible, clearly showing he was preparing for a fight.

    I hadn’t expected a calm, intellectual conversation, but honestly, I didn’t think it would be this bad. Unrefined statements that would make the Foreign Ministry gasp were flying around.

    Whether they had sensed the situation turning sour and decided to back out, or they were busy reporting to the military command, the Imperial senior officers had disappeared, leaving only a few junior officers in the meeting room.

    They just blinked in confusion, surrounded by foreign languages flying around.

    “Hah…”

    “……”

    I pressed my temples and looked around. Between the religious men and mages who were criticizing each other as if ready to tear each other apart, I spotted Ferretti and Martinez.

    The highest-ranking Ferretti and Martinez were trying to calm the situation by cautioning the religious men and mages who were arguing among themselves.

    Normally, Francesca and Lucia should also be there trying to mediate, but…

    “Where did they go?”

    The two had left without a word before the meeting even started.

    I tried to calm the situation by pouring water into my aching stomach.

    “Everyone, please calm down and compose yourselves. Quietly. Yes, Lord Ferretti?”

    Ferretti, seated near the head of the table, silenced the noisy religious men. Martinez, seated on the opposite side, also gestured to calm the mages who were raising their voices.

    As the noise in the meeting room subsided, Ferretti spoke. The usually jovial man began with a serious voice.

    “I regret meeting under such circumstances… but let me ask one thing first.”

    Ferretti directed a question to Martinez.

    “Is that test result truly reliable?”

    The Ritual School mage who had been raising his voice from the start bristled at the question about the test’s reliability.

    However, Martinez answered before the mage could open his mouth.

    “Yes, it is.”

    He added his opinion to the test results. His slightly arrogant demeanor was gone. His voice was strictly professional.

    “Generally, magical energy, like fingerprints, leaves unique traces depending on the user. Even mages who studied together in the same school cannot have identical qualities and forms of magical energy. Investigative agencies define such traces as ‘magical residue.'”

    “……”

    “I don’t know much about holy energy, so I’m not sure if the same premise applies in this situation. However, the test paper is only a simplified method to detect traces of magical and holy energy, not a precise instrument that can determine their form and quality. It’s similar to comparing a microscope and a magnifying glass. And of course, there are variables.”

    “Variables, you say?”

    “There are many. The magical or holy energy left on the body might have evaporated or deteriorated… or it might have been contaminated due to inadequate scene preservation. Didn’t the healing priest who first discovered the scene try to heal the Imperial mages, thinking they were injured?”

    “That’s correct.”

    Ferretti nodded.

    “Then, in that process, the magical energy left on the body might have been diluted due to conflict with holy energy.”

    Unlike other mages who were being picky with the knights, Martinez maintained a professional attitude, excluding his personal opinions and only mentioning the facts.

    “So, for an accurate investigation, the bodies need to be transported to a place with specialized equipment…”

    “Lord Martinez.”

    Someone interrupted Martinez.

    Martinez frowned momentarily, seemingly displeased.

    “I cannot agree with your opinion.”

    An elderly mage addressed Martinez. He was wearing a cape.

    “Is it necessary to waste time on such unnecessary arguments? No matter how much we argue, the fact that holy energy was detected on the bodies won’t change.”

    A priest, quite rugged-looking, opened his mouth in protest to the mage’s words.

    “Are you saying we’re the culprits?”

    “Who else could it be?”

    “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year.”

    The cleric let out a mocking laugh.

    But the mage didn’t back down.

    “Isn’t the causal relationship crystal clear?”

    “It’s a common misconception that only Church clerics can handle holy energy.”

    The cleric stared directly at the mage. From the whispers among the Church people, it seemed the person speaking with the mage wasn’t an ordinary priest but an inquisitor.

    A mage and an inquisitor. The ominous thought of such an incompatible combination, like oil and water, began to creep in.

    He addressed the mage mockingly.

    “Apostates and heretics also handle holy energy. Of course, the ignorant masses don’t know this.”

    As the saying goes, kind words beget kind words. Seeing the inquisitor’s mocking tone, I worried about what the mage might say in response.

    For a moment, I thought I should intervene to stop the conversation, but sadly, I was a step too late. Before I could begin, someone from the Tower blurted out to the inquisitor:

    “How can you be sure that these apostates or heretics aren’t Church people?”

    At that moment, a chilling silence descended upon the meeting room.

    And shortly after.

    “You bastaaaaard!”

    The inquisitor’s roar erupted, his neck veins bulging.

    Neither I, nor Ferretti, nor Martinez could prevent this sudden outburst.

    The surrounding clerics tried to restrain the inquisitor as he threw his chair back and tried to stand up. Both priests and knights stepped in to calm him down, and even the inquisitors standing at the back rushed forward.

    Despite the restraints from all sides, the inquisitor, his face red with anger, twisted his body and shouted loudly.

    “Shut your mouth if you want to die peacefully!”

    Despite the efforts of several strong men, knights, and inquisitors to hold him back, the inquisitor shook off their hands and continued to rage, looking ready to charge forward.

    The mages also seemed surprised by his fierce demeanor. Some stood up from their seats, and a few were even moving their lips, seemingly preparing to fight.

    Just as bewilderment, anger, noise, and tension that felt like it could explode at any moment began to swirl in the meeting room…

    “Enough.”

    Someone’s voice calmed the commotion.

    “Holy Maiden…!”

    “Step back.”

    It was Lucia.

    She had left the room before the meeting even started but had now reappeared silently.

    The Church clerics were stunned by Lucia’s sudden appearance. Those restraining the inquisitor seemed equally surprised.

    The inquisitor easily shook off the hands that had been holding him, as if their grip had weakened. Free from the restraint of the knights and inquisitors, he strode forward and knelt before Lucia.

    “Holy Maiden! They dared to utter blasphemous words…!”

    “I said step back. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

    Lucia silenced the inquisitor with a firm voice. Unable to defy the Holy Maiden, the inquisitor bowed his head deeply and retreated without a word.

    Meeting the gazes directed at her one by one, she calmly delivered her message.

    “I just came from informing Holy Maiden Veronica about everything that has happened here. Fortunately, she was with the Pope and bishops, so they’ve also been informed.”

    Lucia, looking at the Church clerics, added briefly:

    “So don’t make any mistakes.”

    As if that was a signal, not only the clerics but even the inquisitor who had been shouting stopped their commotion.

    “Oh, it was noisy earlier, but now it’s quiet…”

    The door opened, and Francesca appeared behind Lucia. Holding a magical communication device, she called out to Martinez in a gentle voice.

    “Lord Martinez.”

    “Yes, please speak.”

    “Instructions have come down from the Oracle.”

    The Tower Secretariat’s administrator spoke to the head of the Secretariat’s dispatched personnel.

    “They want you to ensure that people don’t act rashly for the time being. To prevent causing problems by getting involved in matters that should be resolved by the home country, not on-site. Do you understand what I mean?”

    “Yes.”

    “Good.”

    Francesca smiled with satisfaction and made eye contact with me, who was wearing a deadpan expression. A beat later, a playful smile appeared on her face.

    “Holy Maiden, it seems today isn’t the right day. How about we all take some time to cool our heads?”

    Lucia let out a small sigh.

    “Let’s do that.”

    *

    While the military command was reporting to the central government, Lucia and Francesca each relayed the news to the Church and the Tower.

    Naturally, the Empire, the Church, and the Tower were all in an uproar.

    -‘A mage was killed by a priest?’

    It had been well over a decade since a cleric officially killed a mage.

    Excluding the inquisitions conducted in the shadows, for nearly a decade, there had been no instances of clerics killing mages or mages killing clerics.

    The Church and the Tower took this situation very seriously.

    -‘Honestly, I can’t believe it. Is this true? Is Lucia not just talking nonsense after drinking?’

    “There’s no concrete evidence that a cleric did it yet, but holy energy was indeed detected on the body.”

    Holy energy was detected on the bodies of the elite Imperial combat mages who were killed.

    The location of death was near the Rift, a nationally important facility. Moreover, the Rift was under attack by monsters. The mages were killed while coming to provide support.

    Every aspect of this was serious, and when combined, it became a nuclear bomb.

    Of course, the Church denied the allegations, but the Tower didn’t seem to believe them. I wasn’t sure what the Empire was thinking.

    -‘That aside, what’s this about monsters?’

    “I went to the Rift to meet Francesca, and suddenly a swarm of corpse spiders attacked. A huge spider was wrecking tanks and causing all sorts of havoc, so Camilla, Francesca, the knights, and the Tower’s combat mages all joined forces to kill it. By the way, the dead Imperial mages were killed while coming to provide support after receiving a call.”

    -‘I was having a great time fleecing suckers at the gambling den when the Pope and those old fogies came barging in, which was annoying enough. But what kind of bolt from the blue is this? Even the Lord rests on Sundays, but the incidents just won’t stop!’

    “Wait, why is a Holy Maiden running scam gambling operations at a gambling den?”

    Veronica, who received Lucia’s call, jumped in surprise.

    Having been caught by the Pope himself while secretly visiting a gambling den on Sunday to make a big score, Veronica was in the middle of being reprimanded (in her words, “bullshit”) when she received Lucia’s call and nearly fainted.

    After hearing the details of the incident, the Church declared a state of emergency. The Tower, which received Francesca’s report, did the same.

    “The Oracle is taking this murder case very seriously. They’re planning to propose a joint investigation through the embassy unofficially.”

    Since the Tower and the Empire don’t officially recognize each other as sovereign states, there’s no diplomatic mission that could be called an embassy.

    However, like China and Taiwan, the Tower and the Empire maintain unofficial diplomatic relations through offices managed by the tourism department, not the foreign ministry. It’s a facility set up for tourism purposes, neither an embassy nor a consulate, but it handles diplomatic affairs, so everyone conveniently calls it an embassy.

    Anyway, the Tower seems to have already internally agreed to propose a joint investigation to the Empire.

    I received information from Francesca and gave her the information she needed.

    “The Church seems to be leaning towards requesting a thorough investigation. It seems they haven’t fully grasped the situation yet, but if the Tower proposes a joint investigation to the Empire, they’re likely to change their stance.”

    “I’ll keep that in mind, Officer.”

    With the situation having reached this point, not only the Church and the Tower but also the nerves on the ground were on edge.

    Clerics and mages who would at least exchange greetings with sour faces when they met now wouldn’t even make eye contact. While they seemed to be restraining themselves because the State Council and the Oracle had ordered them not to act rashly, preventing bloodshed didn’t mean preventing all conflicts.

    As the situation in the north grew more serious, it wasn’t just the Church and the Tower that were panicking. The Empire was in a similar predicament.

    While they had anticipated animosity, the Church and the Tower began to sharpen their blades due to the sudden murder, which was quite awkward for the Empire.

    Eventually, fearing an armed conflict between the two sides, the Imperial government ordered the military command to coordinate the activities of the Knight Order and the Magic Corps so that their areas of operation wouldn’t overlap. The Rift was no exception.

    The military command decided to exclude the Knight Order and the Magic Corps from the operation to eliminate the remaining monsters and instead deploy a division from the nearby area. They then sent a polite official letter requesting the withdrawal of the Knight Order and the Magic Corps.

    The Knight Order and the Magic Corps accepted the military command’s request without protest.

    It was already an uncomfortable cohabitation, and now the atmosphere had become so hostile that another murder wouldn’t be surprising, so they had no choice.

    Martinez led the Magic Corps and was the first to leave the Rift, followed by Ferretti, who commanded the Knight Order.

    For reference, Francesca and Lucia followed the Magic Corps and the Knight Order, respectively.

    They were at least on terms where they would exchange greetings at the hotel when they returned late, but given the hostile atmosphere, the two agreed to stay apart for the time being.

    Watching the two part ways in the now-empty lodging, Camilla dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief from who-knows-where and said:

    “It’s like Romeo and Juliet…”

    I don’t know about Shakespeare, but I wanted to pick up Camilla and throw her.

    While the situation is very bad, it’s not entirely bleak.

    “We got a call from the embassy, Camilla. They’re moving the bodies of the Imperial mages for an autopsy. Magic Department investigators are on their way.”

    “Will the autopsy provide definitive evidence?”

    “Of course.”

    The Empire decided to autopsy the bodies of the combat mages. I heard that the bodies would be kept by the unit defending the Rift and would be handed over to the Magic Department investigators when they arrived.

    Once the autopsy is done, it will clarify the cause of death and determine if the mages were indeed killed by clerics.

    Then one of two things will become clear:

    Either all these concerns will turn out to be a misunderstanding, a mere incident.

    Or a shocking truth that will plunge everyone into confusion will be revealed.

    Whatever the outcome, someone will have to bear it.

    “Let’s leave too. There’s nothing good about staying here any longer.”

    “Don’t we need to help with the body recovery?”

    “They’ve already recovered everything. Let’s go to the hotel.”

    I quietly left the Rift with Camilla.

    However, we never got to face those results.

    Because the Magic Department investigators, while being escorted by the Imperial Army out of the north, were attacked by unknown assailants.

    And the bodies of the Imperial mages they were transporting were all burned to ashes.

    This happened on the very day the Magic Department investigators were supposed to take the bodies from the Rift.


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