Ch.233Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

Ruins. Collapsed buildings.

Piles of stones that have crumbled and flowed in like pooled rainwater. The layers of stacked stones resemble a lonely fortress.

The sun, which illuminates all things, disappears beyond the western mountains. Even the faint moonlight is obscured by clouds. The ash-colored sky gives off an ominous feeling at first glance.

Tap. The sound of a staff striking the ground echoed through the ruins where cool air had settled. A person wearing worn and tattered monk’s robes lay down in the ruins with a faint groan.

“They are coming.”

The monk’s gaze shifted as the hem of his robes rustled. In the direction of the sound, where his cloudy eyes rested, someone was kneeling.

Only the back of the person kneeling before the altar was faintly visible.

Their build made it difficult to determine whether they were male or female, and even the timbre of the voice that flowed through their lips was far too faint to define the kneeling figure.

However, one thing was certain.

The object covering his face was a robe.

The monk, with both hands resting on his staff and head bowed, asked in a low voice.

“Who is coming?”

“Those who follow false beliefs.”

“……”

The monk rose from the pile of stones, leaning on his staff.

“…I must prepare.”

As a dull sound echoed through the hollow of the ruins with a thud, a small metallic noise emanated from the staff.

Tap. Tap. The gradually fading sound of the staff. The kneeling man raised his head to look at the mural engraved on the wall of the ruins.

Gazing at the majestic mural no less impressive than the ceiling paintings of the Great Temple, he murmured in a faint voice.

“Worship.”

The seeds left by the greatest ones.

Soon, the time of glory will come.

Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

Despite the harsh environment, the weather in the north is extremely capricious.

This capriciousness is beyond description, which is why there are so many folk tales in the northern region centered around beings who control the weather.

“What are you doing, little one?”

“Me?”

A child wearing thick layers of clothes looks up with a face full of wariness.

The child asked the man standing before him.

“But who are you, mister? Are you a priest by any chance?”

“Something like that.”

“Wow.”

The priest crouched down beside the child. Seemingly unconcerned about his shoes and the hem of his cassock getting dirty in the snow, the priest lowered his gaze.

The child stared at the priest with curiosity before turning his head to look at the ground.

As if proving that dandelions grow even between asphalt cracks and flowers bloom even in mud, the child was focused on making something, his small hands moving busily.

It seems that even the flames of war couldn’t take away the purity of a growing child.

Looking at the child, the priest suddenly pointed at what the child was making.

“Little one, what are you making?”

The priest’s finger pointed at a small stone.

It was too wide, flat, and slightly tall to be called a stone, so perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a small rock.

Several leaves were placed on top of the small rock.

Since it was the middle of winter, the leaves had turned brown to the point of being blackish, and they seemed brittle enough to crumble with the slightest pressure. Nevertheless, the child was carefully placing the leaves on the rock with both hands.

Now that he looked closer, the priest could see tiny fruits on the leaves.

Despite being as small as pebbles mixed in sand and questionably edible, the child was diligently moving his small fingers to transfer the fruits onto the leaves.

The child smiled brightly.

“I’m going to pray!”

“Pray? To whom are you praying?”

“To the Willow Goddess!”

The Willow Goddess is a deity that appears in the folk tales of the northern Kiyen Empire.

She is a goddess who constantly cycles the seasons while traversing the boundaries between heaven and the netherworld—similar to Demeter in Greek and Roman mythology.

Of course, the academic consensus in folklore studies is that the Willow Goddess is more of a spirit than a true deity as her name suggests, but that seems too difficult a concept for the child to understand.

“Why are you praying?”

“I’m going to pray for the snow to stop quickly.”

It was such an innocent answer.

The child, whose baby fat had not yet disappeared, said this with a bright but somewhat lonely smile.

Looking at that smile would naturally make one smile in return. The priest gently stroked the child’s head.

As the priest quietly observed the child who was trying to pray to the Willow Goddess, his mouth opened. The rosary wrapped around his hand made a peculiar jingling sound as it moved.

“Little one.”

“Yes, priest mister.”

The priest smiled gently.

Very slowly and softly, he opened his mouth.

“Are you a heretic?”

*

“Today, a battle broke out near Highway 81 in the southwest direction of the Naroda Mountains. A group of white-tailed feather monkeys attacked a unit transporting military supplies. Additionally, monsters were provoked by the sound of gunfire, resulting in sporadic engagements throughout Highway 81.”

I signed the report Pipin handed over.

As I put down the folder, Pipin collected the report and left, and Jake entered, placing another document on the desk.

“Section Chief. The Military Government Command has requested that we recommend the Hero’s relocation.”

“Where do they want her to go this time?”

It’s been about a month since we came to the north.

That means it’s been a month since we got entangled with the Kiyen Empire, the Order, the Magic Tower, and various pro-imperial factions.

During this relatively short yet sufficiently long month, all operations in the north have been progressing quite smoothly.

“A valley in the eastern mountains, sir. They say artillery can’t reach there, so they need to deploy troops directly and require the Hero’s assistance.”

“A valley is difficult terrain for fighting. The northern weather is notoriously unpredictable, and they want her to face monsters in a valley that’s terrible for combat?”

“Tell me about it. Pipin and I saw photos of the valley recently. Wow, that place is no joke.”

“I don’t understand why they want to send Camilla there…”

The overall situation in the north is very stable.

The reliable Naroda Mountains, with their natural geographical features, are blocking demons and monsters coming from the north. The imperial army has been bombarding them to prevent their approach from a distance, and those that somehow manage to crawl down despite the barrage are caught in the defensive line.

Despite accumulated casualties, the imperial army is still the imperial army. For over a month, there have been “almost” no reported cases of monsters or demons appearing below the Naroda Mountains.

Of course, the imperial army played a crucial role in blocking the southward movement of monsters and demons. But the person who played the pivotal role was none other than Camilla.

“It’s probably because she’s the Hero, so they’re asking her to stop by. Given what she’s shown so far, they’re placing their hopes on her.”

“Complete highway robbers, these guys.”

Participating in the Naroda Mountains Wasteland Operation, Camilla is literally turning the mountains into a wasteland. I understand she’s burned about a quarter of that vast mountain range.

From the early days of the northern deployment, Camilla attracted the attention of high-ranking imperial military officers as the only mage who could burn coniferous forests, but now she’s breaking records daily like an unbridled colt.

It was because of her performance at the Rift.

“Ever since I helped them once, they’ve been asking for all sorts of things. It’s like saving someone from drowning only to have them demand your belongings.”

“It was an impressive feat. Didn’t she take down a spider that could withstand tank shells with a single blow?”

“Single blow, my foot…”

“Why are you like this? Oh right, you were at the Rift then.”

She hunted down a spider that had survived the cross-fire of corps and division artillery and stubbornly returned. Although Camilla didn’t defeat it alone, she was the one who delivered the final blow.

As a result, not only the Military Government Command but also units on the front line are showing interest in Camilla. This was confirmed by intercepting conversations of soldiers on leave from units that had withdrawn to the rear for redeployment.

I closed the report stamped with the Military Government Command mark. Jake was excitedly chattering away.

“She’s like a total idol.”

“Shut up. Anyway, go tell them that Camilla declined this proposal. Do it diplomatically. Say she was troubled because she still has work to do and finds it difficult to go to the valley.”

“What? Is that okay?”

“I’ll explain the situation, so you just go and deliver the message. We’ll coordinate with Camilla on this end, so don’t worry.”

“Understood, Section Chief.”

In any case, all types of operations in the north are proceeding successfully.

Although the Rift was attacked, from a macroscopic perspective, human casualties were minimal. Over a hundred personnel died, but the forces deployed to the north were more than enough to fill the vacancies left by the fallen.

I’m taking good care of Camilla. Since she’s operating in the most remote location, I’m investing a bit more time to look after her. Being naturally energetic like an Energizer bunny, she’s even making snowmen alone in the snow-covered mountains where others would want to escape immediately.

What did she say? If she could handle ice instead of fire, she would make an ice castle much more magnificent than a Disney movie… Anyway, Camilla is doing fine today as well.

However, Lucia and Francesca are a bit of a concern. To be precise, I’m worried about them. Still, fortunately, there haven’t been any major issues with the two of them so far.

The operation ordered by the Military Intelligence Agency is… well, progressing more or less.

“Hey, Pipin!”

When I called Pipin, who was sitting at his desk, he poked his head out.

“You called?”

“Any contact from the meet… I mean, from headquarters today?”

“No communications from either the embassy or headquarters.”

“Hmm. Alright. Carry on.”

Leoni, the chief of the overseas division of the Military Intelligence Agency, ordered us to collect intelligence as quietly as possible.

The mission is to understand everything happening in the north and monitor the movements of key personnel from the Empire, the Order, and the Magic Tower operating in the area.

However, she didn’t tell us which individuals to focus on or what the objective of the operation was. Normally, I wouldn’t have been suspicious, but since the person who issued this operation was “that” Leoni, I couldn’t help feeling slightly uneasy.

Still, orders are orders, and as they say, no news is good news, so I’m just quietly collecting data and sending it to the Military Intelligence Agency headquarters via the embassy.

Licking my lips, I looked up to see that the clock was already pointing to quitting time.

“Work hours are over.”

*

Pipin and Jake groaned as they twisted their stiff bodies.

“Ugh…!”

“My neck hurts. I hear cracking sounds from my neck.”

“Still, this is better than working overtime until dawn.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Section Chief, aren’t you going home?”

I waved my hand while organizing my desk.

“No. I’m leaving late today.”

“Where are you going again? The Saint? The Administrator?”

“Both.”

“Oh my.”

Jake clicked his tongue as if disgusted. Pipin, who was about to leave, took a step back and poked his head into the office.

“Enjoy your intimate time!”

“Hey, you-“

“Run!”

“I’ll have you fired!”

Pipin and Jake left behind some outrageous nonsense and ran off as if their feet were on fire.

I looked at the door my subordinates had dashed through, clicked my tongue lightly, and continued tidying up the office.

“Sigh…”

When will those kids ever grow up?

Thinking this, I busily moved my hands, glanced at the clock, and picked up the phone.

After a short ring, the other person answered. They must have been holding the phone ready.

I greeted Francesca on the other end of the line with a welcoming voice.

“Administrator. It’s Frederick.”

-“Ah, Military Officer.”

“I heard you were going to a new city today. Have you arrived?”

-“Yes, but… this is actually good timing. I was about to contact you first.”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

-“Precisely.”

“Oh dear. If the Administrator is in trouble, I should help resolve-“

-“It’s not me, but the Saint who seems to be in difficulty. There’s been some incident, and the victim is a civilian.”

“Send me the address. I’m leaving now.”