Ch.235Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

“In any case, the Bible I confiscated today is merely being held temporarily. Since the child is safe, it would be proper for me to visit the priest soon and return the Bible.”

“Can’t you just get a new one issued?”

“It’s not that simple. The process of creating an Inquisitor’s Bible is complicated, and losing one requires a detailed report. I shouldn’t say this, but I fear the priest might face punishment.”

“I understand, Saint Lucia.”

“Thank you. Fortunately, this didn’t escalate into a major incident. The circumstances aligned coincidentally. We nearly had someone injured by that spell. That child could have been harmed.”

“……”

“Whether it was truly coincidental or not, I cannot say.”

Episode 12 – The Greatest Magician Ever

The incident triggered by the child’s amateur spell attempt and the Inquisitor’s hasty intervention ended as nothing more than a minor commotion.

Since the motivation behind the spell was simply “wishing for the blizzard to stop” and both the spell and inquisition were unsuccessful, the whole affair would be dismissed as a passing disturbance.

“That’s fortunate.”

“Indeed it is.”

Regardless of who was at fault, all that mattered was that it ended without incident. Let’s just be glad it’s over.

After expressing her agreement and taking a sip of coffee, Lucia relaxed her posture slightly and asked a question to lighten the mood.

“So what brings you two to this village?”

“The administrator is here on official business. We need to repair the railway that passes through the village.”

Francesca is here on business. I came after receiving her call to help clean up any mess.

Well, it ended up being just a minor incident, so my presence wasn’t really necessary.

“You’ve come all this way for nothing. I apologize for wasting your valuable time.”

Lucia’s apologetic expression was evident, but I waved my hand dismissively.

“There’s no need for you to apologize, Saint. I was planning to visit both of you soon anyway.”

Francesca tilted her head in surprise.

“You wanted to see the Saint and me?”

“Yes.”

Though Francesca maintained her composure, she couldn’t hide her puzzlement as she spoke.

“That’s an unusual combination…”

Until now, Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca had always moved as a group. Working with companions designated by the Oracle was an unquestioned custom, almost a rule that needed no explanation.

However, in reality, the three of them had rarely spent time together. Bringing together a high-ranking administrator from the Magic Tower and a saint from the Church was nearly impossible, primarily for political reasons.

I nodded with a serious expression.

“An unusual combination. I understand what you mean.”

“As a diplomat, you would know better than I do.”

No matter how nicely it’s packaged, the Oracle ultimately comes from the Church.

With thousands of years of antagonistic history between the Church and the Magic Tower, resistance is inevitable, even within the Church itself.

That’s why both institutions wanted to keep the two individuals as separate as possible.

They could work together officially as colleagues, but nothing more. At the very least, if they were to meet for personal matters like rest or vacation, Camilla, who held the most neutral position, should accompany them.

This was the implicit agreement reached between the Church and the Magic Tower when Lucia announced her visit to the Magic Tower.

And surrounding nations like Abas and Kiyen respected this agreement.

After all, whenever the Church and Magic Tower gathered in one place, conflicts arose. Both Lucia and Francesca were valued individuals in their respective organizations, and humans couldn’t change what God had ordained.

In the end, the concerns and implicit agreement between the Church and the Magic Tower were understandable to surrounding nations.

So they respected it.

At least until now.

“But hasn’t the situation changed?”

Situations are fluid.

No flower maintains its beauty for more than ten days, and even massive rocks can be split by small streams of water.

So if the situation has changed.

Our response must change too.

“I have something to tell you about the murder case.”

*

A brown envelope was tossed onto the wooden desk.

“Documents sent by the Imperial Magic Department. They’re so fresh the ink is barely dry.”

It’s an autopsy report that the Kiyen Empire’s Magic Department forwarded to the Abas Foreign Ministry.

I opened the envelope and laid out the report sheets one by one on the desk.

“This is a detailed analysis conducted over several weeks on the bodies of the Magic Department investigators who were killed during the transport operation. According to the report, all the murdered investigators were attacked with bladed weapons.”

The evidence in the report graphically depicted the horror of the scene.

Long gashes across abdomens, gouged flesh, multiple sutured wounds, and more.

The photographs captured the brutal murders without filter, making for disturbing viewing.

“…This is terrible.”

Lucia quietly made the sign of the cross, shuddering at the cruel sight.

“The Magic Department believes they were all killed with sharp objects. They suspect the murder weapon was a blade at least 30 cm long. And a rather heavy one at that.”

“Did they identify the culprit?”

“The suspect is presumed to be someone highly skilled with bladed weapons. Like the same person who killed the battle mages found at the rift earlier.”

After taking a sip of coffee and briefly lost in thought, Francesca slightly furrowed her elegant brow.

“Could it be the same perpetrator?”

“I’m not an investigator, so I can’t say for certain, but the imperial investigation agencies believe there’s a high probability it’s the same person.”

“Makes sense. Someone skilled enough to kill multiple battle mages with a single strike would be rare even among adventurers.”

I picked up a paper and waved it gently.

“After a thorough examination using specialized equipment, the Imperial Magic Department found traces of divine power in the wounds on the bodies.”

Which means…

“The prime suspect in this murder case is likely a blade-wielder who uses divine power.”

“……”

“Interestingly, this matches the characteristics of the suspect in the previous murder case.”

Lucia silently bowed her head and made the sign of the cross again. Though it wasn’t her sin, she seemed to feel responsible for the fact that someone from the Church clergy had committed murder.

She could have felt indignant, but Lucia didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t claim the investigation results were untrustworthy, nor did she flatly deny the possibility.

“……”

She simply remained silent with her head bowed.

Ironically, it was Francesca, the magician, who questioned the examination results.

“Major, can we trust the Imperial Magic Department’s examination results?”

“They’re renowned in this field.”

The imperial investigation agencies possess considerable expertise in autopsy and crime scene analysis.

More precisely, they excel at autopsying bodies—except for those who died under mysterious circumstances for certain reasons.

“The Empire dispatched personnel quickly after losing contact with their investigators. Unlike the battle mages’ bodies, which were left unattended for over a day, they were able to preserve the scene well.”

The Imperial Magic Department applied preservation magic to the bodies of the investigators and soldiers before swiftly transporting them to the capital. Then they gathered renowned forensic experts and magicians who frequently collaborate with investigation agencies to conduct the autopsy.

So there’s no reason to doubt the autopsy results themselves.

“As Major Martinez said, if we had transported the bodies to the Magic Tower for autopsy, we might have gotten different results…”

Francesca clicked her tongue in apparent regret.

Come to think of it, someone had argued that the corpses of the swarm of zombie spiders and the giant spider that attacked the rift should be transported to the Magic Tower for thorough analysis. That was Juan Pablo Martinez, whom Francesca just mentioned.

Both Francesca and Martinez seemed to think they were superior to the Imperial Magic Department, but unfortunately, that’s not the case this time.

“Inquisitors participated in this autopsy, just like the previous one. They were the first to detect the divine power reaction, which was later confirmed with additional equipment.”

The Inquisition officially confirmed the presence of divine power in the bodies of the Imperial Magic Department investigators. While this wasn’t publicized through the media due to its sensitive nature, everyone who needed to know in both the Empire and the Church became aware of it.

For reference, I heard about this from Chief Inquisitor Pedro before the report arrived.

“Of course, this is all just a possibility. While a blade-wielder using divine power is a likely suspect, we can’t currently confirm whether that divine power belongs to Church clergy or clerics of another religion. The amount of divine power detected was too small.”

Lucia, who had been listening silently, asked in a voice that sounded almost like a groan.

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, Saint.”

No.

The divine power of the murder suspect has been determined to closely match that used by Church clergy.

That’s why Chief Inquisitor Pedro visited the Kiyen Empire as a confidential envoy to resolve this issue. The Inquisition wanted to make it clear they had nothing to do with this murder case.

But this fact isn’t in the report, and if I were to mention what Pedro told me in front of Lucia or Francesca, it could cause problems. I might share it with Francesca as my informant, but certainly not with Lucia.

It’s a matter of deceiving an innocent person, but what can I do? This is my job.

I embellished the story slightly for Lucia’s benefit. A white lie.

“So, the imperial investigation agencies believe further investigation is needed. As for the positions of the Church and Magic Tower… you’ll find out soon enough, so let’s skip that. Saint Lucia?”

“…Yes.”

“I need your help.”

Lucia, who had been sitting like a guilty person, raised her head. I fixed my gaze on her blue eyes and asked for help in a gentle tone.

“Right now, there’s no one in the north with extensive knowledge about divine power except for religious people. We could find magicians who know about it, but they wouldn’t be as knowledgeable as those devoted to religion.”

“That’s probably true.”

“To properly investigate this case and understand what really happened, we need a cleric’s help. We also need someone with combat capabilities, just in case. And crucially, someone who can keep secrets.”

Therefore…

“Please send Priest Rebecca.”

Lucia’s eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn’t expected that name to come up here.

“You mean Priest Rebecca?”

“Yes.”

Though Priest Rebecca is currently assisting Lucia, her original position is as an Inquisitor.

She was the secretary to Pedro, the Chief Inquisitor, so she must be quite talented based on both her skills and others’ evaluations. And she would certainly be discreet.

After all, the secretary to an intelligence agency chief carries a stricter confidentiality obligation than any other employee.

I naturally assumed that Lucia would know Rebecca was affiliated with the Inquisition.

But Lucia’s reaction was somewhat unexpected.

“Why?”

Lucia looked at me with an expression of complete incomprehension.

Looking into her questioning blue eyes, I instinctively realized that Lucia knew nothing. So once again, I smoothed over the situation with a fabricated story.

“She’s the cleric I’ve known longest after you, Saint. In fact… I barely know any other clergy at all.”

“But didn’t you just say there could be dangerous situations? Rebecca is…”

“Ah, that was just a figure of speech. How much investigating can I do without official authority? I only mentioned combat capabilities as a precaution for the most extreme circumstances. So please don’t worry.”

I tried to calm Lucia, who was showing signs of anxiety. I wasn’t exactly sure why she was worried, but it seemed she was concerned about Priest Rebecca’s safety.

Lucia spoke with worry evident in her voice.

“I’m concerned not just for the priest but for your safety too, Major. You always seem to get injured in these incidents…”

“I’ll be fine this time. Don’t worry.”

To reassure Lucia, who was looking at me like a mother worried about her child, I changed the subject briefly to lighten the mood.

“By the way, Saint, news has arrived from the Church.”

“What news?”

“The court has decided to bequeath all of Cardinal Raul’s assets, including his mansion where you were registered as a ward since your priesthood days, to you. You’ll need to discuss the details with Church officials later, but I’m relaying this message since communications in the north aren’t very reliable…”

“Ah…”

Lucia blinked, her expression suggesting she hadn’t known about this.

After discussing such heavy topics for so long, she must have been feeling uncomfortable despite not showing it.

After sitting in a daze, Lucia eventually collected herself and bowed slightly from her seated position to express her gratitude.

“Thank you. It must have been troublesome…”

“Not at all. It was no problem for me.”

“I truly appreciate it. I’ll be sure to invite all of you to the mansion later.”

“If you need cleaning help, just call me. I could use the chance to clean a mansion and see the Church.”

“If that’s what you want, we can arrange it.”

Lucia, who had maintained a gloomy expression throughout our conversation, smiled softly. It seemed like a smile I hadn’t seen in a long time.

*

I added small talk and jokes to our conversation to lighten the mood. Lucia, who had been uncomfortable in the heavy atmosphere, was at least able to smile by the time she left the room.

While Lucia led the clergy back to the city to continue caring for the refugees, I remained in the office to talk with Francesca.

I gathered the documents sent by the Imperial Magic Department back into the envelope and handed it to Francesca.

“Can you burn this?”

Francesca shook her head.

“I don’t know elemental magic. More precisely, I can’t manipulate fire.”

“Oh, is that so?”

I took out a lighter and burned the envelope with all its contents. While watching the paper twist and blacken, I pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

“Phew…”

I exhaled a cloud of grayish smoke and sat on the edge of the desk. The envelope went into a metal trash can, becoming a small bonfire.

Alone in the office with my informant.

The conversation we’re about to have is the main point.

Watching the thick smoke mix with the air, I said to Francesca:

“The person who killed the battle mages, Magic Department investigators, and military escort officers is indeed a Church cleric.”

“Who killed them?”

“They say it’s an apostate.”

Apostate.

A term referring to someone who switches from one religion to another or stops believing in God altogether.

In most religions, apostasy is considered a grave sin. It’s a direct denial and defiance of faith.

Whether in our world or this one, apostates are objects of contempt within religious communities. Excommunication is standard, and in some cases, they may even face execution.

Chief Inquisitor Pedro pointed to an apostate as the culprit behind this case.

At this, Francesca, a high-ranking official in the Magic Tower Secretariat, smirked.

“An apostate? Well, by that logic, the Oracle could order anyone killed and then just expel them afterward.”

“The Inquisition has confirmed it.”

“……”

As soon as I mentioned that the Inquisition had confirmed it, Francesca’s expression changed.

She asked in a noticeably subdued voice, unusual for her:

“…Is that true?”

I answered immediately.

“Do I have any reason to lie to you?”

“……”

“There’s no need for that. Whatever I say, you have to do as I tell you anyway.”

Francesca’s eyes turned toward me.

The office was somewhat dark as the sun had set early due to winter. Sitting in her formal attire in the dimly lit office, Francesca stared at me directly without saying a word or moving a muscle.

“Don’t take it the wrong way. That’s just how things are.”

The hierarchical relationship between an informant and a handler is clear.

In a manner of speaking, I am Francesca’s superior, and she is my subordinate. More precisely, it’s like the relationship between a primary contractor and a subcontractor.

Using a method I often employed in the past, I could find some leverage over Francesca to make her follow my orders. That would make it easier for me to control her, and Francesca wouldn’t even think about doing anything unnecessary. She wouldn’t question me like she just did.

But that’s something you do when you’re planning to use and discard an informant.

If we were just acquaintances who would see each other for a year or two, blackmail might not be a big issue, but in the current situation, blackmailing Francesca is not a good approach.

I shrugged and smiled as if it had been a joke.

“Don’t worry. I won’t force you to do anything unethical. And it’s true that the Inquisition confirmed it.”

“…Don’t doubt you?”

“If possible.”

Internal information from the Inquisition comes from Pedro. He’s a military intelligence handler who successfully infiltrated the Church and rose to the position of Chief Inquisitor.

In Mossad terms, he’s comparable to Eli Cohen—literally a spy who will go down in history.

However, considering that Eli Cohen, who infiltrated Syria, was caught by counterintelligence and executed, Francesca’s questioning of the information I provided is absolutely not a good sign.

People who doubt the veracity of information usually try to uncover the truth, and to do that, they try to trace the source.

What if Francesca tries to verify the source of the information and gets caught in another intelligence agency’s surveillance net?

Then everything is fucked. In the worst case, we could witness the unprecedented event of a sitting Chief Inquisitor being executed by an Inquisitor.

“Francesca.”

Sitting on the desk, I looked down at her.

Francesca has a tall stature and well-proportioned body. She also has a good sense of fashion, always wearing clothes that suit her.

I hadn’t really noticed before, but looking at her now, Francesca seemed much smaller than I had thought. Whether that’s just how she appears now or something I’m only realizing now, I’m not sure.

Anyway.

“I don’t care why you approached me or what you want from me. More precisely, I’m not concerned about it. Do you know why?”

“…I wonder.”

“Because I know it won’t harm me.”

There are two reasons why a handler accommodates an informant’s requests.

One is to maintain a good relationship with the informant, and the other is because they know the request isn’t threatening.

“Whether you curse the National Security Agency, hate the Magic Tower and seek revenge, or try to restore your family’s glory, that’s not my concern. I’ve only benefited from it, not suffered any losses.”

“……”

“But it’s problematic when you start doubting me like this. There’s nothing good that comes from mutual suspicion, is there?”

“……”

I wiped the corner of my eye with my finger as if removing sleep.

“There’s a Fatalia saying.”

Fluent Fatalian echoed through the dimly lit office.

“A person should wear shoes that fit their feet.”

“……”

“You know what that means?”

Francesca nodded.

“Answer me.”

“I know.”

“Good.”

I exhaled smoke I hadn’t even inhaled. That should be enough for her to understand.

Switching from Fatalian, Francesca’s native language, to Abasian, I continued:

“Anyway, the investigation will now focus on the apostate. In the meantime, let’s seize the opportunity that the dark elf has presented.”

I reviewed the plan Francesca and I had developed over the past few weeks. It was mostly just reciting it and checking for any errors.

“When my friend brings the goods from the port, I’ll have people transport them to the north. You’ve found a distribution route for the north, right?”

“I found it a while ago.”

“Good. Now I’ll explain about the northern black market. The largest organization is the Palm Tree Company run by Hormoz. The local black market operates through competition among the remaining smaller organizations…”

The briefing needed to be as short and concise as possible.

Since Francesca, not I, would be directly pioneering the black market, we conducted the briefing twice—once with me explaining to her, and once with her explaining back to me.

Why is Francesca taking the lead instead of me?

That’s obviously because I’m the handler. Why would the primary contractor do the subcontractor’s job? Besides, I have other matters to attend to.

“What if the Church notices something?”

“I’ll handle that side of things, so don’t worry about it.”

“What about the Military Governor?”

“The Military Governor’s Office is preoccupied with preparing for the March offensive and maintaining security in the north. With the rift attack and the murder case, they can’t afford to pay attention to anything else. Just ignore them for now. I have a plan.”

While the Church has no reason to get involved in the black market, the imperial army is a different story. The imperial army, especially the Military Governor’s Office, is the biggest obstacle to developing the black market.

In terms of numbers, weapons, personnel, funds, and information, the Military Governor’s Office currently holds a far superior position to mine. After all, they oversee all public security operations in the northern region. Even if I deployed the entire Kiyen branch of the Military Intelligence Service, it would be difficult to match them.

So this is something I should handle, not Francesca.

“Administrator, please focus as much as possible on the black market.”

“And?”

“Competitors will emerge. There will definitely be people who try to assert their territorial claims. If you see such people, let me know immediately. While focusing on the black market, please collect information about the northern railway and road networks.”

Since we need to focus on dealing with the dark elf, Francesca doesn’t have the luxury to do anything else. The most reasonable approach is for her to bring intelligence she can gather while working on her official job of restoring the transportation network.

As I continued my explanation, I added jokingly, noticing that Francesca looked rather troubled and wanting to lighten her mood:

“And don’t forget our lovers’ act.”

“What if this ruins my marriage prospects?”

“Should I write a contract then? Automatically renewed every two weeks, with penalties for termination without mutual agreement?”

“Would that change my reputation? This isn’t insurance…”

“Take it or leave it.”

“You’re a bad person, Major.”

Francesca leaned back in her chair with a somewhat lighter demeanor and muttered:

“…Maybe I should use my wish.”

“Wish?”

“You owe me a favor from before, remember?”

“Ah… I do recall something like that. I remember.”

“Could I use that to end this pretend relationship…?”

In response to Francesca’s plea to stop pretending to be lovers, I smiled and replied:

“Absolutely not.”