Ch.244Episode 12 – The Greatest Mage in History

“…We recently received intelligence from a local information asset. It’s intelligence about an individual believed to be directly connected to the main suspect who provided the black magic used in the department store terror attack.”

After placing the crumpled piece of paper between the pages of the Bible, Priestess Rebecca discreetly tucked the holy book away.

The message written on the paper was simple.

Sitting on a long bench in the cathedral, I looked ahead and began speaking.

“‘Find the monk who wanders desolate places in the deep night.’ It’s a phrase written in classical literary style, the common language of the Mauritanian continent.”

Priestess Rebecca, who had been examining the paper carefully, closed the Bible and asked a question.

“Is this information reliable? Could it perhaps be a metaphorical expression?”

“I wondered about that too and double-checked, but they insist it’s meant to be taken literally.”

“…”

Seated on the cathedral bench, Priestess Rebecca quietly closed her eyes and fell into silence.

After a long pause, she finally spoke.

“…To receive intelligence about a monk connected to black magic while tracking apostates. This seems too significant to dismiss as mere coincidence.”

“It’s probably just a coincidence, Priestess.”

Priestess Rebecca replied with her eyes still closed.

“I can only hope that’s the case.”

Episode 12 – The World’s Most Powerful Magician

While an investigation based on Hormoz’s intelligence had begun, I brought the Inquisition into the fold by sharing the information.

This terror attack investigation was being conducted internationally.

The religious order that had always been vigilant against black magic, the Kingdom of Abbas as victims of the terror, and the intelligence agencies of the Kiyen Empire, homeland to many of the terrorists, had joined forces.

Add to that the countries that expressed their desire to help since the attack happened in a developed nation.

At first glance, it looked like an alliance formed under the banner of peace, but digging deeper revealed a slightly different story.

“I don’t understand any of this.”

Counter-terrorism is a distinct field that operates somewhat differently from security intelligence or counterespionage.

Unlike security intelligence, counter-terrorism collects separate intelligence under the name of counter-terrorism information from the very beginning, and operates across various regions both domestically and internationally.

The problem is that this field can seem unfamiliar without specialized job transition training or continuing education.

“Jake! Did you find the materials on black magic in the Mauritanian continent?”

“No. Pippin, we don’t have the minutes from the 15th department store terror case working group. Should we request those documents again?”

“Ahhh…! Charnoi cannot open these documents with his clearance level…! There’s still a mountain of materials we haven’t checked, and this is clearly a problem…!”

That’s why Pippin, Jake, and Charnoi had been buried in paperwork.

At the lodging assigned by the military government headquarters, the military intelligence officers gathered at the hotel were busy reviewing materials sent by the domestic division.

It’s been a while since I told them to do this, but they still can’t seem to get a handle on it.

“Section Chief, you’re back?”

“Yeah.”

With a dry piece of bread from lunch in my mouth, I entered the room acknowledging Jake’s greeting.

Documents from the Abbas investigative agencies’ counter-terrorism investigation were scattered across tables, sofas, and beds, while several security terminals on the cluttered business conference table emitted blue light as they operated.

I approached Charnoi, who was struggling alone at the edge of the table where he had placed his coffee cup.

“Move aside, Charnoi. Let me try with my code.”

I typed in my assigned access code on the keyboard.

As soon as I pressed the final enter key, the encrypted files sent by the Magic Department opened without issue.

“Thank you so much…! As a token of gratitude, Charnoi will give you one honey candy…!”

Charnoi offered me a honey candy and then focused on examining the documents.

Sitting in a chair, forcing down the dried-out bread, I popped the nymph’s candy into my mouth and groaned.

“Ugh…”

My body aches all over.

Running two operations simultaneously is taking its toll. Though my circumstances are certainly better than before, the fatigue feels almost doubled, no, tripled.

“Whew. Back in the day, I could move for twelve hours in a wetsuit in the desert and still be fine. I guess I’m getting old…”

When I was in intelligence with the rank of captain, I could command five or six staff members, wear a wetsuit under civilian clothes, and fire guns without feeling tired.

I’m definitely not what I used to be.

As I was grumbling about my body not keeping up with my mind, a passing blonde, tanned punk decided to make a snide comment.

“Wow, Section Chief, you really look like an old geezer right now.”

“You little shit…”

As I was slumped over and drooping, Pippin, who was holding a pen and compiling data, scolded Jake.

“Hey. What kind of way is that to talk?”

“But he really does look like an old man.”

“Even so, saying it to his face is disrespectful.”

“Just curse me out directly, you bastards…”

Pippin and Jake snickered at my weak muttering.

“Sorry for laughing, Section Chief.”

“Cut the crap and let’s get back to work…”

“Yes, sir.”

*

Although the workload had increased, obtaining Hormoz’s intelligence was a tangible achievement. The Abbas intelligence agencies, including military intelligence, created a list of suspects based on my report.

This provided a new target for the counter-terrorism investigation that had stalled after the terrorists were subdued without casualties and their origins, objectives, and methods were identified. With this momentum, the agencies began to seriously track down those behind the terror attack.

Whether they judged the evidence to be unclear or decided to protect the source, the Abbas government didn’t share the specific details with other countries, but considering everyone’s positive reaction to the fact that they had found a lead to identify those behind the attack, I could roughly guess how stagnant the investigation had been.

However, amid this atmosphere, there were people who couldn’t simply rejoice.

“Are you alright, Priestess Rebecca?”

Inquisitor Rebecca answered with a troubled expression.

“I’m fine.”

“You say that, but your expression doesn’t look particularly bright.”

“…”

In the square of St. Basilius Cathedral, with its long and proud history.

Even the winter chill seemed to have tired itself out, with gentle winds and soft snowflakes slowly falling from the sky, coloring the world.

Though the air was still cold and the sky gloomy, the weather had improved slightly, bringing more people to the streets. The northern citizens who had endured four years of conflict were gathering in the cathedral square, hoping the new year would bring an end to the tragedy.

The atmosphere was somewhat hopeful and warm, but Priestess Rebecca’s expression remained somber.

Looking at the crowd visiting the cathedral to celebrate the approaching holy day, she let out a heavy sigh.

“Honestly, my mind is not at peace.”

“I understand.”

Currently, there are two main issues surrounding the north: tracking down those behind the terror attack and pursuing the suspect in the murder case.

Tracking down the person who supplied black magic to the terrorists in the no-man’s land, and the person who killed an imperial army magician and a Magic Department investigator before disappearing.

At first glance, these topics might seem unrelated, but coincidentally, a cleric from the religious order had been identified as a direct or indirect suspect in both cases.

The Inquisitor looked up at the gloomy sky.

“Whether it’s fate or coincidence, I don’t know. But the fact that a cleric has become a suspect weighs heavily on my heart.”

“What does the Inquisition say?”

“We’re conducting an internal investigation under the Grand Inquisitor’s orders.”

The Inquisition had launched an internal investigation.

As soon as they received intelligence that a cleric was involved with the person who supplied black magic for the terror attack that victimized a saint of the order, Peter himself issued the directive.

“It must have been hard to believe, yet you moved quickly.”

“There was significant internal resistance.”

The Abbas government didn’t share Hormoz’s intelligence with foreign governments for two reasons.

First, the assessment of the intelligence’s reliability was still insufficient. So, separate from the joint investigation team connected with foreign intelligence agencies, Abbas intelligence agencies began their own verification process.

Second was the impact of the intelligence.

Though I was the one who obtained it, even I wondered, “Is this correct? It seems dubious” about the claim that a cleric from the order was connected to black magic.

I reported it anyway since having something was better than nothing, and the Abbas government, lacking better options, decided to verify it despite their doubts.

The problem is…

“If this turns out to be true, it would be a serious matter.”

The moment Hormoz’s intelligence is proven true, the religious order will inevitably find itself in a very awkward position. A cleric from the order helped in a terrorist attack that harmed civilians, and moreover, Lucia was among those affected.

Naturally, the competence of the Inquisition would also come under scrutiny. Externally, they would be criticized for meddling in others’ affairs when they couldn’t even keep their own house in order, and internally, they would be condemned for failing to properly perform their duties despite their authority.

A bomb attack, assassination attempt, murder of foreign soldiers and officials, plus support for terrorism.

At this rate, the next Grand Inquisitor would have to attend a hearing from day one of their term.

“Fortunately, the Grand Inquisitor strongly advocated for this. For now, the Inquisition is independently working to identify the suspect. And…”

“I know. That the previous terror attack was unrelated to the order.”

“Yes. Thank you for understanding.”

“Of course.”

I was there too, after all.

Though it might be a bit awkward to call myself a victim since I was killing terrorists, I was still one of the victims present at the terror scene.

“Still, it’s fortunate that no one in your party, including the Saint, was injured. The terrorists’ motives were purely political, with absolutely no religious connection. I fully understand the position of those who objected internally. By the way, have you looked into the monk I mentioned?”

“We’re currently inquiring about the monk you described among the clerics dispatched here and those in the diocese, but…”

Priestess Rebecca trailed off with a sigh. She seemed to be having quite a headache as things weren’t going as planned.

“It’s not easy. And we haven’t had much success.”

“I see…”

Finding a monk whose name we don’t even know in the northern region, which is as large as a decent-sized country, is no small challenge.

Hormoz is also gathering information through the Palm Tree Trading Company, but they’ve been cautious since the military government’s crackdown, so no useful information has come in.

What can I do? This is my karma.

“I understand for now. Please contact me anytime if you receive new information.”

“Take care.”

*

Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and the new year was just around the corner.

Perhaps because the new year was approaching, the north began to show signs of vitality again.

Refugees gradually losing their spirit due to the aftermath of the conflict, as well as soldiers, officials, and foreign troops dispatched from friendly nations, all came out to the streets to prepare for the coming year. Though a few days remained, everyone seemed to hold a faint hope that something would be different next year.

Coincidentally, hopeful news was also flowing from the media.

[The Abbas government has officially enacted a humanitarian aid bill. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is checking supplies for refugee relief and will maintain close cooperation with relevant authorities for prompt support…]

The Abbas government officially decided to support refugees in the northern region of the Kiyen Empire.

I was able to access domestic news from a Foreign Ministry official.

-‘The Empire refused aid for years, and now they’re finally accepting it. This has been discussed for a while, but the timing is impeccable, isn’t it? Anyone would think it’s a New Year’s gift.’

“Sister Adela. You must be very tired these days. Your voice sounds completely worn out.”

-‘Is it that noticeable?’

“Yeah. It’s collapsed like your face, so of course it’s noticeable.”

-‘Do you want to die?’

During a rare visit to the embassy, I called my family in Abbas. My father, brother Jerry, sister Adela, mother, and Ayla all seemed to be doing well.

On the other end of the phone, Adela was making a fuss as she clocked out.

-‘Oh right. Did you know Ayla bought me a gift?’

“What gift could an unemployed person give?”

-‘She got a job, remember? She bought gifts for the family with her first paycheck. Dad, Mom, Jerry, and me. Quite expensive gifts too.’

“…What about mine?”

-‘You’re overseas, aren’t you? She’ll probably get you something when you return. Or should I ask her to send it by mail? We know someone at the embassy, so we could send it that way.’

“Damn… Just tell her to pay back the money she borrowed from me.”

Being the end of the year, my family in Abbas was busy with their daily lives. As civil servants with many events and duties, this was natural.

According to brother Jerry, father was getting home late due to a promotion and job transfer coinciding. Mother apparently couldn’t even come home because of royal events. And of course, ordinary civil servants like Jerry and Adela were busy too.

-‘Having a lot to do at the end of the year is unavoidable. How about you?’

“Oh, I’m just going back and forth between the embassy and the north.”

-‘Are you feeling alright? You shouldn’t be getting injured. Mother said she’s sending medicine in case you catch the flu. Should I send it through Adela?’

“No need. There are clerics everywhere, so why would I need medicine… I sleep at a hotel every day and commute to headquarters, so tell her not to worry about me and take care of her own health. Why is the royal family dragging someone her age to events?”

-‘If you insist… Alright. How far away is your vacation? You should spend the New Year at home.’

“No plans yet. Brother can do my share too.”

-‘I’ll prepare just in case. Let me know if you get leave.’

It wasn’t just my family of Abbas civil servants who were busy.

With schedules somewhat tightened to match the Empire military’s offensive operation plans, our group staying in the north was also living busy lives.

“Camilla, are you doing alright these days?”

“Because of the unusual weather, there’s nothing to eat, so monsters have started rampaging earlier than last year. They’re coming down from the mountains and attacking. I’ve been busy stopping them.”

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“When I shoot fireballs at them, they get startled and run away, so I just burned down the whole forest. I used to hunt them down one by one, but this way is definitely easier. So tomorrow, I’m planning to drive them into a nearby valley and burn them all at once.”

“No, that… Is burning things all you think about…?”

Camilla is taking the lead in eliminating monsters.

She continues to excel at the defensive line of the Naroda Mountains, but with the early arrival of cold weather causing monsters to rampage, she has more work to do.

As the member of our group who collaborates most actively with the Imperial Army, Camilla’s abilities are developing day by day. Though she still has some loose screws, I consider that part of her charm and let it slide.

“Don’t overuse your abilities. We still don’t know why you faint… Don’t act alone in case you collapse.”

“I feel dizzy if I use fire for too long, but I’m fine for now. I know my limits well.”

“I’m sure you do. Oh my…”

“Oh right. I’m keeping the list safe, but when should I show it to you?”

“Keep holding onto it for now. The time isn’t right yet.”

Like Camilla, Francesca is also living a busy life.

In some ways, Francesca might be even busier than Camilla.

“Administrative Officer. An official from the Empire’s Railway Ministry has contacted us about railway repairs and needs to discuss…”

“Send staff from the Secretariat. There’s no need for me to attend the meeting.”

“Administrative Officer. Personnel from the Magic Tower have arrived. They’re the combat magicians we requested earlier. Where should we send them?”

“Contact Lord Evangelos. All combat magicians are managed by the Magic Corps, not the Secretariat.”

Though she stepped down from her position as Administrative Officer of the Magic Tower Secretariat, Francesca was still a civil servant affiliated with the Secretariat. As a member of the Ranieri family, she received treatment equivalent to that of a high-ranking executive.

Considering that Evangelos from the Risidike family, another descendant of a great magician, commands the Magic Corps, Francesca might seem slightly lower in status as a mere civil servant. However, since the Secretariat that assists the Oracle is similar in position to presidential aides, Francesca is incomparable to ordinary civil servants.

Francesca directed most of the non-combat work performed by the Magic Tower in the north.

All non-combat magicians operating in the north moved according to Francesca’s instructions, and even the Magic Corps, with its independent command structure, coordinated with Francesca to some extent and showed her respect.

Of course, she wasn’t busy solely because of Secretariat duties.

“It seems there’s an issue with some of the cargo that arrived at the western port customs. Is there any way to resolve this, Military Attaché? If necessary, I could try to persuade the customs officers from my end.”

“I’ve already taken care of that. They seemed to be raising issues about changes in alcohol regulations. I greased some palms and settled it. There shouldn’t be any problems for a while.”

“I’m always grateful, Military Attaché.”

“It’s nothing. Relief supplies will be coming in from the homeland soon, so tell Hormoz to prepare to receive them.”

While performing her duties for the Secretariat, Francesca also managed goods for sale on the black market. She replaced documents on cargo ships that stopped at intermediate ports to avoid tracking, and changed packaging to avoid crackdowns.

Occasionally, she would leave the north to meet customs officials in advance, introduced by Viktor.

For reference, I went with her.

“Fredi! That pale face of yours is still intact. Seeing that your skin hasn’t tanned at all, I guess you’ve been stuck in the office again?”

“Try staying in the north yourself. The sky is so cloudy that even if you want to get a tan, you can’t. And you, why is your skin so dark? Where have you been?”

“I’ve been delivering items needed for revolution to revolutionaries with burning hearts.”

I accompanied her partly because I had things to discuss with Viktor, but Francesca still seemed uncomfortable with her fake girlfriend act.

Francesca would act normally in front of Viktor, but as soon as he disappeared even briefly, she would sit far away with a sulky face and glare at me. Still, her acting was quite natural, so there was no problem. Her performance was top-notch.

“Really… I just can’t get used to this, even with time.”

“You don’t need to get used to it… If you prefer, you can move alone from now on. I think Viktor won’t mind if you come alone now.”

“I always prefer certainty. Anyway, come closer quickly and hold my hand. Your friend is coming now.”

Somehow, I feel like my acting skills are improving the more time I spend with Francesca.

“How is the investigation into those behind the terror attack progressing?”

“No results yet. The homeland is creating a new list of suspects for review. There’s hardly any progress because there are so many names.”

“Please let me know if you need help. The Oracle is also monitoring the case since it involves black magic, but you can just inform me of the results if you prefer.”

“Ah, by the way, does the Magic Tower have a list of black magicians or something similar?”

“We don’t have a specific list of black magicians. However, we do maintain a list of expelled magicians. I haven’t seen it myself since it’s not my field, but Lord Evangelos likely knows about it. One of the Magic Corps’ duties is to capture expelled magicians who cause trouble.”

“Good. Please arrange a meeting soon. Or you could bring the list yourself.”

As the new year approached, we were all getting busier. Camilla with her role as a colleague, and me having to perform two intelligence operations simultaneously.

However, neither Camilla nor Francesca, not even I, could afford to take time to rest comfortably.

There was someone who lived an even busier life.

“Ah, Military Attaché.”

“Yes?”

“What is the Saint doing now?”

That person was Lucia.