Ch.262Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

As if she had just returned to the hotel, cold air was dripping from Camilla’s body.

I let Camilla in.

“Have you been outside until now?”

“I had some business at the front line, so I went there briefly.”

Camilla spoke as if it was nothing, and I boiled some water and asked if she would like something to drink.

“Anything is fine.”

“Then I’ll prepare coffee for you.”

I placed the teapot on the table and turned on the power, causing the magic formula to glow reddish.

Around the time when the rich aroma of coffee filled the room, Camilla, who had been sitting on the sofa, suddenly spoke in a light tone.

“Nothing special happening these days?”

“Of course not.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Nothing at all.”

Camilla laughed playfully.

“I don’t think that’s true.”

Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

“I’m telling you, nothing’s happening.”

I answered in a monotone voice.

Clatter. The sound of dishes and teacups shaking continued twice. After preparing two coffees, I poured plenty of sugar into Camilla’s cup.

“Thank you.”

With a smile, Camilla expressed her gratitude and took a sip of the steaming coffee.

I stirred my coffee with a teaspoon.

“How have you been lately? Still burning forests?”

“Yes. I burned down another mountain today!”

Camilla smiled brightly. It was an energetic response.

“The Naroda Mountains haven’t been managed for years, and the deep mountains that haven’t been touched by humans are full of monsters. Many are hibernating because it’s winter. When I set fires, they jump out in surprise, and I caught them all.”

It was quite a cheerful tone for someone who had burned monsters to death along with the forest. I sipped my coffee with a dubious look, but Camilla continued her story undeterred.

“Still, the Imperial Army has been steadily exterminating them, so I don’t think there were that many. Aren’t you exaggerating, Camilla?”

“Oh… don’t even get me started. At first, it was so quiet that I thought it was just a forest, but when the trees started burning, insects as big as humans began surging from the ground. I thought it was Starship Troopers.”

Comparing what she saw to a movie, Camilla waved her hand and joked.

I sat across from her and nodded.

“Seeing you joke around, you must be doing well. It’s nice to see you being consistent.”

“Hehe.”

“So, no problems with your work?”

“Except for the cold, no problems at all! When I’m in the car or waiting before an operation starts, I don’t know what to do because it’s so cold. But once the forest starts burning, it gets so hot that I sweat.”

Camilla enthusiastically explained the situation, flapping her arms and legs.

“Sometimes monsters pour out of the forest like a flood, and then the army steps in to clean up. They all fight well, don’t they?”

“The troops deployed in the north are all elite units. By the way, to meet the deadline by next year’s Army Foundation Day, we need to complete preparations for the offensive at least before this winter ends. What do you think? Does Camilla think it’s possible?”

“Offensive preparations? How would I know that?”

“Ah, right…”

She’s a civilian, not an intelligence officer.

As I was drinking coffee, smacking my lips, Camilla pouted and grumbled with a displeased look.

“You didn’t just mentally dismiss me, did you?”

“Of course not.”

Camilla sipped her coffee with a sulky face. Seeing this, I burst into laughter, and Camilla screamed not to laugh.

“Don’t laugh!”

“Alright. Just drink your coffee. It’s going to get cold.”

*

We chatted while drinking coffee.

Since this wasn’t a meeting arranged for any special purpose, there was no set topic.

Our conversation consisted entirely of trivial matters.

“I feel like the smell of burning has seeped into my clothes and hair from burning things every day. It’s like it won’t go away no matter how much I wash.”

“Burning smells are hard to remove. Personally, I think it’s best to replace clothes that smell of burning. If you don’t want to do that, spend some money on laundry or ask mages. There are mages who can clean clothes perfectly with magic.”

“That’s a good idea.”

There were stories about minor inconveniences in life.

“By the way, what are Lucia and Francesca up to these days?”

“They’re both working. The administrator is busy rebuilding the northern infrastructure, and the Saint… well, she’s the same as always. Treating the sick and taking care of refugees.”

“It would be nice to stop by and say hello occasionally. It’s hard to see their faces these days.”

“Everyone’s busy living their lives, so it can’t be helped.”

There were also stories about Lucia and Francesca.

Because their areas of activity didn’t overlap, the three women’s interactions weren’t as frequent as before. Even for me, who was in charge of communication, bringing Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca together in one place wasn’t an easy task.

I relayed news of Lucia and Francesca to Camilla on behalf of the two who weren’t present.

Since Lucia and Francesca were also curious about Camilla’s recent activities, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to tell them about Camilla later when I had the chance.

“How about you, Camilla? Anything interesting happening?”

“What interesting things could there be in wartime? It’s all depressing stories…”

Camilla’s shoulders slumped. As if just imagining it brought fatigue, Camilla spoke in a tired voice.

“The atmosphere at the front line is a bit strange.”

“Atmosphere? What do you mean?”

“It feels strange overall. It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing to explain.”

Camilla began listing the situations she had seen, heard, and felt on the front lines.

“The frequency of monster appearances in the mountains has increased significantly. The soldiers say it seems like there are more than in previous years.”

“Aren’t monsters everywhere? Northern monsters are known for their vigorous breeding even in harsh climates, right?”

“Even considering that, it’s strange. Despite the lack of management and human contact, there have been recent intensive extermination efforts, and we’ve had record-breaking heavy snowfall with an abnormal cold wave, yet monsters keep appearing.”

“The Military Government Command hasn’t said anything yet.”

“I don’t know much about that situation, but people on the front lines find it strange. Especially those who have lived in the north for a long time.”

“…”

The story didn’t end there.

“There are also rumors that the monsters have become more ferocious.”

“More ferocious?”

Monsters naturally become more ferocious in winter. As food becomes scarce, they become more aggressive and violent to survive.

However, Camilla’s explanation was somewhat different from that.

“Yes. While they sometimes attack crops or livestock to survive the winter, the monsters in the Naroda Mountains now attack people first, rather than farms or ranches. Of course, this could be because the abnormal cold wave has depleted food in the mountains, and since the area has become a battlefield, there are no nearby fields or ranches, so they attack people instead… But there are rumors that they’ve become too ferocious.”

“…”

“But what I’ve just told you isn’t based on proper investigations or statistics, so it’s not certain. It’s just what people feel intuitively.”

Camilla added a disclaimer, but this was significant information even taking that into account.

I put down my coffee and stared at Camilla.

“Is there anything else? Besides monsters appearing frequently and becoming more ferocious?”

“Come to think of it…”

Camilla rubbed her chin, thinking deeply.

“I haven’t been on the front lines for long, but… it seems like demon attacks have become less frequent recently.”

“…The demons aren’t attacking the Imperial Army?”

“No, they do attack. But how should I put it… they don’t attack as fiercely as before? Originally, they would bomb from the sky and directly assault defense lines. But it’s been quiet for a few months now, they say.”

“…”

I’ve heard this somewhere before. If I think about it, it was probably when I first visited the Imperial Ministry of Defense.

Unlike last year, the demons’ offensive has slowed down. The exact reason is unknown, but the Imperial military judged that now, when demons aren’t actively engaging in battle, is the best time to prepare an offensive.

That’s why we came to the north.

In fact, Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca are all preparing for the offensive operation scheduled for next spring by clearing the mountains, rebuilding transportation networks, and reorganizing medical facilities. The Imperial government and military are also providing full support to help us.

Asking why demons suddenly stopped their offensive would be a foolish question. How could they maintain an offensive indefinitely during a war? Even for demons, sustaining an offensive against the Imperial Army for over five years is no easy task.

But the situation is somewhat peculiar.

“…”

Combat mages and inquisitors have been killed, and a combat priest who disappeared from the Moritani continent has appeared in the north. Monsters from unknown origins are attacking the rifts en masse, and an enemy suspected to be a necromancer or dark mage is active in the north.

To top it off, undead that hadn’t been reported during the decades when the Imperial government perfectly controlled the north have suddenly appeared, and residents of four villages have vanished without a trace.

Is it really a coincidence that demon offensives have decreased at such a time?

I fell into contemplation. Camilla slumped on the sofa and muttered in a weak voice.

“The atmosphere these days is really unsettling. Suddenly I have bodyguards, and the foreign volunteers who were supposed to come are nowhere to be seen… The higher-ups seem to know something, but no one explains it clearly.”

“…Higher-ups?”

“The generals. They occasionally come to the front lines, but when people from the Magic Tower or the Church appear, they avoid them. Like they’re avoiding someone uncomfortable.”

That’s right. They’re avoiding priests and mages because they don’t want to face them.

Lower-ranking officers might not know, but high-ranking officers like generals and warrant officers probably have a general idea of the situation in the north.

Even if they don’t know the exact details, they’ve likely noticed that the Church and Magic Tower are entangled in the center of various problems occurring in the north. If they lacked such perception, they wouldn’t have risen to those positions in the first place.

The subtle game of looks between the Church, Magic Tower, Empire, pro-Imperial dictatorships, and Abas. The situation in the north could be described as such in a word.

The Imperial government is controlling information and restricting the press because they don’t want the outside world to know that the north has become a mess, but the moment a foreign ministry official misspeaks, it’s only a matter of time before everything goes to hell.

That’s why the Imperial government has indefinitely postponed the entry of foreign war correspondents and even foreign volunteers except from the Church. They know better than anyone how much harder it is to control foreigners than their own citizens.

Of course, I was no exception.

I was planning to create a suitable aid organization to allow intelligence officers to operate freely in the north. But the Imperial government suddenly overturned the plan, and my plans fell apart.

‘By the way, sir. What was the other favor you mentioned earlier?’

‘The Magic Tower has many aid organizations, right? Let’s borrow a few volunteer identities.’

‘Ah, that’s a bit difficult. Due to the Imperial Foreign Ministry’s visa refusal, foreign volunteers can’t even set foot on Imperial soil right now.’

Thanks to that, I’m the only one who has to struggle again. I have to hand it to the Imperial bastards for their terrible handling of affairs.

While I was lost in thought with my chin resting on my hand, suddenly a pale palm appeared in front of my eyes. The white, delicate palm moved up and down, catching my attention.

The person waving that palm was none other than Camilla.

“Hello?”

“…Ah, yes. Why did you call me, Camilla?”

“Nothing, just that your expression was so serious. I was wondering what you were pondering so deeply.”

Camilla lowered her hand and plopped down on the sofa.

She blurted out as if it was nothing.

“You don’t need to worry so much by yourself.”

“What?”

“I’m saying if you have concerns, you can talk about them anytime.”

The playful demeanor from earlier when she was waving her hand was nowhere to be seen. Putting down her teacup, Camilla smiled like a child and met my gaze.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but you don’t need to suffer alone. If you have a problem that you can’t solve by yourself, you can solve it with others, right?”

“…”

“I said that because you didn’t answer when I called you. You were just sitting there with a serious expression.”

Camilla added that I should talk to her if things get too difficult.

The way she pounded her chest while saying this was, well, something else.

“…”

I looked at the confidently assertive Camilla with an incredulous expression.

“How can I trust someone who burned down a cornfield in Africa and got chewed out by the company’s legal team for having to compensate the farmer—”

“Ah, stop! Why do you remember that!”

“Well, you told me about it…”

“Then forget it right now!”

Camilla flailed her arms and legs in protest, but unfortunately, I wasn’t going to be beaten up.

Of course, I didn’t forget her embarrassing past either.

*

Although the situation seemed ominous and something appeared to be happening, my daily life remained unchanged.

I went to work at the Military Government Command, attended meetings, and faithfully performed my duties as a military attaché and colleague, communicating between Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca.

The investigation into the suspect believed to be a necromancer or dark mage was also showing some progress. I received intelligence, albeit of questionable reliability, about sightings of individuals matching the suspect’s description in northern cities and rural areas.

“Hmm… So the sightings from the big cities came from children, and the rural ones from the military?”

“Yes. To be precise, a foreign military unit moving to another area saw someone resembling the suspect on the roadside.”

The army of a pro-Imperial dictatorship. Troops sent by royalty, dictators, and warlords to curry favor with the Emperor.

One of those many dictators’ armies claimed to have spotted the suspect in the countryside. There were also reports from Pipin and Charnoi in the big cities about seeing the suspect, but those came from children, so the military source was slightly more credible in terms of reliability.

Of course, neither source was particularly reliable. It was like comparing apples to oranges.

“Charnoi! Organize the documents. We need to go to the cathedral as quickly as possible.”

“I’ll organize them quickly…!”

I organized the documents and headed to the cathedral. I needed to hand over the materials to Archbishop Theodosius at St. Basil’s Cathedral.

As a former exorcist priest and someone distinguished enough to teach heresy interrogation and solemn exorcism at the theological seminary, he would be able to utilize the materials better than a non-expert like me.

Of course, as someone vouched for by Peter, there’s ‘almost’ no risk of a security breach.

Anyway, I packed the documents in a briefcase and headed to the cathedral.

Thanks to my frequent visits to see Lucia, everyone at the Military Government Command, including the senior interpreter Lyudmila, just heard my destination and went about their business.

So I was able to reach the cathedral without any interference.

But then.

“Oh my, Saint! This cannot be done. This is an item that cannot be transferred to others!”

“I’m just borrowing it. I’ll return it safely, so please let go, brother.”

“Even if dirt enters my eyes, I cannot give this to you!”

“Before I actually put dirt in your eyes, let go.”

“Aack…!”

“…”

What’s going on now?