Ch.293Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

“…It’s done.”

The listening device and adhesive band were firmly planted in my palm.

The band retained a subtle warmth, slightly warmer than body temperature.

Francesca, having returned the equipment, closed the bathroom door with a sulky expression.

“As you said, the recording went well. The conversation is clearly audible, indicating no issues with sound quality, and there are no interruptions or missing parts.”

“……”

“It seems Oracle has tentatively decided to issue a formal statement and cooperate with the investigation. They plan to provide magicians with extensive expertise to assist the military government headquarters in searching for the necromancer’s body in the collapsed underground waterway. We won’t get massive support from the magic tower immediately, but the news Lord Martinez brought is relatively positive. And um… next…”

Francesca continued her report with a serious demeanor.

Yet even as she spoke, she was noticeably watching my reactions.

“……”

I rubbed my slapped cheek with a crystal glass.

The clinking of ice accompanied the pain as my swollen inner cheek touched my teeth.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“……”

“It’s my fault for forgetting to tell you that the listening device would be attached to the inner thigh.”

Francesca, about to say something, avoided my gaze without even making eye contact.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Yeah.”

Episode 12 – The World’s Most Powerful Magician

“…Wow. What happened to you?”

Camilla approached me, leaning against a marble pillar. Her delicate glass bowl was filled with colorful ice cream soaked in syrup.

Having encountered her while passing through the cathedral corridor, she greeted me with a cheerful wave.

A beaming face. Looking at her expression alone, she seemed like someone who had everything in the world.

Wearing an exceptionally bright expression, Camilla saw me and immediately widened her eyes.

“You look terrible. Your hair is disheveled, your collar is wrinkled… Did you fight with someone?”

“…Ah, I didn’t exactly fight… Do I look that strange?”

“You look exactly like someone who got punched at a pub.”

Though the details differed, the general assessment that I’d been hit by someone was accurate.

I got slapped on the cheek while trying to attach a listening device to Francesca. The reason, surprisingly, was that I had given a poor explanation.

Since it’s difficult to operate surveillance equipment inside the cathedral, I planned to have Francesca carry a listening device to record conversations herself.

Since it would be somewhat suspicious for her to carry a handbag indoors when she rarely does so, the alternative was to attach a listening device fixed with a band to a body part where it wouldn’t be noticeable.

However, instead of providing a delicate explanation to make her understand, I abruptly told her to take off her pants. How else would Francesca interpret such a demand?

Anyway, we cleared up the misunderstanding later and successfully completed the surveillance, but before I could even attempt to explain myself, I had to offer one cheek to an angry Francesca.

Still, I received a potion made by Francesca herself as an apology, so I decided to let go of any hard feelings.

I moved my split lip to speak.

“These things happen in life.”

“That’s a positive attitude.”

Camilla, with her delicate face adorned with a smile, leaned against the railing while bringing a spoon covered in ice cream to her mouth.

“By the way, something’s going on these days, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, don’t pretend you don’t know. I can just feel it from the atmosphere among the officials here. The cathedral’s mood is a bit strange too.”

With the spoon in her mouth, Camilla smiled innocently like a child holding a lollipop.

“Of course, Saint Luciana Veronica is the same. Even when we had dinner before, I felt like everyone was hiding something from me.”

She’s certainly perceptive.

I leaned against the railing next to Camilla. After quickly scanning our surroundings, I quietly began.

“I can’t tell you the details due to security concerns, but think of it as terrorists appearing here.”

Terrorists?

Camilla tilted her head.

“Are they religious terrorists like ISIS or the Taliban? An organized group?”

“Actually, they’re more related to magic than religion. I don’t know details like motives, causes, or scale yet. It’s under investigation.”

“Are you investigating alone?”

“It’s international cooperation.”

“Hmm… Well, if it’s related to terrorism, international cooperation makes sense.”

Setting down her bowl for a moment, Camilla continued in a serious voice.

“Let me know if you need help. I’ll assist you anytime.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her confident demeanor, as if telling me to trust only her.

“Camilla.”

“Yes?”

“Wipe the syrup from your mouth before you speak.”

“Ah…!”

I pushed myself away from the railing as I watched Camilla hurriedly wipe around her mouth with a handkerchief.

“Leave the work to me for now and stay in the cathedral. I hope everything resolves peacefully, but just in case, practice your magic in advance. The administrator will help you.”

After briefly giving this advice, I quickly left.

I could hear Camilla ranting that I had tricked her after confirming there was no syrup on her handkerchief, but fortunately, she didn’t catch up to me.

*

Preparations to catch the demon were progressing steadily.

“How do we fight and win against a necromancer and a demon?”

“Hmm… As I told you before, Major, the best method is to borrow the power of religion. I don’t mean to disparage magic or science, but honestly, religious symbols are most effective against unholy beings.”

To completely eliminate the demon believed to have survived, the Imperial military decided to borrow the power of religion. Although the events in the north had not yet been officially reported due to concerns about social unrest, internally, a conclusion had already been reached.

What people commonly call demon subjugation, or demon hunting.

In that sense, the protagonist who would send the demon crawling up to the surface back to hell had long been decided.

“I’ll face the demon.”

The church’s saint, Veronica.

“Of course, I won’t face it alone. Lucia will participate in a supporting role and move with me.”

Also a saint of the church, Lucia. So there were two of them.

Veronica, perched on the edge of the desk, gently closed her eyes and waved her fingers. With her arms crossed as if embracing her ribs rather than her chest, waving her hand like an orchestra conductor, she looked quite elegant.

I nodded with a serious face.

“Will you proceed with a solemn exorcism? Or is there another method?”

“What does it matter whether I perform an exorcism or beat it up? As long as the demon is sent back to hell, that’s all that matters.”

There’s no specific prescribed method. Veronica claimed that she and Lucia alone could handle the demon. With a very confident voice.

I couldn’t help but admire her bold determination to fight the demon even in a brawl if necessary.

“You’re tough. Were you always like this?”

“Maybe?”

“You’ve managed to hide it well until now…”

“Hide it, Major? I just didn’t have the opportunity to show it. Do you know how hard it is to please the old-fashioned people in both the church and the empire?”

“I wish they would bring those people back. Veronica, you seem to need regulation.”

Honestly, with Veronica’s personality, she needs chains rather than regulation, but anyway.

Having resolved to fight to the death, Veronica accelerated preparations for demon subjugation. She meticulously checked the sacred objects brought from the church for the solemn exorcism and gradually tightened the net by moving between the Imperial Magic Department and the Inquisition, tracking the demon.

Of course, the preparations didn’t end there.

“I’ll be busy for a while, so I’d like you to take care of the others, Major.”

“Take care of whom?”

“Obviously my sisters and the hero.”

Lucia, who had been released from confinement, and Camilla and Francesca, who were staying at the cathedral. Veronica entrusted the three of them to me. She meant for me to help them prepare to fight until the demon was detected.

Veronica agreed to provide all costs and supplies involved in this process.

“Accommodation and meals will be provided by the cathedral, so that’s not an issue. If you need anything for training or subjugation, charge it to me. The priests can procure most items, but if something seems difficult to obtain, go see Francesca. She’ll resolve it.”

“How much budget should I allocate?”

“Use as much as you want. You can buy an island to play on, or a castle to hole up in.”

“The church must be collecting a lot of donations these days.”

And so I got a card that rivaled a black card.

“But while I understand entrusting Lucia, who is a clergy member, why are you leaving Camilla and Francesca to me? Camilla is a bit ambiguous… but anyway, aren’t they both closer to magicians than clergy?”

“What, do you think only clergy can defeat unholy beings?”

The Imperial government borrowed the church’s hand not because the Imperial Magic Department or Defense Department couldn’t defeat the demon. It was simply because religious power demonstrates superior effects when dealing with demons compared to magic or science.

Therefore, Veronica added that Camilla and Francesca could also fight against the demon if they prepared well.

“Of course, if everything is resolved, my sisters and the hero won’t have to face the demon. If the operation goes according to plan.”

“Now I’m a bit worried when you say it like that.”

“Do things in life ever go exactly as planned? That’s what makes life interesting.”

Anyway, just prepare well.

Thus, Veronica assigned me the role of caretaker for the group. Along with a card with virtually no limit.

Originally, I had planned to use public funds to procure whatever the group needed, but I didn’t expect to receive money like this. Though somewhat sudden, it was truly appreciated.

However, as always, everything comes with a price.

Veronica, who volunteered to be like a lamp that produces money when rubbed, immediately demanded something in return.

“Take this.”

“What is it?”

I received the box Veronica handed me. A luxurious-looking case. I clearly felt its weight as it traveled up my arm.

As soon as I opened the box, I saw a shotgun and a revolver. They were the double-barrel shotgun and silver revolver that Veronica had used in the underground waterway last time.

“Here, please manage these guns.”

“…Why should I manage these?”

“Because you’re a soldier. Haven’t you done this often?”

“No, these are your guns to begin with.”

“Shooting, fencing, and horseback riding are noble accomplishments! But I’m not in a position to sweat while cleaning and oiling them, am I? So please manage the firearms for me, Major.”

“……”

“I’m joking. Just joking. Why are you glaring at me like you want to kill me over this?”

Veronica snickered mischievously. After staring at her intently, I couldn’t contain my anger and flicked her forehead.

It was truly an irreverent action, but I couldn’t help it.

Leaving Veronica behind as she tended to the bump on her forehead with teary eyes and cast a healing spell, I took the firearms she had entrusted to me and turned away sharply.

Still, given our history together, I could clean her guns once. What’s the big deal?

But has she even cleaned them after firing?

As I felt a strange uneasiness looking at the case containing firearms of questionable maintenance…

“Ah, wait! Stop!”

Veronica grabbed my arm as I was about to leave the room.

“How can you just leave?”

“What?”

“You should listen to people until the end. Ugh… this hurts so much…”

Veronica, who had been roughly rubbing her forehead, glared at me while wiping the moisture from the corners of her eyes with her fingers. I seriously considered giving her another flick on the forehead in response to that defiant gaze, but unfortunately, Veronica was quicker.

As if nothing had happened, she crossed her arms very proudly.

“The gun maintenance was just a joke. What I really want to ask is something else.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Veronica conveyed her real request to me in a serious voice without any hint of mischief.

“While you’re staying at the cathedral, I’d like you to get close to the person I’m going to mention.”

“You mean be friendly?”

“Well, not exactly that… but I’d like you to at least have open conversations.”

“…Is this an informant?”

Veronica shook her head. Not someone to be recruited as an informant.

Then who could it be?

Her answer was simple.

*

“……”

“……”

On my way to the room, guided by Veronica, I encountered someone in the cathedral corridor.

The corridor was deserted. Just the other person and me. There was no one else to hear or see us.

In the cathedral corridor where time seemed to stand still, not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

Looking at the person who had stopped in place with a surprised expression, I greeted them with an awkward smile.

“…Nice to meet you.”

Brilliant golden hair as if molten gold had been poured, and blue eyes reminiscent of the sea of Jerusalem. Skin as white and soft as beach sand.

The person Veronica had asked me about, and one of the two saints living in the same era for the first time in history.

The church’s saint, Lucia.

“……”

Meeting her again, she just stared at me silently without moving.

She seemed to have forgotten even to breathe.