Ch.300Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

The crowd was packed near the checkpoint on the outskirts of the city.

Priests kneeling in prayer on the muddy ground, magicians maintaining their body temperature with magic while sheltering from the wind.

Imperial soldiers curiously watching the people, and officers puffing smoke atop concrete blocks. Groups of diverse people gathered in threes and fives, each passing time in their own way.

But without a doubt, the person spending time in the most unique way here is neither a cleric, a magician, nor a soldier, but an ordinary-looking civilian girl with red hair.

“Hmm…”

Camilla sat perched on the roof of the vehicle she had arrived in, gazing at the city.

“What can you see, Hero?”

Francesca, who had returned after finishing her conversation with someone from the Magic Tower’s Secretariat, asked Camilla on the roof.

Camilla hesitated as if about to say something, then reluctantly spoke.

“Nothing! I can’t see a single ant.”

“I guess even the telescope doesn’t help much?”

“Not as much as I’d hoped.”

Camilla sighed deeply as she put down the telescope she was holding.

“I bought what looked decent in Petrograd, but it doesn’t see very far.”

Civilian telescopes had limitations in their range. That was the case with products she had used when traveling through Africa or the Middle East, trying to view villages from a distance.

All the telescopes she had bought then were duds. No matter how much she wanted to see far, she simply couldn’t observe objects at great distances.

When she complained about this, a senior who had joined “the company” after graduation advised her to buy a rifle scope for observing objects at long distances in short periods.

Not stopping there, the senior called a military acquaintance and helped her purchase a used 56-caliber scope at a reasonable price, one that was no longer in use.

That second-hand scope always occupied a corner of Camilla’s suitcase whenever she traveled abroad.

Suddenly wondering what it would be like if she still had that scope, Camilla rubbed her eyes, stiff from the cold.

Seeing this, Francesca smiled gently and wrapped a blanket enchanted with warming magic around her shoulders.

“Did the Major make it safely into the city?”

“Yes. He went in along the national highway with the priests and magicians about 15 minutes ago.”

Camilla sighed again and added in a weak voice:

“But I can’t see where he is now.”

“I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“I’d appreciate it if you’re offering. But…”

Holding the binoculars, Camilla tilted her head and muttered:

“I wonder how he manages to move in that outfit.”

Episode 12 – The World’s Strongest Magician

The fact that most experiences in the military are terrible is something anyone who has worn a uniform can relate to.

But among those experiences, some are particularly dreadful.

The operations officer’s call just as you’ve entered your quarters after finishing duty.

The supply administrator who shows up unannounced with a weed trimmer on a sweltering summer day.

Wild raccoons that have chewed through all the communication lines you painstakingly laid.

The executive director telling you to pack your bags for another business trip when you just returned home last week.

And…

“Huff… Hoo…”

The goddamn CBRN protective suit that makes your chest feel tight just looking at it.

Yes, the very one I’m wearing right now.

“Huff-“

After persistent persuasion from the foreign government, Lucia, and Francesca, the Military Government Command allowed entry for certain officials on humanitarian grounds, but with conditions.

‘All personnel entering the quarantine zone must have means to protect themselves from external contaminants.’

Though explained at length, it essentially meant bring your own hygiene products if you want to enter the city.

In my case, those hygiene products are a gas mask and protective suit.

“Hoo-“

There was no specific instruction on whether the hygiene product should be a mask or gas mask, but realistically, there were no options besides a gas mask and protective suit.

Honestly, I wanted to throw off the gas mask and everything else, but the company sent the gas mask and protective suit with the message: ‘If you die from not wearing it, it’s your loss, so shut up and wear what we give you.’

Stupid company.

They just throw things at you since they’re not the ones who have to wear it.

“…”

Of course, I’m not the only one in a protective suit. The Imperial soldiers leading the way are also fully equipped with gas masks and protective suits, as are the people from the Church and Magic Tower.

After pushing air out through the filter, I turned to look at the Church and Magic Tower personnel following behind.

A priest in a pristine white full-body protective suit and a magician with a face hidden behind a gas mask silently stared back at me.

The protective gear sent by the Church and Magic Tower differed in design from what the military used, making it obvious from a distance that these people weren’t soldiers.

If I had to make a comparison, it was like a mix of KKK members at a gathering and cosplayers dressed as plague doctors. Truly a unique sight.

“Is everyone alright?”

“…”

“I see, you’re not alright.”

Deciding to just shut up and walk, I moved my feet busily.

“We’ll arrive at the site soon! Everyone get ready!”

The shout from the officer leading at the front reached us.

The commotion began right then among the people who had been walking silently with their eyes fixed ahead.

The clerics started unpacking their long rectangular boxes and backpacks, while the magicians opened subspace pockets and reached in to search for something. I just stuck a tube into my gas mask and sipped an ion drink.

“Major.”

One of the officers approached and addressed me.

“You have 30 minutes.”

“Is that all the time we have to work?”

“I’m sorry. It’s the commander’s orders. If your work isn’t finished after 30 minutes, leave your equipment as is and return to the assembly point for decontamination.”

“Can’t be helped, I suppose.”

After tightening all the gear I was wearing, I turned to look at the Church and Magic Tower officials.

“Let’s finish within 30 minutes and get out.”

*

The collapse site I visited after several days exuded a bleak atmosphere.

Heavy equipment once used to clear debris and sandbags filled with waste retrieved from underground sewers were piled haphazardly.

Temporary shelters that had briefly housed patients fluttered in the wind, and some had collapsed under the weight of snow that had fallen overnight.

The site, abandoned as the military retreated, resembled a disaster movie scene.

If there were a fallen green zone from a zombie apocalypse movie in reality, it would probably look like this.

But the living must go on, and tasks cannot be postponed.

Setting aside my impressions and focusing on the reality before me, I spread out a carefully folded military map on an abandoned box.

“We’ll proceed with the installation as planned. Priests, please install the silver stakes at the predetermined points, and magicians, please construct the barrier centered around the collapse point.”

The Inquisition had discovered several ancient documents in their strictly managed archives.

They were parchments containing knowledge written down by exorcist priests centuries ago through countless sacrifices.

Whether due to poor preservation, the ancient documents were in quite poor condition, but the Inquisition’s exorcist priests locked themselves in their offices day and night, dedicated to restoration.

And this dawn, the Inquisition finally found a clue to resolve this situation in the restored ancient documents.

The Demon Sealing Formation.

A technique believed to have been used by exorcist priests centuries ago to seal demons. According to the ancient documents, it was excellent at suppressing evil energy.

“Fixing stake number 1 now.”

“Hold it tight. One slip and all your fingers are gone.”

As two inquisitors held a silver stake as tall as an adult man from both sides, another inquisitor brought down a hammer.

-Clang!

With an intense metallic sound, the silver stake penetrated the frozen ground.

The inquisitor continued hammering. Beside him, other inquisitors were combining the silver stakes by inserting materials like holy objects, oak fragments, bay leaves, and holy water.

Other inquisitors were doing the same. Throughout the site, the sound of hammering could be heard as numerous silver stakes penetrated the frozen earth.

“Huff, huff. Those installing stake number 16. You’re too close to number 17. If you place it there, the balance will be off. Could you move three steps to the left?”

From a high vantage point, I coordinated the formation via radio with an Inquisition official.

“We need to drive a stake at point 22, which is covered by a tent. Can we remove the tent?”

“It’s a large tent, so quick removal would be difficult. If we ask the Imperial Army, they could remove it.”

Imperial troops were currently protecting the Church and Magic Tower personnel performing their tasks by searching the interior of the site and securing the perimeter.

The reason they were searching the site they had abandoned was to find anyone who might have entered the abandoned tents to steal supplies.

Just then, a radio transmission from the Imperial Army search team came through on the common channel:

-‘Squad leader. We’ve found unidentified male bodies in tent 32 in the eastern sector. Two elderly men. Cause of death appears to be… freezing, but honestly, I’m not sure.’

This was followed by the squad leader’s cursing, telling them to change channels.

“They seem quite busy over there too.”

“Hmm…”

I crouched on the high ground and surveyed the area.

Due to the characteristics of the collapse site, where sections had caved in after intense fighting, the only high ground available was the top of collapsed building debris.

Since I wasn’t crazy enough to climb up there, I hastily used an abandoned forklift.

So right now, I’m floating in the air, sitting on the shovel part of the forklift.

“Let’s just push the tent with the forklift.”

“Let’s do it right away.”

I immediately drove the forklift over and demolished the tent.

With the obstacle removed, the KKK-like figures (inquisitors) who had finished assembling the stakes rushed over and began hammering.

Though I couldn’t recognize faces due to the gas masks and protective suits worn by both clerics and magicians, there was one person I could definitely identify.

“Mr. Martinez.”

The plague doctor who was busy recording the work progress on a clipboard with paper looked up.

“Major, it’s you.”

Juan Pablo Martinez. Planning and Coordination Officer of the Magic Tower Secretariat and head of the Northern Dispatch Secretariat team.

Also a person of interest to the Military Intelligence Service.

Behind his fogged-up visor, he blinked.

“The Church people have completed about 30% of their work. How are the Magic Tower folks doing?”

“We’re progressing at a similar pace.”

While the inquisitors were creating the Demon Sealing Formation with silver stakes, the Magic Tower’s magicians were installing magical devices and barriers at the site.

Martinez was leading that work.

Unfortunately for the inquisitors hammering away in protective suits, the Demon Sealing Formation proposed by the Church is not perfect.

Even assuming it was perfect, there was an opinion within the Church that a second option was needed in case something went wrong with the technique.

Therefore, the Military Government Command decided to install barriers and magical devices around the site to prevent the demon’s escape, in addition to the Demon Sealing Formation. I understand Francesca pulled some strings for this.

“I heard from the Administrative Officer. The Thaumaturgy School’s potent totems, the Alchemy School’s rune stones, the Guardian School’s barriers… The Magic Tower has been very helpful.”

“I suppose so.”

Despite my friendly approach, his response was lukewarm. He doesn’t seem to be a particularly sociable person.

Martinez carefully inspected the barriers and magical devices installed by the magicians, then diligently scribbled something on his paper.

The paper detailed the barriers and magical devices installed throughout the site, as well as the Demon Sealing Formation installed by the Inquisition. As a sort of map-cum-checklist, Martinez meticulously recorded the work progress.

He’s more meticulous than he appears. Just as Francesca reported.

I folded my arms and nodded.

“I’ve heard your skills are impressive, Mr. Martinez. Especially with protective barriers.”

“Who told you that?”

“Administrative Officer Ranieri, of course.”

Smiling briefly, I added:

“Though I’ve seen it firsthand too. You were at the rift then, weren’t you?”

“Hmm.”

Martinez, who had been moving his pen diligently, made a subtle expression.

“Yes, I was. Ms. Ranieri was there too.”

“Your skills were impressive.”

“It’s nothing to boast about. Guardian magic is my strongest area, but I’m no less skilled in other areas.”

“Ms. Ranieri said the same thing. And isn’t magic inherently interconnected between disciplines? Some may excel in just one area, but most magicians become well-rounded in various fields of magic.”

“You’re quite knowledgeable about magic.”

“I have a magician in my family. The youngest.”

“Ah, is that so? That’s something I’m learning for the first time today.”

I responded with a slight smile, mentally piecing together the information that crossed my mind.

A taciturn type with poor social skills. More meticulous in his work than expected. Seems to show some interest in topics related to magic but little interest in other subjects. Likely to take the bait if the conversation revolves around Francesca or magic-related topics.

He doesn’t seem like a difficult person to deal with. Compared to the inflexible General Mikhail, he’s a much easier type to handle.

“How are things with Ms. Ranieri these days? I’ve heard you two are often seen together.”

“With so much work, it can’t be helped. We’re busy but managing well. By the way, I heard next spring is the Administrative Officer’s birthday. Do you happen to know what she likes, Mr. Martinez?”

“Well, I don’t know much about that myself, but I have connections with staff in the Secretariat who might know Ms. Ranieri’s preferences. People who have worked in the same department with her. I’ll send inquiries and let you know when I hear back.”

“Thank you. Also, I have a question about the barriers and magical devices being installed this time. Since you’re more of an expert on barriers than the Administrative Officer or myself…”

“Feel free to ask. I’ll answer to the best of my knowledge.”

As he said, I asked comfortably.

“I have no ulterior motives, but I’m curious if the barriers and magical devices will function perfectly without malfunctions.”

“Hmm. I can’t guarantee there won’t be malfunctions. After all, both barriers and magical devices are man-made. But since the final inspection is my responsibility, I’ll ensure they’re calibrated to function as smoothly as possible.”

“Thank you, Mr. Martinez.”

As I continued to extract information about Martinez by constantly bringing up topics related to Francesca and magic:

“Five minutes until termination! I repeat, five minutes until termination!”

An Imperial Army officer in charge of escort announced through a loudspeaker. The pre-arranged 30 minutes were almost up.

“Oh my.”

“…”

Martinez, hearing the Imperial officer’s announcement, hurriedly looked around. Then, alternating glances between his clipboard and surroundings, he spoke with a slightly urgent voice:

“I have a lot left to record. I must go now.”

…Tsk.

“Ah, yes. Good work.”

I smacked my lips in disappointment and prepared to return to the checkpoint.

*

The Demon Sealing Formation and barriers designed to seal the demon and suppress evil energy were about half-completed after half a day of battle.

Some might complain about the slow pace, but in reality, the work progressed at an incredibly fast rate.

Considering that all workers were equipped with protective suits and gas masks, the working time was less than 30 minutes, much time was consumed returning to the checkpoint to cleanse the residual evil energy through prayer and magic, and it was a massive operation requiring the completion of techniques spanning several kilometers, the work speed was beyond what could simply be described as “fast.”

“Well, for all the grand talk, whether it’s the Church or the Magic Tower, they essentially solved it by grinding people down.”

Veronica grinned and wiggled the hose in her hand.

“Here, get some water.”

Splash!

With a refreshing sound, a stream of water hit my entire body. The water streamed down the surface of my gas mask and protective suit.

“…Veronica.”

“What?”

“This is holy water, isn’t it?”

“Yep.”

I stared blankly into space while showering with holy water in my protective suit. For a moment, I wondered why I was doing this.

Officially, the Inquisition identified the cause of the mass patient outbreak at the site as evil energy contaminating the area. However, they couldn’t properly explain exactly how this energy harmed humans or what specific effects it had inside and outside the body.

So to resolve this situation, the Military Government Command adopted the same approach they had used during the large-scale infectious disease outbreak caused by demons a few years ago.

With slight modifications.

“Alright, that’s it! Shower’s over, come out.”

After finishing my holy water shower, I trudged out the door.

To prevent contaminated materials from leaking outside, the Military Government Command dispatched a chemical unit to the checkpoint. Everyone who entered the city today underwent decontamination by the chemical unit, took a short break, and was then redeployed to complete the work. We repeated this for half a day.

Finally emerging from the vinyl tunnel to the outside, I yanked off my gas mask and took a deep breath of fresh air.

“Haaah-“

“What’s with you? Like an old man who just finished hiking.”

“Try wearing a gas mask and running around for half a day, then you’ll understand.”

Veronica chuckled and stretched her arms, twisting her body. Then, with a refreshed expression, she looked up at the sunset sky.

“Is the Demon Sealing Formation complete?”

“About half of it is done. If we work from after dinner until dawn, we’ll barely finish by sunrise.”

The techniques to seal the demon and suppress evil energy are scheduled to be completed today.

Whether they’ll truly stop the demon is uncertain, but their effectiveness in suppressing evil energy is definite. I’ve checked this repeatedly with the Inquisition staff who entered the site.

Will the Demon Sealing Formation and barriers help suppress the demon even a little? There’s no way to express it precisely, but I have a hopeful feeling.

Anyway, the barriers are set to be completed before the new year arrives. If there are no special problems, they will definitely suppress the demon.

Yes, if there are no special problems.

I let out a faint sigh.

“I hope the techniques hold until we’re ready to kill the demon.”

“Of course they will. What do you take the Church for?”

“What about the patients, Veronica?”

Veronica, walking beside me matching my pace, parted her lips and began explaining.

“They’re being treated in containment facilities. Mild cases are in temporary camps set up on the outskirts of the city, while severe cases are in designated hospitals with specialized equipment for isolation.”

The Military Government Command initially separated patients into mild and severe cases for isolation.

Those with minimal symptoms or deemed able to endure were sent to camps built on the outskirts of the sealed city, while those needing specialized treatment were moved to hospitals with prepared beds under strict security.

“This isn’t COVID, what are they doing…”

“Hmm? What’s COVID?”

“Never mind.”

“There you go again, keeping things to yourself. Major, would it hurt to share a little?”

“Ah- stop poking my side.”

While bickering with the annoying Veronica, I made eye contact with a group approaching from a distance. Camilla, who spotted me first, waved her hand enthusiastically.

Behind her was Lucia, shyly waving, and Francesca, walking leisurely with a relaxed demeanor.

Camilla, hopping over, greeted me cheerfully.

“Did everything go well?”

I spread my arms to gesture that there were no problems.

“As you can see. My work is done, so I don’t need to go back in. I’ll have to come back tomorrow morning for inspection, though.”

“That’s good.”

“What did you do all day, Camilla?”

“Me? I spent the whole day burning people’s belongings on the outskirts.”

“Belongings?”

“Yeah, you know how they burn the belongings of patients who die from infectious diseases? In case of germs. It’s similar to that.”

She says she spent all day doing what they do when handling Ebola patients post-mortem.

According to Lucia and Francesca, shortly after I entered the city, the Military Government Command requested help in disposing of the belongings of patients housed on the outskirts and providing basic treatment for mild cases.

Well, this was something the Military Government had already hinted at, so it’s not particularly surprising.

“…”

Looking at the setting sun, I pondered deeply. There’s too much to do starting tomorrow.

Final inspection of the Demon Sealing Formation, planning Lucia’s security routes as she travels to and from the city for patient treatment, plus preparations for demon subjugation. There’s a mountain of official documents to send and tasks to complete.

Well, this isn’t particularly surprising either. Nothing special.

So I said casually:

“Let’s go get dinner. Year-end or not, we have a lot to do starting tomorrow.”

“Where are we going?”

Veronica brushed back her hair with a mischievous smile.

“We need to prepare to take the demon’s head.”