Ch.313Episode 13 – There Is No Country for Wizards

In this neighborhood, the popular means of long-distance transportation are trains and ships.

There are regularly operating airships as well, but like cruises, they’re exotic travel options for nobles or the wealthy.

I asked Sophia.

“How long would it take to reach the capital if we catch the train leaving now?”

“At least 5 hours, and that’s on the express.”

Five hours is too late. I need to get there faster.

“Can we go by ship?”

“Not unless you plan to disembark midway and drag the boat across mountain ranges.”

Maybe possible for the Ottoman navy that raided Constantinople.

I checked the watch on the inside of my wrist. Taking a ship would be too late, and so would taking a train. There’s no way. Then suddenly, one possibility came to mind.

I tapped Sophia’s shoulder as she was calling our team members. She turned her head toward me, her dull blonde hair disheveled as she made the call.

“Hey, Sophia.”

“What is it?”

“Where’s the warp gate around here?”

Episode 13 – There Is No Country for Wizards

As soon as I heard that Francesca had arrived, the first place I went to was the warp gate station.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know either. But do you have money for the gate fee? It’s quite expensive.”

“It’s fine.”

It’s not my money anyway.

The company covered all expenses for this trip. They booked the warp gate and hotel, and Clavins happily handed me 5,000 ducats to spend on entertainment.

Even considering the expensive tourist prices, 5,000 ducats is enough to live comfortably for a month. It’s almost 7 million won in Korean currency. And as always, domestic flights are cheaper than international ones. Relatively speaking, anyway.

I quickly hailed a taxi and rushed toward the Galvria warp gate.

When I told the taxi driver to step on it, he really drove like a madman. For a moment, I thought I was in a Busan taxi.

However, despite the taxi driver’s efforts, I didn’t end up using the warp gate.

To be precise, there was no need to.

“Officer?”

Just as I was about to purchase a ticket for the capital-bound warp gate at the ticket booth, I heard a voice.

A familiar voice.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Francesca was just coming out of the warp gate.

When our eyes met, she greeted me with a smile that reached her eyes.

“It’s been a while.”

Her attitude was quite welcoming.

*

Meeting a woman after being surrounded by men in a military unit is something anyone who’s been in the army would desire.

But if that woman is an intelligence agent, the story changes a bit.

“……”

When I remained silent at our sudden reunion, Francesca’s expression subtly changed. Her mouth was smiling, but there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

She set down her rolling suitcase and spoke without losing her smile.

“You don’t seem very pleased to see me? I thought you’d at least ask how I’ve been, as a matter of courtesy.”

“…I’m sorry. I’m not quite myself right now.”

“Hmm….”

A pair of violet eyes, reminiscent of pansies, began scanning me up and down.

After quickly assessing me, Francesca spoke as if she’d figured something out.

“You’ve been drinking, so that’s understandable.”

“How did you know?”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I couldn’t smell the alcohol on you?”

Only then did I realize that the smell of alcohol was emanating from my body. I’d forgotten to mask the smell in my hurry.

As I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck, Francesca smiled with her eyes. Beautifully curved eyes, softly folded corners, slowly moving eyelashes. With her eyes crescent-shaped, she told me not to worry about the smell of alcohol.

“Compared to the chemicals in my workshop, alcohol is quite mild. When I worked in my poorly ventilated workshop, I had to wear a gas mask for hours at a time.”

Francesca stirring a cauldron while wearing a plague doctor mask? That’s hard to imagine.

Anyway, what I was curious about now was why she had come to Fatalia. Why she had returned to her homeland despite knowing the National Security Bureau would be watching.

It certainly wasn’t to visit her hometown. The Ranieri family’s main house is in the east, and the family villa where she was born is in the north. According to my research, that villa is a meaningful place where Francesca spent her childhood with her mother. Of course, the villa was sold to another wealthy person about ten years ago.

Why had she come to the south where she had no connections? That’s what I was most curious about.

But it seems I wasn’t the only one with questions. Francesca asked me:

“By the way, what brings you to Fatalia, Officer?”

“Vacation. And what about you, Francesca? Shouldn’t you be receiving treatment at the magic tower by now?”

“The treatment is already complete. I brewed and drank an elixir with the Hero.”

“…An elixir…?”

“It was a gift from the alchemists of the Ivory Tower. It’s 180-year-old honey harvested from Mount Para’anga. I received it as a gift a few years ago and had been wondering how to use it, when recently the Ivory Tower published research showing it could be used for treatment, so I tried it out.”

As it happens, the person from the Ivory Tower who gave her that elixir is currently staying in Fatalia.

Francesca explained:

“He’s a renowned professor who’s currently touring universities in Fatalia giving special lectures. I heard he was staying in Galvria, so I came to visit and express my gratitude.”

Of course.

“I also have something to tell you.”

“Tell me?”

“It’s related to business.”

She says she has information to share. I nodded in acknowledgment.

“I see. We can talk about that later, but about that elixir. Was it effective?”

“After taking it, the doctors immediately said we could be discharged.”

Francesca says that on the third day of hospitalization, she took the elixir with Camilla and was promptly discharged. The doctors who witnessed this cursed profusely, thinking the two had risen as undead.

“I understand them. Honestly, I would have cursed too. A patient who was groaning in bed just 10 minutes ago suddenly jumps up and runs to the cafeteria. Who would think they’re normal?”

“…That’s Camilla you’re talking about, right?”

“Yes. I took it first, but the Hero recovered faster. While I was still recovering, she was waiting for me, eating snacks and drinking soda.”

“…In the ICU?”

Francesca nodded nonchalantly, and I put my hand to my forehead in dismay.

After all that suffering, she ran to the cafeteria? I don’t know whether to scold her or praise her mental fortitude…

One thing’s for sure. As soon as I get back, I need to make a new oak cudgel. The last one I made disappeared—Camilla must have hidden it somewhere. To prevent such mishaps again, I’ll need to make several spare ones this time.

While I was sighing deeply, Francesca grabbed the handle of her suitcase, preparing to move.

“You said you’re on vacation? Are you staying at a hotel?”

“Yes.”

Francesca smiled and said to me:

“I need accommodation until tomorrow morning. Would you guide me?”

It was a sudden proposal. How should I take this?

Going around with Francesca during my long-awaited vacation? With the National Security Bureau watching?

Like when I heard the news of Kim Jong-il’s death while on vacation, I blankly stared at Francesca’s face, blinking.

And after a long silence, I answered:

“Me? Why?”

“……”

The violet eyes blinked briefly.

Then Francesca’s beautiful face immediately contorted.

*

“We’ve arrived.”

“……”

Even though the taxi had stopped in front of the hotel, Francesca didn’t say anything.

She opened her wallet, handed the taxi driver a few bills, said she didn’t need change, and got out.

Pleased with the unexpected tip, the driver cheerfully pocketed the money. Then, looking at me still sitting in the taxi, he offered some words of comfort.

“Oh my… I don’t know why you fought with your girlfriend, sir, but don’t be like that. No matter how awkward things are, you can’t just let her go alone. You should hurry and catch up with her.”

“……”

Feeling embarrassed, I finally got out of the taxi.

In the distance, I could see Francesca’s back as she pulled her suitcase into Hotel Meraviglia. She said something to the front desk staff, completed a walk-in check-in, received her key, and immediately pressed the elevator button.

And then,

“……”

“……”

Silence fell inside the elevator.

Although January in Fatalia was known for its particularly chilly weather, the air inside the elevator was cold enough to rival the northern regions of the Kien Empire.

I blankly stared at the ascending numbers, while Francesca maintained a stiff expression and said nothing.

Feeling like I was sitting on pins and needles, I glanced at her profile and quietly spoke.

“Um, Francesca. I’m sorry about earl—”

“Be quiet.”

I shut my mouth, and Francesca remained silent.

We avoided each other’s gaze and maintained our silence.

Meanwhile, the elevator cruelly continued its slow ascent to our destination.

*

A water droplet falls, tapping the surface of the sink.

The interior of the house with drawn curtains was dark, not even allowing in the light from the street lamps. In the dark and quiet room, only the sound of typing on a keyboard and creaking floorboards could be heard.

“They’ve arrived.”

The intelligence officer sitting in front of the security terminal said.

The blue light from the screen reflected in his pupils, creating an eerie blue glow in the darkness.

A man turned his head at the report with its omitted subject.

“Have they entered the immigration area?”

“They just passed through immigration control.”

The man, his chin darkened by newly grown stubble, put down his razor and looked at the security terminal screen.

On the screen was a brief 500-character memo. It was a report sent by an intelligence officer in the field via an encrypted radio.

After quickly scanning the document, the man asked:

“Target location?”

The screen changed, and a new document appeared. The sender was an intelligence officer dispatched to the north.

The receiving officer began to summarize the incoming message.

“They plan to use the warp gate that activates tomorrow at 0630 hours. The destination is Fatalia.”

“Good.”

The man put down his razor and looked around the room. Intelligence officers buried among security terminals and mountains of documents were looking at their team leader.

The team leader spoke:

“The operation will proceed in Fatalia. We’ll target the moment of contact. If the operation succeeds, all personnel will move to another workshop. The vehicle team will pick up the external team and move, and the standby team will clean up this workshop and join at the rendezvous point. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“Everyone, stay sharp. The target and the contact are highly trained wizards. If the vehicle team and external team don’t coordinate properly, a firefight could break out on site.”

The team leader turned to face the board.

A whiteboard covered with photos of individuals and sticky notes. There were three photos in total.

The most noticeable were a woman with purple hair and a man with black hair. The capes and uniforms they wore indicated they were a wizard and a soldier, respectively.

“Attention, everyone.”

The team leader, looking at the board, clapped his hands to focus the team members’ attention.

“Prepare for the abduction now.”