Ch.335Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

Dawn of Early Winter

A morning of early winter has dawned. Cotton candy-like fog tints the windows with a milky haze.

As I draw a line on the glass, beads of moisture trickle down along the surface.

Gazing at the thinly spread fog creates the illusion of being dropped right in the middle of a cloud.

A faint breath escapes between my lips, and as I pull my finger from the glass to throw the window wide open, a silver-tinged world unfolds before my eyes.

At that moment, the sun perched on the mountain ridge begins to part the fog, dyeing the eastern sky with a clear vermilion hue.

“……”

The dispersing fog and the brightly burning sun.

Feeling the warm sensation transmitted through the dew-beaded window, I close my eyes, using the sofa’s armrest as a pillow.

Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

Quite some time has passed since we left the North.

Nearly half of the Naroda Mountains, several times larger than the Taebaek Mountains, had burned, and the neglected infrastructure has finally been restored to its proper state.

Monsters that had been hiding in the forests to escape the bitter cold were incinerated, patients suffering from diseases regained their health, and the threats of demons and necromancers that had driven countless people into fear also disappeared.

The changing situation surrounding the North instilled confidence in the Empire’s generals.

As a result, the offensive operation scheduled for next spring was moved up by several months.

That was just a few days ago.

[The Kiyen Empire has begun the counteroffensive it has been preparing since last fall. The Imperial Defense Ministry explained that the Kiyen Imperial Army on the Naroda Mountain front has launched ‘Operation Torch’ just a week after announcing the counterattack operation.]

Camilla, sitting at the dining table, took a sip of water as the news from the Empire flowed from the radio.

“When will it end?”

“Who knows.”

Though details would need to be monitored, it was an undisputed fact that the Imperial Army would recapture the North.

After all, Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca had definitively resolved the major issues hindering the operation (mountain monsters, patients, transportation networks, and so on).

And that wasn’t all.

We also deserved significant credit for capturing the demons that had secretly infiltrated the rear to cause disruption.

Thanks to us taking care of problems that should have been handled by the military government headquarters, they were able to focus on concentrating troops and supplies, reinforcing operational plans, and preparing for the offensive.

As a result, despite moving up the offensive date, the Imperial Army continues to advance northward rapidly.

Anyway.

What mattered to me now wasn’t issues like the North.

I turned off the stove and quickly pulled out a plate.

“There, it’s ready now.”

Steaming pancakes are placed on the plate. The fragrant aroma of maple syrup is almost enough to make my nose twist.

When a knife cuts through the fluffy, layered tower, the delicate yellow flesh that can hardly be described as merely “soft” shyly reveals itself.

A precariously balanced blueberry drops with a plop onto the bottom of the plate.

As the maple syrup flows down the sides like a waterfall, moistening the toppings and the cake, an exclamation bursts from Camilla’s mouth.

“Wow…!”

Camilla began devouring the pancakes with a smile brimming with happiness.

Neatly and generously cut pieces of cake disappear into her mouth.

To her left, dismantled bits of bacon, tomatoes, and hash browns were scattered about, while on her right, a pile of plates containing only crumbs of what used to be bread was stacked high.

“Ugh…”

Just as I managed to set down the armful of plates in the sink, Camilla gently raised her hand.

“Need something?”

“One more, please.”

“…Again?”

“Hehe…”

I made another pancake, leaving Camilla behind with her sheepish smile. What had been five pancakes just moments ago was now down to just one lonely piece.

After placing the pancake on the empty plate, I tapped her shoulder and asked:

“You’ve eaten six today?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite.”

“…?”

What did I just hear?

I alternated my gaze between Camilla cutting into her pancake and the packaging strewn about the kitchen.

She was calmly swallowing the last pancake after demolishing all the ingredients I had bought this morning for a single meal.

I sighed deeply and covered my face with my palm as she devoured food like a wild boar raiding a GOP garbage dump.

How did I end up playing the role of a housekeeper?

Memories from less than a week ago suddenly began to surface.

*

It was a morning of victory.

The assassination operation had succeeded. By the time the scene was cleaned up and alibis established, all connections between the Abas government and the assassination operation had been completely severed.

When a vessel with the same name as a certain Abas Navy ship—one that no ordinary naval crew member would have ever boarded in their lifetime—docked at the naval port, the Military Intelligence Service declared the operation a success.

The operation team dispatched from the Royal Intelligence Department safely arrived back in their home country, and I, who had been waiting at the embassy, also began preparing to return home.

But then an unexpected situation arose.

“What? Administrator Ranieri went to the Mage Tower Security?”

-‘Yes, that’s correct.’

Francesca had gone to the Mage Tower Security.

To be more precise, she had turned herself in.

“No. Why on earth did she go there?”

-‘We don’t know the exact details either, but according to our informant within Security, Francesca Ranieri turned herself in, confessing to killing mages…’

“What nonsense is that?”

As soon as day broke, Francesca had gone to Security and confessed all her crimes in detail.

She claimed to have killed four necromancers who had been her subordinates in the northern part of the Kiyen Empire.

As evidence, she presented the magical artifacts used in the killings, including a rune sword, as well as the necromancers’ possessions and documents, along with other crucial evidence.

After confessing, Francesca was arrested by Mage Tower Security.

-‘They seem quite confused by this sudden development as well. Our branch will keep a close eye on the situation…’

This was a completely unexpected situation.

An informant being arrested by Security—this was no ordinary matter.

Of course, Francesca wasn’t suicidal and wouldn’t have walked into her own grave without reason. She must have had her own calculations.

But that was Francesca’s situation.

My situation was different.

“Secure line. Director, this is Frederick Nostrum, Regional Officer for the Kiyen Empire. The matter at hand is…”

“Yes, I just found out myself. The Mage Tower branch…”

“It’s Sophia. Are you available to talk now?”

“I’ll handle it according to protocol. I’ll check if there are any materials left in Francesca’s hotel room, dispose of them if there are, and then report back. Yes.”

“Secure line…”

I was overwhelmed with calls coming in from the agency.

Few people within the Military Intelligence Service knew about my position. Even fewer knew that Francesca was an informant.

The problem was that those who did know were high-ranking intelligence officers.

And sitting in such positions meant they could access urgent intelligence reports coming in from overseas branches.

Even without that, many people knew that Francesca and I were colleagues.

Those who simply knew me as a military attaché began calling to probe if anything had happened or if I had any information.

Therefore, people contacting me fell strictly into two categories:

Those contacting Frederick Nostrum, a colleague of Francesca and the defense attaché to the Empire.

Those contacting Frederick Nostrum, the intelligence officer handling her and an overseas intelligence officer for the Military Intelligence Service.

The person calling this time was clearly the latter.

“Secure line. Kiyen Empire Regional Intelligence Officer Fred…”

-‘Ah, it’s me.’

“Oh, Director.”

Around the time when the morning meeting would be starting at the Military Intelligence Service, Clevins contacted me as I was running around the embassy with a phone in hand.

-‘So Francesca turned herself in?’

“Yes.”

-‘Oh my. Did you get blindsided? How badly must you have treated her for an informant to turn herself in? Tsk, tsk…’

“That’s not it…”

-‘I’m joking. I’ve heard the situation myself, having just met with a Mage Tower embassy staff member.’

He shared intelligence gathered by the domestic division with me. The source was human intelligence—material from Abas-stationed Mage Tower diplomats.

-‘The Mage Tower Foreign Ministry seemed unaware of what had happened. The Security personnel assigned to the embassy were similarly in the dark.’

The Mage Tower Foreign Ministry didn’t even know that Francesca had turned herself in. Likewise, the Security intelligence officers stationed at the embassy were completely unaware of the situation back home.

Clevins described the situation like this:

-‘When asked why Ranieri was arrested, they all initially responded by asking what we were talking about. Our staff thought they were playing some kind of joke… But after going out to call their ambassador and speaking with contacts at headquarters, they returned with pale faces, saying they would contact us later and all left their seats.’

“They really didn’t know?”

-‘If the intercepted content is true, then yes. Even without that, they didn’t seem to be lying.’

One of the embassy staff known to be from the same school as Francesca tripped over his own feet as he was leaving his seat.

Clevins reported that the Mage Tower diplomat, who fell in front of a Military Intelligence Service officer disguised as an Abas Foreign Ministry employee, immediately left the meeting and drove straight to the embassy.

-‘It’s understandable they’d be shocked—an executive of the Secretariat and descendant of an Archmage turning herself in for murder. Their reaction was excessive, but understandable.’

“Hmm…”

-‘Anyway, there’s not much to worry about.’

Clevins also passed on other materials collected by the overseas division.

Upon receiving an urgent report from the Mage Tower branch, Leoni assembled prosecutors assigned to the Military Intelligence Service and external personnel. She gathered elite legal professionals specializing in international law, Mage Tower law, and Kiyen Empire law, and instructed them to thoroughly investigate the legal aspects of Francesca’s crimes.

Whether the act of killing four necromancers could be justified under legal exemptions, what sentence a prosecutor might seek if charges were filed, and how a court might rule, among other questions.

After combing through legal codes and various precedents, these legal elites quickly drafted a preliminary report for Leoni. And that draft was passed on to me through Clevins.

-‘After analyzing Mage Tower and Kiyen Empire laws and precedents, they concluded that she’s likely to avoid immediate punishment.’

“Really…?”

-‘Even elves skulking in the great forest have bounties on their heads—do you think necromancers wouldn’t have bounties on theirs?’

Clevins said she could easily get off on grounds of emergency evacuation or self-defense, having killed necromancers who were fleeing or threatening her, and having presented evidence supporting the fact that the deceased mages were indeed necromancers.

But problems still remained.

-‘The verdict is ultimately in the hands of the judge. And whether to prosecute or not is up to the prosecutor. The overseas department is digging into the Mage Tower’s Justice Department, police, and Security, so let’s calmly monitor the situation for now.’

“Yes, understood…”

-‘Don’t worry too much. Get some rest and I’ll contact you again.’

I put down the receiver and put a cigarette in my mouth.

But I didn’t light it.

With the cigarette between my lips, I opened and closed the cigarette pack repeatedly. The pack in my grip gradually crumpled, and the silver hinge of the twisted oil lighter screamed in protest.

Even as saliva inside my mouth dampened the filter, no flame was lit. After chewing on the wet filter for a while with dry lips, I stuffed the cigarette back in and left the embassy.

I had no specific destination.

I drove down the road with the windows wide open to let out the stuffy air inside. The security mobile phone, ringing loudly, was tossed onto the passenger seat with its battery removed. My personal mobile phone was in a similar state.

I aimlessly drove around Petrograd until quitting time, but my floating consciousness showed little sign of calming down.

It was when I arrived at the diplomatic residence after driving like that:

“…Huh?”

I quickly got out of the car when I spotted a familiar woman’s back lingering in front of the residence.

“What are you doing here, Lucia?”

“Ah. You’re here now.”

It was Lucia.

Dressed in the pure white vestments symbolizing adulthood, Lucia smiled gently. Her uniquely braided golden hair, dyed by the setting sun, shone brilliantly.

Holding a luggage bag in one hand, she greeted me. I returned her greeting and pointed to the luggage she was carrying.

“Where are you going? That looks like quite a lot of luggage.”

“Didn’t I tell you? Today is the day I return to the Order.”

“So suddenly? No, why specifically… Oh, right.”

In the middle of speaking, I suddenly remembered that the canonization ceremony was approaching.

The sacred ceremony blessing the birth of a new saint—in the history of the Order, there had never been more than one saint in a single era.

Even devout clergy might see such a canonization ceremony only once in their lifetime. And that ceremony was approaching. And Lucia was the protagonist of this canonization ceremony.

“I completely forgot. I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I know you’re a busy person.”

Lucia nodded with a gentle smile, indicating she understood completely, then began speaking with a bitter expression.

“Though I’d like to stay in the North longer for the residents… with the offensive moved up, it’s difficult to remain any longer, and the Cardinals and Bishops have urged me to return as soon as possible, so I think I must go back now.”

“I suppose the canonization ceremony preparations must be quite busy?”

“It’s not a simple ceremony, after all.”

In truth, preparations for the canonization ceremony had begun from the moment Lucia became a saint.

For the past few months, high-ranking clergy of the Order had been simultaneously preparing for Lucia’s canonization ceremony and the coronation of the new Pope, Raphael.

Rumors suggest it will be remembered as the most splendid canonization and coronation ceremony in history. I’m not entirely sure, but apparently the events will last at least three days.

Considering that a papal inauguration typically concludes within half a day, this indicates the immense expectations people, especially the religious, have for the canonization ceremony.

In other words, if they mess up the canonization ceremony, public sentiment will be equally ruined.

So what can they do?

They must prepare rigorously to avoid any blame.

“Sounds tough. Good luck.”

“It’s not really a hardship. If anything, those preparing the ceremony are probably having a harder time than I am.”

Despite the clearly difficult path ahead, Lucia simply nodded with a composed attitude.

“By the way, there’s one thing I’d like to ask if you have time?”

“Go ahead.”

“About the Hero…”

Lucia cautiously broached the subject and conveyed her request with a worried expression.

“I’ll be busy moving around for a while, and Miss Francesca will be busy with Mage Tower matters. So I was wondering…”

Could you take care of Miss Camilla for a while?

Upon hearing her request, I fell into thought for a moment.

“……”

Fortunately, it seemed the news of Francesca’s arrest hadn’t yet reached Lucia’s ears.

She asked me to take care of Camilla, who had nowhere to go, in order to lighten the burden on Francesca, who was always busy with official duties in the North.

Lost in thought, I stared blankly at the setting sun.

My deliberation wasn’t long.

“…Yes, I’ll take care of her.”

“Thank you. I feel bad for making such an unreasonable request.”

“It’s nothing. Just part of the job.”

And so I agreed to take care of Camilla on behalf of Lucia and Francesca.

And then…

*

Awakening from my reverie, I was dumbfounded by the disaster unfolding before my eyes.

I definitely went shopping with both hands full at dawn. What on earth is this?

The kitchen was littered with packaging from the groceries I had bought at the supermarket, and a mountain of dishes filled the spacious sink.

And that wasn’t all.

The table I had brought in for us to sit around the sofa and enjoy snacks had long been conquered by takeout food. Snacks, sodas, and ice cream that had been secretly hidden in the shopping cart also occupied the edge of the dining table.

And in front of the dining table, occupying the most comfortable spot on the plush sofa, Camilla sat with her hand on her stomach, smiling brightly.

“Ah, I feel so alive…”

“……”

“The food at the North’s hotels was so tasteless, I just couldn’t stand it. Since it was a martial law area with rationing, even the supermarkets weren’t open… It really reminded me of my time volunteering in Africa—it was so difficult.”

I looked down at the half-eaten pizza.

Like the African continent torn apart by England, the pizza had been cut into convenient squares. Next to it was a completely empty pizza box, and on top of that, chicken with only crumbs remaining tumbled inside its box.

Within reach was a card I’d never seen before—a check card Camilla had created in her own name.

With the money she received for beating monsters at the Mage Tower and burning half the mountains in the Empire, she had been eating and playing for a week.

“……”

Turning my head to check the clock, I saw it was already 11:22.

Camilla’s breakfast, which had begun at 8:00, had finally concluded after nearly three hours.

At the Nostrum family townhouse located in the capital of Abas.

Entering the living room with a plastic bag for recycling, I sighed deeply as I surveyed the chaotic scene.

“This is too much, for fuck’s sake…”

On the morning of the 7th day of my commitment to live with Camilla.

I finally realized that I had been set up by Lucia.