Ch.337Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

# Fratricide is a tragedy that occurs throughout history, regardless of time or place. While there may be some differences based on sociocultural environments, killing one’s own kind is generally considered taboo.

The magical society is particularly sensitive to this taboo.

A magician who kills another magician is sentenced to death, and a magician who deceives and exploits another magician for research results faces severe punishment.

The seemingly extreme punishments in magical society stem from thousands of years of widespread religious persecution and a tortuous history of suffering.

Especially before the Magic Tower was established, there was no group to lead and guide magicians, resulting in numerous conflicts among them. Magicians who concealed their existence and operated in the shadows of society were outlaws, neither protected nor punished by law. They were thoroughly governed by the logic of power based on survival of the fittest and the strong devouring the weak.

Thus, historians from both the Magic Tower and the Ivory Tower collectively refer to this period as the “Age of Barbarism.”

However, everything changed after the Magic Tower was established.

Discipline brought order to the chaotic magical society, and countless lives were lost in the process. Combat magicians rallied around the Oracle, executing magicians who resisted control and dismantling their schools.

And so the Age of Barbarism came to an end.

Today, the surveillance and punishment in magical society has become the domain of the Magic Tower and Ivory Tower, which monopolize power.

In other words,

Killing a magician without the Magic Tower’s permission is a serious crime.

“Welcome, Major. I heard you departed from your home country.”

“Where is Francesca now?”

I immediately flew to the Magic Tower with my passport. Diplomats who had been contacted by the Ministry of Defense escorted me to the headquarters of the Magic Tower’s Security Bureau.

There, I…

“…It’s been a while.”

I was finally able to meet Francesca.

“Officer.”

## Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

“…I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I heard you turned yourself in to the Security Bureau.”

“I’m sorry for causing you unnecessary worry.”

Francesca was leaning back in a recliner, while I sat on the sofa across from her, fidgeting with my lighter.

Despite meeting again after nearly two weeks, her expression was quite bright.

“Most people look gaunt after being interrogated by the Security Bureau. You look radiant.”

“Although I was questioned as a suspect, the investigators treated me kindly. They accommodated me.”

A high-ranking official in the Magic Tower’s Secretariat, a promising talent from one of the three major schools. Francesca was an elite among elites, commanding the respect and admiration of magicians.

No matter how haughty the Security Bureau might be, it’s not easy to treat someone like Francesca as an ordinary person. Moreover, her ancestor was one of the great magicians who founded the Magic Tower.

She confessed to killing a necromancer who had murdered a magician and submitted all the evidence she had collected to the Security Bureau.

But the important thing was that she had been released.

And that the prosecutor had decided not to take her to trial.

“Did everyone really not know there was a necromancer in the Secretariat?”

Francesca nodded in affirmation.

“Yes. They were completely unaware.”

The existence of necromancers who had shaken the Empire for the past month—unknown to the Magic Tower’s Security Bureau, the Northern Magic Corps, their affiliated schools, and even the Oracle and their acquaintances—was revealed to the world.

Francesca admitted to killing four necromancers, excluding Jean Marbeau, whose death had been confirmed.

Considering that necromancers are similar to international terrorists in global terms, this was a case where a civilian, neither soldier nor police, had killed four vicious terrorists. Indeed, looking at what Martinez and his gang had done over the past 20 years, they were terrorists.

The Security Bureau prosecutor, taking into account the urgent situation at the time and the danger posed by necromancers, determined that Francesca’s killings met the requirements for necessity defense.

Therefore, the prosecutor decided not to indict Francesca for killing magicians “to save innocent citizens’ lives and protect the legal interests of the Magic Tower.”

Of course, that’s just a legal interpretation.

The political interpretation is different.

“To think that four necromancers infiltrated the Secretariat, which only accepts carefully selected talent…”

“Five, actually. Don’t forget Marbeau.”

Necromancers had entered the Secretariat, a path reserved only for the elite of magical society. It was already dishonorable that necromancers had worked as employees of the Secretariat, but the real problem was that there were five of them, not just one, and that they had caused havoc in the North.

Officials were brought into a martial law area to resolve a conflict, but they turned out to be terrorists? And these terrorists committed acts of terror against the military?

This wasn’t simply a matter of saving face; it was a national issue.

I flicked my lighter and asked a question.

“While the Empire bears some responsibility for failing the background check, the Magic Tower holds the greatest responsibility, doesn’t it? After all, it was the Magic Tower that selected these people and sent them to the North, right?”

“That’s right.”

“If the Empire decides to make an issue of this… Oh boy. They’ll be recruiting a lot of people for next year’s intelligence agency intake.”

The biggest victim in this incident is not Francesca but the Empire. The Magic Tower lost face, but the Empire lost lives and property.

Swarms of spiders attacked three “Rifts”—national strategic facilities producing magic stones, hundreds of missing residents became undead, and several major cities burned overnight.

And the mastermind behind all these incidents was a magician from the Magic Tower? A Secretariat official at that?

Naturally, the Imperial government can’t help but question the relationship between the necromancers and the Magic Tower. Taking it a step further, they might suspect, “Is the Oracle conspiring with necromancers to summon demons?” And it would be the duty of Imperial intelligence agencies, including the Imperial Guard, to prove this.

Of course, there’s no need for such complex hypotheses—it’s abundantly clear that the Kiyen Empire will strongly protest to the Magic Tower.

Perhaps a statement will come from the Foreign Ministry or the Chancellor, or in the worst case, from the Imperial Court itself.

That’s why the Magic Tower cannot touch even a hair on Francesca’s head, regardless of what crime she committed. If they did, suspicion would turn into certainty.

That’s precisely why Francesca, a civil servant, can sit so calmly despite receiving a non-prosecution decision.

“No need to worry about losing your pension. Congratulations.”

“Hmm…”

Francesca’s home, located in what is called the heart of the Magic Tower. The walls are filled with a vast artificial sea, created through the efforts of wise great magicians.

As she gazes at the sandy beach where waves are forming, she opens a wine cork and suddenly begins to smile mischievously.

“We meet after two weeks, and all you talk about is work?”

“Does that make you feel bad?”

“A little…?”

Francesca put a sea foam stone pipe to her lips, tamping down magic tobacco while mumbling in an ambiguous voice.

It seemed she wanted to enjoy magic tobacco with wine. As she opened a drawer, I lit her pipe with a match.

Francesca, who had been looking for a light, naturally paused her action and puffed out smoke.

Whitish smoke escapes between lips soaked with wine.

When the fire had fully caught, as I was throwing the extinguished match into the ashtray, Francesca spoke to me.

“If I remember correctly, I’ve never seen you use matches before. Where did you get them?”

“I bought some.”

“What for?”

I showed her the matchbox, which made a loud noise when shaken.

“Don’t you sometimes need someone to light your matches?”

“How kind of you.”

The Magic Tower’s Security Bureau has launched a full-scale investigation. The evidence provided by Francesca proved that Martinez and his gang were necromancers, and the Security Bureau began to unravel the details of the case based on this.

“I heard the Secretariat was recently raided. Was that the reason?”

“That’s right. Are you keeping the copies safe, Officer?”

“I’ve already handed them over.”

Before turning over the evidence she found in her northern lodgings and office to the Security Bureau, Francesca came to me and gave me copies of the documents.

I passed all of them to Senior Analyst Larry.

Considering that this assassination operation originated from an investigation into terrorism against Abas intelligence officers 20 years ago, reports would have gone up to Leoni and even the Prime Minister.

Anyway.

I took a sip of the wine Francesca offered and talked about upcoming events.

“About the medal the Empire promised to award. The ceremony is just around the corner.”

“Time is tight, but I’ll need to prepare. Thank you for letting me know.”

“You need to receive it in person, so start preparing now. I’ve already told Camilla.”

“Ah, right. Speaking of which, where is the Hero?”

“In Abas. Lucia has returned home.”

Lucia, facing her canonization ceremony, had already returned to the Order.

Although Lucia herself expressed a desire to attend the medal ceremony, the Empire and the Order agreed to have the medal delivered through a representative, as there was much to prepare.

“It’s a bit awkward with Lucia missing, but since it’s an event hosted by the Imperial Court, you’d better be on your best behavior.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

“And as for the canonization ceremony…”

I briefly trailed off as I continued my explanation.

“The plan is to proceed as scheduled. Did you receive an invitation?”

The Order sent invitations to high-ranking officials from various countries ahead of the canonization ceremony.

Invited heads of state, including prime ministers and presidents, planned to fulfill their overseas schedules accompanied by entourages consisting of ministers, vice ministers, and foreign ministry officials.

Since Lucia is the protagonist of the canonization ceremony, invitations were naturally delivered to us, her colleagues.

The problem was that Francesca is a magician affiliated with the Magic Tower.

“As you well know, there’s no precedent for Magic Tower personnel attending Order events. They’ve consistently sent invitations, but…”

The Order has steadily sent invitations to the Magic Tower and Ivory Tower for special events. However, not a single invited magician has ever accepted.

Because the Order is the Magic Tower’s greatest enemy.

Unlike the United States or Soviet Union, which have established embassies and maintained steady exchanges, the Magic Tower and the Order have merely maintained appearances while essentially ignoring each other.

What magician in their right mind would show their face at an Order event?

This invitation follows a similar pattern.

They extended an invitation out of courtesy, but there’s no need to attend, nor should one be disappointed if they don’t. They never expected the invitation to be accepted in the first place.

But Francesca isn’t just a Magic Tower official; she’s Lucia’s colleague.

“If it were someone else, no one would say anything if they didn’t attend, but the protagonist happens to be Lucia.”

It’s problematic whether she attends or not.

The fact that Francesca is a descendant of a great magician is already controversial, and the timing couldn’t be worse. The invitation was delivered just as she turned herself in for killing four necromancers.

It’s truly a headache-inducing situation.

“I don’t know what the Grand Duchess is thinking. If she’s hunting demons, she might as well catch necromancers too.”

To resolve this issue, I sought the wisdom of my sister Adela, an active diplomat, and officials from the Foreign Ministry.

“I’ll just make an appearance and leave. If it comes to it, I could send a letter through a representative.”

“Don’t worry.”

Francesca said.

“There won’t be any problems if I attend the canonization ceremony this time.”

*

A woman stands on marble.

Her silver hair, emitting a mysterious light as it sways, is exceptionally beautiful.

However, the guards protecting the corridor don’t even glance at her. The Grand Duchess passes by the guards, who have lowered their heads slightly with their chins tucked, and goes through the magnificent door.

What appears before her is a cozy bedchamber.

And an old man sleeping, surrounded by people.

“Come closer.”

At the woman’s command, elderly doctors flocked like clouds. The woman, who appeared to be just over thirty, was met with bows from the old men.

The eldest doctor at the front spoke with his head bowed.

“We are honored by Your Highness’s presence, Grand Duchess.”

The Grand Duchess of the North, Alexandra Smirnov, acknowledged the greeting with a slight nod of her head. Then she asked in a solemn voice.

“How is His Majesty the Emperor faring?”

The doctor who received the question answered. He was the Emperor’s personal physician.

“His condition has stabilized. The dragon bone Your Highness sent seems to be effective.”

“How much has he improved? Speak specifically.”

“His Majesty had breakfast with the Crown Prince. After breakfast, he read letters from the princesses and wrote replies.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes.”

The Grand Duchess slowly moved forward. The physicians who had been bowing before her carefully stepped back to make way.

Standing by the bed, the Grand Duchess captured the face of Emperor Nicholas VI, who was breathing softly with his eyes closed, in her blue eyes.

Gently holding the sleeping Emperor’s hand, the Grand Duchess closed her eyes and murmured.

“So that’s how it is.”

She said.

“Do you think a complete recovery is possible?”

“Th-that…”

The physicians stammered at the Grand Duchess’s question. Among the visibly flustered physicians, the elderly man who had greeted the Grand Duchess earlier spoke up.

“Your Highness. I regret to say that for His Majesty’s condition to improve…”

“A miracle.”

The Grand Duchess turned to the old man.

Her sapphire-like eyes rested on the Emperor’s personal physician.

“You said it yourself. That a miracle is needed to resolve this illness.”

“…”

“Isn’t that essentially saying there’s no possibility of a complete recovery?”

“…As a medical opinion, I can only say the possibility is slim.”

The Grand Duchess asked the physician.

“But not entirely impossible.”

With those words, the Grand Duchess rose from her seat.

As she stood up, displaying a height greater than that of a robust man, the guards protecting the bedchamber opened the doors wide.

“Tell the Foreign Minister to prepare the warp gate. I will be ready.”

“Your Highness.”

The Emperor’s physician urgently called out to the Grand Duchess.

“I apologize for saying this, but it’s too dangerous for Your Highness to go in person.”

“Would going abroad be more dangerous than killing a dragon and taking its bones?”

At the door guarded by sentries.

“Go and tell the Saint,”

As she was leaving the Emperor’s bedchamber, where treatment was in full swing under strict security,

She added.

“That I’m coming to collect my debt.”