Ch.346Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

“Any form will do. I simply wish to have a quiet conversation with the red-haired child.”

The Grand Duke said.

“However, if I were to suddenly approach and request a conversation, both the child and others would be uncomfortable. I also wish to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, so I’d like you, as a colleague, to arrange a meeting.”

The Grand Magician said.

“Would that be possible?”

Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

I remained silent for a long while.

“……”

I had no way of knowing ‘why’ the Grand Duke was showing interest in Camilla, but I could deduce ‘when’ that interest began.

Long ago. When I first set foot in the Kiyen Empire as a military attaché.

In an alley behind the Imperial Defense Ministry headquarters, Camilla and I encountered a cat.

Gleaming white fur like a marten, delicate lips and nose, textbook whiskers, and deep blue eyes.

The cat was perched precariously on a branch, sitting quietly. Camilla, who was passing by, stepped forward to rescue it, and the cat stared down at her thoughtfully.

And the moment Camilla used her ability to light a fire.

The cat spoke to us.

Saying that’s not how fire should be used.

That cat must have been the Grand Duke. I have no physical evidence, but my suspicions are overwhelming.

Francesca had mentioned that “only mages from the war era can practically handle transformation magic into animals,” and the Grand Duke was one of the founders of the Elemental School, a mage who wielded azure flames.

Most decisively,

“How is that child doing?”

The Grand Duke was referring to Camilla as if she knew her well.

As if she had seen her multiple times.

“She’s been suffering a bit from fur allergies, but otherwise she’s doing fine.”

“She had such an ailment?”

“She didn’t know herself until someone helped her discover it. Due to all the fur flying around indoors.”

The Grand Duke acknowledged it calmly without batting an eye.

“You figured it out.”

In response to my roundabout question, the Grand Duke neither confirmed nor denied that she had transformed into a cat.

And that was her answer.

I thought carefully about where else I had encountered a white-furred, blue-eyed cat besides the Defense Ministry.

The first thing that came to mind was the Palm Tree Merchant Guild.

The guild of Hormoz, a dark elf who came from the Moritani continent. Hormoz was gradually swallowing up the northern black market using his considerable financial resources and connections.

I had gone to find him with Francesca, Camilla, and Knight Commander Ferretti to track down the mastermind behind the black magic terrorist attack at the department store.

And it was there that I encountered the cat.

Come to think of it, there were many other suspicious elements.

For instance, the teacups.

Hormoz always received us alone in an empty room. Depending on the occasion, there were often two teacups placed in front of Hormoz. Sometimes there was even a guest cushion laid out as if there had been a previous visitor.

Whether in his office or tent, the only “person” present was Hormoz, but there was always a cat lingering by his side.

A cat with gleaming white fur and blue eyes.

No wonder that dark elf with no ties to the Empire was operating freely in a martial law area. It seems the Grand Duke had been backing Hormoz.

I already knew that one of the high-ranking officials was supporting him from behind. I never imagined that support would be the Grand Duke.

“……”

The Grand Duke offered me a teacup. It had the same aroma as the tea from the East that Hormoz had served me before.

I picked up the cup and moistened my throat.

There was no need to speak unnecessarily. No need to pick a fight either.

No matter that the Grand Duke was the Emperor’s aunt and a power player who could control the magical community, I am a diplomat representing the Abas government. Diplomatic immunity would cover my transgressions, even if I had been involved in smuggling.

So even if the Grand Duke reported me to the Imperial government, I would bear no responsibility under the protection of the Abas government. At most, if prosecuted, it wouldn’t lead to actual punishment but would end with an entry ban. Likewise, even if I were to spread rumors about the relationship between the Palm Tree Guild and the Grand Duke, she would suffer no harm.

The question is why she’s telling me this…

The reason is obvious.

“So, have you found an answer to my question?”

Would I help arrange a meeting with Camilla? Alexandra had posed an ambiguous question that could be either a request or a threat. I considered various responses, but…

There was only one answer I could give.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

“I don’t think I can do that.”

*

“Is it impossible?”

“To be precise, I meant that it would be difficult for me to arrange a meeting between Your Grace and Miss Camilla.”

“Why is that?”

In response to her question about my reasons, I held up my index and middle fingers.

The first reason was my position.

“I am a diplomat. As a representative of the Abas government, it would be inappropriate for me to arrange a meeting between a foreign dignitary and Miss Camilla.”

The second reason was consent.

“Additionally, I must consider Miss Camilla’s wishes. As Your Grace well knows, Grand Duke and Miss Camilla have no prior acquaintance. If I were to suddenly propose a meeting with Your Grace, how uncomfortable would that make Miss Camilla?”

My diplomatic position and Camilla’s own wishes. I politely declined the Grand Duke’s proposal citing these two reasons.

However, it seemed insufficient to convince the Grand Duke. She stared at me with an uncomprehending look.

“Do you truly believe you represent the Abas government?”

“That’s what being a diplomat means.”

A diplomat resides in a host country as a proxy for their home nation, advancing their country’s interests. From small-scale civilian exchanges to larger matters like trade, military cooperation, and diplomatic policy.

A diplomat’s duties are diverse and carry significant weight. Therefore, one misstep can escalate from a personal issue to an international incident.

If I were to bridge the gap between the Grand Duke and Camilla, other diplomats stationed at the Order would view it with suspicion. They might wonder, “Is the Abas government using Camilla as an opportunity to improve diplomatic relations with the Kiyen Empire?”

We don’t need to look far—similar rumors circulated in diplomatic circles when the northern Empire was selected as Camilla’s first area of activity.

My sister Adela is an active diplomat, and I’ve had many opportunities to attend embassy events as a military attaché, so I naturally hear the gossip circulating among diplomats.

Of course, neither I nor the Abas diplomatic corps needed to deny the rumors. They were just baseless gossip without any clear substance or evidence.

But what if I, an active attaché, were caught trying to bridge the gap between the Grand Duke and Camilla? It wouldn’t end with mere rumors. Foreign Minister Yamaga Don might even summon me for a dressing-down.

So arranging a meeting is realistically difficult.

That was my argument.

The Grand Duke said:

“If that’s your thinking, then perhaps a representative of the Abas government accompanying the red-haired child might also appear suspicious to others.”

Why is a diplomat sticking so closely to the hero?

That was the question that came from the Grand Duke’s lips. Quite a direct approach.

I smiled and countered:

“That’s not a problem.”

“Why do you think there’s no problem?”

“Because I’m responsible for negotiating and cooperating with local governments to ensure the smooth operation of our group.”

Officially, I am Camilla’s companion as determined by the Oracle, but unofficially, I am an intelligence officer following orders from the Abas intelligence agency.

The problem is that there aren’t many ways to maintain both identities.

What I must do as Camilla’s companion versus what I must do as an intelligence officer. The goals that Camilla and our group aim for versus the objectives of the Abas intelligence authorities.

The two identities sometimes align but also have points of divergence. Like someone who works as a businessman during the day and puts on a bat mask at night to fight villains.

For now, I’m managing to maintain both identities through self-regulation, but problems could arise someday. Leoni and Clevins are concerned about this aspect too.

But there’s always a way out. Over the past few months, traveling between the Order, the Magic Tower, and the Empire, I’ve learned how to maintain both identities simultaneously.

“As a companion chosen by the Oracle, my role is to assist Miss Camilla, Miss Lucia, and Miss Francesca in their activities. However, to cooperate more closely with local governments, maintaining my diplomatic status is essential.”

Camilla and our group travel to various countries. So far, we’ve only dealt with nations like the Order, the Magic Tower, and the Empire, where cooperation can be obtained smoothly, but no one knows which regions we’ll visit in the future.

The next assignment could be in a country where the government only exerts influence in the capital while warlords occupy various provinces, or a nation divided into multiple tribes and parties engaged in civil war, or even a hellhole where the government has collapsed, leading to a Three Kingdoms-like era of competing powers.

Sadly, that’s the reality.

Whether for humanitarian activities, war, or “business,” operating in such chaotic places requires cooperation from governments or organizations. Unfortunately, among our group, no one else can handle negotiations and cooperation.

Lucia has lived her entire life as a clergy member, and while Francesca knows how to negotiate, she’s been lurking in the shadows managing slush funds and doesn’t have clear authority. And Camilla is literally from another world.

As a diplomat, I’m in a position to do something. Whether talking with government officials or negotiating with local warlords. Since that’s what diplomats exist for, coordinating between our group and local governments falls under my jurisdiction.

Of course, this doesn’t mean there’s no gossip, but everyone knows that I’m the only one in the group who can be trusted with negotiation duties. Diplomatic work isn’t child’s play, and when military operations are involved, the paperwork piles up like mountains—who else could handle that?

That’s why most countries tacitly acknowledge my dual status.

Even the Imperial Defense Ministry, which is hostile to Abas.

“Of course, as Your Grace mentioned, some do take issue with my position. As a diplomat representing my government, I often hear rumors suggesting that the Abas government might be using the upheaval as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ affairs. But acting officially to help my companions is fundamentally different from privately helping to arrange a meeting between Your Grace and Miss Camilla.”

I can use my diplomatic status for negotiations, but not to arrange private meetings. It might seem inconsistent, but there’s no problem.

Taking credit while shifting blame to others is a characteristic of diplomats.

Like when they bomb civilians to catch terrorists and then apologize, or when they economically exploit former colonies by cozying up to local politicians until a coup occurs and rebels take power.

Double standards apply not only to secret lovers but also to diplomats.

I argued that Camilla and the Grand Duke shouldn’t meet, citing plausible reasons. But true to her elderly nature, the Grand Duke stubbornly refused to back down.

“Are you certain that you always act impartially and handle all matters fairly, without being swayed by personal feelings?”

“No, but at least I try to.”

“I’ve never met someone who truly treats everyone equally despite saying so. What do you think?”

“How can a person be perfect every time? Where there is light, there is darkness; when the sun rises, the moon rises somewhere else. Even coins have two sides—how could a person have only good or only bad aspects?”

The conversation continued, one topic leading to another.

I kept blurring the focus and changing the subject to stall for time. I hoped the Grand Duke would tire and leave.

But true to her elderly nature, the Grand Duke showed no signs of giving up on meeting Camilla. She persisted tenaciously and relentlessly.

Then suddenly, the Grand Duke made a proposal.

“Then, what if instead of you helping me privately, you arrange a meeting with me in an official capacity for the sake of your red-haired companion?”

There were no additional words, but I instinctively realized this was the Grand Duke’s final offer. At that point, I quickly calculated whether accepting this proposal was the right move.

I wanted to refuse, but thinking about it, it wasn’t a bad proposal. After all, the Grand Duke had also participated in Lucia’s poet-priest ceremony as a representative of the Empire.

In an official setting, there would be many watchful eyes, so the Grand Duke couldn’t act freely, and I could naturally arrange the meeting. At least diplomats wouldn’t view Camilla and me with suspicion.

After pretending to be reluctant and sighing, I began to nod. After much deliberation, I appeared to reluctantly accept.

Of course, I didn’t forget to add conditions.

And to avoid giving a definitive answer.

“…I’ll ask Miss Camilla first and get back to you with her response.”

*

Having said all I needed to say, there was no reason to stay any longer.

I turned around and walked toward the door. I had left my bag at the lobby, so I just needed to walk out.

Just as I grabbed the doorknob and was about to leave the room.

“Tell that child,” said the Grand Duke, standing by the window.

“Think carefully, but decide quickly.”

The door closed.

I crossed the corridor and took the elevator to leave the top floor.

*

“Here’s your bag, Military Attaché.”

As soon as I reached the hotel lobby, a police officer respectfully handed me my bag.

After receiving my briefcase and thanking him, I began to walk away, while men in suits with earpieces watched me and whispered among themselves.

“Are you going to your lodgings? Shall I call you a taxi?”

“Ah, no need. The embassy arranged transportation for me. I appreciate the thought.”

I politely declined the Imperial diplomats’ offers and quietly got into a car parked at the back entrance.

The vehicle with Abas diplomatic plates started moving as soon as I got in. The driver smoothly accelerated, and the car glided away from the hotel onto the road.

The windows were heavily tinted. Gazing at the night view of Laterano reflected in the black glass, I casually placed my briefcase between the passenger and driver’s seats.

The man in the passenger seat quietly took the bag and placed it on his lap.

Then he took out an oddly shaped device from his pocket, held a wire in his hand, pushed the hook on the bag handle left twice, right five times, turned a dial, and opened it.

Inside the thick briefcase was a large electronic device.

The man connected wires to the equipment. Green text briefly scrolled across the screen of the strange device.

The counselor of the Abas Kingdom Embassy to the Order, an intelligence officer of the Royal Intelligence Service sitting in the passenger seat, nodded as he organized the wires.

“Yes, confirmed. The signals captured inside are here.”

“Anything good in there?”

“We’ll know once the communications department examines it, but judging by the weight, it seems we’ve got something substantial.”

“That’s good news.”

I leaned back in my seat and said to the intelligence officer in the driver’s seat:

“Let’s call it a day.”

The engine revved and the speed increased. A panorama of yellow lights flowed past the window.

The black diplomatic vehicle disappeared into the city of lights.