Ch.349Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

An unusual aura began to permeate Tranquille Cathedral.

Knights with tightly sealed lips hurried about, nuns whispered something into priests’ ears before rushing elsewhere, and young acolytes glanced around nervously.

Though no one spoke of it aloud, one could feel that something was happening.

However, there was one person.

Just one person who acted as usual.

Lucia.

Amidst the bustling atmosphere, Lucia maintained her composure. With an expression that seemed detached yet somehow resolute, she walked through the corridor, cutting through the crowd.

Just then, a priest appeared before her.

“Holy Maiden…!”

The two knights escorting her moved to stop the man who had suddenly appeared, but upon recognizing him as a priest of the cathedral, they immediately backed away.

After catching his breath, which had risen all the way to his chin, the priest finally managed to speak.

“Outside, right now…”

“I know.”

The priest’s lips closed at her response.

Unlike his anxious demeanor, Lucia continued speaking in her usual calm voice.

“I will go. Let’s proceed.”

Lucia strode forward with determined steps.

The priest and knights who followed the Holy Maiden exchanged worried glances as they watched her back.

Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Holy Maidens

The Archduke wants to take Camilla as his disciple.

At first glance, this might sound strange, but it wasn’t entirely nonsensical.

“Come to think of it, mages still maintain an apprenticeship culture, right? Like the dwarves.”

“That’s correct.”

The apprenticeship culture—where one learns knowledge and expertise from a master craftsman from a young age—is one of the legacies that symbolizes a mage’s identity, along with their capes.

Since ancient times, magic has been knowledge passed down from master to disciple. It’s similar to the secret martial arts techniques often featured in wuxia stories.

Mages have always faced persecution from the Inquisition, and secrecy was essential to avoid being tracked by inquisitors. Therefore, mages from the “Age of Barbarism”—before the founding of the Magic Tower—would teach magic only to trustworthy individuals for a modest fee to ensure their survival.

This apprenticeship culture of mages frequently appears in medieval and modern literature, as well as in regional folklore, and historians often study it to understand how magical education was conducted during those times.

“In today’s magical community, the apprenticeship culture is essentially becoming obsolete, but it’s still preserved among certain schools and mages. The Alchemy School is a prime example.”

Francesca, an alchemist from the Elemental School of the Magic Tower, began to dissect the traditions of magical society.

“Most types of magic, except for a very few, have a central school. However, for certain disciplines like alchemy, schools, universities, and even academies only teach the basics. Detailed knowledge must be personally researched by the alchemist to achieve results.”

For example, imagine an alchemist developing a new potion.

The alchemist would use the knowledge they’ve acquired to develop this new potion, following clearly verified formulas and school-approved ingredient ratios.

But pioneering new territory is like navigating vast seas without a map. The alchemist who boldly takes on this challenge soon hits a wall.

At this point, alchemists seek out experienced alchemists for guidance, bringing along items the master alchemist might favor, valuable materials, or rare ingredients.

Francesca compared it to scientific research.

“When scientists face obstacles, they first look for relevant papers. Going a step further, they might use their connections to contact the paper’s author for advice or collaborate with research institutions. From that perspective, mages behave similarly to scientists, but when you get into the details, magic tends to be a bit messier and more complicated.”

“Messier? Why do you think that?”

“While scientists’ competition focuses on objective inquiry and scientific advancement, mages tend to concentrate more on elevating their own status rather than uncovering truth.”

For a mage, knowledge is both personal property and an inheritance from previous generations.

In other words,

“For mages, knowledge is a legacy to be protected, preserved, and developed—not a public good to be shared with others.”

Magic is somewhat like a business. Specifically, a family business passed down through generations.

Even without being from prestigious families like the Ranieri or Lysidice, many families have produced mages for generations. In such families, magic is often equated with family assets.

How could one share family assets with others? Giving away your property to others makes you a philanthropist, not a businessperson.

“Most apprentices seek out masters first, but for a talented few, masters come looking for them. Especially someone like you, Hero—you’re the kind of talent every mage would covet.”

“I don’t understand why such a culture exists.”

“It’s tradition. Customs don’t change easily.”

Francesca viewed this magical society culture as an extension of the apprenticeship tradition where arcane knowledge was passed down to successors while evading the Inquisition’s watchful eye.

“Even beyond family lines, examples abound. Graduates from certain academies and universities form groups within their schools and exchange valuable information exclusively among themselves. That’s why the apprenticeship culture persists.”

“Wait, isn’t that a cartel?”

“When a small group of mages forms an exclusive circle, it’s criticized as a cartel. But when a powerful majority of mages forms a group, that’s a faction—one that everyone wants to join.”

Francesca exposed the underbelly of magical society.

She revealed uncomfortable truths that the Magic Tower wants to eliminate but simply won’t disappear.

Discrimination based on origins within schools, networking determined by who taught you even among those from the same background, persecution of those who left groups or never had the chance to join one, and mages who abandon schools altogether to live in seclusion with only their apprentices.

And even worse.

“Oh, have I mentioned this before? The dark side of apprenticeship culture.”

“What’s that?”

“Some mages demand excessive payment from their disciples. They might require educational or practical fees that students can barely afford. As a result, some students resort to illegal activities to raise the money.”

“For example?”

“While I don’t know the inner workings of all schools, the Alchemy School is notorious for manufacturing and selling illegal drugs. From counterfeit corporate potions to stimulants or sedatives like ‘Succubus Kiss’ or ‘Elemental Whisper.’ The variety is extensive.”

Succubus Kiss, Elemental Whisper. I’ve heard of these before. Specifically, when I was deployed under Clavins for a border drug smuggling interdiction operation.

So those are drugs she’s talking about.

“This is insane…”

Students manufacturing drugs for money? Is this Breaking Bad or Narcos?

As my mind reeled from this story that seemed straight out of a drama, Francesca smiled gently and spoke as if this were nothing surprising.

“I actually had a friend who was caught selling cocaine. He dropped out of university to become an alchemist’s apprentice. We thought he went abroad to study, but it turned out he was making drugs in the jungle. Funny, isn’t it?”

“Suriname, huh.”

“Pardon?”

“Just talking to myself.”

With each revelation about magical society from this Magic Tower elite, my mind grew increasingly dizzy.

As the conversation kept unearthing more disturbing tales, I finally decided to stop and return to the main topic.

“Anyway, I understand that apprenticeship is a time-honored, beautiful tradition among mages. And that the Archduke wants to take Camilla as his disciple.”

“Yes.”

“But what does the Archduke gain from taking on a disciple?”

After Francesca’s explanation, only one question remained in my mind:

Why does the Archduke want to make Camilla his disciple?

“The Archduke is getting on in years, isn’t he? Plus, he’s already reached the level of Archmage and receives exceptional treatment from the Imperial family. Why would he go through the trouble of taking on a disciple?”

“Hmm…”

The descendant of an Archmage stroked her chin, deep in thought.

Even for her, a descendant of the Ranieri family, it wasn’t easy to guess the Archmage’s intentions. As the embers in her pipe died down and the smoke dissipated, Francesca’s contemplation showed no signs of ending.

Suddenly, lost in thought, Francesca took a small drag from her pipe.

“Well.”

Then, with a gentle smile, she answered:

“Perhaps he fears that the heights he’s achieved will end with his generation. Or maybe he simply wants to pass on his knowledge to someone.”

“…Do you really think that makes sense?”

“I wouldn’t know that much. But you understand, don’t you? That for some people, there are values more important than life itself—values that ordinary minds cannot comprehend.”

“……”

“That’s all I have to say on the matter.”

*

Immediately after the reception ended.

I returned to the embassy and submitted a report to Military Intelligence. It was a brief report stating that the Archduke would be contacting Camilla.

Naturally, Military Intelligence issued new orders.

Leoni instructed me to find out what the Archduke was plotting by any means necessary, promising full support.

And not long after that.

A report came in that the Pope had arrived at Tranquille Cathedral, where Lucia was staying.

This happened just two days before the canonization ceremony.