Ch.505Episode 18 – Men’s Club (End)

Lighting a spark doesn’t always create a blaze.

Yet without attempt and effort, no fire can be made.

“Dodge it.”

“Dodge what—AAAAARGHHHH!”

Only pain and endurance kindle the spark, and once kindled, that spark cannot be extinguished no matter how hard one tries.

“I think it just needs a bit more refinement. Hah… I wonder if there’s any magical tool Grandmother hasn’t experienced yet?”

Once a fire starts burning, it rarely knows how to die out.

Like a small flame in a furnace spreading to a large coal, even the tiniest ember is still a burning flame.

“Hmm? Cleric. Your punches have become very fast. Swifter than before.”

“Is that so? Thank you for the compliment. Akande, your movements have improved considerably as well.”

“Haha! I learned by watching the monsters move. Nature is the textbook of all things. I saw the answer, so the result is natural!”

An unextinguished spark continues to burn, and burn again.

“-Flamma Pallida.”

“……”

“How was it, Professor?”

“The child’s ancient magic has reached a respectable level.”

“Come on~ Praise me more. Don’t be shy— Ah, wait! How could you attack so unfairly!”

Hoping that someday, I too will become a flame.

“I’m coming in.”

“Enter.”

And so time flows on and on.

Before we knew it, we faced only the final gate.

Episode 18 – Men’s Club

Humans were not born to be defeated.

God created humans to be free.

Wise one, break free from your shell and find freedom.

*

The wilderness at dawn, before darkness had lifted.

Morning mist covered eyes and ears, filling the wilderness with unknown terrors and fears.

There, a pair of candles stood.

Driving away darkness and clearing the mist, the candles illuminated the wilderness.

Seven branches extending like a candelabra. The smoke rising from them toward the sky resembled incense offered to God.

“……”

The young cleric grasped steel with the hands that had been offering prayers.

At that moment.

-Swish….

The sound disappeared.

Hexagonal isolation chambers split in parallel.

On the calm blue sea, cirrus clouds formed pink bands.

Against the backdrop of thick dawn, between softly overlapping clouds, clear hexagonal sunbeams shattered, split, and collided.

The steel freely traversed space.

Dividing light and splitting wavelengths, it advanced toward places one could hardly imagine reaching.

Neither the wilderness wind nor the desert sun.

Nothing could constrain it.

Even the blue-burning flames fell like grass before the steel, honed sharp with desire.

Before darkness realized, light was already there.

The young cleric, awakened from circular constraints, grasped victory with a liberated body.

“……”

Within the binding barrier scattering like a cluster of stars in the wind.

The mace, stopped just before touching the crown of the head.

Pushing it away with her index finger, the Grand Magician opened her mouth with a satisfied smile.

“You pass.”

*

Have courage.

Don’t give up.

You might miss a miracle.

*

The sun blazes. The desert, finally regaining vitality, burned redder than usual.

Passion has a habit of burning without awareness.

Once ignited, fire rarely extinguishes, and heat does not easily fade.

Both the red desert and the black tattoo burn more passionately than ever before.

“K’ra-t-hama!”

The sand dunes split left and right, revealing a solid floor. Crack-crack, groundwater surges upward through the fractures spreading in all directions.

Like a wild horse’s stomping and kicking echoing across the plains, the desert trembled as feet struck the ground.

The pooled water began to surge in fierce currents, following the movement of the shaking earth.

A beast lunged toward its prey.

When fists and feet swung, the Guardian School’s multicolored defensive barriers unfolded.

As attacks transformed moment by moment, the barriers deployed at various angles emitted precarious bursting sounds.

Thunderous surprise attacks sought openings and dug into wounds.

Magic fired without warning was merciless, poised to pierce even vital points.

But the predator with prey in sight did not retreat.

The warrior, barely avoiding magic by twisting her head, refused to give up and delivered a final strike.

“……”

A kick flying with enough force to crush the temple.

Blocking it with her arm, the Grand Magician smiled impressively.

“Not bad. You pass too.”

“Shut up and keep fighting—URRRGHHHH!”

“She said you passed.”

*

Magic is turning the impossible into the possible.

Without attempt and effort, there can be no results, and without imagination, there can be no magic.

Therefore, imagination is a magician’s greatest asset.

And simultaneously, their most powerful weapon.

*

The twilight sky boasts a serene charm.

Like an epic poem awakening forgotten purity and innocence, rather than rigid, stiff scriptures.

And battle summons memories deeply buried in one’s heart.

A day when barren fields were lush with green vegetation. Pine trees surrounding the white beach bend in the wind.

Grass grew on the melted snow field. The dry land cracked and tore, becoming a desert before long.

Sunlight shines through dense thickets.

A purple flash shatters the atmosphere with a chilling cry.

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ !!!

Ancient magic is the source of all modern magic.

Language is the root of magic, and incantations are dances that please magical power.

Winter’s tears.

The breath of typhoons.

The warmth of life and the sacredness of creation.

Blessings buried in sand and swept away by oblivion became keys that opened tightly locked boxes.

They brought into reality worlds that had existed only in imagination.

Magical powers dancing with joy. The suffering clouds express and the anger of rocks.

Hail pours from thick cirrus clouds, and lightning flashes.

Green mirrors rush like thunder, cutting through scattered magical power.

It seems as if the surface is colored by breath, and blue eyes reflect in the luster.

The mirrors, containing the midday desert sun, emit rainbow-colored light. The area brightened in an instant.

Amid blades that barely graze as they pass.

The magician who traveled back in time closes her flickering vision and concentrates.

-……

An alarm rings.

Intuition honed over decades warns all at once.

Magical power manifested without any precursor.

Like ink spilled on a pure white canvas, murky magical power engulfed the surroundings.

The magician who lost her intuition deployed a barrier. The green blades scattered in all directions without touching her skin.

As the wilderness breath dispersed the magical power lingering in the atmosphere.

The time-defying magician prepared a counterattack.

Then an anomaly occurred.

The fallen blades all rose at once.

Noticing the reversed performance, the magician deflected the blades, but before her magic could reach them, three blades shot in all directions.

“…Huh.”

Small blades raging like a storm.

Even when pushed back with elemental magic, the blades returned like boomerangs.

Witnessing this unexpected playfulness, the Grand Magician burst into a dejected smile.

“You must really resent this old woman. You’re desperate to devour me.”

Such a stubborn personality. This one takes completely after their ancestor.

Giovanni would have been very pleased to see this.

The Grand Magician smiled with utmost purity.

“You pass too, child.”

*

Three duels, three tests, and three victories.

Someone seized it.

Someone didn’t let go.

Someone achieved it.

And now only one turn remains.

“Are you ready?”

Alexandra Petrova asks before the final gate.

“The child and you are the last. Already the final turn. Time is so cruel… Well, let me hear your thoughts.”

Camilla nervously rubbed her wrist.

“……”

Everyone fears failure.

But what’s truly frightening is not failure.

It’s not making any attempt at all.

“Don’t blame me too much if you throw out your back during the fight, Professor!”

“Such a nasty…”

The Grand Magician clicked her tongue at the disciple who grinned while teasing her master.

I thought I’d turned a beast into a human. All in vain.

“What sin did I commit to raise such a rascal as my disciple?”

“……”

“Do you have nothing else to say?”

I, who had been silently adjusting “Barbara,” gave a brief answer.

“What is there to say?”

If there’s something to be done, it must be done.

Having completed our preparations, we stepped forward. The Grand Duchess also advanced one step.

Blue flames rose from her fingertips.

Black armor opened with a heavy metallic sound.

Long, slender fingers aimed at the air and recited a short verse.

Primordial humans considered fire a gift from the gods.

Lightning that fell from the sky left fire behind as it disappeared.

Fire is a gift and grace.

Lightning is a prophet and messenger.

Fire is the child born of lightning, and lightning is the parent that gave birth to fire.

Flames were born from the flickering fingertips. Yet despite consuming the air, the flames did not grow.

Instead, they only emitted purple sparks.

“……”

Camilla and I exchanged glances.

And asked each other.

Could we win?

Defeat the Grand Magician, pass through the gate.

And in the countless battles we might face ahead.

Even if we lose our way and reach the edge of a cliff.

Could we overcome all that and ultimately reach our destination?

It wasn’t a difficult question.

The answer was obvious.

It was an expected outcome.

We tried, and we succeeded.

*

Everyone passed through the gate.

With no dropouts, there was no reason for the Human Modification Furnace to continue existing.

We gathered in small groups around the campfire.

After a month of intense practice ending in sweet victory, it wouldn’t have been strange to celebrate boisterously. But surprisingly, everyone was quiet.

“……”

“……”

The reason was obvious.

Hadn’t we been running like racehorses, looking only ahead, just to defeat the Grand Duchess? For an entire month, no less.

Originally, the Grand Duchess had anticipated three months for the completion of training, but the problem was her statement that “I’ll give you a chance once every 30 days, so try your best.”

The moment we heard that, we reached an unspoken agreement that “We can’t repeat this for three whole months!” and threw ourselves into practice like madmen. We were determined to pass on the first attempt, all of us together.

(Looking back now, this was probably the Grand Duchess’s plan all along. Crazy old magician….)

We didn’t even contact the outside world.

Partly because the Grand Duchess forbade it, but after making contact just once, we all cut off communication afterward. I felt like I’d entered some kind of intensive cram school.

Is this what they call closed-door training?

We rushed forward without thinking about the consequences, so our bodies couldn’t possibly be intact.

With bodies and minds in tatters, we were hardly in a state to celebrate our victory. Everyone just huddled around the campfire, groaning like sick chickens.

“Camilla. Pull yourself together.”

“…I came, I saw, I conquered.”

“What nonsense…”

She wasn’t right in the head to begin with. Look at her, thinking she’s Caesar or something, saying “I came, I saw, I conquered” (Vēnī. Vīdī. Vīcī.).

“Hah…”

“I’m exhausted.”

Lucia, who resurrected in just three hours—faster than Jesus who took three days. Francesca, trying to moisten her parched throat, complaining of fatigue.

“Where’s the water… What are you eating all by yourself…?”

And Akande, munching away diligently on his own.

“Dinner. Very delicious meat. Well-cooked. Seasoned very well.”

The civilized person could only blink in bewilderment at the sight of the barbarian (literally) tearing into a huge thigh with both hands, as if witnessing something bizarre.

Lucia, who resurrected faster than Jesus (in just 2 days and 21 hours!), drank the water handed to her by Camilla, then passed it to Francesca, but paused and tilted her head.

“Where did that meat come from?”

“I gave it to him.”

Standing where the voice came from was Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrova.

We all turned our heads, and she captured everyone’s attention. More precisely, not the Grand Duchess herself but the bundle she was carrying.

Sniff, sniff.

“…No way, this is!”

Camilla, who suddenly started sniffing, burst into cheers.

“Food!”

The Grand Duchess tossed the food-filled bundle to Camilla with a whoosh. What a windfall. Camilla excitedly began distributing the food from the bundle.

Seeing her disciple’s excitement, the Grand Magician dusted off her hands and let out a laugh.

“Thank you, Professor!”

“It seems the food is more welcome than your master.”

“Come on~ Of course not! How can you say that when you know how much I love you? That hurts my feelings.”

“Enough. Now that training is over, why quibble? Just eat plenty.”

Alexandra Petrova officially declared the “Human Modification Furnace” closed.

It was truly heartwarming news, and the second most pleasing announcement I’d heard in my life.

(For reference, the most pleasing announcement was the news of Kim Jong-il’s death. There will never again be a more heartwarming and lovely announcement than that.)

There was plenty of food. It was enough to feed all five of us and even the Grand Duchess herself, with some left over.

A variety of foods were prepared, from local Moritani continental cuisine to dishes from across the sea. Thanks to this, we could leisurely satisfy our hunger.

“Hmph.”

I rummaged through the bundle to see if there was anything else. I thought it would be nice if there were some drinks.

“…Hm?”

As I was searching through the bundle, some strange-looking bottles appeared. I took one out, and a transparent liquid sloshed inside the glass bottle, making a clear sound.

After opening the lid and smelling it, I could easily tell it was alcohol.

Why is alcohol here?

“Where did you get this? I understand drinking at foreign-only bars, but alcohol sales are prohibited, aren’t they?”

“It’s moonshine.”

“…Pardon?”

The Grand Duchess confessed the source of the alcohol with a very dignified attitude.

“The embassy magicians told me. There’s a diplomat who makes and sells moonshine. So after some inquiries, I procured it myself.”

“……”

She was so confident that I was left speechless. How could someone who committed a crime be so brazen?

Of course, Alexandra Petrova was a notorious bandit who had kidnapped a diplomat from an embassy, so purchasing moonshine was hardly a blemish on her record.

Anyway.

Having eaten and drunk our fill, the mood improved considerably.

The party, finally successful in escaping from the hellish Human Modification Furnace, celebrated their victory all night long with joy, and the Grand Magician seemed not to mind letting them play freely, just for today.

“You’re stuffing food down your throats like there’s no tomorrow. Eat slowly.”

“Mmphmmph!”

“Oh my…”

Camilla and Akande were eating frantically as if someone was chasing them. Lucia and Francesca seemed to be organizing their mace and magical tools, but soon returned to their seats and sipped alcohol.

For a while, the Grand Duchess watched the scene with a smile, like someone observing the antics of grandchildren. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she posed a question to us.

“Well. Now that training is over. What do you all plan to do next?”

“Plans?”

Camilla, who was deboning chicken wings without using her hands (I don’t know how she did it), mumbled as she began to speak.

“Hmm… I don’t have much of a plan. I’ll just keep doing what I’ve always done—saving people. Catching arms dealers, arresting criminals, finding underworld magicians.”

“Tsk, tsk.”

Camilla seemed to think it was a decent answer. However, the Grand Duchess clicked her tongue with a dissatisfied look.

“Is that all your goal? Catching bad guys?”

“Come on, that’s not just anything. It’s such an important job.”

World peace!

Camilla quickly clenched her fist and exclaimed. It was a very confident posture, but unfortunately, she was holding a chicken leg in her hand, which ruined the image.

I’m not sure what world peace means exactly, but the desire to catch bad guys was something Lucia and Francesca could sympathize with. Of course, Akande had a similar opinion, but…

“Criminals. Strong enemies. Crushing skulls not a crime. Very beautiful thing.”

“…Why would you crush heads, you madman.”

I still can’t believe this guy caused the least trouble among us (except me).

After everyone expressed similar opinions, the Grand Duchess yielded. Or perhaps she had been probing our true feelings from the start.

Alexandra Petrova expressed pride in our ambitious goals, but concern about the difficult path ahead.

“It’s always good to dream big. I’m proud that you hold righteous intentions, but I worry that you might face great dangers.”

Just as the disciple’s nose was about to crinkle with emotion at the master’s concern.

The saint and alchemist, who had been listening quietly, abruptly joined the conversation.

“Um…”

“Well, Grandmother…”

“What’s the matter?”

“…Weren’t you the one who created the danger, Grandmother?”

Lucia and Francesca looked at the Grand Magician with very serious expressions, as if they had tasted an astringent persimmon.

Because it was true.

1. Placing all possible restrictions and throwing us into a nest of monsters. (??: Where am I…? / ??: The place where a HUGE omelet is being made.)

2. Just when it seemed the monsters were reduced, filling the place with specially selected monsters. (??: My name is Lizard. As a friend of the turtle roasted for dinner and husband of the deceived newt, I shall have my revenge!)

3. And if you lost in a 1 vs 1 duel practice, throwing you right back among the monsters, saying you hadn’t regained your senses. (??: Guys, this is the last-ditch pattern, right? / ??: Yeah, but why isn’t it dying when we’ve depleted its HP?;;;)

And that’s not all.

Claiming to catch runaway students (who were neither runaways nor students), she committed illegal breaking and entering, turning the entire diplomatic community into a sea of flames.

The Abas government, whose embassy was attacked, was so furious they threatened to bulldoze the Kiyen embassy stationed in their country. Of course, they didn’t actually do it.

Fortunately, we managed to send news to the outside world, albeit belatedly. Otherwise, many people, starting with the Imperial Foreign Ministry, could have suffered greatly.

Of course, the Kiyen Foreign Ministry diplomats were already thoroughly fleeced and crying “Save us!” but Lucia and Francesca didn’t know that much.

Just that, at the meeting where explanations were given to the ambassadors dispatched to the Zamria Federation… the Kiyen Empire ambassador, who had been listening to the story, wept with a face that had aged 50 years, looking utterly miserable.

(For reference, this gentleman had just been cursed out by the Abas ambassador—the owner of the diplomatic mission that had been burglarized.)

One could only guess that something ominous had happened, and many were plunged into sorrow.

Alas!

“…Since Grandmother is saying such things, it’s a bit—”

“Hmm, I hate to say this, but it seems you’ve swallowed your shame.”

“Yes, you have no shame—wait, what did you say?”

Such fiery, unfilial jokes! A full-frontal provocation against Grandmother (not really)! Francesca felt like she was about to lose her mind. The Grand Duchess herself didn’t seem to mind at all.

“…Ahem.”

To be honest, she had acted rashly without thinking about the consequences. No matter how urgent, how could she raid an embassy?

With the Prime Minister’s urgent call igniting the phone line, and the Foreign Minister’s plea making her realize the gravity of the situation, the Grand Duchess expressed sincere regret, but from Abas’s perspective, it was nothing but empty words. (???: Please return our civil servants;;;)

The crazed Ministry of Defense was saying, “Well, we caught them red-handed. Let’s see how far north we can push,” starting to rev up. They were causing a commotion, threatening to drive tanks and flatten the embassy.

Finally, the situation calmed down only after Schrödinger’s son—in an ambiguous state of either desertion or running away—contacted his parents.

(For reference, although the identity wasn’t confirmed, someone in Frederick’s family who became aware of the kidnapping threatened, “When he returns, I’ll break his legs first,” so unless he wanted to play Captain Hook, he’d have to wander abroad for a while.)

The Grand Duchess cleared her throat repeatedly to hide her embarrassment. But would such fake coughing let her off the hook?

The responsibility for one’s choices cannot be avoided, and a true man (she’s a woman) must face challenges head-on rather than run away!

So Alexandra Petrova had to admit her mistake.

“…My shadow runs deep.”

“I’m glad you realize that, Your Grace.”

A miraculous scene of the saint rebuking the Grand Magician!

Should this unfilial outrage be overlooked or stopped? The alchemist’s dilemma deepened like the blackening, burning campfire.

Meanwhile, the impudent disciple didn’t even glance at her master being beaten by a girl whose blood had barely dried. (?????: The child says I’m useless now, so what’s the point of living!) Much more important conversations were taking place.

“Where should we start hitting when we get out?”

“We should go for the warlords first. Just before coming in, I noticed that minor warlords were gathering to plot.”

The spy and the spy-wannabe held a marathon meeting, heads together!

It was time to create a “treasure map” (also known as human hunting) that made one’s heart flutter just hearing about it.

“The warlords who were coming down south have all been crushed and retreated. Asen and Sanya have declared a ceasefire. Now they’re being absorbed around Hassan…”

“So we leave Hassan alone and systematically eliminate the minor warlords first?”

“Yes. I can control those guys. It’s better to push out the ones who can’t be controlled.”

This was like the conspiracy of Western European imperialists supporting the Saudi bandits to seize hegemony in the Arabian Peninsula. Or the Western powers’ atrocities drawing straight lines across the African map to claim territories. For reference, both were done by Britain, and coincidentally, Camilla was British.

Indeed, humans repeat the same mistakes, and Britain truly is the root of all evil in world history!

Alas! Of all people, an English hook-nose crossed over and is stirring up trouble in others’ lands, just like her ancestors.

The spy sketched a map in the sand while scratching her cheek.

“According to intelligence from neighboring countries’ networks, there are rumors that communist goblins are active again. But this isn’t certain. It’s not fully verified information yet.”

Anyway, we agreed to target the warlords first once we got out.

Getting the agreement of the other companions wasn’t difficult. Lucia and Francesca responded that they were bad guys, so it didn’t matter, and Akande was excited, saying it would be fun.

Rather, the person who worried was an outsider, not the parties involved.

That is, the old lady in the back room, Alexandra Petrova.

(Since there was no more training to receive, the Grand Duchess was treated as a useless old lady in the back room. And she should remain useless in the future. As long as possible. Please…)

“Warlords… You’ve chosen very difficult opponents. They will surely be accompanied by witch doctors. You all know how nasty those witch doctors who cling to warlords can be.”

“……”

“Even with your newfound enlightenment, it may not be an easy fight. So…”

The Grand Magician, with a worried expression but without hesitation, added:

“Don’t get hurt and return safely.”

Camilla answered with a smile.

As energetically as always.

“Yes!”

*

The campfire casts cozy shadows. Crackle, crackle, the embers soar high.

The sounds of laughter and chatter continued for a long time.

I tore off a piece of bread, put it in my mouth, and asked the Grand Duchess as I fumbled for my terminal.

“What time do we depart tomorrow?”

“You will go when you wish. Choose a convenient time.”

The sooner the better.

“Let’s all go to bed early. You’ll get sick from drinking like this.”

The Grand Duchess lightly scolded the children who were drinking boisterously. Still, she couldn’t stop the party.

Akande, drunk and tipsy, sprawled out on a rock and snored, while Francesca, exhausted, nodded off leaning against a log.

Camilla, slightly intoxicated, tried to show Lucia something fun near the fire but ended up burning her clothes, which led to the Grand Duchess’s “HAH!” thundering through the night sky.

I lay down at the base of an old tree and turned on my terminal to check the backlog of information.

“…?”

No response.

“What’s wrong with this?”

I tapped the terminal a few times, and the screen flickered on. But that was it.

There was no response no matter how much I pressed or tapped. I couldn’t open documents or photos.

What is this…

It felt like turning on a burner phone that had been left unused for a year, with the screen lagging. That’s exactly how it felt right now.

“……”

As I stared blankly at the terminal, the screen suddenly changed.

Telegrams and memos sent from various places were updating frantically. Like hundreds of KakaoTalk messages appearing at once, notifications filled from the bottom left to the top.

Military Intelligence Service, Royal Intelligence Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy…

The notifications, sorted by oldest first, had titles that made their content easy to guess.

《 Eastern Province warlord leaders held a meeting at Songpundu’s safe house: HUMINT (Human Intelligence) → Confirmed by All source (intelligence based on various sources including human intelligence, technical intelligence, etc.). 》

《 Zamria Federation Ministry of Defense issues orders to strengthen surveillance and security to Federal Army units in the Southern Province. Appears to be in preparation for possible conflicts between Federal Army and warlords following the Asen-Sanya warlord ceasefire agreement: SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) 》

– Subsequently, numerous Federal Army units moved to the Southern Province.

– Identified as units drawn from the Eastern and Western regions. Personnel from these regions express concern about security gaps caused by this measure.

《 Large-scale bloodshed occurs in Kafuyambe, Western Province: OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) 》

– Local media reports casualties of minimum 21 – maximum 80 people.

– Damage confirmed at 6 local government police stations and 2 provincial government army observation posts.

– Sugar detected in suspected explosive residue found at the scene. Analyzed as improvised explosives using dehydration reaction of sulfuric acid and sugar.

– According to some local media reports and testimonies from local residents, suspects believed to be witch doctors carried out the attack.

《 Eastern and Western warlords issue statements claiming responsibility for the Kafuyambe bloodshed: OSINT 》

– Considering the capabilities of Eastern and Western warlords, there are no armed groups with the capacity to launch surprise attacks on 8 hard targets (a term referring to well-defended government facilities, military bases, embassies, etc.).

《 Local time 26th, 2140 hours. Armed conflict occurs between groups believed to be warlords and Federal Army on the western outskirts of Umsalga, capital of the Zamria Federation. 》

– A third secretary returning to lodgings confirmed the gunfight scene. Both groups were wearing military uniforms.

《 Military rebellion breaks out in the Zamria Federation. 》

《 Continuous reports of gunfire, explosions, etc. within Umsalga. 》

《 PFF News: “Riots break out in Umsalga city center”: OSINT. 》

《 Analyzed as the work of military officers dissatisfied with policies favoring certain ethnic groups: SIGINT. 》

《 28 hard targets attacked, including the Central Court, Presidential Palace, Foreign Ministry Headquarters: OSINT. 》

《 Multiple military and police casualties and bodies received at hospitals in Umsalga city. Judged to be Federal Government personnel who attempted to suppress the coup: HUMINT. 》

《 Vehicle departing from Presidential Palace heads toward eastern highway of Umsalga. Identified as Presidential Security detail, President’s own vehicle: IMINT (Imagery Intelligence) 》

《 Rebel army arrests Zamria Federation cabinet members and declares constitutional suspension. Martial law declared, borders closed, night curfew imposed, all state institutions dissolved until further notice: All source. 》

“……”

An ominous silence descended.

Camilla, who had moved to the seat beside me, read the words written on the screen with a very serious expression.

《 Zamria Federation rebellion leader Captain Kasim: “The arrest of criminals by foreigners without judicial authority is an act of violating constitutional order. The traitor ‘Ayad’ conspired with foreign powers to undermine the Federation’s security…”: OSINT. 》

《 PFF News: “Zamria Federation Army Captain Kasim says, five foreigners who engaged in illegal vigilante activities within the Zamria Federation without judicial authority must leave Zamria within 24 hours…. An ultimatum?”: OSINT. 》

《 PFF News: “Five fugitive foreigners wanted”: OSINT. 》

《 Zamria Federation President Ayad successfully escapes to neighboring country after evading rebel pursuit: All source. 》

《 “The President should not run away like a coward but return and fight…. Armed ruling and opposition lawmakers clash with rebel forces in the Federation Parliament.”: OSINT. 》

…What is all this?

Episode 18 – Men’s Club – END –