Ch.568Side Episode – A Lucky Day

Looking back, the past few days had been a continuous sprint without even a moment to catch my breath.

“…The Abbas Treasury has frozen the assets of individuals and organizations that have been cooperating with the Ashtistan Republic’s Law Enforcement Corps and pro-Ashtistan forces within the Moritani continent.”

“The Kingdom of Dariya, home to around 83,000 citizens, is notorious as a haven for black money with rampant offshore tax evasion and money laundering, as it has no corporate or income taxes.”

“A luxury villa spanning 186 square meters. This place, with its lawn and beautiful willow trees in the garden, is the headquarters of a shell company established in Kiyen-Reng Benua. The Lushan Federal Police Financial Crime Investigation Office has launched an investigation after determining that the company received fraudulent tax benefits by estimating R&D costs of 287 billion in May.”

“Fatalia has detained a domestic entrepreneur on charges of helping the Law Enforcement Corps smuggle Ashtistan magic stones overseas.”

“Our reporting team has uncovered evidence that prominent domestic securities firms have colluded with foreign investors through offshore funds, overseas corporate branches, and foreign financial institutions to avoid paying enormous taxes. Financial authorities estimate that the losses from such tax avoidance amount to an annual 1 trillion Takron…”

“The First Deputy Minister of the Dariya Kingdom’s Chancellor’s Office announced yesterday at 5 PM local time that they would accept the anti-Ashtistan sanctions, punishing 81 individuals and 49 organizations…”

“The Ashtistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is strongly protesting these measures.”

The 6th Anti-Ashtistan Financial Sanctions.

Freezing of magic stone transaction funds in tax havens and third-country banks. Travel bans for sanctioned individuals.

Warnings of large-scale audits by tax authorities and disciplinary agencies. Arrests of economic criminals by investigative agencies.

“Foreign intelligence spy ring arrested. Around 30 former and current high-ranking officials detained for ‘leaking state secrets for 17 years.’ Including active special forces generals.”

“The secret organization that catches spies—its leader was a spy from the beginning.”

“Has it become a playground? Assault, tax evasion, corruption, and now information leaks. The humiliation of Ashtistan’s ‘elite’ Law Enforcement Corps.”

“Investigation at a dead end. Who is the spy murderer?”

“Ashtistan Republic Parliament criticizes Law Enforcement Corps Commander for not attending the ‘Where is Commander Dariush?’ hearing… Growing calls for the commander’s accountability in the cabinet following successive failures.”

Arrests of political criminals. Conflict between the Republic Army and the Law Enforcement Corps.

Ashtistan Republic Security Council. Calls for Commander Dariush’s dismissal. 60,000 pro-government demonstrators in Shizya.

“‘Death to imperialists!’ Angry protesters gather at Martyrs’ Square. Organizers estimate over 60,000 participants. Abbas flags burning.”

“Reduced magic stone production in the Moritani continent. Ban on Ashtistan magic stone imports, coup in the Zambia Federation… Will magic stone prices skyrocket again?”

“Overcrowded shelters, dwindling food supplies. A colder than ever winter for border residents.”

Magic stone crisis originating from the Moritani continent. Food crisis in the Jarat-Ashtistan border region.

Companies dependent on magic stone-based economies and governments wielding magic stones as weapons.

Those trying to remain neutral and those forcing others to take sides.

Nations wanting to open borders and sea routes versus those wanting to close them. Border refugees who can only wait to starve to death when those routes close.

All of this had happened in just a few days. It was hard to believe it all stemmed from a single corpse found in an apartment on the outskirts of Shizya.

I quietly spent my time in the burning Ashtistan Republic.

I kept a close eye on the movements of the Republic’s counterintelligence and investigative agencies, gathered information from home and abroad, and helped intelligence officers like Matt and Ayla go into hiding.

In the end, I succeeded. Luckily, that is.

On the day I received word from Matt that they had safely scattered to various provinces, I submitted my final report, cut off communication with the Military Intelligence Agency, and went radio silent.

There was no longer any role assigned to me.

To be precise, from now on, I didn’t need to do anything.

The baton had been passed not to me, but to the Priest.

And so, feeling as if I had returned after a very long time, I headed back to the hotel like a husband coming home from work, and the moment I opened the door—

-Whoosh!

“…Huh?”

Blue flames began to welcome me very warmly.

Side Episode – A Lucky Day

When I first encountered the flames, my first thought was ‘attack.’

An attack by Ashtistan counterintelligence agencies that had either received information from the Empire or independently gathered intelligence.

More precisely, I suspected that my identity had been exposed and the hotel was under attack.

But I erased that thought from my mind.

If the Ashtistan Republic guys had really figured out I was a spy, that information would have definitely reached my ears.

Of course, they might have moved swiftly and succeeded in maintaining security, but there was no reason for them to raid the hotel and set it on fire while I was away.

Setting fire to a safe house wasn’t the style of intelligence agencies anyway.

That left only one possible culprit.

“What is this? Kamila!”

After staring at the room engulfed in flames, I immediately began searching for the arsonist.

“I told you not to practice magic in the hotel. Is this Dresden ’45? Why are you turning a perfectly normal downtown area into a hellfire inferno!”

Among us, the only ‘performance artist’ obsessed with such pyrotechnics was essentially Kamila. She had seemed quiet lately, but apparently she’d caused trouble again while practicing magic or whatever.

This fire must surely be her doing.

I had helped catch the double agent, and thanks to that, I was able to successfully complete the mission and even bought a congratulatory gift. Yet she stabbed me in the back like this.

I couldn’t help but raise my voice as I threw down the gifts I had bought for Kamila.

It was impossible to just let this slide.

“…Urghhhh.”

Just as I was searching the blackened, burning corner of the room with anger rising to my head, a bizarre groan from somewhere made me turn my head involuntarily.

The source of the sound was none other than Kamila.

Collapsed on the floor, she was moaning pathetically, unaware that her eyes were rolling back in her head.

“Seriously, what did you… Huh?”

Just as I was about to lift up Kamila, caught in the act, I suddenly detected something suspicious.

Kamila, who should have been pretending to be nonchalant as always, was sprawled out on the floor. And despite her drifting in and out of consciousness, the blue flames continued to burn.

Normally, whether it’s elemental magic or whatever, when the caster—the magician—collapses, the magic should disappear on its own.

Just as a machine needs power to operate, magic cannot maintain its function unless the magician continuously supplies magical power.

That’s one of the reasons why magicians buy magical tools despite the inconvenience and cost of maintenance.

“Urghhhh…”

Ironically, Kamila was in a state of barely holding onto consciousness, and her magical tools were all safely asleep in her bag.

And now that I think about it, among existing magical tools, there were none that could produce ‘blue flames.’

“Wake up!”

“…Hack?! Wh-where am I?”

Startled by my loud voice, Kamila regained consciousness and began looking around, flailing her arms clumsily.

Then, as if she had assessed the situation, she grabbed my wrist and raised her voice abruptly.

“Run away right now!”

“What are you talking about, suddenly waking up and saying that?”

“The Pro-Professor…!”

That’s when it happened.

A shadow fell over Kamila’s face, which was bathed in crimson light.

An arm draped itself over my shoulder.

Soon after, a chill that made me forget the heat crept up my spine.

As a bonus, the porcelain-like skin before my eyes turned pale.

As I turned my gaze from Kamila’s face and looked to the side, the familiar face of a magician appeared.

It was the Grand Duke.

“…Let me ask you one thing.”

The Grand Magician tightened the arm around my shoulder and asked in a low voice, fixing her ice-blue eyes on her disciple.

“I heard a rumor that you were with my disciple at some facility called Mandara or something at another hotel a few days ago. Is that true?”

If it’s the Mandara Spa… that’s the name of the facility Siegmund visited before coming to the apartment.

It’s also where Ayla, disguised as me using transformation magic, was alone with Kamila. To deceive Siegmund and potential Law Enforcement Corps watchers, and to create an alibi for the murder case later.

But why is she suddenly asking about that?

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“According to rumors, you put your arm around my disciple’s shoulder. Is that correct?”

I nodded with a puzzled expression.

I didn’t actually know exactly what happened there. It wasn’t me but Ayla who accompanied Kamila to the Mandara Spa.

Still, considering that rumors like ‘a hero and a warrior were spotted looking quite intimate at a hotel spa’ had been caught in the intelligence network, and that I had instructed Ayla to ‘act as if Kamila and I were quite close’…

The rumor about putting an arm around her shoulder probably wasn’t entirely exaggerated.

Though I don’t know the source of this rumor that even I hadn’t heard before.

“Yes. Uh, I did.”

Hiding my uncertainty, I answered, and the Grand Duke began to nod slowly.

I’m not sure why she asked such a question, but Alexandra Petrova, the Grand Duke, wore what appeared to be a sorrowful expression.

As if she were disappointed in young people who were excluding her.

The Grand Magician asked:

“Why didn’t you tell me? That you two went somewhere else.”

“Ah, there were some circumstances…”

“Why? Are you dating my disciple?”

For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond, but I shook my head awkwardly like a thief caught red-handed, hastily denying it.

“No. How could that be? Me dating Kamila… Haha.”

“Is that so? Then let me ask one last thing.”

“Yes.”

“If you’re not lovers, why were you fondling my disciple’s chest?”

“…Pardon?”

What is she talking about? I looked at Kamila in bewilderment.

When I met her gaze, silently urging her to explain, Kamila mouthed something, trying to signal me.

Ayla.

Arm around shoulder.

Only touched hands.

I was wondering what on earth she was trying to say when suddenly, I remembered the advice I had given to Ayla.

‘Hey.’

‘What?’

‘Since you’re disguised as me, you need to act properly. That spy or the Law Enforcement Corps people have probably figured out my background by now. If you act too stiff like a golem, they’ll be suspicious, and if you’re too clingy, they’ll be suspicious too.’

‘So what should I do? Act like you usually do?’

‘How would you know what I usually do?’

‘Just do what you always do at home, I guess.’

‘Hey, you… Just figure it out. Or act like how the male seniors at the Academy acted with their girlfriends. Just don’t act too awkwardly.’

‘…Are you serious? Really?’

‘Well, don’t do anything too offensive. Just mix in some moderately affectionate behavior.’

‘Like what?’

‘You’ve seen couples holding hands, linking arms, putting arms around shoulders in the hallway, right? Just do something like that.’

…Ah.

A silent sigh escaped me without my realizing it.

The Grand Duke removed her arm from my shoulder and let out a small sigh. It was clearly a sigh of profound disappointment.

At that moment, I finally understood why the Grand Duke had expressed disappointment. And why Kamila had fainted in a room with blue flames flickering.

“Your Highness. There’s a big misunderstanding—”

I hurriedly tried to continue, but my explanation, which wasn’t really an explanation, couldn’t even reach its proper conclusion.

“You scoundrel!”

No sooner had I heard the thunderous rebuke than a magical attack struck my crown with a bang.

An indescribable scream burst out involuntarily.

“…Eek!”

With the illusion that my body was splitting from the crown of my head, I collapsed, shrinking my neck like a turtle.

Ironically, my body, stiffened by the great shock, landed right next to Kamila.

I lay beside her, rigid as a log.

I could taste blood in the back of my throat.

It seemed I had bitten my tongue.

*

The commotion finally ended at the crack of dawn. The Grand Duke had been raging for a full 6 hours and 40 minutes.

Her disciple actively tried to appease her master’s anger with plausible excuses, but this only led to the tragedy of further inflaming her wrath.

That’s why the Grand Magician continued to vent her anger until dawn.

In the end, the Grand Magician, charging her disciple with the crime of impudence, imposed the extreme punishment of no snacks for 6 months, no dinner tonight, restoration of the room burned during the scolding, and unlimited one-on-one magic duels.

And for the scoundrel who had improperly touched her disciple’s body, she ordered daily copying of wise sayings left by great sages—in common terms, “writing lines”—for mental discipline.

There was no deadline, by the way.

Meaning I had to keep writing until the Grand Duke was satisfied.

“But I didn’t touch her…”

Thus, I had to sit at the desk with the feeling of Sisyphus rolling a boulder up a mountain.

From across the table came the mournful voice of the disciple restoring the furniture her master had burned.

“I bought them but why can’t I eat them…! Waaah…!”

Kamila began to wail at the sight of the delicious snacks before her. They were the gifts I had bought to congratulate her.

Now they were just tantalizing images trapped in a translucent barrier.

Whether aware of Kamila’s feelings or not, the snacks gleamed enticingly, as if urging her to eat them.

The pitiful sniffling continued until the crack of dawn.