Ch.570Episode 21 – Peace in Our Time

As I walk aimlessly across the rippling waters, I suddenly realize something.

The water that has risen to cover my feet and ankles is black. This fluid, dissolving coal, charcoal, oil, and filth, paints the entire world with its cold and merciless color.

Snow falls upon the frozen city.

Sleet gently settles into the cold darkness. The dense gloom gains a certain transparency.

The sewers, swallowing both transparency and coldness, play a whirlpool symphony like ghostly wails.

The sharp, piercing sound shatters the night’s silence like a phantom.

-SWOOSH—!!

A blue line of light embroiders the space.

The magical projectile cuts through the darkness, tearing apart the yellow gleaming eyes that had been flashing on the other side.

The shadow that had been lunging forward, desperately avoiding the blue slash and magical projectile, leaps into the air.

As the bright moon shyly shows its face between the clouds, hideous teeth begin to gleam white in the darkness.

Yellow eyes, blood-red teeth.

When the shadow’s image forms above the floating green mirror.

With a gesture like reeling in thread—zik—the blue lines spread across the sky instantly sever the monster’s limbs.

-KUUUNG…!

The dismembered monster’s corpse crashes onto the ruins. The woman with violet eyes steps back and looks down coldly at the monster as it grows lifeless.

“……”

A sign hanging precariously from a few metal wires suggests this is one of the old downtown areas in the southern part of the Moritani continent.

The robe draped over the woman’s shoulders symbolizes a magician’s authority, while the strange characters engraved on the black blade represent the glorious legacy left by the ancient era and the progenitors.

Just as the woman finishes tidying her rune blade after slaying her fortieth monster, a magician descending from the sky lands beside her.

“I’m here to report on the progress of our pioneering efforts.”

The magician bows respectfully to the alchemist standing amidst the ruins.

“We’ve secured two additional locations beyond headquarters, all now operational. As soon as we establish additional bases in the old government building and bank, we’ll clear the monsters in the area and purify the contamination.”

“Are there any casualties?”

“Some patrol members have been lost. So far, we’ve confirmed 35 injured and 14 dead, totaling 49 casualties.”

The woman nodded slightly and spoke.

“Have the remains collected as soon as the base camp is stabilized. For the decontamination work, use the potions we’ve already been issued, but if progress seems slow, request purification assistance from the Order or Al-Yabud.”

“Then I shall report to Commissioner Merlinus.”

“Do so.”

The magician bowed respectfully once more before mounting a summoned broom and departing.

The cloth that had wiped the sword disappeared like smoke dispersing in the wind.

Francesca, having sheathed her now-pristine rune blade, silently raised her gaze to the dark night sky.

“Hmm…”

Transparent snowflakes sparkled in the deep darkness.

Episode 21 – Peace in Our Time

“Ranieri is down at the Moritani settlement now.”

“The pioneer zone? You mean the one in the south?”

“Yes.”

Sofia nodded lightly, affirming as she looked through the documents.

“Where the dragon’s corpse is. The land abandoned during the Great Earthquake of ’46 that’s now being reclaimed—that’s the place.”

I was well familiar with the southern Moritani settlement.

A legendary place where a rampaging dragon was slain in the early 11th century.

The protagonist who slew the beast was the “Great Chieftain” of the Great Plains, one of the legendary figures alongside the Northern Archduke of the Empire, the High Priest of the Order, and the Priest of Al-Yabud.

I thought for a moment about this figure known as the “Great Chieftain.”

Before he came to be called the “Great Chieftain,” the ruler of the Great Plains, the entire Moritani continent including the Great Plains had been under the dominion of dragons for several centuries.

He gained fame by hunting down and killing those dragons one by one, and only after fighting the final dragon in a life-or-death battle at Mount Paraang did he finally pacify the Great Plains and become the “Great Chieftain.”

That was all the way back in the 18th century.

We’re talking about history from at least 200, possibly over 300 years ago.

“Wasn’t the dragon in the southern settlement slain 300 years ago?”

“To be precise, 266 years ago. It was a dragon with golden scales, if I recall correctly.”

266 years. Good heavens.

This is straight out of fantasy. I shook my head slightly and clicked my tongue.

“Should I be more surprised that a 300-year-old elder is still alive today? Or that a dragon’s corpse slain 266 years ago is still contaminating the surroundings?”

“Well… I find it more surprising that intelligent beings formed civilizations in other worlds.”

Sofia laughed lightly as if it were nothing.

“The Northern Archduke has been alive for 120 years, and nobody even knows how many centuries old the High Priest is. What does the Great Chieftain’s age matter? I’m sure you could find elven elders of similar age if you looked.”

“Fair enough.”

She had a point.

Anyway.

According to National Security Agency intelligence, Francesca is currently active in the southern Moritani settlement. The important thing is that it’s a contaminated zone.

It’s an area that became polluted when parts of the dragon’s corpse—the one slain by the Great Chieftain 266 years ago—were exposed during the Great Earthquake of 1936.

“That area has been abandoned for nearly 50 years, hasn’t it?”

“That’s right. It’s been a living hell that everyone left alone due to the lack of technology to purify the contamination, and instead became a nest for monsters. I’d guess about 30% of the monsters on the Moritani continent come from there.”

“And they’re only now deciding to develop the south?”

As far as I knew, discussions about developing southern Moritani had existed for some time.

This wasn’t just about eliminating the native monsters from the south.

Sofia explained:

“The Moritani continent has a significantly low population-supporting capacity. Food production is at rock bottom, while monsters swarm beyond the borders. However, the southern region with the dragon’s corpse was once famous for its exceptionally fertile soil, and the superior crops and underground resources produced there were one of the main pillars of the Moritani economy in the early to mid-19th century. Well… that’s ancient history now.”

She was right.

As Sofia said, the southern Moritani continent was a kind of “El Dorado.” A golden land flowing with milk and honey. Fertile farmland and the economic lifeline with numerous underground resources.

Of course, it became ruins after the Great Earthquake of ’36, and since they couldn’t purify the contamination flowing from the dragon’s corpse, it had to be abandoned all this time…

“But now they can reclaim it, apparently.”

Not anymore.

I found the answer in the NSA documents Sofia handed me—the reason Francesca headed to the southern settlement, and why southern development was being discussed again.

“The Ivory Tower recently developed a new potion. You know how Francesca Ranieri developed a drug that selectively dissolves monsters, right?”

“I saw it firsthand. I also saw the Moritani continent’s Defense Department signing defense contracts with Francesca.”

“The alchemists at the Ivory Tower made something similar. The only small difference is that this isn’t used to catch monsters, but to purify contamination.”

“Was Francesca involved? I don’t think I heard about her participating in the Ivory Tower’s research project…”

“Nope.”

Sofia shook her head in denial.

“Not that. She just provided some external consultation on a few items, it seems.”

“Is her deployment to the south also personal assistance?”

“Probably? From what we understand, the Ivory Tower unofficially requested support from the Magic Tower, and Ranieri was appointed as the person in charge.”

She moved between the bookshelves with her hands in her pockets.

“Francesca is a perfect fit as she’s Camilla’s colleague and has been expanding her influence on the Moritani continent recently. And the south was a region they would have had to go to eventually anyway…”

Once we set foot in the northern Moritani continent, it was more or less decided where we would need to go next, whether south, east, or west.

In that sense, now that the northern region, including the Zamria Federation, had stabilized.

It wasn’t particularly strange that the Ivory Tower had requested cooperation from Francesca, a Magic Tower figure, and that Francesca had departed for the south first.

The problem was,

“…what do your superiors say about this?”

That this move might catch the eye of the National Security Agency.

I casually threw out the question while pretending to examine the documents. In response, Sofia came around the bookshelf, leaned against a nearby display, and gave me a troubled smile.

“It’s fifty-fifty.”

“What kind of fifty-fifty? Like half spicy, half fried chicken?”

“No, I mean half the people view Francesca’s activities in Moritani positively, and half view them negatively.”

Ah.

Sofia seemed to be considering how much she could tell me. I asked her to share more details.

“For now, the higher-ups don’t intend to interfere with Francesca’s individual activities. But that’s only when she’s acting as an alchemist or as the hero’s colleague. There’s a consensus that we should prevent her from aspiring to anything beyond that if possible.”

“Because she’s from the Ranieri family?”

“Yes.”

The National Security Agency’s intelligence officer nodded and revealed a resigned smile.

“Because she’s a Ranieri, after all.”

It’s well known that Fatalia’s intelligence department is extremely wary of the Ranieri family.

The entire family had a history of collaborating with the dictatorship.

To use a German analogy, the Ranieri family would be collaborators who cooperated with the Nazis or East German communists. And considering that German federal intelligence agencies, the former West Germany, still had seizures at the words “Nazi” or “East Germany” even into the 2020s.

The position of Fatalia’s National Security Agency, keeping a close eye on Francesca, is somewhat understandable.

She was, after all, a member of a family that had sold out the country to a dictatorship.

Her grandfather and father had been indicted for collaboration. Specifically, they had their illegally accumulated assets confiscated.

Anyway.

“Let’s set aside these headache-inducing topics. Let’s talk about the saints.”

I pushed aside the documents about Francesca. Then, with my hands in my pockets, I opened another information document and began speaking.

“The Inquisition is still going strong these days? There’s much less material here than in Francesca’s files.”

“It’s not as overwhelming as it used to be. Even Laterano has toned down its ferocious nature. But that’s just an improvement compared to before… they’re still bastards.”

As if to say “what can you do,” Sofia shrugged with a wry smile.

The intelligence officer from the National Security Agency opened with a light topic. Her chosen subject was the recent trends of the Inquisition.

“We’ve received intelligence that Director Pietro will soon complete his term and hand over the directorship to his successor. Contrary to the initial expectation that he would step down with the inauguration of the new Pope, he’s stayed on longer than anticipated… but whatever the reason, we’re detecting movements suggesting he’s preparing to hand over the directorship to his successor.”

She said there were several candidates being considered for the next Inquisition Director.

However, among the various candidates, there was only one person who stood out, or in other words, the most likely candidate for the next Inquisition Director, according to Sofia’s explanation.

I asked:

“Who is it?”

“Bernard. Baptismal name Bernardo.”

“…Bernard?”

“Do you know him?”

I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere.

As I gently rubbed the corner of my lips in contemplation, I suddenly recalled someone dormant in my memory.

…Bernard. Director Bernard?

Could it be the person I met at the Inquisition headquarters during the bomb attack?

“Hmm…”

I briefly reflected on my first meeting with Director Bernard, who was emerging as the new Inquisition Director.

I think Director Pietro mentioned in passing that Bernard might become his successor someday… so that wasn’t just empty talk.

“I met him once a long time ago. He seemed like a rather rigid person.”

“He’s known as the Iron Mask even within Laterano. He’s very clear about separating public and private matters. He even seems somewhat detached from the organization.”

“Our side was betting on Archbishop Theodosius as the likely candidate. You know, the archbishop currently managing the northern diocese of the Kiyen Empire.”

“Archbishop Theodosius? Was he the president of the Central Theological University?”

“I think he was a professor. I heard he also worked briefly at the Inquisition.”

The intelligence officer from the National Security Agency, perched on the display, pursed her lips and nodded with a strange murmur.

“Archbishop of Northern Kiyen Empire… It’s an open secret that the Papal Office has been using regular clergy and monks as reserve informants for centuries. In the current climate, they might need someone with imperial connections.”

The National Security Agency intelligence officer began considering, in a calm tone, the possibility of someone other than Director Bernard taking over the directorship.

Incidentally, the “current climate” she referred to meant the conspiracy theories surrounding the Imperial Palace and Nicholas VI.

While only the Abas intelligence agencies and the Inquisition knew that the Emperor had dementia, the fact that “the Emperor has fallen into a critical condition for some reason” was practically a shared agenda among all intelligence agencies.

Especially since the Emperor had not appeared in public even after the Kiyen-Makyung conflict ended, this speculation was spreading not only among intelligence agencies but also within the Empire.

The Kiyen intelligence department was trying to track down the source of these rumors, but that only added to the certainty about Nicholas VI’s critical condition. After all, the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Counterintelligence Command, and the Imperial Police essentially exist for the Emperor.

The truth that their hypersensitive reactions must have good reason had been proven by decades of history.

That was precisely why somewhat “irreverent rumors” could spread among Kiyen citizens.

“……”

A veteran of counterintelligence, security, investigation, and counter-terrorism.

Or an imperial connection with an information network built through years of diocesan life.

I recited the Pope’s position in a dry tone.

“The Medius Cathedral must have a lot to consider.”

“Isn’t that always the case with the position of Pope? Anyway, according to what we’ve gathered, the saints returned to Laterano eight days ago. There was a major event scheduled at the cathedral.”

The event Sofia mentioned was one I was familiar with. Strictly speaking, it was news I’d heard from my sister Adela.

“Ah, you mean the reparations claims discussion?”

“Yes.”

Officially called “Remembrance for Peace and Reconciliation,” commonly known as the discussion for resolving the church’s historical wrongdoings and past issues.

It’s a hot topic both inside and outside religious circles today.

Since the Order as an institution could arguably be called the root of all evil in world history by our standards, it wasn’t an issue to be taken lightly. It was a challenge that needed to be addressed someday, and the question was who would dare to tackle it…

And someone had finally managed to accomplish this difficult task.

Sofia continued with a smile that suggested she found it absurd:

“Your companies probably have more detailed information about Laterano than we do. But to summarize, know that the Order is divided into two factions, centered around Saint Veronica and Saint Lucia, engaged in conflict. Explaining the intricate details would require deep dives into history, religious denominations, politics, diplomacy, and economics, which would still be insufficient… so please use the materials I’ve given you only as supplementary reference.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

“Just note that the Order has split in half around the two saints. And that this past issues discussion could be the opening salvo for a massive division within the Order in the future, beyond simple reparation issues. Including the relationship between the two saints, of course.”

“……”

Her tone was light, but the content was not.

What a mess everyone’s making.

“Let’s get back to Francesca.”

After gathering the information about Veronica, Lucia, the Inquisition, and the Order in general that the National Security Agency had obtained, I returned to the main topic.

As Sofia said, the Abas intelligence agencies were better than the National Security Agency at collecting information about Laterano.

However, when it came to information about Francesca or the Ranieri family’s movements, even the Royal Intelligence Service often couldn’t match the National Security Agency.

That was precisely why I had contacted Sofia.

Although our time was brief, we exchanged a lot of information.

Sofia shared information collected by the National Security Agency within Fatalia, while I shared what I had learned while at Francesca’s side.

“There’s no evidence that Francesca has made individual contact with the Ranieri family. Last year, was it? When she briefly returned to Fatalia, the family did send a servant, but you probably already know about that.”

“Yes. They sent Francesca’s nanny, and judging by their relationship, the atmosphere was quite unpleasant. I don’t know what the topic was, but it seems the Ranieri family slightly upset Francesca.”

“How about the Ranieri family? Has there been any movement since Francesca gained considerable fame after that day?”

“Not particularly? Except that they’ve recently been in contact with influential magical families.”

Sofia informed me that the Ranieri family had broken their long seclusion and begun showing their faces in the magical community again.

The timing coincided with after Francesca became famous for developing new weapons.

“Until now, they couldn’t even show their faces in social circles. There was surveillance from judicial authorities, and public opinion didn’t welcome news of the Ranieri family. But now that Francesca has become such a celebrity…”

“It became difficult for them to remain in seclusion?”

Well. Sofia briefly shrugged her shoulders.

She seemed to be saying she didn’t know what their intentions were either.

“They might have been dragged out into the world due to pressure from other archmage families and magical notables, or they might have brazenly seized this opportunity with thick skin. Either way, the Ranieri family has reappeared in the magical community. And quite spectacularly. That’s an undeniable fact.”

The National Security Agency’s position was to wait and see.

They would remain quiet until they discovered what intentions the Ranieri family had in breaking their seclusion.

“Let me know if anything comes up.”

“I will. Oh, and one more thing.”

Sofia grabbed my forearm. I looked at her, and she lowered her voice very slightly.

“This is about Francesca… Has she shown any interest in finance?”

“Finance? Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“Recently, stocks and bonds have been traded through Francesca’s personal account. In large quantities. For substantial amounts.”

Is it strange for someone with considerable assets to make investments?

I asked what the problem was.

“So? There shouldn’t be an issue, right? Since it’s her personal account, she must be paying her taxes properly.”

“If we were concerned about tax issues, it would be the tax office complaining, not us.”

Obviously, that wasn’t why she brought it up.

Sofia briefly looked around, then stepped closer to me.

“The source of the funds is suspicious.”

“…You don’t know where all that money came from?”

The National Security Agency intelligence officer confirmed with a short nod.

“It just seems strange no matter how I look at it. If it were stocks or bonds of ordinary private companies, that would be one thing, but the companies Francesca is buying into aren’t ordinary businesses.”

“What kind are they? Don’t tell me it’s the finance sector you mentioned?”

“Yes. That’s right. Banks, securities, credit, exchanges… She originally traded stocks in regular private companies, but at some point, she started targeting small and medium-sized financial institutions. In an aggressive manner that’s practically acquisition.”

“……”

“Do you know how much it costs on average to acquire a small regional bank, Merlo? Tens of billions. Tens of billions. Even assuming she’s only selecting places on the verge of bankruptcy and secretly getting financial help from a white knight, it’s a difficult task. Yet Francesca is doing just that.”

I opened the file my acquaintance had handed me. It contained copies of acquisition contracts obtained by the National Security Agency, along with detailed records of the banks’ assets and loan status.

Sofia said:

“Not all acquisitions have been successful. Currently, Francesca has acquired a bankrupt regional bank and several investment firms that went under due to bad deals, and she bought them at bargain prices. Even from our perspective, it was honestly a successful transaction. But the source of the acquisition funds is unclear.”

“The acquisition funds are listed as coming from the sale of bonds purchased at a 50% discount as they approached maturity. That’s the explanation from the law firm Francesca privately hired, and they’ve submitted supporting documents to the relevant authorities.”

“But here’s the interesting part: all those bonds were non-performing loans that the financial sector had given up on as hopeless. Francesca bought these clearly toxic bonds at half price and sold them at full value. There were even foreign bonds where it was questionable if there was any intention to repay, yet she suffered almost no losses.”

“The point is this.”

“Where did Francesca Ranieri get the money to acquire all those bonds?”

“In my opinion, it doesn’t seem like legally earned clean funds.”

*

“…Hmm.”

After long consideration, I pressed my lips together.

“You’re saying the source of the funds used to acquire financial institutions is suspicious? The acquisition money, plus the money used to trade bonds and stocks to raise that acquisition money. You’re suggesting it’s all slush funds obtained through illegal channels. That’s what you’re getting at, right?”

Sofia moved her eyebrows with an expression that said, “That’s the conclusion, yes.”

I nodded slowly and asked a question.

“Is that the company’s assessment?”

I was asking if the National Security Agency was estimating that the source of funds was Francesca’s illegal economic activities, in other words, proceeds of crime.

Sofia said no.

“No. That’s my personal speculation.”

“Then what do the higher-ups say?”

“They agree the source is unclear, but given the circumstances, they think it’s difficult to dig deeper. As you know, tracking the flow of funds is a challenging task. It gets quite complicated.”

The “flow of funds” mentioned here doesn’t simply refer to the movement of money.

To put it bluntly, it’s an expression that refers to the “taxes” imposed on money.

As the old saying goes that death and taxes are inevitable, taxation is practically a necessity. Even when you buy a snack at a convenience store, isn’t there a 10% value-added tax included in the price?

Typically, taxes are calculated as a certain percentage of the money I earn (income) or goods, which is the principle. The legally determined rate at which taxes are calculated is called the tax rate.

However, income or goods of unclear origin cannot be subject to these tax rates. Naturally, this is because it’s legally impossible to prove who acquired them, how, and from where.

That’s why people call such “money or goods of unknown origin” black money. It often arises from criminal proceeds and is frequently revealed during tax audits by tax offices or financial authorities.

So, to summarize…

The National Security Agency is suspicious of the funds Francesca used to acquire banks, securities firms, credit companies, and exchanges.

This means they’re suspicious not only of the “seed money” that was multiplied through bonds and stocks to raise acquisition funds, but also the “process” by which that seed money was multiplied.

In technical terms, money laundering.

The magical process of transforming illegal money into legal money.

“Trading stocks and bonds is certainly legal. There’s no doubt about that. Francesca has diligently paid her securities transaction tax and dividend income tax every time, so who could complain? We’re just curious about where the money used for investment came from.”

Sofia sighed softly and lamented.

“She might have attached taxes to black money under the pretext of investment.”

“That’s the basics of all money laundering. Once taxes are attached, it becomes legal money without questions asked.”

Of course, money laundering isn’t as easy as it sounds. Whether it’s embezzlement, gambling, drugs, or whatever, funds above a certain size immediately look suspicious with even the slightest movement.

That’s why criminals constantly move their funds into high-value tangible assets like paintings, jewelry, or watches.

Once black money is converted into tangible assets and publicly traded, “taxes” are generated, transforming it into “legal money.”

That’s why 21st century global financial authorities are desperately demanding the source of purchase funds. They want proof of where the income used for purchases came from.

That’s exactly what I was referring to.

“Send an official letter to the Fatalia Tax Office. Most of Francesca’s personal assets or income come from the Magic Tower, but there must be some income generated in your country too, right? She has all her connections there. How about calculating based on the reported offshore income?”

“Of course we’ve tried that. They say they haven’t found any particular issues. Ranieri is surprisingly a diligent taxpayer. She even received benefits, apparently? She might soon be exempt from tax audits at this rate.”

“And yet you still find it suspicious?”

Sofia nodded her head with her hands in her coat.

“Very.”

“Let me hear your reasons.”

Various grounds were presented, which could be summarized into three key points:

1. A significant amount of funds moved through intermediary transactions, making tracking difficult.

“She uses escrow services a lot. They have robust security, and due to customer protection measures, even if we request investigative cooperation, the companies have limited ways to help. There’s almost no chance they’ll cooperate just because we suspect criminal proceeds.”

“Based on financial crime statistics compiled by our financial authorities over the past 15 years, intermediary transactions like escrow have significant potential for criminal exploitation. For now, there are insufficient safeguards in both domestic law and institutional frameworks. Not to mention the Magic Tower-affiliated companies Francesca frequently deals with.”

“It’s a method not yet well-known among criminals… but Francesca probably identified this loophole. That woman is surprisingly quick-witted in areas beyond magic.”

2. She spent large sums on law firm retainer fees.

“I’m not being needlessly suspicious. Francesca is currently active overseas, and she herself doesn’t know if she can attend important contract days in person. It’s not strange to entrust complex acquisition procedures to a professional firm and pay a large retainer fee in return. In a normal situation.”

“However, paying slush funds to lawyers under the pretext of retainer fees and getting them back later in some form is one of the well-known tax evasion routes. It’s legally impossible for state agencies to seize legitimate fees received by lawyers from their clients under Fatalia law.”

“The interesting fact is that the law firm that accepted Francesca’s request spent a significant portion of the retainer fee on office relocation costs. Isn’t that strange? Overspending without a plan. The firm’s chairman has accumulated massive debts from various business failures in the past, yet instead of paying off debts, he’s increased spending. It’s one of two things: either irresponsible spending by a businessman who can’t break old habits, or there’s something fishy hidden.”

“What’s even more interesting is that the ones who use this method most frequently are the mafia in our country. And the region where the mafia is strongest in Fatalia is the south, where Giovanni Ranieri established his family.”

3. Francesca Ranieri was the very person who managed Oracle’s slush funds.

This was actually the key point.

“You know that Francesca handled money while serving as an administrative officer in the Magic Tower Secretariat, right?”

“I know. You told me.”

When I first arrived at the Magic Tower, Sofia, who was monitoring Francesca’s movements, was keeping a close eye on all her activities.

She also detected circumstances where, as an administrative officer of the Magic Tower Secretariat assisting Oracle, Francesca illegally created slush funds under orders from above.

She even tracked meetings Francesca had with Imperial private enterprise representatives near Nastasiya City, where the Magic Tower is located, for this purpose.

Sofia pointed to exactly that aspect.

“A high-ranking Magic Tower official who managed Oracle’s pocket has started acquiring financial institutions in our country. It’s still in the early stages, but at this rate, voices of concern will surely emerge from the economic sector before long.”

She was suggesting that Magic Tower capital might infiltrate Fatalia’s financial sector.

If it actually reached capital infiltration, the Fatalia government wouldn’t just sit and watch, but the National Security Agency seemed to want to prevent such an unsavory commotion in advance.

For anyone else, they might not care. But this involved ‘that’ Ranieri.

I stroked my chin, pretending to think deeply, and casually brought up:

“She left her administrative position over a year ago. With the handover already completed, isn’t it unrealistic to assume she’d return to that role now?”

“Weren’t you officially the hero’s companion too, Merlo?”

“…Ah.”

Right, I was.

I awkwardly scratched the back of my head, and Sofia looked at me with a playful smile.

“Anyway, my personal opinion is this.”

Clap, clap. The intelligence officer from the National Security Agency clapped twice and began to conclude the conversation.

“If Francesca is trying to gradually devour Fatalia’s financial institutions with Oracle’s slush funds, ‘we’ must stop it by any means necessary. It’s directly linked to industrial and economic security.”

“Are you worried about market disruption?”

“In a broad sense, yes? Perhaps Ranieri will use these banks she’s acquired to provide massive loans to our country’s companies and take them to the Magic Tower, or the Ranieri family might use this as a foundation to regain their former glory…”

But the result is the same.

Whether companies relocate their headquarters to the Magic Tower under the pretext of overseas expansion, or the Ranieri family rises again atop a mountain of gold.

From the perspective of the Republic of Fatalia, it’s a painful loss and a serious security crisis.

And the National Security Agency won’t tolerate either outcome.

Since security assurance is the first principle of all intelligence agencies.

Naturally, individuals cannot be exceptions to this.

“……”

After hiding the National Security Agency documents behind a novel titled “Age of Madness,” I put the book back among the “Month’s Bestsellers.”

Then, after checking the anti-eavesdropping equipment once more, I asked Sofia:

“You want me to look into it?”

“If you can help.”

My acquaintance from the National Security Agency responded with a picture-perfect smile.

“We’re allies. And friends too.”

Without much thought, I answered that I would let her know if I found anything. That concluded our contact.

“How will we communicate?”

“Don’t worry.”

Sofia, pulling her newsboy cap down low, waved her palm as she left.

“We’ll come to you when the time is right.”

*

After finishing the meeting, I headed toward the exit opposite to where Sofia had left.

Coming out to the main street, I slowly moved along the road, looking at the glass displays of the first-floor shops, then stood idly at a crosswalk.

The signal system in Abas, as sluggish as European civil servants, showed not the slightest consideration for pedestrians. I cursed the cruel red light that showed no sign of changing as I shivered in the cold, looking around restlessly.

Then, as if I couldn’t stand it anymore, I walked to the corner where the block turned and hailed a taxi.

My destination was a park. More precisely, a café located near the park.

-Hiss…!

After settling into the café filled with languid warmth, I briefly thawed my frozen body with a latte and tobacco.

The damn coffee prices seemed to be high everywhere, as I was shocked to see that one latte cost the same as three packs of cigarettes. It was the first time I’d ever missed the fishy smell of 4,000 won cigarettes.

By the time the latte showed its bottom, I went back out to the street and aimlessly wandered through the stalls.

Suddenly remembering my sister Adela’s request to do some shopping on the way home, I also stopped by a supermarket, and finally visited a library I had occasionally used since my academy days.

“……”

I navigated between the bookshelves, looking around, and carefully moved to an inconspicuous corner. There, an old magical device used for copying and transmitting documents was installed.

I open the cover and insert the documents.

After entering a predetermined 16-digit number, I insert coins and press the transmission button.

-Whirr, whirrr….

After transmitting all 15 pages of condensed documents, I took out a thick book and carefully inserted the 15 pages I had just transmitted along with the rest of the documents.

I needed a book wide and thick enough to hide individual sheets of paper, so I had grabbed one at random. Now I noticed that the cover featured some strange character wearing an upside-down gas mask. What is this thing?

I naturally checked out the book and headed straight home.

As soon as I crossed the threshold, Adela’s grumpy voice welcomed me, unfolding a typical playful evening at the Nostrum household.

“Hey, foreign currency outflow criminal. Where have you been wandering around until now?”

“What kind of criminal label is that to put on your brother… I’m not a criminal.”

“You are a criminal! Everything you do is criminal.”

That’s rich coming from a civil servant (though we should hear out diplomats too) who lives off taxes while enjoying the sweet life abroad.

Adela came running out in her socks and… didn’t exactly welcome her brother warmly. She just snatched the shopping basket I was holding. The scene reminded me of a gypsy (pickpocket) I’d seen in Berlin.

I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrow crookedly.

“Really? After I even did the shopping, you’re going to treat me like cold rice instead of giving me pocket money?”

In response, Adela put her hands on her hips with an offended look and glared at me.

“From today, you’re cooking dinner.”

“I love you, sis. You know my heart, right?”

“Eat this, little brother.”

As she disappeared into the kitchen, wiggling her middle finger and shaking it gently, I looked at her retreating figure with an expression that said, “Who’s going to take her…” and went upstairs.

I placed the book I’d brought from the library on the table and neatly organized the documents that had fallen out.

Since these were National Security Agency information documents given by Sofia, they needed to be classified and stored separately with strict security.

Of course, I had already leaked these documents externally. To Francesca. To the very subject of the National Security Agency’s information documents.

If it became known that I had passed “reports on a person of interest” produced by an allied intelligence agency to the “person of interest” herself, the Abas military court would immediately put me on trial for espionage, but neither the Military Intelligence Service nor the Royal Intelligence Service would impose any disciplinary action for this leak.

Because this was being done with permission.

I had received approval from Leoni.

“…Yes, Director. I’ve docked. I’ll report the cargo manifest as soon as it’s confirmed. Yes. Goodbye then.”

I reported over the wire that I had delivered the information documents. Along with a message that I would report again when I received confirmation from Francesca that she had received the documents.

Leoni left instructions to prepare for a face-to-face report as soon as the confirmation arrived, and ended the communication.

And I looked at the secure phone with a bitter expression and remained silent.

“……”

To be honest, my relationship with Francesca could hardly be called good, even as a white lie.

Both officially and privately, my relationship with her was currently in an almost pre-war state.

Even if I send messages asking how she’s doing, no replies come back, and I only hear fragmentary news about her current situation through Camilla.

Except for communications related to work, Francesca was not responding to any contact. It was practically a state of communication breakdown.

And the cause lay entirely with me.

This was undeniably my fault.

“Sigh…”

After sighing deeply as if the ground might cave in, I opened a bottle of whiskey I’d bought at the supermarket.

It seemed best to drink this and get some sleep.

“Ah, right, a glass.”

Suddenly realizing the absence of a glass, I went back downstairs to the kitchen.

“Sis, can I have a glass?”

“Are you a child? Get it yourself.”

“Come on…”

“Who told you to be sarcastic? Huh?”

Adela frowned as if to say, “I’m holding a knife right now!” The hysteria of an old maid (acknowledged by our parents) who couldn’t get married was truly frightening.

I wanted to tease my sister or torment my delightfully punchable younger sister, but unfortunately, Ayla wasn’t present today. She was abroad.

And provoking Adela right now would be insane.

Why would I tease someone holding a knife and risk actually getting stabbed? If I misused my tongue, the origin of tonight’s dinner menu might change.

“What’s for dinner?”

“Something I like.”

“Me?”

“No. Something ‘I’ like.”

“…Damn.”

Adela continued rhythmically chopping on the cutting board, then stuck out her tongue and provoked me. What’s this? Is she really looking for a fight?

“I don’t really like carrots… Let’s skip the carrots.”

“Do you think it makes sense to still be a picky eater at your age? Wait, where did you get that alcohol from?”

Adela, who had been preparing dinner, suddenly began to glare. Her chilling gaze was fixed on the whiskey.

At that moment, the pleasant smell of rice cooking instantly transformed into the hellish sulfur of stench. The kitchen knife that had been chopping carrots transformed into an executioner’s blade dancing above a condemned prisoner’s neck. It was the moment a terrifying demon appeared in the kitchen.

At least, that’s how it looked to me.

“You-“

“…!”

As my sister, her face turning red, began to threaten me with a knife to put down the bottle.

I quickly grabbed a glass from the cupboard, hugged the whiskey, and darted out of the townhouse.

At this point, the only answer was escape. I’ll flee to the embassy and wait it out.

Ignoring the shout of ‘Stop drinking so much!’ coming from behind, I grabbed only my shoes and fled to the street.

And then,

-HONK!

A car illegally parked in front of the house suddenly honked its horn.

“…?”

“What the?”

Both Adela, who had chased after me and was grabbing my clothes, and I, who was struggling while getting my back smacked, stopped in our tracks.

Blinking. As we exchanged glances while blinking our eyes.

The car that had honked approached us slowly, and the driver lowered the window gently and greeted us.

“Hello~ It’s been a while. Your sister?”

“…Uh.”

Adela made a dumbfounded sound and froze in place. Of course, I was the same.

I stared at the familiar person sitting in the driver’s seat.

With a look that said, “Why is this person here?”

“And Major, too.”

Regardless, Veronica simply continued to greet us with her seductive eyes narrowed.

It was a face I hadn’t seen in a very long time.

=

I’ve brought a preview of new mechanical illustrations!

First, “Northern Archduke” Alexandra Petrova, the first of the elder generation archmages to appear, Camilla’s mentor who has made regular appearances!

And the troublemaking disciple who always causes her mentor grief, “Hero” Camilla Rowell, who carries on the tradition of the British Empire by burning everything in sight!

These illustrations are so amazing they’d deserve a lightning strike if I showed any more!

I’d like to show you more, but due to content rating issues, I’ll stop here.

The goal for future mechanical illustrations is to maintain this level of quality while producing as many as possible.

Thank you.