Ch.575Episode 21 – Peace in Our Time

**※ All descriptions, narratives, dialogues, etc. in this novel ‘Spy in a Dark Fantasy’ do not represent the author’s thoughts or ideologies. Also, all content in this work is a product of fiction, and if there are any similarities to reality, we clearly notify that it is merely a coincidence.

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Despite all that happened, the aftermath was handled smoothly.

After a three-way meeting at the imperial villa, the misunderstanding was finally cleared up.

“…So, you had no personal business with the child and were only visiting on official duty?”

“…That’s what I’ve been saying.”

An awkward groan escaped the Grand Duke’s lips.

“Hmm… If that was the case, I needn’t have interfered at all.”

Though she didn’t say it aloud, judging by her expression, it wouldn’t have been out of place for her to follow up with something like “This is quite a predicament.” She seemed at a loss for words.

It was an understandable reaction. After all, she had nearly assaulted someone who was visiting on official business.

The Grand Duke, detecting the alarm magic or whatever she had personally set up, had rushed to the villa using rapid teleportation. Upon seeing me pressed up against Camilla, she immediately tried to punish me, firing off magic while shouting “You scoundrel!”

Fortunately, being a noble who valued honor, she at least gave me a chance to explain myself before killing me.

Had she attacked with lethal intent without question, I might have woken up in a hospital with no mercy shown.

“…I apologize. She’s my first disciple in my later years, so I’m afraid I misunderstood.”

She was implying that she’d heard so many rumors about me manhandling her precious disciple that she assumed this was another such instance.

What a ridiculous slander.

…Really.

“That was quite a big misunderstanding.”

“I regret it.”

We exchanged awkward glances in the somewhat embarrassing atmosphere.

“Seriously! How could you use magic without warning, Professor!”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Really… You should at least listen to what people have to say before making decisions. What is this?”

“Hmm.”

Camilla continued her protests toward Alexandra Petrova.

Even for such a stern teacher, she seemed unable to come up with any excuses. The Grand Duke merely nodded her head, letting out deep sighs in response to her disciple’s sharp criticisms.

“And what business is it of yours who I meet, Professor?”

“…But this guy?”

Although Camilla was somewhat emotional, or perhaps harboring a twisted desire to scold her teacher when she had the chance.

The venerable teacher firmly spanked her disciple’s bottom with her palm, as if putting out a fire stuck to her behind.

And thus, the disciple’s cute but impious rebellion came to an end.

“You, always, making your, teacher, worry!”

“Aaaah- Professor, it hurts! Please spare me…!”

“Silence!”

I turned my gaze away from Camilla, who was forcibly bent over the Grand Duke’s knee, with a short sigh. What an unseemly sight.

Anyway.

The misunderstanding was cleared up and permission was granted, so things worked out well. Though I’m not sure if “worked out well” is the appropriate expression.

In the end, everything was resolved peacefully, making today another peaceful day.

Episode 21 – Peace in Our Time

The initial plan to sneak into the Order before the Northern Grand Duke noticed had already failed miserably.

From the moment I entered the villa, the teacher had already sensed the presence of a suspicious person (a clear misunderstanding) targeting her disciple.

But as they say, even when the sky falls, there’s a hole to crawl through. After an honest conversation, Grand Duke Alexandra Petrova gladly permitted our journey to the Order.

“Since you have important official business, I, as an outsider, have no reason or right to interfere. Especially if it’s related to the Order’s Saint.”

Alexandra Petrova is a retired mage.

In the dark ages when mages themselves were persecuted.

She had taken it upon herself to be a pillar of the magical society, but decades ago, when the Magic Tower entered a stable period, she returned to the Empire, where she belonged, after transferring all authority to the Oracle.

Officially, the Grand Duke is no longer a pillar of today’s magical society.

However, the influence and weight of the name “Grand Mage” still has a profound impact on both the modern Magic Tower and the Ivory Tower.

That’s why Alexandra Petrova couldn’t visit the Order unless it was for a very important matter.

To be precise,

“Aren’t you coming, Professor?”

“I’d rather not.”

She herself didn’t want to join the trip to the Order.

“It may be a story from over 50 years ago, but I am still a mage. I stood against the religious fanatics with the Order on my back.”

“But the war is over. It’s been nearly a century, hasn’t it? Would anyone still blame you for that?”

“……”

The teacher met the gaze of her delicate disciple, who was kneeling and begging her to come along. A melancholic smile had formed on her cheeks.

“Child, sometimes people quarrel over seemingly trivial matters.”

“……”

“My teacher used to say, ‘Gratitude is as deep as a well, but grudges are deeper than the abyss.’ Do you understand what this means?”

“…Uh.”

Camilla scratched her crown repeatedly, then pursed her lips with a puzzled expression.

“Don’t make unnecessary enemies?”

“That’s right. Always remember that once harbored, a grudge doesn’t disappear whether 10 or 100 years pass.”

“Hmm…”

“So, what should you do to avoid incurring grudges?”

“Quickly take care of things without leaving future troubles?”

“You little…!”

The jade-like delicate hand flicked the disciple’s head with a thwack, and the cherry-like lips contorted as a moist groan escaped: “Ouch.”

The disciple who received her revered teacher’s wisdom with disrespect paid the price. In addition to the stinging flick, she had to endure a lecture: “How can you say such things? You’re not a pirate!”

If there’s ever a problem between us, it’s almost always because of her manner of speaking. This was another moment that proved this truth that had never been wrong.

“Hiing…”

“Where did such a wild colt come from? Tsk tsk.”

Of course, it wasn’t just concern about old grudges that made her firmly reject Camilla’s accompaniment. Alexandra Petrova is an elder of the imperial family, and she has a wide range of official duties to handle in the Empire.

Starting with managing the vast northern territories, including Novo Nikolayevsk, all of these are the Northern Grand Duke’s responsibilities.

Thus, Alexandra Petrova had no choice but to permit Camilla’s departure.

It wasn’t granted as readily as sending her on a school trip. It was given with thorough admonitions and cautions, like a helicopter parent of the 21st century, after much worry.

And as everyone expected, or rather, as I had anticipated.

The teacher’s concerns about sending her disciple away were directed entirely at “me.”

“I trust you’ll handle things well, but I’d like you to ensure the child doesn’t encounter any danger.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I’d also like you to prevent her from secretly snacking.”

“Yes.”

“And one more piece of advice from an old woman’s concern: be especially careful not to let ‘unnecessary rumors’ circulate like last time.”

“…Ah, yes.”

This was…

It was beyond what could be expressed as earnest entreaty. It was a strong declaration that if anything happened to Camilla, she would pursue me to the ends of hell.

Suddenly, a scene from a movie I watched long ago came to mind. A father-uncle duo confronting a fearless young man who came to pick up their daughter.

The Grand Duke’s gaze at me was remarkably similar to the actor’s eyes in that movie.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing. …Tsk.”

Why click your tongue if it’s nothing?

This is truly maddening.

The Grand Duke, who had shown her displeasure throughout, didn’t stop at clicking her tongue but even followed us to the warp gate departure area. Despite an imperial attendant sweating profusely and saying, “You must hurry to the palace,” she just shook her head with a face full of discontent like a grumpy bulldog.

I’m not some playboy.

What does she normally take me for? It was an attitude I found hard to understand.

As I grumbled with a heart-wrenching feeling, Camilla, who was cheerfully pulling her luggage, started to smile cutely as if finding it amusing.

“Why does your teacher always pick on me? What did I do wrong?”

“Come on~ She wouldn’t have marked you. She’s just worried, that’s all.”

“Worry twice more and she might kill someone.”

“Why are you so indignant? You keep acting like this, and it makes you look guilty. As they say, a thief is most afraid of his own footsteps.”

“Camilla, if you keep being cheeky, you’ll really get in trouble.”

“Who knows? The wise elder’s intuition might be right…?”

It’s not a wise elder’s intuition but an old person’s senility.

“Hehe.”

As if deliberately trying to upset me further, Camilla kept grinning mischievously. Her laughter was so coquettish and vexing that I gave her a surprise flick on the forehead.

The sound was more satisfying than expected, so I gave her another one—that’s our little secret.

*

Looking for a “blonde cleric” in the holy land of Laterano is harder than finding Mr. Kim in Seoul.

However, finding a “Saint,” a “blonde Saint,” is as easy as pie.

Just as South Korean lawmakers once demonstrated large-scale collaborative content reminiscent of siege warfare—with back-flipping, tear gas firing, fire extinguisher spraying, locking doors with pipes, breaking down locked doors, and group raids on the speaker’s seat—

Currently, Lucia has risen to idol status (truly maddening) by making both supporters and critics go crazy with her “drop and give me twenty” command to bishops and cardinals gathered from all over the world.

It’s best to avoid catching her eye.

Whether inside or outside the conference hall.

Meeting the Saint must be avoided at all costs.

Like Protoss connected by the Khala, high-ranking clerics of the Order, regardless of whether they were traditional conservatives or progressive reformers, were all desperately hiding whenever the Saint appeared. I was able to find Lucia’s whereabouts by questioning a few of them.

It was as easy as cake.

“Saint Lucia, you say?”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t seen her for days. I heard she’s staying at the Tranquille Cathedral.”

This testimony came from the bishop in charge of overseas charity work.

For reference, this person was one of Lucia’s close associates who had formed a deep friendship with her during her charity activities throughout her deployment to the Empire and Mauritania. I somehow got to know him while sending various official documents around.

“…For days? Is she ill?”

“The Saint’s health is a secret known only to a few in the Order, but as far as I know, there’s been no issue recently. It’s just… to say she’s fighting illness…”

The treasurer bishop trailed off with a complex expression mixing both difficulty and embarrassment.

He meant that a Saint who gives group punishment to bishops and cardinals hardly looks like a groaning patient. So, she wasn’t in seclusion due to illness.

Anyway.

After questioning a few of her closest associates, we headed straight to the Tranquille Cathedral where Lucia was staying.

We were fully prepared.

“How do you feel? Do you think you can persuade her?”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Have you studied the precedents and materials?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Let’s go quickly! Camilla took the lead with a solemn expression. Just as she had made up her mind to persuade Lucia, I too was punching numbers into a calculator with a serious face.

How to calm down a rampaging Holy Berserker.

How to pull the cornered Order onto a lifeboat.

We’ll have to see how things play out, but,

“Let’s go in.”

First, I need to do what I have to do.

*

Tranquille Cathedral.

A religious facility newly elevated to commemorate the birth of a new Saint. It also serves as Saint Lucia’s office and her actual living space.

The Tranquille Cathedral, which I visited after a long time, was much more solemn than I remembered. The stone building, which once looked somewhat fresh like its newly canonized owner, now exuded a magnificence comparable to other cathedrals.

Deep inside that cathedral.

We were able to meet Lucia, who was waiting there.

“……”

“……”

“……”

“…Um, Lucia?”

“Yes.”

A calm response came, and her blonde hair swayed with her nod. Like water droplets echoing in a large cave, her brief answer created an indescribable resonance as it bounced off the bricks and walls.

Then came a clank, the dull noise of metal rubbing against metal.

Camilla, who had been watching from the side, finally asked the question she couldn’t suppress, her lips quivering.

“…Why are you in prison?”

Surprisingly, though it might be hard to believe.

The Order’s second Saint was in custody.

The location: the basement of Tranquille Cathedral.

The condition: tightly bound in chains from ankles to waist.

“……”

Lucia kept her head bowed low and gave no answer.

Rather than looking like a penitent sinner, she more closely resembled a student who was mortified after having her secret diary discovered.

We stared at Lucia, who was wrapped in chains like a sealed monster, and the more we stared, the more she avoided our gaze.

“…I made a small mistake.”

“What kind of mistake got you locked up here? And who locked you up?”

“Well, um… Saint Veronica…”

“…? No. Why would Saint Veronica lock you up?”

“I hit someone…”

“You did?”

“Even if it’s assault, this seems excessive, doesn’t it?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

When I made a comment, Camilla chimed in, and when Camilla spoke, I added to it. We were so dumbfounded that we could only stare at each other blankly.

“Ah, this is why you shouldn’t play soldier carelessly. Tsk… So who did you hit?”

“……”

There was a long silence.

And finally.

After fidgeting with her toes without saying a word, she barely managed to answer.

“…His Holiness the Pope?”