Ch.608Episode 22 – The Kazinsky Test

On July 7, 2005, a series of coordinated bomb attacks occurred in London’s underground transit system.

The four suspects were identified as British citizens born to Pakistani immigrant families and one immigrant from Jamaica.

What was shocking was that they were middle-class residents of Leeds, second-generation immigrants who had received British education.

The revelation that second-generation immigrants had transformed into terrorists shocked the entire United Kingdom, and British investigative agencies began officially using terms like “Homegrown Terrorist” and “New Terrorism.”

What led ordinary British citizens to become radicalized by Islamic extremism?

Western and Middle Eastern scholars explain these factors as follows:

Rejection from mainstream European communities, exclusivity among Muslim immigrant minorities to preserve their cultural identity, and discrimination in local communities as push factors.

Religious and identity conflicts between first-generation immigrants (defined as parents) and the 1.5 or second generation (defined as children).

Poverty, social status disparities, vague sense of belonging, self-fulfillment, and personal grievances about social mobility create desires. Radical Islamic propaganda stimulates these individual desires, strengthening rebelliousness and solidarity, further cementing self-esteem that seeks recognition through terrorism.

Ultimately, what motivates someone to join radical movements isn’t religious or political ideology.

It stems from complex social interactions that cannot be clearly specified.

This is why terrorism persists in modern society.

Episode 22 – The Kazinsky Test

Camilla’s assertion was clear.

The alliance between extremist non-human communities and werewolves.

This was a topic she could explain best by changing just a few words.

“Just like Al-Qaeda or Daesh propaganda lured second-generation immigrants into becoming jihadists, the werewolves from the Mauritanian continent might be inciting beastkin living in the Rushan Federation to commit terrorist attacks…!”

It was actually a fairly apt comparison.

Just as with Asian, Latino, or Muslim immigrant communities in European or North American societies, the non-human communities in this neighborhood shared certain similarities with immigrant populations.

More lower-income than middle-class, deep conflicts between parent and child generations, and so on.

Not to mention feelings of alienation and discrimination.

For humans who otherize each other based on skin color or nationality, beings fundamentally different from them become objects of thorough rejection. Isn’t the unofficial term for orcs and goblins “greenskins” after all?

While it might look like a common social conflict on the surface, for Camilla, it was chilling to the bone.

In other words, it wasn’t Veronica.

“……”

Unable to tame her disheveled hair, the saint simply blinked her large eyes and stared blankly at the other person.

“Perhaps educated middle-class intellectuals joined in…! They might have planned sophisticated terrorist attacks…!”

“Um, Miss Camilla?”

“Yes?”

“…I understand. Could you please get off me first?”

At those words.

Camilla finally realized where she was.

No wonder the cushioning felt so plentiful.

“Um….”

Camilla awkwardly lifted her hips and stood up, hiding her blushing face behind her collar.

Veronica struggled to her feet, rubbing her stomach and letting out a deep sigh.

“Good grief. I nearly died…”

*

A tragedy occurred where the buttocks that had once flattened a religious leader of Ashtistan now flattened a clergy member of the Order, but fortunately, the situation was resolved through amicable agreement between the parties involved.

Why? Because Veronica is both a politician and a religious figure.

Politics typically involves the beautiful tradition of denying responsibility regardless of who’s at fault while painting the opponent as an absolute villain, but religion isn’t like that. Religion is based on compassion through understanding, tolerance, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

In truth, the common concept of forgiveness in this region’s religions involved putting people on woodpiles, burning them spectacularly, and then saying, “Well, I forgive you!”

But this was abolished by a successor who wielded a mace while advocating for religious reform (though it had actually disappeared much earlier), so Veronica resolved to forgive Camilla cleanly.

Therefore, the saint’s voice was more cautious than ever.

“Extremist non-human groups…”

Veronica carefully repeated Camilla’s words.

Not just her voice, but her expression was extremely cautious as well.

“This is complicated.”

“Oh, is there a problem?”

“A problem indeed. Non-human extremism is a politically sensitive topic.”

Non-human extremism.

It was a delicate subject in most countries, regardless of nationality. More precisely, it could be called a social issue.

Environmental destruction due to the expansion of human habitation. The resulting encroachment on non-human habitats.

Society tried to embrace numerous races, but even accommodating humans alone was overwhelming, pushing most other races to the margins.

And so, decades and centuries passed.

Countless social and inter-racial problems and deepening divides. Policies presented as solutions that ultimately remained mere stopgaps.

The bomb that finally exploded, or the side effects.

Though they took various forms, modern scholars collectively referred to them as “non-human extremism.”

Veronica was somewhat familiar with this. No, it would be inappropriate to say she merely knew about it.

Wasn’t it just a few years ago that she, as a politician of the Order, had been running around everywhere with solutions?

The problem was that none of them worked.

Or perhaps the problem was that no one even wanted to listen.

Anyway.

“…Hmm.”

Hearing this topic after such a long time, Veronica brushed her bangs aside with a fresh sense of contemplation.

“That makes sense. You’re saying werewolves received some kind of help from other races, right? Whether they’re extremists or exactly which races they are, we’ll have to find out.”

“Exactly.”

It makes sense. It’s not like there were no precedents.

“Alliances between different races. This isn’t, well, completely unheard of. I’ve never heard of lycans allying with other races, but… similar cases exist.”

“……”

“The key question is whether non-human groups operating in the Rushan Federation have such capabilities.”

Strictly speaking.

“Are there organizations of that caliber here?”

“……”

“That’s what it comes down to…”

I wonder if such places exist.

As the saint muttered with a subtle expression, the door opened and another voice interjected.

“There are several.”

Veronica turned slightly in that direction and exhaled softly before responding.

“Commissioner Pedro. What took you so long?”

“The Federal Land Ministry was urgently looking for me regarding a family murder case.”

It was Commissioner Pedro.

As always, he returned to his seat with a bland smile.

“Did you get any good results?” Camilla asked, wondering if there had been any progress in the investigation.

Pedro shook his head and replied.

“No. Nothing noteworthy.”

“……”

His reaction seemed oddly dismissive for someone saying that.

The Inquisition Commissioner’s attitude seemed suspicious to Camilla, but she couldn’t press him based on mere suspicion, so she decided to hold her tongue.

“Are you looking for non-human extremist groups?”

“For now, yes.”

“Well, that’s fortunate. We have several under investigation in conjunction with the Bahar City Police.”

“What kind of organizations?”

“Militant groups with strong political characteristics.”

Seated at the table, Pedro moistened his dry lips with a glass of water. After a brief pause, he began.

“To name a few that come to mind… there’s the ‘GWP,’ the vanguard of the armed faction, and its subordinate action organization, the ‘Working Class Militia,’ along with the underground party known as the ‘Quill of the Working Intelligentsia.’ We can’t forget the ‘Canine-Feline Symbiosis Alliance’ or the ‘Golden Helmet Union,’ both notorious for strikes and work slowdowns.”

“…GWP? Symbiosis Alliance? Golden Helmet?”

What are those?

As she tilted her head in confusion, Pedro, who had begun staring at Camilla, suddenly elaborated.

“‘Workers’ Party For Goblin,’ or ‘Goblin Workers’ Party.’ It’s an armed group advocating goblinism and revolutionary socialist ideology. The ‘Canine-Feline Symbiosis Alliance’ is a political-economic organization representing pan-beastkin community principles, exemplified by dog and cat beastkin, while the ‘Golden Helmet Union’ operates as a community of destiny continuing the legacy of the old Dwarf Kingdom, aiming for dwarf liberation.”

“I see…”

“Please note that all three are designated as terrorist organizations or equivalently dangerous groups by the international community.”

I understand now.

So that’s what they were. Guerrillas, labor unions, and a government-in-exile?

While guerrillas were one thing, it was puzzling why labor unions and a government-in-exile would be treated as terrorist organizations. However, Camilla decided not to bring it up.

That was something she could learn about gradually.

Like the cases of the Baader-Meinhof Group (German Red Army Faction) and the British Miners’ Union (suppressed after opposing privatization under Prime Minister Thatcher), there might be historical backgrounds she wasn’t familiar with.

What mattered wasn’t the reason but something else.

“Which organization should we investigate first?”

“Let’s start with… the ‘Canine-Feline Symbiosis Alliance.’ As it happens, we’ve received intelligence that they’re holding a meeting somewhere in Bahar today.”

Veronica, who had been listening quietly, suddenly joined the conversation.

“Are there no other organizations?”

Pedro said there weren’t, not really.

To be precise, there were many extremist groups, but most were small. The police kept an eye on them, but that was about it.

“They’re just small gatherings that exist everywhere. Groups that meet at neighborhood pubs, clink glasses, and complain about the world.”

“Which ones are considered threatening?”

“None.”

The Inquisition Commissioner stated flatly.

“Organizations with notable cohesion and funding, capable of planning and executing terrorist attacks, are mostly under surveillance. The rest are lacking in one way or another…”

“…They’re just like children’s clubs?”

“More like informal social gatherings.”

“If the Commissioner says so, I suppose that’s how it is.”

Just as the saint has her areas of expertise, so does the Commissioner.

If he hadn’t wasted decades at the Inquisition, his experience deserved respect. Veronica calmly accepted the Commissioner’s opinion.

With the target decided, everything else proceeded smoothly.

Camilla and Veronica began preparations to investigate the non-human extremist group, and Pedro willingly provided his information and resources.

However, there was a problem…

“No support?”

“Since Bahar falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Intelligence Agency and City Police, our Inquisition has no way to intervene.”

Pedro expressed his regret, saying he had almost no way to help if trouble arose with the extremist group.

“It would be best to avoid fighting if possible, Saint.”

“Really now… as if that’s something I can control.”

Clinking. Veronica packed .38 caliber silver bullets into a leather pouch with a hint of reproach.

But Camilla seemed fine with it.

“Doesn’t matter, does it?”

She paused from stuffing dried rations into her waistband and added:

“If werewolves aren’t involved with non-humans, there shouldn’t be any problem when we go there. The fight with the werewolves happened because of the scent of kindred blood in our bodies.”

“That’s right.”

“So we’re good, aren’t we? Even if beastkin have a sense of smell comparable to werewolves, how many beastkin have we passed on the street today? If there was going to be a fight or a report filed, it would have happened already.”

“Hmm… the Hero makes a good point.”

“Right?”

When Veronica nodded, Camilla smiled brightly.

“So let’s not worry. If werewolves are there, a fight will break out immediately. If not, we’ll leave quietly!”

“…That’s really reassuring.”

“Hehe.”

A deep sigh followed the bright smile.

Veronica was stuffing silver bullets brought by the inquisitors into her leather pouch, then, as if giving up, she crammed them haphazardly into her civilian clothes pockets and pants pockets.

“Hero. I’ll cover you from outside, so can’t you go alone?”

“Nope.”

“Why drag me into this?”

“I prefer co-op over solo play…”

“……”

What is she talking about?

Veronica made a blank expression at the incomprehensible answer. Camilla laughed awkwardly as she attached a holster to the inside of her thigh.

An awkward silence fell, and finally, Veronica, unable to bear it any longer, snapped at Pedro.

“Commissioner. Are there really no support troops? Seriously?”

He dismissed his subordinate with a gesture and fell into thought.

There was a moment of silence.

Finally.

“…Yes.”

The Inquisition Commissioner, who had been deep in contemplation, opened his mouth.

“If you insist, I promise you the best support personnel.”