Ch.628Episode 23 – The Spy Who Returned from the Cold Country

The procedure to enter the Grand Duchy wasn’t particularly complicated.

Though it was a residence protected under strict security, I had a companion who was essentially a high-pass card for me.

“It’s the Hero. Open the barricade.”

“Have a nice day!”

Camilla was the only disciple taken in by Alexandra Petrova, and simultaneously one of the most famous mages in the world.

Therefore, we were able to enter without any special inspection.

“Welcome.”

The moment we arrived at the mansion, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a butler emerged. I wondered if he was from the Grand Duchy, but Camilla merely looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.

Someone from the Imperial Family, I see.

My assumption seemed correct, as he began to address us with a respectful attitude.

It was a message.

“Her Highness Elizaveta has invited both of you to the reception room.”

Episode 23 – A Spy Returned from the Cold Country

To be honest,

I had anticipated that Princess Elizaveta would attempt to contact the Abas government soon.

And I had somewhat expected that she would summon me instead of going through the ambassador or consul.

Given the precedent set by Princess Anastasia, there was no guarantee a similar situation wouldn’t arise again.

In Princess Elizaveta’s position, it would be most convenient to meet the person who had direct contact with her sister.

“……”

However, watching the princess casually inquire after Camilla’s well-being after dragging her into this, I couldn’t exactly regard Princess Elizaveta with the kindest of gazes.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Hero. I’ve heard much about you. You’ve been dedicated to helping those in need, haven’t you?”

“The praise isn’t necessary. I only did what I wanted to do.”

“There’s no need to humble yourself. If everything you’ve done were as simple as mere words of praise, the world wouldn’t hold your dedication in such high regard. May your path ahead be filled with blessings, and may you persevere through difficult situations. The Smirnov Imperial Family sincerely wishes this for you.”

Princess Elizaveta, who greeted us in the reception room, melted the awkward atmosphere with light pleasantries.

Quite a skillful ability.

Pleasantries fundamentally serve a role. They maintain courtesy, soften what might otherwise be a stiff atmosphere, and create a simple foundation of trust through respect and consideration.

Princess Elizaveta clearly understood this meaning and knew how to handle it effectively.

It suggested she had dealt with many people before.

“Recent rumors say the Hero has established a foundation for non-humans living difficult lives in the Rushan Federation. Your heart is truly beautiful.”

The princess formed a picture-perfect smile and gently interlaced her fingers.

“If you ever need help or encounter any difficulties, please don’t hesitate to tell me. I share a deep interest in the treatment of non-humans. If the Hero and her cause face any challenges, I would gladly lend a hand.”

A sudden proposal came forward.

I was already aware of the intelligence that Camilla had established a foundation in the Rushan Federation, through Jake’s report. It was an organization she had personally established to help the non-humans in that region after resolving the terrorist incident caused by the radical faction of the Werewolf-Canine Feline Symbiosis Alliance.

It was a relief organization with no particular issues.

It helped with vaccinations for young non-humans and arranged for relief clergy to be dispatched to residential areas lacking medical facilities.

Of course, it was all too obvious that with Camilla establishing a foundation, all sorts of opportunists would show interest.

Whether it was magical community members wanting connections to the Grand Mage and her descendant, religious figures trying to form networks with the saints, or political gurus trying to swindle the seemingly naive Hero…

But we hadn’t anticipated that the princess would try to use the foundation in this way at this point.

“……”

What to do with this guru? After briefly exchanging glances with me, Camilla placed her hands on her knees and gave her answer, as if having made a decision.

“I appreciate your words… but I don’t want to burden Your Highness.”

It was a polite yet firm refusal.

Though her offer was flatly rejected, Princess Elizaveta showed no sign of disappointment. She simply acknowledged it calmly and withdrew.

“Is that so? It can’t be helped.”

She didn’t forget to maintain her gentle smile until the end.

“Still, there will come a day when the Hero needs help. When that time comes, remember that my letterbox is always open.”

The pleasantries were over.

With those final words, Princess Elizaveta asked if she could have the space to herself for a moment, and Camilla, understanding the implication, tactfully stepped aside.

Just before the reception room door closed.

We exchanged one last glance.

-Creeeeak.

And so the door closed.

Now, it was time to get to the main point.

*

Silence fell over the reception room where only the two of us remained.

Neither of us hastily broke the silence. Only the repeated sound of teacups being picked up and set down continued, and the breathing that flowed through the stillness lingered in my ears.

“You seem to be more cautious than you appear.”

After the clatter of a saucer and cup breaking the silence, Princess Elizaveta suddenly opened up.

“I heard that establishing the foundation required considerable resources and was quite burdensome, yet far from asking for help, you rejected my offer. It seems the Hero isn’t the type to blindly rejoice at others’ kindness.”

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

“It saddens me greatly to have my sincerely offered kindness met with suspicion.”

Her expression hadn’t changed much for someone claiming to be saddened. So I too expressed regret only in words.

Princess Elizaveta showed some discomfort at having her “kindness” rejected. Her main argument was as follows:

“I offered appropriate compensation to honor the dedication you and your companions have shown to the Imperial Family. Yet you don’t seem pleased with the Imperial Family’s reward.”

“……”

“Our Imperial Family has ample willingness to establish a foundation for permanent cooperation with you, and further collaborate in joint efforts for the happiness and well-being of people worldwide. But how can you not understand that such prickly reactions could jeopardize cooperation itself?”

She’s saying if I don’t cooperate with her, things won’t be pleasant for me going forward.

With expressions like “foundation for permanent cooperation” and “collaborate in joint efforts” that are typically used in government policies.

Given her emphasis on the word “Imperial Family,” it seemed Princess Elizaveta was considering matters even after she would push aside Crown Prince Valery and take power.

Essentially, she was telling me to stay on her good side.

Hmm.

With my chin resting on my interlaced fingers, I carefully considered the princess’s statements with a thoughtful attitude.

“Um… There are a few things I’d like to say to Your Highness.”

“Speak freely.”

“First, Camilla and I are equals in our decision-making process, not in a vertical relationship where one takes orders from the other. And clearly, Camilla is the founder of the foundation, the decision-making authority lies solely with her, and I’m in no position to interfere.”

Your words could be misinterpreted as suggesting that I infringed upon her rightful and legal decision-making authority.

“Next, if my understanding is correct, while Your Highness Elizaveta certainly possesses legal succession rights to the throne, I believe that nowhere in Kiyen Empire’s domestic law is it specified that this alone grants the right to represent the Imperial Family.”

“……”

“If I haven’t misunderstood, the compensation you mentioned earlier seems closer to a personal offer from Your Highness rather than one from the Imperial Family… Or perhaps I, being unfamiliar with the customs of the Kiyen Empire, have misunderstood Your Highness’s intentions?”

With a slight smile, I politely corrected Princess Elizaveta’s statement. To paraphrase somewhat:

‘You’re a princess now, not the emperor, aren’t you?’

…was the meaning.

It could have sounded disrespectful in some ways. But the princess showed no particular reaction. In the Kiyen Empire, the Imperial Family essentially meant the Emperor.

She was well aware of how grave a crime it was to falsely claim to be the Emperor.

So, Princess Elizaveta merely jested with a good-natured smile.

“Oh my. That wasn’t my intention, but I nearly caused a significant misunderstanding. I’m not sure how to express my gratitude.”

As if genuinely thankful, she placed her hand on her chest and gave a slight bow, her eyes curving distinctly. In response, I shrugged as if it were nothing.

After exchanging a few words, I was starting to get a sense of what kind of person Princess Elizaveta was.

She was ambitious.

She appeared overflowing with consideration, gentle, and thoughtful, but that was just her outward appearance.

Her subtle attitude of trying to control others revealed how arrogant she truly was.

Her unconscious tendency to equate the Imperial Family with herself showed me how vast her ambition for power was.

The important thing is that Princess Elizaveta was absolutely not just a fool full of greed.

So from now on, I needed to approach carefully.

“Though we seem to be meeting for the first time, I’m curious about why Your Highness invited me here today.”

“I was just about to get to that.”

“I’m all ears.”

The brief exploratory exchange was over. Princess Elizaveta stared at my hands as I fiddled with the teacup, then raised her gaze and spoke again.

“I know that you met with my half-sister, Anastasia. Let me make a counter-proposal. The conditions are identical to what Anastasia offered you.”

“……”

“I want the Kingdom of Abas to step forward and support me in more successfully inheriting the throne.”

*

The die was cast.

A turning point in a lifetime adventure, or a gamble.

I maintained my silence. And carefully evaluated the gamble Princess Elizaveta had put forward.

“…I noticed the Public Security was following me on my way here.”

The five major security agencies currently existing in the Kiyen Empire.

The Imperial Guardian Office, the Imperial Guard, the Kiyen Military Counterintelligence Unit, the Kiyen Military Intelligence Unit, and the Imperial Police.

Among these, the groups known as Public Security were the Guardian Office and the Imperial Police. Specifically, the 1st Bureau within the Guardian Office responsible for counterintelligence, security, and investigation, and the Public Security Department of the Imperial Police.

The main duties of the Imperial Public Security Police are to prevent riots and social division, crack down on espionage activities, and prevent anti-imperial crimes and national subversion conspiracies.

But in reality, what they did was crush various social organizations that went on strike, held assemblies, or demonstrations, and send people who expressed dissatisfaction with society to camps by framing them as thought criminals or political prisoners.

Why?

“Real spies” need to be dealt with by the Imperial Guardian Office or the Kiyen Military Counterintelligence Unit, not the Imperial Police.

And “high-profile anti-establishment criminals” are snatched up by the Guardian Office, which is a higher-level agency.

This wasn’t just empty talk; it was reality.

Whether in terms of authority or capability, the Public Security Police didn’t even come close to the Imperial Guardian Office.

So unlike the Tower Police, who occasionally threatened intelligence officers with their intense counterintelligence activities, they were a group with little presence.

Their targets were their own citizens, not us.

In a way, they could be called the Stasi or KGB with neither the intention nor the ability to catch spies.

“Does the Imperial Police follow the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ command? I heard that Your Highness’s family member is the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.”

“That’s news to me. I’m hearing this for the first time.”

Princess Elizaveta brazenly feigned ignorance.

“It’s a well-known fact that members of my family serve in various imperial offices, but they are all distant relatives with whom I have no personal connection. If you’ve experienced any issues, I will sternly warn the responsible parties.”

I instinctively realized that she had set the Public Security to monitor me. And that she had eavesdropped on my confidential conversation with Princess Anastasia through them.

Of course, in a normal situation, this would be absurd.

The Public Security Police, one of the five major security agencies, monitoring a member of the imperial family and following a foreigner on a princess’s orders could be interpreted as an act of treason.

If this were a normal situation, that is.

“You don’t seem particularly surprised. Seeing that your complexion hasn’t changed after hearing my proposal.”

She tilted her head as if finding it unexpected. After tasting a bit of the cold tea, I smacked my lips and leaned back on the sofa.

“With you kindly planting listening devices in the vases and sending Public Security to escort me, there’s hardly anything left to be surprised about.”

“……”

“Well then, as it’s getting late, let’s move on to the details.”

Facing the claimant to the Kiyen Empire’s throne, I asked:

“What benefits would the Abas government receive if Your Highness ascends to the imperial throne?”