Ch.646Episode 23 – The Spy Who Returned from the Cold Country

The naval infantry that had landed in the park and the troops from the Petrograd Defense Command occupying the buildings were engaged in a firefight across the four-lane road.

When an improvised explosive made of bundled anti-tank mines was thrown, a thunderous boom echoed and the machine gun emplacement that had been spitting fire from the shopping district was blown away along with the building.

People crossing the intersection were crushed into unrecognizable masses of flesh by the armored vehicle’s autocannon. Leaving behind bodies that could have belonged to either rebels or suppression forces, a soldier who had leaped over the corpses muttered an incantation and brought down a building.

The soldier’s spell, likely some form of sorcery, instantly obliterated the five-story building. Whether civilians had been living inside was unknown, but a group of soldiers defending the intersection and several armored vehicles had been alive just moments ago.

The sound of air being sliced reached her ears. Artillery shells falling on the residential area near the bridge raised flames and dust.

Was it the Petrograd Defense Command’s decision to destroy the bridge to prevent rebels from crossing? Or was it the naval infantry’s decision to kill the suppression forces defending the bridge?

There was no way to know now.

All she knew was that the city was burning.

“…”

Camilla, who had been listening to the gunfire and artillery, looked up at the sky.

The lightning flashing in the dark twilight sky was a sign of long-distance teleportation, and the flashes fired from the ground were clearly anti-air defense magic.

After carefully observing the flow of magic from all directions, Camilla turned away with a faint sigh.

Should she be relieved that the effects of battle hadn’t reached the hospital yet?

Or should she feel anxious about the gunfire that was approaching the hospital moment by moment?

Leaving the burning city behind her, she gathered her prepared belongings and left the rooftop.

Episode 23 – The Spy Who Returned from a Cold Country

The heart of the Kiyen Empire, Petrograd, was under attack by rebel forces.

It was inevitable that citizens would notice this fact.

Valery the Crown Prince’s speech announcing that treason had occurred within the imperial family was broadcast live through television and radio, as was the armed conflict between the armed forces who had raided the Imperial Diet to extract Elizaveta and the Imperial Guard.

But no one had expected that unidentified rebel forces would fall from the sky.

“Soldiers are fighting in the streets!”

“Get the patients to safety first and evacuate! Check the power distribution room too—we don’t know when magic and electricity might be cut off!”

“Where are we supposed to go? There’s fighting everywhere…!”

The hospital staff had seen on TV that Elizaveta had started a rebellion. No matter how cautious they might be around royalty, news of that magnitude would inevitably spread through word of mouth.

The news that rebel forces were using long-distance teleportation magic to launch a large-scale invasion was no different.

There was no need to even listen to the broadcast.

Just by looking up slightly, countless parachutes filled their view.

Everyone was confused and terrified. Some people grabbed passersby to ask what was happening, while others shouted to evacuate quickly, saying it was obvious what was going on.

In that sense, Camilla could be considered truly blessed.

Since becoming a mage, she had always possessed a magical sense superior to others.

This meant she could perceive more quickly and clearly than others that the entire hospital ward had turned into a scene of chaos.

“Coming through! Please make way!”

“This is truly maddening.”

Passing through corridors filled with panicking crowds, Camilla gritted her teeth with an anxious expression.

Though she had been advised to flee, she never had any intention of running away.

Although it might be an unkind thing to say to Frederick, Camilla had no intention of retreating now.

Of course, he knew this as well. When she refused his suggestion to escape, Frederick had smiled wryly and said, “I thought you’d say that.”

Escape was only for the worst-case scenario. It had been proposed assuming Elizaveta would start a civil war, so neither Frederick nor she had been overly concerned.

The problem was—

The situation was unfolding worse than they had anticipated.

—BANG BANG BANG!!!

—Ratatatatata!

Battles were breaking out everywhere.

In alleys, buildings, intersections, parks, elevated roads, and underground tunnels.

Though she couldn’t grasp the specific battle situation, it wasn’t difficult to guess that the rebel forces had the upper hand.

First, their surprise attack had succeeded.

Perhaps because no one had expected an invasion using long-distance teleportation magic normally reserved for wartime, the suppression forces, which had dispersed their troops to the city outskirts, were pushed back against the rebels who appeared in the heart of the capital.

The naval infantry from the west had successfully broken through defense lines with unstoppable momentum, and with additional troops, they might seize key positions at any moment.

Of course, there were suppression forces stationed at major government buildings and key points throughout the city. Camilla knew this much. She knew that most of the troops under Valery’s command had been deployed to checkpoints on the outskirts.

She also knew this decision had been made to prevent Elizaveta from escaping the city,

But in the current situation, with rebel forces appearing inside the city, it could only be judged as a self-defeating move.

As she passed through the corridor crowded with people, Camilla’s brow furrowed deeply.

“The palace is safe and the hospital is secure for now, but…”

There was a common pattern to the locations where rebel forces had appeared: open spaces on the ground and the airspace directly above them. Parks and areas near intersections were typical examples.

It was possible they had chosen appropriate open spaces as assault points since large-scale forces needed to land, but if so, the imperial palace with its spacious gardens, the Imperial Diet with its large parking lot, and even this hospital would have been suitable locations for long-distance teleportation.

But the rebels had targeted neither the palace, nor the Imperial Diet, nor the hospital. Instead, they had landed far away from these places.

Why was that? If they had dropped directly on the heads of the Crown Prince and Margarita, they wouldn’t have needed to face the suppression forces at all.

There was only one conclusion.

“…Could it be because of the barrier?”

Camilla once again examined the powerful magical energy surrounding the hospital. A barrier that only the most accomplished, high-level mages could complete.

She hadn’t been told its exact purpose, but she had heard it was a device to protect the princess who was undergoing treatment. From the very person who had completed this barrier a few days ago, and who had personally created the barriers around the imperial palace and the Imperial Diet decades ago.

Could this have been what interfered with the long-distance teleportation magic? Perhaps it was possible.

If it was a masterpiece created by the greatest archmage in the world, it would certainly be more than capable of doing so.

After descending the stairs, Camilla rushed into the hospital room, breathing heavily. In her haste, her feet became tangled and she nearly tumbled, but just before colliding with the floor, a gentle breeze wrapped around her body and lifted her up.

“Are you alright?”

Zeinab Eskander, with her hands behind her back, looked down at Camilla floating on the wind with an endearing smile.

“Thank you, High Priestess!”

“Think nothing of it.”

Her tone suggested there was no need for thanks between them.

Having barely regained her balance, Camilla wiped the sweat from her chin and urgently asked:

“Professor, is the professor here?”

“Of course. Sasha isn’t the type to disappear when her flesh and blood are at stake. Especially in a situation like today…”

A bitter smile formed on the priestess’s lips.

“You’re looking for Sasha, aren’t you? Follow me. I’ll show you the right path.”

*

Even after awakening to magic, one thing she still hadn’t gotten used to was having a magical sense superior to others.

To those with low magical aptitude, this might sound like a privileged complaint, but it was her reality.

The sounds of gunfire and artillery were deafening.

There was a clash between the naval infantry trying to break through the passage and what was probably the Petrograd Defense Force trying to stop them.

Below the rooftop railing, a machine gunner who had hastily filled sandbags with nearby soil and inserted a bipod fired left and right.

Several people who couldn’t hide behind cover fell into blood-misted pits, and a machine gun spitting fire from atop an armored vehicle tilted to one side.

“Northeast, red-roofed house, right side of the complex building rooftop! Large-caliber machine gun position and anti-tank launcher, enemy platoon-sized force blocking our advance! Take them out!”

“Bring the automatic launcher! Blow them away with high-angle fire!”

A naval infantry gunner carrying a heavy weapon with its tripod knelt down. The launcher, raised as high as possible, jerked with each trigger pull, and the gunner absorbed the recoil with his body weight.

The high-speed grenade left a trail of blue smoke in the air. After what felt like about eight seconds, an explosion in mid-air sent ice fragments raining down toward the rooftop.

When the naval infantry commander who had been looking through binoculars gave the order, tanks and amphibious assault vehicles roared onto the road.

At that moment, a warning “beep” sounded, and the flames of smoke screens and anti-tank missiles crossed paths.

—BOOM!

Tracer rounds from coaxial machine guns sprayed out, causing the concrete on the building’s exterior wall to burst upward. A soldier who had momentarily grabbed his helmet with his hand rose from cover and aimed his gun at the rebel forces crossing the road.

There was a tank shell that traced a long trajectory while emitting a green luminescence, and there was also a recoilless rifle round fired toward a truck with an intense backblast.

The Petrograd Defense Command’s commander clutched his deaf ear and grabbed the radio operator’s shoulder.

“Radio operator! Tell them the enemy’s main force, estimated to be a mechanized infantry company, is advancing from Vetna-7 direction, requesting fire support!”

“We can’t reach battalion headquarters!”

“What?! I can’t hear you—speak louder!”

“Radio! Not! Working! We need! To send! A messenger!”

“Damn it all…!”

In a distant underground passage, a firefight was in full swing.

The people who would normally have been using the passage were nowhere to be seen; only flashes of fire flickered in the dark.

The assault team with assault packs lowered their monocular night vision devices and slowly pushed around the corner.

Beyond the green-tinted world were stalls in disarray, and beyond them were figures defending the passage.

“We’ve encountered enemies that appear to be landing forces. They also have night vision equipment, so be careful.”

A mobile unit that had taken its hand off the neck microphone surveyed the area ahead with binocular night vision.

Beyond the obstacles in the underground market damaged by the recent firefight, shapes that appeared and disappeared were gradually closing the distance.

The soldier at the front made a circular motion with his hand up and down, and a soldier in the back row took out a flash grenade attached to his belt.

And then,

—Click.

The moment the detonator’s impact sound echoed in the silence.

Soldiers hiding behind stalls and obstacles on either side of the passage, just a few steps apart, began shouting simultaneously.

“…Grenade! Get down!”

“Open fire!”

Identical gunfire sounds echoed from different directions.

And identical screams in the same language were no different.

There wasn’t much difference in the appearance of the armored vehicles exchanging shells. The same was true for the emblems on the left arms holding parachutes and the left arms pulling the triggers of anti-aircraft guns.

“…”

Looking at the burning landscape of Petrograd, Alexandra found herself blaming her magical sense for the first time in her life.

“It only bothered me when I couldn’t sleep because of insect sounds. I never dreamed it would come to this…”

The empire was collapsing.

A city that had endured for hundreds of years had turned into a sea of fire overnight.

Alexandra Petrova tilted her gently wrinkled eyes and lamented.

To think I would see such a moment in my lifetime. Perhaps I should have departed to join my colleagues long ago.

As the archmage muttered this, an elderly man standing nearby wiped away cold sweat. It was the hospital director who had laboriously climbed to the rooftop to find her.

“…Your Highness. Please calm yourself. With rebel forces everywhere, you should—”

“I know. It was merely the grumbling of an old woman from a bygone era.”

She turned away from the smoke-filled sky and appeased the hospital director with a gentle smile, despite him being much younger than her.

The hospital director couldn’t understand the nature of the smile on the Grand Duchess’s face. Who could fathom the feelings of watching the Smirnoff Imperial Family and the Kiyen Empire, which she had protected for a century, turn to ashes before her eyes?

That’s why the hospital director knew better than anyone that his consolation would be useless. However, advice might still be of some use.

“A messenger came from the Imperial Household Department. They said this place you’re guarding is relatively safe, so considering Her Highness Margarita’s safety, you shouldn’t move…”

“…”

“They also said they would send soldiers to defend the hospital.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Forces to defend the hospital.

A smile formed on Alexandra Petrova’s lips. It was a smile of uncertain meaning. Even she herself didn’t know why she was smiling.

They could barely hold back the naval infantry advancing toward the palace and the Imperial Diet, yet they claimed they would defend the hospital too? Did Valery and the military have something up their sleeve? Or were they just offering hope?

Perhaps she would never know the true intention unless she went to ask her nephew’s son directly.

“…”

Her deliberation continued.

The reinforcements sent by Valery wouldn’t be many, considering the situation. War might have changed significantly since Alexandra Petrova’s youth, but even accounting for the differences in era, she could easily guess which side was at a disadvantage.

Should she go to her nephew’s son to capture her nephew’s eldest daughter?

Should she stay here to protect her nephew’s second daughter, who couldn’t even support her own body?

Or…

Or…

“…Director.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Could you help my disciple here escape from Petrograd?”

At the Grand Duchess’s question, the hospital director hesitated briefly with a contemplative look.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has sealed off the routes out of the capital… But if I mobilize my connections in the military, I’m sure we can safely escort the hero. Yes, I believe it’s possible.”

“Thank you.”

“You have nothing to thank me for, Your Highness. It’s just returning a favor for the connection we formed while serving the imperial family. You recognized me when I was merely a humble healer and appointed me as a court physician.”

The hospital director smiled at his longtime benefactor.

Alexandra Petrova, who acknowledged him with a slight nod, looked at the city with lowered eyes.

Rising flames and acrid smoke were everywhere, people were pointing guns at each other, and air raid sirens that hadn’t sounded for hundreds of years echoed emptily.

These were scenes clearly visible to her, though others couldn’t see them. An archmage’s magical sense was sharper and more expansive than anyone else’s. There was no problem capturing the entire view of Petrograd in one glance.

However,

Because it was a magical sense that showed even things she didn’t want to see,

She couldn’t help but taste bitterness in her mouth.

“It wouldn’t be polite to reject helping hands. If you choose to stay here, I won’t stop you. But I want you to know that I can’t guarantee everyone’s safety.”

“We’ll be fine… But Your Highness must absolutely not enter combat.”

The hospital director said.

In a very firm voice. As if he could clearly see what choice the Grand Duchess would make.

In fact, it wasn’t wrong. Especially considering the years the former imperial physician had observed the Grand Duchess.

“Your Highness is not in a physical condition to enter combat now. You’ve skipped sleep and meals, and the extreme stress has surely strained your heart.”

“You seem to have forgotten that I am a mage.”

“I know. But what mage would enter a battlefield with elevated blood pressure, and not even during combat?”

The hospital director knew. He knew the Grand Duchess had overexerted herself watching over Princess Margarita for days without rest.

Otherwise, there was no way her blood pressure would have reached systolic 210mmHg and diastolic 180mmHg.

Even someone who isn’t a medical professional can tell at a glance that these aren’t normal readings. So the hospital director couldn’t help but be alarmed when he saw the numbers on the blood pressure monitor.

“I understand your concern for the empire’s welfare, but now is the time for you to rest, Your Highness.”

“…”

“Your Highness!”

Just as the hospital director was pleading with the Grand Duchess, who was closing her eyes and ears to his warnings,

The iron door behind them opened with a bang, and both turned their gaze in that direction.

“Professor!”

“…Camilla?”

“Where have you been? You were here all along? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Her disciple.

Breathing heavily, she appeared on the rooftop with Zeinab.

With a somewhat irritated look in her eyes.

“What is this! You said you’d guide me on the right path, but what if I got lost halfway?”

“Sorry. But if I had carelessly used sorcery, it might have damaged the barrier. Still, don’t you feel refreshed after working up a sweat on our walk?”

“Is that what you say after pretending to know the way?!”

Camilla fired back at Zeinab while continuing to breathe heavily. It seemed her friend had done something wrong to her disciple.

But Zeinab, as always, just smiled mysteriously with her eyes closed.

“How strange. I never said I knew the way. I might have said I’d guide you on the right path, but…”

“In what way was that guiding me on the right path? You were the one who got lost after going down to the basement first.”

“Anyway. You found Sasha, so didn’t you come the right way?”

“Such a charlatan…”

“…Why have you two come here?”

“With the world in this state, of course I came because I was worried about you, Professor!”

Camilla, almost squeezing out the words, took a deep breath to calm her indignation.

After steadying her swaying body and gathering her wits, she approached Alexandra, grabbed her arm, and said:

“Let’s go!”

“…”

“Nothing’s over until it’s over, you know? So don’t just stand there like the country has already fallen.”

And go.

“Let’s do what we can. I’ll help too.”

“…”

“…”

Alexandra silently looked at Camilla. At her determined blue eyes, at the energy flowing within them.

And so she could confirm:

“…You’ve grown while I wasn’t looking.”

The archmage smiled.

Not exaggerated, not fabricated.

With a light-hearted smile.

While stroking Camilla’s head.

Alexandra smiled.

“I’m truly proud of my disciple.”

*

—…Reporting. The main battalion of the Imperial Guard Landing Regiment has broken through the Rostoi Bridge. The Rostoi Naberezhnaya defense line has collapsed, and the 2nd Battalion has secured the urban area near the bridge and is supporting the 3rd Battalion’s penetration attack. The direction is Leyevsky Street.

According to the regiment’s reconnaissance team, all of the Crown Prince’s remaining forces in the city are gathering at the St. Andrew-Bukhov defense line.

We’re concerned about the forces preparing suppression operations outside the city, but once the remaining landing regiment arrives, they won’t easily enter Petrograd either.

Once we capture the St. Andrew-Bukhov defense line and secure the last remaining bridge, the path to the Imperial Diet will be open.

Yes.

Then I will go to escort you to Angara, Your Highness Elizaveta.