Ch.6Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent

The major promotion ceremony had ended.

Since it was more about emphasizing the symbolism of being a Hero’s companion rather than the promotion itself, the ceremony was held at the royal palace instead of the Intelligence Bureau.

The King and numerous officials and politicians graced the occasion, and I received the major’s insignia amid cheers and applause.

While the event was framed as a step toward peace for humanity and the continent, it was filled with political intentions. Unsatisfied with merely being spectators, the old men insisted on taking group photos with the Hero and me. With coverage expected not only in domestic media but also in foreign press, my face would likely be known to everyone on the continent by tomorrow.

The Hero and companion among the kingdom’s celebrities. No trophy could be more splendid.

It was the perfect picture to record as an achievement.

Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent

“Hmm, the photo turned out nice.”

Colonel Clevins chuckled as he chewed on some fish.

“A promising young soldier and a Hero who will save the world. Looking at the headline alone, they’re nothing short of heroes of the continent.”

He put down the newspaper to refill his wine glass.

In the large photo, the Hero and I were smiling brightly. Below it were congratulatory messages from prominent figures of various governments. The Kingdom, the Church, the Kiyen Empire, and even the Magic Tower. It was blatant political maneuvering to curry favor with the Hero.

Of course, such efforts were futile. The Kingdom had officially announced that they had summoned the Hero, and soon the Church would formally recognize Camilla Rowell as the Hero, leaving other nations with no justification to try to influence her.

“The Hero’s summoning is certainly a major issue, judging by how many people are interested.”

“Of course. In times like these, what nation doesn’t need the power of a Hero?”

“Isn’t it more about buying time for internal control rather than needing the Hero’s power?”

“That’s essentially the same thing.”

In the Dark Age, the image of a Hero is extremely positive. When a hero from fairy tales appears in a chaotic world, it’s impossible not to draw attention.

When the media starts buzzing about a Hero arriving in the country, people’s attention focuses on the Hero. Naturally, voices of criticism during internal control processes fade away. When the world’s eyes are on the Hero, who would care about troublesome matters?

A prime example was right before my eyes.

“Thanks to the Hero, those pen-wielding thugs have quieted down. It’s nice not having to deal with the aftermath.”

“Who’s been making noise lately?”

“The usual suspects, isn’t it? Those who spout nonsense about not needing government, those greedy for money, and those blowing trumpets about reform.”

He meant they had cracked down on anarchists, merchant guilds, and reformists.

“Our situation is relatively better. The Kiyen Empire seems to be having headaches with internal issues.”

“Is something happening with the Imperial Guard? I thought they were good at catching political dissidents.”

“Apparently, political refugees from various countries have been causing trouble there.”

Though I’m not well-versed in philosophy, in these harsh times, those who discuss idealistic ideologies are mostly the unemployed intelligentsia. In other words, educated but jobless.

In this world, intelligence and counterintelligence agencies clashing with such individuals is an everyday occurrence.

A citizen from a 21st-century democratic nation might say that soldiers shouldn’t interfere in civilian affairs to maintain political neutrality.

Unfortunately, this is a dark fantasy world. It’s the kind of place where generals casually discuss politics and the military meddles in elections.

Of course, the media does criticize military intervention in politics these days. But nobody listens.

Political neutrality? Almost no one maintains that in this neighborhood. Even religious figures take bribes and engage in politics.

It’s a crazy place, all in all.

“Are your subordinates preparing well for the trip?”

“Thanks to the help from senior officers, we’ve packed everything. It’s their first overseas assignment, but they’ve prepared well.”

“Good, good. And how is the Hero? I’ve read the reports, but I’d rather hear your thoughts than read paper documents.”

“Camilla Rowell adapts quickly and has a positive mindset, so I don’t foresee any problems for a while.”

“Take good care of her. Getting lost in a foreign land is distressing enough, but falling into a different world must be even more emotionally taxing.”

An ambiguous statement.

Was it a well-wishing to the Hero’s companion? Or advice to a subordinate?

Colonel Clevins wiped the grease from his lips and spoke.

“Let me skip the preamble and get to the point. As the Hero’s companion, you’ll be traveling to various countries. I’d like you to act as a diplomat in foreign nations.”

A diplomat? Me, the Hero’s companion?

I thought most countries already had embassies.

“Wasn’t I a spy?”

“Do it openly and you’re a diplomat; do it secretly and you’re a spy. Despite differences in means and methods, there’s no difference in that both work for national interests.”

Now I understand what he means.

The Colonel wants to strip away my image as an intelligence agent and overlay it with that of a diplomat.

As the Hero’s companion, I am “officially” not part of the Intelligence Bureau but an ordinary soldier.

Although the Colonel has made great efforts to conceal my identity, if other intelligence agencies conduct thorough background checks, it’s only a matter of time before my affiliation with the Intelligence Bureau is exposed.

Why? Because I’m the companion of a celebrity who has the continent’s attention.

Especially the Emperor, who even suspects his own children, would surely mobilize the Imperial Guard to investigate the Hero and her companions. He couldn’t be certain that a Hero summoned by the traditionally unfriendly Kingdom wouldn’t pose a threat to the Empire.

So the Colonel is trying to “officially” disguise me as something akin to a diplomat. There are mainly two reasons for this.

“Diplomats are protected by international law and diplomatic conventions, so even the Emperor can’t touch you. With diplomatic status, you won’t be detained in foreign countries.”

The first reason concerns my safety.

Historically, killing diplomatic envoys or ambassadors brings severe political repercussions.

This is a rule that must be observed even today. What country would establish an embassy in a nation that imprisons diplomats? They would rather cut ties than defend such actions.

And the second reason:

“It gives you a plausible reason to meet people, doesn’t it?”

The authority of a diplomat.

Intelligence agencies planting a spy or two in embassies is common practice in this world.

To others, they appear to be ordinary diplomats, but those working in intelligence agencies or foreign ministries recognize them as agents.

In internet terminology, they would be “White” agents. In contrast, “Black” agents are field operatives like James Bond that people commonly imagine.

This is a kind of etiquette in the espionage world here. I send you one spy, so you send me one. If we need to communicate, we do it through them. Something like that.

Don’t we need at least one channel of communication when major problems arise? If we move troops to fight barbarians and the other side misinterprets it as an act of war, it would be disastrous.

If there’s any sign of such issues, the idea is to try to resolve them amicably through dialogue first.

“What specifically would I need to do?”

“Many things. Check on Kingdom citizens living abroad, dine with important figures, occasionally meet friends and exchange greetings.”

Monitor dissidents and political refugees who fled abroad, keep opportunists away from the Hero, and engage in verbal sparring with foreign intelligence agencies.

I was worried he might ask me to assassinate someone or steal documents.

“Monitor Kingdom citizens abroad, meet with foreign high officials, and exchange information with intelligence agencies. Is that correct?”

“That’s the essence of it. Your selection as the Hero’s companion was so sudden that internal discussions about detailed duties are still needed.”

“I understand. So I’ll receive specific instructions through the embassy as needed?”

“Exactly. You catch on quickly.”

Colonel Clevins refilled his glass and continued.

“Well… I think that covers most of what I wanted to discuss.”

“You look tired, Colonel.”

“The country’s been unsettled lately because of those magicians. No, perhaps the continent was unsettled first?”

“If we’re discussing cause and effect, I suppose so.”

“Well, the Magic Tower has been the Empire’s lapdog for ages. I wonder what the Tower Master is thinking, pitting successors against each other. Because of that, there’s much talk about succession issues at both the Magic Tower and the University.”

The Magic Tower succession issue. This seems related to the Alchemist. In the game, the Alchemist’s backstory was simply that she joined after being pushed out of the succession and fleeing, nothing more.

I’ve checked my plans multiple times, but in case the story is diverging, I tried to absorb as much information as possible from the Colonel’s casual remarks.

“Are the Magic Tower and the Empire that close?”

“The Demon race and the Empire are facing off at the border, aren’t they? Recently, the Magic Tower has dispatched magicians to the border area several times. Officially, they claim to be protecting the University located in the north, but I hear the Emperor and the Tower Master have a special relationship.”

“Sounds like they’re in cahoots.”

“Think what you will. Anyway, after that, they started reaching for support funds and whatnot, and now they seem to be interfering in succession matters.”

He’s saying the Tower Master, who has something going on, is throwing money at the succession issue, essentially buying votes. The information Colonel Clevins had was highly reliable, having gone through analyses by dozens of experts.

I used to piece together information from newspaper clippings, but now I’m predicting the story from confidential information provided by informants.

Looking at it this way, I’ve really moved up in the world. If I weren’t the Hero’s companion, could I have aged peacefully?

Of course, I’m no longer someone who dwells on what might have been, so I put aside these thoughts and refilled my glass.

“By the way, don’t you have any advice? Your subordinate is going on a long-term assignment abroad.”

“Having transferred from counterintelligence, I don’t have much specific advice. Just conduct yourself well to avoid giving others leverage against you.”

Fair enough. The Colonel was someone who caught spies, not someone who had professional experience as a spy.

“…If I must offer one piece of advice, focus only on matters related to the Hero. The relevant departments are already handling foreign affairs well, so be careful not to get entangled in those complicated situations unnecessarily.”

Just focus on your job and don’t worry about other things.

It’s a fundamental point, but coming from someone who used to catch spies, it was advice worth heeding for a spy.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”