Ch.76The Butterfly Effect of Chaos (2)

My head became complicated. The little kid timidly raising their hand in greeting behind the Audit Director was indeed the Niobe I knew.

But why is Salmosia appearing here? This person is someone I’ve only seen in the personnel directory when I infiltrated the Blasphemia archives.

Salmosia first examined my skin tissue layer. The same procedure I went through when entering the Charlotte branch. Since I had asked Divius in advance to prepare artificial skin, there was no risk of being discovered.

“Do you remember the address where you reported Nardanit’s betrayal?”

“It’s a random number address hidden in database section BS 52:5. It’s a dedicated address connected to the Audit Director’s office that updates daily, so there’s no fixed format.”

Salmosia nodded vigorously and extended a hand.

I accepted the handshake. Thankfully, no assassination curse suddenly activated from the ring on Salmosia’s hand.

“I’ve been eagerly waiting to meet you. Reuniting with an inspector whose whereabouts became mysterious is… quite rare. As expected of our Audit Office’s finest agent.”

“You flatter me. I’ve merely been fortunate enough to survive and am struggling to track the traitors’ traces.”

Several facts became clear from this interaction. Either Salmosia knew about the excuse I gave Niobe that “my current face is a fake for infiltration,” or it was common practice for secret inspectors to disguise themselves for infiltration missions, so L13’s changed appearance wasn’t being questioned.

I don’t sense anyone else’s presence besides Niobe and Salmosia in my field of vision. This means this meeting isn’t a Blasphemia trap set to capture me.

Salmosia sat down in a chair in the safe house and gestured for me to take the seat across. I shook my head.

***

“I appreciate your courtesy, but I will remain standing. This area is Arguirion territory, and you are an important figure, Director. I have a duty to be prepared for their attacks.”

It was quite strong vigilance. Salmosia highly valued L13’s attitude. This was also another test—gauging whether he had forgotten his duties as an agent while operating independently.

Most of the information Blasphemia had collected about Arguirion came through that L13. Such vigilance must have been the secret to L13’s survival from dangerous intelligence missions with limbs intact.

“Very well. Then listen while standing. As you told Niobe, the apocalyptist inside the Ten Towers is a major threat. But it’s still within a manageable scope for now.”

Since L13 was handling almost all Arguirion intelligence gathering, other inspectors had some leeway to handle new tasks.

There were quite a few cases where they responded to Arguirion sighting reports only to find nothing, but it was still much better than having to collect information from scratch.

Salmosia used this leeway to begin internal audits. It was to filter out spies hiding within Blasphemia. Because the audit was publicly announced, the spies’ movements became restricted.

“The Audit Office is focusing on filtering out subversive elements. Your burden in investigating Arguirion must be great, but hang in there—the time for counterattack will come soon.”

“When you say ‘soon’… does that mean we cannot immediately counterattack because of risk factors that are ‘not within manageable scope’?”

L13’s question was swift. His ability to read the implied dual meanings in sentences was impressive.

He must have been dedicated to tracking Arguirion for at least several years. Work that required survival and combat skills rather than rhetoric or eloquence. Though there had been concerns that his social functions might have rusted, those worries seemed unfounded.

Salmosia, inwardly satisfied, subtly lowered his voice.

“Yes. There are those we cannot directly deal with.”

Ortes narrowed down candidates who would be difficult for Blasphemia to handle. Blasphemia operates in the shadows, but its influence is by no means small. While it’s difficult to exert authority over mages since their primary duty is tracking superstitions, conversely, if there’s even one connection to superstition, even a respectable magic tower would have to bow its head.

‘Since Blasphemia is a secret organization, they couldn’t reveal their identity openly in most situations. For external activities requiring official authority, did they operate under Panoptes (Πανοπτις)?’

Panoptes meant “all-seeing,” or observer. They were the Ten Towers’ representatives who served roles similar to public security or police in magical society.

In fact, on the Ten Towers’ true organizational chart, Blasphemia was a subdivision of Panoptes. So Blasphemia’s cover identity wasn’t entirely false.

There was one more secret organization under Panoptes that maintained the Ten Towers’ system.

Eidolon (εἴδωλον). Those who prevent extra-dimensional overflow and correct apocalyptists.

“Is it Eidolon? I thought they wouldn’t interfere since Arguirion’s traitors were from our ranks.”

“No. They’re actively cooperating with us. They supported our side at the Panoptes meeting attended by the Ten Towers elders. The problem is Argos.”

Argos (Αργος) was the group handling tasks typically associated with public security police. Unlike Eidolon or Blasphemia, they were officially recognized law enforcement, not secret.

They were the ones who could designate magical criminals and issue warrants, or officially punish massive acts of treason beyond what Blasphemia or Eidolon could handle “discreetly.”

Generally, when people thought of “Panoptes,” the duties of tower surveillance and criminal arrests belonged to Argos.

“Argos? But the division of duties was approved by the Ten Towers! How dare they!”

“Of course, they can’t openly interfere. However.”

Salmosia tossed a black cube onto the table. A hologram spread above the dice-like object. It was a map marking recent Arguirion sighting locations.

“While re-examining Arguirion appearance sites, we discovered something troubling. The seals at several ruins under Blasphemia surveillance have been damaged.”

Ortes’s expression hardened. Was it Hydra Company? Or the Divine Name Cult? It was a given that their blatant tomb raiding would eventually be discovered, but he hadn’t expected it to be detected so quickly.

“Continuous sabotage that occurred while we had a surveillance gap due to deploying personnel to track Arguirion. Argos is clearly behind this.”

Salmosia didn’t notice Ortes’s change in expression. He was focused on his own revelations, but fundamentally, Ortes’s mouth with its faint smile didn’t waver.

Not many people could detect emotional changes just from the flickering in half-closed eyes.

“Do you have reason to suspect Argos rather than superstition followers?”

“It’s simple. How could superstition followers know each of our operation details and damage sealed sites near our operation areas?”

It was an answer full of conviction. Ortes sensed a kind of certainty that Blasphemia held toward the cults of vanished gods. A confidence that the cults hunted down over the past century could not possibly challenge them.

Argos, Eidolon, and Blasphemia all belonged to Panoptes. To prevent conflicts and facilitate cooperation, operation information was shared to a limited extent among high-ranking officials.

“Our internal spies can’t move freely since the audit began, so they’re excluded. Eidolon is focused on other matters and lacks the capacity for sabotage across such a wide area. Only Argos remains.”

Ortes listened carefully to the high-level information the Audit Director was sharing. If Eidolon was moving, it meant special signs in the extra-dimensional realm. Perhaps magical omens suggesting the return of the Demon King.

“I hesitate to ask, but does Argos have reason to frame us?”

“Ha. They’ve always been greedy. Probably their desire to get all of Panoptes under their control. During the Elysion terror incident, some apocalyptist guards contributed to the chaos. They probably want to shift all responsibility to our side, since Arguirion’s infiltrators were from our ranks.”

“I see…”

‘The ruin investigations were done either by the Divine Name Cult or our company.’

It was quite a far-fetched reasoning. Though power struggles within Panoptes were fierce, they were still organizations under the Ten Towers. It seemed unlikely they would openly sabotage each other.

But since it was beneficial for Blasphemia’s suspicions to be directed elsewhere, Ortes decided not to refute it.

“Or.”

At that moment, Salmosia’s voice dropped even lower. A voice speaking so quietly it was barely audible.

“Perhaps they too have no small number of internal traitors like we do. Much ‘higher up’ than mere Elysion guards.”

‘Ah.’

Salmosia was consumed by suspicion.

Within Blasphemia, executive-level traitors like Branch Director Nardanit had appeared.

This revealed that Arguirion’s persuasion was powerful enough to reach not just low-level operatives but executives as well.

At the same time, there were traitors among the security personnel—the low-level Argos members—guarding Elysion.

It became clear that Arguirion could plant traitors not just in Blasphemia but in other Panoptes organizations too.

Then how should one interpret the current situation where precise sabotage was occurring at a level impossible without Blasphemia’s operation information?

Salmosia had concluded that ‘an apocalyptist secretly working as an Argos executive is moving to interfere with Blasphemia.’

“I understand why you wanted to meet me. I will do my utmost to find the informant.”

A new mess had found its way to me on its own.