Ch.93Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

# The Magic Tower officially bears the label of a democratic republic, but in reality, its political system is an oligarchy led by a small group of power holders.

However, the power groups that dominate the political scene of the Magic Tower are not political parties but schools of magic.

This is because a significant portion of the citizens who make up the magical society are magicians who can use magic, and the schools themselves are similar to political parties with their own visions and platforms.

Therefore, what drives the political landscape of magical society and propels the Magic Tower forward is not ideology or doctrine, but knowledge and scholarship.

Elemental School,

Sorcery School,

Astrology School,

Alchemy School,

Summoning School,

Illusion School,

Spirit School,

Necromancy School,

Radiance School, and others.

Since the war with the Church, three schools have stood at the apex, leading magical society.

The Elemental School, the Sorcery School, and the Astrology School.

## Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

The Magic Tower revolves entirely around these three schools.

People living in that society refer to them with respect and reverence as the “Three Great Schools” or the “Trinity.”

Even the heart of the Magic Tower—the area where government institutions like the Oracle and the Assembly are concentrated—was called Trinity, which speaks volumes about the influence these three schools have on the Magic Tower.

And as it happens, a person belonging to the Trinity is standing right before me.

No, let me correct myself.

Before “us.”

“Pleased to meet you. I am Francesca Ranieri, Administrative Officer of the Secretariat Bureau.”

Francesca Ranieri gave a slight bow with a composed face.

“It seems we’ve kept our foreign guests waiting too long due to circumstances on our end. I apologize.”

“Not at all. We were all comfortable thanks to your consideration. If anything, we should be thanking you.”

The alchemist who introduced herself as an administrative officer of the Secretariat Bureau wore a brooch engraved with the symbol of the Elemental School.

Her service uniform, issued to civil servants instead of formal attire, indicated her status as a government official.

The cape draped over her shoulders made it clear she was a magician, and the symbol softly glowing in the brooch that fastened her cape proved she belonged to the Elemental School. This wasn’t surprising, as one of the Ranieri family’s ancestors was among the founders of the Elemental School.

Francesca Ranieri faced us not in an overly stylish manner, but in attire befitting the etiquette tacitly observed in magical society.

Yet her appearance was too striking to be described as merely appropriately formal.

Deep purple hair and purple eyes.

Slightly upturned eye corners.

Sharp gaze.

Skin so clear it could be described as transparent.

Overall, she gives off an impression slightly similar to Veronica’s. Especially in terms of her distinct features, Francesca Ranieri presented an image opposite to that of Camilla or Lucia.

Francesca Ranieri exchanged greetings with everyone, wearing a kind smile.

“May the blessings of heaven be upon you. It is an honor to meet you, Holy Maiden.”

“The honor is mine to meet a seeker of intellect and truth. Please, call me Lucia.”

“How could I dare? But I am grateful that Your Holiness permits it.”

Though we hadn’t brought a separate interpreter, thanks to magical devices, simple greetings were exchanged without difficulty.

If there was anything unusual, it was that Lucia and Francesca Ranieri addressed each other respectfully according to each other’s customs. This was a refreshing surprise that made me forget about the performance of the translation device.

Given the uncomfortable relationship between the Church and the Magic Tower, I had expected them to slightly alter their forms of address, like Lee Hu-rak and Kim Il-sung did, but both Lucia and Francesca coolly followed each other’s etiquette.

Perhaps it was because there was no one else watching in this space.

Or maybe both of them were just good at wearing masks.

Anyway, as I was thinking how fortunate it was that no journalists were present, it finally became my turn.

“Pleased to meet you.”

As I took Francesca Ranieri’s extended hand, I greeted her in her native language.

“Good morning. Pleased to meet you, Administrative Officer.”

“…You speak Fatalian?”

“I have a friend from there.”

Francesca Ranieri showed a slightly impressed reaction.

“That’s impressive.”

Apparently pleased that we could communicate, Francesca Ranieri brightened up.

She held my hand and shook it slowly.

“I think we’ll get along well. Don’t you agree?”

“At the very least, we can communicate, so there shouldn’t be any barriers.”

“I hope so.”

The hand I was holding,

felt much colder than I had expected.

*

It took about two weeks for us to meet Francesca Ranieri.

I thought the reason for this delay was the political confrontation between the Magic Tower and the Church. After all, issues like protocol and security stemmed from the special relationship between the Magic Tower and the Church.

In fact, this is the correct answer.

With the Foreign Ministry sending daily text updates and Veronica calling to share the latest developments, how could it not be? The root cause of the entire situation was the pride battle between the Church and the Magic Tower.

However, Francesca Ranieri claimed that the schedule was delayed because of her.

“The handover process took longer than expected, so I couldn’t visit until now. I’m truly sorry.”

In reality, no one in this meeting was unaware of the real reason for the delay.

While Camilla might be excused as a three-month traveler (or rather, an illegal resident), Lucia was a Holy Maiden and one of the Church’s power holders, and both Francesca Ranieri and I were civil servants of the Magic Tower and Abas.

It was impossible not to know.

Yet despite clearly knowing the truth, Francesca Ranieri took all the blame upon herself.

“I had a lot of work to finish quickly, but somehow it ended up like this.”

Lucia and I nodded calmly.

When she’s taking all the responsibility upon herself, what could we say?

We weren’t just meeting for a day or two; we would be spending together for months, if not years.

When a future colleague expresses a desire to avoid conflict from the first meeting, isn’t it only polite to go along with it?

“These things happen. I completely understand your situation, Administrative Officer.”

“I sincerely thank you. And please feel free to address me casually from now on, whether in private or public.”

With all political and historical considerations set aside, the conversation proceeded in a warm atmosphere.

“Well then, how should I address all of you?”

“I think we can all just use first names, if everyone is comfortable with that.”

“That’s fine with me.”

“Me too.”

“Then please, all of you, feel free to address me casually from now on.”

Francesca Ranieri smiled gently.

The casual conversation created a comfortable atmosphere, and the dialogue that followed was equally smooth.

It was quite an ironic scene considering the relationship between the Church and the Magic Tower, which had been at each other’s throats.

I sat in my chair, silently observing the people engaged in conversation. It wasn’t that I had nothing to say; rather, I was preoccupied with thoughts about Fabio Verati, who would be arriving later.

As I quietly sipped the tea served by what appeared to be small spirit animals, my eyes suddenly met Francesca Ranieri’s.

“…Huh?”

“Is something wrong?”

“Ah, no… just now, your eyes…”

“My eyes…?”

Francesca Ranieri tilted her violet eyes, reminiscent of pansies, and smiled.

“Did something get in my eye?”

Feeling the gaze of everyone around me, I regained my composure and recovered the situation.

“…No. I must have seen wrong.”

“May I ask what you thought you saw?”

“…It’s nothing.”

That’s strange.

“I must have momentarily seen things.”

I could have sworn,

her eyes sparkled for a moment.

*

After a brief awkward moment, I excused myself and left the gathering.

This would normally be considered impolite at an official event, but today was different.

While today’s visit was an important schedule, it was an event without special significance.

It wasn’t a meeting between elected politicians (except for Lucia), nor was it a 2+2 meeting between foreign and defense ministers to discuss foreign policy, so there was no way to attach meaning to it.

But as the saying goes, “the interpretation matters more than the dream itself,” people tend to place more weight on interpretation than on the essence of an event.

So people focused on the act of meeting itself rather than what intentions the parties had or what they discussed.

From that perspective, my stage wasn’t beside Camilla, but elsewhere.

So I headed to the press room.

“Yes, sir. I’ll submit the article now.”

“Senior, let’s use number 8 instead of 3. With just a slight adjustment, it’s a good composition to fill the front page. All faces are visible too.”

“Wait, which department did you say? Secretariat Bureau? So it’s a working department under the Oracle. If we connect this with the Church’s State Council announcement, it could make for a good story.”

The temporary press room set up for smooth coverage was literally packed.

International section journalists were busy writing articles with interpreters and translators at their side, and a long line formed along the wall to send the completed articles.

“It’s intense. Really intense.”

In terms of atmosphere, it was similar to the press room at KINTEX in Ilsan during the inter-Korean summit. That’s how crowded the press room was.

Although I hadn’t come for work, I had been summoned, so this could be considered a kind of duty.

I looked around the bustling press room and picked up an article written by Abas journalists to cover my face.

“These vultures are running wild these days.”

I muttered in such a small voice that anyone listening might mistake it for talking to myself.

But it was definitely not a soliloquy. Right on cue, a response came from over my shoulder.

“It’s not just the press that’s busy, is it?”

“We’re always busy. When are we ever not?”

“You wouldn’t be busy if you lost your job. Or if the country collapsed.”

Sofia, disguised as an international section journalist for a Fatalian news agency, made a self-deprecating joke.

I had heard that the Magic Tower was security-conscious and only allowed authorized journalists in, but seeing an intelligence agent wearing a press pass didn’t inspire much confidence.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Is it really safe here…?”

Sofia silently pointed her chin toward the entrance.

Two police magicians in capes were checking the identities of entering journalists. It was a measure to prevent infiltration using disguises and illusion magic.

The sight of them standing like statues at the door, monitoring everyone passing by, was a bit chilling,

but Sofia seemed used to it, casually smiling and waving her ID.

“Even with magic, you can’t get in here. The building is completely controlled by the authorities. At the very least, no one without an ID can enter.”

Well, not everyone with an ID can get in either.

Sofia said this with a smile, and I gestured toward her journalist ID with my chin.

“Is that real?”

“What else would it be?”

She’s bragging.

Anyway, this place seems secure.

I shook my head and read aloud the article written by the journalists.

“Alliance between Clergy and Magicians, Is Spring Coming to the State Council and Oracle…? What is this?”

“What do you think? It’s an article for the newspaper.”

“This isn’t an article; it’s tabloid-level gossip…”

The prospect of improved relations between the Church and the Magic Tower was utter nonsense.

Would the people who stuffed Inquisition agents into the Holy Maiden’s entourage to establish an intelligence network discuss improving relations with the Magic Tower just because Lucia and Francesca Ranieri met?

As I stood there with my mouth agape in disbelief, Sofia smiled brightly and made a joke.

“People’s imagination is so… more vivid than ours, don’t you think?”

“It’s not imagination; it’s delusion.”

“Same difference, isn’t it?”

Scratch, scratch. The sound of pencil moving across paper could be heard.

“By the way, why is our military attaché here? You’re not a journalist.”

“You called me here.”

Sofia gently smiled and closed her notebook. Then, maintaining her smile, she rested her chin on her hand.

“Have you met Francesca?”

I answered by gesturing toward the photo with my chin.

In the photo, I was sitting quietly between three people.

“I came to exchange greetings. How could I miss it?”

Today’s event was a simple courtesy visit without any special purpose. Just a meeting to see each other’s faces and hope for good relations going forward.

However, because the main participants had such impressive credentials, it attracted attention.

“Everyone’s making too much fuss about a simple face-to-face meeting.”

“It’s understandable when a Holy Maiden and a magician meet. Besides, Francesca isn’t just any magician, is she?”

Francesca Ranieri.

Administrative Officer of the Secretariat Bureau, which assists the Oracle, the leader of the Magic Tower, and handles practical affairs.

She was too deeply connected to the Magic Tower government to be dismissed as a mere magician.

Moreover, the Ranieri family traces its lineage to one of the founding fathers who established the Magic Tower. True to their ancestor’s reputation, the family has produced many historically significant magicians and Oracle Committee members.

So no one considered her just an ordinary magician.

Sofia’s thoughts seemed to align with this.

“Perhaps… if it weren’t for her family issues, she would have already been engaged to a major figure in politics or business? Right? Good family, sufficient skill, pretty face…. Merlo, what do you think?”

“As an Administrative Officer, she’s at least a Grade 5 official, right? A noble family’s daughter, plus a Grade 5 civil servant. She must have no shortage of suitors.”

She’s even a strong candidate to become the next Oracle Committee member. Although she was pushed back in the succession competition due to the Ranieri family’s issues, she naturally began to be mentioned as a successor when the most likely candidate, an imperial noble, left the Magic Tower (his family went bankrupt).

Of course, according to the Abas Foreign Ministry’s assessment, she has relatively insignificant influence compared to the sorcerer from the Lushan Federation whose father is a priest, or the illegitimate son of a chaebol family who is a Kiyen Empire noble.

And,

from my perspective as someone who makes a living through espionage, the reason she’s treated like a sidelined elder despite being the distinguished daughter of a prestigious family that has produced Oracle Committee members for generations is all because of the National Security Bureau.

She’s been under the surveillance of the National Security Bureau since kindergarten age because she’s the child of a political criminal. Her freedom of movement is severely restricted.

What a tragic life.

But Sofia, who came to the Magic Tower to monitor Francesca Ranieri, doesn’t seem to care about such trivial matters.

As usual, she smiled and joked with me.

“What about her looks?”

“Why is that relevant here?”

“She’s pretty, isn’t she? I won’t write it in the report, so be honest.”

“Do you think I’d trust a spy?”

“Why are you being so cold…?”

Sofia persisted tenaciously.

Her question was too persistent to be just a joke, giving me a strange sense of déjà vu. Eventually, after ignoring Sofia’s questions, I had to speak up.

“Hey. Don’t tell me you think I’ve fallen for her face?”

“Well…?”

Well what?

“What do you mean ‘well’? Just say you’re suspicious. We know each other too well for you to be evasive and clingy.”

Apparently, Sofia suspects that I might have been charmed by Francesca Ranieri’s appearance. To put it elegantly, she thinks I’m smitten; to put it crudely, she thinks I’m blinded by lust.

No, she actually called me to the press room because of this suspicion. Otherwise, there would be no reason to summon me here at this particular timing.

Still, I didn’t feel particularly angry or offended.

After all, the National Security Bureau sent Sofia to the Magic Tower to gather exactly this kind of information.

I’m doing the same job as Sofia, just from a different position.

So what came out of my mouth wasn’t disappointment or displeasure, but a complaint.

“Yes, the Secretariat Bureau is an important position, and yes, she’s the child of a political criminal, but why are you investigating a mere Grade 5 civil servant so thoroughly? That’s paranoia.”

“Well, Francesca might become an Oracle Committee member, you know?”

“As if that would happen.”

I sighed softly and turned my head, while Sofia crossed her legs to show off her figure, slowly swinging her foot as she murmured.

“Well…”

In a gentle, humming voice.

“Who can predict what will happen to people?”