Ch.94Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

The prevention was successfully completed.

The meeting ended in a warm atmosphere, and the journalists elevated today’s event into a heartwarming story.

Of course, there were minor protests from those who couldn’t accept it, but they weren’t reported in the news.

Thanks to the Magic Tower’s consideration, I returned to the hotel without crossing paths with the journalists. Camilla and Lucia were with me.

After returning to the hotel, while Camilla and Lucia went to rest, I gathered items I had prepared in advance and changed into a well-pressed formal suit.

My role as a defense attaché was now over.

“Sir, all preparations are complete. And Number 51 has arrived.”

“Tell them I’m coming now.”

It’s time to return to the Count’s residence.

Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

Fabio Verati.

Former position: Intelligence officer at the Overseas Counterintelligence Division of Fatalia’s National Security Agency.

Current position: Manager at the Human Resources Development Institute of the Magic Tower Representative Office.

A man in his 50s. Both parents are alive, and he’s a family man with a wife and four children.

He neither drinks nor smokes and has no criminal record.

An expert on the Moritani region with 20 years of service there. An elite intelligence officer who quickly achieved results and became a manager in his early 40s. Despite having a guaranteed career path, he submitted his resignation just two years after becoming a manager. The reason for his retirement is unknown. Neither his colleagues in the operational departments nor the staff departments of the National Security Agency know why.

His appearance is quite ordinary, the kind you’d commonly see on the street. If I had to describe him, I’d say he looks rather benevolent.

According to his colleagues at the National Security Agency, his personality is that of a likable, approachable person without any rough edges.

This was roughly the kind of person Fabio Verati was, from what I observed.

An utterly common man who could be found anywhere. Someone who had worked countless hours to appear that way, and eventually transformed himself into exactly that.

Considering that he worked in the Moritani region, which is the second most dangerous area after the Empire, and became a manager in his early 40s, I could easily guess how tough Fabio Verati must be.

My overall assessment is that he’s definitely not an easy person to deal with.

I couldn’t tell from the photos the analysis team had compiled, but…

“……”

When I met him at a café in the busy district, he looked quite gaunt.

“…Pleased to meet you. I’m Fabio Verati, working at the Representative Office.”

Fabio Verati, with his emaciated face, handed me a business card.

People from intelligence agencies rarely carry business cards, but he had one with his affiliation and name on it.

I examined the card he handed me, paused briefly, and then gave my response.

“I’m Frederick Nostrum, working as a defense attaché at the Abas Representative Office. I haven’t received my business cards yet, so I don’t have one to give you.”

“That’s quite all right.”

Fabio Verati and I exchanged formal greetings. The situation wasn’t conducive to friendly conversation, and above all, there were many watchful eyes.

Outside the café, there was a man in a suit guarding the door, and at the table right next to us, another suited man was pretending to drink coffee while glancing at me.

They probably weren’t counterintelligence agents.

As I stared at them blankly, the gaunt-faced Fabio Verati spoke up.

“…They’re my colleagues. Please don’t misunderstand. They’re just people who came along out of concern.”

“I see.”

Whether they came out of genuine concern or to keep surveillance, I couldn’t tell.

What was certain was that I was being watched.

Since I had anticipated this to some extent, I didn’t think much of it and got straight to the point.

“I heard about your daughter from the officer in charge. I understand she’s connected to the incident I witnessed.”

“…That’s right. If you wouldn’t mind…”

“Of course I should help.”

I calmly affirmed, and Fabio Verati bowed his head slightly, expressing his gratitude.

“I apologize. I should have come to see you sooner, but my schedule was delayed.”

“…Not at all. There’s no need for you to apologize, Attaché. I’m the one who should be grateful for your help.”

I smiled faintly and nodded.

“Before I explain the circumstances, would it be alright if we moved somewhere else? The topic is rather heavy, and this place doesn’t seem appropriate.”

“…Ah, I don’t mind. Whatever works for you.”

“Then, if you’ll excuse me for a moment.”

I asked for understanding from Fabio Verati and his colleagues, and we relocated to the hotel.

My reason was that the place was inappropriate for discussing such a heavy topic that was difficult to bring up.

But considering that I was the one who had kidnapped his daughter, this entire situation was nothing short of a comedy.

*

If there’s one thing that’s most uncomfortable about falling into a different world, it’s conversation.

It’s not a language problem. Whether by magic or miracle, strangely enough, conversations with people flow without any hindrance.

However, what Camilla Rowell finds frustrating isn’t language but communication.

For example, consider this:

“This is totally like magic.”

“But it is magic…?”

People here simply cannot understand expressions like “it’s like magic.”

That’s because magic is considered a law of nature in this world.

Just as dropped objects fall toward the ground, or the moon rises when the sun sets,

Magic in this world is simply a phenomenon that follows natural laws, so people who live with magic as part of their daily lives don’t understand the idiomatic expression “like magic.”

Thus, Camilla Rowell, unfamiliar with magic, is adapting to this world with a slight language barrier.

“…Hmm, we usually say something is ‘like magic’ when something unbelievable happens.”

“Is that so? That’s quite an interesting expression.”

Lucia sat on the sofa with a gentle smile.

If only there had been a fireplace nearby, it would have looked like a scene from a movie.

“Hmm. Come to think of it, you said you lived in a world without magic, right?”

“Yes. We have magic in movies and novels, but not in reality.”

“I can’t imagine it. A world without magic.”

Lucia, who had lived in a world where magic was natural, could hardly imagine a world without it.

Occasionally, listening to Camilla’s stories was fascinating, but there were many things that were simply too difficult to imagine.

Imagination is based on the knowledge in one’s head, and knowledge is something that must be felt and understood through the senses to be acquired.

Therefore, imagining something one has never seen was somewhat difficult for Lucia.

“It’s hard to imagine. Unless there are records in the Order’s archives or the Magic Tower’s Great Library.”

“Great Library? Ah… you mean the one in Trinity.”

Camilla rested her chin on her hand for a moment, and Lucia, pressing her finger on a self-turning page, began to speak.

“It’s a famous place. I think Camilla would like it if she visited in person.”

“Have you been there?”

“I haven’t been there myself, but I’ve heard stories from people who have.”

Lucia recited in a calm voice the stories of the Great Library that countless priests had told her.

Books packed tightly together. From the age of myths and legends, through the dark ages, to the modern era. Knowledge preserved by wizards, resting in vast archives whose ends cannot be seen.

Heaven and earth. A place where the concept of time disappears, where past and present intersect, and people look into the future. Fairies busily flying around organizing books, and tools that move on their own to transcribe texts.

It sounded like something straight out of a movie or novel, dreamlike and fantastical.

“It sounds amazing. It makes me want to visit at least once.”

“There’s no reason why you can’t. It’s the place with the most magic books on the continent, so you could probably enter anytime if you just ask.”

At those words, Camilla thought she’d like to go there as soon as tomorrow.

“But who should I talk to? Should I ask government officials?”

“That would work, but you could also ask Frederick. Since he came as a diplomat, he’d be better at handling the formal work agreements.”

“Hmm…”

Camilla was silent for a moment. Then she looked up and asked Lucia.

“Do you know where he is right now?”

“Probably in his room… Oh, come to think of it, I heard he went out earlier because he had someone to meet.”

Lucia added that she didn’t know who he was meeting or where, as this was just what a passing investigator had told her.

Of course, Lucia was completely unaware that the investigator was an agent from the Inquisition, and that the defense attaché who had gone out was an operative from Military Intelligence.

But that fact wasn’t important to Camilla. After all, neither of them knew about it anyway.

“Hmm…”

Camilla looked out the window at the gradually setting sun. And the sun, tinting the sky like a mirage, looked back up at her.

Lucia, watching her profile, quietly closed the book that had been resting on her knees.

“What are you thinking about?”

No answer came.

She seemed to be deep in thought.

Fearing she might disturb her, Lucia stopped asking questions and stroked the closed book to open it to the page she had been reading.

Thinking that when he returned, the three of them would have a conversation.

*

“…Haa.”

I slumped down on the bathroom floor, pressing my shoulder with a towel in hand.

A burning pain spread from my shoulder joint to my chest, and when I came to my senses, my hand was already wet with flowing blood.

My hand was red with someone’s blood, the blood flowing from my body had stained the towel red,

And the droplets of blood on the gun in my hand were also deep red.

Sitting on the bathroom floor, applying pressure to my shoulder with the towel, I finally let out an exclamation after holding it in for so long.

“Fuck…”

I’ve been shot.