episode_0042

It’s a fact I’m stating now, rather belatedly.

Our organization, ‘Carmen,’ is a truly bizarre group.

We have the financial resources and intelligence to plan a large-scale terrorist attack on a leading academy.

Our communication network and security system are excellent enough to have branches all over the world and regularly exchange information.

But at the same time, politically, we’re a subtle mess.

‘It’s only natural, I suppose, since everyone has their own reasons for resenting the world.’

Some want to eradicate landlords and nobles, while others yearn to overthrow hated monarchies.

There are also a few pure destructionists who are so disillusioned with the world that they just want to tear everything down.

Motivations, values, even home regions, are all different.

They all have different hopes and ideals, and they’re incredibly stubborn.

‘You have to be pretty tough to do something like this.’

Well, it’s not exactly strange.

Honestly, think about it.

Most people, no matter how dissatisfied they are with politics, can’t easily bring themselves to fight.

Fighting with your life on the line, ready to sacrifice your family and property, is never an easy thing to do.

But the people here are doing it.

They’re so dissatisfied with the contradictory and corrupt society that they’re actively involved in anti-establishment struggles.

You wouldn’t even dare to think about it unless you were pretty fierce and pigheaded.

‘The downside is that internal consensus is hard to come by.’

It can be a good condition as a member of a secret shadowy organization. Only as a rank-and-file member.

But what if even the higher-ups are full of such people?

“It means long-term goals can’t be established.”

The overthrow of the current old system and ruling class.

Our organization lacked any proper future strategy beyond this basic premise.

Whenever we held a meeting to try and get a grip on direction, factions would split, everyone would spout what they wanted to say, and the conversation would end.

But until now, it’s been fine. Overthrowing the old system was such a difficult task.

It was such a huge obstacle that we couldn’t be sure if we could do it even if we poured decades into it.

We didn’t think about the future, and it didn’t really matter if we only focused on the present.

We thought we could put it off, trusting that future juniors and successors would take care of it.

But now?

“Is it really okay for me to be making such an important plan all by myself? I appreciate you using me importantly, but I don’t think this is an issue I can decide arbitrarily.”

“Don’t take it too seriously. Mr. Ismael is just making examples for reference.”

“That’s a relief, but still.”

All the plans went awry because of me.

Mostly in a good way for the organization.

The world became a mess with an unprecedented large-scale war, and society was consumed by madness.

The church, which had been calling for morality, lost its power, and distorted ideologies took root as national policies.

It was a time when people’s livelihoods were more devastated and more people were dying than at any time in the last few hundred years.

Countries with the clout to influence world affairs were all pouring their national power into the war, endlessly consuming supplies, funds, and manpower.

The chaos and social instability that the organization had so desperately wanted was right around the corner.

“Still, these are just examples, but I think a significant portion of what Mr. Ismael has envisioned will be quoted. You are, after all, our organization’s best political and diplomatic expert.”

“Saying that puts too much pressure on me…”

And all these changes.

I made it.

Professor Kang Cheon-soo, no, author Ismael.

It’s a butterfly effect created by scribbling and distributing a few books and pamphlets in a small room.

It’s good that the goal was achieved sooner than expected, but as a countermeasure, our organization’s future has suddenly become unclear.

Thanks to this, my voice and status within the organization rose rapidly, and I was entrusted with the huge task of planning the organization’s future.

On the grounds that there was no one else capable of doing this but me.

‘Why do these guys work just like Koreans?’

Honestly, they’re like terrible bosses.

If you’ve done something meritorious, you should give a generous reward, but increasing the workload is not the way in any world, is it?

Still, now that I’ve taken on the job, I can’t do it carelessly. After all, I belong here, and I’m recognized as a pretty important person.

I have to do as much as I’ve been helped to make a living.

* * * * *

‘First, weaken the capabilities of existing countries to create conditions for the organization to operate openly.’

It’s still in the conceptual stage, though.

That’s my idea for now.

The organization is quite strong for a secret society, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to groups with hundreds of millions of people, like countries.

If we carelessly reveal ourselves above the surface, we’ll quickly be mobbed and thoroughly smashed.

So we need to weaken the country to the point where it can’t suppress groups with independent military power.

To the point where they can’t even handle a force with a few thousand armed soldiers and a weak base.

‘This won’t be difficult.’

It wouldn’t be difficult if I used my major.

If we further intensify the already active war and combine appropriate ideologies and terrorism, that’s all we need to do.

Just like we’ve been doing.

Just correct the flow of the war so that neither the winner nor the loser has anything left.

‘We’ll have to take separate measures for countries that didn’t participate in the war.’

The Alcyone civil war is scheduled, so pass for now.

The small island nations in the south have a total military strength of less than one division, so they won’t affect the big picture.

Hispania… well, even if they didn’t go to war, serious damage is seeping in more than that.

If we just touch it later, it will explode on its own.

If such an environment is created where our organization can run wild?

“We have to start expanding in earnest.”

“Yes?”

“Oh, I was just talking to myself. Don’t mind me.”

We seize the land we’ve already secured, that is, the land we’ve borrowed in exchange for food supplies, by force. Then we can conquer the nearby territories.

If things go well, we should be able to secure territory equivalent to a decent archduchy.

If we secure local manpower as well, it will be possible to gain independent sovereignty.

“Miss Kalia.”

“Yes?”

“How much military equipment and gunpowder do we have in reserve?”

“In this branch? Or the entire organization?”

“The entire organization.”

“Well, we should be able to arm at least tens of thousands of people. It’s not like we’re short on money, we’re just short on people.”

The influx of new recruits thanks to the 115-Article Refutation will also be helpful. Even if they’re unreliable, we can use them as soldiers, right?

But this will focus the aggro of the entire continent on us.

That’s why I’m thinking about a few supplementary strategies.

First, there’s inciting riots or coups, and we could sponsor anti-war nobles or political parties.

If necessary, unlimited assassinations and terrorism are also possible.

Or… the establishment of a sovereign state for the Mazoku.

“If we have so many weapons, would it be possible to support other forces?”

“Only if the higher-ups give permission. But why are you asking this?”

“I was just checking in case. I’m thinking of doing something you’d like.”

“… Stop with the useless flattery.”

Kalia’s face, who spoke as if she was being cold, was slightly red. What a cute young lady.

But I was serious.

Even if I calculate it objectively, building a country for the Mazoku has many advantages.

‘They’ll take all of our infamy.’

It’s a country for the Mazoku, revived for the first time since the days of the Demon King.

Just that fact alone will be enough to scare people, reminding them of the old stories from hundreds of years ago.

Idiots will pop up everywhere, shouting that we should trample on them before they get any bigger.

In other words, a significant portion of the resources used to antagonize our organization will be diverted to the Mazoku.

‘We can even link up with each other if necessary.’

Is that all?

The Mazoku and us are bound to have broken diplomatic relations in the early days of our founding.

If we support their nation-building and establish a cooperative relationship with each other, we can overcome this crisis relatively easily.

It’s also a bonus that the security burden is much reduced.

It’ll be mutually beneficial in many ways.

‘Honestly, I can’t say I don’t have ulterior motives.’

Of course, to be honest, it’s an idea with a bit of personal emotion mixed in.

Gratitude is about 70%, and compassion and pity are 30%.

‘I don’t want to see my benefactor sad every day.’

Kalia prefers simple clothes inside the academy or at the organization’s hideout.

But when she goes outside, she always wears a large robe. And she never takes it off until she returns.

The reason is simple.

Because she’s a Mazoku.

The moment she’s caught with the huge horns next to her head, she’ll be caught by the military police and killed.

Even when she’s just going to buy groceries or eat out, she has to risk her life to walk down the street.

She has to survive every day in the face of death threats, like a Jew in an extermination camp.

I found it disgusting.

I didn’t want to leave my grateful colleague, who always cooks for me, to continue suffering.

So that’s what I’m trying to make.

A country for her fellow tribesmen where she can live in peace.

So that she doesn’t have to hide her identity.

“I hope you’ll be happy.”

I’ve worked this hard, so I want at least a thank you kiss.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, Kalia, who had quietly stepped away while Ismael was thinking.

“… Stupid person.”

She was complaining on the outside without meaning it.