---

The situation in the Magic Tower was highly unstable.

The anxiety fueled by a series of bomb attacks and the failure to suppress anti-cult demonstrations had the media igniting a fire against the Magic Tower, using the security vacuum as kindling.

Generally, when the media releases a report about an incident, it’s called an article, and when multiple outlets report simultaneously, it becomes an issue. And when an issue spreads like wildfire, it’s called public opinion.

Public opinion was ablaze.

The demonstrations that initially had an anti-cult zeal were gradually shifting toward an anti-government sentiment, with signs of violent protests turning into riots due to the absence of law and order.

On top of that, resentment against foreign powers and dissatisfaction from minor factions toward the dominance of the three major schools were also rising. Meanwhile, the government’s approval rating was declining.

That was the conclusion drawn by the Information Analysis Division.

“…Therefore, I believe the factors mentioned earlier will act as various variables in the selection of the next Oracle Committee member.”

Pippin concluded her neat briefing.

“Who do you think will be elected?”

“Well, it’s not really an election but a selection, so it’s not something we can easily conclude. It could be influenced by public opinion, but…”

“If the Oracle disregards public opinion, they can do whatever they want?”

“That’s an extreme way to put it, but yes, it’s somewhat correct.”

I carefully reviewed the analysis report handed to me. Histograms, bar charts, pie charts, and line charts filled my vision.

A red line graph indicating an upward trend crossed with a blue line graph showing a downward trend. A golden cross. Positive and negative evaluations of the government were reversing.

“Negative evaluations have exceeded half at 58.3%. Positive evaluations are at 26.6%. Unsure responses, including ‘I don’t know,’ account for 15.1%.”

Surprisingly, the approval rating and indecisive voters were high, but considering that the three major schools constituted the majority of the Magic Tower’s population, it wasn’t exactly a positive sign.

Typically, when the ruling party is down, the opposition rises, but…

“The three major schools aren’t united, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Here, it was a situation where giant parties were allying among themselves. Two factions that could be rivals were bound as allies, while the other factions lacked the capability to oppose the Trinity.

A lack of alternatives.

It was the perfect time for a coup.

“Who is the candidate currently being pushed by the Oracle?”

“That matter cannot be judged from our side.”

The analyst said.

Cannot be analyzed.

“The Oracle is an organization where the counterintelligence capabilities of the Public Order Defense Agency are concentrated, making it inaccessible. There’s hardly any intelligence collected by the Information Officers. However…”

“It’s alright. Go ahead.”

“Considering international affairs and the influence of the candidates within their factions, the possibility of Francesca Ranieri being elected is low.”

“How low exactly?”

“We estimate it to be between 50 to 75 percent.”

So they said.

I signed in the signature space and closed the report.

“Collect and analyze all intelligence related to the current situation that comes up for the time being.”

“We’re not election consultants.”

“You’re the Information Analysis Division. And if a soldier doesn’t follow orders, they’re not a soldier, right?”

“……”

I passed the report to Pippin, who rolled her eyes, and chuckled.

“Is there a problem?”

—

Episode 6 – The Betrayer of the Revolution

—

“It seems like there are quite a few problems in the country.”

The Suit Man, dressed in a neat suit, smiled kindly as he picked up the cue stick.

With a clap! A crisp sound resonated as the billiard ball shot off energetically.

The shot billiard ball rolled chaotically over the green table.

“Problems? Where in the world is there a country without issues these days? Haha.”

The Suit Man who took the opening shot spoke gently as he placed the cue stick down. Meanwhile, a middle-aged man who had hung his suit jacket on a coat rack rubbed chalk on the tip of his cue and chimed in.

“After all, the thorn under my nail always hurts more.”

“What kind of thorn is it that’s making you hurt so much?”

“Many kinds. Refugees, Elves, Goblins, Orcs… Monsters have been pushed into No Man’s Land, so that’s fine for now, but issues are cropping up elsewhere.”

“That’s quite a headache for you. I’m just worried about my promotion. Hehe.”

“Oh, you’re going for the Colonel’s first assessment this time, right?”

When the Colonel, dressed only in a white shirt, spoke, the Lieutenant Colonel laughed awkwardly and took off his jacket.

A Colonel who had been listening to the two men’s conversation quietly lit a magic herb and smiled, while another Lieutenant Colonel, casually sipping a drink, chuckled heartily.

“How’s Yullya doing these days? I heard you went back to your hometown on vacation last time.”

“How do you know that?”

“You brought back a gift, didn’t you?”

“Oh, right! The magic herb, right? I got it as a gift from a friend in the East. It smells nice, so I burn it often! Haha!”

“If you can’t use magic, how do you burn the magic herb? You’ll ruin your lungs.”

“I can quit gambling, but I can’t quit magic herbs!”

The 40 and 50-something gentlemen laughed amicably as they gathered around the billiard table. All were Defense Attachés working in the Magic Tower’s resident representation office.

In this billiard club, there were no officers below the rank of brigadier general. Most of the resident counselors dispatched from notable nations to the Magic Tower were gathered here.

Diplomacy is an extension of politics, and the foundation of diplomacy is socializing. The reason why Defense Attachés gathered at the billiard club was to build connections. Diplomacy is an extension of politics, and war is ultimately a continuation of politics as well.

Thus, the attachés gathered here were all representatives from countries that held some sway in the international community.

Whether it be war, diplomacy, or politics, it was originally only appropriate to engage with peers of equal rank.

To put it pretentiously, this was an unofficial meeting place for diplomats from great powers, and to put it crudely, it was a place where minor players wouldn’t be able to fit in.

I smiled lightly as I picked up the chalk.

“You seem to have some worries. When you’re uneasy, you usually turn to either tobacco or alcohol.”

“It doesn’t have to be one of those two! I do both.”

“Oh dear… You must always stay healthy.”

The attaché laughed heartily in response. Perhaps he was offended by a young whippersnapper talking about health, but at least he seemed pleasantly amused on the surface.

I doubt it was just because I was holding the cue.

After all, we were all attachés representing our countries.

“Are you good at billiards?”

“I know how to play a little.”

Of course, the folks gathered here were nominally attachés of the embassy, but that was merely a façade.

In reality, they were intelligence agents belonging to military intelligence agencies. In other words, they were official fronts, intelligence officers, whites, spies.

Of course, outwardly, they appeared to be just ordinary diplomats dispatched from the Ministry of Defense. But the ones giving orders to resident attachés were not the embassy but military intelligence agencies. In the case of South Korea, the Defense Intelligence Command manages the attachés, while the Reds are managed by either the External Affairs Bureau or the Reconnaissance General Bureau of the People’s Armed Forces.

Although the claims that they were under the jurisdiction of the intelligence command were mere words, the National Intelligence Service effectively directed military intelligence activities. It’s stated in the law, and since the National Intelligence Service manages audit authority and budget distribution, it couldn’t be helped. The Reds, on the other hand, hardly have a central command, so their agencies manage themselves at will.

In any case.

Everyone here was a Defense Attaché. In other words, although they claimed to meet for diplomatic purposes, they were really gathering to feel each other out and collect intelligence as spies.

Of course, I was included in that too.

“This is my first time at the Magic Tower. It’s much noisier than I expected.”

I casually lined up my shot as I opened my mouth.

With a clap! The ball moved swiftly with a cheerful sound.

“Haha, if it were quiet, it wouldn’t be the Magic Tower. It’s just a brief moment of commotion.”

“Is that so? I worried unnecessarily again. I didn’t want it to turn into a civil war like Mauritania.”

Given the position and identities, the conversations among the attachés had a light-hearted quality to them.

Though that was according to the Ministry of Defense’s standards, of course.

“Ah, about the bomb attacks. Do you have any news? They say it’s a new type of bomb.”

The first topic fell on the bomb attacks.

At the question from the attaché dispatched from the Lushan Federation, an attaché from Kashubia answered.

“Not yet. I met with the head of the Public Order Defense Agency the other day, and even they didn’t know how the bombs were made.”

“What about the Inquisition?”

“There’s no contact between the Public Order Defense Agency and the Inquisition. They wouldn’t know either.”

The two men with robust, healthy brown skin exchanged information amicably. Lushan and Kashubia were allies, after all.

However, neither of them knew anything about bombs or terrorism. Though there had been some information traded from contacts within the counterintelligence agency, it wasn’t particularly nutritious conversation.

“……”

Of course, I knew where the bombs had come from, but I chose not to speak.

Clap!

With a cheerful sound, the ball rolled, and the topic of conversation shifted.

The second topic was civil war.

An attaché dispatched from Patalia organized his cue stick and casually opened up the conversation.

“I’ve heard there are a lot of rumors coming from Mauritania. Is everything alright over there?”

“Well, that place has always been a noisy neighborhood.”

Mauritania could be likened to the Middle East on Earth. In fact, due to the continent’s vastness, while Lushan and Kashubia were similar to the Middle East, they were more like parts of western Asia (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran-Saudi Arabia-Turkey, etc.), while Mauritania across the sea relates more to North Africa (Algeria-Sudan-Libya-Ethiopia-Eritrea, etc.).

Having been on a few business trips to Pakistan and Turkey back in the day, I’m somewhat familiar. But Africa is a mystery to me. Though I briefly visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Eritrea, the duration of my activities there was too short.

The Middle East and Africa are areas suffering from civil wars and terrorism. Thus, Mauritania, comparable to the Middle East and Africa, was practically a region ravaged by civil wars, terrorism, epidemics, and coups.

And the biggest problem in that region was—

“What about drugs?”

—Drugs.

At the question from the Patalian attaché, the Lushan Federation attaché made a troubled expression.

“Well, we’ve had some issues regarding drugs. The green-skinned individuals are bringing up some odd ideologies, like Maoism…”

In other words, drugs manufactured in the chaotic region of Mauritania were flowing into the continent.

Drugs are commodities that can make money, so most major crime organizations have dabbled in drug trafficking. Therefore, the drugs flowing onto the continent were spreading across the land like veins through well-established railroads and canals.

“The current drug problem is of interest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but our Patalian Ministry of Defense is also paying close attention to the matter.”

“Yes, I understand. I can fully grasp Patalia’s position. However, I must clarify that our Federation is not neglecting the drug eradication either.”

Of course, it was only natural that the Lushan Federation managed the situation. The problem lay in the fact that the emergence of new organizations was outpacing the rate at which drug organizations were being eradicated.

The issue was that the damage was not exclusive to the Lushan Federation. Immediately, Patalia was mobilizing its Ministry of Defense and intelligence agencies to search all vessels coming from the Lushan Federation, and Abbas and other nations were taking similar measures.

Even so, problems related to drugs continued to persist incessantly.

“That’s a bigger problem than you think. I didn’t intend for that to come out, haha.”

“Do they even cultivate drugs at the Magic Tower? They’d get caught in the police’s watch!”

“Desperate magicians sometimes dabble in drug manufacturing. They produce small amounts, but there are so many of them, and since they do it right in residential areas or workshops, gathering intelligence isn’t easy. After all, workshops are practically like personal safes for magicians… Ah, come to think of it, you’re a magician too, Hero?”

While I was standing a distance away, playing billiards, the attaché asked me.

The place with the most information on Camila was Abas. And I was the one in Abas who had the most accurate and extensive information.

That was why the attachés had insisted on inviting me to the club. It was also the reason a mere colonel could join the gathering of adults.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“About that time—the Desert Operation. I noticed you were handling fire; is it elemental magic by any chance?”

“An investigation needs to be conducted for a precise conclusion, but based on the circumstances, we are leaning in that direction.”

The attachés were persistently asking me about Camila.

“What does the Hero like?”

“I believe she enjoys sweet foods. And she has a strong interest in magic.”

“Have you adapted to the local culture?”

“Yes. Besides magic, she’s interested in art, architecture, music, and various other fields. It’s all rather fascinating.”

“What about sorcery?”

One of the attachés asked.

It was the attaché from the Lushan Federation who was talking to the Khashbia attaché just moments ago.

“…Hmmm.”

I pretended to rub chalk while quickly spinning my thoughts.

The Lushan Federation is a nation in the southern continent close to Mauritania.

The reason the cult exerts influence in the continental political scene is that they stir up a massive number of believers. However, this influence doesn’t hold much sway in the south.

Why? Because the south has adopted polytheism and various indigenous religions due to its proximity to Mauritania.

As a result, the southern continent operates with both political and religious leaders in tandem, much like the Arab world.

In the Lushan Federation, there exists a president (a king masquerading) and a high priest representing the local polytheistic religion, and there have been multiple clashes over this faith issue between the pope and the high priest.

Also, Lucia, Camila’s companion, is a saint of the cult, and the newly joined alchemist Francesca Ranieri comes from a prestigious family of orthodox magic and is a candidate for the next oracle committee, with her rival being a shaman from the Lushan Federation.

In conclusion: This guy’s trying to spice things up.

I set down the chalk and spat out my frustration.

“Of course, sorcery falls under primitive magic, so you must be interested. However, what concerns me is that sorcery stands in opposition to divinity…”

Unlike conventional magic, sorcery is a realm where one receives power by offering sacrifices and prayers to gods, which makes Lucia a bit uncomfortable. Specifically, the cult. More precisely, the Inquisition.

—I didn’t bother adding that bit.

If you hold a title at an intelligence agency, you can at least read the atmosphere, right?

Sure enough, the attaché from the Lushan Federation answered with a warm smile. His bronze skin made his gleaming white teeth all the more striking.

“Haha! Religion really is a complex matter. I completely understand.”

“No, I’m rather worried it might have come off as an aggressive comment. I’m sorry for having to express it this way. Those on that side can be quite zealous…”

That meant: Don’t take it too personally since I’m not in Abas’s position. At the same time, it implied that if there are grievances, raise them directly with the cult.

Of course, those fanatics wouldn’t play along with any of that.

I put on a sorry expression and tucked a cue between my fingers.

“By the way, do you have any news about the oracle selection?”

*Tap!*

“…The Lushan Federation seems to be showing interest in Camila. Given their questions about her hobbies and interests, it seems they hope to steer her attention more towards sorcery than divinity, alchemy, or elemental magic.”

“Thank you, Colonel.”

The Inquisition agent disguised as Lucia’s attendant offered a slight bow while expressing gratitude.

“I don’t understand why the Lushan Federation is interested in Camila.”

“No company on the continent can afford to ignore the Hero.”

“That’s beside the point. Why on earth would they discuss this with Abas instead of the cult? It’s clear the cult would fiercely oppose any such move. Don’t you agree, Priest Rebecca?”

Priest Rebecca was cautiously folding a pile of laundry, which was the hotel staff’s work.

“That’s exactly why they might have chosen to do so. It would be awkward to confront the cult directly.”

Her nonchalant attitude automatically drew a gasp from me.

“Oh geez, those damn Sandy bastards. I can’t even chop their heads off.”

It seems I won’t get anywhere with that foreigner with black skin. The Pakistanis were like that, and the Syrians too. It goes without saying for Africa. Even though it’s been over 20 years, just thinking about how I got swindled for $3,000 by an interpreter boils my blood and gives me nightmares.

I spat out some racially charged comments while quenching my irritation with some refreshing carbonated water.

Priest Rebecca glanced at me and blurted out.

“You have quite the aggressive nature. I had no idea.”

“Why don’t you spend about three years in Africa and the Middle East, Priest? Let’s see how you’d fare. The water’s filled with parasites and germs, and if you get hurt, you have to find a hospital, but the roads are a mess. When you finally find a hospital, the hygiene is a total disaster. Diarrhea is the least of your worries, and if you catch an endemic disease, it’s a nightmare. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had thirty to forty vaccinations.”

“I might not know where you’re talking about, but it seems like a dreadful area.”

As she folded the laundry, Priest Rebecca nodded silently.

“I believe the reason the Lushan Federation mentioned you might be related to foreign debt issues.”

“Foreign debt?”

“Recently, the Lushan Federation has incurred about 14 billion shillings of debt to the cult.”

Shilling. The currency unit of Abas. In this region, it’s held in the same esteem as the Kien Empire’s Tacron and the cult’s Denarius—akin to dollars or euros.

It’s not an exact comparison, but converting 14 billion shillings to Korean won would roughly amount to around 20 trillion.

“…”

With that level of debt, they certainly couldn’t afford to be cocky with the cult. There’s no debtor who berates their creditors.

However, the important thing is, that’s not my concern.

“I don’t care how much the cult lent them. This issue is their responsibility. It’s not something for us to address here.”

“If you’re worried about the relationship with the Lushan Federation, we can take care of it. That’s certainly a more presentable solution with both justification and appearance.”

They decided to shield the cult from the sorcerers’ foolishness.

Of course, this wouldn’t be immediately reflected in policies or public stances. It would need to go through reporting and internal meetings, getting approval from the decision-makers (the pope) to be implemented.

However, since this matter involves other religions and also concerns both Lucia, the saint, and Camila, I figured the integration process would be significantly fast.

I exchanged some information with Priest Rebecca, then grabbed a chair and plopped down.

“Oof…”

I haven’t had a moment to rest lately.

Being suddenly pulled to a villa with Veronica and hearing about a coup, gathering intel and handing it over for analysis, dealing with issues from Camila and Lucia, and trying to relax for a moment before being summoned again by the Defense Attaché Office to meet with attachés from other countries…

When I think about it, it all boils down to Veronica. If she had something to tell me, she should have done it properly. What’s with timing like a fisherman?

Lacking information puts me in a bind. I’m slowly piecing things together from the bottom up, but from the intel analysis team’s reports, it wouldn’t even be surprising if a coup broke out at any moment, leaving me feeling a tad uneasy.

“…”

“You look tired.”

“…Yeah, well, isn’t it problematic if a diplomat is too comfortable?”

“That’s quite true.”

I exchanged casual chitchat with Priest Rebecca.

“How long has the intelligence network been in construction?”

“We’re at the stage of creating conditions. Once the conditioning work is done, we’ll move to stage four.”

“You’re working pretty fast.”

The establishment of the intelligence network in the Inquisition’s Magic Tower was advancing swiftly from the third stage (selection-evaluation-conditioning-hiring) and nearing the fourth stage.

It was progressing at a pace much quicker than expected. Almost worryingly so.

“What will you do? After hiring, you’ll manage them for a while, but they can’t stay in the tower indefinitely, can they?”

“We have a consulate nearby. We’ll fire the ones we need to and pass off the ones we don’t.”

That meant entrusting management of the intelligence network to the Information Officer. Since the tower is in the southern part of the empire, the established intelligence network there would be absorbed into the empire’s internal intelligence network.

It seemed they were playing a pretty big game of their own.

As I kept silent, suddenly, while tidying her robes, Priest Rebecca asked me.

“Colonel, have you heard any news about Saint Veronica?”

“…Is something wrong?”

“Apparently, she vanished suddenly without a word. She’s quite a whimsical person who dislikes staying in one place for too long…”

“…….”

That Veronica is currently inside the Magic Tower, but I gritted my teeth and pretended not to know.

Veronica clearly wanted to hide her whereabouts. They say if the villa she rented under an alias got out, she’d end up having to pay taxes. If I conveyed this to Lucia, it might be okay, but she explicitly warned me that I had to ensure the Inquisition would never find out, so there was nothing I could do.

Hence, I didn’t respond to Priest Rebecca’s query.

“It’s getting late. Oh, and starting tomorrow, the tower will be reinforcing its security personnel.”

“Have there been any threats of terrorism?”

“There’s still no actionable intelligence on terrorism, but given the current state of affairs…”

“You can never be too careful. What about you, Colonel?”

“I will join you for the afternoon schedule. There’s too much going on in the morning.”

Tomorrow marks the day I officially report the coup issue to the higher-ups. While the intel is lacking, it’s still right to make a report, at least.

As I started gathering my belongings, I nodded slightly toward Priest Rebecca.

“I’m off now.”

“Please take care on your way back.”

 

---