---

As the sun sank below the horizon, darkness crept in. The city, shrouded in dusk, cast a gloomy shadow.

Through the mobile phone provided by the Military Intelligence Agency, a voice crackled through.

“…Are you two together right now? Got it. I’ll be heading over shortly. Just hang tight for now.”

Frederick hung up and looked up at the sky.

As he quietly sat in his chair, gazing out the window, a diplomat approached him. It was an Information Officer dispatched from the Royal Intelligence Department.

“Colonel. The vehicle is ready.”

“…What about the advisor and the family?”

“They’re all aboard. Other staff members are also prepped to go.”

“…….”

Frederick, staring into the darkness of Petrogard, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Let’s go.”

—

Episode 10 – Head North-Northwest

—

It was a bleak night. Perhaps it was due to the freezing north wind or the suffocating surveillance and control, but the nights in the Kien Empire always felt this way.

Ekaterina glanced at her watch.

The clock had long passed quitting time. People began to swarm like bees, slowly causing traffic congestion as they attempted to head home.

“Any updates?”

The technician stationed in front of the eavesdropping equipment shook his head. He removed the headset he had worn for hours, revealing his disheveled hair.

Roughly fixing his hair, the technician tossed a water bottle into the trash. Inside the bin, bottles of the same brand rattled as they jostled against each other.

“There’s nothing detected over the radio. We’re collecting encrypted communications, but we can’t analyze them here. They need to be taken to headquarters.”

“You can decrypt them, right?”

“That’s something we can’t guarantee. The security techs in Abas are particularly skilled…”

Ekaterina nodded, acknowledging his words.

The technician, who had just awakened from a short nap, sat back down in front of the eavesdropping equipment, while the technician with the tidy hair spread his coat on the floor and closed his eyes.

In the meantime, the team leaders of information agents held a brief meeting with Ekaterina.

“Is there any new information?”

“Nope, none.”

The team leaders exchanged awkward glances at Ekaterina’s response.

They looked at the wall plastered with papers and photos, sourced from who-knows-where.

“It’s about time we heard something from the embassy. What on earth are they thinking? Do they happen to have an invisibility cloak or a potion to turn invisible?”

In response to the domestic information officer’s musing, an investigator spoke up.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent us a list of magical tools registered at the embassy, and there’s nothing like that.”

“Then what if it has been smuggled in?”

“Using unregistered magical tools from another country would definitely provoke a response from the Imperial Family. If that happened, the Inquisition from the Cult would be the first to protest to the Abas Foreign Ministry.”

It’s not illegal for diplomatic missions to register magical tools for convenience.

However, unregistered magical tools are prohibited.

In this neighborhood, possessing unregistered magical tools is akin to hiding unregistered firearms in other parts of the world.

“Honestly, it doesn’t seem much different from stashing a few guns in the embassy. Surely there must be some unregistered magical tools at the Abas embassy, right?”

“Who knows? But they must be aware of us monitoring them. If caught using unregistered magical tools here, it would definitely create problems even if they successfully defect…”

“Well, even if it’s Abas, it can’t be easy to take such a risk.”

While the domestic information officer and investigator exchanged banter, Ekaterina huddled close with her colleague.

Her colleague read aloud a message dispatched from the Imperial Guard HQ.

“The company has ordered to strengthen inspections at the borders. We’ve already sent the advisor and his family’s personal information to the Border Guard, and we’re mobilizing branch staff to clamp down on illegal immigration.”

In a world where magic, divinity, and mystery exist as reality, the Imperial Guard HQ pulled out all the stops to prevent defection.

The Border Guard began checking people, vehicles, and even livestock attempting to leave the Empire, while local branches of the Imperial Guard HQ sought ‘cooperation’ from smugglers and illegal immigrants.

Ekaterina viewed a map depicting all of the Kien Empire’s territories.

“The closest defection routes from Petrogard are the western port area and the eastern border with Latouan.”

She pointed to the borders formed by ports and rivers in closest proximity to the Empire’s capital.

Red lines drawn on the map. Her colleague, who had been quietly observing Ekaterina, smirked.

“Ekaterina, do you know how long it takes to get to the western port from here by car?”

“How long?”

“At least seven hours. You’d have to drive without resting.”

The nearest route for escaping via vessel, the western port, is actually located 562 kilometers from Petrogard. It takes 7 hours by car and approximately 5 to 6 hours by train.

Additionally, crossing the eastern Kien-Latouan border takes 9 hours by car or an astonishing 14 hours by train, including layovers.

And that’s not accounting for road conditions or driver fatigue.

“The moment you cross the border, the vehicle will be flagged immediately, and trains are useless. Police and railway staff at every station will check passengers.”

“What if we used a fake ID and disguised ourselves?”

“You think ID cards can be made in a day?”

It meant crossing the border using a disguised identity was improbable.

Whether it was true or just a nice lie to provide comfort, Ekaterina knew for sure that creating a new ID was exceedingly difficult.

She set down her pen and reviewed the organized materials.

The suspicious officer who had recently interacted with the advisor had no scheduled external appointments today.

While her colleagues went outside to attend events, contribute to masses, or read magical tomes at the library, he stayed holed up in the embassy without budging an inch.

Ekaterina skimmed through the documents detailing the schedules of foreign guests. And with visible confusion, she said:

“What? The hero, the saint, and the alchemist have completely evaded detection?”

It implied that they hadn’t been monitored at all.

In response, Ekaterina’s colleague playfully slapped her on the back of her head.

“What do you think happens if the Information Agency gets caught watching those people? Get a grip, Ekaterina!”

“But still, they should ensure the safety of key figures…”

“That’s the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ job. We wouldn’t even need to step in; the police would have provided security personnel by now.”

Ekaterina confirmed the schedules of the three individuals sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The new saint dispatched from the Cult planned to preside over a mass today and intended to visit charitable institutions and hospitals, while the alchemist from the Magic Tower had meetings lined up with the Imperial Ministry of Magic and magical community figures.

If the schedules were accurate, the saint should definitely be active at the cathedral or charity houses, while the alchemist should currently be working in the eastern outskirts of Petrogard.

The issue lay elsewhere.

The guest generating the most excitement, from another world, was reportedly spending the entire day reading at the library. They might also be training or receiving education from the wizards. Today, it seemed like they hadn’t left the library at all.

“Why does this person only visit the library? Do they really enjoy reading that much?”

“I asked some friends at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and they said they’re a university student. What was it again? Ke, Cambridge… they said they went to some university.”

“What’s their major? Magic?”

“Actually, they didn’t remember their major but mentioned they came from a world without magic.”

Did her brain just freeze? Ekaterina paused mid-sentence, looking at her colleague.

“…A world without magic?”

“Yep.”

“How do they even survive there without magic?”

Just then, the technician monitoring the eavesdropping equipment jumped up from his seat.

“It’s here! A vehicle is coming out of the embassy!”

The team leaders halted their tasks and flocked to the window. Some raised binoculars to see who was coming out of the embassy’s front gate.

And Ekaterina was already transmitting the situation over the radio.

“A vehicle is exiting the front gate. Everyone focus and confirm who is inside.”

The information officers quickly pressed the button for photographs, aligning themselves to capture the moment.

And then,

“…?”

The front gate swung open, and out came… vehicles.

“…What the?”

Cars were pouring out of the embassy.

—

At the direction of the Abas embassy’s main gate, on a nearby building roof.

The Information Officers of the Imperial Guard HQ, waiting to photograph the vehicle interiors, looked bewildered as they moved their eyes away from their equipment.

“Huh?”

“That’s not just one car!”

Several cars were speeding through the gate.

Amidst their brief confusion, they quickly spotted over four cars visible to the naked eye. As the flustered officers started snapping photos, the blurry images kept producing sounds of misalignment.

Meanwhile, the officer stationed below with the radio reported in. The shutter sounds filled the backseat, but there was no time to spare.

“The vehicles are exiting. Currently five of them.”

As they continued to broadcast, more vehicles kept emerging. Five, six, seven… the count quickly shot up to ten.

“All the cars registered at the embassy have exited. What should we do?”

“…Damn it!”

Letting out a curse, Ekaterina snatched her coat and bolted outside. A few team leaders hurried to follow her.

Charging down the stairs, Ekaterina quickly shoved her arms into her coat while shouting into the radio.

“Leave just enough personnel to monitor, and have all vehicles pursue and follow them!”

Ekaterina hurled the radio into the driver’s seat and desperately tried to start the engine.

The deputy team leader hopped into the passenger seat, while the rest of the team climbed into the back seat.

As the deputy managed to buckle his seatbelt, he reported to Ekaterina.

“We failed to check the vehicles. Traffic police attempted to inspect them, but embassy security rushed out to block them.”

“Damn it….”

Ekaterina handed the radio to the deputy.

“Request immediate backup from the police. Block those bastards from escaping with their vehicles.”

“Understood.”

As the deputy requested reinforcements from the police, Ekaterina maneuvered the car onto the main road.

In the distance, the Abas embassy vehicles, moving as if in a herd, were visible.

Holding onto the Imperial Guard HQ’s radio installed in the vehicles, Ekaterina began directing her fellow staff members.

Despite the likelihood that they had realized they were being monitored, the Imperial Guard HQ had no authority to stop diplomatic vehicles.

Thus, Ekaterina decided to push through numbers, forcefully slowing down the vehicles while attempting to identify the passengers.

Luckily, the support team from the Imperial Guard HQ arrived just in time, joining the formation trailing behind the Abas embassy vehicles.

Ekaterina skillfully changed lanes and peered into the embassy vehicles.

“…Damn it. Can’t see anything.”

With the sun having set, the interiors became obscured. Given the already thick tinting of the windows, it was hard to discern the outlines of anyone inside.

The deputy, sitting in the passenger seat, radioed the staff stationed on roofs and ground level documenting the vehicles.

“Did you catch anything? Check the vehicles with multiple occupants for identification. If the license plates are unclear, at least get the type and color of the vehicles.”

-‘…….’

A short pause followed before the response came in.

-‘I’ve checked all the photos, and several cars have multiple occupants.’

“What? What do you mean by that?”

-‘There are multiple cars with passengers in the front or back seats. I can confirm at least three of them.’

The Imperial Guard HQ staff verified that several vehicles had at least two passengers aboard. Hearing this transmission, Ekaterina frowned.

“Those bastards are blatantly flaunting it.”

“What should we do, Team Leader?”

“What should we do? We need to check every single one. Hand it over. Tell those watching the embassy to ensure no one slips past.”

Numerous vehicles, including Ekaterina’s, began accelerating to close the gap.

The Imperial Guard HQ staff navigated through the chaotic rush hour in Petrogard, tensing up as they waited for their moment.

And soon, the opportunity arrived.

“…Team Leader, the signal has changed. Red light.”

“I see it too.”

As the signal switched, all vehicles came to a halt. Citizens finishing work, the Abas embassy, and Imperial Guard HQ vehicles all stopped at the intersection.

The Abas embassy cars were the first to halt at the very front, while the Imperial Guard HQ vehicles positioned themselves behind them.

Ekaterina, scanning for any vehicles that might have slipped through before the signal changed, confirmed that all ten vehicles had stopped on the road, releasing a sigh of relief.

The sounds of engines and the occasional honking filled the air with the bustling noise of people moving around.

Amidst this cacophony, the radio announced:

-‘We just received a call from the traffic division of the police department. It seems an accident has occurred ahead. Police are currently blocking the lanes.’

The Imperial Guard HQ officer added that it would take some time for the signal to change in this section.

It was a stroke of luck. How unfortunate that an accident happened which resulted in lane blockage.

Relieved, Ekaterina fiddled with the steering wheel, glancing around before playfully nudging the deputy team leader.

“Hey, Deputy.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“Do you see the traffic police over there? By that signal control device.”

The deputy turned his attention as directed. True to her word, a traffic officer was present, controlling the traffic nearby.

Bundled snugly in a thick coat, the officer exhaled white breath, flicking his fingers to create sparks in a futile attempt to warm up. The wind made it impossible for the flames to catch.

The deputy instantly grasped what Ekaterina intended.

“You mean to ask them to delay the signal?”

“Yep. Just enough for a little delay. If I show my ID and ask for cooperation, they should comply.”

“Understood.”

The deputy prepared to disembark, pulling out his identification. Ekaterina signaled to the team members in the back seat, who were watching nearby lanes.

“You guys need to get out and check those cars.”

“What? We’re supposed to check the vehicles?”

“Just look and see who is inside. We can’t perform a full inspection, but we can definitely peek inside.”

“Oh, got it.”

Team members who didn’t fully comprehend the instruction stared blankly but stepped out into the windy road.

It seemed other teams had similar thoughts, as staff began alighting from their vehicles one by one, moving towards the ones with foreign license plates.

The traffic police, spotting the commotion, began to blow their whistle, yelling for everyone to turn back, but one was snagged by the deputy, abruptly halting the whistle.

Just as the Imperial Guard HQ employees began to peek into the rear of Abas embassy vehicles parked in the back, the deputy returned from speaking with the traffic police.

“What happened?”

“They said they will delay the signal a bit starting now.”

The deputy recalled the earlier conversation, where the traffic police had stripped off their thick gloves, warming their hands as they retrieved the keys to the traffic control system.

As he reached for the controls, attempting to adjust the signal—

The lights changed.

Green light.

Before fully processing the situation, the officer acted. Ekaterina switched gears and prepared to step on the accelerator, but—

Too little, too late.

As soon as the signal changed, the Abas embassy vehicles at the front accelerated and began speeding off. Some even ignored the signal altogether, making sharp left and right turns.

Vroom. Amidst the roar of engines, a voice called out.

-‘Those bastards are fleeing! Catch them!’

Taking the cue from that shout, the Imperial Guard HQ personnel launched themselves from the asphalt roads.

The chase had begun.

—

A sudden chase erupted at an intersection in downtown Petrogard.

Some of the vehicles bearing diplomatic plates defied the signals, executing left and right turns.

The Imperial Guard HQ staff disregarded the signals as well, veering their wheels. For reference, the information officers who had exited were left abandoned on the road.

“Ren Ulijyo!”

The Sub Team Leader listening to the radio mounted the flashing light on the roof. The siren began blaring from the speaker.

Meanwhile, the Information Officers shared the situation over the radio.

Four vehicles from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Abas had exited left and right. Six vehicles were moving straight ahead, following the signal.

-‘The ones that veered off to the side, each of us is chasing. Just keep going after the ones going straight!’

Ekaterina was pursuing the cars going straight.

She was chasing after the six vehicles that were ahead, along with three other Imperial Guard HQ vehicles.

Just moments ago, the Abas Embassy cars, which had been obeying the signals, didn’t even hit the brakes at the red lights. The road was filled with sirens, honks, and the occasional screams and curses.

With the radio firmly in hand, the Sub Team Leader shouted to Ekaterina.

“Police forces are coming down the road ahead! If you keep going this way, you’ll run into them!”

“Are you sure?!”

“Yes!”

Just as the Sub Team Leader said, the radio crackled with the sound of reinforcements from the police. In the middle of the capital, reports had come in about cars violating signals and speeding, and the police were blocking the road.

Imperial Guard HQ personnel were stopping the Abas Embassy vehicles so they could be diverted towards the police blockade.

Employees with good driving skills were placed behind the wheel, ensuring effectiveness.

However, the Abas side was not an easy opponent either.

-‘Uh, uh, uh! That guy’s turning left!’

“Damn…!”

Some of them cut across the narrow cars to veer onto another road, with some even breaking through the center line.

As vehicles began to slide off one by one, there were only two Imperial Guard HQ vehicles left.

Meanwhile, there were still four Abas Embassy vehicles remaining.

Ekaterina, gripping the steering wheel tightly, contacted the other vehicles, instructing them to keep going straight.

-‘What?! Just keep running?!’

“If we pass three blocks, we’ll hit a police blockade! Just go straight ahead!”

At that moment, Ekaterina spotted a vehicle veering off to the right.

It was a car that had come out of the Abas Embassy. As she shone her headlights on it, the silhouettes of the people inside the car barely came into view.

The Sub Team Leader, who had seen the same thing, pointed at the escaping vehicle.

“There were four people! I just saw four people in that car!”

“I saw them too!”

While the three Abas Embassy vehicles continued straight into the police blockade, Ekaterina turned the wheel and entered an alley.

*

It had been a while since they had moved out from the center of Petrogard to its outskirts.

Just before hitting the blockade, the Abas Embassy vehicle that had narrowly escaped was driving down unfamiliar roads, as if someone had used this route many times before.

Though it was her first time on this path, Ekaterina, with her eyes fixed on her target, gritted her teeth and pursued. The Sub Team Leader in the passenger seat was maintaining communication with the police.

“When will the police arrive?!”

“They’re nearby, but they’re going too fast to catch up!”

“What the hell should we do if he’s speeding? Tell them to take a shortcut!”

Unfortunately, there was no shortcut.

Petrogard had buildings centered around several old urban areas, the boundaries between towns blurred, merging into one.

Petrogard was a massive city boasting a history of over a thousand years, its area more than three times that of New York. It was said to be comparable in size to the entire city of Moscow.

The location of the ongoing chase was one of the old urban areas on the outskirts of Petrogard. Having existed for hundreds of years, it retained an old-fashioned charm.

Buildings that never exceeded five stories,

Architectural styles unchanged for centuries,

A river running through the heart of the city and beautiful churches,

And some damn awful roads.

That was the reason the police were delayed and why Ekaterina was grinding her teeth.

“How the hell does he know this place?!”

“Perhaps a diplomat who’s worked in the Empire for a long time is driving?”

“Check the license plate!”

Suppressing the nausea rising in him, the Sub Team Leader grabbed the binoculars to check the license plate.

Rattling and moving around, he couldn’t see anything clearly, but he could discern a few numbers on the back.

Remembering the embassy vehicle’s number, the Sub Team Leader suddenly turned his head to look at Ekaterina.

“It’s a Colonel’s vehicle!”

“What? I can’t hear you!”

“The Colonel you were told to watch over at the diplomat’s residence! That’s the car that was in the garage!”

The grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Slapping down on the accelerator made the engine roar, and Ekaterina sped through narrow alleyways, chasing the vehicle closely.

Suddenly, the sound of police sirens grew closer. The sirens echoed through the air, cutting through the noise, distinctly reaching her ears.

The relentless chase continued, with four passengers in the vehicle barely ahead. Though it had already been over two hours, neither Ekaterina nor her prey showed signs of tiring.

But with a beginning comes an end.

The stubborn chase was abruptly halted by a garbage truck that veered right in front of Ekaterina’s vehicle.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake—”

BANG!

Ekaterina slammed her fist on the horn. The public servant, startled by her action, raised a hand in response.

At that moment, she caught a glimpse of the Colonel’s vehicle escaping beyond the garbage truck. Slowing down, the car smoothly right-turned into another alley.

Ekaterina immediately leapt out of her car and approached the public servant.

“Move your damn vehicle!”

For a moment, the flustered public servant began to shout, but upon seeing the flashing light on the vehicle’s roof, he froze and trembled.

He peeked at Ekaterina and the Sub Team Leader, then carefully maneuvered the garbage truck back to clear the path.

“Get in!”

Ekaterina and the Sub Team Leader hopped into the vehicle in a flash. The siren blared through the quiet suburban streets, and the residents stuck their heads out to see what was happening.

“The police are coming right up! They’re just behind the buildings!”

Hearing the Sub Team Leader’s report, Ekaterina drove into the alley where the embassy vehicle had gone.

“…Ah!”

A vehicle was parked in the alley.

The way out onto the main road was blocked by two police cars with flashing lights, and the reverse path was blocked by Ekaterina’s vehicle.

Just then, an impeccably dressed Suit Man exited the embassy vehicle, talking to the police. Though it was dark, Ekaterina instinctively recognized him as the Colonel she had been pursuing.

Knowing the situation, she was already halfway out of the vehicle.

The Sub Team Leader followed the Team Leader onto the shoulder of the road, and the two approached the vehicle that was stopped in the middle of the alley with their pistols drawn.

The diplomatic license plate, which they had seen in photographs countless times over the past week, was vividly clear in their eyes.

Pistol in hand, Ekaterina yanked open the rear door. Simultaneously, the Sub Team Leader pulled open the opposite door with force.

“Hands in the air!”

“Get out of the car!”

And then, nothing happened.

“…What?”

Ekaterina murmured in disbelief as she gazed into the empty back seat of the vehicle. The Sub Team Leader even lifted the seat and opened the passenger door, but there was nobody there.

As she absentmindedly stared at the empty vehicle and looked around, the diplomat standing at the front approached them along with the police.

“What are you doing right now?”

Ekaterina recognized the diplomat. But there was something even more important than acknowledging him.

She closed the car door and asked Frederick, alongside his obvious lies.

“…You were caught violating signals and speeding. Why didn’t you stop?”

Frederick replied, pulling out his identification card from his pocket, holding it up to Ekaterina with a brazen attitude.

“I’m a diplomat. I don’t have to stop for the police.”

As if he slept through all the times diplomats were caught speeding, running lights, drunk driving, or illegal parking. Even if the police tried to stop them, they wouldn’t even get an investigation due to diplomatic immunity, and if the embassy didn’t pay the fines, they couldn’t collect anything.

However, knowing that excuses tend to be used in urgent situations whether one is a police officer, diplomat, or of another status, Ekaterina didn’t back down easily.

“So you fled all the way through Petrogard to here?”

“I was busy.”

“Busy?”

Ekaterina looked around.

This quiet suburb with no government agencies or public institutions became a place diplomats would rarely visit.

Ekaterina inquired again.

“What were you doing here?”

“……”

“I’m just curious about what could’ve made you ignore the siren.”

And then the answer came, not from Frederick, but from another person.

“Oh, he’s here to pick me up.”

Suddenly interrupted, both Ekaterina and the Sub Team Leader turned their heads.

A woman was stepping out from an old-fashioned apartment that looked like it was built in the 1800s.

Her deep purple hair, as rich as her purple eyes, and the unique patterns on her cape proved she belonged to the Elemental School of Magic.

As she descended the stairs slowly, the police stuttered to speak.

“Who are you…?”

“I’m Francesca Ranieri from the Magic Tower.”

The police didn’t know much about the woman named Francesca, but they were certainly aware of the Ranieri family, as they were one of the few families with a powerful Archmage as their ancestor.

Francesca surveyed the police, Ekaterina, and Frederick.

“I heard from my former professor that he was staying here, so I came to visit. I didn’t expect to arrive without my attendants, making it difficult for me to get back. This is my first time here.”

“……”

“Is there a problem with the Colonel?”

The police, who had been summoned for duty and asked for reinforcements, looked at Ekaterina with bewildered expressions.

However, Ekaterina just tightly closed her lips and alternated her gaze between Frederick and Francesca.

“…No, have a nice day.”

With a brief greeting, Ekaterina turned and headed back to her vehicle.

She looked disheveled. The Sub Team Leader, who discreetly put away his gun to avoid drawing attention, approached her.

“Why didn’t you ask more questions? Didn’t you clearly see four people earlier? Should we call for backup and search the area?”

“No.”

Ekaterina simply added.

“We could’ve misseen. We only saw them briefly in the dark as they entered the alley. Neither of us saw clearly, right?”

“……”

“Let’s find out how the other teams are doing first.”

Briskly approaching the vehicle, Ekaterina grabbed the radio and contacted the other teams. Until she began to transmit, there had been no sounds from the radio.

“How’s everyone doing? Have you found the exiles?”

The responses came quickly as if waiting.

-‘Domestic Information Team, we searched for the vehicles that initially fled, but the advisor wasn’t found.’

-‘This is the investigation team. We checked on the passengers in the vehicle. Turns out they were employees of the Abas Embassy. They’re saying they were just leaving work together.’

-‘Our team didn’t spot the advisor, the wife, or the daughter. All those who were in the vehicle were working at the embassy.’

-‘We couldn’t find any exiles either. We checked the three vehicles stopped by the police, but no one was there.’

“……”

-‘What about you, Ekaterina? Did you find anything?’

Ekaterina threw the radio to the ground.

“Fuck!”

The radio shattered upon hitting the hard ground. Its pieces dispersed like a popped balloon, with internal parts soaring into the air.

Looking back at the spot where the Colonel and the Alchemist had been just moments ago, the vehicle had already moved onto the main road following the police signals.

*

A park sprawled alongside the massive river running through Petrogard.

Leaning against the door, I smoked a cigarette after parking near the park. Francesca rested her chin on the window, gazing at the river.

She murmured quietly at the dark waters before speaking.

“I suppose your business got in the way of you suddenly coming to pick me up.”

I silently exhaled smoke and licked my lips.

“More than business… I simply needed your help.”

Francesca lifted her lips into a delicate smile. It was a strange expression that made it difficult to tell if she was smiling or crying.

Not a smoker herself, she didn’t seem to mind the cigarette smoke hovering around her; rather, she remained beside me, somewhat accustomed to it.

The river flowing through Petrogard was full of romance.

Reflecting the city’s night view, it flowed gracefully, while the brilliant capital sparkled brightly across the water.

We conversed while staring at the glowing city.

“Driving is exhausting. Three hours… or rather, already over four hours today at the wheel.”

“It is tiring, no doubt. But it’s more comfortable than a carriage.”

“Were you uncomfortable being alone with me? It’s been quite a wait.”

“Not particularly…? It wasn’t troublesome or boring. In fact, the professor enjoyed it.”

Francesca added.

“Opportunities to meet someone from another world are rare. After chatting a few times, he asked if he could meet again next time.”

“Well, as long as he enjoys it, it doesn’t matter to me. How about the Administrator? Do you think you’ve become a bit closer?”

“Who knows?”

Francesca, who had been resting her head against the window and not moving an inch, turned and looked up at me.

“What about the Colonel? Do you think you’re close? Given that he entrusted this task to you, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary relationship.”

“……”

I silently observed Francesca.

She made a sound indicating interest, looking at me, but soon lost that interest and turned her head away.

“Well, it’s no matter if you don’t reply.”

“……”

“Maybe it’s better not to know.”

Having admired the night view while leaning against the door, Francesca said she needed to head back now, stepping out of the car. I waited a little longer, wanting to go with her, but she declined.

Francesca moved toward the tram to cross through the heart of Petrogard. I helped ensure she caught the right route before parting ways.

Watching the tram depart, I returned to the park where my car was, and my familiar back came into view.

“……”

I sighed in relief and walked toward her.

She seemed to sense my presence as well, cheerfully swinging her legs while sitting atop the car before jumping down.

Camila waved her hands excitedly and greeted me.

“I’m back!”

“Did everything go well? Were there no problems?”

“Yup!”

Camila flashed a bright smile. Her cheeks, flushed from the cold wind, sunk slightly.

She put down her broom and confidently continued.

“All three of them crossed the border successfully.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

The exile was a success.

 

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