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was beyond stupid.

As I stepped into the building, camera flashes did not shower upon me. There was no enthusiastic crowd or praises from high officials either.

Similarly, the usual tedious small talk about how hard it must have been to come such a long way was brushed aside smoothly.

I had no desire for such empty formalities. I didn’t yearn for them either.

Thus, my first impression of the Military Government Headquarters wasn’t too bad.

However,

“…It’s cold?”

The interior of the building was unexpectedly chilly. No, to be precise, it felt cool.

Of course, considering I wasn’t wearing any heat-enchanted clothing and it was winter, it wasn’t too strange. Still, it should be warm if they had heating running, so why did it feel cool?

With a puzzled expression, I tilted my head, and Lucia, who had been taking care of the surrounding people, approached me.

“You seem sensitive to the cold. Are you very cold?”

“It’s not that cold, but I do have a body that feels cold easily.”

“I see. Here, have this.”

Lucia extended a bottle she was holding. It was a glass bottle, and despite the cold outside, the entire bottle seemed warm, apparently maintained at that temperature by some divine power.

As I sipped the warm tea to warm my body for a moment—

A Suit Man who seemed to be an employee came out and guided us deeper into the building, and in the blink of an eye, we found ourselves in front of the commanders of the Military Government.

And then,

“Welcome to the Northern Region.”

A middle-aged general greeted us with a poker face.

“I am Commander Mikhail of the Military Government.”

Episode 11 – No Problems on the Northern Front

“Thank you for your efforts in coming such a long way. Please have a seat.”

The general introduced himself as the Military Commander, Mikhail, and politely gestured for us to take seats.

We had arrived in the conference room.

Due to dim lighting, the room was darker than expected. Commander Mikhail was seated in the dark conference room, with numerous Imperial Army executives lined up to his right.

As everyone took their seats at the long table, Commander Mikhail glanced at his watch and announced the start of the meeting with a blank expression.

“On behalf of the Northern Military District, I sincerely thank all of you for attending today.”

Using typical expressions, Commander Mikhail initiated the topic, adding a moment of silence.

For a general, especially one from an aristocratic background meeting someone young enough to be his son or daughter, his demeanor was surprisingly understated.

However, it was too impersonal to be described as warm.

After a brief greeting, Commander Mikhail immediately got to the point.

“I need your help.”

As the Commander gestured, soldiers standing in the back approached and placed documents on the table.

Documents were handed to Camila, Lucia, Francesca, the Knights Order, the Magic Battalion, the foreign military commanders, and me as well.

A few people seemed slightly taken aback by the sudden delivery of the documents. However, Commander Mikhail, as if anticipating the reaction, added:

“I understand that this might be surprising. However, given that you have traveled across the Empire, you must be tired, and the situation is urgent, so I wish to proceed with the meeting at a fairly rapid pace.”

Lucia, sitting in the closest seat on the Commander’s left, spoke up.

“I understand, Commander.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Saint.”

As Lucia and Commander Mikhail exchanged words, those who had been flustered suddenly fell silent.

Who would dare oppose when the Saint and the Military Commander suggested wrapping up the trivialities and heading to bed? Staying quiet was the best policy if one didn’t want to be hit with scriptures by the head of the Knights Order.

In the midst of it all, someone foolishly commented on how generous the Saint seemed, but as Commander Mikhail shot them a glance, they instantly shut their mouths.

With just a glance, Commander Mikhail silenced the local gossip and continued the meeting in a businesslike manner.

“I believe everyone is somewhat aware, but I will briefly explain the current unrest caused by the demon race.”

The explanation wrapped up more quickly than expected. I wasn’t sure whether it was because he didn’t want to disclose too much about the situation in the North or if he was simply pressed for time, but Commander Mikhail summarized the situation as concisely as possible.

“Four years ago, we received the first report of an attack by the demon race at a outpost near the border. At first, it was assessed as a standard raiding attempt; however, the number of demons reported was confirmed to be significantly higher than in previous cases.”

The demon race steadily advancing south from the border.

“Following the report from the Border Guard, villages and towns near the border began to be attacked one after another. Our army attempted to defend according to plan, but we couldn’t help but struggle due to the unexpectedly strong enemy. Since then, troops have formed a defensive line at the Naroda Mountain Range and are currently engaging with the demon race.”

The Imperial Army’s defensive line centered around the mountain range.

“Currently, a significant portion of the Northern Region is under the control of the Military Government, but areas beyond the Naroda Mountain Range remain unrecaptured. And even as we speak, demons and monsters from the frozen ground continue to invade along the mountain range.”

The land protected by the Empire, the land that remains unprotected, the demons and monsters infiltrating moment by moment.

“Our goal is to stabilize the North, and once that is achieved, we aim to advance northward to reclaim the unrecaptured territories and restore the prior borders.”

Commander Mikhail even shared the plans of the Imperial Military. The last detail was something I had picked up while passing through the Ministry of Defense, but others seemed to be hearing it for the first time, especially Lucia and Francesca.

Francesca seemed to have been tipped off by some prominent figures, but Lucia, who wasn’t interested in political scheming or socializing, seemed to be hearing this for the first time today. It seemed that this matter was considered state secret and the Inquisition Church had not obtained it. Or maybe they knew but simply hadn’t mentioned it to Lucia.

Of course, Camila already knew. I had informed her long ago.

“……”

“……”

Camila, who met my gaze, quietly turned her head to look ahead.

After finishing the concise explanation, Commander Mikhail paused for questions, and the interpreters busily moved about.

Lucia and Francesca listened to the Military Commander’s words through interpretation. Having grasped the meaning of his words earlier, I reviewed them again while listening to the dual translation from Senior Lyudmila, the interpreting officer.

“Um….”

As I sank into thought at that moment, Lucia, having finished interpreting, asked Commander Mikhail a question. Her melodious voice, which she had honed while serving Saint Veronica before becoming a priest, rang out in the silent conference room.

“Then let me ask, Commander. Is stabilizing the North the Empire’s primary goal?”

“For now, yes. Saint. Regional stabilization is the highest priority in the current operations being conducted by the Military Government.”

Commander Mikhail confirmed.

However, the fact that he added unnecessary qualifiers like ‘for now’ and ‘currently’ hinted that priorities could change at any moment.

Yet, whether Lucia cared or just didn’t grasp the underlying meaning, she continued her questioning without hesitation.

“I have heard that you are making efforts to stabilize the North. Specifically, what kind of help do you require?”

“Considering the prolonged unrest and the recent abnormal cold along with the shortage of resources, assistance is needed in various sectors. This includes both military and administrative fields. Food, healthcare, construction, and industries….”

But.

Commander Mikhail added.

“Taking the current situation into comprehensive account, the place where the greatest help is needed is in the mining of magic stones.”

“Magic stone mining?”

“Yes.”

The magic stone is one of the crucial resources supporting the civilization in this region. To put it in terms of Earth, it would be akin to oil. The usage is not much different from oil.

Fuel, raw materials, heat sources, etc. A significant number of ships use magic stones as fuel, and airships floating in the sky run on magic stones too. Moreover, high-quality magic stones can even be processed from byproducts to create magical products.

I’m not just calling it the oil of this region for no reason.

Magic stones are primarily produced through mining, and the mines where magic stones are found are referred to as ‘rifts.’ Notably, there are a lot of them on the Mauritania Continent.

By the way, there was a time when Veronica, while working as an information agent for the Imperial Guard HQ, had risked her life to go directly find magic stones from a rift, knowing she’d face execution for it. That’s how indispensable magic stones are as a strategic resource.

And in the north of the Empire, there are several rifts producing high-quality magic stones.

At this point, Lucia slightly frowned. Although she quickly relaxed her expression, I noticed her brows furrowing.

With a mildly concerned voice, Lucia began to speak.

“You mean the rifts. I’ve heard that there are several rifts in the Northern Region of the Empire.”

“That’s correct, Saint.”

“However, Commander, is it the case that mining magic stones in the North should take precedence over other issues?”

Inquiring why magic stone mining was deemed more crucial than other pressing matters. To put it more bluntly, she was suggesting that being cautious about demons attacking was of lesser importance compared to the issue of obtaining magic stones.

The knight seated right next to me seemed slightly startled, but Lucia regarded Commander Mikhail, ignoring that completely.

“I am aware there are more urgent issues at hand. If you are worried that the mining would be delayed due to demon attacks, wouldn’t it be a better solution to send troops to guard the rifts and workers?”

Lucia’s attitude of criticizing the Military Commander was something an ordinary person wouldn’t even dare to consider, yet—

Commander Mikhail simply stared at Lucia’s face with a calm expression.

“Your words are not incorrect.”

The Commander began to speak, initially agreeing lightly.

“However, with the impact of the abnormal cold, monsters low on food are coming south, and the demon race is taking advantage of that to intensify their offensive, so it would be difficult to divert troops from the front lines to secure the mining operations.”

If they breach the front lines, it’s going to be a disaster, so they wouldn’t be able to send troops over there.

“Of course, many people from the Empire and around the world have sent help. You are one of the helping hands. However, considering the situation in the North comprehensively, I have determined that mining magic stones should be prioritized over other fields.”

“May I ask why you made that decision, Commander?”

“While you likely already know, magic stones are a strategic resource. Over the last few years, the troops in the Northern Military District have utilized numerous equipment in combat missions, and in this process, a considerable amount of magic stones have been consumed.”

That was a fact. According to intelligence collected by the Royal Intelligence Department, the reserves of magic stones in the Kien Empire have been steadily decreasing since the conflict with the Demon Race began.

The issue, however, was that—

“We are not receiving imports of magic stones.”

“Pardon?”

The nations in the Mauritania Continent that used to supply them have collapsed.

Commander Mikhail spoke in a businesslike tone about the Empire’s trade and industrial structure.

“The Empire’s magic stones are mostly imported from foreign countries. Although the magic stones from the northern rifts would suffice for domestic needs, the situation during wartime is different. Fortunately, we have been able to import high-quality magic stones from our allied nations. Therefore, while the consumption of magic stones has increased due to the unrest, we were able to overcome this thanks to our allies. However, that was until our allies faced significant difficulties.”

“……”

As I mentioned earlier, magic stones are as important as oil, or perhaps even more essential in this region.

Letting a war-torn country not producing its own oil suddenly lose its supply—well, that would be catastrophic.

Of course, the Empire wasn’t foolish; they had provided a lot of support to their allied countries (dictatorships) that supplied magic stones. To be precise, they had sent several years’ worth of aid in one go and promised to return once the situation in the North stabilized.

But then they all crumbled.

As a result, the Empire found itself in a position where they had to extract magic stones from the northern rifts by any means necessary.

“That’s why I say that mining magic stones needs to be prioritized. We may be able to hold out for now, but we cannot foresee what’s to come.”

“……”

“Furthermore, the rifts are a military objective. If I were a demon, they would be my top priority target, and in fact, we have experienced multiple raids already.”

Calmly explaining his nation’s precarious situation, Commander Mikhail seemed so composed that he almost appeared indifferent to whether the Empire fell apart or not.

Glancing at the documents I had received earlier, I noticed a military map marking the existing rifts in the North. Considering that it was an accumulated map, it was quite close to the front formed by the Naroda Mountain Range.

“If the supply of magic stones diminishes, everything in the North will come to a halt. Medical facilities and the heating in shelters will cease, and supply vehicles heading to the front will stop as well.”

“……”

“Of course, the building you are in now is no exception. It may very well be that the entire Nobonikolayevsk will come to a standstill.”

Having listened to Commander Mikhail’s words for a while in silence, Francesca finally spoke up.

Although she was a bureaucrat of the Magic Tower, which wasn’t even recognized by the government, one couldn’t afford to dismiss her words lightly.

No one was present.

“Are you saying you would sacrifice the few for the many…?”

“To put it simply, yes.”

The commander spoke.

“Whether we pull troops from the front lines to strengthen the rift’s defenses, or send troops to the front while loosening the defenses, the result is the same.”

The front lines could collapse under the demons’ offensive, or we could run out of bullets and oil first.

In either case, it all led to the front collapsing.

Lucia seemed at a loss for words at Commander Mikhail’s businesslike attitude.

She bit her lip and glanced up at the ceiling, while Francesca slightly lowered her head, her expression a mix of a smile and something else.

As the atmosphere grew chaotic, the other nobles sealed their lips and averted their eyes. It was unclear whether they were holding back their emotions or silently worried about interrupting a conversation among the high-ranking officials and receiving insults. Of course, I—an Abas national with poor diplomatic relations—was keeping quiet as well.

“Do you have any further questions?”

“I do.”

Camila raised her hand slightly.

The eyebrows of Commander Mikhail, who had sat stone-faced the entire time, moved.

“Yes, please speak, Hero.”

“So we all have to go guard this place called the rift?”

“Ah, not at all. While mining magic stones is a priority, there are many areas where we need your assistance.”

Commander Mikhail requested a moment as he went through the pages of documents. When he opened the page he’d mentioned, it displayed a list of things needing help from the cult, the magic tower, foreign troops, and our party.

Among them, aside from bolstering defenses at the rift for magic stone mining, the most critical issues were as follows:

Treating the wounded and managing public health.

Repairing destroyed buildings and traffic networks.

“These are the two urgent matters. Since winter set in, hospitals have been filled with patients suffering from pneumonia and similar diseases.”

“Are there not enough hospital beds?”

“Yes, Saint. There are very few. So, we’re setting up separate spaces in shelters for quarantining.”

Hearing Commander Mikhail’s words, Lucia nodded with a pained expression. It seemed the situation was much worse than she had anticipated.

Lucia decided to take charge of treating the wounded. Besides being a saint, the relief knight order had arrived, and since she had previously worked as a healing priest in the northern regions, it seemed only natural.

Next up was Francesca.

“What sort of assistance do you need for facilities and road repairs, Commander?”

“First, we need to restore the buildings that have been destroyed by rampaging monsters. With some shelters used in various cities collapsing, the housing situation for the evacuees has become unstable. Moreover, the road networks are also harmed due to the demon’s attacks as we head to the front lines….”

Francesca volunteered to handle the restoration of the damaged buildings and traffic networks.

Furthermore,

“You mentioned needing security personnel to be stationed at the rift?”

“Yes.”

“Let me take care of that too.”

Francesca stepped forward to take responsibility for guarding the rift.

Her statement began to stir the conference room. While some were delighted to hear that a capable magician would handle a complex task, others were baffled about how the front lines would fare if the magic battalion was stationed at the rear. Honest to goodness, there were more of the latter.

Yet, Francesca, unfazed, calmed the trembling Imperial military officers.

“I hear some of you are concerned, but we plan to mobilize golems, so it shouldn’t be a significant issue.”

“Oh, golems….”

“With golems, it would indeed be….”

Francesca gazed at the officers with a confident smile.

Seeing trust reflected in their eyes as they looked at her, it appeared her persuasion had worked to some degree.

As the task that seemed the most challenging was resolved, things proceeded swiftly from there.

The Knights Order and the Magic Battalion agreed to take on combat duties as previously discussed, and the foreign military dispatch units decided on their respective missions. Judging by the expressions of the military government headquarters personnel, it seemed they didn’t hold particularly high expectations for the foreign troops, unlike the Knights Order or the Magic Battalion.

But speaking of which, I had recently heard from an infrastructure ministry official that there was a shortage of manpower to rebuild the North; had this been on their minds since then?

I pondered Francesca’s background.

“…”

Francesca hails from the Economic Management Department of the Magic Tower Secretariat. Thanks to her lineage from the Ranieri family and a degree from a prestigious university, she began her public service at the Secretariat.

The Economic Management Department is responsible for work related to ‘trade.’ Such as exports, international cooperation, and industrial development.

To note, the department is where the approval for external businesses conducted by the Magic Tower is managed.

I wondered if Francesca genuinely intended to serve altruistically or if she was attempting to monopolize the reconstruction initiative.

The answer might be known only to her, but I felt an inkling of what it could be.

“Then, Saint, you will start with this city….”

“This area will be managed by our side, and the Knights Order will….”

“Road networks at the rear must be restored for supply smoothness….”

As the people participating in the meeting sketched out a simple roadmap, I sat, blankly staring at the clock from my chair.

It’s not that I didn’t care about saving lives or that I had no vote as a foreign citizen; I simply had nothing to do.

“…Hmm.”

I realized I was basically a bystander.

As a foreign soldier, the Imperial Ministry of Defense wouldn’t assign me critical tasks, and in fact, many had suggested as much during the working meetings.

There was nothing particularly outstanding about me to expect significant achievements. On the other hand, it seemed a tad unwise to simply offer help, considering I was an Abas national.

It was a sticky situation for both Kien and Abas. The Military Intelligence Agency might think this a fantastic opportunity, but regular soldiers worried whether I might create an international scandal by causing trouble as a foreigner.

Thus, it went without saying that—

The Military Government Headquarters didn’t assign me any tasks—

“…Colonel Frederick Nostrim?”

“Oh, yes?”

As I was grinning internally at the thought of slacking off and mull over a report to submit, I suddenly heard my name being called and answered absentmindedly.

When I snapped back to reality, several people in the conference room were staring at me.

Realizing the situation, I hastily apologized and joined the meeting again.

“Oh, my apologies. What can I assist you with?”

The knight that was half standing from the chair next to me spoke.

“Could you take on the task of liaison?”

“Pardon?”

Liaison?

“Since the Hero, Saint, and Alchemist are operating in areas not too far apart,”

“Aah, yes. That’s true.”

“We need someone to relay news and information among them.”

“Are you asking me to do that?”

“Exactly.”

Why me?

The question rose to my throat, but I swallowed it down, fearing I might come off as foolish.

I concealed my surprise and asked the Knight Commander, who had made the suggestion.

“Why would you assign such an important task to me… what about the Military Government Headquarters?”

“While the various Imperial Army Headquarters will report from different regions, the reality is there are no good ways to communicate with each other. Our faction and the Magic Tower are….”

“…Ah.”

So it means—

Since the sect and the tower have some lingering animosities within them, even regarding the matters of Lucia and Francesca, there is something uncomfortable about contacting each other.

Thus, they thought it best if a neutral Abas national like me took on the role of a liaison?

“I hear you maintain good relations with both of them. Of course, that applies to the Hero as well.”

“That… is the case…?”

“It seems that the only person who can connect the three of you is, Lieutenant Colonel.”

“Is it really…?”

“Aren’t you comrades? Chosen by the Oracle.”

“….”

So, huh, what the—

Ugh, damn it.

I stood up abruptly and looked directly at the Knight Commander.

“I will do it, of course.”

“Thank you!”

With a smile on his face, the Knight Commander grasped my hand gratefully.

Who said you can’t spit on a smiling face?

That’s utter nonsense.

I’d love to spit right in his face right now.

“Leave it to me.”

“I trust you.”

Those damn religious fanatics.

This is why I don’t believe in religion.

*

After the meeting concluded, we arrived at our assigned lodgings.

It was a grand, elegant hotel, which originally served as temporary housing for civil servants and essential personnel from the North who had lost their homes.

We were directed to stay at this very hotel, planning to split up after a few days and head to the areas we were assigned.

By the way, I had no idea where the previous occupants had gone. I looked around but couldn’t find them and frankly wasn’t particularly interested in where they had disappeared to.

Anyway.

Arriving at the assigned lodgings, I sat on the sofa and gazed out at the darkened city.

“Words can be really frightening.”

“Why is that?”

“One word can lead to a debt of a thousand nyang.”

“…Huh?”

“Oh, nevermind.”

I clicked my tongue quietly. Jake, who was checking the gear he brought along, prepared four radios and inspected their condition.

“Ah, oh.”

“—I hear you.”

I heard Pippin’s voice over the radio. If I listened closely, I could also hear Charnoy’s chatter alongside Pippin.

Jake checked in with Pippin in another room while confirming the state of the radios. I called out to him.

“Hey, after checking the radio, get Pippin and Charnoy over here.”

Before I even finished speaking, Pippin opened the door and walked in. It turned out she was in the adjacent room and hadn’t been too far away after all.

“You called for me?”

“Yeah. Come in and take a seat.”

I gathered Pippin, Jake, and Charnoy quietly.

After closing the door, installing devices for eavesdropping prevention, and checking for people in the hallway, I activated the devices before finally feeling relieved enough to converse.

Sitting on the sofa, I related everything that had occurred in the conference room to my subordinates who sat in a circle around me.

“Hmm.”

As Pippin, who was focused on the story, began to speak, she opened her mouth.

“So you’ve been assigned as a liaison?”

“Yeah, the Knight Commander suggested it first.”

“What was the Magic Tower’s reaction?”

“The Magic Battalion seemed welcoming too. It seems they were subtly uncomfortable with the Knights.”

“What about the Military Government Headquarters?”

“There didn’t seem to be much of a reaction.”

“What?”

Pippin and Jake asked in surprise. Charnoy, who had been quietly enjoying a honey candy, seemed taken aback for a moment, but after a thought, popped the candy into her mouth.

Jake, who was tidying the radios, chimed in with a question.

“The Military Government Headquarters? I would never have made you a liaison if I were in their shoes.”

“How many hits would you take for that?”

“Ah, but it’s true.”

Pippin, listening next to Jake, nodded in agreement.

“I think so too. Wouldn’t it be better to pick one of their officers who speaks a foreign language rather than assign contact duties to a foreign soldier?”

“Absolutely.”

“Could there be some other intention behind this?”

“Who knows….”

There’s no detailed information about the situation on the front lines to begin with, let alone the internal circumstances at the Military Government Headquarters.

While the Royal Intelligence Department and the Military Intelligence Agency are working tirelessly to gather the information, it’s hard to fathom why the Military Government Headquarters has decided to assign me the job of liaison. Even if I had the information, I might not even be able to glean their judgment.

What’s certain is that there are three people involved, but I’m on my own.

Even if they would take turns looking after me, the other two would inevitably be neglected.

“Camila, Lucia, and Francesca are each working in different regions. They shouldn’t be overlapping too much.”

“Right.”

“But I only have one body, you know? Right?”

“Exactly?”

That just means someone is needed to do the work in my stead. Like Francesca’s golems.

“You guys go.”

“What? Did we mishear?”

“I said you should go instead of me.”

“…….”

“What? Why? What?”

That evening, I acquired three bio golems.

 

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