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Ruins. Collapsed buildings.

Piles of stones flowed in like rainwater, now accumulated in the wreckage. The stacked stones resembled a lonely fortress.

The sun, which brightens all things, vanished beyond the western hills, and even the faint moonlight was obscured by clouds. The ash-colored sky seemed to exude an ominous energy.

Clack. In the desolate ruins, the sound of a staff tapping resonated. A person clad in an old, worn monk’s robe sighed softly as they settled into the debris.

“They’re coming.”

As the monk’s robe brushed against the ground, his gaze shifted toward the source of the sound—a figure kneeling at the spot where his dull eyes rested.

The figure, kneeling in front of the altar, could only be seen from behind.

Their physique was ambiguous, making it hard to tell if they were male or female, and the tone of their voice, leaking from their lips, was equally indistinct.

However, one thing was certain.

What covered their face was indeed a robe.

The monk, with both hands resting on his staff, lowered his head and asked in a low voice.

“Who is coming?”

“Those who follow false beliefs.”

“……”

The monk leaned on his staff and rose from the pile of stones.

“…I must prepare.”

As a dull sound echoed in the hollow of the ruins, the faint noise of metal stirred softly from the staff.

Tap. Tap. The sound of the staff gradually faded. The kneeling man lifted his head and gazed at the mural engraved on the wall of the ruins.

He muttered softly as he regarded the majestic mural, which could rival that of the main temple.

“Worship.”

The seeds left by the greatest of beings.

Soon, the time of glory will arrive.

Episode 12 – The Strongest Magician in History

The northern weather is exceedingly capricious, oddly fitting for its desolate environment.

This capriciousness is beyond description, so much so that many folktales from the northern regions center around beings capable of controlling the weather.

“What are you doing, little one?”

“Me?”

A child bundled up in thick clothing looked up with a face full of suspicion.

The child asked the man standing before them:

“But who are you, mister? Are you a priest by any chance?”

“Something like that.”

“Wow.”

The priest squatted down beside the child. Ignoring the fact that his shoes and the ends of his robes were getting dirty, he lowered his gaze.

The child looked at the priest in wonder for a moment before turning to observe the ground.

As if to prove that dandelions can grow even through asphalt and flowers can bloom in muck, the child was wholeheartedly engrossed in moving small stones with their tiny hands.

It seemed that even the fires of war could not take away the purity of the growing child.

While watching the child, the priest suddenly pointed to what the child was making.

“What are you making, little one?”

His finger pointed at a small stone.

It was too wide and flat to be just a stone, perhaps better described as a small rock.

Upon the small rock lay several leaves.

Since it was midwinter, the leaves had turned brown and somewhat darkened, crumbling easily with the slightest pressure, yet the child gently lifted the leaves with both hands and placed them on the rock.

Looking closely, the leaves contained very tiny fruits.

They were suspicious little berries so small they could easily be confused with grains of sand; it was questionable if they could even be eaten, but the child was diligently moving the little fruits onto the leaves with their tiny fingers.

The child beamed with a bright smile.

“I’m going to offer a prayer!”

“A prayer? Who are you praying to?”

“To the goddess of the willow tree!”

The goddess of the willow tree is a deity from the northern folktales of the Kien Empire.

Traveling between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm, she is responsible for the endless cycle of seasons, akin to the Greek and Roman goddess Demeter.

Of course, folklore scholars generally agree that the willow goddess is more akin to a spirit than an actual goddess, but it appears to be too complex a tale for the child.

“Why are you offering a prayer?”

“I’m praying for the snow to stop quickly.”

That was an incredibly innocent response.

The child, still with baby fat on their cheeks, said so cheerfully, yet there was a hint of loneliness in their smile.

Watching that smile, it was natural for one to break into laughter. The priest gently patted the child’s head.

As the priest quietly observed the child preparing to offer a prayer to the willow goddess, his mouth opened. The moment his rosary, which had somehow wrapped around his hand, jingled with a curious sound, he spoke.

“Little one.”

“Yes, priest uncle?”

The priest smiled softly.

He slowly and gently opened his mouth.

“Are you a heretic?”

*

“Today, a battle broke out near National Route 81 in the southwestern direction of the Naroda Mountains. A troop of white-tailed feather monkeys ambushed a unit transporting supplies. Additionally, it seems sporadic skirmishes erupted across the Route 81 area, stimulated by the sound of gunfire from the monsters.”

I signed the report handed to me by Pippin.

As I set the document folder down, Pippin packed up the report and left, followed by Jake, who came in and placed another document on my desk.

“Manager. The Military Government Headquarters has requested that we recommend the movement of the Hero.”

“And where is he supposed to go this time?”

It’s already been about a month since I arrived in the north.

That means it’s been about a month since the Kien Empire, the Cult, the Magic Tower, and various pro-imperial factions started dealing with us.

In that short yet long month, all operations going on in the north have been proceeding quite smoothly.

“They say it’s a valley in the eastern mountains. Since it’s a location where artillery can’t reach, they intend to directly deploy troops and need the Hero’s help.”

“A valley is a tough fighting terrain. With the notorious weather in the north, you want us to fight monsters there?”

“Don’t even mention it. I briefly saw a couple of pictures Pippin took of the valley, and wow, it’s no joke.”

“Why would they send Camila to a place like that? I just don’t understand…”

Overall, the situation in the north is quite stable.

With the sturdy Naroda Mountains serving as a natural barrier, we are well-protected against the demons and monsters descending from the north. The Imperial Army has been pouring artillery to block their approach from a distance, and any that manages to crawl down is caught in our defense line.

The sun had accumulated, but the Imperial Army remained the Imperial Army. For over a month, cases of monsters or demons surfacing from the Naroda Mountains had been “rarely” reported.

Of course, it was indeed the Imperial Army that played a pivotal role in blocking the advance of the monsters and demons. However, the key player was none other than Camila.

“Isn’t it just because you’re the Hero that they’re asking you to stop by? They must be hoping for something given your past performance.”

“These damn robbers.”

Participating in the Naroda Mountains barren land operation, Camila was literally turning the mountain range into a wasteland. I heard she had burned about a quarter of that vast mountain range.

From the early days of the northern deployment, Camila was the only magician able to set fire to the coniferous forests, which drew the attention of high-ranking officers of the Imperial Army, and now, she was updating her own stock price daily like an untamed colt.

It was thanks to her performance in the Rift.

“Ever since I helped once, they keep asking me for all sorts of things. It’s as if I saved them from drowning, and now they’re barking at me to hand over my bundle, really.”

“Well, it was a monumental achievement. You took out a spider that even tank shells couldn’t handle in one blow, didn’t you?”

“One blow, my foot…”

“What’s wrong? Manager, are you perhaps jealous—oh, right. You were in the Rift back then.”

She did manage to hunt the spider that crawled back even after being bombarded by the corps of the legion and division. Although Camila wasn’t the only one who caught it, she did land the final blow.

Thanks to that, both the Military Government Headquarters and the units on the front lines were showing interest in Camila. This was confirmed by snippets of conversations I overheard from soldiers on leave from the rear, exchanging gossip about reallocations.

I closed the report marked with the Military Intelligence Agency’s insignia. Jake was blabbering excitedly by himself.

“Total idol, right?”

“Shut it. Anyway, go tell that this proposal was declined by Camila. Do it in a delicate manner. Say something like she’s having a hard time saying she can’t drop by the valley because she has work left to do.”

“Huh? Is that okay?”

“I’ll explain the circumstances. Just make sure you deliver it, Jake. I’ll coordinate with Camila here, so don’t worry.”

“Understood, Manager.”

Anyway, all kinds of operations happening in the North were proceeding successfully.

Though the Rift was attacked, from a macro perspective, the casualties were minimal. More than a hundred people had perished, but the troops deployed in the North had more than enough to fill the gaps left by the fallen.

Camila was doing well under my care. Since she was operating in the most remote area, I took a bit more time to look after her. Given her bubbly, energizer-bunny personality, she was making snowmen in the snowy mountains where everyone wanted to run away.

What did she say? If she handled ice instead of fire, she’d create an ice castle far grander than a Disney movie…and something along those lines. Anyway, Camila was safe today too.

However, Lucia and Francesca were a bit of a problem. To be precise, I should say I was worried. So far, at least there hadn’t been any major issues with the two of them, so I considered that a small blessing.

The operation ordered by the Military Intelligence Agency was… well, going reasonably well.

“Hey, Pippin!”

When I called out to the seated Pippin, she peeked her head out.

“Did you call?”

“Any news from the capital… or the embassy today?”

“No contact from either the embassy or the capital.”

“…Tsk. Got it. Get to work.”

Leoni, the head of the overseas department of the Military Intelligence Agency, had ordered the intelligence collection to be as quiet as possible.

The mission was to grasp the situation regarding all events happening in the North and the activities of key officials from the Empire, the Cult, and the Magic Tower in the local area.

But she hadn’t specified which figures to focus on or what the operation’s objectives were. Normally, I wouldn’t have raised any suspicions, but since this operation was directed by ‘her,’ Leoni, I couldn’t shake off a slight unease.

Still, orders were orders, and there’s a saying that no news is good news, so I quietly gathered the data and sent it through the embassy to the headquarters of the Military Intelligence Agency.

As I absentmindedly organized my desk, I glanced at the clock, which had already indicated the end of working hours.

“Work hours are over.”

*

Pippin and Jake groaned as they twisted their sluggish bodies.

“Ugh…!”

“My neck hurts. Cracking sounds are coming from my neck.”

“Still, this is better. It beats working late into the night.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Manager, aren’t you going home?”

I waved my hand while tidying my desk.

“Yeah. I’ll be going home late today.”

“Where are you off to this time? The Saint? The Administrator?”

“Both.”

“Oh, my.”

Jake clicked his tongue in disbelief, while as Pippin was about to step out the door, she backpedaled and peeked her head into the office.

“Have a cozy time!”

“Hey. You—”

“Run!”

“Ilgasilgak Techaaat!!”

Pippin and Jake dashed out like their feet were on fire, leaving behind bizarre nonsense.

I stared at the door they flung open, clicked my tongue lightly, and continued organizing my office.

“Sigh….”

When will they ever grow up?

With that thought in mind, I hurriedly moved my hands, glanced at the clock, and picked up the phone.

A short ring echoed before the other party picked up. It seemed like they were already holding the phone.

I greeted Francesca’s cheerful voice from the receiver.

“Administrator. It’s me, Frederick.”

-‘Ah, Colonel!’

“I heard you’re heading to a new city today. Have you arrived?”

-‘Well, kind of…but this is great timing. I was just about to contact you.’

“Why? Did something go wrong?”

-‘That’s precisely it.’

“Oh dear. If you find yourself in trouble, I suppose it’s my turn to help—”

-‘It’s not me; it seems the Saint is in quite the predicament. It looks like there was an accident involving a civilian victim.’

“Please send me the address. I’m heading there now.”

 

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