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The small rebellion of the magicians seemed to come to a humorous conclusion.

Francesca reached an agreement with Evangelos Rysidike, the Commander of the Magic Tower Magician Battalion. The two decided to keep a lid on any murmurs of dissent regarding the Archmage, the Duke, for the time being.

However, hoping that this would solve the issue was quite naive.

“This is just a temporary fix,” Francesca said.

“Neither I nor Sir Evangelos can control all the magicians. It’s like trying to temporarily patch a dam with sand.”

I nodded heavily.

“I know.”

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, reality was harsh. No matter how much I wanted to turn a blind eye, I couldn’t escape the truth.

As I’m not a magician myself, I can’t empathize with the nobles rebelling against the Duke’s decision, but I at least understand that simply silencing them won’t resolve the underlying issues.

The conflict between the Magic Tower and the Cult runs much deeper than anyone could imagine.

Right now, the news that the Inquisition is investigating in the North might be more shocking to magicians than hearing that the Gestapo has rolled into their village looking for someone.

While the authority of the Duke and the Oracle might calm matters for a while, it’ll eventually bubble back up. Especially if the Inquisition continues to flounder around in the North without achieving any results.

A lingering anxiety sits in the corner of my chest, like soot, reminding me that this matter will inevitably come back to haunt us.

“…We will need a fundamental solution.”

Francesca, half-awake, turned her gaze my way at my muttered words.

“A fundamental solution? What do you mean, Colonel?”

“Quite literally.”

I spat out a quick response.

“Why do you think all of this is happening in the first place?”

The root cause of the current situation is that some random jerk came out and started slashing people with a knife.

Initially, it was the Imperial Army Combat Magicians, followed by the Magic Department Investigators and escort troops, and now it’s me, along with four Inquisition Officers.

The suspects from the previous two incidents are believed to be the same person.

I can’t be sure if the person who killed the magician is the same one who attacked me, but given the circumstances, it’s very likely they’re the mastermind behind the murders of the magicians.

They know how to handle the divine and definitely how to dunk someone in the muck.

Most importantly, the staff.

The investigator has never let go of his staff since the moment we met. And I’m certain he used that staff to execute the Inquisition Officers in a single blow.

It’s correct. Or at least close enough to the solution that there’s no need to dance around it anymore.

Struggling to rise from my chair, I leaned heavily on the desk, and Francesca advised me not to push myself.

“Where are you going?”

“The Cathedral.”

I gathered my things and left the room.

“I need to get ready to catch that investigator.”

—

Episode 12 – The Ultimate Magician

Now that I’ve pinpointed the fundamental cause of all this, I can’t afford to waste any time.

The Cult has suffered a loss of face and many priests, the Inquisition is in a state of disarray due to the investigation, the Empire is scrambling to control the situation, a pro-Empire dictatorship in the North is only watching from the sidelines, and then there’s the Government of Abas.

Many are entangled in this web, and their interests sharply conflict with one another.

It’s a powder keg waiting to explode; who knows when or where an incident could occur—if it explodes, who knows how far the repercussions will reach?

Yet, if there’s something that needs to be done, it must be done.

“Pippin, Jake, Charnoy. Stop what you’re doing. From now on, you’re on the hunt for one person.”

As soon as I entered the hotel, I called in my subordinates. Jake, who had been organizing the documents, jumped in surprise.

“Out of the blue? You disappeared and just show up saying that? What about the investigation into the terror incident?”

“We’re changing priorities.”

Pippin asked, “Is that an order from the director? I haven’t received any instructions.”

“I’ll report directly to Leoni. I’ll take responsibility, so you follow my orders.”

I called off all ongoing operations.

The Empire’s information agency must be on high alert. Even though I’ve received permission from the Duke and the situation is urgent, fundamentally, the Inquisition is still an intelligence agency.

The incident occurred in the North, where martial law has been declared. There are piles of advanced weaponry developed by the Imperial Army, strategic resources gathered at rifts, and regular troops from allied countries along with foreign military personnel.

From my experience, when such a situation arises, intelligence agencies are on high alert. They absolutely despise foreigners sneaking in to steal their secrets.

Up until now, I’ve managed to slip through without a hitch, but there’s no guarantee that won’t change in the future.

So there’s only one thing we need to do right now.

Cover our tracks.

“Leave only the important documents, back up the key data, and shred the rest. The Guardian’s Office or the intelligence agency could show up at any moment.”

I ordered all documents to be shredded. No one should find out what we’ve been up to here.

Pippin and Charnoy quickly shredded the documents and backed up the data in secure locations.

By the time my subordinates gathered after organizing everything according to regulations, I had new orders to pass down.

“From now on, I will gather information about the Inquisition’s investigations acting independently.”

I spoke boldly to Francesca, but I don’t officially have the status to investigate.

This is an enemy nation; a war zone under martial law. An intelligence agency isn’t going to let a foreigner brood around at will.

While the Inquisition has the official authority to investigate, that’s their business, not mine. I have no authority whatsoever.

Of course, I wouldn’t just sit idly by without any authority.

“The target is a middle-aged man. He has an odor that suggests a rotting corpse and covers that strong scent with an even worse perfume. He usually operates in secluded areas and always leans on a staff. You’re to go out and gather information on this guy. I don’t care how much you spend; just find him.”

“Understood.”

“He’s extremely dangerous, so if you happen to spot him, immediately vacate the area. Once you’re safe, report back to me.”

I immediately set loose my intelligence officers to start collecting intelligence on the investigation.

If I hand over information to the Inquisition, they’ll figure it out on their own. Or I could just take matters into my own hands.

Separately from Pippin, Jake, and Charnoy’s activities, I activated the local information network.

“Administrator. Is it possible to have a chat with the Guild Master?”

“It is possible.”

“Then, could you see if there are any new updates? Subtly, of course.”

The first lead on the investigation came from Hormoz. Through Francesca, I managed to gather intel from the Palm Tree Trade Guild.

For reference, it wasn’t free.

“I hesitate to mention this, but providing information without compensation could be tricky. We haven’t established a strong enough trust with the Guild Master yet.”

“How much do you need?”

“They’re not asking for cash; they want goods. They’re planning to supply medicine to the foreign troops that have entered the North, but the guild’s stock seems insufficient for the demand.”

“Are they selling drugs?”

“More accurately, pain relievers. It seems the troops need potions produced by the Magic Tower, but the commanders are searching for less costly medicines. They seem reluctant to squander the funds sent from their home country, indicating a lack of surplus.”

“It’s not a shortage of funds; it’s that they’ve pocketed a lot. Anyway, got it. I’ll contact Victor.”

Hormoz, the Guild Master of the Palm Tree Trade Guild, was thinking of supplying medicine to the foreign army that had entered the North.

Although the troops seemed to need the effective potions from the Magic Tower, the commanders had a different outlook.

They were, as dictatorships often are, focused on being proper soldiers while pocketing military funds. As a result, in the short term, the potions that would effectively treat their injuries…

As a result, I ended up searching for narcotic painkillers to ease the suffering.

I siphoned humanitarian aid supplies meant for a democratic nation to the military of a dictatorial state.

To be precise, I handed over the specialized medications that were “accidentally” omitted from shipments sent to the Empire by the Government of Abas based on humanitarian aid laws to Francesca.

“Is the quantity sufficient?”

“This should be enough to sell painkillers throughout the northern regions.”

“If we leave them lying around the streets where the drug addicts roam, it’s going to be a headache, so Administrator, please take care of that.”

Francesca supplied the narcotic painkillers at a reasonable price.

The military of the dictatorial state purchased large quantities of relatively cheaper pharmaceuticals compared to potions, and Hormoz, satisfied with the success of tapping into a new market and the juicy profits, provided information as per our contract.

In my younger days, I would have been content to stop here, but I decided to take a step further and search for new information agents.

“Colonel Nostrim. I’ve heard many rumors about you.”

“Nice to meet you, Commander.”

“Commander? That’s only a title back home; here in the North, I’m just a unit commander.”

“I heard you like that title, Colonel. I’ve been told you distinguished yourself in the civil war, so wouldn’t that make you a war hero?”

“I merely suppressed the rebels who tried to divide the factions after losing the elections, hardly making me a hero. Please, take a seat. While it may not be my hometown, allow me to treat you.”

I visited the officers of the dictatorial state who had dealings with the Palm Tree Trade Guild. I created a list of suitable individuals and picked out those with clear motivations for recruitment.

While they don’t seem too reliable given how they siphon military funds, they are elite units from a pro-Empire dictatorial state.

These individuals are likely to provide information about the Military Government Headquarters that I remain unaware of, as well as the Empire Information Agency operating in the north. Having secured a vulnerability that could justify a purge, I could threaten them if necessary.

My disruption didn’t end here.

“Is this the Cult Embassy? Colonel Frederick Nostrim from the Embassy of Abas in the Kien Empire speaking. Yes, that Frederick. Can I use your line for a moment? I have something urgent to discuss with Director Petrus.”

I communicated with Director Petrus through the Cult Embassy. To guard against potential eavesdropping, I received a route for conveying information about the operation the Inquisition would be conducting in the North, sprinkled with suitable metaphors.

I had also reached out to many others.

“Victor, it’s me. Do you know anyone in the Magic Department?”

Victor, upon receiving my call, connected me to someone within the Magic Department who had access to investigation materials.

“Uh, older sister. Sorry to bring up work, but do you still have contacts with Imperial officials?”

From my older sister Adela, who served as a diplomat in the Empire, I was given several personal contacts for government employees.

In the 28 years I’ve lived in this area, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve worked this hard. It seems today is that day.

I called acquaintances I wasn’t particularly close with, similar to sending year-end messages on KakaoTalk. Most of them weren’t exactly ordinary acquaintances, though.

Anyway, I worked diligently to catch the Inquisitors.

It seemed the company acknowledged my fervent effort.

“Yes, this is Colonel Frederick Nostrim, Defense Attaché in the Kien Empire.”

-‘This is the attaché office calling, Colonel.’

“Oh, yes. But why are you contacting me so suddenly?”

-‘The Ministry of Defense has summoned you, so please drop by the embassy.’

The Military Intelligence Agency reached out to me.

*

-‘What are you doing right now?’

The moment the secure line connected, the first question came out of nowhere.

“What do you mean? I was called while working, now I’m at the embassy.”

-‘Do you think I’m asking that? What on earth are you doing up north?’

The voice of Clevenz came over the encrypted communication. It was quite a comforting voice, probably because I hadn’t heard it in a while.

“It’s just work. The tasks assigned by the company are progressing smoothly. Business is going well, and I believe I can submit my reports by year-end.”

-‘What? Even with the company’s current state, you still say that?’

Clevenz unleashed a torrent of complaints through the receiver. Maybe it was time for the old man to go, but he had a lot to say.

-‘The emergency dispatch sent by the embassy this morning caused quite a stir. Why are the corpse collectors suddenly popping up in the north?’

“Exactly.”

From what I gathered, it seemed that my report submitted the day before was the reason for his call. After taking time zone differences into account, my report was sent to the embassy, and it appeared it had been delayed.

As I brewed coffee, I responded in a calm tone.

“Four Inquisition officers were taken out. They were the people who moved with me.”

-‘The Inquisition officers? How did that happen?’

“They got taken out while chasing a monk suspected of being a heretic. They didn’t even see it coming.”

-‘So it must be someone involved in the terrorist incident.’

Recently, I retrieved investigation materials regarding a terrorist incident from the company’s archives. My subordinates were sorting through those materials in bulk.

Since the investigation into the terrorist incident was within the domestic department’s jurisdiction and the material management was also handled by that side, I suspected Clevenz inferred the situation based on my recent activities.

He certainly was quick to pick up on things.

“That’s correct.”

-‘How did you end up pursuing that guy?’

“That’s a long story….”

I laid out the circumstances that led me to pursue the investigation.

Using information and sorcery from Hormoz, I got caught up with a little brat in the Inquisition and the priest. I interrogated the child to find the village’s location and ended up directly accompanying the Inquisition officers. I laid it all out.

Even though we were in different departments, I initially planned to pass on this information to the domestic department’s terrorist investigation division.

Though the procedures were a bit tangled, it didn’t seem odd to share the information with Clevenz.

After quietly listening to my explanation, Clevenz murmured to himself.

-‘So that’s how it happened. A necromancer was behind the terrorist incident.’

“That’s still just a hypothesis. By the way, is everything all right at the company? Any new information?”

-‘Don’t even get me started. Thanks to your report, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Prime Minister’s Office have all been in a frenzy.’

The Prime Minister’s Office? Why are they suddenly getting involved?

I felt a flutter of concern fearing something might have gone wrong, but Clevenz continued explaining.

-‘All the reports you’ve submitted have gone up to the Prime Minister’s Office. Didn’t you know?’

“Uh, no. Why would it go that far?”

-‘What, did you think we just pass reports back and forth among ourselves? How very strange of you.’

Ah.

Honestly, I figured my reports would go up to the Minister of Defense or the Information Agency, but not the Prime Minister’s Office. It seems my reports have gone that far.

I was slightly taken aback, blinking in surprise as Clevenz, feeling the time constraints, decided this conversation would end here.

He switched the topic.

-‘That’s great. By the way, I had something to relay to you.’

“Something to relay?”

-‘It’s an order. Two directives to be precise.’

Clevenz stated.

-‘The overseas section has issued instructions to you. They want you to bring in a few staff members to the North, and they asked you to look into it.’

“To the North?”

-‘Is that too difficult?’

“No, it’s not that. However…”

I trailed off ambiguously.

Sending an information officer to the North. In these times?

I tilted my head in perplexity, unable to hide my confusion, and questioned Clevenz.

“Why do they suddenly want to send staff to the North?”

-‘Oh, it’s nothing serious.’

Clevenz replied.

It came off as trivial.

-‘They’re planning on embedding someone in the North.’

 

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