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After finishing the intelligence gathering on that pesky Inquisitor, I returned to the office to compile the information.

A document filled with Kien language was plopped onto my desk. Jake, who had handed over the report from the joint investigation team, began his briefing.

“There are four villages suspected to have been visited by Romain Cher. According to the findings from the Military Government and the joint investigation team, it’s confirmed that all residents in these four villages have vanished completely.”

“What else?”

“Well, we’ve received numerous reports from various sources. First, there’s additional intel from the Palm Tree Trade Guild about regions where Cher might have been. Plus, Pippin and Charnoy spotted someone with a resemblance to the Inquisitor in the city while they were with the refuge’s children…”

I was sifting through all the information from various sources, converting scraps of intel into usable data.

While sorting through the credibility and origin of the intel, Jake suddenly threw a question at me.

“Oh, by the way, Manager. The Inquisitor suspected of being a Necromancer or a Possessed Person—what does the Inquisition say about that? Priest Rebecca seems to know something.”

I slumped into my chair, muttering in a defeated voice.

“She said she doesn’t know either.”

The day the Inquisitor’s identity was confirmed, I had asked Priest Rebecca if she knew anything, but I didn’t get a clear answer.

Why hasn’t Romain Cher aged? Where has he been for nearly twenty years since vanishing from the Mauritania Continent? Where’s the exorcist who accompanied him? And why has he only just reappeared…?

There were many questions I wanted to ask, but Priest Rebecca struggled to give straightforward answers. Even when I tried to pry for more, it felt awkward to push further if she really was clueless.

Jake, who had put down the papers, tilted his head in confusion.

“Manager, I’ve been thinking…”

“What now?”

“It seems that whether he’s a Necromancer or a Possessed Person, there’s definitely something going on….”

With his voice trailing off, Jake cautiously asked, “Can we really catch that guy?”

“……”

Just as I was about to respond to Jake’s question, the door swung open and Pippin and Charnoy walked into the office.

“Pippin, Charnoy. Good work out there. Anything unusual?”

“Charnoy had a bit of trouble wandering around. Oh, but Manager, we received a formal message from headquarters for you!”

A formal message? A new directive?

Startled by the sudden news, I stopped reading the documents and turned to Pippin.

“What kind of message?”

“I’m not sure, but given that you’re the only one who can access it, it seems like something only you can handle. Here’s the message.”

Pippin handed over a sealed envelope.

It had an anti-tampering design to prevent unauthorized access and would leave marks if forcibly opened.

Inside the strictly sealed envelope were a few sheets of paper with brief words— a list of names filled with characters and a formal message from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Abas.

The content of the formal message was simple.

[Formal Message.

To Frederick Nostrim, the resident officer in charge of the Kien Empire, you are to investigate the employees of the Magic Tower Secretariat listed in the attached materials who are operating in the northern regions and report back.

This is a direct order from Director Leoni.

– Military Intelligence Agency, Overseas Operations Department.]

Episode 12 – The Mightiest Magician

The Secretariat is the highest government body of the Magic Tower.

It assists the Oracle, who oversees the decision-making of the Magic Tower, delivering Oracle directives to various administrative agencies— essentially like a presidential secretariat in the Blue House.

In the Magic Tower’s civil service, the Secretariat is considered a prized position, akin to a gold nugget.

There’s no better place to build a career than the Secretariat, leading to high competition as it attracts elites from various fields, making it quite popular.

Of course, intelligence agencies are no exception.

It’s obvious that those working in such departments cannot escape the adoration of intelligence agencies. They are recognized elites of the state, performing advisory roles close to government heads while managing vast amounts of information, meaning they handle a significant amount of confidential matters.

In that sense, the command for background checks on the Secretariat workers from the Overseas Department wasn’t anything unusual. It’s pretty clear why a company would order background checks on foreign officials.

However, the situation was slightly ambiguous to take as just an ordinary directive.

A few days ago, the Overseas Department of the Military Intelligence Agency issued me a command. They ordered me to arrange suitable identities and infiltration routes for several information officers to enter the northern region.

At that time, I questioned why they would send intelligence officers during such times, and Clevenz replied that someone was to be assassinated in the north.

Although it came from Clevenz, it clearly was an order from the Overseas Department. More precisely, this had long been planned by Leoni, who oversees the Overseas Department.

But then, at this precise moment, a directive was issued to investigate the employees of the Magic Tower Secretariat operating in the north.

Moreover, it was a direct written order from Leoni to me.

“This feels a bit concerning….”

It’s best to avoid hasty speculations, but the timing feels a bit too perfect.

Unlike Clevenz, who plainly stated an intention to assassinate someone, Leoni hasn’t revealed much about the two commands. However, considering Leoni’s nature of keeping details of operations under wraps compared to Clevenz, it’s evident that the two orders are indeed connected.

In other words, the Military Intelligence Agency plans to assassinate one of the employees of the Magic Tower Secretariat.

That target is likely one of the individuals listed in the formal message’s attachment.

I checked the list of Magic Tower Secretariat employees delivered through the embassy. It included several individuals I had encountered numerous times over the past month while spending time in the north.

[Magic Tower Secretariat, Karim Boumediene.]

[Magic Tower Secretariat, Gabi Schneider.]

[Magic Tower Secretariat, Jean Marbo.]

[Magic Tower Secretariat….]

Most were names I had never heard before, but thanks to the attached photographs, identifying them wouldn’t be a significant issue.

Of course, there were also familiar names on the list.

[Magic Tower Secretariat, Juan Pablo Martinez.]

I scanned through the names on the list and stuffed the paper into my pocket. Even though I’m not keen on the idea since I don’t know why these orders were issued, a command is a command.

Deciding to carry out the background checks, I realized that my capabilities were incredibly limited. No matter how I squeezed in time, it would be impossible for me to monitor half a dozen individuals all alone.

However, for this particular occasion, I wouldn’t need to do the legwork myself.

A more reliable method existed than me investigating directly.

I picked up the receiver.

“…Yes, is this the Secretariat? This is Frederick Nostrim from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Abas. May I speak with Administrator Ranieri for a moment?”

*

Although the atmosphere in the north had grown rather grim, it was hard to spot notable changes on the streets.

Whether it was the joint investigation by the Magic Department and the Inquisition, the information control by the Military Government, or the unrest among the Magic Tower’s dispatched personnel, it hadn’t affected the daily lives in the north.

Necromancers and Possessed Persons didn’t mean much to the people; their immediate concerns revolved around survival.

Because of that, even at this moment, there were hardly noticeable changes on the streets of the north.

However, a few peculiar sights did catch my attention.

“……”

The streets of the north were filled with bizarre things not found in nations like Petrogard or Abas.

Heavily armed military police, donned in helmets and bulletproof vests, patrolled the streets. Gunners from the internal troops perched on their APCs, fingers at the ready on the triggers, vigilantly scanning for threats.

There were homeless people everywhere on the streets. Ragged citizens stood in every visible spot, and most refugees waited for rations while braving the snowstorm of December with haggard faces.

Clerics of the Cult mingled with civil servants and volunteers, handing out a stale loaf of bread and a thin gruel, as the refugees gripped their black trash bags.

I trudged towards the makeshift tent and underground shelter, food stuffed into a bag.

The word “hope” was nowhere to be found. The laughter and vibrancy that would fill the streets had turned cold, leaving only the northern wind blowing across the snow-covered desolate land.

An unbearable mix of lethargy, despair, and fear littered the junkyard. The northern metropolis had become a sewage treatment plant, collecting all possible negative emotions.

Yet, just like weeds sprouting between concrete or lotus flowers blooming in sewage, there existed someone who exuded a noble atmosphere in the gloomy gray heart of the city.

I called her name softly.

“Francesca, Administrator.”

“Oh, Colonel.”

Francesca turned her head slightly, meeting my gaze. Surrounded by those presumed to be magicians of the Magic Tower and northern civil servants, she waved her hand to disengage them before slowly walking towards me.

“I received your message. You were looking for me?”

“Yes, I have a few questions. Would it be alright if we moved to a quieter place?”

“Of course.”

Francesca nodded readily, directing the magicians from the Secretariat.

“I’d like to have a word with the Colonel for a moment. You all stay here and focus on the railway reconstruction.”

“Understood, Lady Ranieri. How shall we proceed with the sewer maintenance project that Lord Martinez is overseeing? He’ll be up from the underground in twenty minutes.”

“Hmm, twenty minutes…”

Francesca hummed as if singing a tune, softly closing her eyes. Lost in thought for a moment, she soon opened her pair of violet eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“It depends on what business you have, Colonel…”

“……”

Francesca’s gaze turned toward me.

I quietly scanned our surroundings, while Francesca smiled gently at the magicians from the Secretariat.

“It seems like it will take a bit of time. Let’s leave the sewer issues to Lord Martinez.”

The magicians bowed deeply.

“Understood. We will handle it accordingly.”

Like the retreating tide, people began to disperse. The magicians from the Secretariat went elsewhere to command the scene in Lady Ranieri’s stead, while the northern civil servants vanished into the distance.

Thus, it left only Francesca and me in the street. Of course, the military police and her bodyguards were still present, but whether they were MPs or guards, it wasn’t the kind of situation where they could eavesdrop on our conversation.

“Alright then.”

Having sent off the magicians, Francesca initiated the dialogue.

“So, what brings you to seek me out, Colonel?”

“I have about two requests to make.”

I lowered my voice and whispered to her.

“First, I’d like you to conduct some background checks on those people over there.”

*

It didn’t take long to explain the situation to Francesca.

I couldn’t tell her what Leoni intended by ordering investigations, whom was being targeted for assassination, or where the information officers involved were stationed, but there was no need for such details.

I only handed her the essential information she needed to know.

“Those employees from the Secretariat here? They need to be investigated.”

“Employees from the Secretariat?”

Hmm. Francesca crossed her arms thoughtfully.

“Investigating Secretariat employees… that’s a rather sudden request.”

“It’s not a request. I was ordered to do this myself.”

“Aha.”

Francesca was a civil servant from the Magic Tower Secretariat. Until a few months ago, she had worked as an officer in the Economic Management Department of the Secretariat, managing the Oracle’s slush funds with skills that would rival any economic criminal, undertaking smuggling and dual contracts.

She belonged to the prestigious family linked to the Archmage ‘Ranieri,’ holding a key position within the Economic Management Department of the Secretariat. This meant that if Francesca put her mind to it, she could exert influence over the Secretariat or the Magic Tower.

Of course, she was my informant now.

“If that’s the case, I shall assist you. Who should I investigate?”

“Please look into the people listed here.”

The Information Command and Military Intelligence Agency. Having been involved in espionage for over a decade, I immediately sensed what needed to be investigated upon receiving the list.

Departmental affiliation, age, name, contact information, gender, and familial relationships. Such trivial intel wasn’t necessary to gather right now. That would be information easily obtained by bribing a low-ranking civil servant. An organization like the Military Intelligence Agency wouldn’t need such data.

Moreover, Leoni had specifically targeted me with the intelligence-gathering order.

In other words, the information Leoni required was likely to be information obtainable only in the north, not from the Magic Tower.

“Instead of departmental affiliation, age, gender, and familial relationships, please investigate more personal and detailed aspects.”

“For example?”

“I’d like to know what areas they primarily operate in, what duties they handle, who they frequently interact with, and who their closest colleague here is. Information about preferred restaurants or favorite foods would be nice too. Please gather as much detail as you can.”

I was trying to prioritize collecting intelligence necessary for the assassination. While I wasn’t entirely sure yet, considering that Clevenz indicated an assassination operation was about to take place, these individuals on the list were likely not targets for recruitment but assassination targets.

But that was not information meant for Francesca.

I handed over the list while adding a few requests.

“Please be cautious to ensure that the ongoing investigations do not reach the ears of the individuals involved. And, if possible, look into whether there are any frictions around them.”

“Frictions?”

“Well, I mean check if there are any people who usually do not get along with each other. For instance, who they frequently clashed with since their school days, or who their superior is with whom they have a particularly uncomfortable relationship. Oh, and to the extent possible, please check if they have any ailments. Even minor illnesses would be fine.”

“Hm… That’s quite a peculiar order. Well, I understand for now.”

Francesca, who had been listening quietly, made a sound of contemplation.

She didn’t seem to be writing down my requests anywhere. Instead, she seemed to be memorizing everything before starting to scan the list.

“Hmm?”

As she inspected the list, Francesca suddenly raised her eyebrows. I stopped looking around and turned to her, wondering if there was a problem.

“Is something wrong?”

“Some of these individuals, not all, have overlapping work locations.”

“Excuse me?”

What does that mean? I couldn’t even find the time to ask what she meant.

Francesca’s finger began to point at names on the list.

“Karim Boumediene from the Administrative Department, Gabi Schneider from the International Department, Jean Marbo from the Support Department, and Lord Martinez. These four have all worked in different continents before.”

“…Different continents?”

“Well, I don’t know all the career paths of the Secretariat employees. Lord Martinez isn’t from the Secretariat; he was active during his adventurer days. But the others have been dispatched there for a few years. I’ll need to verify the exact dates.”

“Where is that?”

Francesca replied.

“It’s the Mauritania Continent.”

 

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