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Among the magicians of the Magic Tower Secretariat, four have a history of operating in the same continent.

Mauritania Continent.

“The Mauritania Continent holds a significant historical meaning in the magical society. It’s the birthplace of curses and sorcery, famously represented by voodoo.”

“The birthplace of curses and sorcery, you say?”

“To be precise, it’s the region where primitive forms of curses and sorcery originated.”

Francesca continued her explanation.

“The Mauritania Continent is the area where the most artifacts from that field are excavated. Politically, shamans linked to indigenous beliefs have made great strides in the political scene, so the influence of the School of Sorcery and the School of Astrology is quite strong here.”

“You mean the priests.”

“Yes. The priests, including the divine representatives, are deeply involved in the politics of the Mauritania Continent. Based on their connections in the political arena, they also support the School of Astrology from the Magic Tower.”

Francesca explained that it was not unusual for magicians from the Magic Tower to visit the Mauritania Continent. It’s the origin of curses and sorcery, and a place where generous patrons of the astrology school reside; plus, the Ivory Tower, which competes with the Magic Tower, also exists in the Mauritania Continent.

At first glance, Francesca’s words seemed reasonable.

However, it couldn’t be overlooked that the person who ordered the background check on the secretariat magicians was none other than Leoni.

In that moment, I suddenly recalled a remark made by Clevenz.

“Leoni has been handling this for a long time. I can’t talk to you in detail due to circumstances, but do you remember what I said before? Before heading north.”

I briefly recalled the positions Leoni had held.

Former Head of the Kien Empire Branch of the Military Intelligence Agency.

Former Head of the Lushan Federation Branch of the Military Intelligence Agency.

Former Second Director of the Royal Intelligence Department’s National Engineering Office.

Current Director of the Overseas Intelligence Operations Department of the Military Intelligence Agency.

Lushan Federation.

A country located at the southernmost tip of the continent. A confederation of local lordships. A traditional maritime power ruling over a vast sea that rivals the Mediterranean, alongside Patalia.

The continent across that sea is,

“…Mauritania.”

Indeed, it is the Mauritania Continent.

Episode 12 – The Most Powerful Magician in History

After giving Francesca appropriate instructions, I strolled alongside the road for a moment to catch my breath.

Heavily armed military police and internal troops patrol the city center, surveilling the citizens. A soldier with a gun slung over his back watches the streets while smoking a cigarette, and at one corner, an internal troop officer gestures for a passing citizen to open their trash bag for inspection.

As a citizen wearing an awkwardly put-together coat coughed, the surrounding people frowned and quickly moved away, fearing they might catch a disease. The long line for supplies, braving the chilling wind, showed no signs of dissipating.

Familiar yet distant scenes flowed by like a panorama.

“…Senior Lyudmila.”

-“Ah, yes. Colonel.”

“I’m trying to find my way back to the hotel. Which direction should I go?”

Under Senior Lyudmila’s guidance, I arrived at the hotel.

It has been four years since this five-star hotel, once bustling with tourists from across the empire, was requisitioned by the Military Government Headquarters. The pride of Novo Nikolayevsk, the administrative capital of the north, now stood abandoned.

It’s certainly managed, but one might say it’s poorly maintained.

The outside looks fine, but there were tubes of toothpaste with barely any shelf life left unopened, and mold was growing in the corners of the wardrobe.

While it lacks in many areas, it’s still livable, so I have been using it without complaints. It’s far more comfortable than sleeping on the streets in rebel-controlled areas.

*Clack.*

I quietly opened the balcony door and stepped onto the terrace.

December’s winter. The dreary sky is filled with dark clouds.

As I pulled out a cigarette pack from my pocket, I sighed heavily.

“Ah… it’s already nearly empty.”

Inside the square cigarette pack lay barely five cigarettes. I had purchased it around lunchtime, and yet it was gone by mid-afternoon.

I should have quit when my classmates insisted I stop smoking. But in the end, I couldn’t quit.

Sizz—. The sound of flint striking ignited a flame.

For a moment, the familiar mix of oil and cigarette smoke tickled my nose. The harsh smoke soon vanished down my throat.

“……”

Leaning against the terrace railing, I silently gazed down at the scenery of Novo Nikolayevsk.

The sunset over the snowy landscape sprawled behind the towering buildings, and the Duke’s fortress along with the Military Government Headquarters stood in a glaring view of the city.

The sun, resting on the horizon, seemed to melt into the darkening night sky. As if fleeing from the night, the sinking sun painted the sky a crimson hue, heralding the long darkness ahead.

“…Huff.”

Dark clouds mixed with the crimson sky.

Deeply inhaled smoke filled my lungs, then vanished like the setting sun into the night sky.

As the darkness deepened, the worries I held in one corner of my heart also grew heavier. Backed by the twilight of Novo Nikolayevsk, I expelled a breath mingled with my sigh.

“Ha…”

The company had issued me two orders.

The first was to provide assistance for information officers conducting an operation suspected to involve an assassination, allowing them to enter the north.

The second was to investigate the background of the magicians linked to the Magic Tower Secretariat operating in the north and report back to headquarters.

At first glance, it seemed difficult to find any connection, but I instinctively sensed that the two orders were not separate matters.

“…I thought I was getting to work a bit more comfortably these days.”

Both orders came from the overseas department. Specifically, from the head of the Overseas Intelligence Operations Department. In other words, the orders came from Leoni.

While I did not know the exact reasons Leoni intended to assassinate the secretariat magicians, considering the workplaces of the magicians and Leoni’s previous positions, I could guess that the Mauritania Continent was somehow involved.

Indeed, Leoni was at the Lushan Federation.

Having once been in charge of a branch in the kingdom…

Typically, the overseas branches of the Information Agency are assigned specific countries or regions. For instance, the Washington branch oversees the U.S., the London branch takes care of the U.K., and the Tokyo branch manages the information network and operations within Japan.

However, in less than ideal circumstances, a single branch may handle multiple countries simultaneously. This often occurs when conducting operations in countries without diplomatic relations, where a neighboring branch supports the operations team and builds the information network.

Take, for instance, my time working in Syria.

Since South Korea has no diplomatic ties with Syria, the branch adjacent to Syria backed our team’s operations. From finances to intelligence and supplies, the branch provided us with all its resources.

In this context, it’s plausible that Leoni, who led the branch in the Lushan Federal Kingdom adjacent to the Mauritania Continent, might have some reason to assassinate the magicians operating in the Mauritania Continent.

Nevertheless, the situation in the Northern Regions is far too delicate for such simple speculations.

……

The swarm of corpse spiders and giant spiders that attacked the Rift turned out to have originated from the Mauritania Continent.

Romain Sheir, presumed to have killed four Inquisition Officers and made the residents of four villages vanish, is a battle priest who went missing twenty years ago while assisting an exorcist in the Mauritania Continent.

And Hormoz, who provided intel on the inquiry, is also a Dark Elf from the Mauritania Continent. To be precise, his tribe roams the very area of the Mauritania Continent.

Furthermore, the sorcery that Romain Sheir revealed to a little brat. Francesca explained that the roots of all existing curses and sorcery lie in the Mauritania Continent.

On top of that, there are magicians who have worked in the Mauritania Continent and Leoni, who has also led branches in adjacent countries.

Monsters, monks, Dark Elves, sorcery, magicians, and information officers. At first glance, these seemingly independent elements are all connected by the Mauritania Continent.

In the current situation, what might this speculation imply?

It is a question that cannot be easily answered. I know I should avoid rash conclusions, yet I couldn’t help but let my thoughts lean in one direction.

Amidst the chaos of baseless suspicions and musings spinning in my mind, one question emerged late yet distinctly.

In a situation where nothing can be assured, can I indeed guarantee the safety of Camila and her companions?

……

I found myself contemplating while gazing at the Northern city.

The sun had completely vanished beyond the horizon, and profound darkness had arrived. The weight of my worries grew heavier as the night deepened.

Suddenly, I noticed my hand resting on the railing. The last cigarette stub burned down to the filter. The little remaining cigarette had long since made itself evident, and even my mast had reached the time to let go.

I took the cigarette burnt down to the filter, inhaling deeply. Then I reflected on when I had started smoking.

……

Was it when my father died, and it was just me and my mother living together?

No. It was when I held the coffin containing my father’s remains; I deeply felt the burden my mother carried as she alone had to raise a child.

I didn’t have the means to even attend the academy, where everyone else went after work, so what face did I have to buy cigarettes?

Was it when I entered college and got my first part-time job?

Not that either. I struggled to scrape together the tuition and joined the ROTC, hardly spending the money given to me, but saving it instead.

It was the same when I was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Every night, when I returned to the dorm, sitting at my desk, I would gaze at the pictures of France sent by my college friends and poured all the money I had into savings. Back then, my mind was totally occupied with the idea of traveling to France after my service.

In the end, I never even got to serve and never got to see France.

At one point, I had resolutely refused the cigarettes my uncle offered, clinging stubbornly while looking at the pictures taped to the wall. And now, look how I’ve changed.

I was sharing those expensive Cuban cigars with my colleagues, pretending to quit while, habitually, I ended up smoking a pack a day.

Looking back now, it seems like that was the start of it.

When the long-term review was passed. When I first joined the company in Seocho District with my uncle.

Yes, that was the beginning.

……

While I ground the last cigarette into the ashtray perched on the railing, I sniffed sharply. The night air was cold.

As I stood there smoking, ungracefully facing the wind, I realized I might have caught a cold without even realizing it. I emptied the ashtray into the trash and tidied up my wallet to head out to buy more cigarettes.

It was then.

-Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on my door.

Since the hotel had no peephole, I opened the door to see who it was. As I caught a glimpse of the visitor’s face through the crack of the door, I opened up wide without a moment’s hesitation.

“Camila.”

“Oh, you were inside? But what’s that smell?”

“Ah… it’s nothing. By the way, what brings you here?”

“Just came by.”

The person who had come to my hotel room was none other than Camila.

She appeared suddenly without any premonition and answered with a bright smile.

“I just wanted to see your face.”

 

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