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Just returned from the hotel, a chill was dripping off Camila’s body.

I let Camila in.

“Have you been out this whole time?”

“I was just away for a short trip due to some work at the frontline.”

Camila said it nonchalantly, and as I boiled water, I asked if she would like something to drink.

“Anything will do.”

“Then I’ll make you coffee.”

Placing the kettle on the table, I turned on the power, and the spell began to glow red as it heated up.

By the time the rich aroma of coffee filled the room, Camila, sitting on the sofa, casually started the conversation.

“Nothing interesting happening lately?”

“Of course.”

“Really?”

“Yep, nothing at all.”

Camila chuckled playfully.

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“Seriously, there’s nothing happening.”

I replied in a monotonous tone.

Clink. Two sounds followed as the plates and cups rattled. Having prepared two cups of coffee, I generously added sugar to Camila’s.

“Thanks.”

Camila smiled and thanked me before taking a sip of the steaming coffee.

I stirred my coffee with a teaspoon.

“How’s everything lately? Still burning down the forest?”

“Yep! I burned down a mountain today!”

Camila beamed with that lively response.

“The Naroda Mountains have been unattended for years, and the deep forest is untouched by human hands, so there are lots of monsters. Thanks to winter, many monsters are hibernating, and when we set fires, they come scampering out in surprise, and I caught them all.”

Her tone was surprisingly upbeat, considering she was talking about burning monsters along with the forest. I took a sip of coffee with a skeptical look, but Camila continued her story without a care.

“But I doubt there have been many because the Imperial Army keeps hunting them down regularly. Don’t you think you’re exaggerating a bit, Camila?”

“Oh, don’t even get me started. At first, it was so quiet; I thought it was just a forest, but once the trees started burning, giant insects like humans sprang up from the ground! I felt like I was in Starship Troopers.”

Using a movie metaphor for what she saw, Camila waved her hands around, all animated.

I nodded as I sat across from her.

“Seeing you joke like that shows you have some leisure time. It’s nice to see you so consistent.”

“Hehe.”

“Right, is there no problem with work?”

“Aside from being a little cold, I have no problem! When I’m transported by car or waiting before a mission, it gets so cold I don’t know what to do. But once the forest starts burning, it actually gets hot enough to sweat.”

Camila flapped her arms and legs as she enthusiastically explained the situation.

“Occasionally, monsters pour out of the forest like a flood, but then the army takes care of it. They all fight well, by the way.”

“The troops deployed to the Northern Regions are all elite forces. By the way, to meet the deadline by next year’s founding day, we need to finish our offensive preparations before winter ends. What do you think? Do you think it’s possible from your perspective, Camila?”

“Offensive preparations? How would I know?”

“Oh, right….”

She wasn’t an information officer; she was a civilian.

As I savored my coffee, Camila pouted, clearly displeased, and grumbled.

“Did you just ignore me in your head?”

“Of course not.”

Camila sipped her coffee with a sulky face. Seeing her like that made me chuckle, and she yelled at me not to laugh.

“Don’t laugh!”

“Okay, okay. Just drink your coffee. It’ll get cold.”

*

We chatted over coffee.

It wasn’t a meeting for any special purpose, so there weren’t any set topics.

Just a bunch of trivial content filled our conversation.

“I think the smell of burning is clinging to my clothes and hair after burning almost every day. It feels like it won’t come out no matter how many times I wash it.”

“That smell is hard to get rid of. Personally, I think it’s best to just change clothes that smell of smoke. If you don’t want to do that, you could spend a little money to have them cleaned or ask a magician. There are magicians who can clean things up neatly with magic.”

“That’s a good idea.”

We talked about those small inconveniences in life, too.

“By the way, what are Lucia and Francesca up to these days?”

“They’re both working. The administrator is busy rebuilding infrastructure in the North, and the Saint… well, she’s the same as always. Healing the sick and taking care of the refugees.”

“It would be nice if we could at least say hi every now and then. It’s hard to see their faces these days.”

“Everyone’s busy, so there’s nothing we can do about it.”

We talked about Lucia and Francesca.

Since their areas of activity didn’t overlap, the three of them didn’t see each other as often as before. Even I, in charge of communications, found it hard to gather Camila, Lucia, and Francesca in one place.

I shared the news about the two who weren’t present with Camila, and since Lucia and Francesca were curious about her wellbeing too, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to share updates about Camila with them next time the opportunity arises.

“So, how about you, Camila? Any fun stuff happening?”

“Where’s the fun in a time of war? It’s all gloomy stories…”

Camila’s shoulders drooped. Just imagining it seemed to tire her out, and she spoke with a weary voice.

“The atmosphere at the frontline feels a little odd.”

“Atmosphere? What do you mean by that?”

“It just seems strange as a whole. I can’t really explain it by pinpointing one thing.”

Camila began to list out what she had seen, heard, and felt at the frontlines.

“The frequency of monster sightings in the mountains has definitely increased. The soldiers say it seems to be more than usual.”

“Monsters are everywhere. The monsters in the North have a remarkable reproductive capacity, even in harsh climates, right?”

“Even accounting for that, it seems strange. No matter how unattended it is, and despite the area not being touched by humans, they’ve been working hard to eliminate them recently, and with the record snowfall bringing a sudden cold wave, monsters keep popping up.”

“The Military Government Headquarters hasn’t said anything yet.”

“I’m not sure about that side, but the people at the frontline are feeling puzzled. Especially those who have lived in the North for a long time.”

“….”

The story didn’t end there.

“There are also rumors that the monsters have become more ferocious.”

“More ferocious?”

Monsters tend to get more aggressive in winter. They become more violent and aggressive to survive when their food runs low.

However, Camila’s explanation seemed to deviate slightly from that notion.

“Yes. There are cases where they attack crops or livestock to survive winter, but right now, the monsters in the Naroda Mountains are attacking people first instead of farms or ranches. Of course, it could be due to the unusually cold wave affecting their food supply and the area turning into a battleground, leaving no fields or farms nearby… but still, isn’t it too ferocious?”

“….”

“Oh, but what I’m saying now is just from hearsay without proper investigation or statistics, so it’s not certain. It’s just how people feel intuitively.”

Camila added a disclaimer, but even considering that, it was a significant concern.

I set down my coffee and gazed at Camila.

“Is that all? Besides the frequent appearance of monsters and the fact that they’ve become more violent?”

“Speaking of which….”

Camila stroked her chin, deep in thought.

“Although I haven’t been at the front for long… I feel like there’s been less of an attack from demon kin recently.”

“…Demon kin aren’t attacking the Imperial Army?”

“No, they are still attacking. How should I put it… it’s just that they don’t seem to attack as fiercely as before? Originally, they would bombard from the sky and directly assault the defense lines, but I’ve heard that things have been quiet for a few months now.”

“…….”

I’ve heard that somewhere before. If I think about it, it was probably when I first visited the Imperial Ministry of Defense.

Unlike last year, it was said that the offensive from the demon kin had stalled. The exact reason was unknown, but the Imperial military…

I determined that now, while the demon race is not actively engaging in battle, is the best time to prepare for an offensive.

So, here we are in the Northern Regions.

In fact, Camila, Lucia, and Francesca have all been busy organizing the mountains, rebuilding the transportation network, and restoring medical facilities in preparation for the offensive operation scheduled for next spring. The Imperial government and military are also sparing no effort to assist us.

To question why the demon race suddenly halted their offensive is a foolish inquiry. How could they launch continuous offensives during wartime? Even for demons, sustaining an attack against the Imperial Army for over five years is no easy feat.

Yet, the situation feels a bit strange.

“……”

Combat Magicians and Inquisition Officers have been killed, and the combat priest who went missing from the Mauritania Continent has appeared in the Northern Regions. Monsters, whose origins are unknown, are simultaneously assaulting the rifts, and enemies presumed to be Necromancers or Possessed Persons are running rampant in the North.

After decades of the Imperial government maintaining complete control over the North, undead creatures that hadn’t even been reported are suddenly popping up, and residents from four villages have disappeared without a trace.

Is the demon’s lull in offensives truly just a coincidence at this timing?

I found myself lost in thought for a moment. Camila, slumped on the sofa, murmured in a weak voice.

“The atmosphere lately feels really unsettling. It’s like suddenly, the guards are sticking close, and the foreign volunteers that were supposed to come haven’t shown themselves at all… It seems like the higher-ups know something, but not a single person is spilling the beans.”

“…The higher-ups?”

“The generals. They show up on the frontlines occasionally. When people from the Magic Tower or the Cult appear, they tend to avoid that space, like they’re really trying to dodge an uncomfortable encounter.”

That’s right. They’re avoiding the clergy and magicians.

Lower-ranking officers might not be aware, but senior officers and chief sergeants surely have at least a general understanding of the North’s current situation.

Even if they don’t know all the details, they must have picked up on the fact that the Cult and the Magic Tower are tangled in the various issues occurring in the North. If they were that oblivious, they wouldn’t have risen to that position in the first place.

A delicate tug-of-war is unfolding between the Cult, the Magic Tower, the Empire, pro-Empire dictatorships, and Abas. That sums up the state of the North.

The Imperial government, not wanting to reveal the chaos happening in the North, is tightening its media restrictions and controlling information. But the moment a foreign Ministry of Foreign Affairs official slips up, it would only be a matter of time before everything blows up.

Thus, the Imperial government has indefinitely postponed the entry of foreign war correspondents, as well as foreign volunteers other than those from the Cult. They know all too well how much more challenging it is to keep a lid on foreigners than on their own citizens.

Of course, I was no exception.

I had been thinking of establishing an aid organization to allow the information officers to operate comfortably in the North. But the Imperial government suddenly overturned everything, throwing my plans out the window.

‘By the way, Colonel. What was the other request you mentioned earlier?’

‘There are plenty of aid organizations at the Magic Tower, right? Let’s borrow some volunteer identities.’

‘Ah, that’s a bit tricky. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refused visa issuance, so foreign volunteers can’t even step foot on Imperial soil right now.’

Thanks to that, I was left to suffer alone. Honestly, when it comes to the Imperial folks, I have to admit they really know how to mess things up.

While I was deep in thought, resting my chin on my hand, suddenly, a white palm popped into my view. The delicate hand gestured up and down, drawing my attention.

The owner of that hand was none other than Camila.

“Excuse me?”

“…Oh, yes. What do you need, Camila?”

“Nothing, really. Your expression looked way too serious, that’s all. I was just wondering what was bothering you so much.”

Camila, lowering her hand, plopped down on the sofa.

She casually blurted out, “You don’t need to bear that weight all by yourself.”

“Pardon?”

“If you have worries, feel free to talk about them at any time.”

The playful gesture of her waving her hand seemed to have vanished. Setting down her teacup, Camila smiled brightly like a child and met my gaze.

“I don’t know what it is, but you don’t need to struggle alone. If you have something worrying you that you can’t solve on your own, why not tackle it with someone else?”

“……”

“I was just trying to say something since you weren’t responding when I called. You were sitting there with a serious expression.”

Camila added that if it got too tough, I should just talk to her.

Her words struck a chord in my heart. How should I put it…

“……”

I looked at Camila, who had casually responded, with an expression of disbelief.

“Come on, how am I supposed to trust the person who got roasted in a cornfield in Africa and had to pay off a farmer due to your company’s legal team?”

“Ah, why do you remember that?!”

“Hey, you mentioned it first…”

“Forget it right now!”

Camila flailed her arms in protest, but sadly, I wasn’t getting hit anytime soon.

Of course, I hadn’t forgotten about Camila’s embarrassing backstory either.

*

Things felt ominous, and it seemed something was indeed happening, but my daily life went on unchanged.

I headed to the Military Government Headquarters, attended meetings, and kept in touch with Camila, Lucia, and Francesca, fulfilling my duties as a Colonel and colleague.

The investigation tracking the Inquisitor or Necromancer in question was gradually yielding results. Although the reliability was questionable, I had obtained intelligence that people resembling the suspect had been spotted in both the big city and the countryside of the North.

“Hmm… So, the eyewitness accounts from the big city came from children, while the countryside claims came from the military?”

“Yes. To be precise, it was foreign troops moving to another region who saw someone resembling an Inquisitor by the roadside.”

Troops from a pro-Empire dictatorship. Forces sent by the royal family, dictators, and warlord leaders to dangle before the Emperor.

Among the many armies of those dictators, one claimed to have spotted an Inquisitor in the countryside. There were also rumors from Pippin and Charnoy, who saw the Inquisitor in the big city, but since those came from children, they’re less trustworthy compared to military reports.

Of course, neither source could be considered entirely reliable. It was a matter of comparing beans with beans.

“Charnoy! Organize the data. We need to head to the Cathedral ASAP, so do it as quickly as possible.”

“I’m on it, moving quickly!”

I organized the documents and set off for the Cathedral. I needed to hand over the materials to Archbishop Theodosius at St. Basil’s Cathedral.

As someone from an exorcism background and who lectured on Inquisitions and Grand Exorcisms at the Theological Institute, he should be able to utilize the data far better than a novice like me.

And of course, as someone vouched for by Petrus, the risk of a security incident is ‘almost’ nonexistent.

Anyway, I stuffed the documents into my briefcase and made my way to the Cathedral.

Having visited Lucia so many times, even the Military Government Headquarters and the translation officer, Senior Lyudmila, were busying themselves with their own tasks after just hearing my destination.

So, I arrived at the Cathedral without any interruptions.

But then…

“Ah, Saint! You can’t do this! This is something that cannot be handed over to others!”

“I’m just borrowing it for a moment. I’ll return it safely, so please let go, Brother.”

“Even if my eyes fill with dirt, I can’t possibly hand this over!”

“Seriously, let go before I really fill your eyes with dirt.”

“Ack…!”

“……”

What in the world is happening now?

 

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