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“The military stationed at the collapse site has begun to report patients.”

Francesca said.

“The situation is spiraling out of control. The troops and firefighters who were leading the site control are now coughing up blood and complaining of migraines.”

Symptoms have started appearing among those managing the collapse site.

“How serious is it?”

“Vomiting, hematemesis, coughing, diarrhea, chest pain, migraines, sore throat, auditory hallucinations, hallucinations, and so on. The symptoms are diversifying. The medical personnel, priests, and magicians are all clueless about what’s going on.”

The situation has become quite serious.

It might be far worse than I anticipated.

“Is the Empire aware?”

“Just received the news from the Imperial Ministry of Magic, so the Military Government Headquarters should have been informed by now. The Cult has probably heard about it too.”

That means the situation is still unclear.

I donned my winter coat and asked.

“Where is Veronica right now?”

—

Episode 12 – The Most Powerful Magician in History

—

The North has been turned upside down.

Unfavorable news accompanied by biting winds has struck all groups operating in the northern regions.

“Manager, the intelligence officer at the Military Government Headquarters is asking if they can have a brief call.”

“The foreign military officer we met last time keeps calling. What should we do?”

“Damn….”

The loud ring of the phone fills the air.

The magnitude of the major accident at the collapse site was staggering. Calls flared up from the early dawn of New Year’s Eve.

After wrapping up my call with the Military Government Headquarters major, I sighed deeply before speaking heavily.

“I just compiled the reports from the site, and it seems one company got obliterated.”

Jake raised his eyebrows and questioned me.

“Is that true…?”

“Would I lie about that?”

Given the urgency of the situation, the Military Government Headquarters surely had a less clear understanding, but even considering that, hearing that a single company had vanished was something not to be brushed aside lightly.

“While it’s termed a company, how would we know if it was a company or a battalion that got wiped out in this circumstance?”

I casually placed the cigarette I had between my fingers into the ashtray, which was overflowing with butts large enough for several adults to use.

“Which forces were deployed to the site?”

“It was the medical units drafted from the rear’s legion and division…!”

“Oh my… They’re in big trouble. If the medical unit is gone, where would they get treatment if someone gets injured?”

“What should we report to the company?”

“For now, report what you have, and don’t collect the incoming data; just escalate it immediately. The embassy will sort it out.”

We were just as flustered by the unexpected crisis.

“When reporting, what should we note as the cause?”

“How the hell should I know right now, you café latte screw-up!”

“No, Manager! Why am I a café latte?”

“You’re a little black bean, what should I call you, cocoa?”

“Damnit…”

We were hyperventilating as we sifted through what seemed to be useful intel from those calling in.

“Ah, yes, it’s me. I heard there was an incident at the site. Are the people dispatched from your fire department and hospital safe? Oh, patients came from there too? Well, what about those who worked far away from the site? They’re fine? Then how’s the Cult and the Magic Tower handling this? I heard Administrator Ranieri’s people were there. They’re safe too? Got it for now. Yes, the Military Government Headquarters will issue instructions soon, so please wait a bit. And if possible, please evacuate anyone safe to a location as far away from the site as possible. Thank you.”

I held the phone tight and ran around until dawn, sweating profusely.

In this damned crisis, we were trying to salvage any scrap of information to prevent getting the fallout.

But the Military Government Headquarters was a step ahead.

The Imperial Military Government blocked all roadways leading to the city, moving their forces in.

On a biting winter day, the northern metropolis was shut off.

—

Over the past month, the situation in the North has grown increasingly urgent.

Murders, monster attacks, missing residents, undead appearances, necromancers and demons showing up, unexplainable abnormalities, and so on.

It was a succession of days that could hardly be described as urgent.

However, the decision to completely seal off a major city by the Military Government Headquarters came far too abruptly.

“All roads leading into the city have been blocked.”

All routes into the metropolis were cut off by military forces.

Makeshift checkpoint stations were set up at every road, and heavily armed military police began halting vehicles heading towards the city.

Given the nature of the state of emergency in the North, seeing checkpoints is typical in any city, but this time, the checkpoints were on another level.

“Barriers with spikes, concrete blocks instead of sandbags, and armored vehicles with surveillance equipment were all stacked up. They’ve practically turned it into a fortress.”

“Hmm….”

Veronica, making a subtle face, leaned on her office chair.

“The Military Government Headquarters is coming down much harder than we imagined.”

The sounds of busy priests filled the office through the windows.

Priests and monks, loaded with supplies and sacred items in a truck, were ready to rush to the site the moment the Saint ordered it.

However, Veronica, the one leading the operation, was merely pressing her temples with a complex expression.

“It seems like this is rooted in something demonic…”

“Has the Inquisition found out anything?”

“Not yet. It seems we need some information from the Secretariat of the Inquisition to properly establish the cause. Otherwise, we can only hope the Magic Tower finds out first. They might have some information on necromancers or demons.”

Veronica added that she’d already requested Francesca to investigate. Currently, she was mobilizing all her connections from her time in the Secretariat to gather data.

“Anyway, if a demon is buried under that pile of stones, we need to find and exterminate it. Or we could have the magicians command to move the boulders to grind it alive. By the way, what’s the situation inside the city?”

“I don’t know up to that point. We can’t access it, let alone share information.”

The Imperial Army that sealed off the metropolis has not allowed any group to enter the city.

Regardless of the Cult, Magic Tower, or foreign troops, even the Imperial Army forces remain on the outskirts, unable to enter.

Given the deployment of troops engaged in some serious labor along the borders, it seems the Imperial Army won’t be invading the city anytime soon. Naturally, this means the priests of the Cult can’t enter the city either.

“It seems the Military Government Headquarters has imposed a block on access. The entire city appears to be isolated.”

“I’d say you’re right about that.”

Veronica let out a deep sigh and continued in a weary voice.

“It seems the high-ranking generals of the military are completely terrified. They won’t let even the Clerics of the Cult or the Magicians of the Magic Tower through. It’s absolute chaos.”

“Alright, we get what the central government thinks. But what does the Military Government Headquarters say?”

“Apparently, they’re considering that there’s an epidemic spreading in the city right now.”

“Epidemic?”

The reason people were showing symptoms was the corrupted energy rising from underground. It was a somewhat unbelievable fact, but it was the truth.

They confirmed that the area had been tainted by Lucia’s cross.

The Inquisition and the Imperial Ministry of Magic had mobilized their equipment to collect a large number of samples from the scene, investigating the causal relationship between the corrupted energy and people’s abnormal symptoms with support from the Magic Tower.

In fact, the first person to confirm the contamination was an Imperial Soldier who entered the scene in Lucia’s stead.

While the exact cause and resolution would only be known after the investigation was finished, those who understood the situation were already fully aware of why the scene had turned into such a mess.

But an epidemic?

What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that?

I placed my hands on my hips, appearing utterly baffled.

“I’m not getting it. The Ministry of Magic must’ve sent a report to the Ministry of Defense, so why is there talk of an epidemic here?”

But it seemed the frustration was mutual on the other side as well.

“I’m curious about that too, Colonel. Even if Lucia and Francesca try to explain it directly, they just won’t listen…”

“Explain? To whom?”

“Who do you think?”

With a sigh, Veronica snapped back.

“Is there anyone other than the one person who can shut down the city with just a finger from the north?”

*

The Military Government Headquarters is based on the martial law of the Kien Empire.

As is the case with any dictatorship where the military holds great power, the Military Government Headquarters possesses extrajudicial authorities.

Listing out what those extrajudicial powers entail would only be a waste of breath. Just take a look at the countless journalists who have met a gruesome end while trying to dig up dirt on the dictator in regions declared under martial law to get a general idea of what those powers involve.

For that reason, crossing the threshold of the Military Government Headquarters has always been a burden for me.

It’s a different level from roaming around a third-world country in an anarchic state or a region with loose national surveillance.

The Kien Empire is closer to China and Russia than to some dictatorship in Africa or the Middle East. The moment you apply for a visa, your personal information gets exposed, and the trauma of being followed as soon as you land at the airport still lingers twenty-eight years later.

However, my reluctance today wasn’t simply due to the vicious counterintelligence activities of the Empire Information Agency.

“The Commander is waiting for you. Please, come in, Colonel.”

“……”

Under the cloudy, ash-gray sky, I stepped into the sliding elevator guided by a Military Government Headquarters executive armed with a pistol.

*

Arriving at the highest point of the Military Government Headquarters, I reached General Mikhail’s office.

It had been quite a while since I last visited the commander’s office, and it looked just as it always did. The monotonous design and plain furniture remained unchanged.

People were just the same too.

General Mikhail, who commands the Military Government Headquarters, was seated at his desk, hard at work.

His posture, always steady in the same spot, gave off a rigid vibe that was nearly devoid of humanity.

He didn’t lift his gaze from the papers even upon my arrival, only acknowledging my presence after scribbling his name in the signature box.

“It’s been a while, Colonel.”

In response to the Commander greeting me in Abas, I casually returned the gesture.

“It’s been a while, Commander. How have you been?”

General Mikhail merely nodded his head, his response exceedingly mechanical and bland.

Normally, I might’ve attempted to engage in small talk, but since the atmosphere was anything but friendly, I promptly dove straight into the main subject.

“I’m sorry to hear about the situation in the north.”

Considering my status as a diplomat, I refrained from adding any unnecessary comments.

However, General Mikhail, who had advanced through the military ranks to becoming a general, easily caught on to the implications of my words.

“You’ve come regarding the matter of the blockade, haven’t you?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The major cities in the north were sealed off by the order of the Military Government Headquarters, a directive given by General Mikhail himself.

“I know that was your command.”

The blockade of major cities in the current circumstances is not solely a matter concerning the Empire.

The Cult wants to eradicate the demons. The Magic Tower has similar concerns. Abas feels the same way.

While it was somewhat puzzling that the Imperial Army would choose to seal off a city prior to the offensive operations set for spring, it ultimately had to be lifted in order to achieve what the Empire Military desired.

The demons rampaging in the north are the biggest variable and obstacle to the offensive operation.

In order to push forward with the offensive operation, the breath of the demons, presumed to be buried underground, needs to be cut off. Aside from that, there’s also the need to purify the scene, which has been thrown into chaos by the corrupted energy.

Thus, I had come to request General Mikhail to lift the blockade.

“Please lift the blockade.”

I cautiously continued, maintaining a polite demeanor.

“While I completely empathize with the cautious decisions made by the Imperial Ministry of Defense given the severity of the situation, I believe the Cult and the Magic Tower need to take more active steps to resolve the fundamental causes of this incident. The Imperial Ministry of Magic is in agreement, so if it’s alright with you, I’d like Lucia and Administrator Francesca to convince the military generals…”

“I think there’s a misunderstanding, so let me correct one thing.”

General Mikhail interrupted me sharply.

“The decision to impose the blockade was made not by the Ministry of Defense but by the Military Government Headquarters.”

“Pardon?”

“The one who ordered the city to be blocked is me, not the Minister of Defense.”

With a stiff tone, General Mikhail bluntly laid out the facts, fixing his arid gaze upon me.

“I issued the order for the blockade based on sound reasoning. Therefore, as the commander who deployed my authority, I will respond accordingly.”

“……”

“I cannot lift the blockade. Under no circumstances.”

 

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