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The early winter morning has dawned. Cotton candy-like mist hazes the window.

As I trace a line on the glass, droplets swell and trickle down its surface.

Gazing at the thinly spread fog, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve landed right in the middle of a cloud.

A faint breath escapes my lips, and as I fully open the window with my fingertip lifted off the glass, a world dyed in silver unfolds before me.

At that moment, the sun, perched on the mountain ridges, starts to unveil the mist and paint the eastern sky in a bright crimson hue.

“……”

The dispersing mist and the brightly ablaze sun.

Wrapped in the warm air penetrating through the glass adorned with dew droplets, I closed my eyes, using the armrest of the sofa as a pillow.

—

Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints.

—

It has been quite a while since we left the North.

The Naroda Mountain Range, towering several times over the Taebaek Mountains, had burned halfway through, and the previously neglected infrastructure finally regained its form.

Monsters that had been hiding in the forests to escape the cold were now aflame, patients suffering from ailments regained their health, and the threats of demons and necromancers that had plunged countless people into fear also vanished.

The changes surrounding the North instilled confidence in the Empire’s generals.

As a result, the date for the offensive operation scheduled for this spring was moved up by several months.

That was just a few days ago.

[The counteroffensive that the Kien Empire has been preparing since last fall has begun. The Imperial Ministry of Defense stated that just a week after announcing the counter-offensive operation, the Kien Empire’s military at the Naroda Mountain front has launched ‘Operation Torch.’]

As news from the Empire flowed through the radio, Camila, seated at the table, sipped her water.

“When will it end?”

“Well, who knows.”

While we need to monitor the situation closely, there was no doubt that the Empire’s military would reclaim the North.

Camila, Lucia, and Francesca had resolved significant issues that could hinder the operation (the monsters of the mountain range, patients, transportation networks, etc.).

Not only that.

We also played a crucial role in capturing the hiding demon, who had been scouting for an opportunity to create havoc in the rear.

Thanks to us handling problems that the Military Government Headquarters should have been concerned about, they could concentrate on mobilizing troops and supplies and reinforcing their battle strategies in preparation for the offensive.

As a result, even though the date for the offensive was moved forward, the Empire’s military continued to rapidly advance North.

Anyway.

What mattered to me wasn’t the issues of the North right now.

I turned off the stove and swiftly pulled out a plate.

“Alright, it’s done.”

Piping hot pancakes are placed onto the plate. The fragrant scent of maple syrup is intoxicating.

As the knife cuts through the fluffy stack, the soft golden insides peek out shyly, too delicate to be described.

The blueberries precariously perched atop plopped onto the plate’s surface.

Finally, the maple syrup cascaded down the sides like a waterfall, moistening the toppings and cake, concurrently eliciting a gasp from Camila.

“Wow…!”

With a beaming smile, Camila began to devour the pancakes.

The neatly cut, large pieces of cake vanished into her mouth.

With a grin plastered on her face, on Camila’s left lay scattered bits of bacon, tomatoes, and hash browns, while on her right, a mountain of plate remnants of (what used to be) bread loomed.

“Mmm….”

Just as I managed to set the heap of plates I was clutching down into the sink, Camila raised her hand softly.

“What do you need?”

“Another one, please.”

“…Again?”

“Hehe….”

Leaving behind the awkwardly smiling Camila, I went to make another pancake. The stack that had previously been five was now down to just one.

As I placed the last pancake on the now empty plate, I nudged Camila, throwing a question her way.

“So, you ate six today, huh?”

“I just wasn’t in the mood to eat.”

“…?”

What did I just hear?

I alternated my gaze between Camila slicing pancakes and the crumpled packaging lying on the kitchen floor.

She had polished off an entire meal’s worth of ingredients I had seen earlier that morning and was casually swallowing the final pancake.

Observing her munching like a wild boar raiding the GOP’s garbage, I let out a deep sigh and covered my face with my palm.

How did I end up playing the maid?

Suddenly, memories of less than a week ago began to resurface.

—

It was a morning of victory.

The assassination operation was a success. At the point where the scene cleanup and alibi creation were completed, the link between the Abas government and the assassination had been completely severed.

At the military port, a ship bearing the same name as a certain Abas navy vessel, which no ordinary naval sailor had ever boarded in their lifetime, docked, signaling the Military Intelligence Agency to declare the operation a success.

The operations team sent by the Royal Intelligence Department safely returned home, and I also began preparing to head back, having been waiting at the Embassy.

However, an unexpected situation arose.

“What? Administrator Ranieri has gone to see the Magic Tower’s public security officer?”

– ‘Yes, that’s correct.’

Francesca went to see the Magic Tower’s public security officer.

To be more precise, she confessed.

“No way. Why’d she go there?”

– ‘We don’t know the full story, but according to an information agent within the public security office, Francesca Ranieri has confessed to murdering wizards….’

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Francesca went to confess to the public security officer the moment dawn broke.

She declared that she had killed four of her subordinates, who were necromancers, in the northern regions of the Kien Empire.

As evidence, she presented a rune sword along with magical tools used in the murders, and she also submitted crucial evidence including the possessions and documents of the necromancers she had in her possession.

Thus, Francesca, who had confessed, was arrested by the Magic Tower’s public security.

– ‘They seem to be quite flustered over there, as this situation came out of nowhere. Our branch will be keeping a close watch…’

It was a completely unforeseen circumstance.

An informant being arrested by the public security? This was not a trivial matter.

Of course, Francesca wasn’t one to wish for self-destruction, and she wouldn’t go digging her own grave like that. She must have had her reasons.

But that was Francesca’s situation.

Mine was a different story.

“Communications security. Situation Room Chief, Colonel Frederick Nostrim of the Kien Empire speaking. The reason I’m calling is…”

“Yes, I just found out too. About the Magic Tower branch….”

“It’s Sophia. Can we talk now?”

“I’ll take the necessary measures according to the regulations. I’ll check if there’s any information left in Francesca’s hotel room. If there is, I’ll take care of it and report back. Yes.”

“Communications security….”

I was losing my mind trying to answer the calls coming from the office.

Few knew about my position within the Military Intelligence Agency. Even fewer knew that Francesca was an informant.

The problem is, the ones who knew were high-ranking intelligence officials.

And if you sit in such a position, it means you can access the urgent intelligence reports coming from overseas branches.

Even if that wasn’t the case, many people knew that Francesca and I were colleagues.

Those who merely knew me as an attaché began to call, probing me with questions, wondering if something had happened to Francesca or if I knew anything.

Thus, the people contacting me turned into two distinct groups.

Those contacting Colonel Frederick Nostrim, the defense attaché stationed in the Kien Empire, who’s a colleague of Francesca.

And those contacting me as the overseas intelligence officer of the Military Intelligence Agency.

This time, the person calling me was clearly from the latter group.

“Communications security. Kien Empire’s regional intelligence officer Fred….”

– ‘Oh, it’s me.’

“Oh, Chief.”

As the morning meeting was just ongoing at the Military Intelligence Agency, Clevenz was on the move around the Embassy, clutching the phone when he reached out to me.

– ‘Francesca confessed?’

“Yes.”

– ‘Oh no. Did someone stab you in the back? What on earth did you do to make an informant confess? Oh dear, tsk tsk….’

“That’s not it….”

– ‘I’m just joking. I just heard from the Magic Tower Embassy staff that I met a moment ago.’

He shared intelligence he had gathered from domestic sources. The source was human intelligence from the Abas-assigned Magic Tower diplomats.

– ‘The Magic Tower Foreign Affairs Department seems to be unaware of what’s happened. The same goes for the public security agents dispatched to the embassy.’

The Magic Tower’s Foreign Affairs Department didn’t even know that Francesca had confessed. Likewise, the public security agents dispatched to the embassy were completely in the dark about the situation back home.

Clevenz described the situation at the time as follows.

– ‘When I asked why Ranieri was arrested, they all asked in disbelief at first. They seemed to think our staff was playing a prank or something…. After making calls to the ambassador and acquaintances back at headquarters, they returned to me, ashen-faced, stating they’d contact me next time and hastily exited….’

“Did they really not know anything?”

– ‘If the overheard conversations were indeed factual, then that’s likely the case. Even if that weren’t true, they didn’t strike me as the type to be lying either…’

“Yes.”

One of the embassy employees well-known as a classmate of Francesca reportedly tripped over his own feet and fell as he was leaving.

According to Clevenz, the diplomat from the Magic Tower, disguised as a Foreign Affairs employee from Abas’ agency, wasted no time and drove straight to the embassy after his fall.

-“It’s shocking to hear that an executive from the Secretariat and a descendant of an Archmage committed murder, after all. The reaction was a bit excessive, though.”

“Hmm….”

-“Anyway, there’s no need for major concern.”

Clevenz also handed over a wealth of material gathered from the overseas section.

Receiving an urgent report from the Magic Tower branch, Leoni summoned the inspectors and external personnel dispatched to the Military Intelligence Agency. She gathered elite legal professionals who specialized in international law, Magic Tower regulations, and Kien Empire legislation, instructing them to conduct a thorough legal investigation into Francesca’s crimes.

They examined whether the act of killing four Necromancers qualified as a justifiable excuse for illegality, what penalties the prosecutor might seek if charges were brought, and how the court might rule on the matter, among other considerations.

The elite members of the legal community, rifling through legal codes and various precedents, quickly drafted a report for Leoni. That draft was subsequently passed on through Clevenz to me.

-“Based on the analysis of the Magic Tower and Kien Empire laws and precedents, it seems likely that immediate punishment can be avoided.”

“Really…?”

-“In a place where bounty is placed on the necks of elves flitting about the Northern Regions, do you think a bounty wouldn’t be placed on a Necromancer?”

Having killed the fleeing or threatening Necromancers, and present proof that the deceased were indeed Necromancers, Clevenz suggested that one could easily claim self-defense or emergency eviction.

But there remained a lingering issue.

-“Ultimately, it’s up to the judge to render a verdict. Whether or not charges will be pressed lies in the hands of the prosecutor. The overseas section is sifting through the Magic Tower Justice Department and police, so for now, let’s approach this calmly and watch the developments.”

“Yes, understood….”

-“Don’t worry too much. Get some rest and I’ll contact you later.”

I set down the receiver and took a drag from my cigarette.

But I didn’t light it.

With the cigarette dangling from my mouth, I began to open and close the cigarette pack repeatedly. The pack in my hand gradually bent, and the silver hinge of the twisted lighter screamed in protest.

Even as the spit pooled inside moistened the filter, the flame refused to ignite. After munching on the filter for a while with my dry lips, I crudely shoved the wet cigarette back in and exited the embassy.

There was no set destination.

I flew down the road with the window wide open to clear the stale air inside. The loud, ringing security mobile phone was thrown onto the passenger seat, the battery removed. My personal mobile phone was in a similar state.

I wandered through Petrogard aimlessly until quitting time, but my scattered mind showed no signs of calming down.

And just as I arrived at the diplomat’s lodging—

“…Huh?”

I hurriedly exited the car at the sight of a familiar woman loitering in front of the lodging.

“What are you doing here, Lucia?”

“Oh, you just arrived.”

It was Lucia.

Dressed in pure white symbolizing a saint, Lucia flashed a bright smile. Her uniquely braided blonde hair gleamed like the sunset, radiating brilliance.

Holding a suitcase in one hand, she greeted me. I gestured toward the luggage she was carrying.

“Where are you going? You seem to have quite a bit of baggage.”

“Did I not mention? Today is the day I return to the Cult.”

“Suddenly? No, why now of all times…oh right.”

As I spoke, it suddenly struck me that the Canonization Ceremony was approaching soon.

The holy ceremony that blesses the birth of a new Saint, one who has never existed in the history of the Cult more than two at a time.

Even a devout priest might only see such a Canonization once in a lifetime. That sacred event was near, and Lucia was its protagonist.

“I completely lost track of time. I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I understand you must be busy.”

Lucia nodded with a soft smile, conveying understanding, but soon her expression turned bittersweet as she spoke.

“Considering the residents, I’d like to stay longer in the Northern Regions… But with the offensive moving up, it’s difficult to stay any longer, and the Cardinal and Bishops are urging me to return as soon as possible, so I should head back now.”

“Preparing for the Canonization must be quite the hassle, huh?”

“It’s not a simple ceremony.”

In truth, the preparations for the Canonization had begun the moment Lucia became a Saint.

For the past few months, the high-ranking clergy of the Cult had been preparing for Lucia’s Canonization and Cardinal Raphael’s coronation simultaneously.

Rumor has it this would be hailed as the most extravagant Canonization and coronation in history. I’m not sure, but it sounds like the event will last at least three days.

Considering the usual papal inauguration takes less than half a day, that shows just how immense the expectations both the clergy and the general public have for the Canonization.

In other words, if anything goes wrong at the Canonization, public sentiment will also be in tatters.

So, what can be done?

The preparations must be meticulously conducted without any slip-ups.

“It sounds tiring. Good luck with it.”

“It’s no trouble at all. In fact, those responsible for preparing the ceremony will have it worse than I will.”

Despite the visible difficulties ahead, Lucia merely nodded calmly.

“By the way, I have one request, if you have the time?”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s about the Hero….”

Lucia cautiously opened up, worry etched on her face as she made her request.

“I’ll be busy running around, and Miss Francesca will likely be busy with matters at the Magic Tower. So, I’m bringing this up.”

Could you possibly look after Camila for a bit?

The moment I heard her request, I fell silent, deep in thought.

“……”

Fortunately, it seemed the news of Francesca’s arrest hadn’t reached Lucia yet.

She had asked me to look after Camila, who had nowhere else to go, to relieve some of the burdens on Francesca, who always seemed busy.

Lost in thought, I stared absentmindedly at the setting sun.

My pondering did not take long.

“…Sure, I’ll take care of her.”

“Thank you. I feel bad for troubling you.”

“Not at all. It’s just a job.”

So, I agreed to look after Camila on behalf of Lucia and Francesca.

And then…

*

Snapping out of my thoughts, I was left speechless at the appalling scene before me.

I clearly had bought groceries with both hands at dawn. What in the world was that?

In the kitchen lay the remnants of the packaging that the groceries from the supermarket had come in, scattered haphazardly, while a mountain of dishes filled the entire sink.

That was not all.

The table I had set up for us to gather around and eat snacks on the sofa was long overtaken by takeout food from outside. Snacks, carbonated drinks, and ice cream that had been stealthily hidden in the cart were also taking up space at the end of the dining table.

And in front of the table, occupying the plush sofa, was Camila, grinning with her hand resting on her belly.

“I think I’m going to burst….”

“……”

“The food at the Northern Hotel was so awful I couldn’t stand it. With the curfews, even the market’s closed…. It really reminded me of my service in Africa; it was so tough.”

I glanced down at the half-eaten pizza.

The pizza was cut into the perfect squares, akin to the way Britain tore through the African continent. Next to it sat an empty pizza box, and inside rolled a chicken box with only crumbs left.

Within reach was a card I had never seen before. It was Camila’s check card, made in her name.

Having conquered monsters in the Magic Tower and burned half the mountains in the Empire, she had been living on this for a week, indulging in food and fun.

“……”

Turning to check the time, it was now 11:22.

Camila’s breakfast, which had started at 8, had just concluded after nearly three hours.

In the townhouse of the Nostrim Family located in the capital of Abas.

As I walked into the living room, holding a plastic bag to collect recyclables, I let out a deep sigh at the mess that lay before me.

“Isn’t this a bit too much? Damn….”

On the seventh morning of my decision to stay with Camila, I finally realized today that Lucia had set me up.

 

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