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Who’s coming?

Even before I could utter such a question, I arrived at the scene. Until the very moment I got there, I couldn’t shake off the doubt that what I heard was correct, but—

The sight before my eyes was so vivid.

I couldn’t utter a word as I took in the surrounding scenery.

Flapping banners and the double-headed eagle symbolizing the Kien Empire.

A parade of honor guards stretching as far as the eye could see.

A red carpet that extended out straight without a single wrinkle.

And.

The largest airship proudly displayed by the imperial navy.

A familiar face descending with flowing silver hair.

“It’s been a while.”

The Duke of the North and the great Archmage.

Alexandra Smirnov appeared at the cult’s holy site.

—

Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

—

The appearance of Duke Alexandra Petrovna was unexpected. She had remained hidden from public view for several years, abstaining from external activities.

When she appeared leading the delegation as the representative of the empire, people could only display expressions of disbelief.

Those who had been cut off from news of the North since the declaration of martial law were often bewildered by the arrival of a forgotten great figure. Even veteran diplomats, seasoned in their field, were taken aback.

Her arrival was therefore sudden, magnificent, and at the same time, bewildering.

“…What is that person doing here?”

The duke, disembarking from the airship, walked with confidence along the red carpet while being reviewed by the cult’s honor guards.

At that sight, I could only stare in disbelief.

“What do you think, Colonel?”

Francesca approached me with a broad smile, whispering.

“Not the heir of an Archmage, but the Archmage herself has graced us with her presence. There shouldn’t be anyone left who would speak ill of me now?”

“Is that really what’s important right now?”

“Ah, it seems you’ve stopped worrying about me for a while… Your mind seems to have changed. The saying ‘you come out differently than you go in’ could apply here, huh?”

As I covered my face with my palm to hide my frustration, her melodious laughter rang in my ears.

Francesca, with a knowing smile, stopped her teasing and asked in a serious tone.

“Then what is important to you, Colonel?”

“No!”

I pointed at Duke Alexandra Petrovna and shouted quietly.

“That person bombed Lateran in the past!”

—

Alexandra Smirnov. A direct descendant of the Smirnov royal family and the aunt of Emperor Nikolai VI, she is both the Duke of the North and the magician of the Magic Tower.

The title of “Magician of the Magic Tower” is somewhat misleading. Unlike Francesca and other magicians who hold dual nationality with Patalia and Magic Tower, she is a pure citizen of the Kien Empire.

Members of the Smirnov royal family are not permitted to acquire foreign nationality.

With great power comes great responsibility, and the power of royalty correlates with bloodline. Duke Alexandra was of noble birth, being the legitimate child of the late emperor and his lawful wife, the empress, and she is the aunt of the current emperor.

No matter how extraordinary a magician may be, as long as royal blood flows through their veins, Alexandra must obey the longstanding customs and regulations of the imperial family.

The issue is that Alexandra Smirnov is not just any magician, but an Archmage.

Archmages.

The great magicians who founded the Magic Tower and fought against the cult.

Archmages are respected and welcomed everywhere, except in the cult.

That’s because Duke Alexandra was the general leading the Magic Tower’s forces during the war against the cult. Her greatest achievement from a historical standpoint was the large-scale bombardment at Lateran, the heart of the cult.

“…….”

At the beginning of the war, the Magic Tower was on the defensive.

Though receiving support from foreign governments, they were outmatched in every aspect compared to the cult, which possessed a systematic army backed by numbers and experience.

When battles ensued, the Combat Magicians of the Magic Tower were swept away without resistance by the blades of the Knights, and the Inquisition’s dagger found itself lodged in the throats of Magic Tower diplomats who had ventured far and wide to seek support. The cult dedicated everything to tearing the Magic Tower apart, and the tides of war turned instantly, plummeting the morale of the magicians.

In that situation, Duke Alexandra bombed the cult’s holy site, Lateran. Together with a cadre of ten, which included four Archmages, she undertook this perilous mission.

Capture meant death. In truth, simply succeeding in infiltration would have been a miracle.

To slip into the heart of the cult, strike its main facilities, and return to the Magic Tower while avoiding pursuit required three miracles.

It was a mission undertaken with the resolve to face death, and—

It succeeded.

The magicians flew over Lateran, raining down magic upon the city. The headquarters of the Inquisition, the headquarters, and the cathedral where the pope resided.

Although only three places were attacked, all three assaults were successful. Startled by the appearance of the magicians, the cult hurriedly canceled their offensive and withdrew their troops, providing a vital respite for the beleaguered Magic Tower. Their morale was boosted as a bonus.

It was precisely because that operation succeeded that the Magic Tower exists today.

From that perspective, politically, historically, and militarily, Duke Alexandra is regarded as a figure deserving of the highest praise.

The problem is, this is the heart of the cult, Lateran.

And the one who turned this city into ruins a century ago is none other than Duke Alexandra.

I stared blankly into space, lost in thought.

Then, it struck me.

“…Has she finally lost her mind?”

To walk into the city she bombed herself? Such a feat was beyond the imagination of a regular person.

“Is this what they call tea-bagging or something?”

What kind of face does she have to come to Lateran? No, why did the cult allow the duke to come to Lateran? Did the cult perhaps send her an invitation first?

As various complicated thoughts flitted through my mind, the anchor on the screen quickly recited the duke’s news.

[This morning, Duke Alexandra Petrovna appeared at the cult’s holy site of Lateran. After years of self-imposed isolation, she made her public debut as a representative of the Kien Empire, attending the canonization ceremony of Saint Lucia…]

[As dawn approached at around 4 AM, under strict security, the vehicles of Duke Alexandra Petrovna’s entourage entered one by one. At the hotel entrance where the duke is staying, a massive barricade and security checkpoints have been set up. While Kien Empire’s security personnel kept watch, the armed Papal Guards patrolled the outskirts of the hotel…]

Upon arriving in Lateran, the duke was entering the hotel along with her entourage.

Accompanied by imperial bodyguards and the guards from the cult, the ministers of the Imperial Foreign Affairs, Industry, and Land ministries—all aged in their fifties—were seen dutifully escorting the duke, who had just crossed into her thirties, into the hotel in a brief moment captured by the reporter’s camera.

What a ridiculous scene it was! Men who looked to be the duke’s fathers were flustered in front of a woman of their daughter’s age.

However, once one recognized that this seemingly youthful woman is one of the legitimate heirs of the imperial family and the well-known aunt of the tyrant Nikolai VI, who left a significant mark on modern world history, it would be understandable that beads of cold sweat formed on the faces of the ministers on screen.

And the one who noticed this fact sat right next to me.

“Wow, those people really look pitiful.”

Munch munch. Camila, who was watching the television, crunched on the nuts she had pulled out of the bag. Whether it was the rich flavor filling her mouth or not, she licked her lips and continued speaking.

“That duke on screen. Is she the one whom Lucia sent a letter to asking for help with capturing demons?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm, when I only saw her portrait, I thought they exaggerated her looks a bit. But I didn’t realize she was maintaining such youthfulness.”

“…….”

“I feel a strange sense of déjà vu, as if I’ve seen her somewhere before… Did I meet her in the North? My memory is a bit hazy and I can’t recall.”

As Camila, wrinkling her brow while gnawing on her nuts, suddenly turned to me and tilted her head.

“By the way, why are you sweating so much?”

In the end, life is often a comedy when viewed from afar but a tragedy when seen up close.

Just like in life.

As I sat next to Camila tearing open a bag of nuts, I was coldly sweating while staring at the missed calls flashing on my screen.

“…I’m going crazy.”

Ever since the duke’s image hit the news, my phone has been ringing like crazy.

Was this a dream or reality? But both my work phone and personal phone were shining bright, so it must be reality.

Rubbing my eyes haphazardly and staring blankly at my phone, I finally snapped back to the situation at hand.

“Ugh, damn it…”

Those who have a nose for news didn’t bother going through the embassy and called me directly.

Perhaps due to the past few months of cleaning up after my associates, Camila, Lucia, and Francesca. Whenever they became entangled in some issue, everyone started looking for me first.

And unfortunately, this incident involved one of those three—Lucia, to be exact. The place where the long-hidden Duke of the North had first shown herself was none other than Lateran, where Lucia’s canonization ceremony was scheduled to take place.

“Ouch… You’re really having a hard time. Can I help you?”

“Just eat your nuts….”

Camila looked at me with the eyes of a cat lady gazing at a stray cat. Her gaze oozed sympathy, and her tongue tapped against the roof of her mouth as if savoring—

The streets were in chaos.

I needed to take the important calls first. Swiftly, I prioritized and began clearing my line.

It was the work phone from the embassy of the Kingdom of Abas, displaying a direct line number. I decided to let it slide.

Calls were also coming in from diplomats I encountered passing by the Magic Tower. While they called themselves diplomats, it was essentially the heads of the Royal Intelligence Department overseas. I dismissed that call too since it could wait.

For a while, I was preoccupied with checking numbers and hitting the decline button. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, embassies, foreign diplomats, and military personnel—all of them.

After frantically declining calls one after another, I finally managed to press the answer button for the first time.

The first call I received was from Leoni at the Military Intelligence Agency.

-‘What’s going on?’

As soon as the connection was made, Leoni bluntly demanded an explanation. I quickly relayed the summarized situation to her.

Next came another call from the Military Intelligence Agency. This time, it was none other than Colonel Clevenz.

-‘Heard the news. The Duke is there?’

“Yes.”

-‘Have you found out anything?’

I answered his question, but I didn’t have any substantial information to share.

That’s because I had just learned about the Duke’s arrival myself. I didn’t even know the Duke was coming here in the first place. My only interaction with the Duke was merely watching from a distance with Francesca.

However, I did have some intelligence gathered over the past few days from my agents. I opted to relay only the concise and relevant intel while filtering out the mundane chatter.

-‘So, Pope John XVI managed the visitor list for the Empire, did he?’

“Yes.”

-‘That means both the Church and the Empire had already reached an agreement for Duke Alexandra to participate in the canonization ceremony…’

“Considering the Duke’s status, various government departments, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Intelligence, likely held consultations. The royal family’s approval probably came into play as well.”

-‘Naturally. What about the Magic Tower? Did the Oracle know the Duke was participating in the canonization ceremony?’

“I don’t believe so.”

-‘Hmm. I see…’

The Empire and the Church had quietly schemed together. The mighty archmage, Duke Alexandra, had decided to attend the canonization ceremony as the representative of the Empire.

However, the very place where magic is centralized—the Magic Tower—had no clue about this. While Francesca seemed to have some prior knowledge, she was an exception.

The crucial point was that both the Empire and the Church kept the Duke’s visit completely under wraps until the moment the airship landed in Lateran.

And no one had given a heads-up to the Magic Tower’s government.

Not even the archmage Duke.

At this juncture, my former superior and my current one had only one thing to say.

-‘Go find out what’s going on.’

-‘You’re going to have to work hard on this one.’

That was all they had to say.

*

Leoni, who tossed me all this work, gave me a budget along with the orders.

A slush fund. Blind money that didn’t require reporting no matter how it was spent, perfect for embezzling.

Showing my discontent at having to work, I hurried to the hotel where the Duke was staying as soon as I received an amount equivalent to years of my salary.

Upon arriving at the hotel’s main entrance in casual clothes, I couldn’t help but gawk at the sight before me.

“…Wow, it’s packed.”

The five-star hotel chosen as the Empire’s diplomatic lodging stood out from the entrance. The first thing that caught my eye was the black curtain completely covering the main entrance.

To prevent any unfortunate incidents from happening at a predictably trafficked entrance, the Church had controlled all access points to the Empire’s hotel and set up a massive screen. Not to mention, the Papal Guard was guarding the hotel area, abandoning their traditional ornate uniforms for heavy modern armaments.

That wasn’t all.

Looking up, I saw heavily curtained windows packed throughout the hotel. The building reached toward the sky, with hundreds of rooms—none of which was left uncovered.

What does this mean?

“Could they have rented out all those rooms…?”

The Empire had booked an entire floor of the hotel for the diplomatic delegation.

Not just that. Just before the arrival of the airship, diplomats from the Empire’s embassy refunded and expelled all existing customers staying at the hotel, all for the sake of the royal Duke, Alexandra.

I had just minutes ago seen families comfortably resting in their rooms. Now, they were suddenly homeless and loitering outside the hotel, so I disguised myself as a journalist and approached them for contact.

“They said we had to vacate the room suddenly?”

“That’s right! I mean, we were all sleeping when they knocked and woke us up. It looked urgent, so when we went outside, the staff were running down the hallway knocking on doors. At first, we thought there was a fire or something!”

“And then what happened?”

“They suddenly asked us to vacate the room, but at first, we refused. It’s clear that the reservations would be tight because of the pilgrimage, so how could we leave after scheduling months in advance? They insisted they’d refund us fully, but we still argued. Just when we were squabbling, suddenly some sharply dressed guys came in, saying they’d refund us and arrange accommodations if we just stepped outside to talk.”

I noticed a lot of people nearby having the same experience as that family. I cautiously played the role of a journalist and managed to get some interviews.

However, there was a limit to collecting information in this manner. Since the Empire had rented out the entire hotel, simply inquiring among civilians wouldn’t help me figure out which room the Duke or the ministers were in.

Not if they were civilians, that is.

I took out my mobile phone and connected to the embassy of the Kingdom of Abas. Luckily, it seemed someone was still in the office, as I could hear their voice before the third ring.

“Oh, hello. Long time no see. How’s the weather over there?”

-‘Yes, I think we can talk for a bit.’

“Good. So, a parcel just arrived, and it’s something important. But I’m currently out, and I have no way to check if it was delivered properly. Could you check to see if the contents inside are intact?”

-‘Eavesdropping was unsuccessful.’

The information officer from the embassy said the results of the eavesdropping regarding the Empire’s diplomatic delegation’s lodging.

-‘The Duke and the diplomats entered the hotel 20 minutes after officials from the Imperial Guard and the embassy arrived. Up until the moment the vehicle arrived at the main entrance, the conversation inside the hotel was picked up by the listening devices, but whatever they did, communication and voices could no longer be heard.’

“It seems the buffering material was remarkably sturdy.”

-‘Yes, it appears to have been prepared against eavesdropping and wiretapping.’

I quickly scanned through the information collected by the official agents.

All of the hotel rooms had plush carpets and thick curtains. Different from construction materials that reflect sound like marble, carpets and curtains inherently absorb sound.

It seemed the official agents from the Empire’s intelligence agency and the Imperial Guard, upon arrival, not only meticulously closed the curtains but also installed separate equipment to block eavesdropping.

-‘There’s a suggestion that entering the hotel to gather information directly might be a good idea. However, as this could escalate into a diplomatic issue, I doubt permission will be granted from higher-ups. Just thought you should know that such discussions are ongoing.’

“Oh dear, thanks. Take care.”

I glanced at the impregnable stronghold that was the hotel while taking a puff on my cigarette.

No eavesdropping can succeed. Inquiry won’t yield any results. Even attempting infiltration was out of the question.

I even thought of reaching out to hotel staff or approaching embassy employees, but by now, the Imperial Guard or counterintelligence would surely be lurking around the Duke, their eyes like fiery red bloodshot.

So, that route wouldn’t work either.

This was a complete deadlock.

“Ugh….”

Letting out a long sigh, I scratched my eyebrow. Should I seek out Veronica or Francesca?

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

-♪

A familiar melody hit my eardrums. Clenching the burning tobacco in my mouth, I pulled out my phone from my pocket and checked the number displayed, letting out a smirk.

Speak of the devil, and he appears.

“Hey, what’s up, Francesca?”

On the other end of the line came Francesca’s voice.

-‘Colonel, the Duke is looking for you.’

 

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