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After the excitement settled down, the parties involved gathered together once more.

Duke Alexandra Petrovna, eager to take on her first apprentice, and Camila, who was uninterested in learning anything other than transformation magic.

There had been minor disagreements between the two sides, but surely there would be a consensus that satisfied everyone.

“The Duke wishes to take Miss Camila as her apprentice, and Miss Camila has her desires too. Given the northern issues, this discussion should be straightforward,” I said.

The Duke proclaimed she would award us for resolving the northern conflicts with Camila’s help.

Being the architect of modern magical society, the Duke must have a plethora of resources at her disposal. Surely, there would be something other than transformation magic that could pique Camila’s interest.

Naturally, I felt the same way.

I needed to steer their conversation and swiftly set the stage before either party thought of retreating.

“How much were you thinking?”

It was time to extort the Duke.

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

If I rewind the clock to reminisce about the past, the plan to extort the Duke came from my mind.

However, the one who provided the idea wasn’t me.

“What’s the reason the hero declined Grandma’s proposal?”

It all started with a conversation with Francesca.

The Magic Tower represents the magical community, and the Secretariat, which assists the Oracle at its pinnacle, contains high-ranking officials. Francesca held a position as a senior official closest to the peak of magical society.

Francesca couldn’t comprehend why Camila vehemently rejected the Duke’s offer to become her disciple.

“Being the apprentice of an Archmage is a coveted position….”

It’s a proposal a magician couldn’t refuse, so why was Camila turning it down?

Francesca had her doubts there. It was a product of an exceedingly magician-like thought process.

She promptly approached me and asked if I knew why Camila rejected the Duke’s offer, stemming from the fact that I was deemed the closest to her.

“Well, I’m not sure.”

But I also couldn’t provide a clear answer. I was equally curious about why Camila was throwing a tantrum.

So, I put my heads together with Francesca.

Watching Camila and the Duke bicker, we engaged in a deep discussion about how we might resolve this situation.

“Colonel, do you know what the hero likes?”

“A little. But can the Duke present anything that would capture Camila’s heart?”

“Grandma is an Archmage. As a Duke of the Empire, a figure of that stature can obtain anything.”

I began to recall what Camila liked.

“How about sweets?”

“Exquisite delicacies can be enjoyed elsewhere, not just in the royal court. While it’s an attractive option, it lacks uniqueness. What about spellbooks? I’ve heard the royal secretariat possesses many rare ones.”

“Spellbooks can also be acquired from the Magic Tower, can’t they? Even if there are books unique to the royal family, I have no certainty that would captivate Camila’s interest. If that were the case, she would have accepted the proposal when the Duke mentioned the Great Library of the Ivory Tower.”

“True, the hero wouldn’t know what spellbooks exist in the library….”

But as they say, when there’s no teeth, one must work with gums.

We successfully identified an option that might intrigue Camila amidst countless choices.

“Oh, wait a moment….”

“Did a good thought come to you?”

“Recently, a diplomat from the Mauritania Continent gifted Camila a magical tool — a dragon sculpture that moves using magic.”

“A dragon….”

“I heard he said they could show a living dragon if you visit their country. Doesn’t that sound uniquely appealing?”

Meeting a living dragon in exchange for becoming the Duke’s apprentice. That sounded like a decent option.

Of course, there were minor issues, like the fact that dragons were endangered and even renowned scholars could only find them in encyclopedias or reference books, with no living dragons to be found on the entire continent. But who cares about that?

After all, it would be the Duke’s job to find a dragon.

Francesca pondered my words with a serious expression.

“I heard the royal family possesses a deceased dragon. Rumor has it the Imperial Ministry of Magic grinds its bones to make potions for when the Emperor or royalty falls ill.”

“I know that. And it’s not just a rumor; it’s true.”

“But there wouldn’t be a living dragon in the Empire, would there? Can the Duke really show a living dragon to the hero?”

I shrugged as I replied.

“What does that matter? After all, finding a dragon would be the Duke’s task. If she wanted a dragon, she should have raised at least one from the royal family.”

“That’s a rather irresponsible thought. But it’s an enticing suggestion.”

“Surely it wouldn’t have to be a dragon.”

“For instance?”

“A talking cat or an intelligent monkey, perhaps?”

Whether creatures like the Cheshire Cat or Caesar exist in this world is uncertain, but to pique Camila’s interest, at least that much would be necessary.

What’s crucial is that the Duke must present something that captures Camila’s attention. That is a problem the Duke must resolve.

“It wouldn’t hurt to bring something back after all this effort to catch a demon. And didn’t the Duke say she would reward us as well?”

“She did mention that.”

“Then let’s make a wish too. You must want something as well, right?”

“…….”

There was no response, but the outcome was already pretty much set.

“First, let’s calm the situation. Please go and give the Duke a hint. I’ll speak with Camila.”

Francesca separated the Duke from Camila, and I subtly suggested an idea to Camila.

Thus, the Duke Extortion Group was formed.

*

The negotiations concluded successfully.

There were some minor noise with Camila steadfastly refusing to become an apprentice and the Duke expressing her difficult request, but ultimately everyone involved in the conversation was able to achieve their goals.

“Camila has accepted the Duke’s proposition. The official announcement hasn’t been made yet, but she’s agreed to attend the Duke’s magic classes starting tomorrow. Of course, instead of receiving magic education, there will be a price to pay,” I proudly declared our victory.

“—You extorted from that old woman?”

“Yes.”

“—…….”

Leoni maintained silence for a while. She had just been woken up at 2 AM in the residence to receive this report.

While the formal report would come first light, I had shared the rough situation with her in advance.

Leoni seemed astounded that Camila would become an Archmage’s apprentice, yet not only would she not pay for it, but she would actually receive compensation instead. However, what’s done is done.

I had secured substantial rewards from the Duke through negotiation. They were items I could convert into cash at any moment.

There was enough money for me to purchase a mansion in Abas City and buy a holiday property for a villa, yet I remained completely unfazed.

I confidently confessed to Leoni that I had received a bribe and promptly exchanged the items for cash.

Remarkably, this entire process was carried out with the approval of the Military Intelligence Agency.

It was all possible because the money’s origin was well-documented.

“…Ah, nice.”

Having succeeded in extorting the Duke, we gathered at a hotel to raise a toast.

The sweetness of orange juice blended well with grenadine syrup, and as I tipped my glass back for a big gulp, I couldn’t help but exclaim in delight.

“Exceptional.”

“Feeling that good, are you?”

“Of course. I received several times my retirement bonus in one go.”

“Oh my….”

Camila, taking a martini, shook her head, looking exasperated. It was a vodka martini shaken, not stirred. Her favorite cocktail frequently appearing in movies.

The hotel bar provided by the cult was empty since only we were staying there for security.

I polished off a tequila-based cocktail and ordered another drink.

In the meantime, Camila leaned against the bar, sipping on her martini, which was half-finished.

“Oh, by the way. Where did Francesca go?”

“She went upstairs to rest, saying she’d had enough.”

Camila and Francesca also…

“I’ve managed to acquire quite a lot. I received it in kind, but the two of them got something different instead of money.”

“Well, didn’t it end well? The Duke has a new disciple, and you get to learn and receive various things from him. I’m just glad to get a few crumbs in between.”

“Is that really a lot for crumbs?”

“Either way, it’s the same.”

“I can’t even live with all this… It’s just ridiculous.”

“Who’s saying that?”

In Francesca’s case, she received all sorts of precious materials and magical tools necessary for alchemy.

Even for her, a bureaucrat from the Secretariat, it wasn’t easy to acquire such items, and if converted to money, they were worth the annual budget of a fair-sized city.

But among the three of us, the one who grabbed the most shares was none other than Camila.

“But isn’t Camila the one who got the most loot?”

“Don’t call it loot! It feels like an actual raid!”

Of the three people gathered there, Camila had indeed secured the largest share.

The Duke had showered her with so many gifts that it was a stretch just to name each one.

“Let’s see… access rights to the Royal Secretariat, magical tools stored in the Central Bank of the Magic Tower, relics from ancient mages, potions that enhance magic power, and even admission to the great library of the Ivory Tower.”

Camila received most of the items the Duke offered. To be precise, the Duke had practically dumped them on her as gifts.

It was so excessive that labeling them as mere gifts felt inadequate, and each one was immensely valuable, but this was to be expected.

After all, Camila was British.

Isn’t it a specialty of the British to seize treasures from foreign lands?

“Wow… Truly a British thing to do. At this rate, you’ll soon establish a British Museum right here.”

Camila clutched her nape, shivering in anger. Having heard the joke about the world’s largest hoard of stolen goods, she was shaking with suppressed rage.

Even in a situation where it wouldn’t be surprising for her to explode with rage, she couldn’t unleash her usual snark, as the gifts she received were actual stolen goods.

“The ‘Droplet of the Sun’ from the 7th-century Nurman family treasure, the ‘Arak’ harvested from the World Tree during the Eastern royal expedition, and the ‘Oikos Code’ compiled by the sorcerers of the Kuam dynasty.”

“…….”

“Did they specifically choose only the artifacts pillaged by the Empire from other nations? It’s baffling.”

Among the dozens of options the Duke presented, Camila had only selected a few. Yet, upon looking at the actual items, she found that many of the gifts she had chosen were foreign artifacts.

Ancient artifacts that the Empire had pillaged over thousands of years through conquest.

Whether by coincidence or a twist of fate, those artifacts ended up in the hands of a British woman.

“Camila. Be honest with me. You knew they were stolen goods, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t know! If I had, I wouldn’t have chosen them in the first place!”

Camila pouted with an expression full of unjust indignation, even leaning on the bar in despair.

“Seriously! Who gives stolen goods as gifts?! If that’s the case, you should’ve said something from the start!”

“Why? Were you planning on just picking out stolen goods?”

“Gaah!”

I chuckled to myself, sipping the Pimms I had ordered from the bar, watching Camila convulse in outrage.

“I know, Camila. You weren’t really planning on receiving things, were you? You were hoping for an animal instead, right?”

“…That’s true.”

From the outset, Camila had requested animals instead of objects from the Duke.

Talking cats, flying fairies, living dragons, and the like. When Camila asked whether she could see a dragon, Alexandra Petrovna had shown hesitation, but after pondering for a moment, she responded that she would look into it.

Of course, this process wasn’t smooth sailing. The special animals in this area were dangerous enough that even seasoned mages found them difficult to handle.

But who is the Duke? He’s one of the only two Archmages in the world.

A request that an ordinary mage might decline was accepted by the Duke without any hesitation. In fact, he even wondered, “Is that enough?”

The problem was that the items he gathered were artifacts pillaged from foreign lands.

Nevertheless, with the Duke taking this approach, Camila’s mood improved. No, it wasn’t just an improvement; she was genuinely thrilled.

Especially the fact that the Duke mentioned using an owl as a substitute for mail was the final blow. Faced with an owl that could carry letters, Camila lost her mind and caused a ruckus, insisting she would learn anything if she just got one owl.

In the end, she accepted the owl and took the other gifts the Duke had given her.

“They said they’d send the other animals as they acquire them later. For now, the Duke has a few things in stock, so I should come by tomorrow… sigh… I can’t even begin to imagine how to raise all those animals.”

“Then next time, ask for land instead.”

“Are you saying I should keep them in the wild? That’s not such a bad idea.”

“No, I meant to grow opium there and sell it for silver. Do you think my ancestors will foot the bill for feeding them?”

“Stop messing with me!”

*

“Ah, Camila. Can I ask you something I’m curious about?”

“What is it?”

“When the Duke asked you if you wanted to learn magic, why did you firmly refuse?”

I placed my cocktail glass down and posed the question that I had wanted to ask her for a while.

Camila fell silent, contemplating as she gazed at her martini. It seemed she was carefully selecting her words.

After a moment of deliberation, she lifted her drink and swallowed the martini in one gulp before replying in a remarkably serious tone.

“It’s just strange.”

“What’s strange?”

“Everything.”

Camila continued her elaboration.

“Offering to teach me magic upon our first meeting, showering me with so many gifts… It’s not common for someone to treat a total stranger this well, is it?”

“That’s true. There’s no such thing as a favor without a price.”

In this world, there’s no such thing as a favor without a price.

Especially in a world where even priests sell the grace of God for donations, who would try to shower someone like Camila, with no ties to them, with gifts?

There are intricate interests underlying every benefit that Camila receives. She isn’t ignorant of this fact.

“So I was a bit worried. I want to learn magic, but someone who suddenly shows up with gifts offering to teach magic seems suspicious, doesn’t it?”

“Oh.”

“What’s with the ‘oh’?”

“I didn’t know you were such a cautious person.”

It was a joke.

How could I say that she wasn’t cautious when she had figured out that I was from Earth and even done her research?

However.

“But whatever scheme the Duke has, figuring it out isn’t your responsibility. It’s mine.”

It’s my job to deal with any problem that arises for Camila, as well as to prevent problems from popping up in the first place.

“So, Camila, don’t worry about anything and just focus on practicing magic. If any issues come up, I’ll handle them.”

Camila looked down at her martini without saying a word.

After some time had passed, after a long silence, she smiled and raised her glass.

“Then I won’t hold back and will ask you for help.”

I raised my glass in response.

“But if I mess up, you’re taking responsibility. I know nothing about magic.”

“Hasn’t there been a time I didn’t help you?”

“That’s true.”

The two glasses clinked together, their clear sound ringing through the bar.

It was a night filled with the fireworks of a new saint being born, filling the night sky of the Holy Land.

*

After drinking for a while with Camila, I returned to my room.

And not long after, I received word from someone from the Cult.

“Colonel. The Saint is calling for you.”

It was a summons from the Saint.

 

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