Chapter 30
Everything has a causal relationship.
There are promised laws in this world.
There are no unsolvable problems, and there is no road without a way to move forward.
All you need to do is search.
Now, as everyone wanders in a thick fog,
I am seeking a way out.
—
Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent
—
In the Military Intelligence Agency’s communication interception office.
Two men and women sat facing each other on makeshift chairs.
“I see you know something fun, why not spill it?”
The soldier asked, and the civilian answered.
“Will you grant me asylum?”
“Let’s hear it and then I’ll decide.”
“No way.”
The agent replied, while the saint answered.
“The asylum process is complicated. It requires the approval of the parliament and cabinet, and ultimately, the royal family’s consent.”
“Please, at least promise me verbally.”
“I don’t have the authority.”
“Ugh, really?”
Veronica scratched her head in annoyance.
“Why are you doing this?”
“I’m a soldier.”
“Ha.”
“If you provide info, I’ll persuade the higher-ups.”
Veronica stood up from her chair and started pacing around the office.
Seeing her biting her nails, she seemed anxious.
That woman is calculating right now. To assist her calculation, I offered a deal.
“Just give me the information. Then I’ll promise at least minimal protective measures.”
“Really?”
She finished her calculations.
“Yes.”
“Got it. So how will you protect me?”
“Let’s hear it first and then decide.”
“Ha.”
Veronica scoffed and sat back down.
She squinted her eyes and pondered for a few minutes.
“What information do you want right now?”
“Why Raul teamed up with Nation 2. And why Nation 2 is causing a ruckus.”
She fell into thought.
But her contemplation didn’t last long. Veronica slumped and lit a cigarette.
“The story is a bit complicated.”
“That’s fine.”
“Then let’s start with the tale of the Imperial Guard HQ.”
Finally, a path began to reveal itself.
—
The predecessor of the Kien Empire’s Imperial Guard HQ was an intelligence agency.
Subversive criminals with malicious ideologies.
Political prisoners challenging the authority of the royal family.
Spies undermining the nation’s interests.
The Imperial Guard HQ thrived on their blood.
Sure, numerous departments have since emerged, including those focused on overseas operations, but the Imperial Guard HQ existed for the Emperor.
The name itself suggests that, doesn’t it? Imperial Guard HQ.
The Imperial Guard HQ is broadly classified into two branches: Domestic Affairs (Counterintelligence – Espionage – Security) and Overseas Affairs (Overseas Operations).
Branch 1 is what everyone thinks of as public security.
Branch 2 is commonly associated with spies.
However, the Imperial Guard HQ Branch 2 has a fatal issue.
“The Overseas Operations Department is not solely for the Emperor. It exists for the Empire.”
“Please elaborate.”
“The department is one that the royal family and nobility share.”
What a department where two powers exert influence simultaneously describes.
Anyone familiar with modern bureaucratic systems knows exactly what nonsense that is.
It means the president and political-business elites are sharing control over intelligence agencies.
How is that even possible? It’s because the Imperial Guard HQ expanded and restructured with the involvement of nobility.
“I don’t know well since it’s almost a century ago, but the intentions of nobility were heavily reflected when Branch 2 was created.”
“What intentions?”
“You know intelligence agencies support businesses, right? So, what does that mean?”
“Nobles are using intelligence agencies to make money?”
“Yep.”
Veronica took a deep breath and expelled the smoke.
“For a long time, merchants involved in trade acted almost like diplomats.”
She continued with a calm tone.
“When the Imperial Guard HQ was being restructured, the Emperor borrowed money from them. Intelligence agencies require a lot of funding, you see?”
“True.”
“It wasn’t enough to cover it with the Emperor’s slush fund. The imperial authority was weakened, and they couldn’t freely spend the budget.”
“So, the nobles provided immense capital, and since it’s impossible to silence them after feeding them money, they were given a piece of the pie?”
“Exactly.”
What crazy nonsense.
The Overseas Operations Department being used for the nobles’ profit.
No matter how much of a fantasy it is, that doesn’t make sense. Is the Emperor losing his mind?
“Why not just take the money and deal with the nobles straight up?”
“Doing that would dry up the Empire’s funds. I told you, they’re trade merchants.”
That started to make sense.
Even in modern society, while you can arrest a CEO, wiping out all major corporations is impossible. Otherwise, the national economy will collapse.
If a president messes with the economy, he loses power and ends up in prison, but if an emperor does the same, he ends up on the guillotine.
“But the royal family isn’t stupid; they’ve added a few safeguards.”
“What are they?”
“Counterintelligence and soldiers.”
The Counterintelligence Department conducts anti-spy activities overseas.
Secret operations, and among them, the Special Activities Department oversees the use of force.
They’ve made watchers and wielded the sword.
It seems the Counterintelligence Department used the dead operatives like puppets. In this light, I can understand a bit.
It seems the Emperor is using the Counterintelligence Department to keep an eye on the Overseas Operations Department.
“And they placed royal family members in key roles within Branch 2.”
“So what do the nobles do with Branch 2?”
“Obvious stuff. They siphon off technology, sign contracts, lobby, and extract people.”
“So they did everything for profit.”
“They did fulfill the overseas operations duties diligently as it was a contract.”
Branches 2 were managed simultaneously by the royal family and the nobles, each taking care of their interests.
Nobles for money, and the royal family for information.
All of this was information we weren’t aware of. That meant the royal family and nobles had maintained strict security. It meant no betrayals.
Yet, now someone inside Branch 2 has betrayed.
Veronica referred to that someone as “subversive elements.” In other words, a force opposing the royal family.
“What’s the reason for the faction within Branch 2 teaming up with Raul?”
“For profit. And also to form a good relationship, I suppose.”
Profit. Good relationships.
“The faction is using the cult to conduct business, and Raul is saying he’ll become pope. Their interests align perfectly.”
Religion is profitable.
Especially in a chaotic world like this.
And Raul is someone with a strong lust for power. According to Veronica, Raul made the first contact attempt with the internal faction.
Such detailed background stories don’t come up in games. Perhaps it’s because I was unable to play the game all the way through.
Other people are throwing the punches, yet somehow I feel like I’m the one getting hurt.
So now, I ask Veronica.
“The operative from Branch 2 delivered a bomb, and an insider from the cult received it. Are you implying Raul detonated it to kill me? Why would he do that?”
“Because it aligns with the interests of the nobles and Raul.”
The saint created by the Empire began to explain the complex web of interests.
“Everyone knows I became a saint with the Empire backing me, right?”
“Yeah.”
“The orphan from a baronial family who caught the right tide and became a saint—what do you think the power-hungry old man was thinking?”
Raul is full of ambition.
But he has no political foundation and is deeply compromised with Raphael.
Yet, he’s witnessed a girl supported by the empire becoming a saint.
So, what would come to mind?
“Raul is trying to become pope by using the power of Branch 2.”
“Bingo.”
“But is there really a need to create a pope? Since there’s already a saint, from the Empire’s perspective, whether there’s a pro-Empire lobbyist or a pro-Empire pope doesn’t matter.”
“It’s enticing because it allows for direct transactions without intermediaries, but due to my situation, the nobility wants Raul to become pope.”
Veronica.
The orphan chosen by the emperor.
The saint made by the entire Imperial Guard HQ coming together.
Veronica is the Empire’s lobbyist—someone who meets the needs of both the royal family and the nobility simultaneously.
In other words, if the interests of the royal family and nobility don’t align, she can’t satisfy both needs at the same time.
“I have to look after the interests of both the royal family and the nobility. So, in a situation where their interests conflict, whose side would I take?”
“You’d support the royal family’s side because you’re someone directly chosen by the Emperor.”
“Then would the nobility be unhappy? Or not?”
They’d obviously be unhappy.
“The Emperor has used me thoroughly. After nearly a century of cozying up, suddenly devouring the entire cake would surely infuriate them.”
“So the nobles revolted? If they establish a pro-nobility pope, they’ll open up exclusive avenues.”
“Right.”
Now it all makes sense.
The royal family and nobility are clashing over Branch 2.
They’ve gotten along well until the Emperor set up a saint, thereby breaking the contract. The very thing merchants hate the most—breach of contract.
So they’re trying to create their own new lobbyist.
“So, they attacked Lucia? A guy who can’t even protect a child, how could he possibly keep his promises? That message was directed not at the cult but at the Imperial nobility, wasn’t it?”
“Wow, Colonel, you’re sharp.”
Veronica’s actions are beginning to make sense.
She is the Empire’s lobbyist. But lately, she’s been overstretched trying to cater to the Emperor’s interests.
“Sending people to the border zone must have been taxing, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Now it makes sense.”
What happens if a pro-empire, pro-nobility pope appears? Obviously, the Emperor wouldn’t sit idly while the nobility fills their plates.
Of course, the Emperor would connect with Raul, now a pope, which means she would lose her backing.
In other words, she’d be distanced from power. Power is like the sun. If you get too close, you burn; if you drift too far, you freeze.
She’s on the verge of burning, but if Raul becomes the pope, she’ll freeze to death.
“Will Raul abandon Lucia if he becomes pope?”
“No, somehow he’ll make her a saint. Considering the effort put in, they’d need to get back the investment.”
Raul becomes pope, and Lucia becomes a saint, and then Veronica dies.
Really dies. She’s aware of so much about the Empire’s weaknesses.
She wasn’t wary of Lucia. She was wary of the death approaching. She’s seated at an unwanted gambling table, and to survive, she’ll have to tear into others.
By any means necessary.
Now, I’ve learned almost all I’m curious about. There’s just one remaining question.
“My final question.”
“Yeah?”
“Why is Raul trying to kill me?”
Veronica smirked.
Holding the cigarette in her mouth, she let out a puff of smoke and softly closed her eyes.
“Does anyone not know that the Kingdom of Abas is using you to put a leash on the hero?”
“…”
“If he becomes the pope, he can manipulate the hero through Lucia—someone has already blessed him first.”
All my doubts are resolved.
The strange air between Raul and Lucia.
The reason Raul didn’t actively protect Lucia.
The reason Raul stayed in the kingdom for a week.
The reason Raul is trying to kill me.
“What would you do, Colonel?”
“…”
“I think I’d kill him.”
Colonel of the Abas Kingdom.
Operative of the Abas Kingdom’s Military Intelligence Agency.
Originally, a first companion of a hero that shouldn’t exist.
In the end, the cause of all events lay with me.
—
-“…Alright. Good job, Frederick.”
“Yes.”
I finished reporting in front of the burning flames before the disguised office.
The colonel let out a soft sigh while I tossed the cards into the flames. Those were Veronica’s cards, which were being tracked for funds.
-“A bigwig from the Empire has come as an envoy, and the information of the envoy and the saint align.”
“Is that so?”
-“What will you do now, Colonel?”
“Why ask if you already know?”
I stuffed my wallet into the flames and brushed off my hands. I even brought my pistol just in case, but it seems there’s no need today.
-“Alright. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Please just open the cabinet.”
-“Sure.”
That morning, there was news of a large stash of explosives being found in the basement of a cult official’s residence, but it was quickly overshadowed by other breaking news.
