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Saint Lucia’s official canonization ceremony will take place tomorrow. The world is paying attention to this saint’s canonization, which occurs after more than ten years. A staggering 100 heads of state will officially participate in the event.

The atmosphere in Lateran has become festive. People are showing their anticipation for the upcoming canonization. How will Saint Lucia’s ceremony differ from that of Saint Veronica? Let’s turn to our correspondent on the scene…

As the voices of citizens wishing for warm welcomes and congratulations resonate in the Holy Land, concerns about the canonization are also being expressed.

“Ehm… The church is currently facing many challenges. Corruption among clergy, controversies over religious taxes and illegal tax evasion by the church, foreign political interference, disputes with the Magic Tower, and clashes with other religions… Of course, from a religious perspective, the birth of a new saint should be celebrated, but it’s worth considering whether holding an extravagant festival at such a time is appropriate…”

With just four days until Cardinal Raphael’s coronation, his past statements labeling Al-Yabd as the church’s enemy are stirring up controversy. The clergyman from Al-Yabd, a politician from the Melam Kingdom and a member of the Council of Elders, condemned Cardinal Raphael’s remarks, and multiple clergy are strongly opposing it, calling for an apology.

Meanwhile, the Oracle from the Magic Tower remains silent about the actions of Duke Alexandra Petrovna, who attended the canonization…

Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

The long-awaited canonization ceremony is just a day away.

With 100 heads of state and government leaders officially participating, including delegates representing their governments, the number exceeds 200.

This shows just how intense the interest in the canonization ceremony is.

Combining pilgrims, tourists, and journalists dispatched by media outlets, the Lateran is overflowing with guests eager to witness both the canonization and the coronation.

When the atmosphere heats up, accidents are bound to happen.

Diplomats from various countries stationed at the church are busy today, working to ensure a safe conclusion to the event.

I am no exception.

*

“I’ve completed the check on the Prime Minister’s accommodations. I’ve identified all potential risks along the route the Prime Minister and his delegation will take tomorrow.”

“We’ve conducted a final check on security at the event venue with the Inquisition, and I just submitted the report, so please review it.”

“Yes, communication security. This is Frederick Nostrim.”

As representatives from the Government of Abas are attending the canonization, I naturally ended up helping out at the embassy.

Of course, there were plenty of diplomats and information officers assigned to the area, so I didn’t have much to do. Thanks to that, I was able to spend the day before the event leisurely socializing with Camila while handling my tasks.

Then, around lunchtime today…

I delivered some important news to Camila while we were dining together at the hotel restaurant.

“The Duke of the North wants to meet me?”

Upon mentioning the meeting with the duke, Camila’s eyes widened as she stared at me.

“Yes. You know who the duke is, right?”

“I do! I researched the North before being dispatched.”

Camila started spooning her ice cream while muttering about what she knew concerning the duke.

“The power holder of the North, the archmage who established the Magic Tower, the first dean of the elemental school. He’s a veteran who has lived for a hundred years and fought in wars against the church, and he’s also the Emperor’s aunt. But you mean to say that such a person wants to meet me?”

I nodded.

“Why are you only telling me this now?”

“True. Why did I hear this crucial information just yesterday?”

“What? You didn’t know beforehand?”

“If I had known, I would have said it sooner.”

It’s not as if meetings happen like casual club gatherings. Suddenly approaching a complete stranger for a conversation is undeniably rude behavior.

However, if the person on the other end is a tremendous power holder who can hardly spare any time, the story changes. The duke is considered one of the most powerful figures even among the heads of state and government leaders gathered in Lateran.

As Camila, who was leisurely enjoying her vanilla ice cream, let out a soft sigh, she said:

“It’s sudden, isn’t it?”

“If it feels uncomfortable, you can skip the meeting. I can cover for you.”

“No, I still want to meet him. I’m curious, right? He’s someone who has lived for almost as long as Dumbledore.”

“Oh, that guy…”

“Shut it! Don’t mention that in front of me!”

Camila, a Harry Potter superfan and active magician, reacted as if a button had been pressed, exploding in indignation.

As I hurriedly brought over some sweets to calm her down, Camila, munching on cookies, crossed her arms and said:

“Still, it is a bit bewildering.”

“What aspect is bewildering?”

“I’ve never met him before.”

Strictly speaking, they had met before, but Camila had no memory of the duke. This could be seen as a natural occurrence.

Because if Camila used too much power, she would faint. The standard is unclear, but once she faints, she struggles to regain consciousness, and on top of that, she experiences memory loss about what happened just before fainting.

So, I shared the truth she didn’t remember: the day in the North when the duke burned the demon that no one could defeat.

“Wait, he was there that day?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, damn!”

Realizing the truth, Camila jumped up.

“That means he used magic! I missed it!?”

“Is seeing the duke’s magic really that important?”

“I’m curious! I’ve only seen magic in theaters!”

“No, you are a magician…”

“Oh…? Now that you mention it, that’s true…?”

“….”

Despite her usual sharp and capable demeanor, there were times when Camila would make oddly spaced remarks.

But what could be done? If that was her charm, then that was her charm.

Sighing, I shook my head and began sharing even more information about the duke that she didn’t know or had missed.

Including the wizards of the war who could transform into animals, the duke who had roamed around as a cat, and the conversations we had with Francesca about why the duke requested to meet.

With every revelation, Camila fumbled to find her words. Perhaps because she loved fantasy movies and novels, whenever magic was involved, she couldn’t contain her excitement.

“A wizard who can turn into a cat…? This is totally Harry Potter. Did you see it transform with your own eyes?”

“No.”

“Then you should ask to see it! Pack your bags! We’re going to see it right now!”

“No, do you think that person has time? We’re meeting soon, why go now?”

“It wouldn’t make a difference if we saw it early since we’re meeting later?! Let’s go! I want to see it now!”

“Let’s meet tomorrow, tomorrow!”

I struggled to keep Camila from bolting to meet the duke. Even when the knights came rushing in after hearing the commotion, she still wasn’t calming down.

In the end, it took me about 15 minutes to finally calm her down after I swept the desserts onto her plate.

*

“…and that’s how it went.”

-‘So she devoured all the desserts prepared by the hotel?’

“Only she did. I didn’t even get a bite.”

-‘…….’

The highest officer of the domestic department of the Military Intelligence Agency of Abas, Colonel Clevenz fell into silence.

-‘…Can that even fit into a person’s stomach?’

“I’m curious about that too.”

-‘Remarkable.’

The chaos that erupted in the hotel was quickly reported across the globe.

The ripple effect was so substantial that even Colonel Clevenz, who usually worked overtime like it was a meal, called for me first. By the way, Leonie was said to be held up in a meeting with the intelligence agency due to the chaotic situation on the Mauritania Continent.

Initially, I tried to prevent information from leaking, but…

It didn’t take long for me to realize how utterly futile that endeavor was.

Just how many security personnel and staff members were stationed at the hotel, and how many broadcasting vehicles loitered around? Journalists were sometimes more ahead than information agencies, catching you off guard, making it practically impossible to control the flow of information.

Still, at the very least, the fact that the Duke and Camila were meeting was securely hidden. If I could just manage that, I would be halfway to achieving my goals.

—“It seems like the Hero is being humiliated. He seems to want to meet the Duke; what do you think?”

“Is it really necessary to stop that?”

Even if I told them not to meet, they would inevitably cross paths someday. The words of a powerful man carry weight, and a magician has to fulfill their desires to feel satisfied.

The Duke could meet Camila in one form or another, and Camila wanted to see the Duke too. So if I couldn’t stop the flow of water, at least I had to bring it toward my side.

“Since it’s come to this, I’ll focus on controlling the situation.”

—“Hmm…”

“What’s the matter?”

The voice of Colonel Clevenz, seemingly troubled, came through the communicator. It had a tone suggesting something was off.

When I asked what was bothering him, he replied:

—“I worry it’s too dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

—“I know your tendencies well, but stepping out too much isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Clevenz said:

—“If your tail is long, it’s only a matter of time before you get caught.”

“……”

—“Haven’t you experienced life abroad? You must know.”

“That’s true.”

But.

“However, isn’t backing away out of fear of failure a bit off?”

Failure to recruit, counterintelligence, civil war, conflict, terrorism, arrest, torture, illness, assassination. There are many elements that can lead to danger without even being in counterintelligence.

Information officers sent abroad are thrown into dangerous areas with a small number of personnel and insufficient resources.

Thus, the most crucial virtue an information officer needs is guts. Confidence that they can endure danger, achieve their goals, and return alive.

While that confidence doesn’t exactly put food on the table, it at least prevents unfortunate mishaps from missing the timing while hesitating.

“What if my tail is long? What’s the worst that could happen, death?”

—“Listen to how you speak… But I do like your guts. Yes, you need that kind of bravery.”

“Then I’ll proceed with this matter without delay.”

—“Do as you wish.”

*

Since the gods worshipped by various religions created the universe, the truth that the sun sets and the moon rises has remained unchanged.

Night, yet again, had come.

Vampires, consuming human blood, ghouls rising from graves to devour grave robbers, mummies dragging travelers into the sands of the desert.

Religiously and realistically, night has always been a time dominated by things that are not human.

However, now that the benefits of civilization have reached even remote mountainous areas, revealing the mystique represented by magic and divinity, darkness can no longer instill fear in humans, and the night is now under human control.

At the dead of night, I visited a small cathedral located in Lateran.

Though modest in size, given that Lateran is a holy site for the cult, even a small cathedral breathes history. The faith has lingered through the centuries in each brick, every worn chair, even the grime on the altar.

I made my way to the confession booth, located inside that small cathedral, dressed in casual clothes that a tourist would wear.

I had no business being here at such a late hour in casual attire; I was called.

In the cramped confession booth, I leaned against the hard wooden chair and quietly called out the name of the one who arranged this.

“Lucia.”

At my soft call, I felt a presence beyond the thin wooden panel.

A wooden lattice formed a barrier. A veiled priest sat in the confessing priest’s place.

Though I couldn’t see her face, I instinctively recognized that the priest was a woman.

The priest beyond the wood lattice cautiously began to speak.

“…You’ve come.”

“You called, right?”

“Yes.”

Through the thin lattice, Lucia’s voice came through.

She had secretly summoned me to this empty cathedral and whispered in a small voice.

“Is anyone following you…?”

“None. What about you, Lucia?”

“…Neither do I.”

Veiled Lucia spoke in an exceedingly soft voice. So faint, it was almost as if she was whispering.

It felt like she could slip away into a mouse hole at any moment; her voice was so quiet that I questioned whether it really was Lucia.

Yet, her sparkling blue eyes shining in the dark were unmistakable.

She said, “Today… do you have any idea why I called you here…?”

The veiled priest whispered in a subtle tone, as if trying to confirm whether her thoughts were correct.

“Isn’t it the same as last time? Is there something more to say about the canonization ceremony?”

“…No.”

Lucia leaned her blue-eyed gaze toward me beyond the wooden lattice. She looked as if she were pondering something.

After a moment of silence, deep in thought, she spoke to me again with a calm voice.

“…It’s late at night.”

“You said that last time too. So why did you want to meet today?”

“…Well.”

Lucia’s voice grew faint. Trailing off, she began to rummage through her belongings.

To her, I asked a question that suddenly came to me.

“Oh, right. What did you say to Veronica when you left?”

“…Huh?”

“Your sister. Back then, it didn’t matter because you were busy and in the northern regions, but now the canonization ceremony is right around the corner. No matter how oblivious Veronica is and how well she dodges the priests, I can’t help but think she’d grow suspicious if we keep meeting like this.”

“……”

“If Veronica catches on, she might kill me first.”

I questioned, concerned, whether it was okay to come see Lucia when Veronica might suspect it.

Then, it happened.

“Hey.”

The atmosphere in the confession booth shifted.

“What did you just say?”

“Huh?”

At that moment, it seemed like Lucia’s voice changed slightly.

I realized it wasn’t a misunderstanding.

When she raised her voice from a whisper, it completely transformed. Although softly speaking was her trait, even considering that, her voice had definitely grown louder. The tone was noticeably different.

What can I say…

-Thunk!

Just as ominous thoughts began to creep in.

The flimsy wooden lattice of the confession booth broke, and a hand shot out. The outstretched hand suddenly seized my collar with force.

And began to pull me in with considerable strength.

“Ouch!”

I was helplessly dragged, my face crashing against the wooden lattice. I locked eyes with the sparkling blue eyes peeking through the half-destroyed lattice.

The priest gripping my collar growled in a voice tinged with anger.

Then, came the low, foreboding voice.

“Colonel.”

A voice that should not be heard here, that must not be heard, struck my eardrums.

“What did you do to my sister?”

 

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