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**Resolution No. 3774 of the World Union to Resolve the Crisis in the Mauritania Continent.** The international community cast their votes in favor of addressing the prolonged civil war and numerous international and social issues.

**Although the deployment of a large expeditionary force was canceled due to the opposition from the Al-Yabd Union and fierce local government resistance, the overall framework remained unchanged.**

**The main focus of the resolution is military intervention.**

**While the international community aimed to bring an end to the conflict through the use of force…**

**The reality was a bit different.**

—

**Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree**

**When you spend enough time in an information agency, there comes a point where you naturally receive information without even trying to know.**

**It’s akin to breathing without consciously focusing on it.**

**In that context, just by looking at the people gathered at the peacekeeping force’s base, you could roughly gauge the situation.**

**”Glory to the great descendants. It is an honor to meet you, Saint. I have been looking forward to your arrival.”**

**”May there be glory for the warriors who fight like dragons. I have heard much about you from the archbishops. It is an honor to meet you.”**

**First, the cult.**

**The cult dispatched personnel to assist Lucia on the Mauritania continent, from priests proficient in healing to knights from the Knights Order.**

**The Knights Order, symbolizing the holy war, being dispatched to the continent of heretics is significant politically and religiously.**

**However, considering the Knights Order’s small size, it’s hard to say that the cult has committed to opposing the religions in Mauritania, including Al-Yabd.**

**On the contrary, among the people from the cult who arrived alongside Lucia, there were significantly more priests than Inquisition Officers or Knights. Given Lucia’s importance, the Knights are likely to serve as bodyguards.**

**Thus, it seems the cult’s intent is to exercise control over the use of force to protect Lucia’s safety while avoiding conflicts with local religions. There is also an intention to engage in civilian diplomacy with the local government away from Al-Yabd’s sight.**

**Conversely, the case of the Magic Tower was different.**

**”I present to you the descendant of the founding father, the great visionary Ranieri.”**

**”Francesca Ranieri meets the seeker of knowledge and truth. It’s been a while, Professor. Have you been well?”**

**”Heh heh. What extraordinary matter could there be for an old man? Oh, and I’m not a professor anymore; I’m a diplomat now.”**

**”Is that so?”**

**”I set aside my professorship to dive into research. Somehow, I ended up receiving an official position in my old age. Ha ha.”**

**”Ah, by the way, I heard the Magic Battalion is coming here soon?”**

**”Yes. I was intending to discuss that matter with government officials when I arrived.”**

**Unlike the cult, which dispatched many clergy that could positively influence diplomatic relations, the Magic Tower deployed a military organization.**

**The Magic Battalion, the Magic Tower’s pride and joy, although formally established as a quasi-military organization for maintaining public order since the union did not recognize the Magic Tower as a formal nation, it is indeed a massive armed group categorized even by the Kien Empire and the cult as a military force.**

**The reason the Magic Battalion can come to the Mauritania Continent lies in the diplomatic peculiarity of the Magic Tower. The Magic Tower, looked down upon in the international community due to the Nastasia Treaty, opposes the cult diplomatically, and Al-Yabd, which tightly grips the Mauritania Continent, is a religion in opposition to the cult in various fields.**

**Moreover, the renowned great archmage ‘Suleiman’ is known to be a devout follower of Al-Yabd. The Magic Tower was significantly contributed to by ‘Suleiman’, who once participated in the holy war (the term used here refers to the war between the cult and the Magic Tower), thus the cult and the government of the Mauritania Continent were not entirely devoid of ties.**

**I understood the intentions of the Magic Tower from the fact that it approved the deployment of the Magic Battalion and that the local government was engaging in discussions with the Tower’s diplomats with a forward-thinking attitude.**

**Instead of opposing the expeditionary forces deploying by strong countries controlling the international community, the local government intended to solve disputes by accommodating the friendly forces of the Magic Tower.**

**By doing so, the Magic Tower aims to strengthen its relationship with foreign governments.**

—

**The hipsters of the international community likely reached an agreement driven by a rebellion against the governments of strong nations represented by Kien and Abas.**

**The domestic propaganda might have felt insulted and rebelled against having their expeditionary forces deployed, so they tried to overturn it.**

**The sight of the Mauritania government’s unified voice rebelling against the international community’s decision likely appeared quite attractive to the Magic Tower government.**

**For the Oracle, having deployed the Magic Battalion to the north for five years, it faced backlash from domestic opinion. In this situation, they plan to solidify their position on the international stage and create decent results to quell the backlash. The Oracle might even aim to leverage this crisis to establish a 200-year reign of the three major factions.**

—

**Of course, both the cult and the Magic Tower are fully aware of each other’s intentions for coming to the Mauritania Continent.**

**Likewise, the governments of strong nations, including Abas and Kien, can also guess their ulterior motives. While it’s hard to predict what the governments of Abas and Kien will concoct from their insight into the cult and Magic Tower’s true hearts… whatever occurs will not wholly be for the benefit of the residents of the Mauritania Continent.**

**In that sense,**

**”Then, Commander, please assist the clergy at the refugee camp for the time being.”**

**”Understood, Saint.”**

**”The Magic Battalion will take some time to arrive here from the port, so I will meet with officials from the Ministry of Defense in the meantime. I’ve been wanting to ask about the No Man’s Land as well. Is that alright, Professor?”**

**”Is there any doubt?”**

**”Ah! Take me along too! To catch the monsters coming over the border from No Man’s Land, we need the army’s cooperation.”**

**”As you wish, hero.”**

**Regardless of their intentions, the only ones who came to the Mauritania with pure objectives were Lucia, Francesca, and Camila.**

**In other words,**

**”Manager.”**

**”Yeah?”**

**”You need to move as soon as the meeting is over.”**

**That means I too am not someone who came here with pure intentions.**

—

**To resolve the international crisis, governments from various countries have banded together.**

**To drive away monsters, sort out refugee camps, and rebuild the fallen cities, for the sake of international peace.**

**At first glance, it’s a commendable tale, but the crucial core is missing.**

**The fundamental reason why the Mauritania Continent is in ruins varies by scholar, but the commonly selected core issues by researchers examining this region share commonalities.**

**A warlord formed in rebellion against a specific ethnicity monopolizing the government.**

**An unstable political environment due to civil war.**

**Widespread corruption throughout society.**

**An industrial structure that is losing competitiveness in markets, etc.**

**The Mauritania governments are typical underdeveloped countries, comparable to third-world nations, and all social problems are intertwined like a spider’s web, creating negative synergy.**

**In a situation where answers seem elusive, a massive reform representing more than a decade would be required to fundamentally solve the issues.**

**However, in my view, the Mauritania governments showed no willingness to resolve the problems. The international community was the same.**

—

**The international community is not a volunteer organization.**

**It is a place where hundreds of countries with different positions beat each other with ties to gain benefits and, if things go wrong, create opportunities to exploit, even choking one another if necessary.**

**Thus, I looked at the scenery of resolution No. 3774 passing with indifference. What good will it do to deploy tens of thousands of expeditionary troops and allocate trillions in budgets? It was obvious that it would fail anyway.**

**If the international community stepping in would make the conflict disappear, there would be no reason for Afghanistan to collapse in the first place. There would be no reason for Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to war.**

**But regardless of my personal feelings, the international community is helping the crisis-ridden Mauritania, and I am here.**

—

**“First, let’s set our priorities.”**

**With the meeting resumed after half a year, I responded to someone’s suggestion to discuss what to do next.**

**“We need to move together here rather than scattering and acting separately. So let’s set our priorities and tackle them one by one.”**

**This deployment was made under the leadership of the World Union. There exists international law stating that a guest from another world must belong to a subordinate organization of the Union to engage in legal activities.**

**However, the international law and humanitarian principles are often treated as mere formalities, and no one raised any objections regarding Camila not being a member of an international organization.**

**Hence, while the activities of the group gathered around Camila seemed to be formally controlled by an international organization, in truth, they were overseen by a few governments with significant influence like the cult, the Magic Tower, Kien, and Abas.**

**This deployment was no different.**

**The cult to which Lucia belongs, the Magic Tower where Francesca operates, Patalia, Francesca’s homeland, Abas, who sent colleagues but has no direct relation, and Kien and Lushan, who exert tremendous influence over the Mauritania Continent.**

**The governments that complicated the expeditionary force deployment were, in essence, the true leading forces behind this deployment. Naturally, they would also take charge of the control over activities.**

**I decided to make a slight change in the framework tacitly agreed upon by the governments of strong nations.**

**Toward a direction as favorable to us as possible.**

**“We might not be here for just a day or two. We could be staying for several months.”**

“Is there really a need to split our manpower? We’re already short-handed as it is. Wouldn’t it be much easier if we handled our tasks together?”

It was a suggestion to not move separately, just like we did in the North.

Lucia, who had been deep in thought with a rather demure posture, voiced her concerns.

“There are pressing issues at hand, so is it truly the best choice to stick together?”

She was worried about the potential damage that could escalate if we delayed.

It was a valid point, reflecting the saintly disposition of someone who valued peace and life.

However, the world is filled with people of varying perspectives.

Francesca countered with a graceful tone.

“Colonel’s words are right. We do need to stick together here.”

The alchemist, arms crossed, nodded her head in agreement. She sat with her legs crossed in a rather serious demeanor.

“In the Northern regions, we had the support of the government, and the military had a firm grasp on the area. But that’s not the case in the Mauritania Continent. There are many countries undergoing civil wars.”

That was indeed true.

The four nations we were sent to were all embroiled in various degrees of civil conflict. In some places, goblin guerillas were causing chaos in rural areas, while in others, government facilities were under attack by rebel shamans.

As Francesca spoke, Camila chimed in cautiously.

“The security in wealthy countries is stable around the capital, but the Mauritania Continent is generally a dangerous area. Robberies are rampant, and terrorist attacks targeting foreigners happen frequently.”

Camila backed her claims with data from international organizations and research institutes. Her assertions were further bolstered by credible and professional information.

“Moreover, there have been recent terrorist attacks against foreign embassies.”

“Most were thwarted, but considering that even well-guarded embassies aren’t safe, it seems reckless to operate alone, doesn’t it? We’re not just heading to safe zones, are we?”

With the situation laid out like that, Lucia no longer opposed the idea. While saving lives was important, there was no reason to insist on it if it endangered others’ lives.

I chimed into the conversation.

“In the event we do need to operate solo, let’s promise to prepare thoroughly. We should maintain contact within a distance where we can reach each other to help at any time.”

“Agreed. Sounds good.”

Gathered around the conference table, we united our opinions. Having reached a consensus, it was now time to prioritize our tasks.

I presented a list drafted by the governments of various countries over the past few months. The three of them pointed out the items they thought were most important.

The first pointed item was the relief efforts for the refugee camps.

“There are 60,000 refugees living here.”

Lucia pointed at the camps marked on the map. She was the one who identified this first issue.

“According to figures, there are 60,000, but the actual number is far greater. There are far more people than the facilities can accommodate. Many are waiting in tents for their turn to be accepted.”

Everyone was aware of the dire situation in the refugee camps. We unanimously decided to start our activities there without any objections.

The next items were reconstruction of infrastructure and elimination of monsters, which were designated as priority two and three after the refugee camp issue.

We agreed to tackle all three issues at once.

“Looking at the location of the refugee camp, it’s quite close to the border. Only 30 kilometers away.”

“Beyond the border lies a No Man’s Land, but there are towns between the border and the camp. It’s within travel distance by magic or vehicle.”

“There’s a Peacekeeping Force outpost nearby. If we get transport support from there, it would make our activities much easier. Requesting support would also be easier. We’re part of a union after all.”

It was a formality, but it was true.

Camila calculated the distances between the Peacekeeping Force outpost, the refugee camp, the border, and the towns. Meanwhile, I contacted the outpost to see if cooperation was possible.

Fortunately, I received a positive reply, and thus we had determined a region to operate in for the time being.

I organized the maps and made sure to remind everyone.

“As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has likely explained, there are many regulations we need to follow here. It’s not just about obeying the law, but customs and religious rules as well.”

In regions where tribalism is rampant, adherence to tribal regulations is held in high regard. Failing to respect these could lead locals to no longer welcome us.

The same goes for religious regulations.

“There are religious police in every country on the Mauritania Continent. They monitor whether people adhere to the principles set by Al-Yabd’s punitive committee. They can make arrests without a warrant and have the authority to impose summary punishments based on their judgment.”

And notably, foreigners are also subject to punishment.

The religious police in Islamic nations that respond to the Mauritania religious police hold similar powers, and occasionally tourists face expulsion or fines for breaking Islamic regulations.

“Don’t think you’re safe just because you’re a foreigner. Especially you, Lucia.”

I directed my warning at Lucia.

“You’re not just any foreigner, but a religious figure, so the likelihood of attracting the attention of the religious police is high. Try to avoid situations where you have to deal with the police directly, and instead seek help from interpreters or diplomats whenever possible. We’ve requested cooperation from all embassies stationed in the host country from your cult in advance, so it doesn’t matter where you go.”

“I will be careful.”

Lucia nodded quietly, her expression calm.

Francesca observed this scene with a skeptical look, but fortunately, this time it passed without incident.

I cleared the documents and continued speaking.

“And I suppose I’ll have to be out of the loop for a while due to some obligations.”

“Obligations?”

Camila asked, her face showing confusion at the unexpected news.

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“Schedule coordination. I have to check on the next deployment country.”

This deployment spans four nations for an extended period.

We won’t be confined to a specific area of a specific country like during our time in the Kien Empire; we’re crossing borders.

I had meetings arranged with local government officials regarding entry issues and activities. After all, even as a Colonel, I am still a diplomat. It’s something I need to handle.

As I was wrapping up the conference room and sending Lucia and Francesca off, Camila, who had been lingering in the room, cautiously spoke up.

“Um….”

I anticipated her question.

“Are you leaving because of matters concerning the company?”

“How did you know? You’re practically a psychic.”

Well, it was an expected question.

I nodded quietly, packing my belongings. Camila leaned against the wall, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“Are you leaving because of the warlord we handled last time? The one involving Asen and Sanya?”

“Yeah.”

My straightforward response prompted a deep sigh from Camila.

“If you leave now, won’t the foreign company be suspicious?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”

“Am I staying here?”

“You have to. I’m the one ordered to leave.”

“Am I really going alone?”

I placed the heavy duffel bag onto the table, the dull thud resonating through the room.

“No.”

“Then who are you going with?”

Hmm.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and stared into space, then suddenly replied.

“A cat?”

*

A tail was swaying between the curtains.

There was a soft knock at the door, and two seconds later, it creaked open slightly.

“State the password.”

Thanos, blocking the locking mechanism, unexpectedly asked for the password.

I peered out into the hallway with a bewildered expression and replied with an exasperated tone.

“Is this the time for games?”

“A person can’t just be serious all the time.”

“Sigh….”

The lock was released, and I stepped through the fully opened door. Jake, following behind, took one last look around before locking the door.

I casually tossed my duffel bag onto the table and surveyed the inside.

A beastman’s tail swayed over a box placed by the window, and a nymph gently swayed the grass picked from the roadside.

Screens installed along the walls. Technicians wearing headsets.

As I navigated through the tangled wires, a dozen employees all turned to look at me simultaneously.

“…….”

I removed my gloves.

“Welcome, suspicious tourists visiting this damned country! I sincerely greet you.”

I held the gloves in my hand and addressed the information officers.

“Ready to cause some chaos?”

 

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