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Frederick undoubtedly considered Veronica the biggest troublemaker, but in this incident, the true troublemakers were not Veronica, but rather the four illegal entrants.

The Duke Alexandra Petrovna, who bribed her way through the Warp Gate, was followed by Lucia, Francesca, and Akande, all without a passport.

From the perspective of the Government of Abas, there couldn’t have been a greater security offender (especially since the Duke had a history of raiding embassies), but rather than apprehend these criminals, Abas chose to simply look the other way.

In truth, it was closer to an act of abandonment than forgiveness, yet isn’t it said that ‘the way people speak can vary greatly’?

The criminal actions of these individuals, who nonchalantly disregarded international agreements like Article 10, Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act (which simply says not to jaywalk), left even diplomatic experts at a loss, rendering protests pointless.

Now that things had come to this, it would be best to quietly stash the illegal entrants away in some secluded place and let them out later.

However, I couldn’t just assign the task of dealing with these extraordinary guests to any civil servant.

After about three minutes of a marathon meeting, the Government of Abas concluded that it would be best to throw these state-level “bombs” at an explosives expert.

That meant they were putting me in charge.

“Oh heavens! Why must I alone bear such trials?”

Immediately after receiving orders to take responsibility and manage the situation, I dashed outside and screamed up at the sky.

Assigning work to someone just finishing up their own cases today!

And expecting me to clean up a mess that’s not even my fault!

Of course, if the heavens were listening, they might have thought, ‘What is that guy babbling about?’ which would have raised doubts in their ears, but none of that mattered. No one could be more wronged than I was, even if they were wrongfully imprisoned. This was pure slander! (mostly true.)

A heavy hand landed on the shoulder of the sobbing spy, who was beating the ground and cursing.

It was Akande.

“Don’t be sad.”

The warrior from the nomadic desert gazed down at me with profound eyes, like a great sage, patting my shoulder as if he understood my feelings completely.

“Giving up is easy.”

“…Get lost, you bastard!”

—

Episode 19 – HELLDIVERS

The chaotic saga of the Duke and her three companions brought many people into difficult situations, and the three who found themselves in the most awkward predicaments during this incident were:

Camila, who, due to the misunderstanding of passing citizens, received a hefty reprimand from our professor, prompting her to shed tears despite there being no real danger.

Frederick, who found himself almost disowned through the home visit of two daughters-in-law, taking on the responsibility to resolve an incident he hadn’t even instigated.

And lastly, Veronica, who, hoping to resolve the immigration fiasco started by her dear younger sisters, was unceremoniously tossed out at the doorstep of a private residence.

“This isn’t right! How could you do this to me, Colonel?”

The unfortunate woman who rolled in the dirt was so indignant that she raised her voice higher, her heart filled with unjust anger.

Since leaving the consulate, she had been shouting non-stop for at least three hours.

“I told you it was urgent! I explained everything!”

“No! Even if the situation was urgent, you shouldn’t just pick me up and toss me down the stairs!”

Having lost all face (which was indeed the case), the saint grabbed the shoulder of her assailant and relentlessly shook him.

And that assailant was none other than me, the one who had thrown Veronica outside.

Being tossed to the ground against one’s will is a highly humiliating and unpleasant experience.

Even an animal would be furious if someone threw it; how much more so would a sentient being feel after being subjected to such treatment?

In light of this, Veronica’s rage was entirely reasonable. The problem was that her anger was directed squarely at me, and her temperament had always been exceptionally difficult.

“What did I do wrong?! Why is this all happening to me…?!”

As the 58th saint of the Cult, Veronica couldn’t contain her distress, repeatedly pulling her hair out or barking like a dog, or even attempting to leap out of a window in her sheer frustration.

While it could be said that Veronica’s antics were somewhat exaggerated through my mental filtering (an expert term called colored glasses), it certainly had a significant distortion.

Nonetheless, Veronica’s unruliness was particularly severe today, and for reasons unknown, her fury was directed at me.

“I heard my sisters caused a ruckus, so I rushed over after waking up in the morning. And for just playing a prank, you throw me out to the entrance?!”

…Perhaps she would never know.

Shaking all over and feeling like my soul was being wrung out, I finally couldn’t take it anymore and called for help.

“Priest Rebecca! There’s a mad dog running around, please take her away and give her—wait, why are you closing the door?!”

“Good luck!”

“Excuse me? Priest? …Inquisition folks…?”

However, the Inquisition staff called from various places all fled.

Before I could finish my sentence, the Inquisition officers, led by Priest Rebecca, quickly shut the door and bolted down the hallway.

“…….”

Of course, from the Inquisition’s perspective, there’d be no reason to help a foreign civil servant who had thrown the saint outside. Even if they wanted to help, there was no way out.

Confronting an enraged Saint Veronica was probably less appealing than diving into a hell filled with demons.

“Come back! You’re in charge of her! Why don’t you do something?!”

As it happened, a brave foreigner was voluntarily deciding to confront the saint, as if misinterpreting the situation. (The thought that the translation is wrong is merely a misunderstanding.)

The Inquisition officers decided to skip town while admiring that heartfelt sacrifice.

—

“…Where have you been that you are in such a pitiful state?”

“Correct.”

“It must be the work of the great saint.”

The Duke clicked her tongue, as if feeling quite sorry for my plight.

Long-awaited Veronica’s wrath was truly deep and dreadful.

With one hand gripping my shoulder, she wailed and began throwing fist and kicking blows in rapid succession, her skill so impeccable that I hardly had a chance to dodge.

As I opened my notebook to take notes, I placed my fountain pen against the page.

“Could you explain how you came to be in Abas?”

Perhaps it was because I had stuffed tissues up my nose that my voice came out strangely nasally.

Lucia looked on worriedly, Francesca seemed speechless, and Akande chuckled at my miserable state.

Perhaps they felt pity for me? Or maybe they just simply felt some regret?

Duke Alexandra Petrovna summoned a chunk of ice from thin air, wrapped it in cloth, and handed it to me.

“Hold this while you speak.”

“Yes.”

“So you were wondering how I came to be in Abas? I’ll have to start from when I first heard about the child.”

The Duke filled a glass with ice and slowly began to recount her story.

About thirty minutes later, I pressed the ice pack she had made to my bruised face and handed it to the Military Intelligence Agency branch officials as they recorded the investigation’s results.

That marked the end of my involvement.

“…….”

They told me I’d need to figure things out before lodging any complaints or seeking punishment, and that Leonie was wondering why such incidents only happened to me.

I was also honestly curious about that myself.

“What sin did I commit in my past life? Damn it….”

As I sat on the bench in front of my lodging, lamenting with a sigh, I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps crunching on grass, and looked up to see a familiar figure emerging from the lush garden trees.

“Colonel?”

“Francesca.”

It seemed she had been lost in thought as she wandered, greeting me warmly as she noticed me.

She gazed thoughtfully ahead, her eyes reminiscent of violets, before giving me a picturesque smile. With perfect timing, she plopped down beside me and leaned gently against my back.

“What a coincidence to meet you here. Do you have some business in the garden?”

“Nothing in particular…. Just stopped for a moment on my way in. What about you?”

“I’m just taking a stroll.”

Francesca raised one hand, revealing a pipe made from rare minerals.

“The interior is non-smoking. Neither is magic grass, I’m afraid.”

From the good quality magic grass, gentle smoke wafted through as well-formed flakes burned steadily, forming delicate layers.

After pressing the flame of the lighter down, she felt the soft smoke tickling her nose before pulling her lips away from the pipe in a natural and skillful manner.

While magic grass and tobacco were hardly comparable, watching her smoke made me want to have a cigarette.

Actually, I would have smoked even if Francesca hadn’t been around, since today was an exceptionally happy day. Of course, that was a sarcastic remark.

Just as I pulled out a lighter that gave off a burning oil smell and puffed out smoke, she suddenly began speaking after a long silence.

“You seem to be smoking a lot lately?”

“Yes. I think so too.”

“It seems you’re going through a lot of tough times.”

Her question, or rather, a question disguised as a statement, hit home. When I calculated the misfortunes in my life by percentage, a rough 60% was tied to my traveling companions.

Naturally, Francesca accounted for part of that 60%. Watching me smoke, her question came with a smile.

As if hinting that she had a good idea of why.

Truly, she was just like a sister. Picking up only the worst habits.

“Yes, I’m having a lot of trouble. By the way, where is everyone right now?”

“Akande is sleeping because he found traveling abroad to be more exhausting than he imagined, and Camila was summoned by her grandmother.”

So Akande was fast asleep, and Camila was being lectured by the Duke.

And as for Lucia….

“Saint Lucia is… um, trying to stop her sister. You know what I mean, right?”

With a weary yet amused look, Francesca added that. I didn’t really even have to think about it; I could guess the kinds of calamities Luke was likely facing right now.

In an attempt to calm the rampaging senior, the new saint had devoted herself entirely. I’m not sure of the details, but from what I caught through the door, Lucia had Veronica in a headlock and jumped onto the sofa.

Should I marvel at Lucia’s strength for throwing down her sister with such force, or be shocked by Veronica’s spectacle to the point of getting headlocked by her sister?

In the end, they were both just equally unremarkable people.

I simply closed my eyes and nodded along.

“Sounds like a ruckus.”

“Just another day.”

“No. If we call that another day….”

Horrified by the thought, Francesca simply smiled in silence.

The garden was now enveloped in complete darkness. The accommodations chosen by the government of Abas was a building located near the capital, perfectly situated by a lake illuminated by the moonlight ahead, with a grand mountain behind. The air crisp and refreshing, a spot chosen.

The enemy’s rare appearance made the area eerily quiet.

Just 1-2 hours prior, the embassy and consulate were bustling with diplomats and information officers frantically searching inside and outside the buildings, even checking the stones and trees along the road for security inspections. But immediately after the inspections were done, everyone packed up and left, leaving the area as silent as a grave.

The moonlight was bright and full.

Francesca, who was staring at the shimmering silver lake while burning magic grass, slowly parted her lips.

“I’m sorry for causing a commotion. I should’ve stopped Grandma.”

I waved my hand dismissively, adding that it was fine.

“It’s alright. It’s all in the past. Please rest as much as you’d like. After all, it’s not my money.”

“Are you thinking of going home?”

“I guess so? My family is waiting.”

Actually, that was a lie. While it was true my family was waiting, what was important right now was not reuniting with them, but justifying myself.

I needed to manage the disastrous atmosphere at home caused by the third daughter-in-law incident.

First, I would quickly knock Ayla out, whether with alcohol or a bat, then gather my parents, brother, and sister in one place to “convince” them. Thanks to Veronica’s prank, I had unnecessarily stirred up misunderstandings. I had to end this before it escalated further.

I was pondering the most effective persuasion tools: an 8-inch monkey wrench, a baseball bat, a crowbar, or a spade.

Just as I was struggling to find the right words, Francesca, after much contemplation, said this.

“Actually, I wanted to welcome the Colonel today.”

“You?”

“Yes.”

She wore a sweet smile.

“After all, we’re lovers. Even if it’s fake.”

It was a false relationship we’d concocted months ago to fool an Orc arms dealer. Mentioning that incident, she tilted her head.

“Well… it’s absurd to bring this up now, but I hope you won’t misunderstand my sister or Saint Lucia. Although my sister’s pranks can be a bit—no, a lot mischievous—I’m sure her intentions weren’t bad.”

“Uh, um… is that so?”

“Yes. Except for the part where she often gets angry over silly things.”

She paused for a moment, shaking the pipe to clear the magic grass, then used magic to clean out the muck and scraps inside the pipe. As she stood up, she wrapped up the conversation.

“If your sister keeps bothering you, feel free to contact me. If you want to vent, I’m here too.”

I looked at her, slowly standing up with a glimmer in my eyes.

“You don’t mean to say I shouldn’t go home today, do you?”

“Of course not. You should go home. Your family is waiting.”

Francesca replied with a bright smile. Ah!

Only then did I feel relieved and clapped my hands together.

“Then hurry and go beat Veronica up for me. I want revenge for the beating earlier.”

“No way.”

“Ah, why not?”

“Revenge is something you do by yourself.”

*

I had neatly finished the work assigned by the company and, making sure to keep the contact network open in case anything came up, also contacted Camila and the Duke.

It was truly time to head home.

Staying any longer would only embroil me in pointless chaos with Veronica. It was wisest to vanish like smoke.

“I’ve got you!”

“What is this?!”

As I merrily made my way home, someone dashed in to grab me just as I passed through the hotel lobby.

It was Veronica.

“How dare you run away?!”

The saint who jumped in like a tiger kicked my chest, then clung to me and dragged me like a third-rate slasher movie killer.

In an instant, I was kidnapped and pulled into her room after leaving work.

What on earth is going on? Why did Veronica, who was supposedly subdued by Lucia, rush out to the lobby?

In my panic, I couldn’t even speak properly and just rolled my eyes when I spotted Lucia sprawled on the sofa like a lifeless body in one corner of the room.

“Lucia! What are you doing over there?”

“…I’m resting. My sister caused too much of a ruckus.”

Lucia mumbled with the expression of a new part-timer who just had her first day.

It was clear as day. She couldn’t handle Veronica either. Even the cult leader, who’d beaten up unarmed foes with a mace, failed to subdue this violent beast. Was there any greater tragedy than this in the world?

“Hey, you just beat her up earlier. Can’t you let me go now?”

“No.”

I tried to negotiate, but Veronica scoffed and waved her hand threateningly. Her obsidian-like gaze, swirling with an unidentifiable mixture of pleasure and satisfaction, sparkled vividly today and showed no signs of leaving me alone.

Ultimately, I lay flat on the ground, letting out a long sigh of resignation.

I’d probably lose some hair, so I’d better grab some hair loss medication in advance, and tomorrow I would be sore and spend the day in agony, so I should stock up on some pain relief patches.

“Agh…!”

Just as the anticipated pain surged toward me, Lucia could witness the scene.

The priest was sitting on the civilian’s back like a cushion, forcefully grabbing handfuls of hair and pulling.

“You brought this upon yourself!”

“Who started it first—guah…!”

“I don’t know what happened to provoke you! I was just at the cathedral fifteen minutes ago!”

“….”

Lucia, who had been regaining her vitality while sprawled on the sofa, pondered deeply. She had heard from the bishop that her sister had been goofing off somewhere else, not at the cathedral.

To be precise, Veronica had been caught on-site while betting at the arena during the ‘Abyssal Lobster Monster vs. 46-Year-Old Lobster Man Champion Title Defense,’ boasting an impressive track record of 187 battles, 156 wins, and 31 draws, but Lucia didn’t know that detailed backstory.

How could a senior get caught gambling in the arena in front of a junior? There was no greater embarrassment.

A normal person wouldn’t gamble in the first place, and sure enough, after getting caught in the act, they’d be expected to feel psychologically repressed for at least a day. But Veronica was hardly a person who would feel suppressed by some ‘enforcement squad.’

“How dare you insult me as a devil in front of my younger siblings! I can’t tolerate this!”

“The devil wouldn’t pull hair, agh…!”

“Just shut up and take your punishment!”

Indeed, it was a cruel punishment, especially having to endure the malice of a sister who had no shame.

At her wits’ end, Lucia once again subdued Veronica with a headlock, and with that, I let out a relieved sigh as I crawled away.

I leaned back on the sofa, half in a state of enlightenment. Yet, even in that state, Veronica was still creating a ruckus in Lucia’s embrace.

With a bright red face, the saint began to jab a finger at me.

“You, you, you didn’t even apologize. You’ve really put your foot in it with me.”

“I’m sorry… let’s just stop this—”

“Is saying sorry all you’ve got?!”

The moment the cry filled with grievance erupted, it felt as if cold water had been dumped over us.

In that instant, Lucia, who had been restraining Veronica with her arm, and I, who had been leaning back on the sofa and sighing, blinked in disbelief.

“I say sorry when I’m asked to apologize, and now I’m supposedly done? What kind of word game is this?”

“You need to show sincerity!”

“What sincerity?”

As I began to question her incomprehensible and unpredictable behavior, Veronica started rubbing her thumb against her index finger in silence.

The moment I saw that, a sigh escaped me.

“Are you asking for money…?”

I was at a loss for words.

My deep sigh coincided with the sound of Lucia knocking her forehead in frustration. Yet, shame wasn’t in Veronica’s repertoire, who was still throwing a fit as if saying, ‘What, you think I’m crazy or something?’

“…Sister, please.”

“Alright, alright. This time it’s partly my fault too, so I’ll let it go.”

Veronica dismissed Lucia’s disappointed voice with a casual wave of her hand, as if she were doing her a favor.

Still, I couldn’t shake my suspicions. Veronica was someone who could flip her words over like a pancake. Who knew what kind of chaos she might stir next?

“…….”

“Why do you look at me like that? Your eyes are so disrespectful.”

“…I’m just going to go home like this, so if you have something to say, please speak next time. Tomorrow or the day after.”

“Ah~ that’s not gonna work. Where do you think you’re going?”

I knew this would happen. The age-old saying rings true—old habits die hard.

What sort of trick was Veronica planning now? She began her next move, and my expression darkened like someone who just got caught in a Ponzi scheme.

Did she catch a whiff of my unease? Veronica approached me with a delightfully mischievous giggle.

Her eyes like obsidian glinted between narrow slits as she leaned toward me, putting her face right in front of mine.

“You know, today when the Colonel tossed me aside, I fell and hurt myself a bit here and there.”

“No, Veronica, you’re a priest. Why not just heal yourself…?”

“Ugh…! My feelings were hurt, you see?”

I looked up at Veronica’s unexpected complaints, then slowly lowered my gaze.

Hmm.

“It doesn’t seem like your feelings were hurt at all…?”

“What are you looking at?!”

At that moment, whack! Like a slap of divine judgment for my impudent gaze, Veronica’s palm smacked my head.

As I stumbled from the unexpected blow, rolling on the floor, Veronica hurriedly straightened herself, covering her body with a look of disgust.

“Ugh… Anyway, I want compensation for the psychological trauma I incurred today. So just follow me quietly, got it?”

With her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest, she spoke in an assertive tone, which seemed anything but humble in my eyes.

As I was about to respond that I needed to head home, she issued a threat.

“If you keep trying to escape, I might have to come after you.”

I paused mid-turn on the doorknob and looked back at her.

“You really think I’m going to be scared by that—”

“I’m taking all your younger siblings with me.”

“Ah, Saint! Tell me specifically what kind of damage you suffered, yes.”

As I jumped with a start, Veronica beamed brightly, her smile dazzlingly beautiful. At least, it appeared so on the surface.

With an utterly benevolent smile, the saint clapped her hands together.

“Don’t worry. It won’t be anything unreasonable.”

And then, as if enjoying herself immensely, she added this line.

“You might just like it.”

 

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