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The capital of Ashtistan, Shizuya, is a city steeped in long history and tradition.

It is home to one of the holy sites revered by Al-Yabd, with traces of the dynasties that have ruled this land since ancient times scattered throughout the city.

Some liken this place to a sandcastle built on fear and lies.

Yet, for the residents of the Republic of Ashtistan, Shizuya is a sacred land of religion, a homeland that has preserved the essence of a people untouched by foreign powers for thousands of years.

For the inhabitants of this land who live not in fear and falsehood, but in happiness and kindness, Shizuya has always been known as a “sanctuary for the soul.”

That is, until the wave of revolution crashed down.

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Episode 20 – Who threatened with a knife?

The striking combination of a red background and white text caught the man’s attention.

Bonheur sans mélange. (Pure happiness.)

The elegantly scripted sign seemed to captivate his gaze.

The man, with his jacket draped over his arm, couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sign for a while.

As if enchanted by something.

“…….”

While the font was compelling enough to draw his focus, it wasn’t soul-stirring. The same could be said for the dazzling array of jewelry displayed in the store.

Necklaces, bracelets, and rings were clearly intended for women. No matter how extravagant, that alone was a bit lacking in attracting a man’s interest.

Still, the man lingered.

Was it the dazzling sign that had caught his eye? No.

Was he curious about the meaning in a foreign language? Not that either.

So why couldn’t he leave a jewelry store that catered to women customers?

The answer to that question was very simple.

“How about it, dear?”

Because his wife was showing interest.

“Isn’t it too pretty?”

The middle-aged woman smiled, her gentle eyes shining. She was a woman whose light makeup and modest attire stood out.

With understated makeup to prevent any smudging and a slight puffiness in her hair, she was stunningly beautiful.

Both her hands rested gracefully on the display, while the dreamy patterned bracelet shimmered captivatingly in the showcase.

And yet, the man’s gaze remained fixed on his wife’s smile.

“In my eyes, you are even more beautiful.”

“Oh dear…. What if someone hears you saying that in public?”

Despite the light reproach, the man couldn’t help but smile.

Anyone would beam with joy when their truly beloved one was near.

That’s why the man paused right outside the store, unable to shift his gaze from his beloved wife’s face.

“It’s the truth.”

The husband, who was lingering outside the store, approached his wife.

Though there was no physical contact, the affection in their gestures and glances was hard to miss.

His smiling wife glanced around at the jewelry, while he lovingly watched her.

“What’s the price for this?”

“Yes, dear customer. What you are currently looking at is….”

As the employee in a sparkling outfit responded in a cheerful tone, his wife leaned in to listen.

However, when she heard a price far higher than she had expected, a subtle worry flickered across the woman’s face.

“Um…. Is that so?”

The employee continued her friendly explanation, seemingly oblivious to the slight change in the customer’s demeanor.

But the husband, observing from the side, noticed.

In a brief moment, he caught a different light passing across his wife’s face.

And he grasped what that emotion meant.

That’s why he intervened in the conversation between the two women.

“Do you like it?”

“…Um.”

An easy answer wasn’t forthcoming. The middle-aged woman tried to mask her discomfort with a smile, but before long, she found herself nodding in agreement.

It wasn’t easy to deceive a man who had exchanged feelings over decades through the academy and university. And considering her husband’s profession, it was even harder.

“I do want it. But dear, are we really okay with this?”

“If my beloved wife desires it, then it’s no trouble at all. If you want it, I can buy it all.”

“Thank you for the kind words, but….”

“Don’t worry. It’s your day off today.”

The wife wore an awkward smile. The fact that she had enjoyed a happy marriage thanks to her husband remained unchanged, but there had been moments of discomfort because of his side.

Whether he knew the depths of his wife’s thoughts or not, the husband merely smiled with contentment.

“I’m just browsing.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get something to drink for a bit.”

After giving his wife a smile, the man left the store with a light step.

As he walked toward the fountain in the department store, he naturally took out the mobile phone he had tucked into his inner pocket.

“…Hmm.”

A familiar number appeared on the screen.

It was a call from work.

Clearing his throat for a moment, the man then answered the call.

“Speak.”

-‘This is Ashraf. I apologize for contacting you while you’re on leave.’

“It’s fine. Tell me what it’s about.”

Ashraf replied.

-‘There’s been an incident at Rabdari.’

In an instant, the man’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Those damned fools causing trouble again. What happened?”

-‘A body of one of our employees has been found. About 60 km northeast of Shizuya near a riverbank. The local police station has taken the report.’

Was it an accident? Probably not.

A small groan escaped the man as he ran his fingers through his hair. Ashraf continued on the phone.

-‘Considering gunpowder residue and burns from muzzle fire, it seems he pressed the pistol against his occiput before firing. Time of death is presumed to be at least two days ago.’

“Any ammunition? Did you check that?”

-‘The forensic team sent the results, the lands of the bullet found in the occiput are ours.’

As the man contemplated the explanation, he fell silent for a moment.

An employee of the Republic of Ashtistan’s counterintelligence agency had been shot. And the bullet retrieved from the occiput was a product of Ashtistan.

“Explain the dead Security Committee employee.”

Rustle, rustle… the sound of papers turning.

The sound of brief rustling faded away.

With the noise of the receiver being adjusted, the explanation began anew.

-‘Hmm… Before entering Rabdiri, I worked as a civil servant in the provinces, so I’m really not that impressive. I used to work as a security officer at Azadi Palace, where I collected bribes from officials until a report was made to the inspection commissioner.’

“That was a foolish thing to do.”

It seems greed blinded them to the point of messing with higher-ups.

If they had just taken a modest amount and kept an eye on things, there wouldn’t have been any reports to the inspection commissioner. In the end, they brought this trouble upon themselves.

“Find out who did it. Also determine who ordered it. Whatever you’ve investigated, put it on my desk.”

-‘I’ve already done that, but the problem is…’

Ashraf trailed off, hesitating as he added to the explanation.

-‘The inspection commissioner presumed to have given the orders has been dismissed today. There’s also a rumor that all the inspectors over there will be coming here for questioning.’

“Why all of a sudden?”

-‘I wouldn’t know the reason. However, the imperial government complained early this morning, and the Kien ambassador urgently visited the hotel where the duke is staying, leading the Imperial Guard HQ staff directly.’

The dismissal of the inspection commissioner. The ambassador’s visit to the duke’s hotel. Movements of Kien information agents stationed at the embassy. Purged security officers. And Azadi Palace.

“……”

A feeling of distance, as if I could almost reach out and touch it. Like watching an impressionist painting come together, just barely forming.

-‘Shall we find out more?’

“No, that’s not necessary. Don’t do that.”

Ashraf acknowledged and responded. The man continued speaking immediately.

“Send a vehicle here. I’ll head to the hotel. You go check on the security committee.”

-‘You’re going in person? What about your vacation? Madam is…’

“I know, Ashraf. But if I want to tidy up the mess they made, I have to go.”

-‘If that’s the case… I’ll prepare the vehicle right away.’

With a soft sigh, he pressed the end button.

Right before the call disconnected, a brief statement from the subordinate slipped through the magic wave.

-‘Take care, Deputy Commander Kasem.’

*

The malignant complaints from Duke Alexandra Petrovna brought a gigantic storm.

“Why is it that I’m the only one being scolded every single time…?!”

Despite the entire department struggling through an all-nighter, Frederick, a Military Intelligence Agency staff member, was met with an avalanche of curses from clients who declared no-shows.

The audacity of that thick-skinned brute, the epitome of a human failure and beastly acceptance, who had just whisked away dozens of folks, raised his voice indignantly. He finally revealed his fierce nature to the world, crawling on all fours in the hotel corridor and barking like a dog. (※ Not factually accurate)

“Don’t we have any listening devices left?”

Camila, who had slyly stuffed a listening device into her master’s hotel room, was struck by the absurdity of the situation. As a fire attribute disciple (fact), she had a knack for igniting her master’s frustrations, proving the adage that “a dog’s habits do not change” once again.

Brandishing a bundle of listening devices in front of the ambassador of the Kien Empire, the consul (head of the Imperial Guard HQ branch), and the hotel staff, who were mere civilian witnesses, she shook them around as if celebrating a birthday party, the bells ringing joyfully~.

“…We’re screwed.”

The state officials who fled to the hotel emergency stairs trembled, feeling as if they had received the death sentence of a criminal (the situation was indeed quite similar) while smoking on their cigarettes.

So, one by one, the smoke gathered, transforming the entire emergency stairwell into a gigantic chimney.

It was a beautiful sight reminiscent of the chimney smoke from a Nordic home during the Christmas season in December!

“Who searched the room earlier? Well, it wasn’t us.”

“Is the order important? It’s not just going to end with a written apology; the branch chief is going to lose his head if this keeps up.”

“Oh no, I haven’t even repaid half of my student loans… what should I do….”

With a single bundle of listening devices, Camila obliterated dozens of information officers; she truly was the living embodiment of chaos, a proud citizen of the UK, the finest talent born from the SIS university internship program.

Interestingly enough, the duke didn’t reprimand Camila. To put it precisely, he was aware of and turned a blind eye to it.

After all, isn’t it a clear truth that the Ashtistan government was the one eavesdropping on them? It doesn’t really matter whether it’s the duke himself or disciple Camila who was being eavesdropped on. (Of course, the thoughts of the Imperial Guard HQ staff waiting to get scolded by the inspector would differ.)

And finding the listening device was what mattered. Why leave that unpleasant item just lying around in the room? There was absolutely no benefit to that.

“No! The plans I prepared…!”

“Frederick! Please stop yelling and just get some sleep!”

Anyway.

The phone call from the archmage caused a massive aftershock, so immense that it was hard to find a single place that wasn’t turned upside down, from the Kien Empire’s mainland to the Ashtistan Republic government.

One thing is for sure; Duke Alexandra Petrovna did not want to drag this issue out.

She had brought her party along for a much-anticipated reunion with a friend, and she knew that getting embroiled in chaos would surely spoil the fun of her trip.

“Your Highness, I’m afraid… a listening device has been discovered in the guest room.”

“Is that so?”

Upon hearing the branch chief’s report, the duke chuckled lightly.

Ah, how fortunate that my clever disciple managed to get into trouble all on her own.

“…Ambassador.”

Duke Alexandra Petrovna murmured, gazing out the window.

“If I say I’m heading out right now, will they try to dissuade me?”

“Well… it’s late, but if you tell me where you’re heading, I’ll prepare…”

On a night drenched in starlight, with towers rising high against the city where the moon and stars danced.

After a moment of lingering, the archmage quietly added.

“To Azadi Palace.”

To the place where her long-time friend awaited her.

 

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