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Looking back, the last few days have been a continuous sprint with no time to catch my breath.

“…The Ministry of Finance, Abas, yesterday froze the assets of individuals and organizations cooperating with the Law Enforcement Corps of the Republic of Ashtistan and pro-Ashtistan forces within the Mauritania Continent.”

“The Daria Kingdom is a nation where over 83,000 citizens live without corporate tax or income tax, notorious for being a haven for offshore tax evasion and money laundering.”

“A luxury villa of 186 square meters. This place, with its lawn and beautifully planted weeping willow garden, is the headquarters of a ghost company established in Kien’s Benoit. The Lushan Federation Police Financial Crimes Investigation Office has identified that this company received fraudulent tax reduction benefits estimated at 287 billion in R&D costs back in May and has initiated an investigation.”

“Patalia has arrested a domestic entrepreneur on suspicion of colluding with the Law Enforcement Corps to assist in the overseas smuggling of Ashtistan’s magical stones.”

“Our reporting team has uncovered circumstances where leading domestic securities firms have colluded with foreign investors from offshore funds, corporate branches abroad, and foreign financial institutions, resulting in considerable tax evasion. The financial authorities estimate the losses from such tax avoidance to reach a staggering 1 trillion Takhron annually…”

“The Deputy Minister of the Daria Kingdom’s Cabinet announced yesterday at 5 PM local time that they will punish 81 individuals and 49 organizations for accepting the sanctions against the Republic of Ashtistan.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ashtistan is strongly protesting these measures.”

The 6th financial sanctions proposal against the Republic of Ashtistan.

Freezing transaction funds of magical stones at tax havens and third-country banks. Bans on the entry and exit of sanctioned individuals.

A massive accounting audit by the National Tax Service and law enforcement agencies is expected. Arrests of economic offenders.

“Foreign intelligence agency spies captured. Over 30 former and current senior officials, including active special forces generals, arrested for ‘leaks of state secrets’ spanning 17 years.”

“The secret organization for catching spies had its leader turn out to be a spy!”

“Has it devolved into a playground? Assault, tax evasion, corruption, and now even leaks of confidential information. The humiliation of Ashtistan’s ‘elite’ Law Enforcement Corps.”

“A tangled investigation. Who is the spy murderer?”

“The assembly of the Republic of Ashtistan held a hearing criticizing the Law Enforcement Corps commander for not attending: ‘Where has Commander Darius gone?’ Calls for accountability are growing within the cabinet due to consecutive blunders.”

Arrests of public security offenders. Conflict between the Republic military and the Law Enforcement Corps.

Security conference in the Republic of Ashtistan. Discussions on Darius’s dismissal. 60,000 pro-government organized protests in Shizuya.

“‘Death to the imperialists!’ Furious protesters gathered at Martyr’s Square. Estimates over 60,000 in attendance. The burning flag of Abas.”

“Reduction in magical stone production from the Mauritania Continent. Ban on imports of Ashtistan-produced magical stones, a coup in the Zambia Federation… Will the price of magical stones soar even higher?”

“Crowded relief shelters, dwindling food supplies. The coldest winter yet for residents at the border.”

The magical stone crisis from the Mauritania Continent. Food crisis in the Zarat-Ashtistan border region.

Businesses relying on a magical stone-based economy and governments wielding magical stones as weapons.

Those claiming neutrality and those imposing factions.

Countries wanting to open borders and sea routes and those wanting to close them. At the moment they close, refugees in border areas await only starvation.

All of this unfolded in just a few days. It’s almost unbelievable that it all started with a single corpse discovered on the outskirts of Shizuya.

I quietly let time flow within the blazing Republic of Ashtistan.

Keeping a close eye on the movements of the republic’s intelligence agency and investigators, collecting information from both domestic and foreign sources, and aiding in the hiding of information officers, including Matt and Ayla.

In the end, I succeeded. Lucky for me, that is.

On the very day I received news from Matt that we had safely dispersed to different regions, I submitted my final report, severed ties with the Military Intelligence Agency’s network, and entered radio silence.

Now, I had no more roles assigned to me.

To be precise, there was no longer any need for me to act.

The baton had passed not to me, but to the priest.

Feeling as if I had truly returned after a long time, I came back to the hotel like a tired breadwinner and opened the door in that moment.

-Whoosh…!

“…Huh?”

The blue flames began to warmly welcome me in an excessively fiery manner.

—

Side Episode – Good Fortune Day

When I first faced the flames, the first thought that came to mind was ‘attack.’

An assault by the Ashtistan intelligence agency, which might have received information from the Empire or launched independent reconnaissance.

More precisely, I speculated that my identity might have been exposed, and that’s why the hotel was attacked.

But I pushed that thought out of my head.

If the people of the Republic of Ashtistan really suspected that I was a spy, that information would have undoubtedly reached my ears.

Of course, they might have acted swiftly and successfully maintained security, but there was no reason for them to raid a hotel and start a fire while I was absent.

After all, setting fire to a safe house was not the style of intelligence agencies.

That left only one target.

“What’s going on? Camila!”

I glanced at the flaming guest room and then immediately started looking for the arsonist.

“I told you not to practice magic in the hotel! What is this, 45-year-old Dresden? Why are you turning the perfectly fine town center into a fiery hell?!”

Among us, the only one truly obsessed with such fireplay was practically Camila. I thought she’d quieted down lately, but it seems she was at it again, causing trouble with her magic practice. No doubt, this fire was her doing.

I had even bought a congratulatory gift for her to celebrate the successful conclusion of helping catch a double agent. But here she was, hitting me in the back of the head.

I could only raise my voice as I tossed aside the gifts meant for Camila.

It was simply too hard to let it slide.

“…Eekk.”

As my temper boiled over, while rummaging through the increasingly smoky room, an absurd groan came from somewhere that made me turn my head instinctively.

The source of the sound was none other than Camila.

Lying on the floor, she seemed oblivious to her surroundings, mumbling incoherently.

“What the heck are you doing…. Huh?”

Just when I was about to lift Camila, who had been caught in the act, I suddenly sensed something was off.

It was unlike her usual demeanor; instead of acting aloof and carefree as she always did, she was sprawled on the floor. Now, even in her stupor, the blue flames continued to burn.

Normally, when a magic caster, whether elemental magic or anything else, faints, the magic should automatically dissipate.

Just as machines operate when provided power, sorcerers cannot maintain magic without continuously supplying magical energy.

That’s one reason why sorcerers buy magical tools, despite their maintenance inconveniences and costs.

“Ieehhh….”

Ironically, Camila was in a state of losing grip while her magical tools laid dormant in her bag.

And it occurred to me, at this moment, that of all the existing magical tools, none could produce ‘blue flames.’

“Wake up!”

“…Wha?! Wh-Where am I?”

Startled by my loud voice, Camila regained consciousness, flailing her arms and looking around.

Then, not long after, perhaps having grasped the situation, she grabbed my wrist and shouted.

“We need to run!”

“No

“What’s going on? I just woke up!”

“The P-Professor…!”

It was at that moment.

A shadow loomed over Camila’s face, tinted with scarlet.

An arm suddenly wrapped around my shoulder.

Soon, a chilling cold crept down my spine, making me forget the heat altogether.

The porcelain-like skin right before my eyes turned ghostly pale.

As I tore my gaze from Camila’s face and turned to the side, a familiar face of a magician appeared.

It was the Duke.

“…L-Let me ask you something.”

The Archmage tightened his grip on the arm draped over my shoulder and asked in a low voice, his icy blue eyes fixated on me.

“I heard rumors that you were at a facility in some hotel called Mandala with my disciple a few days ago. Is it true?”

If he meant the Mandala Spa… that was the name of the facility Zigmund had visited before coming to the apartment.

It was also the place Ayla, who disguised herself as me, had been with Camila alone. We needed to mislead Zigmund and any potential watchers from the Defense Bureau and create an alibi for the upcoming murder incident.

But why was he asking me this all of a sudden?

“Um, yes, that’s correct.”

“Rumor has it you had your arm around my disciple’s shoulder. Is that true?”

I nodded with a bewildered expression.

Honestly, I had no clue what exactly happened there. It was Ayla who accompanied Camila to the Mandala Spa, not me.

Yet considering that rumors like ‘A hero was spotted being quite friendly with a hotel spa magician’ reached the information network, and that I had instructed Ayla to ‘act like Camila and I were really close,’ the speculation about having my arm around her shoulder may not have been entirely exaggerated.

I had no idea where the rumor originated from either.

“Yes. Uh, that happened.”

Hiding my doubts, I replied, and the Duke began to nod sagely.

I didn’t know why he would ask such a question, but Alexandra Petrovna, the Duke, wore an oddly sad expression.

As if he were disappointed in the young ones who were distancing themselves from him.

The Archmage spoke up.

“Why didn’t you tell me you both went elsewhere?”

“Ah, um, there was a bit of a situation.”

“Why? Are you dating my disciple or something?”

In that moment, I was at a loss for words, but I instinctively shook my head like a shocked thief trying to deny the inevitable.

“No way! Me and Camila… dating? Haha.”

“Really? Then let me ask you one last thing.”

“Yes.”

“But why was my disciple’s chest being groped if you’re not lovers?”

“…Huh?”

What was that supposed to mean? Stunned, I turned to Camila.

As I signaled her with a desperate look to clarify, Camila was just mumbling something with her lips, sending me a message.

Ayla.

Arm around the shoulder.

We only touched hands.

What on earth was that supposed to mean? Just then, I suddenly recalled the advice I had given Ayla.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“You disguised yourself as me, so you have to act properly. The spies and Defense Bureau folks probably have a basic understanding of my background, right? If you act stiff as a golem, they’ll suspect it, and if you get too touchy, they’ll suspect that too.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Just act like you usually do?”

“Do you even know what I normally do?”

“Just do the stuff you usually do at home?”

“You… just figure it out. Or do whatever your male seniors do with their girlfriends when you’re at the Academy. Just don’t act like a complete fool.”

“…Are you really telling me to do that? Seriously?”

“Well, just don’t overdo anything too embarrassing. Just sprinkle in some subtly cringey stuff.”

“Like what?”

“You must have seen many pairs holding hands, linking arms, or putting arms around shoulders in the hallways. Just act like that.”

…Ah.

A silent sigh escaped my lips without realizing it.

The Duke removed the arm that had been around my shoulder and let out a small sigh. It was a palpable sigh full of disappointment.

In that moment, I finally understood why the Duke looked disappointed. And why Camila had fainted in the room filled with blue flames.

“Your Grace, there’s a huge misunderstanding—”

I hurried to continue, but my feeble excuse failed to land a proper period.

“You brat!”

Before the booming reprimand could pass, zap! A spell struck me right on the head.

A grotesque, unformed scream involuntarily escaped my lips.

“…Ugh!”

Feeling like my skull was splitting and pulling in on itself, I crumpled like a turtle withdrawing into its shell.

My stiffened body fell ironically right next to Camila.

I lay beside her like a wooden log, tasting blood in my mouth.

It seemed I had bitten my tongue.

*

The commotion only wrapped up at dawn. The Duke had raged for a full six hours and an additional forty minutes.

The disciple earnestly tried to appease his furious master with plausible excuses, but instead, it simply escalated into a larger tragedy.

That was the reason the Duke had vented his fury until dawn.

Ultimately, the Archmage imposed severe penalties on his disciple: a six-month snack ban, a ban from tonight’s dinner, restoration of the furniture that was burned during the tantrum, and unlimited one-on-one magical dueling as strict punishment.

As for the hapless fool who had tampered with his disciple, he ordered him to transcribe the great sayings left by wise sages as mental training—commonly referred to as “copying”—every single day.

And there was no deadline on that.

It meant he had to keep writing until the Duke deemed it acceptable.

“I didn’t touch her, I swear….”

Because of that, I had to sit stiffly at the desk, feeling like Sisyphus rolling a stone up a mountain.

From across the table, I could hear the sorrowful voice of the disciple attempting to restore the furniture that had been charred by his master.

“I brought it, so why can’t I eat…! Gyaaaaaah…!”

With delicious snacks right in front of her, Camila burst into tears. It was a present I had bought to celebrate her.

Now, it was just a translucent dream trapped behind a barrier.

Whether she realized this or not, the snacks gleamed with a rich luster, almost urging her to eat.

The unreasonable sobbing continued well into dawn.

 

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