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On the way to the National Affairs Council of the Cult.

A gentle breeze tickled my forehead.

“What lovely weather.”

As I looked up at the sky, where fluffy clouds were drifting, pondering how the day would unfold—

“Uwaaaah—!”

…The Hero suddenly started to gag.

“Pull yourself together, Hero! You can’t faint now!”

Pippin yelled, pounding her back. Judging by her pale face, she seemed to be just as nauseous.

“Pippin, are you okay?”

“I’m feeling queasy too, uh, Colonel.”

“Well, this is a disaster.”

You’d better go take some anti-nausea medicine and rest.

Pippin dashed towards the infirmary, her short hair flapping in the wind like a dog chasing its tail, a rather amusing sight.

“Excuse me! Camila Lowell! Are you with us?”

“I… I feel like I’m losing it….”

Camila Lowell, who had left that desperate remark, slumped over, her head hanging.

I gently shook her shoulders, but she didn’t move an inch.

“Hello?”

Looks like she has fainted.

—

Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent

After laying the limp Camila Lowell in the infirmary, I returned to the deck.

There were a pale-faced Pippin and Jake, who was curiously glancing around. Sensing my presence, Jake turned his head to look at me. His blonde hair reminded me of a meerkat.

“How’s the Hero doing?”

“Is the Hero more important than me?”

“Hey! I know Colonel Frederick doesn’t get seasick. He’s just too sturdy, right?”

That guy retorted with a lazy grin. He could be annoying, but I knew he was just playful, so I let it slide.

“What a little brat. By the way, the Hero is currently resting in the infirmary. How’s Pippin?”

“She took some motion sickness medicine and is resting now. I think she’s feeling better…”

Following his trailing gaze, I glanced at Pippin’s face; she looked like she was a moment away from passing out.

It’s her first time on a boat with us; I didn’t even know she got seasick.

“Jake. Let’s take Pippin inside the cabin. She’ll just get worse if she stays on deck.”

“Got it.”

I led Pippin and Jake to a spot near the infirmary. Pretending to head to the restroom, I scanned for any onlookers or eavesdropping rats. I also checked on the Hero sprawled in the infirmary; it seemed like she’d take a while to regain consciousness.

No people around, plenty of time, and good security. I locked the cabin door and approached the trio slumped in the corner.

“Hey, Pippin. Are you back with us?”

“Yup. I think I’m starting to feel better now.”

“That’s good. By the way, there’s something we need to talk about regarding this trip. Gather around.”

The three spies huddled together, whispering. The first to speak was the spy wearing a colonel’s insignia.

“We’re heading abroad. Right? We’re currently on our way to the Cult, but after we finish business there, it looks like we’ll move on to the Empire.”

“The Kien Empire, you mean?”

“Jake, are there two empires on the continent? Of course, it’s the Kien Empire, idiot. Anyway, once the candidate for Saint joins us from the Cult, we’ll go to the Empire. The Hero’s colleague is at the Magic Tower.”

“The Magic Tower? Oh, the one in the Kien Empire.”

“There’s an alchemist there. She’s also the Hero’s colleague. She’s currently at the very bottom of the Magic Tower’s successor rankings. Given the chaos over the successors, I doubt we can pull her out immediately.”

Jake, munching on peanuts provided in the cabin, tilted his head in confusion.

“If we assume she stays until the successor selection is over, won’t that mean we have a long stay in the Empire?”

“I don’t know exactly how long. It’s internal Magic Tower business, and I have no idea how things are going.”

“Colonel, you were originally responsible for the Kien Empire, right? The Magic Tower work is handled by another department.”

“Nice catch. Anyway, the important thing is that we’re going to be in the Kien Empire for an extended period. We don’t know when we’ll leave, so we’re stuck waiting around.”

Pippin, looking healthier, stroked her chin as if deep in thought.

“Won’t it be dangerous to stay in the Kien Empire for long? Even though diplomatic relations have improved recently, it used to be the enemy nation. The Colonel might not care, but we work for the Information Agency.”

“You guys are disguised as diplomats, so there shouldn’t be any immediate issues.”

The blonde punk Jake raised his hand slightly.

“Uh, Colonel, I don’t really know much about the Empire…”

“Speak up. What’s on your mind?”

“Isn’t that where the Imperial Guard HQ is?”

“Yeah.”

The color drained from Jake and Pippin’s faces.

The Imperial Guard HQ of the Kien Empire is a well-known entity even ordinary people are aware of.

The Sword of the Royal Family.

The Shield of the Empire.

The Graveyard of Spies.

They’re the infamous agency that has tortured countless dissidents, hunted down spies, and thwarted rebellions. They’ve controlled the elite information network of vast territories for centuries.

In some ways, they’re worse than Colonel Clevenz.

So it’s no surprise they reacted this way.

“Excuse me, Colonel. Do we really have to go there?”

And I responded simply.

“Yes.”

After all, I’m your superior, kids.

—

Like every low-level worker in the world, Pippin and Jake had no choice but to agree.

If you’re unhappy, you’d better get promoted; what can you do? Our wages don’t just fall from the sky; they’re all funded by taxpayers.

“Stop looking so glum and cheer up. You guys are going to receive a hefty allowance, so you should be happy.”

“I didn’t think it would be life insurance.”

“So you tried to eat the money from the country for free?”

“Being an idle person with lots of money is a dream, you know.”

“Oh, great, what a disaster. Enough nonsense; focus.”

I scratched my pen on the sheet of scrap paper spread out on the floor. I drew a large circle to make it look nice.

I filled it in with a word or two. Cult and Empire.

“We are not on a vacation abroad; we are here to gather the Hero’s comrades. The second comrade is the candidate for Saint Lucy in the Cult. The alchemist is next.”

“Why is the candidate for Saint the second comrade?”

“Aren’t I the Hero’s comrade? That makes me the first, right? Anyway, let’s talk about the priest first, leaving the alchemist aside. Pay attention.”

I scribbled under the circle labeled “Cult.” Lucy. Candidate for Saint.

“The important thing is that this girl is currently a candidate for Saint. You know what a Saint is, right?”

“Yes. The saint of the Cult. The one with the highest divine affinity is recommended as a candidate and elected through votes from the Bishops.”

“Exactly, it’s a sort of elected position, similar to electing members of parliament.”

“But if there’s already a Saint, do they elect another? Isn’t there supposed to be only one Saint?”

“Normally, yes. It’s not legally prohibited, but the custom is to not have more than one Saint. That’s just how it is.”

Saint Veronica. The custom. Only one.

I jotted down three words. I poked the pen at Veronica’s name, continuing to speak.

“This lady you all know is the current Saint. Although her name is ridiculously long, when you call her Veronica, everyone recognizes her. Anyway, what did I just say?”

“They don’t elect more than one Saint because it’s a custom of the Cult?”

“Correct. That used to be the case. It was a custom that solidified into law over hundreds of years. But that’s recently been broken.”

I crossed out the custom with my pen, writing “clause” next to it.

“Why do you think that is?”

“…The Oracle pointed her out. As the Hero’s comrade.”

“That’s right.”

I underscored the clause and slammed the word “Oracle” down.

“You all know that fanatics can be quite irrational, right? They’re either crazed with faith or money.”

“And there are those mad with power too.”

“Saint Veronica is a noble from the Kien Empire. Just like Jake said, there’s no one in the Cult who doesn’t crave money or power. That’s why Veronica was chosen as the Saint.”

“Election interference?”

“Yes. It appears that the Empire interfered with the elections. I don’t know exactly who, though.”

“Hmm….”

Pippin, resting her chin on her hand, closed her eyes thoughtfully.

“I have a story from when I grew up in the orphanage. Remember when someone from the Cult visited? I overheard a Sister chatting about something important.”

There’s something here.

I instinctively jotted down Pippin’s words on the paper quickly.

“When Veronica was a candidate for Saint, I heard someone mention something. Jake, do you know what a ‘dajeobo’ is?”

“Dajeobo? Isn’t that what university students and intellectuals post in the square?”

Pippin slowly opened her eyes, a sharp glimmer in her gaze.

“Yes…. It’s not from our monastery, but there was a dajeobo from the Cult, saying someone was bribing during the elections. Bishops were receiving gifts. I remember something along those lines…”

“Pippin. Tell me more in detail.”

“Someone’s interference in the candidate elections. The Bishops were bribed with high-priced art and jewelry.”

Hmm.

That’s more specifics than I expected. Considering the possibility of memory distortion, it still holds credibility.

“Art pieces or jewelry are easy to launder. Doesn’t the Cult hold art auctions as charity events?”

“Every parish does hold annual events for orphans. And there are auctions held periodically from the central office.”

“Were a lot of people from the Empire present then?”

“Does money have a nationality? They’re all just pigs thirsty for honor.”

Pippin tilted her head, cynically expressing her thoughts. A lamentation thrown at a harsh reality.

“Still, I remember many rich people coming from the Empire. There are a lot of traders in the Empire, you know. Many people handle large sums of money, and there are businesspeople who wolf down whatever crumbs fall off the table.”

After listening for a while, Jake finally spoke up.

“So those trying to make Veronica the Saint must have bribed the Bishops back then?”

“That, I don’t know either.”

“Let’s circle back to the candidate for Saint.”

I tapped the paper, and the eyes of the two shifted toward me.

“The Hero’s comrade, the candidate for Saint Lucia, is currently undergoing the election process at the Cult. To be more precise, she’s going through the candidate verification procedure.”

“So when’s the voting date?”

“I don’t know the exact date. It’s an internal Cult matter, so I have no information on that. Anyway, what’s crucial now is that candidate Saint Lucia is facing external attacks. Rumors, smear campaigns, that sort of thing.”

“The elections in the Cult aren’t that different from ours.”

Jake wore a baffled expression. At least the Cult people don’t deliver bombs, so it’s a step in the right direction.

Continuing to tap the paper with the tip of my pen, I explained further.

“So we need to take this candidate with us, right? Regardless of the processes, whether she becomes a Saint or not, we must bring this lady Lucia along. But someone keeps attacking this girl.”

“Someone is trying to tarnish the name of the candidate for Saint.”

“What would happen if Lucia joined as the Hero’s comrade in this situation?”

We’d all be taking a dive.

“If she joins now, she’ll be criticized for fleeing without verification, and even if she’s elected as the Saint, there’ll be backlash.”

“If it goes wrong, the Hero could get criticized too, right?”

They’re quick-witted friends; their deduction skills are impressive.

Maybe they’re just so used to dealing with situations that it comes out automatically.

“You all know that the Hero was summoned from our kingdom. I can’t share details, but the high-ranking officials in the kingdom are very fond of the Hero.”

Just a few days ago, the kingdom’s high-ranking officials took a picture with the Hero, shaking hands.

But if the Hero’s image gets tarnished due to comrade issues? That could be a huge mess. The kingdom that summoned the Hero would surely get criticized as well. Whether guilty or not, the Empire would make it so. After all, character assassination typically happens without evidence.

It pains me to say this to Lucia, but it’s not our concern if the candidate for Saint gets criticized. What’s vital is to ensure the Hero or the kingdom’s image isn’t damaged.

That’s what we need to prevent.

“So, it seems we need to protect the candidate from the Hero being criticized as well?”

“Exactly. That’s our job. The Hero isn’t being slandered yet, so we can watch the situation and intervene when necessary. Understand?”

“Yes. Pippin and I will start gathering information once we arrive at the Cult.”

“That’s right. I’ll keep the Hero company and get a feel for the atmosphere.”

—

Facing the incoming breeze, I fiddled with my communication device.

A familiar voice rang in my ear.

—’…Turns out you have rather good information, Colonel.’

“Is that so?”

—’You have a good subordinate. I was feeling uneasy and looking into it. I guess there was a witness closer than I thought, right?’

That’s true.

—’Anyway, we’re currently investigating the people involved. And we’ve moved our agent planted in the Cult to gather more intel. So, for now, just keep an eye on the situation and act accordingly.’

“Is it okay to work in this situation? I’m worried our activities might cause unnecessary complications since the election is in full swing.”

—’In a town that believes in the divine, who would raise an issue if the Hero’s comrade wants to work? Have confidence, Colonel. As long as you don’t create disturbance, it’s all manageable.’

Don’t cause trouble, but get things done—that’s what he meant.

But for a general to handle issues that arise within the Cult’s territory? Something feels off. I looked around and whispered in a low voice.

“…Is it possible that the kingdom is also bribing the Cult?”

—’Do you really want to know?’

“No. Not at all.”

—’Wise choice.’

Sometimes, what you don’t know is best left unknown.

“I’ll monitor the atmosphere of the Cult while following the official schedule once we arrive. And I expect the formal command to come when you’ve finished analyzing the information you have.”

—’Got it. It feels like you ask for more tasks as soon as you step out of the Information Agency. Perhaps I should’ve kicked you out sooner.’

He let out his usual laugh along with a deadly joke. However, I couldn’t show my displeasure, so I just laughed along.

“Well, I’ll wrap things up here.”

—’One last question. When can we expect your arrival?’

“I think we’ll arrive in the morning. Maybe lunch at the latest. And please, don’t treat the monastery guests too harshly. They’re like family to the subordinates I cherish.”

—’Understood. I’ll hang up here then.’

“Take care.”

The connection ended.

Staring blankly at the darkened screen, I tucked the communication device into my pocket.

The gently flowing river reflected the stars. It was like the Milky Way.

Gazing at the river brings back memories of that day—the day I was awarded a medal.

“…Sigh.”

I turned my back on the railing and headed toward the cabin. The wind ruffled my coat, and I could see Pippin and Jake waiting for me in the distance.

“How much longer?”

“We’ll dock in about six hours.”

“Looks like we’ll spend the night here. You two should head in and catch some sleep.”

I nudged them towards the cabin and stepped inside.

And just like that.

The boat carrying the four of us arrived at the Cult.

 

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