Translator: KJ

Luchen Auction, where the continent's most extravagant auctions are held.

Beneath the glittering light of the chandeliers, countless artworks and rare artifacts were on display throughout the hall.

I was familiar with this hotel-l⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌ike layout.

"Ah, what a pleasure! Sir Metis!"

"It's been a while."

Voices of welcome drifted in from here and there. The auction's general manager flashed an oily smile at the Imperial nobles, and behind him stood the curator who used to peddle fakes to me.

"How are things in the Empire these days?"

"More glorious than ever. Ah, that's right. Have you actually read that book that just came out......"

Ignoring them, I walked over and checked the auction catalog.

[ ......Lot No. 17: Shiver Diamond ]

The highest-purity natural Mana Stone, and a Core Artifact capable of amplifying Mana.

In my previous life, in order to propose-

"Hahahaha!"

A coarse burst of laughter erupted from one corner of the auction hall. I turned to look. They were in plain clothes, but their stiff posture and distinctive bearing alone made it clear they were Imperial Guard.

"Please, go on ahead! The auction's about to begin!"

At the same moment, the air inside the auction house rippled strangely.

The Virus within me detected Mana.

Thump—

My thumping heart indicated the presence of an Ezenheim.

I stepped back. I hid myself in the deep shadows.

Thump—

Suddenly, I spotted a figure walking down the corridor, a robe pulled low over their head.

A face hidden by the hood. That silhouette was familiar to me.

Ezell Runsellot.

Thump—

She was, of course, no Ezenheim, but somewhere inside this Luchen, an Ezenheim was present.

"......."

I followed Ezell's retreating figure with my eyes.

The reason I'd gone out of my way to come to Luchen today was─ her 'defection'.

A wry chuckle slipped from my lips.

I'd thought the Luchen Robbery Incident was purely the work of the Revolutionary forces, but the one who designed the operation was Ezell.

At some point I wasn't even aware of, she had been moved by ideals of equality and freedom.

Such a change was nothing I could do anything about.

Because she believed in the innate rights of all races, there was nothing I could do.

─Ezell.

A conversation we'd once shared, separated by the cold iron bars of the Underground prison, came to mind.

─You knew I was going to confess to you with that diamond, didn't you?

The Empire had fallen, and I had at last been captured by the Republic's army.

Those were the words I'd spoken to Ezell.

─......Huh?

The girl who'd been doggedly holding a grave expression even as she faced me reverted, in that instant, to the Ezell of her childhood.

─What are you even talking about?

─Back then, I'd honestly believed you had stolen the diamond ahead of time, afraid that I would confess to you.

What a fucking moron I'd been.

"Pfft."

A memory of that day that still drew a chuckle out of me.

But all of it was gone now, meaningless time.

The two of us, who could never, by any path, reach a happy ending.

"......."

Leaning against the wall, I took a deep breath.

Thump—

The Ezenheim pulse stirring in my heart set my body in motion once more.

* * *

The grounds of the Imperial Central University.

「Under the Moonlight」, authored by the knight Maximilian, had swept across the campus district.

Students gathered together to dissect its passages, papers supporting or expanding on the ideology contained in the autobiography were already pouring out, and all manner of reviews and columns filled the campus journals day after day.

Criticism, however, was utterly rejected.

A few university students who pointed out the elitism and the dangerous ideology embedded in「Under the Moonlight」were immediately branded reactionaries and met with fierce condemnation. Some even received anonymous threatening letters, or were dragged out of their dormitories late at night and beaten by mobs.

The police did not respond to such incidents. If anything, the perpetrators had society's support.

"Ah, there he comes!"

The grand conference room of the Imperial Central University's Faculty of Humanities.

The Dean, the senior faculty, and several Doctors had gathered together, waiting for someone.

Where their gazes fell, the door opened and a man stepped in.

Johann Georg Goetze.

The student on leave who had once drifted at the margins, alienated by poverty, a wretched upbringing, and his peculiar grudge against society, had now returned as one of Ebenholtz's closest confidants.

Thud. Thud.

Johann wore nothing but a clean, well-cut suit, with no flashy ornaments to dress himself up. Nor did he carry himself with arrogance, throwing his weight around. Just as Maximilian always had.

"......."

Johann looked around at them in silence.

The professors who had ignored and slighted him, the former classmates who had quietly looked down on his poverty and his ideas, were now at the very front, applauding fervently and welcoming him.

Bitter old memories flashed through him, but he did not bother to let his feelings show.

It was time now to part ways with the self he had been.

"Here is the paper."

Johann set a thick folder of documents down on the table.

A paper that would give academic substance to Maximilian's ideology as laid out in「Under the Moonlight」, and unify the fragmented theories scattered across the Empire into a single, developed whole.

To put it plainly, it was the essence extracted after stripping away every literary element of the autobiography, leaving only the skeletal framework of the ideology.

"Oho, this is......."

"Sir Knight reviewed it personally."

At Johann's words, the hands of the Dean and the professors, about to leaf through the documents, froze with a start.

"By 'Sir Knight', you mean......?"

They all carefully raised their eyes, gauging Johann's reaction.

Recently, the Faculty of Humanities had taken on a new Dean and a great many young professors.

The majority of them had risen through the influence of the Imperial Guard, or through the connections of powerful nobles at the imperial palace.

Given the nature of a Humanities faculty that dealt in thought and ideology, one could never rise to a key post once they had fallen out of favor with those in power.

"The very one you're all thinkin⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌g of."

It meant they had backers of their own, but Johann was different. He believed as much himself.

He served a man categorically different from those counterfeit nobles.

"I mean Sir Maximilian."

Everyone gathered here surely understood.

The right to speak the name 'Maximilian' openly, whether in private or in public. The very fact that one could speak for his very name like this was, within the Empire, an authority that few could claim.......

.......

Meanwhile, change had come to Empire Point as well, the Empire's foremost military academy.

A new mandatory course called [Mental Training] had been established.

It was a directive handed down straight from the imperial household, and several officials had even been dispatched to Emp⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌ire Point in person.

"Ah~ a pleasure to meet you."

An official from the Ministry of Defense extended his hand to one of Empire Point's instructors. His whole face was full of smiles.

"You'd be Sir Hannah's mentor, would you not?"

'Phillips', who had been Hannah Usar's instructor. He had been put in charge of the newly created [Mental Training] as its head Instructor.

"Haha. Mentor is too generous a word. I was merely her instructor during her cadet days, nothing more."

"Come now. When I mentioned I was coming here, Sir Hannah told me to give you her best regards."

"Oh my. Did she now?"

His shoulders gave an unbidden shrug of pride.

"By the way, is Hannah doing well in the knight order these days?"

"Of course."

The official answered, his eyes sparkling.

"Among the knights of her cohort, her performance and her record stand head and shoulders above the rest. She's living proof that even a commoner with no connections can succeed in the Empire, so long as they have the ability, and so long as they are a Pure Aran."

Phillips nodded with satisfaction. A pupil's success was always a teacher's joy.

"Yes. I'm truly glad to hear it. This way, please."

Together they made their way to Empire Point's conference room.

It was a gathering where palace officials and Empire Point's instructors came together to discuss the curriculum and direction of the courses to come.

"This is the book we'll be adopting as the primary text for [Mental Training]."

A hardcover volume set at the center of the table,「Under the Moonlight」.

As the man in charge, Phillips went on.

"First, we plan to break out Chapter 1 into a dedicated subject called 'Knight Discourse' for intensive instruction. Chapter 1 describes, with great elegance, the qualities a knight of the Empire must possess, the indomitable will, the resolve for sacrifice, and noble values such as chivalry......."

The instructors and officials nodded along.

What was it the cadets of Empire Point strove for? Why, at so brutal a military academy, at so young an age, did they grind themselves into the ground and endure such agony?

It was, in truth, the sublime rank and honor of being a 'knight of the Empire'.

They ran on in desperate pursuit, fixed on that destination alone.

And so Chapter 1 of 「Under the Moonlight」, which captured the life and ideals of a knight, was exceptionally well suited to nourish that zeal and passion.

"Chapter 2 covers the true nature of the Aran, and Chapters 3 and 4 deal with the hierarchy of the races and the justification for it."

Phillips recited the book's structure with ease.

"It's a fairly difficult part theoretically, so we should be able to set exams that separate the strong students from the weak."

"......Wow. There's nothing for us to add. You must have read the book quite thoroughly, Instructor?"

The officials asked, as if impressed.

"Haha. Surely not as much as you all have."

Phillips replied modestly, but in truth he had all but memorized every sentence in the book. He had bought it and read it the moment it was published, and had purchased hundreds more copies with his own money to donate to his hometown.

"What's more, Sir Maximilian has specially granted permission to re-edit the contents of this autobiography into a textbook."

"Oh, has he now?"

The work of grasping the true intent behind every word and every line, annotating the margins, or excerpting particular passages and appending historical grounds to compile it all into a textbook.

"Of course, the final version still has to pass the Knight's review......"

Phillips was a Pure Aran of common birth. Hannah was the same.

But Jacob, the one who had tried to frame that very Hannah, was a Subspecies. An Ezenheim.

"Personally, I believe Chapters 3 and 4 could be studied for an entire year and still not be exhausted. There's a great deal to interpret in them, especially."

Watching Maximilian and Hannah from afar, Phillips had felt a swell of emotion.

He had wholeheartedly supported the changes Maximilian had brought to Empire Point─the elevation of instructors' status, the abolition of discrimination between noble and commoner, the blocking of cadets' parents from interfering─and as a Pure Aran, he had awakened to an even firmer conviction.

"In addition, for the textbook editing work, we'll draw on the recently published paper by Doctor Johann Georg Goetze......."

And so they prepared the lessons on the ideology that the knights of the future would have to fight for as their lifelong conviction.

* * *

─Luchen's high-end auction will now begin!

In the grand hall where the enormous chandeliers shimmered like jewels, the auction got underway.

Seated in the tiered rows, I quietly watched the throng of figures. Ezell was, as expected, in the VIP box on the balcony.

─Lot No. 1! A relic of the Romanov Dynasty, the「Red Tears」tiara. Crafted from a jewel imbued with ancient magi⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌c, it.......

As the auctioneer's amplified voice rang out, I entertained a rather cold thought.

Wouldn't it be better to just kill Ezell?

Am I needlessly keeping alive this woman who will one day become a threat to the Empire, all for my petty greed and old sentiment?

......No.

Look deeper, and it's the opposite.

The fact that Ezell wants a revolution is, even now, known to no one in this world but me.

─Lot No. 7! The「Heart of Frost」, unearthed from the northern ice sea. This artifact, crafted by some nameless spirit summoner, is.......

By now, she's probably operating as an informant for the Revolutionary forces.

At first, for the sake of compassion and aid for the poor, and relief for the oppressed.

But around the time the Empire finally crosses its threshold and carries out racial genocide, she'll turn to outright revolution.

For now, since I can monitor her movements and profit from it, it's better to keep her alive.

─Lot No. 17! The「Shiver Diamond」. This item needs no explanation from me. Bidding opens at five hundred thousand Imperial Dollars.

At last, Lot No. 17 rose to the platform. The Shiver Diamond. One of the continent's finest artifact mediums, capable of maximizing and storing Mana.

The one I'd failed to obtain before my Regression.......

Perhaps that's why.

Honestly, the longing still lingers.

─No. 91, six hundred thousand Imperial Dollars! Ah, seven hundred thousand! And right away, one million is called!

The Shiver Diamond was a popular item, as expected. A fierce contest among nobles, wizards, and entrepreneurs ignited in an instant.

─No. 137, two million Imperial Dollars!

No. 137. Ezell, too, had raised her paddle.

─No. 208, three million Imperial Dollars! Ah, No. 137 again! Three and a half million!

The bidding figures shot up sky-high.

─No. 208, five million!

Five million dollars. The man holding paddle No. 208 was a great merchant from the Republic of Prozen. At that sum, Ezell faltered.

Before my Regression, I'd been not far from Ezell, and I had raised my paddle for her sake.

─Five million! On the third call, it will be sold. Five million, going once. Five million, going twice.......

I picked up paddle No. 101. To the auction dealer, who had slipped up beside me before I noticed, I said in a low voice.

"Ten million."

Ten million Imperial Dollars.

The dealer started in surprise, but soon relayed the number to the auctioneer.

─One, one hundred and one! No. 101, ten million! Ten million it is!

Everyone was looking at me.

Dentures fitted over the jaw, lenses set into the eyes, even the color of the hair and the tan of the skin altered.

─Ten million. Ten million. Ten million. Yes, sold to customer No. 101 for ten million!

Felix Renoir, who looked nothing at all like Maximilian, stood revealed.

Everything up to here had been part of my plan.

Through this incident, I mean to deduce the structure of the Revolutionary forces.

.......

The transport of Luchen's winning lots was carried out under utter secrecy and the tightest security.

Sometimes by ship, sometimes by truck, sometimes by rail, and even, at times, by transport aircraft, and to throw off any pursuit, every conveyance always set out at the very same moment.

But the Revolutionary forces had already pinpointed the route that carried the genuine article.

It was precious intelligence relayed from「Veil」, the stronghold of the revolution.

"......Arrived."

The comrades waited on the platform of the train bound for the Empire─the [Mantra Express]. Thoroughly disguised, they had each booked tickets for separate cars.

"......."

The Editor-in-Chief of the Jemion Daily, 'Celine Dubois', who had once operated under a rabbit mask in Gigantes, was one of them.

She had arranged her route to overlap with the newspaper's official business-trip schedule, so she'd arrived at this platform naturally, without drawing a single suspicion.

But...... something was off.

Pretending to read a newspaper, Celine surveyed the goings-on across the platform.

There were far too many of them with an uncanny presence. For mere travelers, their eyes moved too sharply, and their movements carried not an ounce of waste.

Celine stood on the platform watching them, but someone, brushing past, slipped a note into her pocket.

Rustle.

Pretending to read a magazine, she opene⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌d it over the note.

[ It's the Prozen Intelligence Bureau. ]

Prozen? Celine's brow furrowed slightly.

[ Intelligence appears to have reached them that the suspect in the assassination of Minister Louis Marceau is at Luchen. Do not antagonize them; keep watch. ]

The assassin who had killed Louis Marceau. The terrorist who had thrown all of Prozen into uproar.

"......"

But then, all at once, a thought struck Celine.

How had this information reached us?

The answer was simple.

So there was a 'comrade' inside the Prozen Intelligence Bureau as well.

~~~

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