“We can talk freely here. But I’m afraid we are busy, so we’ll have to keep it short. You are aware of the suspicious activity going on in the shadows of the First Capital, yes?”
“What was his name again? Yubaet Ludmischen, was it?” Memories of the previous night flooded back, inducing a mild headache. “He was ambushed, right? One of the ding-dongs in my unit went to go ambush him last night and happened to find him under attack. Were the coexisters behind all that?”
“To be exact, the assailants were assassins from Gwen Mohsa working with the coexisters. You are aware of them, yes?”
Those were the people Tsav used to hang with—a deranged cult that raised assassins.
“There is growing support for the coexisters even within the Temple,” Kafzen continued.
“The hell is going on? What happened to their beliefs?”
“They are working with the coexisters because of their beliefs. They are against using goddesses as weapons, so they are fighting to free them. In other words, they wish to live in peace with the Demon Blight. By periodically offering a select handful of mankind to our enemies, they can save the goddesses from their destiny. What would you do in their shoes?”
I was pissed, so I didn’t say anything. Teoritta, on the other hand, haughtily puffed out her chest. She was still gripping my clothes.
“They are mistaken. I am the one who decides what I wish to do, and I wish to be a great goddess who protects mankind!” Her anger was palpable, radiating from her body like a scorching heat. “In fact, I find their pity extremely condescending!”
“Yes, perhaps you’re right,” said Kafzen, as if it was no concern of his. “Whether or not they listen to you is another story, however.”
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone as unlikable as this guy, but I figured arguing would be pointless, so I kept my complaints to myself.
“At any rate, now that they’ve begun to assimilate other forces, we no longer have a good grasp of how much power the coexisters possess.”
“In other words, you’re slacking at your job.”
“While true, I find that accusation very hurtful.”
Kafzen grabbed a nearby poetry book and idly flipped through the pages. He looked utterly bored as he placed it back on the shelf. That was a collection of Altoyard Comette’s greatest works, you philistine! It was clear we would never see eye to eye.
“We’re very short on personnel, unfortunately. We simply don’t have enough people to keep up with all these conspiracies.”
“What happened to the third goddess? Can’t she predict the future?”
“As it happens, she predicted an upcoming preemptive strike on the port facilities along the Valligarhi Channel.” Kafzen’s tone was completely level as he spoke. “We must stop it, no matter what the cost. Should it succeed, it would jeopardize our spring offensive. Furthermore, Galtuile has run into a little problem as well. The transport convoy heading north has completely disappeared without a trace.”
“‘Disappeared’? Not killed?”
“Yes, disappeared. Though I suspect they were killed and their bodies taken somewhere. This is also a major concern.”
What he was saying made sense. An entire unit going missing was much worse than if they’d simply been wiped out. It sounded positively paranormal—more than enough reason to get the intelligence unit involved.
But something about that struck me as odd.
“It sounds fishy to me. Like a distraction meant to keep us busy while they do something in the First Capital.”
“Even if that were true, the threat level would be relatively low. It’s already been decided that we will ignore it.”
Something about Kafzen’s phrasing bothered me. Did he have some boss he was reporting to? And why was an attack on the First Capital not worth their time?
“We have put a lot of thought into the situation and are currently preparing as best we can. We are also taking steps to ensure that our forces remain combat-ready in the event of an emergency.”
Kafzen cast me a meaningful look, as if he knew something that I didn’t. It was the same look I often got from Adhiff Twevel. Whatever he was thinking, I had a feeling it wasn’t good.
“Whatever the case, we can’t prepare for every possible scenario. We have need to deploy our resources in the most effective way possible.”
Resources, huh? He probably means…
“You mean us, right?”
“Exactly. That’s why I came all the way here to urge you to be careful.”
“I couldn’t imagine a bigger waste of time. What are you? Some sort of fortune teller who tells you you’re cursed and then just leaves?”
“Yes, I would feel guilty if I left you with nothing, so allow me to offer you a clue.”
My insults seemed to roll right off Kafzen as he casually picked up another book, his eyes flitting across the pages with unnatural swiftness. Was he some kind of speed reader?
“I’m sure you know this, but there are ruins from the Old Kingdom beneath the capital. Namely, the underground fortress of Cidfil.”
“Underground ruins! Really?” A strange glint appeared in Teoritta’s eyes, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point,” I urged. “I’ve got stuff to do.”
“The coexisters have set up a base inside those ruins. We’ve had our eyes on Gwen Mohsa for a long time, and it was they who led us to it.”
“Why don’t you go clean the place up yourselves?”
“We can’t. We don’t have the right skills. I’m afraid we’re lamentably ill-suited to battle. I feel awful about it, really.”
I was certain he felt no such thing. Kafzen idly began to flip through a book on architecture. Smirking, he put it back on the shelf.
“Fortunately, fighting is your specialty, yes? I know all about your escapades with Captain Lufen back when the two of you would pretend to be adventurers.”
What a pack of scumbags. Intelligence agents would go digging into your background and use whatever dirt they found, no matter how insignificant.
“Wait, what?” Teoritta’s eyes lit up with a strange delight. “My knight used to go on exciting adventures with his friend?”
“Kafzen, stop filling our goddess’s head with nonsense. If you don’t have anything important to say, just leave.”
“My apologies. I suppose it is time for me to head out… There is one last thing I need to tell you before I go, though. I believe you’ll find it very important. In fact, you’ll probably thank me.”
Important information, huh? What could he mean? Either way, I hated his pretentious attitude.
“I’ll decide if I want to thank you. Just get to the point.”
“The Uthob Front, Unit 7110.”
As much as it pained me to admit it, that actually was important information. I’d been ready to shut him down immediately, but I fell silent instead. The Uthob Front, Unit 7110—that name alone sent a chill down my spine. They were the very reason I’d had to kill Senerva.
The Fifth Order had been sent on a suicide mission, lured into a trap under the pretense of rescuing Unit 7110. But in reality, there was no Unit 7110.
“I told you that a transport convoy heading north from Galtuile disappeared, yes? Well, we received a message from that unit just before they disappeared. It was a single phrase repeated multiple times.”
“…And that phrase was ‘Uthob Front, Unit 7110’?”
“Personally, I believe a unit by that name truly exists, and I think they’re the ones who set you up. The coexisters use them as an intelligence unit, and I believe they are involved in the upcoming divine election.” Kafzen shot us a mocking smirk, then turned on his heel to leave. “See? You really want to thank me now, don’t you?”
“Just shut up and go away.”
There wasn’t much else I could say.