Chapter 346: Border Closure
Editor: Tseirp
The next day.
An appetizing dinner, comfortable sleep, and delicious breakfast.
Needless to say, it was perfect.
After breakfast, Ryo did some light stretching and then headed for the reception.
Today, he would be leaving the inn and departing from the Republic to return to the Holy City.
Checking out was no stress whatsoever.
It was impeccable still.
“I had a wonderful stay. If I ever find myself in the Republic, I will come here again.”
“We look forward to seeing you again.”
Up to that point, everything was flawless.
As Ryo was about to leave the reception desk, an employee from the backyard came to the reception desk in quite a hurry, bringing a piece of paper.
And then….
“Ryo-sama!”
“Yes?”
“I just got news that there was an announcement from the official residence of the Head of State. All borders of the Republic have been closed.”
“Eh…”
Ryo was in the lounge.
He asked the inn to gather more information while he leisurely enjoyed some cake and coffee.
((There’s no point in getting all worked up. It’s prudent to remain calm.))
((Hey, Ryo… I actually just woke up…))
((Those who carry the title of His Majesty the King goes to bed at two o’clock at night and gets up at three o’clock in the morning.)
((Like hell they do!))
Ryo took a sip of coffee and continued.
((To think that the general public wasn’t informed of anything until just before the war starts.))
((Well… they wouldn’t want to cause mass panic.))
((Information control to suppress panic… Since there’s nothing they can do about it anyway, the public might as well go on with their business rather than making them panic.))
((…))
While they were having such a conversation, the innkeeper came to Ryo with a piece of paper.
“Ryo-sama, regarding the border closure.”
“Right.”
“Looks like there’s going to be a war…”
“Yeah, I thought as much…”
A clash between the First and Second Armies of the United Kingdom of Stachen and the Republican Guard near the western border of the Republic was only a few hours away, but within the Republic, what might be called a shadow war behind the scenes was already underway.
“At first, contact with the Lusher squad that was monitoring Cardinal Sacharias went dark… and then ten more units followed suit… How can intelligence units be hunted in the capital of their own country…”
Bonifacio Franzoni, Bureau Chief of the Secret Services Agency, muttered in frustration.
Some of them had been trained directly by him.
And none of them were the kind to be defeated so easily.
But, as expected…
“You said Cesare was seen… in that area?”
He realized that it would be a tough battle if they took on the ‘Four Bishops of the Pope’.
Though he was looking for Cesare and his cohort, even if he were to find them… Bonifacio had yet to decide what to do.
Have them surrounded and defeat them… violence in numbers is often an effective means.
But should he fail to defeat them… the front-line troops of the Secret Services will be decimated.
Still, it didn’t mean that they could be left alone.
Even now, their active units were being hunted, and it was no longer possible to fully monitor those in the opposing camps within the Republic.
When regular armies clash, for instance, if they sabotage military centers or attack the residence of the head of state… the country itself will perish.
They wanted to avoid that at all costs!
Not only those who go to the front lines engage in battle…
A house in Mussolente, the capital of the Republic of Mafalda.
The owner of the house, Ciro Pepe, is a noble with the rank of Viscount.
Even in the Republic, there are nobles with titles.
And that noble Ciro was, in a rather humble manner, almost like a servant, in front of a man sitting on the sofa bringing him drinks and arranging for his food…
“What a wonderful turnout. Burying more than fifty people from the Secret Services within two days.”
The man on the sofa said and drank his coffee slowly.
He smiled and looked very kind.
As if giving a report, standing beside him was a man… Cesare, one of the ‘Four Bishops of the Pope’.
He didn’t say anything and just nodded.
Those who were familiar with the situation in the Western Church would find this scene a bit strange.
Because Cesare is one of the ‘Pope’s’ Four Bishops.
It is no exaggeration to call it an assassination squad directly under the Pope.
And the other cardinals also have their own units under their command.
Some of them cannot be called assassination squads… but more like loyal subordinates.
So, in a way, they’re all rivals.
That is not to say that they do not work together to spread the teachings of the Church…
Even if they did, there is no way that a cardinal would give orders to an assassination squad under the direct control of the Pope.
In the first place, it is not even inherently possible for them to meet one-on-one…
Therefore, the current situation at Ciro Pepe’s mansion was a bit inconceivable.
Yet, the owner of the house, Ciro Pepe, of course, said nothing.
Since his top priority was keeping his life and that of his family.
If he were to run his mouth or let the information of such a meeting slip outside, he would be forced to bid this world goodbye at that moment…
“Soon, the armies of the United Kingdom and the Republic will clash. When are we attacking the residence of the head of state and the headquarters of the Secret Services?”
Cesare asked.
Naturally, sabotage of the residence of the head of state and the headquarters of the Secret Services were in the works.
“Well, let’s see… once we have the outcome of that battlefield, we will raid the Secret Services. Then, the residence of the head of state will come after that.”
“Why not right now? Why wait?”
“Because there’s something I want you to prioritize.”
The man on the sofa answered Cesare’s question without faltering.
“An adventurer from the Central Countries Mission has come to the Republic to deliver a letter. Kill him before he leaves the Republic. Fortunately, the border was closed this morning, so he won’t be able to leave the country easily. The sketch.”
The man on the sofa said, and Ciro Pepe handed Cesare a sheet of paper with a portrait on it.
“Hmm. May I ask why?”
“How unusual. Is there something wrong with this target?”
Cesare’s first question was answered by the man on the sofa, who looked at him with eyes slightly wide open.
As far as he knew, this was the first time Cesare had ever questioned him on a subject.
“He’s the guy who got in the way of our raid on those targets from the Secret Services.”
“Ohh-ho.”
The man on the sofa stared at Cesare with interest.
But he said nothing more.
He knew that if he said something unnecessary, Cesare’s mood would deteriorate.
And he didn’t want that.
Anyone who would go out of their way to say something that would lower the success rate of their work is but a fool.
What came out of his mouth was an answer to Cesare’s question.
“By having this adventurer die in the Republic, the Church will have a cause to advance its troops into the Republic. If they can’t ensure the safety of a member of the Central Countries Missions whom the Church and the Theocracy had so graciously received, would it not stand to reason that they also can’t guarantee the safety of the diplomats and citizens of the Theocracy who are staying in the Republic for business? It means that the Republic doesn’t have the capability to do so. Therefore, the Theocracy will advance its troops to protect its citizens…”
“I see.”
Invasion to protect one’s citizens… it’s a common cause.
“All right, we’ll get rid of him.”
“His name is Ryo. A C-rank adventurer from the Kingdom of Knightley. He’s staying at ‘Doge Pietro’…oh, that’s a very nice place. How you choose to kill him is up to you. However, please don’t attack him in the inn. I happen to like that inn.”
“Yes, sir.”
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