Episode 5 - Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy "War is Merely the Continuation of Politics by Other Means" — Carl von Clausewitz, <em>On War</em>
All claims have their justifications. They're usually called "great causes" or "pretexts." In political dogfights or wars between nations, a great cause or pretext is crucially important.
Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime is sheltering bin Laden and hiding weapons of mass destruction. The lives and safety of pro-Russian residents in Crimea are at risk. Jerusalem is a Jewish holy site, not an Islamic one, and so on. If there's solid evidence, the claim gains real weight. Of course, no one knows if that evidence is a true cause, a pretext, or just an excuse. The key point is that you absolutely need a reason to convince the public that they must shed blood to fight.
Everyone knows it's all bullshit, but packaging that bullshit nicely is what politics is all about. Because war is the continuation of politics by other means.
"The Magic Tower's independence, the three-way feud between the Empire, the Church, and the Tower—it's all a tangled mess of interests, right?"
"It is."
"That's exactly why it doesn't matter. It's too complicated. People won't pay attention to whatever comes out on the broadcasts anymore."
"News fatigue, you mean."
"Yeah. Too many incidents in too short a time. People won't react to anything short of a massive shock now."
The saintess, who was both a politician and a lobbyist, declared it with conviction. Her voice rang with certainty.
"But if something that really tugs at people's heartstrings explodes—boom."
Propaganda. Demagoguery aimed at voters in a chaotic world.
"……."
"The side that pulls it off grabs the advantage, don't they?"
*
"...The Magic Tower violated the treaty."
"The shaman entered disguised as one of our government-sponsored students. The actual student who left for the scholarship program is still missing, and the shaman is under investigation in a separate detention facility."
"...Have you located the missing person?"
"Not yet. But genetic analysis shows the tissue found in the shaman's possessions matches the missing student's DNA perfectly. We believe they're still alive somewhere."
The prime minister set down his teacup and picked up the documents handed over by the intelligence chief. They were less a report and more like an operations plan.
He read the title on the cover aloud.
"Impressive title. Is this the plan? To find the evidence."
"Yes, sir. Operation Opera tracks individuals connected to the missing student to uncover the chain of command. Our intelligence agency currently assesses that chain leads to the Magic Tower's intelligence network."
"...Hard to swallow. The Magic Tower having an intelligence agency."
The Magic Tower had disbanded its intelligence operations decades ago. The Nastasya Treaty and the shadowy intel wars behind it—Abbas had been involved too—but the prime minister pushed it aside. Dragging out classified docs from dusty archives to uncover the truth mattered less than restarting economic ties with the toppled Church. With elections in two years, it was the pragmatic choice.
So the prime minister said:
"...Anyway!"
What now?
"Fascinating stuff. If your agency secures proof of the Magic Tower violating the treaty, it could be a valuable bargaining chip."
Whether that bargaining helped the Tower or crushed it, the chief didn't know. Politicians' hearts shift like reeds in the wind.
So he didn't pry.
"Keep tracking the missing citizen's whereabouts. As long as it doesn't hinder the op. Once safety's confirmed, we'll request repatriation through negotiations."
"Yes, Prime Minister."
"And the commander who drafted this op—could I meet them?"
"Of course, but... may I ask why?"
"The name rings a bell."
The prime minister tapped the name on the plan.
"...It's who I think it is, right?"
The Hero's comrade, he meant.
The military intelligence chief confirmed.
"Just as you suspect."
"...Impressive. That last op report too?"
"Yes. Same person."
"Huh. Heard your agency had lines to them, but this bold?"
Interrogating backgrounds was against intel etiquette. And the prime minister wasn't idle enough to micromanage personnel details.
Until now.
"Then can we meet them now, Chief?"
At the prime minister's order, the chief radioed to bring the operative to the residence immediately.
But.
"...Prime Minister. I brought th—kyaak!"
"Got a TV?"
The so-called operative shoved the prime minister's secretary aside, skipped greetings, and thrust his face forward. The PM startled; the chief clutched his neck.
They'd sensed he was off his rocker from his work habits, but this unhinged?
As the general was about to bellow at the major for his insolence—
-Beep!
The major flipped on the TV.
*
In war and politics, undermining the enemy's justification is standard. For the Church and Empire to topple the Magic Tower's cause, they had two targets.
1) Inquisition abuses. After the Nastasya Treaty, the Church's indiscriminate inquisitions officially halted. At least on the surface. But the Heresy Inquisition still branded Tower-linked figures as "black mages" and heretics. Rooting out terrorists threatening continental peace—that was their pretext. Overt inquisitions had gone underground.
Of course, who was a heretic and whether they truly were—only the Inquisition knew.
The Tower made underground inquisitions its first justification.
2) Non-diplomatic status. More political, tied to history. During the treaty, the Tower pushed for ties with the Church and formal state recognition from governments. Their dream of independence and peace ended as "our era's peace." The treaty was a Church trap from the start—success was never likely.
Formal recognition sank; Church relations collapsed. That was justification two.
To kill the Tower, shatter those two.
"You need material for agitation. Know what it is?"
"I told you. Something that hits the emotions."
Veronica pulled a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, exhaled, and added:
"Lucia."
*
Lucia was the Church's saintess. A Church saint wields influence rivaling the Pope. Veronica herself had flexed political muscle to dispatch healing priests and holy knights to Empire-Tower border zones.
Thus, all Church saints receive state-guest treatment by diplomatic consensus. Especially in devout nations—slighting a Pope peer tanks approval ratings.
Problem: Tower and Church have no relations.
How does a non-diplomatic state treat a guest as state-level? Especially a historic foe. Protocol aside, security's the issue. One mad mage attacks Lucia, and it's war.
Yet the Church brazenly demanded the Tower admit their saintess.
Absurd. Knowing the Tower's hatred, demanding VIP treatment for one holy woman was like telling the entire Oracle Committee to grovel under the Pope.
Humiliating. Public sentiment wouldn't allow it; vote-hungry politicians wouldn't either.
And it played out that way. The Tower was a democracy.
Veronica pinpointed the flaw.
"The issue is Lucia isn't a saintess yet. No canonization rite, so from the Church's view, not official."
"But we treated her as state guest."
"Because she's about to be. Basic manners."
She noted Lucia wasn't formally canonized.
Semantic games. Who'd deny she's a saint? If opinion held otherwise, Abbas wouldn't have rolled out the carpet.
But politicians polish bullshit into gold.
"...If Lucia says she's entering as a priestess, not saintess, sans canonization."
"……."
"How would the world see it?"
No need to ponder. The answer existed.
I replied instantly.
"Shatters the Tower's justifications. Can't block a private entry."
The Tower delegation rejected my agrément, demanding private entry. Blocking Lucia's would spark fairness issues—hoisted by their own petard.
"Exactly. Priests enter the Tower for missionary work too."
Like Protestant groups heading to the Middle East.
Border-crossing missionaries always grated.
Religious minds are universal.
Anyway, the play was obvious. Tower couldn't bar private-entry Lucia. A saint forsaking secular power for wilder status? Unblockable.
"Solves the agrément too. Abbas has Tower ties—no need for bigger diplomatic mess. No justifications left."
Rejecting this? Church and Empire paint them fools. Justifications crumble. Already had.
The Tower jumped into an unwinnable fight. As always, long ago.
"No more independence talk for a while."
Veronica said, heading to her room.
*
Lucia cited non-saint status to enter as priestess, not saintess. All media broke it as top story.
The Church dismissed it as personal, but no one bought it. Lucia was a saintess, rite or not.
They drew lines but respected her view, so media called her saintess anyway.
Church hardliners decried her (defying God's order, etc.), but fringe noise, dismissed as bullshit.
Then another breaking story: Empire support fire.
PM endorsed; Defense undersec yelled for a medal. Fair, since she saved hundreds of Empire lives. Seemed so.
But amid Tower-Church-Empire diplomacy war, huge blow to Tower.
Teen 'volunteer medic' in 'warzone' for 2 years, saving lives, now 'reserve saintess' politely asks entry, renouncing 'power'—at a hotel bar, not press room.
Story. Emotion. Staging. Perfect trifecta.
"……."
Tower allies faced choices: Fight Church/Empire to the end, or step back.
Tower backers mostly respected Lucia's call—northern/central continent under Church sway.
Church critics faced zealous protests. Fence-sitters flipped to Church/Empire tails-up after seeing the violence. Holy/magic/beastkin riots are brutal.
Then intel from Tower operative: Empire diplomat and Tower reps held unofficial talks.
Tower, burned in diplomacy, conceded: Welcomes Lucia and few aides privately.
"……."
Here, I knew the puppetmaster.
Influencing Church policy, intel-driven ops, always frontline vs. Tower.
Root of all Church inquisitions and secrets.
...Heresy Inquisition.