Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Incompetent Minister Wants to Retire
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“Ooh, you must be the illustrious Minister Barrmut!”
I had finally arrived at the desolate Nigreo Swamp, and now I fully understood the reason why my subordinates had successfully subdued the target but found themselves unable to drag him back with them.
The old man who addressed me was an utterly grotesque sight—a massive, pulsating hunk of distorted flesh encased his frame, binding him firmly to the ground by heavy iron chains driven deep into the earth.
According to the initial report provided by those who had arrived first on the scene, he had originally taken the form of some kind of monstrous mongrel the size of a towering giant.
However, John had brutally smashed him to pieces, leaving him in this pathetic and stationary state.
A sudden spark of curiosity struck me, so I turned my gaze toward John, who was standing steadfastly beside me.
“Could you not have chopped him up into even smaller portions?”
If he had done so, we might have possessed a way to haul his remains back to the Intelligence Headquarters for further study.
“I certainly could have, but that action probably would have killed the old man as well. That specific lump of flesh seems to function as his core—his singular vital point.”
I see. Well, if that is the case, it truly cannot be helped then.
“So, for what reason did you call for my presence here?”
“...I shall get straight to the crucial point. Save my wretched life, and I will reveal everything I know about <Oracle>.”
Oracle
Oracle?
What on earth is that supposed to be?
“Hoo, judging by your total lack of surprise, it is clear that you already knew of them.”
...Knew what exactly?
I desperately wanted to ask what the hell he was talking about, but the oppressive atmosphere made that seem like a remarkably bad idea, so I chose to stay quiet. The old man took my silence as his cue and simply kept rambling on his own momentum.
“My name is Hans Wolf. As you are probably well aware, I was once something of a renowned and respected researcher.”
(Would it significantly hurt his feelings if I were to admit I had never heard of his name before?)
“Oracle approached me because they believed my unique abilities would assist in locating a certain ancient object.”
“An object?”
“Yes. Something known as the Key.”
Key
I happen to have a key as well.
You know, the common kind you use to open locked doors.
“No one knows what physical form the Key takes or where it is hidden. But Oracle firmly believes in its existence and is scouring the entire world, desperately searching for its location.”
Aha. I see. So this Oracle group wants the Key.
(I truly have no idea what any of this actually means!)
Instead of subjecting myself to more of this incomprehensible gibberish, I figured it was better to just ask him straight up.
“What exactly is Oracle in the first place?”
“That's... even I do not fully know. What I do know is that it is an organization that has existed since ancient times. And that woman...”
The old man's incomprehensible and jagged ramblings ended right then and there.
Someone had plummeted from the sky like a sudden bolt of lightning, impaling his head through with a spear.
Well, “impaling” might not be the technically correct term—it was more like shattering it into a thousand pieces.
“That was a close call—! What the hell are you blabbing about, you senile old geezer?! Have you gone insane? Are you totally nuts?!”
“<Thunder Dragon> Erich Yon!”
Erich Yon
Who is that supposed to be? Why is everyone suddenly freaking out? Am I the only one here who does not know this person?
As I felt oddly and profoundly left out from the rest of the world, Erich Yon—the one who had just killed Hans Wolf—hopped down from the corpse, looked directly at me, and scratched his head.
“Damn. I really cannot have my identity blown this early in the game.”
“Perhaps you should consider wearing a mask next time.”
My sincere and practical advice only made Erich double over in a fit of laughter.
“Hahaha! Even the Minister cracks jokes at a time like this. Or should I call you shameless? As if you didn't know exactly who I was from the very start.”
At this point, between him and Hans Wolf, I seriously wanted to ask why everyone just assumed I knew something important.
I don't know anything at all! Absolutely nothing!
Thinking I will know everything just because I hold the title of Imperial Intelligence Minister? You are going to regret that assumption!
“I would love to kill you right now if I could, but I know that is a functional impossibility, so I will pull back for today. Chase me if you want, but like you probably already guessed, I have set traps everywhere—so come prepared.”
You are underestimating me quite a bit, aren't you?
I hadn't even considered the existence of traps until you so kindly spelled it out for me, you punk.
Why would you tip me off about the traps in the first place? Is that reveal itself part of the trap?
“See ya. We will have a proper fight the next time our paths cross.”
With those cryptic and dramatic final words, Erich Yon vanished from sight.
'He is far more impressive than I had originally thought, Minister.'
Erich had mobilized every available resource to set his traps, fled for his life, and only allowed himself to collapse onto the ground once he judged himself to be at a safe distance.
A petite girl approached his slumped form.
“How did you find him, Erich?”
“Impressive in every possible sense. Now I truly get why Mother is so interested in him.”
The girl called “Mother” nodded slowly.
“Tell me your honest impressions of the man.”
“Hmm. For starters, his guts are no joke at all. The very moment I killed old man Hans, he noticed I was in striking range—but he didn't flinch in the slightest.”
The regular Intelligence agents were a given, and even the elite Owls were ready to die fighting him.
Yet the Minister showed no movement, no sign of a reaction.
“It wasn't the look of someone merely trusting his men as human shields. He read the entire situation and was certain I wouldn't dare attack him directly.”
If a fight had broken out there, Intelligence would have taken losses too—but Erich would have died for sure right on that spot.
The Minister, on the other hand, probably would have survived the encounter.
There was simply no merit in attacking him for Erich.
“If that is the case, his tactical eye is undoubtedly top-notch as well.”
“Is there anything else?”
“This is just my personal take, but... that guy is just plain weird.”
“Weird?”
“Yeah.”
Erich recalled the Minister's unsettling demeanor as he continued his explanation.
“He was looking at me, but not really seeing me at all. He seemed full of openings at a glance, but felt completely impenetrable up close. We talked, words got through, but the meaning behind them didn't seem to connect... Anyway, he was just plain weird.”
In short, he was utterly and dangerously unpredictable.
The girl smiled with a happy expression at her son's report.
“I see.”
“Huh? You actually look pleased, Mother?”
Erich tilted his head, unable to fathom why she would be happy about such a troublesome and powerful foe. She gently stroked his hair.
“Erich, do you know the proper way to handle monsters?”
“Monsters? Feed them some tasty bait, or if that fails, beat them into total submission?”
She shook her head gently.
“That might work to make them obey, but you can never truly win their hearts that way.”
“Then how is it done?”
Stopping her caress, she gazed up at the infinite sky.
“Amusement. Show them something truly fun, and you will win a monster's heart.”
“Amusement...?”
The girl reached her hand toward the heavens.
Her fingertip pointed directly at the burning sun.
“The man they called the <Wraith of the Black Swamp>, Hans Wolf, was a brilliant researcher, but his severe ethical lapses eventually got him expelled from the Academy.”
Once he was booted and completely cut off from official funding, he would have been easy prey for any dark temptation.
Got it.
“<Thunder Dragon> Erich Yon is a mercenary who has made a significant name for himself in recent years. He always operates solo, but his record outshines even the largest mercenary bands. His victory over the legendary <Mercenary King> is now legend in the trade.”
It remains unclear if he was with Oracle from the start or if he joined them later.
Speculation: if the former, he did mercenary work for funds; if the latter, he likely joined them for the cash.
Got it.
“From the research notes and the personal journal found in the collapsed cave rubble, Hans Wolf seems to have been trying to create a 'new humanity.' But as you know, the final result was...”
Ah, this part I actually know. Fairytale turned ordinary people into monsters, right?
“From this point forward, we will refer to the mysterious third faction—or group—as Oracle. They are hunting for something called the Key and appear to be operating on a worldwide scale.”
I had heard the name, but I didn't truly get what it meant.
Got it.
Wow, I knew I was incompetent, but I really knew absolutely nothing of importance.
“Like with the Clamor microkingdom case, Oracle might have infiltrated deeper into society than we think. So their existence should be kept top secret for now...”
Maybe because I knew zilch, I found I couldn't focus at all. I fidgeted, fiddling with my useless fingers as she spoke.
“...or we will lose track of who is friend and who is foe. It is better to share minimal intel with other nations' Intelligence heads...”
What am I supposed to do? Is it too late to hit the books and learn? I wish there was a 'World's Most Dangerous People' dictionary I could read.
“No, I mean, uh—or send agents to...”
Wondering if bookstores had such a thing, I tapped the table—then suddenly noticed that Celine had stopped talking.
Huh? What exactly was she saying?
Why has it become so quiet in here?
Is the meeting over? Can I finally go?
Exhaling in relief that it had ended without further incident, I remembered that I was supposed to go shopping with Celine today.
“Celine.”
“Y-yes?!”
“We are going now. Get yourself ready.”
“G-going, as in you personally, Minister...?”
“Who else would it be?”
She had practically begged me to go together—so what is with the sudden surprise now?
(Though if she had said there was no need, I certainly wouldn't have gone.)
“...Understood. I will prepare myself right away.”
We hit a bookstore later that day, but sadly, there was no 'World's Most Dangerous People' dictionary to be found.
The entire continent was currently on edge.
The Acherus Empire's Intelligence Minister had summoned every single nation's Intelligence chiefs to a meeting.
More precisely, he had ordered them to pick a neutral spot since he intended to come himself.
The other departments outwardly protested the demand but inwardly sighed in profound relief.
Everyone knew that the current issue demanded a face-to-face meeting.
But none of them would have gone if the demand had been “come to the Empire.”
No one wants to walk into the monster's open maw willingly.
Nor did they want to invite the monster into their own home.
The ex-Empire nations waged a fierce and desperate battle of nerves over the location.
Then one nation finally raised its hand.
“For the sake of world peace, the Fraus Holy Kingdom gladly offers itself as the venue.”
The rest of the world applauded the Holy Kingdom's brave and noble decision.
After the necessary procedural prep periods, a specific date and time were set.
Thus, an unprecedented summit of every nation's Intelligence chiefs convened for the first time.
True to its ancient worship of the Sun God, the Fraus Holy Kingdom basked in intense, brilliant sunlight that was both warm and inviting.
Thanks to the gentle and golden rays, faces bloomed with smiles; the streets buzzed with a vibrant energy.
A novel, savory aroma tickled my nose; the fresh sound of laughter from women delighted my ears.
It was all quite good.
Everything is great—but I have one fundamental question at this critical juncture.
Why the hell am I actually here?