NOVEL FROG Chapter 27
Blasphemia Auditor General Salmosia felt a severe headache from the just-uploaded report.
The problem started from the code of the reporter: L13.
BAM!
“How is it that an inspector who went missing during the last chaos…?”
While battling the monsters thrown into the world by the White Light Tower, Blasphemia suffered numerous personnel losses.
The officially confirmed deceased agents were close to three digits just by counting those with names, and those who were unaccounted for during the operation, without confirmed corpses, likely doubled that.
L13 was among those given the nominal status of MIA, effectively declared dead.
“Secret Inspectors have the authority to act independently without long reports… But still, a survival report must be submitted. It’s been years, and without a trace, I assumed he was victim to that monster.”
WHOOSH!
“Is he actually alive?” Salmosia stroked his chin.
The sudden return of the missing Secret Inspector and his escape had too many unnatural aspects. He left the scene without even handing off responsibilities to other inspectors urgently dispatched to the Charlotte Branch.
If he didn’t know the details, he might have thought it was a trick by external forces trying to incite a rift within the Ten Towers.
However, he couldn’t interpret this as a scheme by another faction within the Ten Towers or a god cult that was trying to weaken Blasphemia.
The report he submitted mentioning “rebellion plot of the Golden Desert Operation survivors” was confirmed to be real.
DUN DUN DUN!
Moreover, a significant number of the agents from the Charlotte Branch had been integrated into their ranks.
It’s hard to consider L13 an enemy given the high-level information provided. Therefore, it must be thought of in another way.
“If we assume the reason L13 had to hide was due to severe injury, then what could be the reason for him resurfacing now?”
A Secret Inspector who was attacked by a monster of the White Light would take a long time to heal his injuries. What would be the next course of action for the inspector?
“Naturally, it would be to track that monster. Though treated as deceased, no one confirmed the monster’s corpse. Given the Inspector’s abilities and loyalty, he could indeed undertake an investigation alone.”
While investigating the monster, a supervisor unexpectedly reported the activities of reactionary elements within the organization colluding with Extra-dimensional Contaminants.
And these Extra-dimensional Contaminants were deploying psychological operations against non-eroders, unlike the indiscriminate destructive activities typical of eroders.
If Salmosia could not feel some connection between the monster that L13 was tracking and the strange behavior of the eroders, he would not be worthy of being the Auditor General of Blasphemia.
“Could it be that this is how things turned out?”
WHAM!
Most elite agents who should have swiftly returned from the Extra-dimensional had vanished without a trace.
They had become eroders and turned their blades of betrayal against Blasphemia.
“Is it a trap prepared by the White Light monster?!”
GASP!
What a terrifying presence! A mage who could control the deep abyss magic powerful enough to taint even elite agents with Extra-dimensional Magic!
Despite Blasphemia’s full-force attack, that fearsome monster survived and even dominated their agents.
That monster was behind the traitors.
To hint at this, L13 risked exposing his identity to the rebels and left a message.
“I said I would leave the scene to track. From now on, wherever L13 shows up, it must mean there’s a clue related to the White Light monster!”
Salmosia admired L13’s wit in conveying the truth even in a dangerous situation and carefully selected the agents to share this information.
“The branch chief level agents have allied with eroders. There can’t be a traitor within the headquarters.”
He once again closely reviewed the detailed investigation report of the Charlotte Branch case. The only individual who had direct contact with L13 was the rookie agent K17, code-named Niobe.
“Should we assume that L13 recognized this agent’s loyalty?”
No. It must be accepted that he not only had loyalty but also capability. The fact that the Secret Inspector accompanied him on assignments implied as much.
“While confronting the traitors, the most important factor isn’t combat ability but ideological readiness. K17’s loyalty has been verified.”
There was a possibility she could grow into a special agent to capture the traitors. Salmosia added K17 to the selection list for the attribute training program.
At that moment, Niobe, who was in the isolation facility to testify about the Charlotte Branch, felt an unexpected wave of anxiety.
She still didn’t realize that believing Orthes’s words had destined her to be placed in Blasphemia’s most dangerous division.
*
Reborn by the blessing of the great one.
Once devoted to Blasphemia and the Ten Towers, Halto awaited contact with a stern face as he served a higher cause.
The time for the Charlotte Branch to join was near. According to Nardanit’s last communication, everything would conclude within a week at most.
Originally, Halto was supposed to be joyfully waiting for his new comrades to arrive. However, a moment ago, he received unbelievable information from the spy he planted in the Blasphemia headquarters.
“Destruction?!”
The shocking news that Nardanit had perished and all comrades who would have joined his cause had been captured. Halto was waiting for Nardanit’s contact with his last hope.
But even after long missing the promised time, there was still no word.
This confirmed the situation.
“Those who follow our cause still need more time.”
He had hoped to secure at least ten mobile branches like the Charlotte Branch before taking any major action. But alas, the situation worsened, leaving him no choice.
“It’s a rash decision made without securing the organization’s stability.”
If Blasphemia didn’t divert their attention, the stronghold of the loyalists could be revealed.
“I need to select those who will participate in the upcoming Great Temple listing review.”
Halto muttered as if talking to himself. Suddenly, something slowly rose from his shadow.
It looked as if a shape had simply arisen from the shadow, without features. A voice flowed out from the black silhouette.
“It’s still insufficient to gather the entire squad. Is it too hasty?”
“Yes. But Blasphemia already has clues about us. We need an incident to divert their attention.”
“I will inform everyone.”
It sank back into the shadows. Left alone again, Halto reflected on the journey thus far.
The monsters faced in the desert.
No. Monsters.
The magical weapons with flowing white hair. And…
Something hazy even in memory. Only those blue eyes remained like a scar.
They did not receive revelations about the truth like himself, thrust out of the dimension. Instead, they were the ones who revealed him—
“They are the greatest enemies obstructing our cause.”
The fact that those endowed with powerful strength were the ones who once turned Halto upside down neither scared him nor saddened him.
The cause endowed him with new strength.
Halto was rather grateful that those things were wicked enemies threatening the cause.
They were monsters responsible for killing numerous comrades even from the time before the cause was awakened. He would surely kill them with his own hands.
*
I’m exhausted. So tired.
I mumbled as I trudged along the tracks.
“How is it that this damned branch still has no means of transport?! Not even a magical carpet or bike or something?!”
TWING!
“There wasn’t. Even if there were, it wouldn’t do. Just wish for something reasonable. You want a vehicle with Blasphemia’s tracking device attached?”
The sharp message came from Arabella, who was gathering visual and auditory information with a drone.
Sure, various distraction operations were underway. However, given that the goal was to leave as few traces for Blasphemia to pursue, walking was the only escape method left.
“I need to find a city soon so I can wash off. How filthy is the wind out here?! How many days has it been?”
*
Arabella felt deep anger at the remark of ‘how many days has it been.’
Though Orthes seemed oblivious, Arabella dropped her usual honorifics and sent a message in a casual tone.
She had accumulated stress from not being able to sleep while keeping watch over Orthes’s journey back to Etna City.
It was certainly not what she had hoped for.
“…”
Behind Arabella, someone silently watched the screen relayed by the drone. It was Carisia’s command.
“Boss, if you’re worried, why not just go out to greet him?”
“Of course not. Why would I worry about him?”
HMPH!
Carisia gently returned the rough comment. Normally, if Carisia expressed a lack of worry, it meant “a worthless existence that hardly deserves concern.”
But saying it about Orthes wasn’t the usual case. Over the past few days, Arabella felt that most of what handled ‘exceptions’ within Carisia had connections to Orthes.
Interpreting Carisia’s words appropriately would lead to this: “He is not weak enough to warrant worry.”
Arabella really wanted to ask Carisia why she was continuing like this if she was not worried at all.
Only her dwindling rationality and survival instinct demanded that she not question the boss’s orders.
“Even if I asked, she’d probably say something like, ‘I’m just reviewing business trip records, not worrying about it.'”
From the side, the situation looked more like concern.
“They’re working their staff too hard…”
Arabella sighed.