The Mastermind Was Found.

Meanwhile, public opinion condemning the terrorist act against the queen was continuously filling the Polia Kingdom.

「The terrorist act against Queen Adrina is the same as an act of disregarding this country. The iron hammer of retaliation must be brought down on the mastermind without fail!」

「It is said that all the terrorists who targeted the queen have been eliminated, but the mastermind behind them still cannot be identified.」

「Why did they target Queen Adrina? Terror carried out without a purpose? What on earth was their intention?」

「Emperor Jedic of the Magnia Empire has issued a statement strongly condemning this terrorist act. He announced that targeting Queen Adrina, his younger sister, was the same as targeting their empire!」

「Nations around the world have issued strong condemnations of the terrorist act targeting royalty! Royalty is a sanctuary that no one can touch!」

While the facts of the terrorist act were being reported day after day like this, Queen Adrina suddenly appeared before the public again. This time, she visited a free meal center, and she showed herself only five days after the incident had occurred.

Beside her was even Princess Helena, who was said to have suffered the terrorist attack with her. At such sights, everyone had no choice but to click their tongues and think they were remarkable women. Normally, they would absolutely not have come outside the royal palace.

More than that, seeing them carry out activities so perfectly fine like this seemed as if they were saying that what had happened back then was nothing. Of course, around them, security personnel incomparable to before had been deployed. In order to target Queen Adrina, who was being protected by such people, it was close to impossible unless one brought an army.

They were certainly able to finish the work without anything happening. From the start, in a situation where so many eyes were focused on them, there would be nothing as foolish as targeting Queen Adrina. In other words, even the mastermind was in a position where they had no choice but to simply watch this situation.

While Queen Adrina continued her public activities in perfect condition like that, an unexpected report was being delivered to Ian.

“As a result of a precise analysis, surprisingly, we were able to realize that traces of fragments of White Crystal power existed in the opponents’ corpses.”

“With White Crystal, you say?”

At Viscount Rubingston’s report, Ian felt surprised at learning a new fact. Raising existences like superhumans by using that could be called a rather unexpected and surprising result. Until now, he had thought that all it could be used for was simply making biological weapons, but it seemed that was not all.

“Is that possible?”

“For now, it appears to be possible. The corpses are the evidence.”

“If that is possible, it is quite a concerning situation. Does that not mean superhumans can be trained?”

“If mass production is possible, it is an extremely concerning situation. However, we expect that it will not be that simple.”

“Why do you think so?”

“First of all, if they had been able to mass-produce many of them, there is no way they would have sent only two people. Perhaps even sending two may have been excessive for them.”

“If that is true, that is fortunate, but at the same time, the danger that such existences may appear at any time will always exist.”

“We still have not found out anything about the mastermind. Even after predicting every specific possibility, there was no place that matched.”

They had even gone so far as to suspect that the Magnia Empire might have sent them, and they were also conducting an investigation in that direction. However, just because they investigated did not mean evidence could come out. Rather, it was so clean that it made them wonder how secretly the work had been carried out.

“Have you perhaps investigated the Hadis Religion as well?”

“We investigated them too, but no evidence came out that they had moved. From the start, they have no reason to do so. Has our Polia Kingdom not formed a fairly close relationship with the Hadis Religion?”

“Still, one cannot know the human heart. Is it not possible that something happened between us and them without our knowing, causing our relationship to go wrong?”

“Mm, that may be so. Perhaps they were offended because we showed hesitation during the previous matter with the Rat Religion. But even so, targeting the queen over that is a little…”

A troubled look settled on Viscount Rubingston’s face because he could not be certain of anything. Ian also held a similar emotion. This incident had happened far too suddenly without any sign whatsoever. Therefore, he could not help but be unable to even guess who was behind it.

“More importantly, what does Dr. Billeor say? Did he say it was possible to train someone like a superhuman?”

If it was Dr. Billeor, who was researching biological weapons at the Zaila Research Institute located on the outskirts of the capital, Ian thought he might surely know something. In response, Viscount Rubingston shook his head and said.

“I contacted him in advance and found out, but he said that, for him, this kind of research is impossible.”

“Why? Is he unable to do it?”

“He says it is not that he cannot do it, but that nothing can be known without human experimentation.”

“Mm.”

As expected, the part where they were blocked seemed to be human experimentation. One had to properly understand the human body to make anything, but because Ian had taken measures in advance to prohibit human experimentation, research on the effects of White Crystal on the human body had no choice but to be insufficient.

‘Am I placing too many restrictions?’

Anew, Ian thought that perhaps he was creating too many regulations. There would be nothing that made them fall behind as much as that, and he was the one doing it. However, he thought that carrying out human experimentation too indiscriminately was also a bad thing. It seemed that the influence of his values from Earth still remained.

‘It is certainly morally bad to experiment on humans, but when I think of matters like the present one, it is also something absolutely necessary.’

It was a problem that would give him much to worry about. Thinking of human conscience, it was something that should not be done, but on the other hand, thinking of the nation’s future, it was also something that absolutely had to be carried out. It might be all right for now, but if everyone else was doing it and only they were sitting idle, the gap would inevitably grow larger and larger.

“…I will permit human experimentation. However, it will be carried out only on condemned criminals.”

“Understood. I will tell Dr. Billeor to proceed with human experimentation as well from now on.”

At Viscount Rubingston’s answer, Ian decided not to talk about this matter any further. He soon moved on to another issue.

“Putting that aside, do your utmost to find the mastermind.”

“Yes. For now, we are proceeding with an investigation of the corpses, and soon we will be able to find out where they came from.”

“If we at least know where they came from, we will be able to make a guess.”

“That is correct. It will not be the same hopeless situation as now.”

“Then report to me immediately once you learn the result.”

At Ian’s words, Viscount Rubingston answered as if he would do so. And exactly two days later, they found out where the dead men had come from. It was something they discovered after continued pursuit.

“They came from the Doicheun Empire.”

“The Doicheun Empire?”

The Doicheun Empire? Ian knew that place had neither reason nor leisure to do something like this. Currently, the internal situation of the Doicheun Empire was politically chaotic. Due to the issue of excessive reparations, taxes had risen, and at the same time, interference had increased, so proper policies were not being carried out, leaving public security in a serious state.

“I would like to say ‘for now.’ They likely passed through the Doicheun Empire and crossed over into our Polia Kingdom.”

“True. They, who are secretly in a cooperative relationship with us, have absolutely no reason to touch us.”

“If there is a place with the greatest possibility, perhaps it may be the Bain Kingdom.”

“If it is the Bain Kingdom, I know it is currently even more chaotic than the Doicheun Empire.”

“That is correct. It is said that royal authority is also shaking, and nobles are running rampant in various places. And…”

“Is there something that bothers you?”

“The Central Order of the Rat Religion exists in the Bain Kingdom. They say there is a man there named Bain who calls himself the Pope.”

“The Pope Bain of the Bain Kingdom. Is he trying to become king to the point that he gave himself the name of the kingdom?”

“There are quite blatant movements. Perhaps the country truly may be overthrown.”

“The head of a religious organization directly becomes king? Would each nation tolerate that?”

“Everyone would not permit it. However, because of the timing, I do not think the possibility is completely nonexistent. Is not every place currently chaotic? On top of that, the expansion of the Rat Religion across the continent is unusual, so it seems its influence cannot be ignored either.”

In the Polia Kingdom, the Rat Religion could not properly exert power, but on the continent, the power of the Rat Religion had become quite strong. Even now, they were expanding their religious influence at a terrifying speed, and their momentum was so powerful that even worried words were coming out, asking whether they might soon devour all other religions.

“I did not think of it a short while ago, but perhaps the Rat Religion may be the mastermind behind the terrorism.”

“Are you saying they could be behind it?”

“Yes. Do they not have the best justification for retaliation?”

“A religious organization that is not even three years old has the power to cultivate superhumans? Does that look normal?”

“It certainly would not be normal. However, if it is not their power alone, would it not be possible?”

“Do you think they perhaps received outside help?”

“Is that not highly possible? If it is those who move in secret, they may have secretly handed over technology and trained superhumans on an experimental level.”

As Viscount Rubingston said that, Ian gradually began to think that the Rat Religion might be the mastermind. If that was the case, he thought he would retaliate accordingly. Since they had targeted the queen, it would not be bad for him to target the Pope? That man who called himself a king.

‘They say an eye for an eye. If it is certain, I will not leave them alone.’

“Concentrate all the capabilities of the intelligence department on the Bain Kingdom. If you investigate that place, we will surely know that they are the mastermind.”

“We will secure evidence without fail.”

Within the sight of Viscount Rubingston speaking with his eyes shining strongly, time passed once again.

September 9.

The Bain Kingdom.

“What should we do about this matter? They targeted none other than the queen of a nation. The moment this matter becomes known to the outside, the repercussions that spread will absolutely not be trivial.”

Only belatedly did they learn that radical elements had taken and used two holy knights who used the “divine power” that had been under secret research. Because of this, Bain, the Pope, was placed in a fairly awkward situation. On top of that, what was painful was that both of the two who had been mobilized had been stopped.

“We are erasing the evidence that moved them, so there will be no concern of being discovered.”

“Are you certain?”

“I am confident of it.”

They showed confidence, but there were doubts as to whether they had truly erased the evidence properly. First of all, as a religious organization, they were not an entity equipped with a proper intelligence organization, so they could not be perfect. As the Pope thought that, he soon focused on one fact.

“It seems the Polia Kingdom also possesses superhumans like ours?”

“It appears so. They say ours were not yet completely finished, but to defeat the holy knights, they must clearly possess similar kinds of superhumans as well.”

They were saying that they had only now learned a fact that most ordinary nations already knew. That showed how much they still lacked a proper intelligence organization. Since they collected information only through what ordinary people said by word of mouth, there were quite many insufficient points.

“Suppose, hypothetically. What would happen if they became determined, learned about us, and tried to retaliate?”

“Huh, they would not dare do so.”

“That is right. Touching our Rat Religion is something that must not happen and cannot happen.”

“They are a kingdom that can only exert power inside their own kingdom, and if they come to the continent, they will not be able to exert proper power. So there is no need to worry.”

“King Ian is a fairly calculating person, so he will not think of touching us needlessly. Perhaps he may request negotiations.”

“No, do we need to negotiate with him at all? He is the king who drove out our Rat Religion.”

It seemed that everyone was somehow misunderstanding Ian. Although he was calculating, he was also an emotional person at the same time. When it came to someone touching his family, he was absolutely not a person who would negotiate.

In truth, they probably did not know that the coup d’état he had caused was also related to his younger sister, who was his family. More than anything, their attitude itself was absurd to the point of disbelief. They were saying that even if they touched others, others must not touch them. In other words, they were talking utter nonsense.

They were not even properly detecting the movements of the Mauter intelligence department, which was currently trying to find the mastermind moment by moment. The Polia Kingdom had been expanding its intelligence department for quite some time, and now it had stretched out as if permeating even into considerably deep places.

They had tried to erase the evidence, but they could not completely erase the witnesses. In the cities, there were overflowing numbers of people who would tell any information if given money, and according to the power of that money, the Mauter intelligence agents who had gathered information were able to discover one result.

『As a result of continued tracking, it is clear that the force behind the terrorism against the queen is the Rat Religion.』

They had finally found out the mastermind. Until now, they had not been able to properly confirm their presence, but through this opportunity, they clearly showed it to the king. This result was immediately delivered to Ian in the royal castle of the Polia Kingdom.

Viscount Rubingston, who came to the office, immediately stood before Ian and reported. Ian’s gaze as he heard this had sunken coldly. Although time had passed, the anger he had felt back then had still not disappeared and was deeply rooted within him.

“You are saying it is certainly the Rat Religion?”

“Yes. As a result of the investigation, it was connected to the Rat Religion. It is a clear fact that they were connected to the Central Order in the Bain Kingdom.”

“So that is how it is. They dared target the queen and commit terrorism as retaliation for being driven out back then.”

“Your Majesty, please simply give the order. We, the Mauter, will become Your Majesty’s hands and teach the bastards who dared touch the queen just how enormous a mistake they made.”

“I would like that man Bain to personally feel fear.”

“Of course. We will certainly engrave fear into him.”

At Viscount Rubingston’s confident voice, Ian nodded. He had given permission.

“Try it. I will take responsibility for the aftermath, so run wild to your heart’s content.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

If they knew the mastermind and stayed still, anyone would see them as fools. Anger was one thing, but if there was no definite retaliation, an incident like this could happen again, so there had to be large-scale retaliation.