A Dark Fantasy Spy

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Honestly, I couldn’t understand.

It was all because of Francesca referring to the Duke as “Grandmother.”

“Grandm-Grandmother?”

The most respected mage counted among the top five in the world.

The renowned leader who bombarded the Holy Land and commanded the army, turning the seemingly unfavorable war into a victory.

A symbol of the brilliant magical society that ended the era of barbarism.

Independence fighter, war hero, sage, politician, diplomat, advisor to the Emperor, matriarch of the royal family, and so on. The titles she bore were as numerous as grains of sand on a beach, shining brighter than stars in the night sky.

A person acknowledged not just as a dignitary of the Empire but as a global figure of significance. Alexandra Petrovna Duke was such an individual.

Putting my likes or dislikes of the Empire aside, the Duke was undoubtedly deserving of respect.

In terms of age, status, and achievements, Alexandra Petrovna deserved the utmost courtesy from anyone she met.

And yet, “Grandmother”?

“……”

I stared at Francesca with wide eyes.

No matter how much Francesca was a descendant of the Archmage, it was inappropriate for her to address the Duke so casually.

If it were her ancestor, Archmage Ranieri, it might be understandable. But Francesca was in no position to address the Duke in such a way.

But just like everything in the world,

Accidents strike without warning, and twists can be found everywhere.

“Why? Were you surprised that I suddenly called you after not reaching out for so long?”

The Duke calmly replied to Francesca’s words.

—

Episode 14 – One Religion, One Faith, Two Saints

—

In the face of an utterly incomprehensible situation, human thought tends to halt.

I had felt the same when, on vacation, I received a call from the personnel department saying I had to return to the unit immediately due to Kim Jong-il’s death, or when I heard the news that my flight home had been canceled because of COVID-19.

But reality always surpasses expectations.

“I’d like to introduce you. This is the Duke of the Kien Empire, founder of the Elemental School, and also the first president of the Academy. This is Archmage Alexandra Petrovna.”

Francesca introduced the Duke in a calm tone. Although the Duke was a globally famous personality, it was only natural we had not met her formally until now.

However, the introduction didn’t end there. Francesca added matter-of-factly.

“And for me, she is my grandmother.”

“Grandmother…?”

Camila’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked back and forth between Francesca and the Duke.

“Uhm, are you family?”

“Not exactly,” Francesca gently smiled and clarified the misunderstanding.

—

There are many renowned magical families in the world, but the “real ones with substance” are distinct.

Great Archmages led the war between the Magic Tower and the Cult.

The direct descendants of those Archmages.

One prime example being the Rysidike family, which commanded the magic battalion of the Magic Tower in the North.

Such families are often regarded as the legitimate representatives of magical society.

It was only natural for the achievements of their ancestors to be inherited by later generations, allowing descendants of founding figures to hold legitimacy in representing the magical society.

Thus, after the war, the descendants of Archmage Suleiman, who built the Ivory Tower, were known as the representatives of the magical society in the Mauritania Continent.

The Ranieri family also had a similar circumstance.

Although they lost power due to the aftermath of coups and civil revolutions that overturned the history of modern Patalia, the Ranieri family commanded immense respect among mages and had deep ties with other magical families.

The reason the Patalia government keeps a tight leash on the Ranieri family is precisely this.

What this means is that it is entirely expected for Francesca, with an Archmage as a great-grandfather, to have friendly ties with someone respected as the Duke.

“Alexandra Petrovna is not my blood relative. It’s just that the Duke had connections with Count Ranieri, my great-grandfather, so we’ve had frequent exchanges since I was little.”

Francesca began with a tone that was typical for her.

“Being able to address her without formality is merely from those past ties; she isn’t really my grandmother.”

“That is correct.”

The Duke, wearing a gentle smile, stepped in to add her words.

“Francesca has been someone I’ve known for a long time. While I can’t say our visits back and forth have been frequent due to my busy life, how could I not cherish the child of my dear friend?”

The Duke made it clear that she and Francesca were close. There was no room for doubt. The words of this elder weighed vastly more than those of an ordinary old person.

When she herself says so, what can we, as outsiders, say? We just accept it as it is.

While her explanation was kind, it didn’t really sit well with me.

No matter how much we’ve lived into a century, how could one easily believe that a hundred-year-old and a twenty-something girl could be best friends?

Thus, even Camila, who had an open-minded perspective, struggled to accept what was happening right before her.

“Wha…?”

Camila looked back and forth at Francesca and the Duke with a face of utter disbelief.

It was hard to believe that a grandmother maintained the appearance of someone in their early thirties, and even harder to believe that this grandmother and a twenty-something girl were besties. It seemed her brain had short-circuited.

As she glanced back at the two, who regarded her as if asking, “Is there a problem?” Camila couldn’t hide her embarrassment, poking me in the side for help.

“Could you say something…?”

Of course, even if she desperately sought help, there was little I could do.

I was in the same boat, struggling to make sense of the situation.

“Um, well…”

I quickly scrambled my brain to figure out how to grasp this situation.

They say there are many eccentrics among mages. Is an age gap of about eighty years something that can be easily ignored?

No matter how I thought about it, that was not the case.

What is this, some untouchables? How can a hundred-year-old and a twenty-something girl develop a friendship? By age and status, there was no way Francisco and the Duke should be easily intertwined.

Yet, contradicting my predictions, the two began an effortless conversation, just like old friends catching up.

“Have you been well?”

“Would an old man, shuttling between the palace and fortress, have a problem? There’s no need to worry about me, my dear.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I heard Lord Evangelos is still in the North—did you manage to see him?”

“I met Rysidike a while back. He’s been frail since he came into this world; I was worried about whether he could adapt to the harsh Northern environment, but it seems my worries were unfounded.”

The Duke spoke with a casualness that indicated her connection with Francesca, based on their previous mention of Evangelos as a descendant of the Rysidike family.

From the manner in which the Duke treated the key figure and direct descendant of the Archmage like her own grandchild, I acutely realized how high her standing was within the magical society.

“I received a letter from Suleiman’s child. I heard you recently met Niazi?”

“Professor Niazi? Yes. I saw him in Patalia. Speaking of which, how is Mayor Husseini these days?”

“Suleiman’s child is always doing well.”

The Husseini that both Francesca and the Duke mentioned was an individual I recognized.

Husseini bin Abdullah Suleiman.

He was a politician serving as the mayor in the capital of the Tispon Republic, located in the Mauritania Continent.

People might wonder why a scion from a magical family would be a mere mayor, but that’s just a statement from those unaware of Tispon’s political landscape.

The Tispon Republic is a nation that overthrew its royal family through revolution. The mayor’s position in the capital holds substantial political significance amidst the coups, royalists, and civil forces fighting a civil war that had caused the loss of much territory.

Just like how the mayor of Seoul is often mentioned as a prominent candidate for presidency in South Korea, the mayor of the capital in Tispon is also viewed as a strong candidate for the next Prime Minister.

There are rumors of a recent constitutional amendment toward a presidential system, but in the narrow country with the largest population, the mayor of the capital bears boundless potential to become either the Prime Minister or the President.

In other words, Mayor Husseini was always a formidable potential leader of a nation.

Especially since he had served as the Minister of Land and had completely revamped the city’s plan, the capital of Tispon was a solid political base for Husseini. If he were mentioned as a candidate for Prime Minister, no matter who his opponent was, Husseini would likely win.

Yet, Francesca and the Duke were discussing Husseini as if he were an old neighborhood friend from their childhood.

“They say he’s having conflicts with the high command of the Defense Forces, but it seems he’s okay.”

“Of course; he’s not the type to back down that easily.”

Francesca and the Duke continued their chat for quite a while.

Like two old classmates asking, “What has he been up to lately?” they began inquiring about their acquaintances.

The only difference was that those acquaintances occupied prominent positions, yet it made the two appear exceptionally close. From my perspective, it was evident, and in reality, it was true.

“I was quite surprised when you visited the Cult suddenly without a word. What brings you here?”

“That surprises me. It’s disheartening to hear you say that. I did send a letter with an owl ahead of time.”

“Yes, I received that letter just before you reached Lateran.”

“The owl must have been delayed. I certainly sent it before starting my journey. It’s likely it was busy munching on bugs elsewhere.”

At the mention of an owl, I immediately recalled the owl that had flown into Francesca’s hotel room. That owl must have been the Duke’s messenger.

I wondered why she clung to such an archaic method in this day and age, but that thought soon dissipated when Francesca abruptly asked the Duke.

“By the way, what was the reason you called us today?”

That was the crucial question.

—

Francesca said, “You didn’t even send a celebratory note for the canonization of Saint Veronica, yet you are personally attending this canonization ceremony. If I remember correctly, you’ve never shown interest in the Holy Land.”

“That’s true.”

“And even amidst the troubles in the North, you’ve kept a low profile, yet suddenly appeared after everything has settled…”

As her head tilted, beautiful purple silk cascaded down.

Taken aback, Francesca curiously posed her question.

“What brought you here?”

It didn’t take long for an answer to come back.

The Duke slowly opened her mouth with a calm expression, addressing our curiosity.

“I have matters to discuss with you.”

“Matters?”

“To be precise, it’s a reward.”

We had contributions in resolving the conflict with the demons in the North. While the Imperial Army spearheaded the actual resolution, we laid the groundwork for the offensive and dealt with the demons.

The royal family appreciated our contributions enough to award us medals.

The generals received the highest honors, while I received a fellowship medal granted to ambassadors from allied nations. Even Camila received some minor compensation.

From what I knew, the Duke herself was closely involved in those awards. She likely thought that medals alone were insufficient.

She declared she would bestow additional rewards within her capacity.

“I am well aware of what you accomplished in the North. Although I, as the Duke, could not fulfill my duties, you resolved the situation on my behalf, thus it is fitting that I should reward you.”

“Hmm… Is that all?”

“Not quite. I also need to find someone to entrust a significant task to. My reason for coming here is to address several issues that must be resolved within the Cult.”

It seemed she was indeed quite busy. If the Duke came personally, something substantial must have occurred.

At that moment, the Duke added,

“And coincidentally, there’s also something to discuss with that child.”

The Duke’s gaze pointed toward Camila.

“…Me?”

Camila pointed at herself, and the Duke nodded.

“Uhm… What matter could you have with me…?”

“It’s nothing difficult, so don’t feel burdened. Just listen comfortably.”

As if to diminish any potential anxiety or worries, the Duke waved her hand gently.

Then, with a serious voice, she began to speak.

“My dear, would you perhaps be interested in learning magic from me?”

It was an offer of a mentor-student relationship.