When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 74

Episode 74

Fort Foresval, the headquarters of the 2nd Legion led by Gerald Norman, and the core northern city ruled by the Norman family for generations.

It’s a fortress known for its formidable defense and interception capabilities, serving as a frontline city within the Tashman Kingdom to deter harsh winters and monster invasions.

Even further north from the rugged Foresval lies a small human survival area that seems uninhabited at first glance, despite technically being part of the Tashman Kingdom’s territory. This area was once known as the Izmirnaia Autonomous Zone, also called the Ancient City or the Religious City, a highly unique area.

Exposed to harsh natural environments and surrounded by monster territories, the city functioned as a natural fortress, allowing for localized human habitation despite the surrounding challenges.

Moreover, numerous ruins were left in this place. Due to the influence of the terrain and weather, both humans and monsters rarely visited from outside, allowing unknown residents to inhabit and preserve the ancient ruins in good condition for an unknown period.

The family that had served as the lords for generations in the Izmirnaia Autonomous Zone was the Wist family. Despite its peculiar terrain, Izmirnaia had maintained a good relationship with the Norman territory of the Tashman Kingdom through trade in valuable mineral resources.

However, the Wist family had another major feature that distinguished Izmirnaia. They held the title of “Prophet.” The Wist family, although their details were unclear, possessed the ability to accurately predict large-scale monster invasions and the emergence of abnormal individuals.

Due to this uniqueness, despite being an enclave in terms of geography, Izmirnaia, which would have otherwise been abandoned long ago, had been incorporated into the kingdom’s territory through an ancient pact with the Tashman royal family.

However, the presence of the “Prophet” Wist family was a nuisance to the Divina Church and the Papal State. For the monotheistic Divina Church, the inhabitants of Izmirnaia who believed in incomprehensible indigenous religions and the Wist family leading them were a significant nuisance.

At the local level, this area had been managed quite skillfully by the Archbishop Edelmar Solennis, who ensured religious freedom within the Tashman Kingdom. Edelmar and other clergy belonging to the Divina Church’s Solennis faction, including Lucretia educated by him, were managing well with various forces, including those outside the Divina Church. In short, there were various factions within the church.

Returning to the current situation, until about 20 years ago, there existed the secretive city of Izmirnaia, further north of the northern region of the Tashman Kingdom, ruled by the Wist family.

And the last surviving member of that Wist family was a boy who called himself “Jez.”

—

Jez was questioned about his origins by Lucy Hallway. Erin stood up to protect him. The room was filled with tense air.

“Erin, it’s okay. Thank you. Please, have a seat,” Jez reprimanded Erin in his usual manner, as if nothing had happened.

Reluctantly, Erin sat back down, her eyes questioning Jez if he was really okay. Jez lightly nodded in response and said, “It’s something we can figure out with a little research. Lucy-sensei, I was indeed called Jez Wist.”

Contrary to Lucy’s expectations, Jez affirmed it easily. Lucy, somewhat surprised by his straightforwardness, probed, “Isn’t it a bit surprising to be so readily affirmed?”

“Well, information that can be found with a few days of research isn’t worth much. Besides, given the circumstances, there were probably tips from the king or the prime minister, right?” Jez speculated.

Lucy, neither confirming nor denying Jez’s words, simply shrugged and said, “That’s up for debate. Just know that both the academy and me are putting all our efforts into the investigation. Can we leave it at that?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. If I were in the teachers’ shoes, I’d definitely find myself suspicious. …Jez Norman heading to the southern front coincides with a massive monster invasion. And then there’s the appearance of Emperor-class and new conceptual armaments. It’s all a bit too much,” Jez remarked.

Jez calmly listed the facts as if it were just a routine matter, once again addressing the series of events.

“Moreover, following the northern battle five years ago, we now have the Southern Front. No matter how much the Tashman Kingdom is a frontline nation, this frequency is too high.”

Seeing Jez point out exactly what Lucy and the others had been concerned about, she pondered how to proceed with the conversation.

“Jez, we’ve been concerned about exactly what you’re saying. We’ve been wondering where to start our investigation,” Lucy said carefully choosing her words, then proceeded to inform Jez of what they had found within the scope of their research.

As the series of confirmations reached a climax, Lucy remembered one more thing.

“Oh, by the way, there’s one more thing. Reports have come in saying that various ruins around the region are becoming active. It was co-signed by Felicia Norman, an archaeologist and Gerald Norman’s wife, your stepmother, and Lucia Norman, an adventurer and apprentice archaeologist.”

Of course, Jez knew that Felicia was an archaeologist. She was the first Norman family member he met as a child in the Izmirnaia Autonomous Zone.

And Lucia… Jez had wondered what she was up to, only to find out that she was apparently playing archaeologist just like her mother while also working as an adventurer. Jez couldn’t help but inwardly comment, “Is she like Indiana Jones?”