Chapter 386: NO.149 Vlad: Am I Redundant?

A misunderstanding, or rather, being swept up in a turmoil.

To understand this turmoil, only a simple sentence is needed:

——Since ancient times, the executors of monotheistic religion have been in opposition to spellcasters such as wizards and witches.

And to expand understanding, one should start from the common sense of the Fate/Grand Order world.

That is, the organization called the Clock Tower, in its homeland, faces an opposing entity known as the Holy Church.

On the surface it preaches God's love, relieves the poor and the sick, but secretly it is a large armed organization established for the purpose of 'hunting heretics'.

For now, one can regard vampires, aberrations' 'Dead Apostles', and magicians who use mysterious arts to defile gods, kill humans, and disrupt the world as their targets.

The large organization formed by such entities is the Mage Association led by the Clock Tower.

Admittedly, such ancient hostilities have, in modern times, forged friendly relations, but those friendly relations extend only to the surface.

Secretly, the death struggle continues unabated, not only across all times and spaces, but consistently in singularities and abnormal spheres.

Even now, it has developed into another world—that is, the land where the Holy Terra Federation resides.

As mentioned before, the Clock Tower of the Holy Terra Federation has mixed in too many forces unrelated to the original Clock Tower, such as the Altas Institute and organizations like the Wandering Sea, all coming here for convenience, seemingly poised to reorganize the 'Mage Association'.

Moreover, groups of Fate/Grand Order world travelers unrelated to magic also, due to the Federation's official designation, all head toward the Clock Tower.

But even so.

The Clock Tower has not, like Rhodes Island, truly become a garrison of an embassy in another world.

It's not that they don't want to.

Although magicians mostly pursue things beyond conventional fame and profit, 'an embassy in another world' is enough to exchange for what they seek, and it still holds considerable appeal for them.

After all, in this exceptionally enlightened world where miracles abound, many things can be obtained through conventional benefits.

For example, Source Energy tutoring and advanced courses can be bought directly with money; many magicians who chase the origin and seek power, upon arriving in this world, immediately join the money-making ranks, then one or two put on prison uniforms and sit in jail.

Magicians are like this; the vast majority lack humanity, often dancing on secular laws, then suffer a harsh fall in this world.

By comparison, the Holy Church also often dances on secular laws, and some of its methods are even more magician-like than magicians, but at least its average moral standard is higher than that of the magician group.

Moreover, when they came over, they first encountered the Blessed Gospel Class.

Covering all districts of the Holy Terra Federation, the Blessed Gospel Class in every town and village naturally could, with the highest branch coverage rate, first apprehend the Holy Church's time‑travelers!

Then let them take a tumble ahead of time!

Taking a tumble isn't a problem; the point is being able to stand up again, rather than like the magician group, whose opening move is having their legs broken, later accepting lessons while tucking their tails and behaving.

Of course, there are not a few devout believers of the Holy Church; the process of letting them join the Blessed Gospel Class also has many who are directly had their legs broken, or who would rather break than bend, causing the gospel class's clergy to sigh as they send them away.

As for the number of genuine 'law‑abiding members' left after screening, the gap between the Holy Association and the Clock Tower side is actually not large.

Those sent away did not go over to the Clock Tower, but instead started their own Holy Church, after which there was no further news.

After all, in competition among peers, one truly cannot match the overly localized Blessed Gospel Class.

The Holy Church doesn't give out washbasins and instant noodles, right? Nor does it sign broadband contracts.

Although they can manage a bit of HS, it's not much.

But it is precisely because the two sides have not come together that the antagonism between the Holy Church and the Mage Association has continued from their homeland into this world.

This further hinders the Clock Tower's role as spokesperson for the Fate/Grand Order world.

In fact, compared to the Clock Tower as a time‑traveler gathering department, the Holy Church, having become a subordinate organ of the Blessed Gospel Class, finds it difficult to attend the Federation's time‑traveler summit, and thus ought not to interfere with the Clock Tower's application to speak for the world.

But……

Who lets the Clock Tower steadily produce criminals each year?

Admittedly, the academy and the technical exchange organization are innocent; one cannot shut down the school just because it has taught some criminals, but the Clock Tower's reputation points with the authorities have indeed hit rock bottom.

Although some magicians strive in C, attempting to recover the Clock Tower's reputation points by aiding public welfare, promoting industry, and strictly having colleagues pay taxes.

But there are truly many who drag their heels and cannot endure.

After all, unlike the Holy Church side—where most later time‑travelers, after popularization and explanation by acquaintances, are willing to join and tend to be relatively law‑abiding—the later time‑travelers of the Clock Tower side……

——namely, the vast majority of magicians, in result, are all outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, each in their own way.

Either they disregard law enforcers, or they disregard human ethics; in any case, they must suffer a beating before they truly understand.

But the Clock Tower is also a loose academic organization, strict only in internal evaluation, and lazy about managing your lifestyle and such.

The result is that the group calling themselves 'magicians' strives to support the Holy Terra Federation's crime rate, which shows no clear growth.

In fact, if you do not study Source Energy, as a Federation citizen it is normal to view the Clock Tower, this Source Energy academy, with a somewhat biased eye.

Aomo is also, because he inherently possesses talent in magic and has interest, thus his attitude toward the Clock Tower is relatively neutral.

While neutral, he also carries considerable curiosity.

As a long‑established time‑traveler Source Energy academy founded over a decade ago, the Clock Tower today, although it also mixes in not a few local magicians.

Just like the Horse‑Girl Grandma of East Commerce Reform is also among them, even mixing into the 'Color Rank'—the tier just below the highest 'Crown Rank'.

But it is still mostly time‑travelers, as well as the magical systems and humanities data from other worlds.

These are all contents that Aomo is very interested in, and he once wanted to visit the local branch of the Clock Tower.

Although he lacked the leisure to accomplish it, as a mercenary he was bound to come into contact with it sooner or later.

After all, the Clock Tower has steadily dispatched commissions to the mercenary circle.

This also includes some illicit content.

——After some magicians have been educated, their thieving hearts remain undying, but they dislike adding to their criminal record, so they naturally choose to borrow manpower.

"Although I too have heard a bit from Aisaierfullei, I never expected to run into the Clock Tower's trouble this quickly!!

The slightly hysterical female voice came from Miss Shi Huaiya, who sat at her desk gazing at documents.

Outside the office, in the hallway, knights, priests, nuns, and angels—varied in type—wore uniformly badged different‑rank uniforms, and held or tucked under their arms folders.

With the help of the Wastetime Association's Chronos Officer, the Clock Tower's architectural restoration proceeded swiftly.

Yet after the restoration was completed, the Clock Tower's interior held not many magicians, but rather many members of the Blessed Gospel Class.

Search and verification, that's their job.

Canaan City is a polity where church and state are united; the Blessed Gospel Squad both represents law enforcement and substitutes for government workers.

"I think Miss Tosaka must be even more frustrated than you; this time we've basically been screwed by the Clock Tower."

Aomo, who was getting water at the water dispenser, said as he walked over and handed Shi Huaiya a cup.

"Thanks."

He also handed a cup to Uncle Vlad beside him.

"Miss Ling doesn't need one—not because a mage's hands aren't enough, but because the wine gourd she somehow pulled out seems to have a considerable capacity, or perhaps it's some miraculous thing like Ibuki pulp, capable of endless wine."

Anyway, Aomo saw her occasionally taking a sip; she'd drunk quite a bit without seeing the bottom.

Drinking in the office normally requires some explanation, but right now nobody cares about that.

"She's probably still giving a lecture in the square."

Shi Huaiya sipped her water cup, glanced at Aomo, then at the relatively silent Vlad III.

"That nurse also handed me a stack of medical bills, saying that without a signature they can't send someone for treatment; I had her go find Tosaka for those forms. By the way, what about the woman with the headband? I haven't seen her help with the cleanup either."

"Maybe Ms. Morgan went somewhere to get some air, or maybe she went back," Aomo shrugged. "I don't know her well, and I don't have her contact; you should ask Miss Tosaka."

"Then what about that acquaintance of yours, the apostle? What's his name?" "..." "Nagisa Kaoru."

"Exactly! Nagisa Kaoru!"

"He should directly compensate us! The storage devices are all broken, and we still have to wait for Yuechi Logistics to ship new ones over!"

As captain, even though she wasn't a Penguin Logistics employee, Shi Huaiya naturally began calculating gains and losses, especially financially, leaving Aomo somewhat speechless—but since Yuechi Logistics was mentioned.

"Captain, I request temporary freedom of action."

"Reason?"

Shihuaiya looked at him suspiciously; acting freely at a time when everyone is relatively busy, there is somewhat a suspicion of taking leave to loaf and avoid work.

Although other staff members are already doing this.

Xi has already gone out to gather inspiration; Angel and Mostima went to tour the Vatican; Texas and Lapland, meanwhile, have some thoughts on this land that resembles Syracuse but is somewhat different.

Miss Shihuaiya has indeed taken on the captain's duties, and as a lonely individual she is battling countless documents.

This also let Aomo secretly feel relieved that his decision was right.

When a certain senior executive of Yuechi Logistics voted on whether to use violent means against the Clock Tower branch, they voted against and tried to dissuade, but we haven't received any news, right?

「There's also this? I need to ask…」「The compensation demand can be brought up later. 」

They stepped forward half a step, leaned slightly, raised their hand and pressed down on the other's hand that was pulling out a phone; Aomo's expression was quite solemn:

「I want to try to find some clues; maybe I can expand the compensation further. 」

「Your current look is just like those detectives in my bureau who are trying to earn a third-class merit. 」

「Let me ask, what is your attitude toward them? 」

「Before tomorrow morning, this is also the estimated transport time from Yuechi Logistics' side; after that, don't mention it. 」

「Those detectives will surely miss a superior like you. 」