15th May 1942
The main avenue of Berun leading to Alexanderplatz laid witness to the grandest victory parade in Germanian history. Over 200,000 soldiers marched in perfect sync, accompanied by hundreds of tanks, military trucks, and towed artillery guns.
The sky too was not left bare. Flying overhead the parade were hundreds of planes, their colourful trails dying the firmament in the black, red and yellow of the Germanian flag. At a lower attitude, mages positioned themselves to form letters in the sky, spelling out 'Sieg für das Vaterland' as they zoomed ahead.
Victory to the Fatherland.
Flanking both sides of the parade on the sidewalks were throngs of people from all over Germania, liberally showering their courageous warriors with flowers and confetti. Some young women could be seen leaning out from windows, waving handkerchiefs at handsome soldiers that they fancy.
As a quintessential figure in leading the military during what people now call the Second Europan War, Lehrgen was positioned in front of the parade, standing atop an open top parade car.
I stood behind a speaking podium on my raised platform, watching General Lehrgen's parade car come to a stop at Alexanderplatz, followed by more parade cars carrying other significant figures that contributed greatly during the war. Lehrgen dismounted his ride and walked onto the raised platform, as did several generals and admirals. As he climbed the stairs onto the platform, our eyes met for a moment, and I noticed that he was a bit pale and slightly trembling.
Was Lehrgen sick? No, if he was, he would have informed me before the victory parade started. Ah, I realised why now. He was having stage fright.
This victory parade would be televised to an extent only seen during the World Cup, Lehrgen knew. I was to deliver a speech that would also be transmitted to every radio in the nation and even beyond that. This had all been discussed beforehand at the planning table for the victory parade.
There were at least seven hundred thousand people all crammed into Alexanderplatz and the connecting streets, their attention on where we stood. Even as an experienced general who surely must have delivered many inspirational speeches to armies of soldiers, having so many civilians watching you must be quite nerve-wracking. I gave him a bright, reassuring smile, but that didn't seem as to help much as he started sweating as well.
I waited for all the other generals and admirals to arrive, lining up behind me a single row. As soon as the last general positioned himself, I cleared my voice while projecting with a communication spell, the longest ranged one I've ever casted. Everyone's attention was rapt upon me, the noise level quickly dampening.
"Citizens of Germania! Today, we celebrate a monumental achievement. The Fatherland has reclaimed its glory, prestige and honour by securing victory against bitter enemies. We humbled our old nemesis, the Francois, in the west. To the south, we dethroned a despot in Ildoa. To the east, we routed Yugoslavia and vanquished the endless tide of the Russy Federation. Wherever our enemies were, we crushed them. None of this could have possible without the blood, sweat and tears of every single one of you." A massive cheer rang out, almost enough to deafen me.
Remind the populace of our crushing victory and then emphasise the importance of collective effort in winning the war to stoke up national pride. Additionally, flattery always served to make people happy.
I was also hoping to remind the war maniacs in the military like Lehrgen that we already defeated anyone who were willing to fight us, so they should calm down and avoid seeking out enemies.
I then moved to a more sombre note. "Of course, we cannot forget the tens of thousands who selflessly sacrificed themselves on the line of duty. Their contributions will never be forgotten. I promise to you that a memorial will be erected here in Berun, inscribed with the name of every hero who has given us the ultimate sacrifice. And to these brave men and women, I salute them." I gave a salute so crisp it would reduce my old drill instructor to tears.
"But even as we have declared victory, we cannot afford to be complacent. Just because we have won the war does not mean that we have already secured the peace. As I speak, the Germanian government is working hard to ensure that this peace will be a lasting one. Via diplomacy, we will ensure that war will never sweep Europa again. Peace not just for our time but for all times." I paused for a moment, scanning the faces of the crowd in front of me. Good, they looked hopeful instead of disappointed. I was almost afraid that even ordinary citizens had caught victory disease and became warmongers like some of the military.
Long term peace would serve to make the nation and people prosperous, while advancing ourselves economically and scientifically beyond warring Russy factions. By the time the Russy Federation manage to piece itself back together, Germania would be able to handle them with ease.
"And for that to happen, we need Germania to be united and all work together for the good of our glorious nation. Germania won because we are a rational, industrious and ingenious people. We must ensure that these qualities remain the core of our identity for generations to come. But let me not bore you with talks of the distant future. Today is the time to celebrate. So go to your colleagues, go to your friends, go to your families, and revel in today's festivities!" As I concluded my speech, I expected a thunderous applause, with hundreds of thousands of people cheering and whistling, chanting patriotic cries.
Yet no sound ever came.
At first, I thought that maybe the noise from the plaza was so loud that it temporarily rendered me deaf. But on closer inspection, the crowd surrounding the plaza was completely frozen. There was absolutely no movement at all. Up in the sky, planes and aerial mages were also in stasis.
Time has stopped.
This could only mean one thing.
Being X!
And speak of the Devil, and he shall come. A thunderous voice boomed from behind me, coming from Lehrgen's mouth. A voice that I recognised all too well. A voice that I hated above all things in both my lifetimes.
"An inspiring speech, former unbeliever." His agitating presence made known, Being X taunted me.
I turned around. My expression stormy and furious. "Former unbeliever? I don't think I ever declared myself my faith to you?"
Being X's voice came from the one of the soldiers in the parade now. "Oh, but you did, don't you remember? When you prayed to me for help against poor Mary Sue? That was a genuine prayer, with actual faith that I would save your life. In fact, it was even more faith than what Mary held in that moment, which was why her blessings went to you. My goal to convert you into a believer was accomplished. That was why I've left you alone since then. Even if you continue to deny it, the seed of faith has already been planted."
That was it? A single moment of faith made in mortal desperation? Being X's standards must be low if that was enough to consider me an actual believer despite my slandering his name every moment possible since then. Furthermore, I didn't trust for a second that he didn't have a role with interfering with my life since my battle with Mary Sue. It's one hundred percent due to his intervention that I'm still stuck being the Chancellor of Germania and having to deal with a Second Great War.
I shot back at him. "Fine then, let's agree to disagree. If your goal to make me a believer is accomplished, then why are you back?"
Whenever Being X conversed with me, it preceded some major action of his that interfered with my plans. This time was surely no different. I must figure out his goals this time around to make plans for them before they could come into fruition.
"It comes back to faith, you see." Beside me, wisps of energy coalesced together to form the corporeal body of a stern old man, typical of how Christian art depict God.
My face twisted into a snarl. He wanted a second confession of faith!?! Was once not enough for him? Did he wanted to trample my pride as well? Make me confess repeatedly until I was no different from his zealots?
Before I could speak, he held up a placating hand. "Not from you."
That was strange, Being X was never known for being… reasonable.
"When I sent you to this world, I had a hypothesis." I raised my eyebrow upon hearing that, did Being X consider himself somewhat of a scientist? How ironic, considering that many think of science as the antithesis of religion.
Being X continued. "I hypothesised that when plunged into desperate times, human beings will be more receptive toward faith. Whether by praying to me for salvation or cursing me for punishing them, both hold faith that I had the power to influence their lives. However, push the world too hard into dire circumstances, and people will start to lose faith. This was what occurred near the end of what you humans now call the First Great War."
That was the reason why the Great War started in the first place? Because of some Devil with a grandiose ego fancied himself a mad scientist? Those eight hideous years of fighting in the trenches, struggling to survive? Those millions of deaths along with crippled men, orphans and widows, all because of a fucking hypothesis? If looks could kill, Being X would surely be dead from the glare I gave him.
Completely unphased by a look that could send the most hardened of the 203rd into a whimpering mess, Being X continued with his tirade.
"But when the war ended, something surprising happened. People's faith in me grew. To an extent that far surpassed what I was receiving before. When I investigated, I noticed that many of these prayers mentioned a single person; you." With that, Being X waved his hand, and suddenly, I was assaulted by a mass of prayers, all mentioning me.
"Thank you, my Lord, for delivering us Chancellor Degurechaff to save our country."
"Please, God, strike down that heathen Devil for our Republic."
"God bless Degurechaff."
"I'd like to thank the Lord for sending the Chancellor to save us from the Francois."
"Please, God, make that Devil leave my city intact. I don't want beautiful Parisee to burn like Arene.
"God save the Chancellor."
Hundreds more prayers went sent to me in a barrage, leaving me dazed before Being X abruptly cut it off before I could suspect that this was how he was going to kill me, with literal thoughts and prayers.
"You see, stubborn one. Even as you denied it, you have done much to promote faith in me due to your miraculous effort in uplifting this country. So, thanks to your effort, I have been inspired. You should feel proud. Not many can claim that they taught God a lesson."
I remained silent as I recovered from my daze, a feeling of dread at whatever machinations Being X must have thought of that was inspired by my actions.
"I shall appoint a mortal representative on this plane, even more blessed than Mary Sue. They shall wield great power, and their actions will shake the world. An expert in military matters, politics, finance and governance. A soldier, mage, politician, monarch and saint, all in one. My Blessed will perform miracles never seen before and lead the masses back to the faith. Upon seeing one so blessed by me, mortals will have no choice but to believe in undeniable proof of divine providence and thus be compelled to speak my name in reverence."
As Being X spoke, I was plunged into despair, someone even stronger than Mary Sue?! And from how Being X described this person; this Blessed was a no ballistic idiot, well versed in all my fields of expertise. Someone like this could force me out of politics and turn my currently lustrous legacy into shame, then covertly have me assassinated, either via underlings or by dirtying their own hands.
Someone like this was a threat, no doubt about it. No matter whether this person had good intentions or not, an underling of Being X could be a threat to both my happy retirement and personal safety. Afterall, Mary Sue was a normal girl at first and just look at how she'd become by the war's end. I need to figure out who this person was, immediately, before they become too much of a threat. But my only source of information for the Blessed's identity was right in front of me.
"And who would this Blessed be?" Since I knew Being X could just read my mind anyways, might as well be direct.
"Someone closer than you might think." With that infuriating answer, Being X turned around and started walking away, turning into wisps of white smoke.
"I almost forgot, for your services in gaining me much faith, I've decided on granting you a gift." Being X added almost off-handedly. "They shall arrive in a few months." And with that, he disappeared completely, leaving me struggling with a hotpot of emotions. Anger, confusion, fear, all in one. It took me a second to compartmentalise everything, but I finally settled on a burning rage directed towards Being X.
Just as I finally figured everything out! Just as I've defeated the communists! Just as I thought that Being X's radio silence might be blissfully permanent! He came swinging back into my life, completely uninvited, just to screw it over.
Suddenly, I realised that there were cheering all around me. Time had been unfrozen. Fireworks decorated the skies and citizens whooped and cheered, before scattering into various bars and restaurants for celebration and inebriation. None of those cheering down below noticed my frame shaking imperceptibly in wrath.
My sheer fury ran so hot that I accidentally let out a sharp burst of magic power concentrated in the form of a reinforcement spell, before I managed to calm down. There was no use getting so worked up right under the public eye. Luckily, no one sensed that blunder from me. I will get my revenge later. I will find this Blessed, I will deny whatever gift Being X prepared for me, and I will ruin his plans.
Being X, you will pay for everything.
Same day, 7pm
General Staff Dining Hall
For the first time since its construction, the General Staff Dining Hall served palatable food. Built before the start of the First Great War, most of the budget had gone into glamorous furnishing instead employing any competent chefs, resulting in food that often remind any officers eating there of their meals in the trenches. As such, it had garnered the snide nickname 'Dining Hall of Battlefield Meals'.
While Erich von Lehrgen had never fought in the trenches himself, having mostly stayed back in the rear and having only occasionally made his way to the frontlines for inspections, he knew from previous experience eating here that even dogs wouldn't try what the General Staff Dining Hall serve.
Imagine his pleasant surprise when he was served food that was not only soft enough to bite into without chipping your teeth, but also well-seasoned. The complementary bread they served wasn't even K-brot!
But then again, given that this was the celebratory dinner for the post-war medal award ceremony, perhaps he shouldn't have been so surprised.
Practically every military member of the rank general or above were here, along with several junior officers and enlisted men. Those ones were among the medal recipients tonight, having performed great feats in the war that earned them recognition. Lehrgen himself was also slated to receive a medal.
Although garbed in their best dress uniform, their fresh faces stood out amongst the middle-aged and elderly visages of the senior officers that dominated the dining hall. Even though every single one of them have been notified a week ago of this occasion, along with a request (order) for their participation, many of them were fidgeting or glancing around, lost as a lamb. Most of them stuck to themselves, with only a few courageous ones making their way over to other tables to strike up a conversation with their superiors.
Perhaps Lehrgen should come over himself to ease them up? At the age of 44, he was easily one of the youngest senior officers in the dining hall while also possessing the highest rank. But after a moment of rumination, he disregarded the idea. Some of them looked as though they might faint after just making eye contact with anyone outside their age bracket. Lehrgen might just accidentally send one of them into a coma if he approached.
Absently cutting into his medium-rare steak, he peered over to the front of the dining hall as a medal recipient made his way back to his table and the name of another medal recipient was called up. The young airman, Carl Troeger, hastily made his way over from his table and saluted the audience.
Chancellor Degurechaff came over with an Aerial Assault medal and affixed it to his chest, praising him for his service and congratulating him. Lehrgen noticed that her tone was somewhat clipped.
That was something that made him nervous today. Immediately after her speech, Lehrgen, as the person who stood directly behind her, noticed a change. Most would attribute the slight shaking of her body as she stood there basking in the cheer of over half a million Germanian as excitement, giddiness, or even simply feeling cold from the chilly air. But Lehrgen knew better. He was someone who has known Degurechaff for approximately 20 years now and could pick up some signs indicating her mood.
She was shaking out of rage.
This realisation had made him contemplate its implications for the past eight hours. What was it from the audience's reaction had made her so angry?
Were they not enthusiastic enough? No, that was impossible. Never had he seen such exuberance in the population, even after they took Parisee during the First Great War.
Were there not citizens in attendance? Can't be the reason either. Seven hundred thousand was the most people that could be jammed into Alexanderplatz while still having room for the parade to move.
But then Lehrgen realised, with a cold sinking feeling in his stomach, the true reason why Degurechaff had been livid. She realised that the people wanted peace and would not support more war.
The war did not last long enough for her liking.
It was an anger borne of dissatisfaction, akin to finally getting to eat your favourite meal after a long time, just to have the portion be too small and leave you wanting for more.
After all, the First Great War lasted for 8 years, while the Second Great War had merely lasted less than 14 months. To add salt to injury, their final adversary, the Russy Federation, had not been defeated through strength of arms such as Degurechaff surely had wanted, but rather through clever Albish espionage.
Having the promise of a great, drawn-out war, perhaps involving even more participants being snuffed out like that must have chaffed the Chancellor badly. Her inner warmonger probably had wanted to march the Germanian army through the Russy Federation anyways, rampaging all the way to the Far East, all whilst personally leading the frontlines.
Lehrgen wondered who was it that managed to placate her enough to decide on declaring victory and terms of surrender when news of the Rus Federation's downfall came. He'd wager it was probably the Head of the BND who managed to calm her down, perhaps promising her another war later down the line if the public sentiment was appropriate. It might have been why the Chancellor was been in such a good mood that she had shown her… affectionate display with the Vice Chancellor at the meeting room when news of their victory broke out.
But when Degurechaff had seen such happiness from the Germanian citizenry concerning the prospect of long-term peace, she realised that further conflicts, unless in the context of self-defence, would be without support. As hungry for war as she might be, it was undeniable to Lehrgen that Degurechaff was patriotic, and someone that also saw for the good of the nation. Fighting in the Second Great War was both in the people's interest and sated her bloodlust, but fighting another war would not be.
Lehrgen dipped his steak in sauce and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing methodically. There was another issue about the Chancellor's… relationship with the Vice Chancellor. While Lehrgen himself was an open-minded man, he was afraid that many of the upper brass in the military were not. This could lead to disagreement between conservative generals and the Chancellor.
What he was truly worried about though, was whether Degurechaff might use these general's intolerance towards her sexuality as an excuse to purge them from the military, similarly to how she had many generals and admirals resigned early during her first term as Chancellor. From there, she could easily have them replaced with bellicose warhawks of her choosing.
Lehrgen felt that if he wanted to keep Germania's military level-headed, he should subtly encourage a more liberal attitude towards non-mainstream sexual inclinations, lest Degurechaff find an excuse for a military restructuring.
Being occupied with his thoughts, he almost didn't notice his name being called as the final recipient of a medal that night.
Cleaning his mouth with a napkin, he strode over the front to stand in front of the Chancellor, snapping a crisp salute.
Presenting him with his medal in a cushioned box, the Chancellor pinned the medal above his left breast almost daintily. Most people wouldn't expect that she had the strength to likely pierce a man's heart with the medal pin.
"For your distinguished service in ensuring the Fatherland's victory in our campaign against the Francois Republic, Ildoa Kingdom, Yugoslavia Kingdom and Russy Federation, I am honoured to award you, General Erich von Lehrgen, with the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross medal." Enthusiastic applause filled the room, coming from his seniors and juniors in the military alike. And it was not surprising, due to the sheer prestige of his medal.
The highest medal that a Germanian military officer could possibly receive, a Grand Iron Cross set upon a radiant star, was a military decoration that has only been awarded twice before in history to outstanding generals. The first recipient was General Gebhard von Blucher for his role in helping defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Fireloo. The second was General Hans von Zettour for his success in devising Operation Revolving Door and capturing Parisee. And now Lehrgen was the third, for his decisive role in securing victory in the Second Great War.
In honesty, he felt undeserving of such an award. Both men before him were legends within the military, and personally knowing one of them himself, he knew that he fell short of the standard for the Star of the Grand Cross. If anything, the one truly deserving of the medal was Tanya von Degurechaff herself.
Without her, Lehrgen from ten years ago couldn't possibly dream of a scenario where Germania could win against four different European powers, short of an intervention from God. The only reason she wasn't eligible for it was because she was no longer in the military and never made it to the rank of general.
Glancing at the Chancellor's expression, he noticed that her face was trending towards a frown despite her best attempt at smiling. Her thought process was likely the same as his then. She was probably imagining that it would have been like had she been in Lehrgen's position.
With him awarded with his medal, that concluded the ceremony, but it obviously didn't mean that the evening was over. Most people stayed back to simply chat with old colleagues and get drunk together, a rare opportunity during the frantic months of the Second Great War. Lehrgen preferred to make his way home early after receiving heartfelt congratulations from Minister Zettour and catching up with a few close colleagues.
As he made his way to the exit, Lehrgen spied the Chancellor alone on a balcony. Her left hand was holding onto the marble railing while her right held a glass of champagne that she made no move to drink from. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that there were hairline cracks running along the marble, which prompted him to leave as soon as possible, lest his stomach ulcer start to act up.
The party has yet winded down to a close. That was not surprising, I had the dining hall supplied with old vintage wines as a gift to the military. Some of the more drunk ones were already singing the old Imperial anthem.
I decided to have such a large award ceremony mostly to appease the military big shots and let themselves pat themselves on the back for a job well done and put the spotlight on some young soldiers in the military that distinguished themselves in the war. In the future, my successor can then look back at this and understand what to do to satisfy the military.
Absentmindedly, I noticed general Lehrgen leaving the party early, the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross sitting proudly on his dress uniform. Did the end of the war leave him so disappointed that he felt in no mood for a celebration?
While some might question my decision to award Lehrgen of the highest distinction in the Germanian military, I had my reasons.
Firstly, while Lehrgen's role in the Second Great War might not have been as grandiose as the previous two recipients of the Star of the Grand Iron Cross, nor were his strategies as legendary, his role was as indispensable as the other two. Without him, I might have been able to win the war anyways, but not in so short of a timeframe, nor with such little casualties.
Lehrgen simply needed to make sure that we had a simple yet effective strategy to win the war, place troops and direct their movement competently while keeping an eye on strategic reserves and drafting contingency plans. There was no need for a grand plan like Operation Revolving Door simply because our victory didn't require strokes of brilliance or individual heroics, but rather mere teamwork to make the Germanian war machine, well-lubricated by the oil of sheer competency, run over its enemies.
Secondly, if I'd only award him the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross or a lesser medal, then Lehrgen might think that his contributions during the war were not enough to earn him a higher distinction and might just kickstart another war to earn himself the Star of the Grand Iron Cross. If that happened, then I could kiss my retirement plans goodbye.
My mind then drifted back to the events that happened earlier today and Being X's aggravating words. My fury towards him has not dissipated, if anything, they have further intensified as I realised the extra work that I must do to find Being X's Blessed. My grip on the marble railing tightened further from another surge of anger and I heard a sharp crack, as some chips of marble fell off the railing. I immediately loosened my grip and inspected the damage.
Damn, there were large cracks all over. This railing will need to be replaced. I didn't realise that I was pumping so much mana into my reinforcement spell. Normally, it would take me driving my reinforcement to the limit to do something like this. Perhaps my anger drove me to unconsciously push my reinforcement to its maximum strength?
I felt a woosh of wind behind my back and the signs of a camouflage illusion spell being lifted. I turned to find Elya standing dutifully, a folder clutched in her arms, ready to give her report. I nodded for her to start.
"Per your orders, we checked for any report of military magic sensors detecting any magical signature similar in size to Mary Sue's throughout all of OZEV and a few friendly nations, such as Legandonia."
"And your findings?"
"We have detected a single massive magical signal being emitted at time 1107, but the military magic sensors we used are only precise enough to detect the rough location of the signature and its size. We were unable to record an accurate magical signature to match it to a mage." This was good news, if we can get close enough to this Blessed of Being X with more precise magic sensors, we'd be able to obtain a signature and eventually hunt them down.
"And where did the signal originate from?"
Elya paused for a moment, before answering. "The magical signal was detected in Berun, more specifically the approximate area of Alexanderplatz."
My heart leapt to my throat. Being X's Blessed was right there? And receiving their power right when my conversation with him ended? I had been under much more danger than I originally thought. Standing in such an exposed location in front of hundreds of thousands, Being X's Blessed must have had dozens of opportunities to take a pot shot at me.
Even if his Blessed did not have a weapon on hand, a mage could theoretically use their limbs as a sceptre to fire spells. And for someone with a magic capacity that supposedly rivalled Mary Sue's, that would have been child play.
So, if he or she did not deign to attempt an assassination, then Being X's Blessed must not plan to threaten me physically. Assuming that Being X chose someone with a similar background to that of Mary Sue's, they likely had a personal vendetta against me. Perhaps my policies have caused them grievances, or I ruined the political career of their loved one. The motivation didn't matter as much as their modus operandi, but it would be good to know.
Of course, comparing Being X's new apostle to that of Mary Sue might be a mistake. After all, he already told me that this Blessed was supposedly multi-talented and something of a genius, so perhaps I should assume this person was rational-minded like me.
If Being X's Blessed wanted to cause me grievances, then the best way to do so would be to destabilise Germania politically. A coup? No, the military was loyal. A new political movement was much more likely then. Being X's Blessed could raise their political popularity and try to replace me as Chancellor, then drive the world into chaos once they win an election by undoing all my work and prevent me from having a peaceful retirement by waging war.
That damned bastard Being X. This was how he was going to make me stay as Chancellor. Now, not only do I have to stay on my toes and watch out for emerging political parties, but I might have to run for another term if I can't find a way to neutralise Being X's pawn before my current term ended. If I retire prematurely, then the Blessed might emerge out of hiding and start running for political office. And without me to oppose them, there was a good chance that they would successfully claim Chancellorship if they were as politically gifted as Being X hinted.
Elya's question snapped me out of my train of thought. "Chancellor, if I may be so bold, did you suspect the NKVD would try something rash at Alexanderplatz?" I nodded. I couldn't tell her the truth unless I wanted to be thrown into an asylum, of course, so I had to make up a story when I ordered her to scan for large magical emissions all over Europa.
"I wouldn't rule out the possibility of them sending an assassin after every head of state responsible for the Rus Federation's defeat. And I had the biggest hand in their downfall, so naturally they would send their best trained assassins to kill either me or Winston Churbull, since they still think that the whole Bronstein incident was the Albish's fault. So did you discover anyone of the like?"
"We did discover one NKVD agent who was a sniper about three blocks away from where you were, but he was not a mage. According to him, his superior was one but was recalled back to Moskva when Jugashvili died." Ever so reliable Elya, I wonder what I would do without her.
A competent subordinate deserves praise from their boss of course, to let them know that their efforts were appreciated. Especially since I needed her to do something else for me. "Wonderful job, Elya. Germania remains in harmony for another day thanks to you. Now, I have another task for the BND." Elya perked up at that.
"I need you to keep a careful eye out for any emerging party of note spearheaded by a new player to the political scene. Pay extra attention if that person is a mage."
"Shall I take… preventative measures if such a party grow too popular?" Ah, here she goes again. While her care was nice, it would be too suspicious if any movement that ran against the GWP suddenly died before it could even lace its boots. That would be horrible for Germania's democracy.
Not to mention that if some kind of assassination of Being X's Blessed was performed, they would likely survive, courtesy of their blessings and in vengeance, might attempt to feed me my own medicine.
"No need. Simply observe and report your findings. Secrecy is of utmost importance. Your agent's presence must not be discovered. That will be all." This Blessed might be discreet enough to choose not to be the public face of their party, so who's to say that they won't cut loose and try for another angle once they discover that they had the attention of the BND?
There was another thing that Being X had mentioned. He was going to give me a gift, one that will arrive in some months. Why would it take so long to arrive, I had no idea. Maybe it was something like my cursed Type 95, which would take time for some mad scientist to develop it. On that note, I should probably ask the research department to keep a closer eye on Schugel. The last thing I needed was for him to somehow plop more cores into an unsafe computation orb and call it divine revelation, all whilst trying to foist the thrice-damned device onto me.
I wasn't that worried about Being X's gift though. If it was a monkey's paw, then I could lock it away and throw away the key. If it was genuinely beneficial without carrying any detrimental effects, then I wouldn't mind using Being X's generosity to ruin his own plans.
With that, Elya departed, making nary a sound. Sighing in exhaustion, I took note of the time. It was past nine already, so I decided to head back to the Presidential Palace. I was still Chancellor-President and therefore could reside there, but only because an election for a new President has not been held yet.
Some in the Diet even vocalised that a Presidential election as of right now was unnecessary, as the Rus was technically not defeated yet, and that there were still hostile Russy factions. I simply told them to hurry up with the election already.
This nation was lucky to have someone so indifferent to obtaining more power like me at its helm. Any world leader would salivate at the possibility of their own people offering them dictatorship like that.
I flew at high speed, even removing the speed limiter and weaving a second flight spell like what I'd done when I first tested the Type 99 to make it home sooner. Visha had elected to rest at home after taking the lion's share of the work in organising the victory parade. Before I went to the party, she'd told me to eat lightly there to make room for the dinner that she was going to make me.
I touched down lightly at the entrance of the Presidential Palace, giving a friendly nod to the guards, before making my way inside. Weird, my mana was nowhere near as drained as I thought it would be after flying so long while sustaining a double flight spell. Perhaps seeing some light action during the war had worked some of my rust off and made me more efficient with my magic? Whatever the reason was, I wouldn't say no to being able to use magic for longer without running out of mana.
Leaving that at the back of my mind, I glided happily to the dining room, where Visha was waiting patiently for me. I greeted her with a deep kiss.
Dinner was fantastic, Visha had been experimenting with a few dishes from Akitsushima after making enquiries with their ambassador, who had sent his personal chef over to teach her. To be honest, I had almost shed a tear when I saw actual sushi on my table. The natto could have been excluded though, I'd hated it since I was a child. Only K-brot could garner more disdain from me.
We mainly talked about mundane topics like locations for dates, new movies that came out and the newest dishes on Heidler's menu. We both avoided talking about work on purpose. After the war, the last thing we needed was more stress.
An hour later, I plopped into bed with Visha, having showered and changed. Being swaddled by Visha's embrace, I once again thought about Being X's words today.
Maybe I shouldn't have been so unnerved, even if this was his first communication with me in over a decade. After all, haven't I managed to survive, rise the ranks and build a happy life for myself, despite all his meddling? Moreover, this time, I was no longer a poor orphan trying to survive a war, but rather the most powerful person in Germania.
Yes, I was confident that whatever ploy Being X intended to throw at me, I could thwart. I survived the First Great War, which he confirmed he'd ignited. I led Germania through the Second Great War, which was likely also started by him, much as he'd like to be ambiguous about it. I was still on track for a peaceful retirement, despite all his schemes. At this point, the only person who could stand in the way of my delightful retirement was myself.
And with that self-reassurance, I drifted into slumber