The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
Chapter 46: Deciphering the Code (3)
The encrypted spell was undone almost too easily.
Oscar, noticing the fleeting emotion in his eyes, spoke up.
"Don't think it was a waste of money. It may seem simple, but there are very few mages in the region who could do this."
"He's right. For the record, even I can't do it."
With Killian chiming in for support, Jake shook his head fervently.
"N-no, I didn't think that at all. So, the contents inside are...?"
"They're safe. Please, check for yourself."
"O-okay!"
He opened the briefcase, pulling out a diary and a few documents.
"Most of these are ledgers. They detail the corruption of politicians and corporations."
"Do you think releasing this information would cause a big stir?"
"...No. I'm actually surprised because it won't cause much of a fuss at all."
Jake explained, shaking his head.
"In a city like Baran, maybe, but this level of corruption is nothing. As you know, it's a city full of money-obsessed politicians and corporations. I can't understand why they'd kill my father just to keep this from coming out."
Oscar wondered if even ten-year-old children in Baran had to mature this quickly.
For a moment, he saw a shadow of Lloyd in Jake.
Oscar, who had been quietly observing him, asked,
"And what about the diary? Anything in there?"
"Oh! I'll check it now."
Taking Oscar's suggestion, Jake opened the most recent entry.
June 10th
It's been almost two years since I became the mayor of Baran City.
I read a newspaper recently that called Baran a city of alcohol and gambling.
Am I ashamed of that? Not at all! Compared to when it was a city of alcohol, gambling, and drugs, it's a huge improvement.
This is the achievement of me, the citizens, and my partner, Mark.
With two more years left in my term, Baran will be an even better city by then.
July 2nd
Something feels off.
We took down a sizable drug trafficking organization, yet the amount of drugs on the streets doesn't seem to decrease below a certain level.
This isn't something that could be maintained just by individual dealers pushing hard.
I need to investigate this quietly on my own.
August 22nd
Over the past month and a half, we've arrested and interrogated nearly a hundred individual dealers.
The results were shocking.
None of them knew who they were selling the drugs for.
How is that possible?
This opponent seems far more meticulous and organized than any we've faced before.
I have no idea how high up this goes, but it must be a major corporation or a powerful politician.
I should talk this over with Mark.
August 24th
I spoke with Mark last night.
...Something felt off.
He seemed aware of the things I had investigated independently.
If I'm wrong, I owe him an apology, but I need to keep a close watch on him.
September 1st
Mark Sweet, that filthy rat.
He was the mastermind.
He's even an executive in the Empire's largest drug cartel, "Happy End."
I feel an indescribable sense of betrayal.
I want to confront him right now and ask how he could do this.
...But I have to hold back.
The future of 600,000 Baran citizens depends on my choices and actions.
September 18th
Tomorrow, the center for treating drug addicts opens.
Tonight, I have a private meeting with an official from the Imperial Palace.
If I get through tonight safely, I can wipe out 'Happy End' completely.
Everything is for a better Baran City.
The diary ended there. It wasn't hard to guess why.
"...September 18th is the anniversary of my father's death."
Jake's voice was choked with emotion as he struggled to get the words out.
He bit his lip, refusing to accept the reality.
"I can't believe it. Mark told me he'd definitely catch the culprit. He even patted my shoulder in front of my father's grave, saying he'd continue my father's legacy..."
The man who deceived the father and son, Mark Sweet, was an executive in a drug cartel.
He was even the leading candidate to be the next mayor.
Oscar patted Jake's head, who was shedding tears like raindrops.
"Don't worry. He will face justice for what he's done."
"...It won't happen. Not in this city, especially."
Oscar looked into Jake's eyes, devoid of even a sliver of hope—eyes that were far too mature for a child.
"Don't give up. I'll make sure of it."
"...Really?"
"Of course. We wouldn't be mages from the Four Great Towers for nothing, would we?"
Oscar puffed out his chest with an exaggerated expression.
This was the only comfort he could offer the child at this moment.
Killian, who had approached from the side, frowned and muttered,
"The situation is worse than we thought. If this continues, Baran City will fall into the hands of a drug cartel."
"No, this isn't just Baran City's problem anymore."
The city of Baran has a population of about 600,000.
However, it sees over 30 million tourists annually, and the number is increasing every year.
"What happens if Mark Sweet becomes mayor and decides to turn tourists into addicts?"
"...They'll return home addicted, and the drugs will spread there too."
The real issue was that this could happen all over the country simultaneously.
If that were to happen, it could spiral out of control, and the entire empire might collapse, defeated by drugs. Killian looked at the diary.
"Then this diary is the only weapon we have to stop his election."
"We must protect this at all costs. Jake, do you have a communicator at home?"
"...We do, but it can't connect outside. Since yesterday, the entire city has been undergoing a security check due to a supposed surge in call volume. Now I realize that was all part of the plan too."
No external communication available?
Oscar furrowed his brow briefly, thinking of another solution.
"What about a Calling Crystal? Do you have one?"
"A Calling Crystal?"
Jake gave him a puzzled look.
"Are you talking about that antique device from decades ago?"
"Yes."
A Calling Crystal was used before magical communication devices were invented.
Of course, it couldn't transmit voice in real-time like modern devices.
All it could do was indicate that someone was trying to contact you, using a number display.
Given that it uses personal mana to send the number, it should still work now.
"My father collected antiques as a hobby, so we have one... But why do you need it?"
"Please fetch it right away."
"Okay, just a moment."
Jake hurried off, returning about ten minutes later with a dusty Calling Crystal.
As Oscar touched it, the crystal began to glow blue.
"Thankfully, it still works."
"Yes, my father only collected well-preserved items..."
"This will do."
After a moment of recollection, Oscar swiftly and skillfully input a series of numbers.
Watching him in silence, Kilian finally spoke up.
"When did you learn how to operate a call crystal? I've only ever read about these in books. They're practically ancient artifacts now."
"... I made sure to learn how, just in case of situations like this."
Artifacts?
Not too long ago, this was considered cutting-edge technology.
Kilian muttered as the crystal briefly flickered a few more times before dimming again.
"I hope the Elders arrive on time."
"Let's hope so."
Kilian seemed to believe he had summoned the Elders of the White Tower.
Oscar didn’t bother correcting his misunderstanding.
"Steel Rice Bowl."
This was the term people used to refer to imperial civil servants.
It was an unbeatable job—unless you committed a massive crime or the Empire itself collapsed, you would never get fired.
But among them, there was the "Mithril Rice Bowl," or what some called the "Freeloaders' Department."
This was none other than the 'Call Crystal Management Department.'
"Huuuuaaah."
Half-slumped in his chair with his feet up on the desk, the department head yawned repeatedly.
From time to time, he would scratch his back with a long stick.
After observing for a few days, it became clear that scratching his back was all he did from the moment he clocked in until he clocked out.
"Um... Chief."
The new recruit, the rookie, and the only member of the department, cautiously spoke up.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Could you tell me exactly what we do here?"
"... What we do?"
Spinning his chair and using the stick to massage his shoulder, the department head replied.
"Haven't I told you what our job is yet?"
"No... not yet."
It had already been three days since he started coming to work here, and he hadn’t learned a single thing.
"Maybe it's because you’re new, but you seem really eager. How long did it take you to pass the civil service exam?"
"I passed on my first try at 16, as soon as I was eligible!"
"... What? Why would they send such an elite here?"
Looking baffled, the department head straightened up and asked.
"Do you know anything about this department?"
"Yes! I heard that in the past, hundreds of people worked here! It’s an honor to serve in such a historically significant department!"
"You little suck-up."
With a chuckle, the department head pointed to the call crystal on the desk.
"Okay, so numbers will appear inside when this crystal starts to glow. You just need to write them down and interpret them."
"That sounds quite tedious."
"It does now, but before the invention of magical communication devices, this was how the world stayed connected. You couldn't just run around looking for people, could you? You’d send your personal code through this, and the recipient would know to come find you."
"So, if numbers show up, do we have to go find the person?"
"Of course not. The second function of the call crystal is that you can combine numbers to form sentences. It was used to relay urgent messages across long distances quickly."
"Oh, so our job is to interpret and relay messages."
"Exactly. When someone sends a code, we decipher it, form a sentence, and report it up the chain. This place is directly connected to the Imperial Palace, so the codes are top-secret. Unless you're the head of the Magic Tower, a Duke, or the leader of a prestigious sword family, you wouldn’t even know these codes exist."
The department head shrugged as he finished explaining.
"To be honest, we haven’t received any messages in the last 18 years. That’s why our staff was reduced over time. Frankly, I didn’t expect a new recruit to join."
"I see..."
"Here, take this."
He handed the rookie an incredibly thick book.
"Impressive, isn’t it? I memorized this whole thing back in the day, but now it’s all fuzzy."
"Wow... That’s amazing."
The rookie’s eyes sparkled as he took the book, as if he intended to memorize it all too.
The department head snickered at his enthusiasm.
"Just read it until it’s time to clock out, then wake me up."
"Yes, sir! Have a good rest!"
Soon after, as the department head began snoring, the rookie eagerly dove into the book.
"To think that such extensive messages could be made from simple number combinations..."
There were even trap phrases designed to prevent enemy factions from deciphering the codes.
Sometimes, you needed to input a 17-digit sequence just to convey a simple two-word message.
"This really makes you appreciate modern technology; now, you just make a call and that’s it."
Feeling thankful for technological progress, the rookie turned the pages of the book.
Suddenly, the call crystal flashed with a bright light.
"Whoa...?"
The rookie hesitated, unsure whether to wake the department head or start writing down the numbers.
As the numbers began changing rapidly, he decided to jot them down quickly.
"1, 7, 13, 2.5, 6..."
After recording a total of 236 numbers, he immediately woke the department head.
"Yaaaawn, is it already time to clock out?"
"No, sir! The call crystal is glowing!"
"... What?"
In an instant, the department head’s drowsiness vanished, replaced by a sharp expression.
"You’re not joking, are you? Did you write down the numbers?"
"Y-Yes, sir."
Handing over the paper, the rookie watched as the department head hurriedly read the numbers.
"17132 means Baran, and 256324512 stands for Happy End. In this case, the lack of spacing indicates it’s read as 'HappyEnd,' city domination, drugs, scenario?"
His muscle memory seemed to kick in as he instinctively deciphered the numbers into a complete sentence.
"City of Baran, under threat of domination by the Empire’s largest drug cartel, Happy End. They plan to distribute drugs nationwide...?"
After finishing the interpretation, the department head leapt to his feet and shouted.
"Dammit! Connect to the Security Bureau right now!"
For the first time in 18 years, the Call Crystal Management Department was doing its job.

Comments

Loading...