Chapter 401 - The Publicly Secret Closed City
We climbed into the vehicle sent by the Intelligence Department and made our way smoothly through the deserted streets late at night.
We moved farther and farther away from the center of Beltoria, and even after reaching the outskirts, we still hadn’t arrived.
The vehicle darted along the road, and I kept my mouth shut, only focusing on the direction. After nearly two hours, something finally came into view.
I’ve never visited this area, nor even come close to it. But that place is familiar to me.
Ahead, where there were no buildings or people, a tall wall loomed, illuminated by the dazzling light of magic.
Next to the large gate stood a guardhouse and armed soldiers, giving off a distinctly military ambiance.
However, this wasn’t just any ordinary military facility. The vast grounds and the countless people I could sense with my mana perception made it clear that this was a city in its own right.
But this city doesn’t appear on any map.
"...The Closed City."
It’s a place where the government strictly restricts entry, a publicly secret location.
No one knows what’s inside or what people do there, making it almost a legend. Yet here it is, a secret city, right before my eyes.
Even someone like us would never risk exploring such a place. It would be tantamount to declaring war on a nation, and the level of security makes it virtually impossible for even Berliza’s enemies to act.
Now, they want to bring someone like me into such a place—a don of the underworld based in a foreign country.
There must be a very good reason for it.
They said the matter couldn’t be discussed over communication, but I never expected it would lead to this. Indeed, here, there’s no risk of eavesdropping.
The vehicle slowed down and came to a stop in front of the gate. The Intelligence Department agent driving the vehicle rolled down the window and showed something to the guard, who only glanced at me in the back seat for a moment. It seemed the arrangements had been made in advance, and we were swiftly allowed through.
It wasn’t easy, though. I could sense multiple layers of powerful magic scanning us. Some kind of magical device must have been used to check and confirm our identities. The system was incredibly advanced, even beyond my understanding.
Of course, my magical earring silenced. Inside the Closed City, communication magic and devices are generally blocked, especially for guests who bring their own magical tools. From the distance, even with my considerable mana, communication is impossible.
I tried to keep my caution hidden as I looked outside the vehicle.
The streets inside the Closed City were wide, with buildings lined up at regular intervals for various purposes. To my surprise, there were dedicated gardeners, and the streets were well-maintained with trees, hedges, and flower beds.
Yet, from just the scenery alone, it was impossible to guess what activities were taking place here. A professional spy might be able to deduce something from the surroundings.
It was late at night, so there were hardly any people around. The area was well-secured by magical devices, and I didn’t see many guards or patrols.
After about fifteen minutes of driving, the vehicle finally stopped in front of a large building.
I got out with the Intelligence Department agent, observing the surroundings.
"Just... be careful not to act rashly."
The agent, who had been quiet during the trip, warned me, but his nervousness was obvious.
Probably ever since I started working with Moore, they’ve been thoroughly briefed about me.
I’ve survived countless battles in Beltoria under the watchful eye of the Intelligence Department, and I don’t think they’d underestimate me.
I’ve been through a lot, and I know how to maintain a composed demeanor, even in such an unusual situation. I’m sure the agent is feeling the pressure of being with someone as notorious as me.
I didn’t respond and just looked around. The agent, not expecting an answer, led the way into the building.
The interior was surprisingly simple. There was no grand entrance or hall, just a main hallway and side corridors with numerous doors. The polished gray stone walls, floor, and ceiling were all uniform and bare, with no decorative elements. There were minimal lights, air conditioning, and security devices.
There was no reception area, and no signs or door plates, making it feel like a typical secret base.
"Lab coat?"
A man in a white lab coat appeared from a door down the right corridor, his back turned as he walked away.
Right, I was called here because of the mysterious Blue Magic Potion. This building must be used for research.
"This way, follow me," the man said.
He’s being a bit pushy, but I guess he doesn’t want me wandering around on my own and stirring up trouble.
I resisted the urge to open any doors and followed him down the main corridor. We eventually reached an elevator and descended underground.
After a few dozen seconds, the elevator doors opened, and we walked through another sterile hallway until we reached our destination.
The heavy door, opened by a mana authentication key, revealed a group of men in black uniforms that looked like military attire, including Moore. They were observing something through a double fence, looking down. Due to the crowd and the angle, I couldn’t see what they were looking at from where I stood.
As I approached, the low-level agent opened the door, and Moore noticed me before the agent could speak.
"Good work. You can go back and rest. Evilbanshee, have a seat over there," Moore said.
The agent left, and I followed Moore into a small, partitioned meeting area.
"What’s all that?" I asked, curious about the group observing something through the fence.
"You’ll see later. First, we need to talk. I already mentioned it briefly, but I need you to tell me about the noble again."
"You mean the one forced to drink the Blue Magic Potion?"
"Yes. I heard he committed suicide, but can you describe the scene more specifically?"
I had already told him this story before. He probably just wants to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
"I asked him what the potion was, but he wouldn’t say. So, I decided to test it on him. I shoved the bottle into his mouth and forced him to drink. He let out a tremendous scream, like a last gasp, and I thought he might attack with a hidden magical device. Instead, he burned himself alive with magic."
"He was alive when you made him drink it?"
"Of course. We were trying to interrogate him, not kill him."
That mansion was filled with eerie, inexplicable things. There were frozen corpses and several unconscious people locked up. I was investigating Badoo Lot, but I stumbled upon a much bigger mess.
"...So, it also works on living humans?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Blue Magic Potion. We’ve been trying to study it, but even with a third-tier identification spell, we couldn’t determine its effects. Analyzing such a complex potion takes time, but we can’t leave something so suspicious unexplored."
"Why not just try it? I think there were still about twenty vials left, right?"
The noble who drank the potion committed suicide, which suggests he knew what the effects would be. The mysterious effects could be revealed by testing it, whether on humans or magical beasts.
"We’ve actually been using it. This is the result you’re seeing on the other side of that fence."
I followed as he led me to the fence, curious about what I would see.
Looking down, I saw a space about ten meters deep and five meters square. There was a man standing in it.
"Who’s he?"
"Can you tell anything by looking at him?"
From the context, it was clear they had given him the potion. He was staring at a light fixture on the bottom, seemingly oblivious to our presence.
He looked insane, and I suspected it was due to the potion’s effects. He had visible injuries but showed no signs of pain.
From this distance, I couldn’t see his expression or hear any reaction to our conversation.
"I can tell something’s off, but I can’t tell more from up here. Can I go down there?"
It would be easier to get a reaction if I got closer.
"Better not. Just watch," Moore said.
He pulled out a knife and threw it down.
At first, I thought he was trying to provoke a reaction, but the knife embedded itself in the man’s head...
"What are you doing... Wait, what?"
He didn’t fall. He didn’t just stand there motionless; he seemed unaffected. A slight movement in his body confirmed this.
"No way..."
I used my mana perception, and there it was. He wasn’t emitting the usual human mana. Instead, I recognized a familiar mana pattern.
It’s the same as... an Undead.
It wasn’t human. A different kind of mana, and he could stand with a knife in his head.
"I can’t deny what’s right in front of me. If the Church found out about something like this, it would be a disaster."
"You’re jumping to conclusions too quickly. Are you sure you understand what it is?"
"He’s dead but moving. So, an Undead, right?"
I might have figured it out a bit too quickly. Knowing about the existence of Undead could complicate things, so I’ll keep it a secret.
"There’s no denying it. Yes, this is exactly what the legends describe—an Undead. It’s hard to believe, but we have to accept the evidence before us. The Blue Magic Potion is a forbidden potion that creates Undead."
The noble who committed suicide must have feared becoming an Undead and burned himself to avoid it. I can understand that; becoming an Undead is a fate worse than death, and religious reasons would come into play too.
"This is serious."
We walked back to the meeting area as we continued talking.
"We’re already short-handed dealing with foreign and Imperial spies... This just keeps piling up, but we have to face it. Remember the frozen corpses in the noble’s mansion? Half of them were Undead. We used the Blue Magic Potion on the other half to see what would happen."
What? Half the corpses I saw were Undead... I didn’t even notice. I didn’t check for mana signatures on the frozen bodies.
This is a shocking revelation. They were deliberately creating Undead.
"What does this mean... Is the Church involved? No, that doesn’t make sense. The noble seemed like a devout believer."
They were probably just researching Undead. The Church is known for fighting Undead, and they might be preparing for a resurgence. Creating artificial Undead could be part of that.
I know Undead still exist in the Underworld Forest and other places. The upper echelons of the Church might be aware and keeping it secret to avoid public panic.
"Evilbanshee, don’t you find this suspicious? The noble who committed suicide was linked to Badoo Lot. Do you really think the Church and Badoo Lot are unrelated?"
Ah, I see. This is an unexpected turn.
"I remember the interrogation results after the Badoo Lot handover. You wouldn’t reveal anything then, but you’re implying the Church and Badoo Lot are connected. Yes, that’s something you wouldn’t just leak lightly."
"Exactly."
The Church is a righteous organization. If it’s linked to a dark organization like Badoo Lot that takes on cursed assassinations, it’s a scandal. Especially if they’re creating Undead, it’s more than a scandal.
But the story is so outrageous that without solid proof, the accusers might be the ones labeled as criminals.
Still, once the pieces fall into place, some things start to make sense.
The Church sells charms that counter curses, and an organization as large as the Church might have its own forces, like Badoo Lot. The artifact dagger recovered from the noble had powerful purification abilities, designed for Undead. It felt different from ordinary magical items, suggesting it might be sanctified.
"...So? Why did you bring me here and reveal this to me now?"
This is a big secret, something that could be used in negotiations with the Holy City. Revealing it to an outsider like me must mean they want me to take on some trouble.
"The Church won’t admit to this, no matter how much evidence we gather. They might even declare Beltoria an enemy of God and take drastic action. The fact that the Church was creating Undead is so significant that we can’t risk it. We can’t let this continue somewhere else, and we can’t wait for an incident to happen. We need to act."
The delay was probably due to discussions among Beltoria’s top officials.
"So, what’s the plan?"
"You should already know. We need you to raid facilities related to Undead and dismantle them in secrecy. We have a few locations in mind, and we’ll provide the information and help with cover-up. If the Church finds out, your involvement will be minimized. As an international organization, you’re better suited to handle this discreetly. The Church isn’t a monolithic entity, and it’s unlikely that the Pope in the Holy City would condone such dangerous activities outside the city.