Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The army is the weapon of the state, and military academies have always instilled this into officer candidates. However, when the weapon develops its own thoughts and even attempts to influence the actions of its wielder, this is fundamentally an act of rebellion.

The soldiers who drowned at sea, were nailed to stakes, or perished burnt in the gun emplacements—they all died because of the ambitions of Kongtai'er and his ilk.

"That's all I know," Winters concluded. "The secret society of Kongtai'er is probably using the Duelists' Club as a cover for their periphery. These people are already very dangerous. They've tasted the sweetness of manipulating politics with violence; I can hardly imagine what they dare to do next. But according to Kongtai'er, they weren't the ones who blew up the docks. It was another group... Who knows if that's true or not."

He had originally left all this information in a letter, but since he had survived, there was no need for the letter anymore. He was eager to find Anniuo and explain everything to remind Antonio that a secret political faction had infiltrated the Vineta Army.
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No one knew which officers were members of this secret faction, even within the Third Legion itself. There could very well be others like Kongtai'er. The most dangerous aspect was that this political faction was becoming more violent and radical, ready to eliminate anyone who stood in their way with lethal force.

Antonio pondered without speaking.

After a long moment, he said, "… I have heard a bit about secret societies. There are many within the army, but this is the first that dares to kill..."

"If you want to investigate them, I can infiltrate them. Kongtai'er tried to recruit me. If he survives, I'll use him as a stepping stone. If he's dead, then it's even simpler."

"No, there's no need for you to investigate. It's too dangerous for you. We should deal with such covert matters in an open manner, but now is not the right time. War has already broken out with Tanilia, and we need every capable person we have. If we bring this to light now, the military council will only deal with it lightly. If we try to handle it too harshly, it could damage the army's combat power." Antonio frowned and said, "You don't need to worry about this issue anymore. I will go to General Zio and handle it from the top down."

Winters caught the subtext in Antonio's words, and said unwillingly, "Are you saying there's no way to deal with Kongtai'er and his group because they've become intertwined with Vineta? We can't act against them?"

"Once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back. The battle has begun, and the priority now is to figure out how to end the war. They will be dealt with, but the timing is not right. We need to find a proper way, one that does not weaken the army's fighting strength." Antonio's brow furrowed deeply: "Leave this matter to me to manage; you should not get too involved."

"You need to be careful of these people as well. They dare kill a delegate from the office of the Federated Provinces' Secretary of State. Their knives are already stained with blood, which will only make them more frantic. They might even… turn on their own." Although reluctant, since Antonio had decided to take over, it was probably the best solution for now.

Suddenly, Winters remembered something and hesitantly said, "There's another matter, possibly even more significant than Kongtai'er..."

"Hmm? What is it?" Antonio rubbed his temples, looking somewhat fatigued.

"I... I think I've killed a court mage."