"Iberia?"
Though Jeanne had guessed the three might have encountered trouble, she certainly hadn't expected the issue to involve Iberia. It was a completely surprising turn.
After all, Iberia and Laterano no longer shared close ties. While they had maintained relations in years past, Jeanne recalled that both nations had severed most official communication many years ago.
"Indeed," the Emperor replied, his tone growing unusually heavy. "Word is that something went wrong over in Iberia. It used to be locked away in semi-isolation, so nobody really knew what was going on inside, but recently, something strange has been brewing down in the ocean."
Jeanne listened intently, suspecting the Emperor knew far more than he was letting on. His heavy, complex tone alone suggested a deeper, unsettling story behind that region.
"Is Iberia... that dangerous? Is there something living there? Something like the Collapsals?" Jeanne knew little of Iberia, but hearing his ominous words, she naturally assumed the region was plagued by creatures similar to those northern abominations.
"The things lurking over there are far more terrifying than any Collapsal," the Emperor warned. "The true peril of Iberia lies within the deep waters. The ocean harbors a truly horrifying species known as the Seaborn."
The Emperor wasn't surprised by Jeanne's ignorance. Knowledge of the Seaborn was rare on the mainland, so her lack of familiarity was completely natural.
"They are beyond strange," he continued. "They possess no sense of individual self. Their every action is governed entirely by the collective survival and expansion of their species, and their capacity to adapt and evolve is terrifyingly swift. We should count ourselves fortunate that those horrors still remain confined to the waves. Had they crawled onto dry land a few millennia ago, the entire world would have faced an unstoppable calamity."
It was clear the Emperor held a genuine dread of the Seaborn. It was the very first time Jeanne had ever seen the penguin express genuine fear toward a living species, proving just how perilous those creatures truly were.
"I don't know the full details," the Emperor added, "but starting two years ago, the Seaborn grew increasingly restless and began encroaching upon the shoreline. As for Lemuen and her companions, perhaps they uncovered something alarming during their duties?"
He laid out all his conjectures before Jeanne, who nodded quietly, lost in thought. It seemed reasonable that a sudden crisis in the neighboring land had prompted their swift departure.
"Still, there is no need to panic," the Emperor offered reassuringly, noticing her furrowed brows. "If things truly spiraled out of control, the higher-ups in Laterano would have already consulted you about it. If you really want to see what's happening, finish up your tasks here first, then head over to take a look yourself."
He could see Jeanne was tempted to make the trip to Iberia. Although he knew how dangerous that realm could be, he made no attempt to dissuade her, choosing instead to offer sound advice.
The fact that Lemuen, Mostima, and Fiammetta were all recalled at once suggested the situation was indeed grim. Yet, seeing that the Messengers were still operating across the continent rather than retreating behind Laterano's walls proved the threat hadn't yet reached a catastrophic breaking point.
Perhaps their departure was also tied to personal matters? Regardless, the Emperor was eager to see Jeanne venture there—he genuinely wondered if she could work another miracle in those dark waters.
The Seaborn were a nightmare. If there was a chance to resolve the threat, the Emperor wouldn't mind lending a hand, for even a creature as fearless as himself felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of those horrors.
"I understand what you're saying," Jeanne sighed with a wry smile. "I'm just worried those three might run straight into danger. They only just recovered from their past injuries; it would be awful if they ended up back in a hospital bed."
Her instincts told her that whatever was brewing in Iberia was no minor incident. From the Emperor's description, the threat posed by those ocean depths sounded even more terrifying than the Collapsals roaming the Ursus tundras.
Furthermore, her holy water might prove entirely useless against such strange, foreign creatures. Trying to figure out how to handle a crisis under those unknown conditions was giving her a major headache.
"That's precisely why worrying here accomplishes nothing," the Emperor said, slapping Jeanne's shoulder with an air of placing heavy responsibility on her shoulders. "When you finally get there, you'll figure out what to do. You're someone who summons miracles—have a little confidence in yourself!"
Jeanne could only nod helplessly in agreement. It seemed she would definitely need to keep a close eye on developments in Iberia.
Just as she was reflecting on the matter, her phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw it was Ch'en, and an immediate wave of bad intuition washed over her.
"Jeanne! Get over here right now and take these fools away!"
It wasn't Ch'en's voice on the line, but rather FrostNova's, dripping with suppressed fury. It was painfully clear that the white Cautus was on the verge of stringing her squad up for a beating, held back only by the fact that they were currently standing on Lungmen territory.
"Hold on, I'm coming right now!" Jeanne replied hastily.
How could she not realize her subordinates had caused another mess? Yet, she was intensely curious—what kind of chaos could the Yeti Squadron possibly have unleashed in such a short amount of time?
"Since your friends are calling, run along!" the Emperor said, waving her off. "Just remember what I said: finish what's on your plate before taking on new troubles. This land is full of capable people, so don't let outside chaos derail your own duties. Trying to do everything at once only leads to failure, and wouldn't that be ridiculous?"
Jeanne nodded her thanks and turned to leave. He was right; her immediate priority was to handle her current duties before worrying about distant lands.
First on that list was dealing with the Yeti Squadron. She really wanted to see what kind of embarrassing stunt those troublemakers had pulled off to drive FrostNova into calling for backup.
"Huge news! Massive announcement! Chernobog is now hiring!"
When Jeanne arrived at the slums, she found a massive crowd gathered around a group of shivering individuals. The Yeti Squadron was currently receiving a blistering reprimand from FrostNova, while a faulty loudspeaker beside them continued to blare uncontrollably:
"Whether you are Infected or non-Infected, we welcome you with open arms! Huge news! Massive announcement..."
"Turn that blasted thing off right now!" FrostNova snapped, looking at her embarrassing squad members with an overwhelming urge to string them up by their ankles.
"Big Sis, it's not that we don't want to turn it off! The switch is broken!" The Yeti Squadron members were scrambling frantically around the loud horn speaker. Seeing FrostNova practically trembling with rage behind them, they were genuinely panicking.
Ch'en's reaction, on the other hand, was surprisingly calm. She stood alongside Hoshiguma, looking as if her eyes had just been opened to a whole new world, completely unbothered by the commotion.
Strictly speaking, the squad hadn't committed any crime—they had simply rented a few heavy motorcycles to broadcast a recruitment drive through the streets. Had the loudspeaker not been so deafening, there wouldn't have even been a need to stop them, so the officers simply stood by, enjoying the show.
Jeanne listened to FrostNova's explanation, holding back her laughter with great effort. Stepping forward, she tapped the loudspeaker firmly a few times until the recruitment message finally cut out, before asking curiously, "Can someone tell me where you even got this idea?"
"Great news! Great news! Clearance sale at our shop! Every item for only fifty LMD! Every item for fifty LMD! Anyone interested can head over to..."
Just at that moment, a commercial vehicle broadcasting a clearance sale rolled slowly down the street. Jeanne instantly realized where these unfortunates had learned such tactics, though her urge to laugh only grew stronger.
However...
"Honestly, I don't think it's a terrible idea," Jeanne mused, stroking her chin. "This kind of public announcement is actually far more effective than putting up posters. Plus, think about it: if an organization uses people like this for publicity, wouldn't local authorities lower their guard against us significantly?"
FrostNova stared at Jeanne with an expression that plainly asked, Did you eat something poisonous today? How could such nonsense come out of your mouth?
Yet, looking at Jeanne's entirely earnest face, and then glancing back at her miserable, helpless squad members, FrostNova fell silent for a long moment before turning to Ch'en and Hoshiguma.
"Does this behavior violate any Lungmen ordinances? If it breaks the law, please feel free to take them away. Don't worry about our reputation—I've been wanting to lock them up for a few months anyway."
Hearing their leader's cold words, the Yeti Squadron members gasped in utter horror! They instantly lunged forward, clinging to FrostNova's legs and wailing at the top of their lungs, begging her not to abandon them.
The surrounding crowd watched the spectacle with great amusement. Who wouldn't enjoy such a lively bunch? Besides, an organization capable of harboring such harmless goofballs couldn't possibly be inherently evil, could they?
Meanwhile, Jeanne stood off to the side, already deep in thought, pondering how they might expand the publicity effort to reach even more people.