A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The cloudy sky was draped in snow.

A gloomy sky. Maybe it was because of the dark clouds, but it felt doubly dreary.

Sipping my espresso after dinner, I looked out the window at the world.

Honestly, if it were tea, I might understand, but coffee was quite disappointing. During my time in the Middle East, I’d experienced a variety of teas, but coffee mainly consisted of Maxim coffee mix or franchise Americanos.

My senior colleagues from the National Intelligence Service seemed thrilled that there was a bakery within the company.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if I should have applied for the National Intelligence Service after my discharge.

“Do you have water and ice by any chance?”

“Yes, we do. But why are you asking?”

“I’d like to add it to my coffee.”

Francesca shot me a look as if I had suggested something disgusting.

To a coffee enthusiast from Patalia, it seems that ordering an Americano is a sin.

We maintained a silence as we flew across the continent’s night sky. Only the sound of staff and crew moving about the airship echoed softly.

I casually lit a cigarette.

“…Hoo.”

With a lit cigarette hanging from my fingers, I stared into the void. A familiar bitterness lingered in my throat, the emptiness escaping through my lips.

It felt hollow.

As I quietly sat, watching the smoke disperse, I was pulled back to reality by Francesca’s voice.

“Are you worried?”

Worried?

“What do you mean?”

“I thought I’d ask if you were feeling uneasy since we’ll be arriving in just a few hours.”

“……”

Though I spoke, I wasn’t exactly showing signs of concern.

Francesca sipped her coffee with her eyes closed, and I silently smiled, looking out the window.

Far away.

The crashing waves and familiar coastline, the faint lights beyond the mountain peaks bathed in bright moonlight.

“…It’s been three years.”

I crushed my cigarette butt as I gazed at the Empire’s coastal city sprawling beneath the vast sky.

—

Episode 10 – Change Course to Northwest

Upon waking up after a night above the clouds, I found myself in another country.

The Kien Empire.

I marveled at the panorama of the landscape flowing below.

“Wow… Nothing has changed here.”

Camila, who was dressing up, gave a subtle smile. She seemed to find something amusing and mischievous about it.

“You sound just like an old person.”

“Are you calling me an old fogey?”

“Not quite, but….”

The fresh-faced university student, who couldn’t even fill a carton of eggs, teased the war-weary civil servant, as if she believed she wouldn’t age. I, too, was a university student just a few years ago.

“Hmph…! Just admit it. You’re saying that because you got mad at being called an elephant yesterday, right?”

“Be quiet!”

-Tap. Tap.

I turned my head at the sensation of a finger tapping my left shoulder and met Francesca’s gaze.

With a neutral expression that was hard to read, she spoke to me.

“Colonel, we’ve received word from below. We should be arriving soon.”

“Has someone from the embassy come out?”

“They said it’s a formality, but a verification of identity is necessary. However, since diplomats of the rank of Minister and above vouch for your identity, I’ve heard the entry inspection will be as streamlined as possible.”

“The embassy staff must be having a tough time. Thank you for letting me know, Administrator.”

Francesca nodded and walked towards the direction where the accompanying staff from the Magic Tower were located. Camila was next to me, but I couldn’t see Lucia.

As I wandered around looking for the missing Lucia, a priest hurriedly approached and whispered to me.

“Where’s Lucia right now?”

“It seems her preparations are taking a bit longer. But she should be out soon.”

I was relieved that there were no issues.

I chatted with Camila while glancing beyond the clouds.

A cold wave swirled above a gloomy sky.

The clouds covering the gloomy sky began to clear.

“…Wow.”

Camila approached the window and pressed her hands against the glass, as if enchanted.

Forests of skyscrapers standing tall as if reaching the sky. Roads and railways crisscrossing the city like veins. The lights of vehicles racing across the asphalt.

A massive castle located at the center of a jungle-like metropolis.

The gray city, blanketed by pure white snow, revealed itself before us.

—

In this world, there is no air force. Only the army and navy exist.

Also, they treat airships as ships rather than aircraft.

Thus, the place where we landed was a base managed by the Imperial Navy.

“Flight 001, enter taxiway 3. Wind direction is 060/04.”

“Slowly! Slowly!”

“We’re inserting the chocks. Disabling the magical power supply.”

Seeing the navy personnel and formally dressed individuals bustling about in military uniforms as we prepared for airship landing made it feel like I had really arrived in the Empire.

I closed my eyes briefly as I waited, and a message announced that the airship had safely landed.

Shortly after, the captain and first officer, who I thought should be called the captain, came out to greet us warmly. We thanked the crew for their hard work on what was indeed a tough flight.

Thus, we disembarked under the guidance of the Empire’s civil servants.

—Waaaah!

A deafening cheer enveloped us.

As the door opened, the roar of applause flooded in, followed by the blaring of the military band’s golden trumpets.

Camila laughed at the sight, as if it was ridiculous.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I was thinking that if they have the budget for such an event, they might as well send support to the North.”

She was expressing the belief that reallocating personnel and budgets to the North would be far more beneficial than holding this ceremony.

After all, with daily casualties in the North, it seemed only logical.

However, with so many eyes around, I couldn’t just voice that opinion, so I silently smiled instead. Thankfully, Camila’s voice was drowned out by the noise.

Amidst the flashes of camera shutters, boys and girls dressed in the uniforms of the Imperial Academy approached to present bouquets. Camila, Lucia, Francesca, and even I, adorned in the robes of the Abas forces, were all given flowers.

As I shook hands with the academy student handing over the bouquet, Camila suddenly appeared beside me and began to whisper.

“What are they doing?”

“Camila, do you know about the Pioneers of the Soviet Union?”

“Oh, that Soviet version of the Boy Scouts?”

I nodded affirmatively in response.

“They’re from a group similar to the Pioneers called Vyacheslav. I’ll explain more later, but for now, just know that they mobilize when dignitaries visit the Kien Empire.”

Her smile indicated she understood, but then she added in a low voice:

“By the way, you’re not going to make any Nazi jokes this time, are you? I thought you’d compare them to the Hitler Youth.”

“……”

“Those kids are definitely from the Boy Scouts, right? Not the Hitler Youth?”

I chuckled quietly, choosing my words carefully.

While I packed our bouquet, enduring Camila’s suspicious gaze, Lucia and Francesca’s attendants came over and removed our bouquets.

I dusted off my palms and said to Camila, who wore a grimace, “Shall we?”

“Uh, yeah, let’s go.”

—

For security reasons, our time at the naval base was considerably brief. I was puzzled by the sudden security concerns, but the group didn’t seem to mind and began greeting the officials who came to meet us.

During that time, I underwent a quick identification procedure with the help of the diplomats from the embassy. Even though I was a defense attaché appointed by the Ministry of Defense of Abas and supported by the Cult, formality was still formality.

And then we arrived at the venue.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had rented the hotel for a grand banquet, inviting notable guests and dignitaries known by name.

“Ah…!”

An elderly man with a head full of white hair suddenly fell to the floor, prostrating himself.

The old man, clearly a cleric by appearance, grasped Lucia’s hand with wrinkled hands, kissing the back of it while his eyes brimmed with tears.

“May the blessings of heaven be bestowed upon the Saint.”

“May the blessings of heaven be bestowed upon you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bishop Joel.”

Lucia was greeted by the bishops of the Kien Empire.

Bishops and selected laymagicians of higher ranks within the Empire hurried to welcome Lucia.

With a benevolent smile, Lucia placed a hand on the back of the prostrating bishop.

“Please rise, Bishop. I’m quite fine.”

“How can I be so casual in front of the Saint who traveled such a long way….”

“You are a priest, not a sinner. Lift your head.”

The clerics of the Cult hovered awkwardly before Lucia. They seemed a bit overly dramatic, like fanatics, but the bystanders all accepted it as normal and expected.

As Lucia faced the bishops, Francesca engaged in conversation with those who appeared to be magicians.

“It’s an honor to meet a seeker of knowledge and truth. Have you been well, Professor?”

“Heh. What could happen to an old man? I just enjoy teaching my good students more as I grow older.”

The elderly magician, with neatly combed white whiskers, welcomed Francesca with a sincere smile.

“How is your work at the Secretariat, Francesca? I’m curious about how you’re doing.”

“Although I have less time to research, I’m finding happiness in doing work that suits me day by day, Professor.”

“Lack of research time! That’s a grave problem. For magicians, especially alchemists, time and money are the most precious resources….”

“How have you been doing? It’s been a while since you published a new paper at the academic conference.”

“Come to think of it, it has indeed been years since I’ve neglected my research to focus on recovery. While I’ve found a new topic,…”

The old man’s eyes glistened with academic passion as he looked at Francesca.

“…Ah! Francesca, how about conducting research together after a long time? Given the topic is related to alchemy, your assistance is sorely needed.”

“You should rather tell me to attend graduate school.”

“Would you come?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Ha! Just like before, you treat my offer like garbage. Even when I invited you to join the Alchemy School, you stuck with the Elementalist School. Now, I genuinely want to propose to the Oracle to ban you from studying alchemy.”

“I’ll dig up your grave when you return and take your bones with me. I’ve grown quite interested in necromancy lately.”

What a ridiculous conversation. It seemed almost certain that the old man and Francesca had known each other as professor and student during their university days.

Both of them appeared to be mad, with Francesca joking about digging up a grave to raise the professor’s corpse, and the professor suggesting a graduate school to a fresh civil servant who graduated a few years back. Honestly, it was clear to me that magicians should be avoided at all costs.

A priest, reacting to the word ‘necromancy,’ cast a sharp glare at Francesca and the magicians, prompting me to stealthily step away.

While navigating through the tables, I surveyed the key figures of today’s party.

“I’d like the mass to be brief so we can focus on relief efforts.”

“Understood, Saint.”

Lucia, the 59th Saint of the Cult, was surrounded by priests, diplomats from the Cult, and devout believers. While others enjoyed the atmosphere of the upcoming party, Lucia’s heart seemed focused on the North.

“Do we know when the Oracle will arrive?”

“Most of the committee members have arrived in the Empire. However, Eleonora….”

“Has vanished again, hasn’t she?”

“I apologize. We are currently dispatching people for a search.”

Francesca, the administrator of the Magic Tower Secretariat, was poised for an elevation in rank but was dutifully prioritizing her tasks at the Magic Tower.

I took a broad glance at the interior of the banquet hall.

With staff bustling around and journalists setting up their equipment, it seemed that the individuals from the Imperial government had not yet arrived. Diplomats also appeared to be flustered, confirming my suspicion.

Due to security concerns, the schedule had been shortened, meaning we arrived early, and everyone was growing impatient, hence the early exploration.

In such a busy atmosphere, someone calm finally approached me.

“What are you doing?”

Camila.

Curiously looking around the venue with her hands behind her back, she approached me at a brisk pace.

“I was just taking a look around.”

“Just looking? You’re really only looking around?”

“Well, I have nothing to do. Of course, I was also thinking about the upcoming schedule.”

The confirmations regarding our dispatch to the Empire had already been arranged around Camila, Lucia, Francesca, and myself.

However, detailed adjustments would require practical negotiations.

“If this were a straightforward diplomatic event, the Foreign Ministry could handle it. But there are more organizations involved than expected.”

“Right. There’s the military and police, and other foreign governments are tangled up in it.”

“Plus, the Inquisition Officers, Knights, Magicians, and volunteers…. It’s hard to even list them all.”

The conflict between the Empire and the Magic Region wasn’t solely a military matter. It wasn’t just a matter of sending Camila, Lucia, and Francesca to the North and calling it a day.

The priests who would enter with Lucia,

The magicians accompanying Francesca,

Another military unit to support the troops stationed in the North,

Volunteers, foreign reporters, and relief supplies coming along with them, etc.

When considering the administrative personnel and resources to manage all that, it becomes clear that significant effort would be required. Especially for food and medical supplies, because it isn’t just about shipping resources; we need a distribution plan too.

“Well, most of the coordination has been wrapped up. I think within this week, we’ll finalize negotiations and prepare to send supplies and personnel.”

“So, we’ll be heading to the North next week?”

I nodded.

“We’ll enter the North first and start operations, and support from the Cult and the Magic Tower should follow. Even though we’ve already dispatched priests and magicians to the North, the conclusion from the Foreign Ministry is that they will likely scale up their involvement.”

“Oh, I saw that news. The spokesperson for the Magic Tower’s Foreign Ministry was announcing it yesterday.”

Camila mentioned the announcement, her face breaking into a smile.

She subtly glanced around, then stood on her tiptoes to lean closer.

“But what will you actually do in the North?”

Camila wasn’t asking about the tasks at hand.

She was inquiring about my purpose.

To rephrase, it meant,

“Seems like there will be an army, foreigners, reporters, and even non-profits gathering in the North.”

“……”

“While I might be going to help people, you, as a diplomat, wouldn’t just be going there to volunteer, would you?”

“Do you enjoy saving people?”

“If I had hated it, I wouldn’t have followed my sister when she dragged me to South Sudan. Why else would I have traveled to Syria?”

Realizing that it indeed seemed that way, I was struck anew by how odd Camila was as well. Why is it always these types of women around me?

“It’s not common for a diplomat, especially a Colonel, to go to a conflict region.”

“I’m just following my colleague.”

“We’re in enemy territory.”

“……”

“What exactly are you planning on doing?”

I met Camila’s blue gaze.

Her direct approach without any preface made me smile in silence, and then I added with a hint of intrigue.

“I’ll just do what I always do.”