A Dark Fantasy Spy

---

The conflict with the demons has now surpassed four years and is nearing five.

However, shortly after Camila, Lucia, and Francesca arrived in the Empire, a new wind began to blow.

[“A pressing need for solutions”… Cardinal Raphael urges support for the Kien Empire.]

[The Lushan Federal Kingdom discusses drafting a resolution for military support to the Kien Empire.]

[The Inquisition and the Knights Order, plus the Magic Battalion, are set to mobilize north next week.]

[The Imperial Ministry of Defense states, “We will launch an offensive around spring”… Is the course of the war about to change?]

Episode 10 – Turn Towards the Northwest

“What are you looking at?”

Camila popped up suddenly like a turtle peeking out.

“The newspaper.”

I neatly folded the newspaper I was looking at and tossed it onto the table.

On the pale-colored paper, the Minister of Defense, clad in military attire, was confidently briefing reporters about the war with the demons while alternately scanning the audience. That was the front page.

Camila, seeing the moving pictures in this paper instead of on a monitor, read with a look of fascination.

“It’s already in chaos. One might think the conflict was over.”

I quenched my throat with some sparkling water.

Rather than adjusting to the time zone, seeing them popping champagne before even the banquet had started was rather frustrating.

Just about an hour had passed since we disembarked from the airship. We were waiting for the first diplomatic event of the banquet.

Aside from the diplomats from Patalia waiting since the previous night, as well as clerics and mages, there were still no people in the event hall. Of course, the Abas diplomats were also waiting outside.

As a side note, Lucia and Francesca were still being held captive. Their precious status made it difficult for people to let them go.

With one departing, two more would show up, creating a scene where the hall was clearly split into two factions.

The Cult and the Magic Tower.

Clerics and Magicians.

I’ve heard that a Knight Order and a Magic Battalion were dispatched a few years ago, and that the Ministry of Defense also sent people. They seemed to be staying in the north, hence their late arrival.

As I surveyed the attendees both inside the venue and at the entrance, Camila quietly lifted her sharp blue eyes.

“This is interesting. Isn’t this all just propaganda?”

“Of course.”

Officially, coverage and reporting in the Empire is conducted in a free reporting environment.

However, considering that a government agency censors the media and that information police, Imperial Guard HQ, and counterintelligence officers are stationed at every newspaper, it implies that essentially all newspapers and broadcasts in the Empire are under government control.

“It’s just like back in Namsan times.”

“Namsan?”

“In the past, the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Planning Department’s domestic headquarters were located there. It changed to the National Intelligence Service and moved elsewhere, but back then, intelligence agents from various agencies came and went at the newspapers and broadcasting stations.”

Central Intelligence Agency, security command, police headquarters, cultural propaganda department, and more.

During the military regime in South Korea, every media outlet had a person stationed from various agencies to monitor them. If they didn’t approve something, articles wouldn’t be published, and any scenes shot for films or dramas would be completely cut.

And if you disregarded that?

“You’d be dragged to Namsan for some ox bone soup. Well, it’s true that ox bone soup was so expensive back then that we probably had to settle for some jjambong soup that came with delivery from a Chinese restaurant.”

“Oh….”

“Of course, they don’t do that sort of thing these days. Back then, they were straightforward about it, but now it’s troublesome if they get caught, so unless it’s a seriously critical issue, they just take notes and release you.”

By the way, a prime example of that “seriously critical issue” would be Dmitri.

He didn’t just fall from grace; he was caught engaging in anti-regime activities. So, he even faced torture.

“Ew. That’s chilling.”

“Don’t say anything reckless in the Empire. Especially if you utter anything supporting a republic or advocating for the abolition of the monarchy; that would be bad news.”

Camila shivered as if goosebumps had arisen. She wrapped her arms around herself, calling it a strange change in the air.

I sank into the backrest and sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

What can you do?

This is a world where you have to squeeze out at least a smidgen of patriotism to survive.

“A leader should be an object of fear, not affection. It’s something a philosopher once said, but seeing the dictators here, it seems true.”

“Wasn’t that Machiavelli’s words? I think I saw it in The Prince.”

“Oh, right. That’s Machiavelli.”

-Tap tap.

“Colonel?”

“Ah, Administrator.”

Before I realized it, Francesca had come up behind me. She looked between Camila and me, then smiled gently.

“It seems like the event is about to start. I’ve just heard from the deputy ambassador who has arrived below.”

No sooner had she said that than people began entering the event hall one by one at the entrance. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be invited to the banquet.

I cleared away the newspaper and stood up to brush off the dust from my formal wear.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Suddenly, a fragrant lavender scent lingered before my face.

Taking a step closer, Francesca neatly removed the dust from my formal wear with magic.

As the magical energies at her fingertips dispersed and she tidied the aiguillette once, she returned to her seat with a gentle smile.

Wondering what just happened, I stood there like a nail, and Camila trotted over and whispered.

“Are you two dating?”

“….”

I quickly gave her a slap on the back of the head, making sure no one was watching.

*

Time passed quickly.

In December, as a new year was drawing to a close, the dispute between the Empire and the Demon Realm had entered its fifth year, and it had been nearly six months since I became the Defense Attaché.

I was slowly adapting to the dynamics of diplomacy and steadily becoming accustomed to attending diplomatic events.

Here at the hotel banquet hall, it was customary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to host the first official event for the heads of state.

I wandered around the banquet hall, surveying the attendees.

“Oh! Who do we have here? Good to see you, Your Excellency.”

“Long time no see, Prime Minister.”

The Imperial government sent out Chancellor Stollipin as their representative. He began his public service when the current Emperor Nikolai VI ascended the throne. A politician who has supported the Emperor for decades while overseeing internal affairs.

Given his lineup of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Stollipin was certainly the one representing the Imperial government at this banquet.

Notably, no members of the royal family were present.

Considering the Emperor is such a recluse, it was one thing, but the absence of princes or princesses, including the Crown Prince, was unexpected.

Still, even with the royal absence, the dignity of the event was absolutely not diminished.

First, the Cult.

“Salvē rēgīna! Glory be to your great lineage. I am Sir Pereyti, the head of the Knights of Saint Andrew. It is an honor to meet you, Saint Lucia.”

All esteemed clerics operating in the Kien Empire attended the event. The bishops, along with carefully selected presbyters and laypeople from each diocese, were present.

Among them, the most striking figure was the knight commander who introduced himself as Pereyti. He exuded an aura that was clearly distinct from the other clerics as he entered the hall.

Naturally, since he appeared in full armor.

-Thud!

A knight in full plate armor knelt, and all eyes in the event hall focused on him.

There was no doubt he wasn’t just any ordinary gentleman, creating a stir among the people. But the bishops simply smiled warmly, appearing not to see any issue with it.

In other words, Lucia was the only one among the clergy who found that sight strange.

Lucia looked at the knight commander with a voice clearly tinged with concern. It was a strange sight to see a twenty-something young woman worrying over someone in their forties.

“Glory to warriors fighting like dragons. Commander Pereyti, I know this might be an uncomfortable question, but are you not troubled by this?”

“Not at all! Absolutely not, Saint Lucia! Hahaha!”

“…….”

This guy’s a bit mad.

The head of the Knights of Saint Andrew, Pereyti, laughed heartily and waved his hand.

“It’s an honor to meet you. It’s not just flattery; I genuinely mean it.”

“Is that so? That you wished to meet me, Sir Pereyti. What a surprise.”

The knight scratched his brow with thick fingers, smiling shyly as if embarrassed to say it.

“Actually, I had seen you from a distance before. Two years ago, when my subordinates were poisoned while hunting Molok, I saw you help them.”

“Oh…!”

A gasp escaped from Lucia’s lips.

“Molok was the demon that emitted poison, right? I recall a fierce battle took place.”

“That’s right! It was an honorable fight!”

“I had no idea you were present there. It’s an honor to meet you again like this.”

“More so for me! Hahaha! The Inquisition officer and the exorcist truly wanted to be here but couldn’t make it due to sudden mission deployments. It’s a pity they couldn’t come; that would have been wonderful.”

It seemed that they were familiar with each other. Lucia had served as a healing priest in the past, while Pereyti was a knight fighting against demons in the north, so it wasn’t unusual for them to have a crossing of paths.

Originally, not only knights but also Inquisition officers and exorcists were supposed to attend the banquet, but something came up, preventing them from being present. Nonetheless, the attendees from the Cult were illustrious.

I quickly memorized the details of the conversation I heard along with the personal information regarding the attendees from the Cult.

Next was the Magic Tower. Truly, there were a variety of figures from different fields attending.

Basically, all affiliated wizards from the Magic Tower showed up, as well as scholars, technicians, researchers, and a staff member from the Magic Department, plus combat magicians, and wizards belonging to the Imperial Army active in the north.

The most prominent figure here was Evangelos Rysidike.

“Evangelos Rysidike.”

The wizard with striking sky-blue hair removed his hat and bowed with a hand on his chest. When Francesca extended her hand, he naturally made a motion as if to kiss the back of her hand.

“I pay my respects to the daughter of the great Raniere family, the father of our nation.”

“The same to you. I hope you have been well?”

“Greika is much calmer than Patalia. Thanks to the arrangements of our ancestors, I’m living in peace.”

The Rysidike family was known to me as well.

The Rysidike family is one of the noble wizard families established by a great wizard who led military victories against the Cult, alongside notable families like the Raniere family, known for having an archmage as their founding ancestor.

Although it had no military organization worthy of being called a regular army, I recalled that they recently established military control by sending wizards to the Magic Tower.

Commander Pereyti of the Cult and Evangelos of the Magic Tower.

Two figures leading two of the three military forces from the north were present in the banquet hall.

The Imperial Army stationed at the north was managed by the Military Government Headquarters, and the Commander of the Military Government never stepped out of the north, so only these two would possess the most information about the current conditions in the northern front.

Lucia and Francesca were caught up in animated conversations with those from the Cult and Magic Tower, while Camila quietly sat eating, yet everyone else buzzed around her like pests, and no one dared to strike up a conversation with her.

I took my time to approach Camila amidst the bustling banquet hall.

“Are you okay, Camila?”

“Yes!”

Camila replied with a bright smile. I took her hand and helped her stand up from her seat.

“Shall we take a little walk?”

“Sure! Where to?”

Where else would a diplomat go?

“To work.”

Of course, we were heading to work.

*

The Defense Attaché is a military diplomat.

While annoying people keep throwing around words like spy and whatnot, military intelligence collection is merely a tiny portion of the Attaché’s duties.

So, is attending diplomatic events all there is to it? Not quite.

The Defense Attaché indeed carries out various diplomatic activities, such as attending the host country’s military academy admission ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, commissioning of officers, military base open days, military exchange activities, defense exhibitions, and observing parades, but even that is just a part of the Attaché’s roles.

So what, then, is the attaché’s true role?

It’s meeting people.

“Hello? I’m Colonel Frederick Nostrim, newly assigned to the Abas Embassy.”

“Oh! You’re the famous one! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I work at the Magic Engineering Institute….”

This event served the dual purpose of welcoming Camila, Lucia, and Francesca but was also an occasion for diplomats to discuss the conflict between the Empire and the Demon Realm.

In other words, it was a diplomatic event regarding national defense.

The attendees included representatives from the Imperial Ministry of Defense and organizations related to defense industries, and I instantly began to connect with them.

“I saw the report released by the Kien Empire’s Ministry of Defense. It’s a bit embarrassing, but since I just arrived, I don’t know much about the situation here. Would it be possible for me to hear about the northern front? I would like to prepare just a bit in advance.”

“Hmm… I don’t see why not. What exactly are you curious about?”

The international policy planner from the Kien Empire’s Ministry of Defense, the head of defense cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the head of logistics at the Army Headquarters, the communications officer from the Policy Office, the public relations officer, the training director, operations management officer, current and former generals, the chief of staff, defense researchers, directors from defense companies, and more.

There was even a secretary who came from the Defense Committee of the Assembly.

Noticing a parliament member conversing with a foreign ambassador from a distance, I peered around, and the man spotted me first and approached.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Colonel Nostrim. I also worked at the Ministry of Defense.”

“Is that so? Where did you work?”

“I worked briefly as a policy planner. I wasn’t an executive, just a civil servant.”

“Sounds like a good place to work. I’ve heard there’s a famous square near the Ministry of Defense that you must have seen while commuting.”

“Akroposkaya Square. My office was such that when I turned my head and opened the window, I could see the fountain and statue right away.”

The imperial Ministry of Defense hires some personnel from the private sector. They may only assign a few positions as civilian to avoid the backlash of being labeled a military state, but it still means that landing a job there is a sign of competence.

Being smart, having connections, or having money—pick any one of the three.

“Are you married by any chance?”

“Yes.”

“A son? Or a daughter?”

“I have a daughter.”

“When you have time, how about we have a meal together? It would be nice for you to bring your family along.”

“That sounds good.”

I scribbled on my business card with a fountain pen and exchanged cards with him. Meanwhile, Camila quietly observed my actions.

“You seem very busy.”

She smiled gently.

“Is it okay for me to be around? It would be troublesome if I interrupt your work.”

“It’s not particularly a bother, so it’s fine. Let’s sit for a bit.”

We gathered drinks and sat on chairs.

In one corner of the banquet hall, groups of people gathered and conversed, while someone quietly smoked in the corner. It was a struggle to save energy for the marathon-like event ahead.

The fizzy drink bubbling up. Sitting in the provided chair, I savored the refreshing fruit-flavored beverage.

I glanced at my nearly half-empty glass and clicked my tongue softly.

“Ah, the empire… Look at those military uniforms at the event, just as expected of a militaristic nation.”

“What’s wrong with the uniforms?”

I pointed my chin towards the chest of the Imperial generals. They were adorned with a plethora of medals.

“Just look at those medals. They’ve run out of room for them and their medallions even reach down to their stomachs. At this rate, they might just resort to breast surgery just to add more medals.”

“Um…! It is indeed excessive.”

As Camila and I giggled and talked, Lucia and Francesca, spotting us, approached.

Dressed impeccably for the occasion, the two stood out even from a distance.

“Have you come? I saw you pass by earlier, and you looked like you were under immense pressure.”

“Under pressure? I wouldn’t say that.”

“Finally liberated, huh?”

“Welcome! Let’s have a drink.”

“Did you see what the people were doing earlier? They were stumbling around trying to talk to the hero.”

“My word, you saw that while conversing with people from the Magic Department? Your observation skills are impressive.”

With their signature smiles, Lucia and Francesca joined us. After warmly greeting Camila, we took chairs and settled down comfortably.

Lucia sat down, adopting a modest posture as she smiled kindly.

“The knights are incredibly passionate. It seems they’ve got quite a bit of experience in the north.”

“Is there something happening in the north?”

“They say battles occur almost every day. The rear is relatively safe, but as refugees pour in, there have been issues with medical aid and supply distribution, and it seems there’s also a gap in administrative ability due to a lack of personnel.”

Well, isn’t that delightful news.

Francesca chimed in. She crossed her legs as she sipped her drink.

“I’ve also heard that demons occasionally make their way down through the mountain ranges. There are creatures infiltrating via mountains and rivers.”

“The mountains? Can’t we just burn them down?”

“Who would set them on fire? Even if we dispatched all the wizards from the front lines back to the rear, it would take a good few months to burn down the mountain ranges.”

At that, I looked at Camila. She cocked her head, as if asking if she had something to say, while sipping her drink.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“It seems like you might be finding yourself with work in the north soon.”

“To burn the mountain ranges? Well, there’s no Greenpeace, so no one would stop you.”

Camila and I exchanged amused glances, sharing a laugh, while Lucia and Francesca, who were eavesdropping, asked what Greenpeace was, prompting us to simply laugh and dodge the question.

Just as we were chuckling and enjoying ourselves with ease, a peculiar event suddenly began to unfold.

*

As the atmosphere of the banquet hall reached a peak.

Diplomats and officials faced off, military diplomats exchanged information with generals, scholars debated with researchers, and knights and combat magicians exchanged unpleasant glares as they moved aside.

A group of soldiers began to approach.

“Colonel Frederick Nostrim?”

“That’s me. Who are you?”

A man in the uniform of the Imperial Army spoke to me. Judging by his insignia, he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. So, that would be equivalent to a Colonel in Abas.

Short in stature, with a sharp, snake-like countenance, the lieutenant colonel extended his hand for a handshake. He introduced himself as being responsible for international cooperation at the Ministry of Defense.

“I heard that starting tomorrow, you would be attending the military exchange meeting between the Kien Empire and the Kingdom of Abas. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Though this is our first meeting, I’ve come to introduce one of my people to you.”

A person?

At the lieutenant colonel’s gesture, a military officer stepped forward from the group.

“This officer will serve as your interpreter. They have majored in languages and are proficient in Abas. I believe there won’t be any issue communicating between us, whether it’s casual conversation or military terminology.”

“…….”

“Please introduce yourself.”

The officer extended her hand. It was a woman.

“My name is Lyudmila Ivanovna Smirnova. Please, just call me Lyudmila.”

Her accent in Abas was incredibly fluent.

“I am Colonel Frederick Nostrim, assigned to the Abas Embassy.”

I shook her extended hand.

Slowly, as we shook hands, I concluded that long ago, when I was active in the Cult, I had met quite a few Imperial diplomats, and among them, some were even information officers.

And indeed, I had conversed with them in Kien without needing an interpreter.

So what was this girl doing here?