A Dark Fantasy Spy

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Vasiliy Vladimirovich Karachev and his family stepped out of their home.

His wife got in the car after placing their daughter in the back seat, and the advisor loaded a bag into the trunk before taking the wheel.

Ekaterina, the Information Officer of the Imperial Guard HQ, and her team members captured every action with photos as evidence.

“Vasiliy Vladimirovich is currently leaving his residence.”

Ekaterina said into her radio while fastening her seatbelt.

“You all need to get out of the car and head to that guy’s house. Collect anything that can be used as evidence.”

– ‘Has the search warrant been issued?’

A search warrant? There was no time to get one.

Fortunately, the Imperial Guard HQ wasn’t a company strict about illegal evidence collection. What information agency would be, anyway?

As the team monitoring the apartment nearby ascended the stairs toward the advisor’s house, Ekaterina drove to trail behind the advisor.

Meanwhile, the radio continued to buzz with activity.

– ‘The Coordination Team has arrived.’

– ‘Support has come from the Academy Division. We’re nearing the destination—what should we do?’

– ‘Ekaterina, we’re here.’

After introducing herself over the radio network of the Imperial Guard HQ, Ekaterina’s sub-team leader relayed the situation.

“Listen carefully. Three citizens suspected of attempting to defect are on the move after leaving their home. We are pursuing them, so please hold your positions for now.”

As Ekaterina expertly drove her vehicle, she muttered to herself, fixated on the advisor’s car.

“Where on earth are they going?”

An answer soon presented itself.

The advisor unexpectedly parked on the shoulder and hurriedly gathered his family’s belongings from the trunk before entering a building.

Keeping a distance, Ekaterina parked her vehicle and raised binoculars to confirm the building the advisor’s family entered.

The sign in front of the building read:

[Embassy of the Kingdom of Abas]

Episode 10 – Turn Northwest

The advisor and his family entered the Abas Embassy. There was nothing more to see now.

“There’s no doubt about the defection.”

As the team member took photos of the scene where the advisor and his family entered the embassy, Ekaterina stepped out of her car to join the support team from the Imperial Guard HQ.

Counter-intelligence, domestic intelligence, communication intelligence, and more.

Information officers from various fields gathered closely in the alley near the Abas Embassy.

“Ekaterina!”

One officer who recognized Ekaterina waved enthusiastically. Ekaterina nodded in greeting before explaining the situation to her colleagues.

“One advisor capable of detecting military and state secrets just attempted to defect with his family.”

“……”

“Our team confirmed they entered the Abas Embassy, and they are currently conducting a search of the residence. They are now inside the embassy.”

As the sudden news was met with blinking eyes full of confusion, Ekaterina’s colleague threw a question her way.

“What do we do now?”

“We need to wiretap inside the embassy and assign personnel to monitor each exit. Nobody knows when or where they might escape.”

“Ugh… looks like we’re in for another night shift.”

At the mention of a night shift, the officers took out their personal mobile phones and began notifying their families, lovers, and friends that they would be coming home late.

While inspecting their surroundings, Ekaterina quietly conversed with her colleague.

“Is there a safe house nearby? Any place to observe the embassy would do.”

“Hmm? There are plenty of safe houses but none near the Abas Embassy.”

“A safe house? Well, there is one house available.”

One officer chimed in, and both Ekaterina and her colleague turned to look at him.

He was one of the lower-ranked employees at the Imperial Guard HQ, and he pointed to a nearby building while explaining.

“A friend of mine lives there. He’s in graduate school, the place is quite spacious, and you can see the Abas Embassy from it.”

Ekaterina immediately led the way to her friend’s building.

Having just escaped from the lab for the first time in a while, her friend stepped out to greet her after receiving her call.

Ekaterina presented her Imperial Guard HQ identification, introducing her affiliation.

“I’m from the Imperial Guard HQ. This is where you live, right?”

“Uh, yes. It is… but…?”

“I’ll be using it for today. Please contact this number for any damaged furniture or missing items, and we will compensate you.”

The bewildered graduate student glanced back and forth between his friend and Ekaterina as he received the Imperial Guard HQ business card.

Anyway. The employees of the Imperial Guard HQ, having learned there was a safe house, quickly swarmed in to set up their operations in the student’s apartment.

As the graduate student stared in shock at the peculiar equipment filling his room, he muttered to Ekaterina, still dazed.

“Do I just sit quietly in my room…?”

“No. Please leave immediately.”

Ekaterina stuffed a decent amount of cash into the landlord’s hands before urging him out.

His friend, abruptly awakened and thrown out, vented his frustrations to the lower-ranked employee, but Ekaterina coolly ignored him and closed the door.

Just like that, the employees of the Imperial Guard HQ swiftly requisitioned a residence and started converting the apartment into a command center.

“Ugh…!”

A technician hefted heavy equipment to the window.

As he set it up, another technician cracked open the window, slipping out the bug while swiftly drawing the curtains to shield the interior.

They sealed every opening through which someone could inspect the apartment from outside.

With the exception of a few windows, curtains were drawn tightly and secured with tape to prevent any movement.

As the bugs aimed at the Abas Embassy were set up one by one, the technician in charge of surveillance spoke to Ekaterina.

“Most of the equipment is set up, but we just need to test it. However, the number of people inside is making it uncomfortable for the team.”

“What specifically is bothering you?”

“It’s not the people, it’s the equipment. If someone trips over a line or bumps into it, it could be damaged. We need to handle it with care since it’s quite expensive.”

Understanding the anxiety of the situation, Ekaterina decided to eject nonessential personnel.

The technicians operating the bugging devices were essential personnel, so they stayed, but those deemed less critical were sent outside.

The lower-ranked employees now left the apartment and were assigned to monitor the embassy from rooftops or vehicles.

The landlord, squatting in the hallway, cautiously asked his friend not to smoke in the apartment.

Thus, only essential personnel and team leaders remained in the student’s apartment.

Ekaterina approached the window and peered down at the Abas Embassy.

It wasn’t even a minute’s run, but the embassy was eerily quiet.

Pulling her gaze away, Ekaterina closed the curtains and gathered the team leaders.

“If we’ve put out that fire, let’s share our information.”

*

At that moment, inside the Abas Embassy.

Having successfully entered the embassy, the advisor held tightly to his wife and daughter’s hands.

“It’ll be okay. Everything will be alright now.”

“Dear…”

“It’s fine. There won’t be any problems…”

The hand of his wife, who was anxiously calling out to him, trembled. The advisor comforted his wife and daughter, who seemed ready to burst into tears.

After calming his family, he told them to wait there for a moment and went out of the office to find someone.

“Colonel Nostrim.”

“Oh, Mr. Vasiliy Vladimirovich. You made it safely.”

“Yes.”

“Are you injured in any way?”

Frederick, having been speaking with another resident officer, recognized the advisor. He waved the officer away and quietly asked about the advisor’s condition.

“Are you okay? There weren’t any problems on the way here, were there?”

“No, everything was fine.”

“Thank goodness. How about your wife and daughter?”

“They were very tense, but they’re alright. There are no health issues with my daughter.”

“Thank goodness.” Frederick replied with a smile.

He then led the advisor into an empty office in the interior of the embassy. A place surrounded by the main embassy building, where no filming or eavesdropping could happen from outside.

Frederick briefly explained the situation to the advisor.

“First, I want to commend you for all the effort it took to get to the embassy. However, a problem has arisen.”

“Yes? A problem…?”

“It seems the fact of your defection has leaked. The Imperial Guard HQ now has you under surveillance.”

The advisor’s complexion turned pale upon hearing the news that the Imperial Guard HQ was aware of his defection. Sensing he might faint, Frederick guided him to a chair and spoke in a calm voice.

“There’s no need to worry. We have a way to ensure your safe exit from the embassy.”

“A safe way…? What is it…?”

The Defense Attaché addressed the advisor.

“All vehicles registered at the embassy carry diplomatic plates. According to international law, vehicles with diplomatic plates are exempt from inspection by the receiving country. As long as you and your family get into an embassy vehicle, you can move safely.”

While listening, the advisor couldn’t hide his confusion and asked in a trembling voice.

“B-but isn’t the empire aware of embassy vehicles…?”

“Of course, the Empire’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs knows. You need to register with them to get diplomatic plates in the first place.”

“Then the Imperial Guard HQ will follow us…?”

That was indeed true.

When a defector attempts to seek refuge through an embassy, they would typically move using an embassy vehicle. After all, there was no other way to get through inspections while wanted.

The counter-intelligence agency knew this too.

In other words,

“We must view the embassy as being under surveillance. That means not only you and your family but even our diplomats or administrative staff leaving the embassy will be monitored by the empire. Naturally, the vehicles will be the first target. It’s almost the only means for you to defect.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to just scale the wall…?”

Frederick shook his head, smiling. Given that the embassy was under surveillance, climbing the wall would be useless.

If someone were dense enough not to foresee that, they wouldn’t be in the position to be an information officer.

But there was a method.

“I understand you’re very anxious. But please trust us and wait. We’ll safely escort you to the border today.”

“O, today? Is that possible?”

“It’s not impossible. Beasts sneak across borders; why couldn’t we?”

After exchanging a few words with the advisor to reassure him, Frederick sent him back to his family. For now, being with his family would be the best way to calm his nerves.

Frederick soon sought out the resident officer and the chief of military affairs. They were the heads of the Royal Intelligence Department and the Military Intelligence Agency responsible for the Kien Empire.

“It seems he’s more anxious than we expected. I informed him of the plan and reassured him to stay with his family.”

As soon as the advisor and his family entered the embassy, the heads of military affairs were warned to be especially cautious since the entire embassy was now under surveillance by the Imperial Guard HQ.

The intelligence officers who were working from within canceled their appointments and refrained from leaving, while others who had been meeting with information sources returned to the embassy, avoiding surveillance.

At that moment, a communications officer from the Royal Intelligence Department urgently reported.

“Sir, we’re starting to pick up strange signals near the embassy. It seems like they’re attempting to eavesdrop.”

“Where is it coming from?”

“We don’t know. Given the unknown origin of the signals, it seems they’ve introduced some new surveillance equipment.”

“Have the communications teams monitor everything, and shut down the regular line immediately, switching to backups.”

The report didn’t end there.

“Sir! One of the officers returning from being out in the field has spotted suspicious vehicles near the embassy. They were cars we don’t usually see, and there were two sturdy adult men inside, along with handlers equipped with radios outside. We suspect they’re surveilling the embassy.”

“Did you check the vehicle numbers?”

“Not yet. Should we have employees with contacts in the local government or police inquire about this?”

“Don’t do that for now; just keep a record of it. Anything else?”

“Yes, the returning officers were wondering if they could take photos of the vehicle’s occupants…”

“Stop talking nonsense and tell them to come back immediately! We don’t want them getting caught taking pictures.”

“Understood.”

Suspicious communications and vehicles. Handlers equipped with radios. The Imperial Guard HQ had already surrounded the embassy.

It hadn’t even been 30 minutes since they entered, but their response time was astonishingly fast. It was almost as quick as what you would expect from the Chinese or Russian.

The intelligence officers working in the embassy gathered in the communication security room and reported to the heads of the Royal Intelligence and Military Intelligence Agencies, who convened a meeting to devise countermeasures.

Meanwhile, Frederick detained a passing diplomat.

“Oh, diplomat.”

“Yes, Colonel. What can I do for you?”

“By any chance, how many vehicles are currently in the embassy?”

*

The temporary field headquarters of the Imperial Guard HQ.

As technicians collected signals from the Abas Embassy and information officers positioned in the street snapped photos of the visitors’ faces, the leaders of each team huddled together to share information.

“Let’s share what we know.”

Ekaterina gathered the leaders to share the information she had gathered so far.

“Vasiliy Vladimirovich Karachev. He serves as a policy advisor to a council member in the Defense Committee. He has worked in a department planning defense policies for decades in the Ministry of Defense and rose to the advisor position due to that experience.”

Photos and documents were placed on the table.

One corner contained a cheap frozen pizza and soda, presumed to have been consumed by the student renting the apartment overnight.

As another team leader moved to clear away the food, Ekaterina continued her briefing rapidly.

“The wife is a full-time homemaker. Though she has worked in the Ministry of Defense before, she doesn’t possess the authority to gather significant information.”

“They have one child, currently a student at the Imperial Academy. We checked her friends, their parents, and even her professors but found no one of substance.”

“We suspect that while working in the National Assembly, the advisor provided military and state secrets to the Abas intelligence agency. He attempted to flee the country yesterday but failed, and now he has entered the Abas Embassy with his family.”

One of the team leaders, examining the documents, suddenly flicked at a paper with his finger.

“The daughter is a magician?”

The domestic intelligence officer checked the daughter’s background.

“Third-year student in the Magician Department at the Imperial Academy. Enrolled in five courses, including the recently started Advanced Elementary Theory, and completed several flight monitoring evaluations for forest fire prevention in the east.”

He tapped the edge of the files with his finger.

“It looks like she might escape using flight magic; what do you think?”

It was a judgment formed from experience dealing with students from the magic department at the university. But then a counterpoint emerged.

The team leader in charge of counter-intelligence shook his head vigorously.

“If they were going to fly away, they would’ve done it long ago. Why would they go through the hassle of entering the embassy?”

“That’s a good point… They could easily take off from their high apartment.”

“And can a broom carry two adults with luggage? They’re just a student, after all. Even if they discard their baggage, they would need to go back and forth at least once.”

Another investigator proposed a different idea.

“They’ll escape by vehicle.”

“I’m thinking the same. Ekaterina, what about you?”

“I agree as well.”

Ekaterina took out a document from her bag. It was a list of vehicles belonging to the Abas Embassy sent from the Empire’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Imperial Guard HQ.

Ekaterina picked up a pen and pointed at the list, explaining to the team leaders.

“There are a total of 13 vehicles registered to the Abas Embassy. Three are dedicated for the ambassador, counsel, and attachés’ personal use, while the others are for shared use.”

The list contained various details including car models, license plates, colors, and sizes. Ekaterina marked the top three vehicles with her pen.

“The ambassador is a diplomatic professional who has been active in the empire for over a decade. As many are aware, the counsels and attachés are heads of the Royal Intelligence Department and the Military Intelligence Agency.”

“Oh, I know this person! He visited the headquarters last time to negotiate a prisoner exchange.”

“If the defectors are to use a vehicle, they’re likely to get into one meant for the diplomat or attaché.”

As Ekaterina’s colleague quietly listened, he pointed to the list with his finger.

“What about these vehicles?”

“They’re shared vehicles, but more than half have been out of commission ever since the recent expulsion of embassy staff.”

According to the Imperial Guard HQ, the vehicle utilization ratio at the Abas Embassy had dropped below half.

The recent expulsion meant fewer staff members needed vehicles, and many employees lacked licenses or did not need vehicles at all.

Ekaterina took out a photo from her bag and placed it on the table, marking one of the vehicles on the list with her pen.

“In this picture is a sedan with a clear view of its diplomatic license plate belonging to one of the diplomats who contacted the advisor recently.”

“Whose vehicle is it?”

Thud. An Intelligence Department document was placed on the table.

“Colonel Frederick Nostrim. He worked as an attaché for the Church and the Magic Tower, and is currently stationed as the chief attaché in the homeland.”

“And?”

“I suspect he’s an information officer for the Abas Military Intelligence Agency.”

Gasps of astonishment erupted in response to Ekaterina’s confident claim. An intelligence officer sent for support under the director’s orders laughed incredulously.

“Wait, you’re saying this guy is a spy? You’re serious?!”

“Yes.”

“Ekaterina Andreyevna, do you not know who this man is? He’s a fellow hero, recognized by the organization.”

Another information officer presented a counter-argument opposing Ekaterina’s assertion.

“Though he holds the rank of major, I heard he recently received a promotion due to having a vision. He was granted the attaché qualification because of it, but you’re suggesting he’s an intelligence officer? How does he skip the critical training before leaving the country?”

Another team leader looking through documents suddenly spotted an odd line in the foreign attaché records.

“What’s this? This attaché has actually been granted permission to carry firearms? Security detail for key personnel? Did they grant it because of his colleagues?”

Ekaterina nodded.

“I received the same permit when I was operating as an attaché for the Magic Tower.”

“If he has firearms… This could end up becoming quite a mess if something goes wrong. We should’ve at least brought bulletproof vests.”

“We don’t have any bulletproof vests.”

Ekaterina pulled her sidearm from her person and placed it on the table.

“I do have a gun.”

“……”

“It’s not like everyone here is unfamiliar with receiving issued firearms; why are you so surprised? Don’t you take yours when you go out?”

While the team leaders were dumbfounded by the sight of the gun, a technician monitoring the embassy spoke up, removing his headset.

“I just caught something oddly suspicious!”

An officer sitting nearby asked a question.

“What is it?”

“A vehicle is coming out! I just heard it over the embassy door guard radio!”

Quickly seizing the neglected radio, Ekaterina responded.

“Door guard, do you hear? Door guard, report in.”

– ‘…Ah, this is the domestic intelligence team monitoring the main gate. What’s going on?’

“There’s a vehicle heading out from the main gate. Get ready to take photos.”

With her firearm secured, Ekaterina stood and drifted toward the window.

The heavy main gate barrier lifted, and the embassy guards became active.

“Make sure to identify who’s inside the vehicle.”

Ekaterina added.

“If they slip away today, it’s all over.”

*

The gate barrier raised, and a single vehicle slowly emerged from the embassy.

Information officers laying in wait in nearby vehicles quickly raised their binoculars to scan the departing vehicle.

He quietly communicated into his radio.

“Reporting. A vehicle just exited the main gate of the Abas Embassy. It’s an ambassador’s vehicle.”

The car bore both the Kien Empire’s and the Kingdom of Abas’ flags. The faces of the driver and the ambassador visible in the back seat were clear.

Confirming the vehicle’s exit, Ekaterina anxiously inquired.

“Were there any passengers besides the ambassador and driver?”

– ‘No. There was no one else. We confirmed it by taking photos from here and from the rooftop; there were no other occupants aside from those two.’

“…Understood. Keep monitoring.”

Putting down her radio, Ekaterina returned to her group. Photographs and documents taped to one wall showed information; the team leaders scrutinized them, sharing their thoughts.

As Ekaterina approached, one of her colleagues, who was discussing something with another officer, came over to her.

“Anything found?”

“No, nothing yet.”

“Hmm!”

A colleague sitting on the sofa casually posed a question.

“Could they have climbed into the trunk?”

Ekaterina shrugged. She didn’t know either.

“For now, I’ve asked the police to help inspect the vehicle. Without the diplomat’s consent, they can’t search it, but by stalling for a little while, they might be able to see if there’s any movement in the trunk.”

According to international law, diplomats enjoy immunity. The same applies when they are traveling in a vehicle. Without the diplomat’s consent, the police cannot search the vehicle as per international law.

But the unexpected happened.

The police reported back that they had checked the trunk.

“They checked the trunk?!”

– ‘Yes. We thought they’d refuse cooperation, but they agreed surprisingly. However, there was nothing in there.’

Ekaterina calculated the distance between where the police conducted the trunk check and the embassy location.

It was less than a two-minute walk, barely just one block. If anyone had been in the trunk, they wouldn’t have been able to escape unnoticed and might as well have jumped at any moment trying to flee.

More importantly, running out in the middle of a busy four-lane road would be too risky; they could easily be struck by another vehicle.

Even Ekaterina thought it was unlikely anyone would take such a risk.

But that was not where the oddities ended.

– ‘A vehicle is departing. The attaché is driving it directly.’

– ‘The vehicle with the military officer aboard is moving out. They are currently complying with a police inspection.’

The attaché’s and the military officer’s vehicles had left the embassy.

Both had appointments to attend today, so it wasn’t particularly unusual for them to exit. However, the fact that they both complied with police inspection was noteworthy.

“Did you check the trunks as well?”

– ‘Yes.’

“And nothing was found again?”

– ‘Correct, everything was clear.’

The two vehicles originally believed to have been involved in any escape plan left the embassy without incident.

Both the attaché and the military officer cooperated without issue, and even the police carefully searched the interiors and trunks down to the axles, but they found not a single hair.

Ekaterina glanced at her watch. It was now less than 30 minutes until the end of the workday at the embassy.

“How many diplomats have left since the closing hour?”

“Compiling reports from the surveillance teams, while most are still working in the embassy, a few have left early.”

“Any vehicles or handlers that have left in the meantime?”

“No. They all exited on foot, and except for three vehicles, none have departed.”

It was peculiar.

Exactly ten vehicles remained at the embassy. With the imperial officers taking eight of their own company cars out, the math didn’t seem to favor the Imperial Guard HQ.

But the Imperial Guard HQ could request assistance from the police at any time, as the officers sent to inspect were dispatched at the request of the empire.

“How did the request for magician support turn out?”

“The request was denied. The magicians all had ongoing cases today. It’s a resource issue, really.”

Ekaterina swept her gaze over the information hung against one wall.

Today, there was no schedule for the officer, suspected to be an intelligence officer in the Ministry of Defense, to be out in the field.

While today’s schedule for heroes, saints, and alchemists was completely booked, the officer had no scheduled engagements.

Meaning he was likely still inside the embassy, and the advisor and his family, who had recently contacted him, also likely remained inside as well.

Could they be traveling together by car?

Ekaterina gazed out the window at the Abas Embassy.

“……”

Scaling the walls surrounding the embassy seemed impossible. Even an adult man outstretched wouldn’t reach it, let alone have an advisor, wife, and child span that distance together.

Moreover, officers had already been stationed nearby; if anyone attempted to scale the wall, the radio would have alerted them instantly.

But still. Why?

Why were they not yet showing themselves from inside the embassy?

“……”

Ekaterina moved closer to the window, looking out at the Abas Embassy. In the dead of winter, the sky was dark, but the lights of the embassy flickered amidst the shadows.

“Are there any calls reporting vehicles departing?”

“No. The guards’ radio chatter is merely casual banter.”

“Can the embassy’s interior be monitored?”

The technician shook his head. The headset cables swayed as he responded.

“It’s difficult to tap into internal communications or the embassy itself without a cooperating insider.”

“Understood. Please keep working a bit longer.”

The technician tapped the equipment a couple of times before stretching and heading to the kitchen. Just then, an employee returning with food from outside handed the team leaders and technicians servings.

An employee brought over a takeaway container to Ekaterina.

“Um… Team Leader, here’s dinner.”

“Not hungry. I just had bread.”

“Team Leader, you’ve only had bread for a week now. They said you can’t go to the bathroom while on standby during your stakeouts… Please, eat something.”

Though the employee urged Ekaterina to eat dinner, she firmly declined.

In the end, the employee placed the remaining food aside in the kitchen as Ekaterina took a dry piece of bread, eyeing the embassy.

But.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty, and still.

No one emerged from the embassy.

As closing time came.

The defectors remained invisible.