A Dark Fantasy Spy

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As the conflict between the Kien Empire and the Magic Realm rolled into its fifth year, an international coalition force was formed.

Of course, this wasn’t a genuine international ‘army’ that was born.

The primary battlefield was in the northern region of the Empire. Since it was a conflict occurring on their own territory, the main force consisted solely of the Kien Empire’s military.

According to the official stance of the Empire’s Ministry of Defense, aside from the specialized forces like the Knights Order of Saint Evaristo or the Magic Battalion of the Magic Tower, any foreign troops dispatched were merely relegated to supportive roles.

In other words.

“So I’m just a pawn, huh? Can’t use magic, can’t heal.”

“And what can someone without any skills do in the north?”

“Do nothing, just bring me popcorn. Camila.”

—

Episode 11 – No Issues on the Northern Front

The troops to be deployed in the northern conflict zone made their way into Petrogard, the capital of the Empire.

“The Knights Order of Saint Evaristo and the Knights Order of Saint John the Almoner have arrived in front of the triumphal arch.”

The cult sent two additional knight orders.

The newly dispatched order entered the square in Petrogard, crossing next to the triumphal arch.

Considering that one knight order had been active with overwhelming power for four years, under the influence of the Imperial Guard (to be precise, under the control of the Imperial Guard HQ), the Knights were like walking weapons, even if in limited numbers.

They were dispatched under the pretense of ensuring strong suppression of the demonkin rampant in the north and relieving the burden on the Knights Order of Saint Andrew, who had been active on the battlefield for four years.

However, according to the testimony of ‘Mr. Be Mo’, who was well-informed about the cult’s affairs, the orders did not come to the Empire for purely noble reasons.

“Camila, did you know that until last year, the cult stubbornly refused to send additional knight orders?”

“Really?”

Originally, the cult had no plans to send additional knights.

Although exterminating demon worshippers—the predecessors of all demonkin—was a mission of utmost importance to the fundamentalists, realistically, it held no gain for them.

Why would the Pope send valuable knights to a conflict occurring in foreign territories?

The reason the cult sent the Knights Order of Saint Andrew to the Empire was partly due to the active involvement of the saint, Veronica, but primarily it was thanks to the immense benefits the Empire promised them. Talk of love and peace, or crusades, were merely justifications.

Thus, for the past few years, the cult had implicitly opposed sending additional knight orders.

When I finished explaining, Camila tilted her head in confusion.

“But why are they being dispatched now?”

“Because the situation has changed recently.”

With the influence that the Kien Empire exerted over the Mauritania Continent diminishing due to the aftermath of the northern conflict, the cult sought to carve out a new path, regardless of religious interests.

The countries in the Mauritania Continent were currently being decimated in real-time.

Just like South Vietnam, which collapsed immediately after the U.S. withdrawal, the countries slowly began to decline as the aid from Kien and Abas ceased, and the cult extended its hand.

I already knew that several governments had abandoned the Empire and sided with the cult.

Kings who had received aid from the Empire for decades betrayed the Emperor. And the situation in Abas was not much different.

Naturally, Kien and Abas retaliated, but the cult dismissed their protests by claiming, “Improving relations with foreign governments is an internal matter, so don’t interfere,” and laid out their cards.

“So, they dispatched these two knight orders to appease dissent?”

“That’s part of it, but the real message is, ‘You deal with your own house before meddling in others’—that’s basically the gist.”

Thanks to this, the expressions of the Imperial government officials attending the welcome ceremony were anything but bright. Similarly, the foreign diplomats were not pleased with the cult’s diplomatic policy regarding Mauritania.

Of course, whether the cult sought religious unity over the Mauritania Continent or engaged in crusades, that was not my concern, so I decided to keep quiet.

Following the cult’s knight orders, a large number of troops arrived in the Empire.

“The Empusa Battalion and the Manticore Battalion of the Magic Tower are here.”

Like the cult, the Magic Tower also dispatched two magic battalions.

Out of the nine Oracle members, three were loyal to the Empire, and considering the humiliation of being overshadowed by religious fanatics, they sent an equal number of troops.

“Empusa and Manticore… what kind of units are they?”

“Elite troops.”

I’d heard of the Empusa Battalion and the Manticore Battalion before. More accurately, I’d seen them referenced extensively in my books during my military history studies at the university.

Magicians view inheriting the legacy of their predecessors as a vital virtue. Avoiding the Inquisition, those who fully inherited magic and knowledge have survived.

Preserving the legacy of the predecessors is a tradition in the magical society. And that encompasses not just knowledge, but also achievements.

“Empusa and Manticore are monsters from this area. They are exceedingly powerful creatures that even regular soldiers can’t easily hunt down. But those guys captured such monsters with only platoon-sized forces.”

The Empusa Battalion and Manticore Battalion were units established in honor of the monsters they had previously vanquished, although the actual act of slaying the monsters occurred nearly a century ago. The two battalions have continually hunted Empusa and Manticore to honor the achievements of past magicians.

Following the forces from the cult and the Magic Tower, foreign units that were dispatched entered the square. All were units sent from authoritarian regimes sympathetic to the Empire, but honestly, I didn’t think they’d be much help.

Watching the forces surrounding the triumphal arch, I nudged Camila, who was spectating next to me.

“See the flag of the Knights Order of Saint John the Almoner over there?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll be meeting those folks quite often from now on, so try to get your face familiarized with them as soon as possible.”

Camila couldn’t hide her bewilderment at my order to familiarize herself.

“Are they special people? There are many other knights….”

“That unit will be following Lucia.”

“Following Lucia’s orders?”

I nodded slightly.

“Lucia, as a saint, will definitely be going around treating people in the north. And the Knights Order will be working alongside Lucia from now on.”

The name alone didn’t sound good. ‘Relief’ Order.

Unlike the combat-specialized Knights Order of Saint Andrew or the Knights Order of Saint Evaristo, the Knights Order of Saint John the Almoner specialized in medical duties.

Their main responsibilities revolve around treating the injured and rescuing the stranded. They fit perfectly with Lucia, who prioritized humanitarian efforts and medical care.

By the way, those were the ones dispatched at Veronica’s request.

As I watched Lucia greet the knights at the front, I clicked my tongue quietly.

“Lucia’s a saint now, yet they still think she’s a child….”

Camila turned to look at me.

“What? What did you just say?”

“Nothing, forget it. Just ignore me.”

—

The square in front of the triumphal arch in Petrogard was filled with a massive crowd. It was so packed there was hardly room to step—made me worry if an accident might happen amidst all this chaos.

Even as a fierce winter wind blew, the heat was palpable, and cheers rang out somewhere between joy and madness.

It looked like all who were expected had finally arrived, with no additional troops coming in now.

According to the agreed order, while Camila, Lucia, and Francesca made their way down to the square, I slipped back to greet some of the attendees.

Each person being deployed to the north mattered significantly, and given the nature of the region, each country’s government sent personal representatives.

First up, from the cult.

“Oh my—who do we have here? It’s Priest Rebecca, isn’t it?”

“It’s been a while. I’m glad to see you again.”

The cult dispatched a retinue centered around Priest Rebecca.

To accompany Lucia, who was embarking on a long journey, the National Affairs Council sent familiar faces—those who had been with Lucia since her first visit to Abas through her time at the Magic Tower.

In short, most of Lucia’s attendants were picked from the Inquisition.

“It’s good to see so many familiar faces. Have the priests been well during this time?”

“Yes, thank you for your concern, Colonel.”

“You must have had quite the journey coming all the way from the south… it’s a shame you have to head north without even unpacking your luggage….”

“This is nothing, compared to true hardships. Do not worry. Hahaha.”

Having experienced the hardships of following Lucia over the past few months, I exchanged pleasantries with the inquisitorial staff.

While mingling and greeting, I noticed something odd. Most of the faces were familiar, but a few unfamiliar ones were mixed in.

“But who are those people…?”

One of the information officers from the Inquisition smiled awkwardly as he kindly explained.

“Oh, those are people who will assist the saint. It’s just that we can’t manage everything delicately on our end….”

“Ah.”

So they were attendants.

No matter how skilled the Inquisition might be, they lacked the capacity to handle every little detail like makeup, so it seemed they had just picked a few people to send along. Upon a closer look, I noticed one of those helping Lucia’s appearance was among the group.

After greeting the attendants, I decided to slip away to avoid any more trouble.

Differing from the cult, the Magic Tower sent fewer personnel than I expected.

Unlike Lucia, who held the status of a saint, Francesca didn’t have the justification to send many personnel since she was considered a civil servant.

That didn’t mean that they sent just anyone.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Colonel. Juan Pablo Martinez at your service.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Martinez. You’ve come from the Magic Tower?”

“I’m the head of the secretariat’s dispatch team.”

The Magic Tower had sent secretariat personnel to accompany Francesca.

Considering that the secretariat functioned as a liaison between the Oracles and the government, these were quite high-ranking individuals.

But why would such distinguished figures accompany a conflict zone? There were plenty of combat troops in the magic battalion.

“Since Lady Rainieri is occupying a critical role, we will be assisting her in the north. We appreciate your guidance in advance, Colonel.”

After introducing himself as the head of the dispatch team, Juan Martinez bowed his head slightly as a form of respect.

Was he a shadow or an aide? It was unclear.

In circumstances like this, maintaining a smile on my face was the safest option, so that’s what I did.

I had pretty much greeted everyone I needed to meet.

With religious fanatics and magic-users gathered in one place, I decided it was best to slip away before any unnecessary problems arose. Besides, I had already gotten all I needed.

As I was sneaking away, I unexpectedly bumped into some familiar faces.

“Oh?”

“Colonel!”

“Manager!”

“Wow, it’s been a while!”

Pippin and Jake.

The two of them finally arrived at the Empire.

—

My history with Pippin and Jake spanned quite a while. I met them when I was drifting through as an unofficial disguise before moving into the Military Intelligence Agency Headquarters; it felt like we had stuck together for almost three years.

“Wait, no. Is it three years now or four?”

“Yeah, it was four by now. Just a few weeks before the year changes.”

“Time does fly.”

Pippin and Jake were in their military uniforms. Though officers typically wore suits, since it was an event related to diplomacy and defense today, they seemed to be donning their formal attire.

I stifled a laugh as I looked at the rank insignia on their shoulders.

“Now that it’s been four years, you two should be getting promoted to captain soon, huh?”

Jake grinned and shook his head.

“How can you rise to captain in this company? You know how tough it is to get promoted.”

“Still, you’re bound to make it to captain. It’s the commission for higher ranks that’s the tough part.”

At the mention of promotions, Pippin shot back, pointing to my rank insignia.

“Didn’t you already become a major, and that’s why you’re saying this?”

“Yeah. If you’re so jealous, then earn it yourself.”

“That’s just mean!”

We laughed together as we sat down in the back area of the venue. Since the Empire’s broadcasting cameras would only capture Camila, Lucia, and Francesca, all I had to do was return to my seat on time; there was no need for me to wait in the square.

I flopped into a chair and looked at Pippin and Jake.

“Hey, you guys look good. So life is treating you well lately?”

“Yeah, it’s definitely nice after coming back from vacation.”

“While some of us are stuck here working hard….”

“Just say you envy us.”

“I envy you.”

Pippin and Jake chuckled and teased me. They even pointed out that I’d gotten some wrinkles while I was at it.

Such little rascals.

I would’ve liked to give them a good whack, but I decided to hold back since it had been so long since I saw them.

“So how have you all been? No trouble while on vacation?”

Pippin and Jake nodded.

As they explained briefly what they had done during their holiday, they seemed relieved and quite cheerful.

“It seems like you really enjoyed yourselves. Any issues at work?”

“Let me tell you, the atmosphere at work is crazier than ever.”

“Why?”

Jake, removing his hat, was fixing his hair as he continued.

“They’re in a frenzy, suddenly reorganizing everything. In the office, there’s drilling noises, and I tripped over some materials while moving files….”

“…Ah.”

According to the government’s directives, all intelligence agencies in Abas had begun restructuring.

The Military Intelligence Agency was also in the process of reorganization just like the other agencies. It seemed that the disarray I had witnessed during my last visit to the headquarters still echoed through their environment.

For employees, it must have felt incredibly daunting. Who wouldn’t feel uneasy when a smoothly running organization suddenly announced a restructuring?

However, every process signals a result, and conversely, every result signals an origin. Thus, those who anticipated the reorganization were not easily swayed.

Of course, I was among those who foresaw it.

“Oh, speaking of which….”

As I thought back, I remembered that it was during a committee meeting I had first heard that news.

At that meeting, the TF was established, and I was assigned to it, but I wondered what had happened to Pippin and Jake.

“Hey, have you heard anything about changes in assignments or transfers?”

“Nope, why would they suddenly change assignments?”

“Aside from my appointment to the Empire?”

“…….”

It seemed they were unaware.

For now, I decided to abstain from mentioning anything related to the committee in front of Pippin and Jake.

I thawed the cold look frozen on my face with my hand and redirected the conversation.

“Earlier this week, I requested some equipment from the headquarters. Did you manage to bring it?”

“Oh, the equipment?”

I had to head north within this week. Of course, I wouldn’t be the only one heading there; Camila, Lucia, and Francesca would all be going to the north too, but my situation required me to be especially cautious.

After all, I was a foreign official.

In the conflict zone, a myriad of military bases and equipment would congregate, and naturally, classified military information from the Empire would flow through. But to send a foreign officer to such crucial areas? If the counterintelligence department found out, it would make a scene.

Fortunately, the Empire’s Ministry of Defense didn’t raise any issues regarding my status.

They simply asked me to be a bit more careful in my actions and cooperated with their controls due to the dangers of the area. They didn’t demand anything beyond that.

Of course, whether those guys would merely control or go so far as to eavesdrop remained a mystery.

I had to prepare just in case.

“Yeah.”

“It’s down underneath. Would you like to go see it?”

“Let’s go.”

I followed Pippin and Jake as we approached the vehicle in the parking lot.

It was a black SUV sent by the Abas Ministry of Defense. At first glance, it looked like a civilian vehicle, but it was actually an off-road SUV made for tough terrains. I often saw the same model used by the military.

Opening the trunk, I checked with my eyes to see the cargo loaded onto the vehicle. All of the requested equipment was properly stowed away.

“Yep, looks good. Thanks for bringing it.”

I checked the watch that Veronica had given me and realized I needed to return to my position soon. Given the distance, I figured I would need to run.

In my haste, as I started to close the trunk—

Thud!

“Eeek…!”

Something in the driver’s seat jolted up and let out a strange sound.

“…….”

“…Who dares to shut the door in such an impolite manner?! Truly a disdainful act towards fairies… oh?”

“…….”

A figure exhibiting signs of just waking up, with disheveled hair sticking out all over.

As I quietly stared at him, I turned my head towards Pippin and Jake and asked.

“Why did you bring that guy along?”