A Dark Fantasy Spy

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As a star seeped through the clouds, a single star plummeted to the earth.

The fallen star streaked across the intensely blue sky. As it reached the ground, something green engulfed everything nearby.

The twisted trees still chirped despite the gunfire.

The deer and small woodland creatures quenched their thirst at the stream.

And even the pure white snow.

The star that fell to the earth devoured everything.

With a viscous, ominous green liquid.

“…Dammit!”

The Imperial Army magician, draped in a blue cloak, shouted urgently.

“Demonkin are invading! Put on your gas masks right now!”

Episode 11 – No Issues at the Northern Front

Humans are creatures of adaptation.

Having spent quite some time dispatched to the north, I had perfectly adapted to the northern environment.

“…Um, are you alright?”

“Ah, I’m fine.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m just perfectly alright. I guess you can’t hear me well due to this scarf.”

Thanks to my three years of experience working in the Empire, I didn’t need much time to adjust.

Although the biting cold and the knee-deep snow were hard to get used to, wearing multiple layers of thick winter clothing made it tolerable against the chilly winds from the frozen ground.

“Senior Lyudmila, could you help me take off my gloves? I’m wearing two pairs, but they’ve frozen and won’t come off.”

“Ah… Sure, just a moment.”

Wearing a thick coat lined with fur and a scarf, two pairs of gloves, and also two pairs of socks.

With a thin layer under my already thick winter clothing, I felt like a golem.

When I passed by the street and caught a glimpse of my reflection in a mirror, I couldn’t tell if I was a person or a yeti.

“Ah, thank you. I feel a bit better now. Nothing happened at the front line overnight, right?”

“I heard there were a few small skirmishes. They said it was near the foothills, but it wasn’t in the area where the Hero and Saint are.”

“Oh, it seems there were airstrikes early this morning. Just a few days ago, the Magic Tower was attacked… Well, I should head to the meeting room now. Should I relay the report sent by the Knights Order like last time?”

“Yes, that would be fine, Colonel.”

The work was doable. My role was to inform the Military Government Headquarters about the activities of the cult and the Magic Tower, specifically regarding Lucia and Francesca, and coordinate schedules.

If Lucia said, “The patients here are stable, so we need to move to the next area, but crossing checkpoints is difficult,” or Francesca said, “Under the supervision of the inspection team, the golems and workers are mixing, causing safety concerns,” then I would rush to the Military Government Headquarters meeting room and demand that they get their act together because the situation on the ground was in shambles.

Of course, I wasn’t actually barging in on the Imperial Army generals.

Generals in a dictatorship usually have the instinct to read the room to survive during purges, so saying something like, “I spoke to the Saint and the Administrator, but it seems things aren’t going well,” would miraculously solve a problem with just a phone call.

“Hey! How do you command the troops when we’re receiving complaints from the Magic Tower? Am I supposed to be scolded by a foreigner in front of the commander here? Huh?!”

“Start up the vehicle. I need to go in person.”

“Senior Lyudmila, what is that person saying on the phone right now?”

“…Um. Well….”

I felt a bit guilty for bossing around the Imperial Army, but anyway, the complaints were resolved well.

There wasn’t anyone in the Empire who was gutsy enough to ignore the calls from my distant seniors in the Military Government Headquarters. If such a person existed, someone would have burst their guts out long ago.

Thus, I was settling into northward life while rubbing shoulders with deeply entangled individuals, and I felt my character subtly twisting along the way.

However, even I, who had adapted to the northern environment, couldn’t easily adjust when it came to basic needs like food and shelter.

Clothes were manageable, but the meals and housing were problematic.

Instead of fluffy white bread from the hotel, they served tough rye bread that barely sufficed, and when I turned on the water to wash my face, it took ages for any to come out.

Moreover, there have been many nights when the heating stopped, and I’ve lost documents due to halted magic supply.

Considering the harsh northern environment, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable, but releasing the accumulated fatigue and stress wasn’t easy.

But what kind of creatures are humans? Creatures of adaptation, aren’t they?

I kept pondering and finally found a solution.

“…….”

“…….”

“Um, may I ask you something?”

“Go ahead, Saint Lucia.”

“I understand food is being provided for the refugees here, but why are you standing around?”

“I’m here to eat too.”

“…….”

A warm meal and a room filled with warmth. Just sitting still felt like being wrapped in a lullaby, and my eyes began to gently close.

Having eaten a delicious meal that could not even be compared to what was provided by the hotel and the Military Government Headquarters, I sat on a makeshift bed smiling as if I owned the world.

“I’m stuffed!”

“…….”

Lucia’s icy glare pierced through me.

Out of nowhere, I showed up to solve my lunch at the refugee meal center, and Lucia was left speechless, looking at me in disbelief.

“This place is quite nice.”

“I just don’t understand why you had that.”

“Well, isn’t there free food distributed at church during lunchtime?”

“That’s food meant for those in need. It’s not something to taste test for free.”

“True, but honestly, there’s nothing quite as tasty as meals provided by religious places. I also take advantage of it a lot.”

“What on earth…”

What is this fool doing?

Lucia was on the verge of just saying something along those lines, but she seemed to hold back, realizing one should not speak carelessly to others.

Receiving Lucia’s increasingly cold gaze, I shrugged my shoulders.

When I was dispatched overseas, I often ate free meals provided by religious places to save money. In India, I had my lunch at a Sikh temple near the office, and while working in the Middle East during Ramadan, I stuffed myself with food while mingling with Muslims.

Looking back now, I really wonder what mindset I had back then. As I quietly recalled the past, I murmured like someone entranced.

“Ah, I’m full….”

“…….”

Perhaps having given up on thinking, Lucia shook her head slightly and approached me.

“You came for treatment today, didn’t you?”

“Well, not only for that, but I do have work here as well… At least, that’s true. Yes.”

“Let’s finish up quickly. Please keep a comfortable posture and stay still.”

Sitting on the makeshift bed, Lucia held my right hand and closed her eyes. Not wanting to disturb her focus on healing, I stopped moving and quietly watched what she was doing.

Every time she murmured an incantation, a halo of light resembling pear blossoms gathered in the space between our clasped hands.

With her eyes closed and hands clasped together while reciting scripture, Lucia was the very epitome of a true believer. Personally, I wish Veronica could learn from Lucia by observing her.

After a while, Lucia’s lips gradually stopped moving. The lights that had gathered like magnets scattered once more, and just as the warmth remained in our clasped hands.

Lucia opened her eyes, raising her blue pupils to meet mine.

“…It’s done.”

I slowly moved my right thumb.

Tilting it to the left and then to the right, bending it all the way before straightening it again as I tried to pick up and lift something.

As Lucia observed the movement of my thumb without letting go of our clasped hands, she breathed a sigh of relief, showing a gentle smile.

“I’m glad. Your condition has noticeably improved.”

“Is that so? I do feel like something’s getting better, but it’s still not something I can particularly sense….”

“Given you had nerve damage, that’s to be expected. It’s a problem that requires a long, gradual rehabilitation. Do you really expect to get better overnight?”

“I suppose that’s true?”

“Of course.”

With a smile so soft it radiated kindness, Lucia moved on to the next step.

Having been in the north for quite some time now, whenever I had the chance, I visited the refugee shelter to help out with Lucia’s work while also receiving treatment.

To be honest, my full attention was on Camila, undertaking combat missions, so if I didn’t make time like this, I would inevitably end up neglecting Lucia and Francesca.

After raising the divine magic to heal, Lucia dipped a clean cloth in holy water to dab my hand.

This wasn’t so much about disinfecting but rather a treatment to ensure the holy water permeated to reduce scars and alleviate injuries.

Having observed it a few times, I noticed it wasn’t particularly complicated, so I had told her I could handle it myself if she handed me the holy water, but she replied,

“How could you expect to bring out the efficacy of the holy water when you can neither use magic nor handle the divine?”

That fact hit me hard, rendering me speechless.

“Don’t fight dishonestly with facts; one should instead contend through manipulation and fabrication.”

“That’s quite strange. Did you perhaps hurt your head while accompanying Miss Camila?”

“…….”

Lucia’s expression as she casually made comments about my mental state was as pure as ever.

Having wrung out the cloth, Lucia skillfully applied the holy water to the nooks of my thumb. My thumb, which had previously been severed and reattached with Veronica’s help, would occasionally tremble whenever Lucia’s touch fell upon it.

The moment when the beastman had bitten my finger suddenly came to mind. Though I knew that girl was already dead, that sensation still lingered somewhere in my mind and flooded back every time Lucia’s fingers brushed over my thumb.

At those times, Lucia would wrap her hand around my thumb, allowing me to calm down before she would wait silently until I did.

For a brief moment, her gently warm hand embraced my thumb. Lucia, who had been waiting in silence, smiled brightly and asked me a question.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Thanks to you, Saint Lucia.”

“I’m glad.”

Lucia quickly finished the treatment. After the holy water completely absorbed, she conjured the divine once more, provided a few precautions, and finally cleared her surroundings before taking a breath.

“That was tiring.”

Lucia plopped down onto a chair and gave a light sigh. As she muttered that it was hot, I opened the window briefly to let in some fresh air.

As the small window opened, the cold wind of December rushed in. The frozen ground. The wind descending from the cursed magic realm instantly dried the sweat clinging to my skin.

“Isn’t it a bit cold? The chilly wind isn’t good for the patients, is it?”

“Should I close it then?”

“No, just leave it open.”

Waving her hands to cool down, Lucia looked outside.

The snow was piled high. The city, whitened overnight, and the distant snow-capped mountains unfolded before us. I could also see smoke rising toward the sky from chimneys and people lined up for rations, enduring the cold for hours to survive today.

Lucia’s eyes grew moist as she watched the city, not far from the northern frontline.

“The situation doesn’t look very good, does it?”

“Still, it’s much better than before. When I first came here, things were much worse.”

Lucia’s face carried a blend of calmness yet determination as she gazed at the refugees. Though I still didn’t quite understand, it seemed she was shouldering something.

Her hand that was reaching for her pocket abruptly halted. Touching her empty pocket, Lucia seemed somewhat disappointed as if she were hunting for treasure.

Recognizing what she was looking for, I took out a cigarette and handed it to her.

“Smoke this.”

“Ah… Thank you, but I heard you decided to quit last time?”

“Just smoke it.”

Gratefully lowering her head, Lucia took out a single cigarette. I grabbed the last stick from a now-light bag and placed it in my mouth.

– Hiss.

The familiar taste of oil and cigarette smell tickled my nose. Nothing like the heavy and bitter impressions depicted on the screen.

Lucia lit the tip of her cigarette and suddenly turned to me with a question.

“By the way, what brings you here today? It seems like you’ve been delayed quite a bit. Shouldn’t you be checking on the other two?”

“Should I leave early so that you can rest easy, Saint Lucia?”

“Not necessarily… Actually, I was thinking of asking for your help now that you’re here.”

“As a civil servant, I would be penalized for taking on unauthorized work, so unfortunately, I don’t believe I can assist.”

“Shall I write a letter to the ambassador?”

“…….”

Ah, come on. What a hassle, bringing this up all the way to the Empire.

At that moment, I spotted clergy pushing a cart loaded with goods down below the road. Those were people who had done medical volunteering with the Magic Tower, meaning employees from the Inquisition…

“Hey! Push it!”

“Let’s go forward, please! Just a bit!”

“I don’t even know if this is right….”

“If you’re unsatisfied, just apostasize.”

“…What if I get caught doing that?”

“Just apostatize first, and repent later….”

The horrible sounds from below made my brow furrow unconsciously. What’s even stranger was that sitting on the cart being pulled by the Inquisition employees was Charnoy.

“The world has risen indeed… right now, Charnoy has achieved a higher plane than any nymph…!”

“…….”

Why on earth did I bring her along? I wondered if I should request a return to the company now.

But Lucia still had the serene smile of a saint, as if nothing were wrong.

“She often makes such jokes.”

“…….”

That doesn’t seem like a mere joke. It feels like she might really apostatize.

Sighing deeply, I glanced at Lucia with a weary expression. It appeared she wasn’t quite sane either.

“Anyway, I came today to see the place. I was worried about how you were doing and wanted to know if you needed anything. If anything happens to you, it wouldn’t just affect a few people.”

“Though I’m not that important, I appreciate your concern. Rather, I worry more about the citizens.”

At that moment, Lucia paused in her speech. She briefly stopped talking, tilting her head slightly.

“By the way, I think I mentioned a few months ago to just call me Lucia. Why do you still refer to me as the Saint?”

“Me?”

“Yes. Honestly, I’d prefer to be called casually….”

“Me?”

“…….”

I pointed at the soldiers lined up below. The heavily armed knights were glaring up at us like hawks eyeing their prey.

Even without explicitly stating anything, their intense gaze conveyed a strong message: ‘I’ll crush you if you try to hit on the Saint.’

However, when Lucia peeked out, the knights turned their faces away, acting as if nothing had happened.

Lucia, tilting her head again, couldn’t hide her confusion as she asked me.

“I’m not sure. They seem like good people, so I don’t understand why you’re worried.”

“…….”

“Anyway, that’s fortunate. I was just about to explain the situation here.”

“You’re going to explain about the shelter?”

“I meant to explain about the city. It’s hard to explain the shelter separately from the city.”

The entire city served as a shelter, meaning there was nothing that could be called a proper facility.

In fact, even without Lucia mentioning it, I had already guessed somewhat. Beggars sprawled across the snowy streets as well as the bridges and underground staircases.

This had once been a beautiful small town with a population of 30,000 up until five years ago, but it had since been filled with armed soldiers, dismembered casualties, and homeless people from who knows where.

The wind from the north blew into the city. The breeze swirling through the ruins sounded eerily like a haunting wail echoing off the dilapidated structures.

Lucia spoke while looking at the mangled city. Her slightly weary voice flowed from her parted lips.

“Although these buildings may seem deserted, if you look inside, there are still many people left. They are those living day by day, occupying the abandoned buildings.”

“Are they refugees? Or the disabled or the elderly?”

“…Just refugees.”

That meant that regardless of whether they were disabled, elderly, men, or women, all were considered the same – simply refugees.

Lucia said every life is precious, but to my ears, it rang as if all the Imperial citizens living in the north were equally doomed.

I gazed at the long line for food rations.

Amid people squabbling over a shortcut, some threw punches and got beaten by the military police. But the refugees pulled in their reduced rations without looking once.

As I observed the refugees on the street, I turned back to Lucia and asked.

“How many people are living here?”

“I haven’t precisely counted, but I heard it’s around 120,000. It could be even more than that.”

“Then how many lived here previously?”

“…….”

Lucia’s eyes closed briefly. Without noticing, the ashes from her cigarette fell.

She looked as if she were contemplating something or gathering her thoughts.

“I’ve heard it was 30,000.”

“30,000?”

“Yes.”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

In just five years, a small town where 30,000 citizens resided now had over 120,000 refugees. It made sense that during wartime, they wouldn’t be able to tally the population accurately, so as Lucia said, this was a rough estimate. It could be a number closer to 100,000 or nearly 200,000.

Lucia continued in a calm tone.

“The population is far too excessive. The facilities of this city cannot handle these many refugees. We must relocate them somewhere.”

“Well, that sounds easier said than done….”

Right now, the cities in the north were already saturated.

The rear cities had mostly escaped significant damage, or even those that had been partially ruined were fixed up by the military and simply couldn’t take any more refugees.

Of course, while there were cities that refugees could migrate to, those places were in such ruin that they didn’t even qualify as cities anymore. A prime example would be a certain city that used to be a hub for black markets. The military had given up on that place, yet crowds still flocked there without military police enforcement.

The northern capitals, where the Military Government Headquarters and the Duke’s fortress were located, also did not have the capacity to take on more refugees.

“The entire north has effectively reached its saturation point. Unless it’s a completely destroyed city, there’s no other place to go.”

“The outskirts? The northern land is vast, isn’t it?”

“Do you think the Military Government Headquarters hasn’t considered that? Monsters from Mount Naroda attack the city on a whim, and sending refugees outside the city would just be handing them over to the monsters.”

The refugees gluing themselves to the city streets, even amidst filth and epidemics, had a reason not to leave. No matter the monsters or demonkin, the slimmest thread of hope relied on the presence of others who could help and sturdy buildings providing shelter from the wind.

At least, stepping into a city protected by armed soldiers would offer a form of psychological reassurance. However, the outside plains were virtually empty. It was devoid of anything.

Thus, telling refugees to leave the city was essentially telling them to head out and die.

Even if an order was handed down by the Military Government Headquarters, the refugees wouldn’t comply, and even if the Duke of the north were to command it, they would resist.

And the north was a place under martial law. It wouldn’t be surprising if rebelling civilians were branded as insurgents and faced a Tiananmen-style crackdown.

When those thoughts crossed my mind, Lucia nodded her stiffened face.

“My thoughts were indeed shortsighted. Still, the refugees must move somewhere. Ideally, I hope they could be evacuated to the central, eastern, western, or southern regions….”

“The north itself disallows movement. They’ve literally sealed it off with barbed wire.”

“Right. Thus, we need to relocate them to the warmest and safest place possible within the north. Even if the Relief Knight Order and Healing Priests do their best now, there’s a limit. We can’t cover all the cities.”

“…Understood. I’ll bring this up with the Military Government Headquarters once I return.”

“Please do.”

Lucia earnestly grasped my hand, pleading for my cooperation.

While it was admirable for a religious figure to step forward like this, the thought that a knight on standby below could soon stomp up and smash my head was concerning enough for me to hastily retract my hand.

“Aah, please don’t touch me.”

“……?”

Lucia’s gaze, which had seemed on the verge of tears moments ago, suddenly changed. It was like she was asking, “What is this guy doing?”

The incredulity in her expression seeped through, prompting me to clear my throat a few times before awkwardly smiling.

“Anyway, I understand what you mentioned. I’ll inform the Commander of the Military Government.”

“Please make sure to do so.”

“Even if the refugees cannot be evacuated, appropriate measures will be taken. So, don’t worry. There’s no issue here.”

I nonchalantly tossed the cigarette butt out of the window.

“Surely, the demonkin wouldn’t push this far, would they?”

*

After my meeting with Lucia, I hopped into a vehicle to head toward Francesca.

Driving north, I went against the tide of refugees headed south.

There were a few people who glanced at me curiously as I made my way north, but they quickly turned away upon seeing the escort armored vehicle following behind me.

I didn’t particularly want to know why they feared the Imperial Army so much.

Anyway, just as I was about to join Francesca in the north, I received an urgent call from Pippin and swiftly steered towards the frontline.

And….

“Damn it! Who told someone to play with fire near the ammunition depot, huh?!”

“Ah! My ear! My ear feels like it’s going to fall off! It’s ringing!”

“I’m the one who can’t take it anymore! How can a blast be heard from kilometers away? Huh? I almost couldn’t even collect any corpses…!”

Camila, caught with grasped ears, was crying and yelling.

Her clothes were scorched in several places, and her thick winter coat had holes burned through it, with stuffing poking out.

Though confused with a homeless-like appearance, surprisingly, Camila wasn’t the victim of an attack by the demonkin or monsters – she had gotten herself into trouble with the fire she lit herself.

“I didn’t know the ammunition depot was there! It’s true! I heard it was just an empty warehouse! I’m innocent!!”

“How does that make sense? Are you saying the senior staff members here in the north could mix that up? Huh?! Why do you think you’re burning a fire so close to the oil depot? Huh? You should at least come up with a plausible excuse….”

“…….”

In the back, the equally ragtag Imperial Army seniors were slyly glancing away, trying to escape, but they didn’t catch on with all the scolding directed at Camila.

After thoroughly scolding Camila for a while, I took some spare clothes I was carrying in the vehicle and draped them over her. Though she had a higher body temperature and was less cold, it was still inappropriate to let her appear like that.

“What kind of chaos is this….”

“Heh heh.”

“You little hothead….”

As she sat on the seat, swinging her legs happily outside, an Imperial officer suddenly dashed over and began explaining the situation.

Today, Camila’s task was to burn down the evergreens of Mount Naroda. Since it was an operation to destroy the entire mountain range, it was crucial to proceed quickly, but because of the fire at the ammunition depot, the operation had to be halted for safety reasons.

Oh, and the translation had been handled by Senior Lyudmila. When did she start following us?

“So, what’s going on?”

As Camila was swinging her legs, she turned to me and asked. I glanced at the dejected backs of the Imperial seniors and replied.

“They’re putting operations on hold. They want to keep an eye on the amount of ammunition you blew up.”

“…….”

“Is that right?”

“Yes?”

“How unfortunate! The division responsible here had to hurriedly withdraw before the depot could be cleared. They’ll have to check the quantities by looking up the records. They’ll also need to bring in wizards to put out the fire….”

Suddenly, Camila’s swinging legs froze in place. Her eyes blinked rapidly. Her mouth hung open as she exclaimed…

“Then it wasn’t my fault!!”

In an instant, her mighty roar startled the Imperial soldiers passing by. And they crouched, astonished, as they witnessed sparks shooting from her mouth.

No, is she some dragon— spitting fire from her mouth or something?

I hastily grabbed Camila’s chin and the top of her head with my hands, forcing her mouth shut.

“You just got burned for playing with fire in the research facility, and you still haven’t learned your lesson. Got it?”

“Mhmph….”

“Anyway, we need to hurry and get a wizard, so hop in for now. Close the door and tuck your legs in.”

Thud. Camila’s head peeked out through the closed window.

“Where are we going?”

As I slipped into the vehicle, I muttered my answer.

“To the Rift.”

It’s time to meet Francesca.