A Dark Fantasy Spy

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“Anyway, the religious text we confiscated today is merely a temporary safeguard. Since the child is safe, it makes sense to return the scripture to the priest as soon as possible.”

“Can’t we just get new supplies?”

“It’s not that simple. The process of creating scriptures for the Inquisition is intricate, and we must report in detail how it was lost. I hate to say it, but I’m worried about how the priest might react.”

“I understand. Saint Lucia.”

“Thank you. Still, it’s a relief that it didn’t escalate into a major incident. It was a lucky coincidence that the situation aligned. Someone could have been hurt due to sorcery. It’s possible that child could have been in danger.”

“…….”

“I’m not sure if it was truly just luck, though.”

—

Episode 12 – The Strongest Magician in History

The incident sparked by the clumsy sorcery attempt of a child and the Inquisition’s overreaction ended as a mere hiccup.

The child’s intention for using sorcery was a simple wish: ‘I hope the blizzard stops,’ and since both the sorcery and the Inquisition’s actions were unsuccessful, this whole affair would be regarded as a fleeting commotion.

“That’s a relief.”

“Indeed.”

It didn’t matter who was at fault, as long as it ended safely. Good is good.

As Lucia sipped her coffee, attempting to lighten the mood, she casually asked, “But what brings you both to this village?”

“The administrator is here on official business. We need to repair the railway passing through the town.”

Francesca was merely passing through for work, while I had been contacted by Francesca to handle the aftermath.

Well, ultimately, this turned out to be a mere hiccup, so I didn’t need to step in.

“You’ve made a pointless trip. I feel sorry for taking up your valuable time.”

At Lucia’s apologetic words, I waved my hand dismissively.

“There’s no need for you to apologize, Saint Lucia. I intended to visit you both soon anyway.”

Francesca tilted her head, surprised.

“You plan to visit the Saint and me?”

“Yes.”

Francesca still seemed astonished but managed to comment, “That’s an unexpected combination…”

For some time, Camila, Lucia, and Francesca always moved in a group. It was a near universal truth that one doesn’t question companions chosen by prophecy.

However, in reality, these three rarely gathered together, for it was nearly impossible to bring the administrator of the Magic Tower Secretariat and a saint of the Cult into the same space – primarily for political reasons.

I nodded gravely, understanding the meaning behind “unexpected combination.”

“You’re a diplomat, so you likely understand better than I do.”

No matter how nicely it’s wrapped, the prophecies ultimately come from the Cult.

Considering the thousands of years of history between the Magic Tower and the Cult, it’s impossible for there to be no internal resistance within the Cult.

Thus, the Cult and the Magic Tower wanted to keep the two individuals separated as much as possible. They were to remain companions in public domains, but to never grow closer than that. At least, Camila was to be the most neutral party involved during private matters such as breaks or vacations.

This represented an unspoken agreement reached after Lucia declared her visit to the Magic Tower.

Around them, nations like Abas and Kien respected the opinions of the Cult and the Magic Tower.

After all, when the Cult and the Magic Tower convened, discord was sure to follow, and Lucia and Francesca each valued their respective figures of importance; after all, what is decided by the gods is beyond mortal control.

Ultimately, the concerns and silent agreements of the Cult and the Magic Tower were easily understandable by surrounding countries.

Thus, they were respected.

At least, that has been the case up to now.

“But haven’t circumstances changed?”

Situations are fluid.

There’s no flower that blooms for more than ten days, and even the biggest rocks can be carved by small streams.

Thus, if situations have changed…

Responses must also evolve.

“I have something to report regarding the murder case.”

—

A brown envelope was thrown onto the wooden desk.

“This document was sent from the Imperial Ministry of Magic. It’s still warm, the ink hasn’t fully dried yet.”

This was an autopsy report delivered by the Kien Empire’s Ministry of Magic to the Abas Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I opened the envelope and placed the documents onto the desk, one by one.

“It’s a report that precisely analyzed the remains of the Ministry investigators who were dispatched for transport operations before being murdered over several weeks. The contents indicate that the deceased investigators were all attacked by a blade.”

The evidence described in the report brutally depicted the horrors of that event.

Long gashes along the abdomen, depressions in the flesh, numerous stitched wounds, etc.

Having captured the brutal manner of their deaths in vivid photographs, it was not an easy content to process for those who had to witness it.

“…It’s horrific.”

Lucia quietly made the sign of the cross and shuddered at the brutal scene.

“The Ministry believes they were all assaulted by a sharp object. They speculate that a sword longer than 30 cm was used as the murder weapon. A heavy one at that.”

“Do they have a suspect?”

“So far, the suspect appears to be a skilled swordsman. Likely the same individual who killed the combat magicians discovered in the rift.”

After a sip of coffee, Francesca briefly immersed herself in thought, her elegant brows knitting together.

“Is this the work of the same perpetrator?”

“I’m not an investigator, so I can’t say for certain, but it seems that the Imperial investigation agency considers it highly probable that they are the same.”

“Well, it’s uncommon among adventurers to find a skilled assassin who can kill several combat magicians with one blow.”

I flipped through the papers with my fingers, flicking them about.

“The Imperial Ministry of Magic conducted a thorough investigation using specialized equipment and found traces of divinity on the wounds left on the bodies.”

This means…

“The suspect in this murder case is likely a swordsman who utilizes divine powers.”

“…….”

“Interestingly, this aligns with the characteristics of prior murder suspects.”

Lucia bowed her head silently, drawing the sign of the cross once more. Though she bore no guilt herself, it appeared she felt a sense of responsibility for the fact that one of the Cult’s priests had committed murder.

It would be unfair to find this reasonable, yet Lucia kept her voice steady. She didn’t dismiss the investigation results or refute them by claiming that couldn’t possibly be true.

“…….”

She simply remained silent, bowing her head without saying a word.

Ironically, the individual who questioned the examination results was Francesca, the magician.

“Can we trust the results from the Ministry of Magic, Colonel?”

“This is a well-known group in this field.”

The Imperial investigative agency possesses significant capabilities in autopsy and crime scene analysis.

To be more specific, they excel at conducting autopsies on those who met an untimely demise for various reasons, leaving aside those with questionable circumstances.

“The moment the investigators lost contact, the Empire dispatched personnel with incredible haste. Because of that, they preserved the scene much better than the corpses of the combat magicians, which had been left unattended for over a day.”

The Imperial Ministry of Magic had placed preservation magic on the bodies of both the investigators and soldiers and swiftly transported them to the capital. They then summoned prominent forensic experts and magicians who frequently collaborated with the investigation agency for the autopsy.

Hence, the autopsy results themselves leave no room for doubt.

“If, as Sir Martinez mentioned, the corpses were carried back to the Magic Tower for the autopsy, we might have seen different results….”

Francesca seemed momentarily disappointed, pursing her lips.

Come to think of it, it was Francesca who insisted on moving the remains of the corpse spiders and giant spiders that ambushed the rift to the Magic Tower for a thorough analysis. The individual she just mentioned, Juan Pablo Martinez, was the one behind that.

Both Francesca and Martinez seemed to believe themselves superior to the Imperial Ministry of Magic, but unfortunately, that was not the case this time.

“This autopsy, just like the last one, involved the Inquisition officers. They were the first to detect the divine responses and then confirmed them through additional use of machinery.”

The Inquisition officially confirmed that traces of divinity were found on the bodies of the Imperial Ministry of Magic’s investigators. Although it was a matter too dubious for media dissemination, everyone in the Empire and the Cult was aware of it.

For reference, I was informed of this detail by Director Petrus before the report even arrived.

“Of course, this is just a possibility. While the likelihood of a divine-wielding swordsman being the primary suspect is high, we can’t confirm if the divinity is from a priest of the Cult or another religious order at this point. The divine residue is too minuscule.”

Lucia, who had been listening quietly, emitted a low voice of inquiry.

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, Saint.”

No.

The divine energy of the murder suspect was identified to closely match that of a priest from the Cult.

Therefore, Director Petrus visited the Kien Empire in a covert special envoy capacity to rectify this matter. The Inquisition aims to clarify their stance that they are not connected to this murder case.

Yet, this is a fact not included within the report, and disclosing the story I heard from Petrus in front of Lucia and Francesca might lead to complications. At least for Francesca, an intelligence agent, that could be acceptable. But I cannot mention it to Lucia.

It’s a deceit against an innocent, but what can I do? This is my job.

Thus, I crafted a suitably embellished narrative for Lucia’s sake. A well-intentioned white lie.

“So, for now, the Imperial investigation agency believes additional investigation is necessary. As for the stances of the Cult and the Magic Tower… well, you will learn soon enough, so I’ll leave that out. Saint Lucia?”

“…Yes.”

“I need your assistance.”

Lucia, who had been sitting guilt-ridden, lifted her head. I gently sought her help, keeping my gaze locked onto her blue eyes.

“Currently, the most knowledgeable individuals on divine matters in the North are clergy. While it is possible to find magicians well-versed in the topic, their knowledge is likely not as extensive as that possessed by those who have devoted themselves to religion.”

“That seems likely.”

“In order to thoroughly investigate this incident and ascertain the truth, we will need the help of a clergyman. Additionally, we need to ensure a certain level of force should it be necessary. And most crucially, they must be discreet.”

Thus,

“Please send Priest Rebecca.”

Lucia’s eyes widened slightly. It seemed she had not imagined that name would come up here.

“Are you referring to Priest Rebecca?”

“Yes.”

Though Rebecca currently assists Lucia, her original position was that of an Inquisition officer.

Being Petrus’ secretary, she must have been outstanding based on both her abilities and surrounding evaluation. Naturally, she would be discreet.

The secretary of the head of the Information Agency bears the deepest confidentiality obligation more than any other employee.

I presumed Lucia would know that Rebecca is affiliated with the Inquisition as well.

But Lucia’s response was a bit surprising.

“Why her?”

Lucia looked at me with a thoroughly perplexed expression.

The moment I saw those questioning blue eyes, I instinctively realized Lucia was utterly clueless. So once again, I resorted to concocting some plausible justification to smooth over the situation.

“She is the clergyman I have known the longest besides you, Saint Lucia. In truth… I barely have any acquaintances among the clergy.”

“But you just mentioned that there may be a dangerous situation arising? Priest Rebecca….”

“Oh, that was just a casual remark. How much investigation can I conduct without formal authority? The mention of potential force was merely precautionary. So please, rest assured.”

I tried to reassure Lucia, who was showing a look of concern. I couldn’t accurately determine why she felt that way, but it seemed she was worried for Rebecca’s safety.

With worry evident in her tone, Lucia spoke again.

“While I’m concerned for the priest, I’m… also worried about your safety, Colonel. You keep getting caught in these incidents and returning hurt….”

“This time, I believe it will be fine. So please, do not worry.”

As I calmed down Lucia, who worried for me like one would a child placed beside a river, I shifted topics slightly to lighten the atmosphere.

“Ah, speaking of which, Saint, we received news from the Cult.”

“What news?”

“The court has decided to bequeath all the estates of Cardinal Raul, who was registered as your ward since your priesthood, to you. We will need to discuss the specifics later with the Cult officials, but since the Cult sent a notification, I relay it for you. Communications from the North have been sluggish….”

“Ah….”

Lucia blinked, evidently caught off-guard.

Having engaged in a heavy topic for a long time, I sensed her underlying discomfort even if she did not show it.

Lucia, who had been sitting absentmindedly, eventually snapped to attention, bowing slightly in her seated position to express her gratitude.

“Thank you. I appreciate you relaying this despite the inconvenience….”

“It’s nothing. It was no trouble for me.”

“Really, thank you. I’ll make sure to invite you all to the estate sometime.”

“If you need help cleaning it, feel free to call me. It’s been a while since I last cleaned, and I’d like to see the Cult again.”

“If that’s what you wish, perhaps we should.”

Throughout our conversation, Lucia, who had worn a gloomy expression, allowed a soft smile to grace her lips. It was a smile I hadn’t seen in ages.

—

To lighten the mood, we incorporated some casual chatter and jokes into our dialogue. As Lucia, who had been at a loss in the heavy atmosphere, managed at least to smile as she stepped out of the room.

While Lucia led the priests to take care of the remaining refugees and headed to the city, I stayed behind to converse with Francesca.

I collected the documents sent from the Imperial Ministry of Magic and handed the envelope to Francesca.

“Can we burn this?”

Francesca shook her head.

“I can’t use elemental magic. More specifically, I can’t handle flames.”

“Oh, is that so?”

I pulled out a lighter and set the envelope ablaze. Watching the paper twist and char, I took out a cigarette and lit it.

“Ah….”

I exhaled a cloud of smoke as I perched on the desk. The envelope fell into the metal trash can, soon becoming a small fire.

Alone in the office with the information agent, it was time to get to the meat of our conversation.

As the stale smoke swirled into the air, I addressed Francesca.

“The one who killed the combat magician, the Ministry investigator, and the escorts was indeed a priest of the Cult.”

“Who did the killing, then?”

“They say it was a heretic.”

Heretic.

A term for someone who shifts from their adhering religion to another or ceases to believe in any god.

In most religions, the act of heresy is treated as a grave sin. It is a defiance and rejection of faith.

Whether in human society or here, heretics are subject to contempt within their religion. Excommunication is basic; in some cases, it may even lead to execution.

Director Petrus of the Inquisition identified a heretic as the puppet master behind this incident.

Upon hearing this, Francesca, an executive of the Magic Tower Secretariat, wore a scornful smile.

“A heretic? Well, if we put it that way, couldn’t an Oracle just have anyone killed by placing some faith behind it and then get away with the exile?”

“The Inquisition verified it directly.”

“…….”

The moment I said the Inquisition had verified this information, Francesca’s gaze changed.

Now visibly subdued, she asked with a voice that was unusually grave.

“…Is that true?”

I answered immediately.

“Why would I have a reason to lie to you?”

“…….”

“It’s unnecessary. Regardless of what I say, you’ll have to follow my orders anyway.”

Francesca’s eyes were fixed on me.

It was winter, and the sun set earlier, so the office remained somewhat dark. Sitting there in her formal attire, Francesca stared at me silently, without a twitch.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s merely about the truth of the matter.”

There’s a clear hierarchy between the information agent and the information officer.

Essentially, I’m Francesca’s superior, and she is my subordinate. To be exact, it’s a scenario akin to a principal contractor and subcontractor relationship.

Using the methodology I once frequently employed, I could easily find some suitable leverage to ensure Francesca complied with my directives. Then, controlling her would be easy, and she wouldn’t dare engage in troublesome actions like questioning me.

But this isn’t the right approach in this current situation.

I laughed, shrugging nonchalantly, as if it were only a jest.

“Don’t worry. I won’t make you do anything impossible. And it’s indeed a fact that the Inquisition confirmed it.”

“…Don’t distrust me?”

“As much as possible.”

Information from the Inquisition is relayed to me through Petrus. He’s an Information Officer from the Military Intelligence Agency who successfully infiltrated the Cult and rose to the position of Inquisition Director.

In terms of espionage, he’s akin to Eli Cohen, a historical spy in his own right.

Yet considering that Cohen was caught by counterintelligence while infiltrating Syria and executed, having Francesca question the validity of the information I provided is not a positive development at all.

Those who question the truth usually try to uncover it, leading them to investigate the source.

What if Francesca, in her pursuit of the source, were to end up under the scrutiny of a different intelligence agency?

Then all hell would break loose. The worst-case scenario could be an unprecedented event where the actual Inquisition director is executed by an Inquisition officer.

“Francesca.”

I sat casually, glancing down at her.

Francesca possesses a tall stature and a well-proportioned body. She has a decent sense of fashion, always wearing fitting outfits.

I never realized it before, but now it felt like Francesca was much smaller than I’d thought. Whether it looked that way or if it was simply something I was identifying now, I couldn’t tell.

In any case,

“I have no interest in your intentions or what you want from me. To rephrase, I don’t care. Do you know why that is?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“Because I know it won’t harm me.”

The reason an Information Officer complies with the requests of an information agent is twofold.

One reason is to maintain a good relationship with the information agent, and the other is knowing that the demands posed are not threatening.

“It doesn’t matter to me whether you curse the National Security Agency, seek revenge against the Tower, or aim to buoy your family – if I gain, it’s all good. I won’t turn a profit from any effort I undertake.”

“…….”

“Now, if you’re going to keep suspecting me like this, it could complicate things. There’s no benefit in us harboring distrust, right?”

“…….”

I brushed my fingers against my eyes as if to wipe away a speck.

“There’s a Patalian proverb that goes like this.”

The fluent Patalian language echoed within the dim office.

“A person must wear the shoes that fit their feet.”

“…….”

“Do you understand what I mean?”

Francesca nodded.

“Answer.”

“I understand.”

“Good.”

Phew, I exhaled some of the smoke I hadn’t ingested. I figured she would understand this much.

I switched from Patalian to Abas to continue speaking.

“Regardless, the investigation will proceed with a focus on heretics. In the meantime, we should intercept the banquet set by the dark elves.”

I reviewed the plans I had developed with Francesca over the past few weeks. Truthfully, it was mostly about verifying everything I stated was accurate and correcting errors.

“Once my friend brings supplies from the harbor, I’ll send someone to transport it North. You already found a distribution route in the North, right?”

“I found it long ago.”

“Good. Then let’s explain the Northern black market. The largest organization is the Palm Tree Trade Guild run by Hormoz. The local black market is managed through competitive interactions between various minor organizations…”

The briefing needed to be as brief and concise as possible.

The individual physically leading the foray into the black market would be Francesca and not me, making it imperative for me to offer her an explanation before she’d reiterate it back to me.

Why was it so that Francesca took the lead rather than me?

That’s only logical since I am an Information Officer. It would be ludicrous for the primary contractor to handle the tasks assigned to a subcontractor. Furthermore, I had my own duties to attend to.

“What if the Cult catches wind of our plans?”

“I’ll keep them occupied, so don’t worry about that.”

“And the Military government?”

“The military headquarters is too wrapped up with the March offensive preparations and maintaining order in the North to spare any attention to you. After the rift was attacked and the murder incident occurred, they are hardly focused. Just ignore them. I have a plan.”

While the Cult had no stakes in the black market, the Empire’s army was an entirely different story. Particularly, the Military Headquarters is the primary obstacle in developing the black market.

Numbers, weapons, manpower, funding, and information; for now, the Military Headquarters is significantly more positioned than I am. They oversee public security in the Northern region, so they could likely dismiss even all the agents of the Military Intelligence Agency.

Thus, it was only right that I oversee this and not Francesca.

“Administrator, please focus on the black market as much as possible.”

“And?”

“A competitor is bound to appear. There will definitely be some people asserting territory. If you spot any, report them immediately. Ensure you gather intel on the railways and road networks in the North while maintaining focus on the black market.”

With the necessity to concentrate on dealing with dark elves, Francesca would not have the luxury of diverting her attention elsewhere. The only information she could feasibly obtain would be through her ongoing duty in restoring transport networks.

As I continued my explanations, I added a joking remark when I sensed Francesca’s mood grew somewhat austere, hoping to provide some levity.

“And don’t forget the love play.”

“What will you do if you ruin my chances for marriage?”

“Should we perhaps draft an agreement? Automatic renewals every two weeks, with a penalty for termination without consultation?”

“Would that even alter my reputation? It’s not like this is insurance or anything….”

“If you don’t want to do it, that’s fine.”

“You’ve turned into a bad person, Colonel.”

With a much lighter demeanor, Francesca leaned back in her chair and muttered, “…Ah, maybe I’ll just use my wish card.”

“Wish card?”

“You remember the debt you incurred with me, don’t you?”

“Ah…now that you mention it, I do recall that.”

“Could I swap it out to end this love charade?”

With an amused smile directed at Francesca, who was whining about wanting to end our phony relationship, I replied cheerfully.

“Absolutely not.”