A Dark Fantasy Spy

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Francesca selected reliable mages dispatched from the Magic Tower, and after drafting operation plans, I reported through the embassy’s communications security office.

It was around six hours after my report when I received contact from Leoni.

-‘The review has passed.’

“Thank you, Director Leoni.”

Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

Leoni was appointed as the head of the Overseas Information Operations at the Military Intelligence Agency during its reorganization.

As the name suggests, the Overseas Information Operations Head is responsible for directing all overseas intelligence networks and operations of the Military Intelligence Agency, including the Overseas Operations Division and Special Operations Division, the Technical Information Division’s overseas branch, and the Information Analysis Division.

For reference, Clevenz is the head of the Domestic Security Division, responsible for military counterintelligence, military security, domestic security information, and counterterrorism, which are his areas of expertise.

Thus, the actual authority in the overseas section fell into Leoni’s hands, while the domestic section remained under Clevenz.

-‘For now, your projects have been approved by my authority. The intelligence gathering related to the black magic used in the terror on Prigia Street, and the operation to track down the cult’s apostates have all been passed.’

Although the Chief of Staff and the Military Intelligence Agency Director are above, no one else within the Military Intelligence Agency could command Clevenz and Leoni.

But honestly, that’s not my concern right now.

The important thing is that the projects have been approved.

-‘There’s a unique sharp mind in the mix, so I won’t worry, but still, provoking the North needlessly could put you on the radar of the Military Government Headquarters. What’s your plan now?’

“We should position Ranieri in the front.”

I spoke with Leoni, sitting in the communications security office, using an encrypted transmission that the Imperial Guard HQ and other empire information agencies could not intercept.

“Of course, if things get tangled up, I’ll have to adjust directly or indirectly, but for now, we’re keeping a wait-and-see approach.”

-‘You plan to make him a bullet sponge?’

“I think ‘sacrificial lamb’ would be more fitting.”

Francesca is an invaluable asset in terms of information. From the perspective of the Military Intelligence Agency, it is clear that my life is more important than hers, but that’s something the agency can consider later.

I will do my best to ensure Francesca can operate safely.

If issues arise during the process of raiding the black market and targeting Hormoz, I’ll step in before Francesca gets hurt.

-‘Alright. And?’

“The moment the humanitarian aid law is enacted, ships carrying relief supplies from the homeland to the Kien Empire will set sail. Not all, just a portion. Just a little bit will be taken.”

-‘If the goods run dry, the empire will notice. I’ll prepare the documents here. Instead, make sure to handle it neatly so no gossip comes out during the national audit with the senators. Got it?’

“Yes. I’ll present detailed requests during our mid-report after the project begins.”

Leoni accepted both operations I submitted.

Normally, an intelligence gathering operation for apostates wouldn’t have been approved, but…

“Have you confirmed the list of apostates and missing persons?”

-‘I’m looking at it now.’

Thanks to securing the list of apostates and missing persons managed by the Inquisition, project approval came swiftly.

Rustle. Rustle. I could hear the sound of documents being shuffled beyond the communication network. After focusing on confirming the documents for a while, Leoni muttered under her breath in a low voice.

-‘Murder, looting, unauthorized inquisitions, conversions… there are so many. Most are unfamiliar names. The domestic section will be quite busy now. I feel sorry for Clevenz.’

“Are there any apostates within the country? Honestly, I would think they have fled overseas.”

-‘We’ll have to wait and see.’

“The tracking of apostates will proceed in cooperation with the priests of the Inquisition. Of course, officially nothing will happen.”

Using Francesca for intelligence gathering along with Priest Rebecca for tracking apostates.

None of these tasks will be easy.

But they must be done, so there’s no avoiding it.

-‘Soon, funds necessary for the project will be allocated. Additional instructions will follow as well.’

“Understood.”

-‘I hope you won’t mess things up.’

Ding!

A notification popped up.

After checking the message on my prepaid phone, I extinguished the cigarette I was holding in the ashtray and ended the communication.

“I’ll contact you again later, Director.”

-‘I’ll send my regards to Clevenz.’

*

Lucia didn’t forget our appointment.

She sent Priest Rebecca to investigate the ‘assassin suspect believed to be using the Divine’ who had murdered combat magicians, investigators, and soldiers.

“You’ve arrived.”

“It’s been a long time, Priest Rebecca.”

I met with Priest Rebecca in a quiet spot. The same small stone bridge over the little river where the previous commotion involving sorcery and the Inquisition occurred.

In the place shrouded in deep shadows, we faced each other.

“I’ve heard the circumstances from the Saint. I also heard the director’s words. Did you receive my contact?”

“Yes.”

“Please hand me the prepaid phone.”

Priest Rebecca burned the prepaid phone used for contact right before my eyes. As oil was poured, and a match was tossed, the phone turned to worthless kindling.

I stared blankly at the exterior and circuit board melting under the high heat, then turned my gaze around and finally spoke.

“I’m thinking of catching the cult’s apostate, but we can’t manage it alone. We need your cooperation, Priest.”

“Are you saying this unofficially?”

“Yes, unofficially.”

Priest Rebecca readily accepted my proposal.

Having been co-opted by Petrus, Rebecca is among the intelligence assets managed by the Military Intelligence Agency, just like Francesca or Veronica. While Petrus oversees her, borrowing her for a moment shouldn’t be a problem.

I pulled out the apostate and missing persons list handed to me by Petrus and waved it.

“We don’t have anything to hide, so let me get straight to the point. Someone from this list is causing chaos in the North. If we don’t catch them soon, it’s clear that bigger problems will arise.”

Priest Rebecca asked, “How can I help, Colonel?”

“The forces from the Order of Saint Andrew and the Inquisition have been sent to the North for quite a while. You’ve built an information network there, right?”

Priest Rebecca nodded. Her mint-colored bobbed hair flowed with the movement.

“Can you make contact with that intelligence network?”

“It’s possible.”

“Great. Then please compile the intelligence we’ve gathered so far.”

All of the cult’s forces are monopolized by the Inquisition.

From Inquisition Officers to Combat Priests, Exorcist Priests are all personnel managed and operated by the Inquisition, as the Inquisition controls the forces dispatched to the northern empire.

And the Inquisition boasts a much longer history than either the Imperial Guard HQ or the Royal Intelligence Department. There should be an information network even in the northern regions where conflicts arise. After all, the knights belong to the Inquisition.

Of course, the empire’s information agencies must have noticed this fact long ago. It would be more problematic than ordering a collaboration event menu without the accompanying event goods to dispatch such a considerable force without an information officer.

“The local information network of the Inquisition is under the observation of military police and civil forces under the Military Government Headquarters, including the Imperial Guard HQ, Counterintelligence Command, and the imperial police. Especially in the current situation, even the Inquisition cannot easily operate its information network.”

“I know that. But isn’t that not our concern? At least for Priest Rebecca, myself, and Director Petrus.”

I asked Priest Rebecca to gather the information. I had also made many requests.

Information networks, safe houses, meeting places….

“I need personnel and equipment as well. Specifically, I need the means to identify the apostate and, if needed, to subdue them.”

“That can be recruited immediately. What about the personnel?”

“Please choose the ones who can keep their mouths shut.”

The fact that the Inquisition and the Military Intelligence Agency are collaborating is information that absolutely must not leak out.

Additionally, I didn’t want other Inquisition Officers to catch on if Rebecca or Petrus was acting suspiciously.

I would have liked to request gathering those who are clueless. Still, personnel dispatched overseas are invariably selected from among the most perceptive individuals, so I need to use those who can keep quiet and are easy to silence.

Luckily, this part is Priest Rebecca’s area of expertise.

Having served as the secretary to the Inquisition Director, she has inevitably come to know the unknown employees.

Perhaps she knows the Inquisition Officers even better than their parents do.

Scanning through the list of apostates and missing persons, she pointed out several names with her finger.

“It would be best to exclude apostates from priests, exorcist priests, or healing priests. Likewise, even if they’re suspected of apostasy, those on the missing persons list should exclude Inquisition Officers, Healing Priests, Exorcist Priests, and regular Priests.”

“May I ask why that is, Priest?”

“These individuals do not know how to wield a sword.”

Priest Rebecca began reciting specific information related to the Inquisition.

“What was left on the bodies of the magicians and soldiers was a halberd, Colonel. It’s typical cutting damage from swords like longswords, rapiers, falchions, sabres, and military sabers.”

“And?”

“These people are mostly remote from that.”

According to Priest Rebecca, Inquisition Officers, Healing Priests, Exorcist Priests, and regular Priests have hardly ever wielded a sword, let alone handled one proficiently.

It’s understandable for ordinary Priests and Healing Priests, but hearing that Inquisition Officers and Exorcist Priests fell into the same category was surprising. However, when I listened to her explanation, it all clicked into place.

“Exorcist Priests need to confront spirits and demons, so they have no reason to use swords, right? Unless you sprinkle holy water on the blade, they won’t even touch them.”

“Oh.”

“Inquisition Officers are similar. A hundred years ago, they would have wielded swords, but nowadays, there’s no need to carry a sword around. They’re heavier than guns and require a long training period. Of course, you might find a few who are good at it, but there’s a high chance they won’t be more skilled with a sword than a knight.”

With that, Priest Rebecca significantly reduced the number of suspects.

Instead, she put new names into the suspect pool.

“If we’re looking into priests skilled with swords, the Combat Priests are the most likely suspects.”

“Combat Priests?”

“They are priests trained specifically for battle. They are groomed to protect Inquisition Officers and Exorcist Priests dispatched to dangerous areas.”

“Do Inquisition Officers need bodyguards?”

“They do. We cannot face every threat alone.”

Of course, it doesn’t mean Combat Priests are only responsible for security. Priest Rebecca continued her explanation.

“Combat Priests also assist the Inquisition and Grand Exorcisms. Therefore, they are selected widely from among priests, investigators, and nuns.”

“That’s quite a few people to investigate.”

“But isn’t it much less than before?”

We went through the list, erasing the individuals who were not suspects one by one.

Despite my thorough study of the Inquisition, I didn’t have more information than a current Inquisition Officer, so Priest Rebecca’s cooperation proved to be immensely helpful.

“We’ve crossed out half.”

I separated the now useless list and burned it, as it didn’t matter since the original was sent to the Military Intelligence Agency.

After successfully destroying the evidence, I handed over a few items to Priest Rebecca.

“This is a shortwave radio. It doesn’t have encryption, so absolutely don’t send messages using plain text. Keep this as a backup and use other communication methods whenever possible.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Besides identifying the apostate, I’ve arranged some secondary equipment to use for the operation. If you go to the point marked on this map, there will be Dvok.”

Priest Rebecca discreetly tucked the items I handed her into her clothing, making sure no one was watching.

As she confirmed that there was no one around, she brought up the most important topic.

“How do you plan to safeguard the list?”

The storage method for the list containing apostates and missing persons is the most critical topic we would discuss today.

“As you know, the individuals on that list are all apostate clerics and missing clerics. It is information that the Inquisition carefully manages.”

“I know that.”

Except for a few, all the personal details of Inquisition Officers fall under confidentiality. If their identities are revealed, they’re likely to become targets of groups with uncomfortable ties to the cult, thus their identities are kept classified.

Exorcist Priests, Knights, and Combat Priests are no exceptions. They possess information that is classified within the Inquisition, and in case of emergencies, this information could leak through them, which is why the Inquisition does its utmost to track down any apostates or missing individuals among its employees.

In this regard, the current Inquisition Officer, Priest Rebecca, said,

“Imagine the information in the minds of apostates falling into the hands of demons. That’s not just an issue for the Inquisition.”

I nodded in agreement.

“I concur with Priest Rebecca’s sentiments about the necessity of securely storing the list. In that sense, why not let you hold onto it?”

“I can’t.”

Priest Rebecca shook her head.

“Not just me, but no one among the clergy can possess that list. We are currently under surveillance by the public security authorities. So please take it, Colonel.”

“Do you think my name won’t be on their watchlist?”

We exchanged responsibility on who would keep the list. To be precise, neither of us trusted our ability to securely keep it.

I was in a position where the empire’s information agencies could ransack my room at any moment, while Priest Rebecca had been placed on the suspect list due to the murder incident. It’s an unavoidable fate.

As we struggled over the custodianship of the list, time slipped away, and before long, it was sunset. After confirming the setting sun in the west, Priest Rebecca looked at me and suggested.

“How about leaving it at the embassy? You can request it via communication when you need verification…”

Before she finished speaking, I shook my head.

“Whether it’s interference from broadcasts or the magic released from the rift, the communication state isn’t very good. It would be fine for communications occurring within the North, but it becomes problematic to communicate with the Central.”

“Then storing the list at the embassy would be pointless. If it’s needed at a critical moment, we won’t be able to receive the information.”

“Exactly. Though I can use long-range communication equipment that’s hard to classify as a makeshift solution…”

“But equipment with strong outputs is difficult to handle. It might be fine once or twice, but maintaining signal would raise suspicions from counterintelligence agencies.”

“Right, Priest Rebecca.”

Gathered under the stone bridge, we pooled our thoughts together.

But despite wracking our brains, we couldn’t see any clear solutions on the horizon.

Neither Rebecca nor I could serve as custodians. Pippin, Jake, and Charnoy were in a similar situation, being at risk for counterintelligence inspections.

The Magic Tower? I hadn’t even considered that. By the same token, Francesca, who was based at the Magic Tower, was excluded from the discussion.

There seems to be no one trustworthy.

“Ha…”

Frustrated, just as I was about to light a cigarette, a sudden idea struck me like lightning.

I took a deep drag from my cigarette and exhaled the smoke before starting to speak.

“There is one person who can securely safeguard the list.”

Priest Rebecca tilted her head slightly and asked.

“Who is it?”

*

“…So, right now, we’re investigating to catch the person suspected of committing murder in the North.”

“Yes.”

“There’s a list of suspected individuals, but I can’t find a safe way to keep it since the counterintelligence agencies could raid the room at any moment.”

“Right.”

“Ultimately, the list needs to be kept by someone who won’t have their room or body searched. That’s what I’m saying, right? Did I get that right?”

“And they have to be trustworthy.”

“Oh, yes, that too.”

Camila nodded in agreement. Today, after thoroughly demolishing the coniferous forest and monsters in the North, she looked quite worn out and pointed to herself.

More precisely, she pointed to her chest, but that wasn’t important, so we’ll skip over it.

“Anyhow, that person is me, right?”

I nodded.

“That’s right. I was hoping you’d keep this list safe. Just that, nothing more, nothing less.”

“…You want me to hold something so important? Why?”

“There’s no way the empire folks would search your room or body, Camila.”

Camila tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand.

“The ones who torture and kill dissidents?”

“Those folks are imperial, but you’re a foreigner, aren’t you? You’re a guest of the empire after all!”

“…”

“Is there any homeowner who would rummage through their guest’s luggage? I bet if you took a classified document from the Ministry of Defense and tucked it in your skirt, nobody here would think twice.”

“…I think they’d be suspicious even more.”

Camila muttered in a tone that was utterly incredulous, yet I just shrugged and dismissed it.

Just as I was slapping the rolled-up list into the palm of my hand, Camila asked me a question with an oddly excited, eager voice.

“Fine. I understand what you mean. You want to catch a killer, right? That list is essential to catch the killer.”

“Exactly. Pretty close.”

“It’s like Sherlock Holmes. So, how should I keep it?”

Camila gestured around. In front of us, there were the burnt coniferous forest and, behind us, the imperial army tidying up the scene.

With so many eyes watching, I decided to respond with action instead of words. I indicated a hiding spot with a piece of paper.

The rolled-up list pointed toward the area where Camila’s lower body was situated.

“Just put it inside your skirt.”

“…Wait, what did you say?”

“I said to put the documents inside your skirt. If you walk around holding this list like that, shaking it about, don’t you think all the empire people will be staring?”

At that moment, Camila jumped up in shock. She flared up, saying not to joke around, but I was dead serious, with no hint of a joke.

“I’m not kidding. Just do it quickly, Camila. I’ve once had documents tucked in my pants, so don’t be shy. I’ll turn around, so hurry up and take care of it.”

“….”

In the end, Camila reluctantly stuffed the list into her skirt.

Thus, the list was kept in the safest place in the world, a spot no one would expect.

“Oh, by the way. I learned something when I put papers in my pants back in the day. If you leave it there too long, they’ll get damp and wrinkled, you know? So, you should quickly head back to your lodging and store them safely…”

“Oh, now I really want to burn that paper…”

“I’m sorry! I’ll apologize; just calm down!”

I comforted Camila, who was standing there with a bewildered expression. If I left her alone, it looked like she’d actually burn the list.

-Ding!

The familiar bell sound went off. I pulled out the military intelligence agency-specific phone with encryption features from my pocket. A brick-like model for long-range communications.

With the ringing in my ears, Camila turned her weakly drooping head to look at me.

“What’s going on…?”

“I got a message from a friend.”

What luck for the signal to come through at once. Must be pretty fortunate.

I pressed the call button and brought the phone to my ear. It was a short call but one I had long been waiting for.

Victor’s hearty voice came through the encrypted line.

-‘Are you ready to receive the goods, Freddy?’

In response to the familiar reply, I couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“Of course, Victor.”