A Dark Fantasy Spy

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A child caught using sorcery was at it again, this time trying to cast a spell in front of a priest.

However, the little rascal claimed he learned sorcery from the cult’s clergy.

“Priest Rebecca, I just want to confirm—your seminary doesn’t teach how to worship idols, right?”

“Of course not.”

The black magic used in the Abas Pridzia Street department store terror incident.

Murders that occurred in the northern part of the Kien Empire.

Clergy from the cult identified as suspects in these murders. To be specific, they are apostates.

In the deep of night, there was intel from Hormoz looking for an Inquisitor wandering in a remote area.

On the surface, these stories seem unrelated, yet there’s a strange connection between them. I hope it’s just my imagination. Given the current state of the world, it feels like something has really gone horribly wrong.

Still,

“…For now, let’s call the Saint.”

If there’s a task to be done, it must be done.

—

Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

—

Meeting Lucia wasn’t too difficult.

“You called for me?”

“Yes, Saint.”

Lucia, who was protecting the child, immediately came to find me after receiving a message from Priest Rebecca.

“How is the child doing?”

“Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any issues.”

The child caught trying to use faith-based sorcery showed no sign of abnormalities.

Physically and mentally, he was completely healthy. Just to be sure, the Inquisitor had examined the child, and they reported back saying everything looked very good.

“He has no injuries, and holy relics didn’t react. It seems he’s fine apart from being a bit startled.”

“Holy relics, you say?”

Lucia carefully opened a pure white cloth to reveal something resembling a necklace. A blessed silver cross.

That was precisely the cross used to identify black magic at the department store terror site.

“I’m so glad. But why do you keep that cross hidden in your clothes?”

“I don’t have anywhere else to keep it.”

“…That’s not what I meant.”

I really couldn’t understand why one would stash such an item in their clothes. Every time she pulled it out, she had to uncover the cloth. It wasn’t just inconvenient; it was startling every time.

Anyway.

I decided to cut the small talk and get to the point.

“Saint Lucia. What are the cult members doing in the north?”

What I wanted to ask her was about the activities of the cult’s clergy. More precisely, their methods and scope of operations.

The child, who claimed to come from a remote village in the north, had clearly used faith-related sorcery and testified that he learned all about it from the monks, the cult’s clerics.

“Referring to the priests?”

“No, including the monks as well.”

“Monks…”

Lucia closed her eyes in thought.

“As far as I know, the priests and monks here operate under the direction of the archbishop.”

“Oh, is that the one I met at the cathedral last time?”

“Yes, Archbishop Theodosius.”

The clergy of the cult active in the north operate under the archbishop’s orders.

The knights, inquisitors, combat priests, and exorcists belong to the Inquisition Bureau, so they follow direct orders from the Bureau. However, regular clergy dispatched for healing or relief efforts are managed and supervised by the local dioceses.

“That person was also a theology professor, and since he has been active in the diocese for a long time, he knows the situation in the north well. I was under his supervision when I first came here.”

Lucia briefly mentioned what the general clergy in the north do.

The lay priests and monks primarily lead masses for refugees and perform relief activities. They usually work in hospitals or shelters, and since the number of patients is so large, most stay in cities where these facilities are densely populated, except for frontline field hospitals.

Ordinary priests and monks mostly operate in the cities. Given the influx of refugees, various incidents happen, and epidemics tend to break out centered around summer and winter.

When it comes to healing people, there’s no comparison; no one can hold a candle to the clergy.

No ordinary hospital doctor can measure up to the heels of a priest. Just look at how Veronica was able to heal my finger in one shot, something the doctors couldn’t even manage. If there had been many priests in this world, the profession of doctor would have been extinguished long ago.

Even potions that are manufactured can’t match the healing of a priest.

Common alchemical potions don’t stand a chance, and even the high-grade potions used by the military just barely compare to a typical priest’s healing. Unless we’re talking about an elixir that appeared like a comet during the War of Independence, saving countless wizards’ lives.

But that elixir is a lost art.

I nodded along as I listened to Lucia’s words.

“Usually, they are active in cities. For now, that should be a sufficient understanding.”

“Then what about field hospitals or remote regions?”

“They go out on a rotation.”

Lucia explained that the clergy staying in the north organize a rotation for outings to field hospitals and remote towns. Sometimes the diocese creates a plan, but considering the local situations, they showcase a little flexibility too.

I took a moment to check the location of the village the child came from.

The name of the village didn’t ring any bells, and it was located quite a distance from the city.

“Hmmm….”

At this point, I wanted to ask Lucia one thing.

“Saint Lucia. Could you find out if any priests or monks have recently been sent from the city to this village?”

“Of course.”

“Oh, one more thing. Is there any chance clergy operate independently?”

“Independently?”

Lucia tilted her head thoughtfully.

“As far as I know, there are no individuals working alone. Even if it’s in the rear, it’s still an area of conflict. It’s safer to move together. Thus, the clergy often work in groups.”

“Are there no exceptions?”

“Well, there are cases where someone might quickly step out alone to run an errand…. But that’s only when moving briefly within the city.”

That meant they never go outside alone and always move in groups.

According to Lucia, there were no solitary priests wandering the remote villages. I asked the passing priests, but none operated that way.

And it seemed the same held true for inquisitors.

“I’ve never heard of any solitary inquisitors in the north,” Priest Rebecca stated. For the sake of safety, she said it made sense that even the powerful inquisitors wouldn’t operate alone, let alone ordinary clergy.

“Hmm…”

No matter how I thought about it, the doubt wouldn’t go away.

Wasn’t there anyone stopping the monk from teaching sorcery to the child? If Lucia and Priest Rebecca were right, the monk would have had to be moving alongside another clergy member. But none of the monk’s companions stopped him from teaching the child.

Then it implies the monk wasn’t moving alone.

Could it be possible he sneaked out of the city to go around spreading sorcery? I didn’t have solid evidence or certainty, but it didn’t seem impossible. For now, I would check if there was a priest visit to the village. I’d already asked Lucia, so a response would come quickly.

I waited for Lucia to return from the city for confirmation.

And indeed, I received an answer from Lucia who returned from the city.

“I just checked, and it seems no priests have been sent to the village where the child came from in the past year. Instead, they periodically sent aid supplies.”

“Are you sure about that, Saint?”

“I asked Archbishop Theodosius directly. I also checked the records.”

The cult officially had not sent any priests to the village where the child lives.

In other words,

“……”

This meant it wasn’t a priest managed by the cult teaching the child sorcery.

—

The cult had obtained information about the inquisitor through the child and gathered a brief profile of the apostate’s appearance.

“Could it be the work of an excommunicated cleric?”

“We can’t be certain. It could have been the act of a cult priest, or as the colonel suggested, an apostate hiding in the north.”

Ideally, this would have been something the Inquisition Bureau could formally investigate, but given the martial law declaration and the child causing no harm with sorcery, the Bureau wouldn’t be officially involved in this incident.

That is to say, they’d unofficially get involved.

“There’s a possibility. We need to investigate all the priests posted here to get a clear answer.”

“That’s going to take a while.”

Priest Rebecca decided to keep all possibilities open and conduct an investigation. Despite tracking the apostate, they also planned to summon other inquisitors for an internal investigation.

Meanwhile, I summoned my subordinates to investigate others.

“Here’s the list of religious groups outside the cult that we obtained from the northern officials.”

Pippin and Jake gathered information about other religious organizations through public institutions in the north.

While the child explained they learned knowledge from the cult’s clergy, there was also a possibility the child mistook a member of another religion for a cult priest, so investigating was more than warranted.

Numbers of believers, numbers of clergy, main areas of activities, and special notes, and more.

Such information, like the distribution of religious populations, could be easily obtained from public institutions, so Pippin and Jake weren’t at risk of arousing suspicion from the intelligence agencies.

“This data was gathered before martial law was declared, so it hasn’t been updated, but there is still a wealth of useful content.”

“What are its useful aspects?”

“Data like the number of religious members per region and the distribution of believers by religion. Also, the addresses of religious facilities… While people have been scattered around due to the flight, I believe this will aid analysis.”

“Then analyze it.”

Pippin organized the collected information and began data analysis.

Once she analyzed it, Jake went out to check the locations of religious facilities, the status of visitors, and the movements of the clergy, and the information Jake collected would be directly handed to Pippin to fortify their data.

Of course, the sheer volume of data made it quite a task for Pippin to analyze alone. However, the amount of information was not an issue at all.

“Hyueeeek…! There’s too much paper…! It’s an absolute environmental disaster…! At this rate, the forests where bees can live will disappear…!”

“Charnoy, have you finished your analysis?”

“Not yet….”

Charnoy wasn’t officially appointed like Pippin, but she was a civilian worker in military intelligence. In military intelligence agencies, it was often the case to assign civilian workers with tasks like information analysis or information security.

Having been transferred from the Inspection Office to the overseas sector, Charnoy didn’t leave her position empty-handed. She proved she didn’t slide on her commentary merely due to a stroke of luck against an inspector. She analyzed a significant amount of intelligence swiftly.

“Pippin, have you got results?”

“Yes.”

After the not-so-short labor, the results provided by Pippin and Charnoy were as follows.

And.

There were no surprises.

“While various religions exist in the north, the influence of religious organizations other than the cult in the area you indicated, Manager, appears to be minimal…”

“……”

“Thus, the likelihood of clergy from other religions operating in that area, aside from the cult’s priests, seems almost non-existent.”

By now, such a result wasn’t particularly surprising.

—

Through Pippin and Charnoy’s hard work, it was revealed that the village where the child lives and the surrounding area had no influence from religions other than the cult.

While many religions co-exist in the Kien Empire, considering the activities conducted by the cult in the north over the past five years and the geographical aspects, this was indeed an expected outcome.

“It’s undeniable that the cult has the greatest power on the continent. The Empire is geographically close to the cult. Most believers of other major religions comprise immigrants or foreigners.”

“That’s true.”

It’s very similar to how Islam or Hinduism doesn’t dominate in Korea.

“Of course, this isn’t a definitive analysis. You should keep that in mind.”

Pippin added a note that due to the challenges of data collection in the north, the results of the analysis might not be accurate, but right now, I could care less about that.

I flipped through the reports from Pippin and Charnoy, letting out a light sigh.

“Ha…”

I had my suspicions, but once again, it was the cult.

Behind the terror, the suspects of the murder incidents, the sorcery that could lead to dangerous accidents—all involved the cult’s clergy.

If made public, these incidents could lead to significant diplomatic disasters.

I sat in my hotel room and fervently pondered, working hard to unravel my mental tangle.

“……”

The crucial thing is, there’s almost no solid evidence.

While the Inquisition Bureau would have to issue an official report on the murder incidents, the issues regarding the terror and sorcery had no direct evidence tying them to the cult apart from the intel from Hormoz and the child’s testimony.

What’s important is precisely that point.

“If we can’t prove that these incidents were caused by the cult, then we should be safe from harm, right?”

“That’s likely.”

Regardless of the cult’s misdeeds, they are still our assets.

The Church vouched for Camila, and it also attested to the relationship between her, Francesca, and me.

Lucia is openly affiliated with the cult. She is both a cleric and a saint.

If anything were to happen that destabilized the cult’s authority, no one could foresee the consequences.

The Empire might intervene diplomatically, wary of the growing closeness between the cult and Abas, or other religions could incite riots out of fear of the cult’s rising influence.

There’s a chance that hardliners within the Magic Tower could clash with the cult as well. There are plenty of concerns. The cult has always been in a position with many enemies.

Ultimately, the more precarious the cult becomes, the more difficult my position becomes. To be precise, Camila would find herself in a precarious situation.

For now, I decided to quietly cover this issue.

“File a report to the company and request that I handle this for the time being. Ask them to leave this matter to me.”

“To the overseas director?”

“Yeah. I’ll talk to Leoni separately. So just document it that way in the action recommendations.”

“Understood.”

Pippin, having gathered the reports, gave a slight bow before leaving the room.

The documents would soon be conveyed to the embassy through a courier. By reporting to the Military Intelligence Agency via the Administration Office, the Imperial Guard would be unlikely to intercept them. I had decided to assign Charnoy that role.

“……”

As I was organizing my gear after sending Pippin off, one of my subordinates knocked on my hotel door.

“Manager. May I come in?”

“Uh, Jake. Come on in.”

It was Jake.

The blonde hair tanned brat opened the door. Jake held out a stack of documents he had been fiddling with.

“Here’s the information about the northern nobility that you asked me to look into last time.”

After my meeting with Hormoz, I instructed Pippin and Jake to investigate individuals who could back the Palm Tree Trade Guild in the north. The document Jake was handing over contained just that information.

“Is that so? Give it here.”

As I checked the documents Jake handed me, he summarized the contents.

“Most of the northern nobility fleed before martial law was declared. They are mostly locals with their properties tied up in the north, so they either face economic ruin or rely on relatives in other regions.”

“Their properties are tied up?”

“Real estate constitutes a significant part of their assets—buildings and land.”

Jake pointed out the asset status of the northern nobility in the documents.

Many nobles had taken out loans using their land or housing as collateral to conduct their businesses.

“Classic money-lending scheme. Why are there so many loans?”

“They’ve lived in the northern region for a long time with stable status, which made it easy for them to acquire loans.”

Collaterals are legal measures to prevent defaults. They are often called mortgages or guarantees.

“But given that martial law hit and land prices plummeted, alongside the lack of buying interest, what do you think happened?”

Jake sighed deeply as he mumbled.

I mean, who would buy land in the north with monsters running amok? No matter how cheap it is. You might not just be facing the risk of having a rotten time, but you might die living there.

It must be frustrating for the nobility too. Their interest keeps piling up, yet there’s no outlet for funds, and if repayments are missed, they’d face collections.

The lives of northern nobility, as per the intelligence records from the Military Intelligence Agency, were packed with actionable experiences that would bring one to tears.

Anyway,

Jake summed up the contents of the reports with a single statement.

“There’s virtually nothing a noble can do up north right now. They simply don’t have the means.”

As expected.

There was no need to look further, so I flipped through the pages filled with collected intelligence and analysis reports, when suddenly, a strange document caught my eye.

“What’s this?”

I showed the document I had paused on to Jake. He leaned in, quickly read through it, and replied casually.

“Oh, that’s a document investigating the Duke of the North.”

“I know that part. But why is this guy included here?”

“Because he’s a noble.”

“A duke?”

I checked the document again and couldn’t help but smirk.

“This guy is royal blood.”

The Duke of the North isn’t just a noble. She’s actually a blood relative of the current Emperor, Nikolai VI.

In other words, the Duke of the North is a royal born with imperial blood. She’s also a legendary archmage known for her deeds during the cult and Magic Tower’s war a century ago.

“The Duke isn’t just some noble. She’s a royal born of the bloodline.”

“I know that. But I thought it’d be wise to add her just in case.”

Jake was reading through the documents that the Military Intelligence Agency collected and analyzed concerning the Duke.

Investigating a foreign royal family can spark significant diplomatic issues, but when has the intelligence agency ever paid attention to such matters? Jake recited the document dryly while I checked my gear and listened to his report.

“The Duke is both royal and an archmage who has been residing in the north since the end of the war with the cult and Magic Tower. She was noted for her activities at the onset of disputes with the demonic forces, with extensive coverage in the imperial media, but her activities decreased after the martial law was declared. Currently, her whereabouts are unconfirmed.”

“You’re saying you don’t know her whereabouts? Is she even alive?”

“It seems she’s alive, but there hasn’t been any coverage of her activities in the media lately. Current Headquarter analysts believe she might be hiding in the stronghold of Novo Nikolayevsk, the administrative capital of the north. However, even that fact remains unconfirmed.”

This sounds similar to the current Emperor.

As Jake added details, he removed a photo from the document. It was a picture of a young woman bearing the distinct features of royalty, and I immediately recognized her.

“Is this the Duke? When was this picture taken?”

“Three years ago, just before martial law was declared. You recognize her?”

“Major in military history, so I saw the faces of archmages pretty often. It’s in the textbooks.”

Having been a military history major and stationed in the Empire for three years, how could I not know her?

The Duke, captured in the picture taken three years ago, looked so youthful and beautiful it was hard to believe she has lived for over a hundred years.

I heard that highly skilled priests or mages halt their aging and extend their lifespans. The Duke probably falls into that category. After all, she is an archmage.

Meanwhile, Jake, with the blonde hair and tanning, began to prattle on while scrutinizing the photo.

“She looks super young. Just look at those eyes. Aren’t they like sapphires? And silver hair, wow, that’s really rare!?”

“Are you saying she’s that good-looking?”

“Yup.”

“Snap out of it, you brat.”

I smacked Jake on the back of his head. What’s so appealing about this old hag, you dolt?

“Teheeee….”

Jake, who got hit, started babbling incoherently. He shot me a confused glance as if saying why was I hitting him.

“Why?”

“Is your standard so high? It must be because there are so many women around you.”

“Speaking of you, isn’t that you are dating Pippin?”

“What! No, we’re not dating!”

“But you’re always sticking to her in the office. You might as well get caught, huh? I really don’t want to hear that from the Tower’s officials. Ugh….”

I was about to raise my fist but sighed deeply instead. This isn’t the kind of time for violence, not anymore. But then again, I can’t use something as large as a firm oak stick like the instructors do.

I let out another deep sigh and went back to checking my gear.

After ensuring everything was operational, I began to pack up my items while giving Jake his orders.

“End your surveillance on the stale-smelling old man. He’s unrelated to the black market.”

“Got it.”

Jake said he’d suspend the investigation per my instruction.

After reviewing all the documents, I handed the papers to Jake, who immediately shred them before burning everything.

Thus, all documents the Military Intelligence Agency had collected regarding the northern nobility and royalty disappeared into flames. Pippin and Charnoy’s reports went up in smoke as well.

“Uh, Manager.”

“What is it now?”

“Are you sure about this?”

Jake abruptly asked a question out of nowhere. I paused the packing and turned to him.

Having shredded the documents, Jake pointed to the gear I was stowing away. His voice bore obvious concern.

“About working with the Inquisition Bureau…”

“Yeah.”

“Could it be that we might struggle against clergy with our gear?”

I packed my gear away, still contemplating.

“If we use company gear in the north, the counter-intelligence officers will start suspecting us. The Imperial Guard might too.”

Intelligence agencies constantly develop and introduce new equipment for smooth and successful operations. This gear I have, for instance, is a perfect example. Even if the counter-intelligence folks searched through our luggage, they wouldn’t be able to find anything hidden in the pre-designated location.

But the drawback of such equipment only becomes apparent after it has been used.

Detecting the equipment from a foreign intelligence agency found in the field and analyzing it is the very thing counter-intelligence agencies do for a living. Information about the equipment itself could leak.

So when intelligence officers conduct covert operations that require concealing their background, they frequently take the minimum equipment they believe necessary. Of course, there are those who carry every piece of gear they can, not caring if they get caught—mostly Americans.

But I am not American.

“Causing chaos up north would be futile,”

“……”

“Also, if it’s not a quasi-military operation, why request support? Am I supposed to wage war up north?”

“Then why are you packing a gun?”

“Just insurance.”

I holstered the pistol in my shoulder holster while issuing orders to Jake.

“Stay with Pippin, and keep an eye out. I’ll head outside, so ensure it’s smooth when I ring you.”

Having secured the pistol and my bag, I left the hotel. I walked straight towards the Cathedral.

So I arrived at the Cathedral of Saint Basil.

In the usually empty cathedral at night, as expected, I found a mint-haired priest sitting in the front row.

I quietly crossed the aisle and took a seat next to her.

“Priest Rebecca.”

“Colonel.”

“Are you ready?”

Without answering, Priest Rebecca lowered her torso. Without straining, she slipped something out from under her and produced a hefty duffel bag.

“This is the item I retrieved from Dvork.”

“Excellent.”

I placed my belongings on top of the duffel bag.

“Let’s set off.”

Leoni is sure to entrust this task to me; hence, I have to fulfill my duty.

“Let’s go see that inquisitor.”