A Dark Fantasy Spy

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“You’re going to drown someone? What do you mean by that? Are you assassinating someone from the domestic department?”

-‘Ah, no, that’s not it. This is an overseas department issue.’

“What do you mean by overseas department…?”

-‘Leonis has been in charge of this for a while now. I can’t tell you the entire story due to certain circumstances, but do you remember what I told you before going to the Northern Regions?’

“You said not to get involved in unnecessary incidents.”

-‘Right. You remember. This is related to that. The situation has changed a bit, and it’s unfortunate I can’t provide you with specifics, but don’t worry. You’ll find out soon enough. For now, just know you need to let a few people into the North. From now on, keep your eyes wide open. Observe what’s happening in the North and who is acting suspiciously.’

“…….”

-‘Do you understand what I’m saying?’

—

Episode 12 – The Strongest Magician in History

—

As always, the weather in the North was gloomy.

The sky was filled with thick dark clouds, casting the world in shadows without a single ray of sunlight.

At least the gentle fall of white snow would alleviate the desolate atmosphere, but with the snow pouring down heavily enough to collapse military tents, my already heavy mood felt like it was sinking down into the basement.

“Ha….”

A sigh emerged from behind me. I was peering out the window while holding a coffee cup and a binder, so I turned around.

The owner of the sigh was Camila.

“What’s wrong?”

“I saw on my way here that there was an accident in the refugee camp.”

Camila brushed off the snow from her shoes and shoulders as she spoke.

“Several makeshift tents have collapsed. There are no fatalities but it seems there are refugees who need to relocate.”

In the North, refugees are divided into three categories based on their living arrangements.
Those who stay in their own homes or with relatives. Those who stay in shelters built by the Empire over decades. And finally, those who stay in tents.

The ones Camila mentioned belong to the last category.

The Kien Empire fortified the North to combat the magical realms and established various shelters, but even the shelters alone couldn’t cope with the increased population due to longer life expectancy, advancements in the medical system, and policies encouraging migration to the North.

So, shortly after the martial law was declared, the Military Government Headquarters created makeshift shelters in parks, subway stations, and open spaces to accommodate refugees.

Of course, they might be called shelters, but they are essentially refugee camps, which are even worse than the refugee facilities found in conflict zones on the outskirts of Europe.

Hearing Camila’s story, I got a rough picture in my head. It seemed that the heavy snowfall overnight had caused the tents in the refugee camp to collapse. It was a given.

I put down the document I was reading and handed a hot chocolate to Camila, complaints included.

“Be careful and don’t go down that road, Camila. What will you do if the refugees come at you with knives?”

Camila let out a snicker, mimicking pulling a trigger with her right index finger.

“But there are armed soldiers right next to me!”

“Oh, then it’s fine.”

Since four Inquisition Officers were killed, the Military Government Headquarters assigned escort personnel to Camila and her group.

Certainly, in areas with secured safety like hotels or Military Government buildings, it wasn’t a concern, but whether going to the front lines or even nearby parks, heavily armed soldiers and combat magicians now accompany them.

Honestly, what’s the point of magic against someone who can chew bullets and withstand attacks from the Inquisition Officers…?

Still, it’s definitely safer than wandering around alone.

“Oh, right. I brought the list.”

Camila pulled out a document. The list of apostates and missing persons managed by the Inquisition.

After presenting the list, Camila took a sip of hot chocolate.

“I checked the apostate list thoroughly, but I didn’t find anyone resembling the person you mentioned.”

When I brought her back to the rear, I hadn’t explained what was going on in the North.

I thought it might unwittingly cause her worry, and I was concerned she might get involved in this too, so I simply framed it as an extension of a terrorist incident investigation, just like when I initially handed over the list.

Fortunately, Camila didn’t pry or ask questions. She took another sip of hot chocolate and then suddenly spoke up.

“Um….”

“What is it?”

“The person you’re looking for… they’re dangerous, right?”

Without taking my eyes off the document, I answered.

“Yes.”

“Is it going to be okay?”

Camila said.

“Everyone is tight-lipped, but the atmosphere suddenly feels uneasy, and seeing the Empire’s Ministry of Defense assign escorts seems like something bad is happening. Given the circumstances, it feels connected to the person you’re seeking….”

“…….”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

I paused, standing still while flipping through the papers for some time.

Silently staring at the pages, I took a small breath and made eye contact with Camila.

“You don’t need to worry. It’s not that serious.”

“Really? It’s nothing, right?”

“Of course.”

I smiled warmly.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong.”

—

After the Duke’s letter was delivered, the Cult and the Empire began to move closely together, but a sudden solution to solve the case did not appear overnight.

The Cult and the Empire decided to pool all their resources to quickly resolve the situation in the North.

The joint investigation team formed by the Inquisition and the Empire’s Ministry of Magic will handle various tasks such as tracking monks, exterminating the undead, and searching for missing villagers.

Naturally, the investigation regarding suspects linked to the murders of the Empire Army Combat Magicians, the Empire’s Ministry of Magic Investigators, and the Imperial Army escort unit will be conducted separately. Since a member of the Cult was identified as a suspect in the murders, that case was decided to be investigated independently by the Empire’s Ministry of Magic, apart from the joint investigation with the Inquisition.

In any case, the Cult and the Empire agreed to put all their efforts into catching the investigative fiend, and as a result, the Inquisition Information Officers and several officials from the Empire’s Ministry of Magic visited the Cathedral of Saint Basil in the North to meet with the victim who held the key to solving the case.

“Oh my.”

I bowed my head to the victim lying in bed.

“How are you feeling, Priest Rebecca?”

“Oh, it’s you, Colonel.”

Priest Rebecca responded with a nod. She lay in bed, tightly bound in bandages.

“I heard that people from the Inquisition and the Ministry of Magic were coming and decided to take a look. I was planning to visit a few days ago, but the healing priests stopped me. It seems that visitors from the outside are allowed now, so here I am.”

“I hear that your condition hasn’t been good for a while, so it seems they couldn’t let outsiders in.”

“How are you now?”

“I’m feeling much better.”

I have never seen anyone who says they feel okay really be okay. Sure enough, Priest Rebecca looked surprisingly frail.

Even though she was just sitting on the bed, she was sweating profusely and occasionally grimacing in pain.

A sudden wave of pain struck her, and she pressed a button on the device resting on her knee. After about a minute of waiting after pressing the button, her contorted face returned to a peaceful expression as if nothing had happened.

I realized what the button she pressed was for.

“Is that painkillers?”

“Yes.”

Narcotic painkillers.

They are used to manage severe pain that arises after surgeries and are prescribed for people who have had serious accidents, undergone major surgeries, or are cancer patients deemed eligible by a physician.

Generally, narcotic painkillers are given to terminal cancer patients, and seeing a terminal cancer patient endure such immense suffering makes it clear why they are prescribed narcotic painkillers.

From that perspective, the pain that Priest Rebecca is enduring could be comparable to that of a terminal cancer patient.

I gazed at the bandages wrapping around her arm.

“Did you get hurt on your arm?”

Priest Rebecca nodded.

“By that investigator?”

“…Yes.”

After a slight pause, Priest Rebecca slowly nodded her head gravely.

The bandages covered her arm from the start point near the elbow to her shoulder. Upon closer inspection, the flesh around her shoulder joint was tinged black.

Necrosis of the skin. It’s a clear indication of an injury inflicted by that investigator.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

“At least it’s an arm. I was stabbed in the abdomen and chest…”

“I caught a glimpse of the wounds left on your body while transporting you, and living is remarkable.”

“It’s almost a miracle.”

Like Priest Rebecca, my wounds are also in the process of rotting. I have no idea why, and there’s no known cure.

For now, I can move around after taking painkillers, but the moment the effects wear off, a horrifying pain starts to wash over me. Thankfully, thanks to the holy water from the Cathedral and Lucia’s efforts, my flesh isn’t rotting any further, which is a small consolation.

I poured holy water into a cup provided in the patient room and took the painkiller, tossing it into my mouth.

“You seem to be able to move around despite what you’ve been through.”

“According to the Saint, I’m like a living corpse.”

Usually, it isn’t an issue. As long as I keep taking the effective painkillers, I might feel a bit stiff, but I don’t feel any pain.

However, when the drug wears off, or if I take off my clothes to wash, I am reminded of the reality I had forgotten upon seeing the blackened flesh covering my upper body.

“If the blade had gone in just a little deeper, I would have died on the spot. Right now, it’s okay, but as time goes on, the symptoms will worsen. How about you, Priest Rebecca?”

“I don’t know. The healing priests took a look, but they couldn’t determine when the injury would heal.”

Looking down at her arm wrapped in bandages, Priest Rebecca added in a gloomy voice.

“I might never be able to use this arm again. If things go badly, it might even rot to the bone.”

“That’s unfortunate. I wish you a speedy recovery.”

“Yes, the same goes for you. But what brings you here? Seeing you before, you seem to have something to say.”

I sat down on the chair provided for guardians next to the bed.

“Oh, I have something to say and some questions to ask.”

With the murder case, terrorist incident, the rift-ambushing spider, the raging mages of the Magic Tower, and the orders from Clevenz—there’s a lot I need to take care of.

But the most urgent matter is something else.

I rummaged through the bag of documents I brought and handed a paper to Priest Rebecca.

“First, take a look at this.”

“What is this…?”

Priest Rebecca’s voice trailed off.

After glancing at the paper in her hand, she looked up at me.

“Where did you find this?”

“It’s a list of missing persons.”

The paper held by Priest Rebecca contained the personal details of a particular monk. And this monk was someone we all knew well.

He had been wandering around the remote villages in the North, pretending to help people.

He was suspected of spreading dangerous sorcery to children that could put them in harm’s way.

He was the one who had provided the dark magic used in the terrorist incident.

And when he was about to be uncovered, he killed four Inquisition Officers and fled.

“We found that investigator.”

That very person.