A Dark Fantasy Spy

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After wrapping up intel gathering on the investigator, I returned to my office and started compiling the information.

A document filled with Kien language was plopped down on my desk. Jake, who handed over the joint investigation team’s report, began to brief me.

“Four villages are suspected to have been visited by Romain Scheer. According to investigations by the Military Government and the joint investigation team, it has been confirmed that all residents have vanished without a trace from those four villages.”

“Anything else?”

“Yes, we’ve received numerous reports from various sources. Firstly, we’ve obtained additional information from the Palm Tree Trade Guild about areas where Scheer is likely to have visited. Additionally, Pippin and Charnoy reported seeing individuals resembling the investigator in the city center via testimonies from children in the sanctuary…”

I worked to convert all the incoming intel into information.

While classifying the data according to the source and reliability of the intel, Jake suddenly threw out a question.

“Ah, by the way, Manager. About the investigator who is suspected to either be a necromancer or a possessed person, what does the Inquisition say? I feel like Priest Rebecca might know something.”

I slumped into my chair and muttered in a helpless voice.

“He said he doesn’t know either.”

On the day the investigator’s identity was confirmed, I asked Priest Rebecca if she knew anything, but I couldn’t get a clear answer.

Why hasn’t Romain Scheer aged? Where has he been for nearly twenty years since disappearing from the Mauritania Continent? Where is the accompanying exorcist? Why has he only just reappeared…?

I had many questions, but Priest Rebecca couldn’t easily provide answers. Even after probing her gently, she seemed genuinely clueless, making it awkward to press further.

Jake, who was organizing documents, tilted his head with a look of confusion.

“Manager, I was thinking…”

“What now?”

“I really feel like there is something up whether he’s a necromancer or a possessed person…”

Jake’s voice trailed off as he cautiously asked.

“Do you really think we can catch that guy?”

“…….”

Just as I was about to answer Jake’s question, the door swung open, and Pippin and Charnoy walked into the office.

“Pippin, Charnoy. Good work out there. Didn’t run into any trouble, did you?”

“Charnoy had a bit of trouble wandering around. Oh, but Manager, we got a dispatch for you from headquarters!”

Dispatch? A new order?

Startled by the unexpected news, I halted my reading and looked at Pippin.

“What kind of dispatch?”

“I’m not sure, but given that you’re the only one who can access the content, it seems to be something you have to handle personally. Here’s the dispatch.”

Pippin handed me a sealed envelope.

It featured counterfeit prevention patterns engraved to prevent unauthorized viewing, treated with special chemicals that would reveal signs if forcibly opened.

Inside the severely sealed envelope were a few sheets of paper with brief notes. It contained a detailed list of individuals and a dispatch from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Abas.

The dispatch was straightforward.

[Dispatch.

Colonel Frederick Nostrim, the Resident Officer in charge of the Kien Empire, is to investigate the employees of the Magic Tower Secretariat listed in the attached documents, who are active in the northern regions, and report back to headquarters.

Direct order from Director Leoni.

– Military Intelligence Agency Overseas Operations Division.]

—

Episode 12 – The Most Powerful Magician

—

The Secretariat is the top governmental body of the Magic Tower.

Assisting the Oracle who oversees decision-making for the Magic Tower, it functions like a Presidential Office, relaying directives from the Oracle to various administrative agencies.

In the Magic Tower’s bureaucracy, the Secretariat is regarded as a coveted position.

There are no better agencies for career advancement than the Secretariat, resulting in high competition; only elites from various fields congregate there, making it popular in various ways.

Of course, the information agencies are no exception.

Naturally, those working in such departments draw immense attention from intelligence agencies. They are recognized elites by the state, serving as advisors to government heads while dealing with various information, thus handling a considerable amount of sensitive secrets.

In this context, the order for background checks on Secretariat employees from the overseas division was not particularly unusual. It’s clear why the company would want to look into foreign civil servants.

However, accepting this as a normal directive felt a bit ambiguous.

A few days ago, the Military Intelligence’s overseas division had given me a specific instruction. They had ordered me to find suitable identities and infiltration routes so that a few information agents could enter the northern regions.

At that time, I’d questioned why they were sending information agents in these troubled times, and Clevenz had replied that someone was to be assassinated in the north.

While it was Clevenz who stated this, it was undoubtedly an order from the overseas division. To be precise, this was something Director Leoni had planned for a long time.

But the timing of the order to background check Secretariat staff active in the north was curious.

Furthermore, the order was directly issued in writing by Leoni.

“This is making me uneasy….”

It’s best to refrain from jumping to conclusions, but the timing couldn’t help but seem too coincidental.

Unlike Clevenz, who was ready to openly assassinate someone, Leoni had said nothing more regarding the two orders, yet considering Leoni’s tendency to keep operational details to herself, it was clear the two had to be connected.

In other words, the Military Intelligence Agency is likely planning to assassinate someone among the Secretariat employees.

That target is probably one of the individuals listed in the dispatch.

I checked the list of Secretariat employees transmitted through the embassy. Several individuals I had encountered while wandering around the north over the past month were on the list.

[Magic Tower Secretariat Political Affairs Department, Karim Boumediene.]

[Magic Tower Secretariat International Affairs Department, Gabi Schneider.]

[Magic Tower Secretariat Operational Support Department, Jean Marbo.]

[Magic Tower Secretariat…]
…

Most names were unfamiliar, but thanks to the attached photographs, identifying the individuals wasn’t a significant issue.

Of course, there were also familiar names on the list.

[Magic Tower Secretariat Planning Coordination Office, Juan Pablo Martinez.]

I scanned the names on the list and stuffed the paper into my pocket. I didn’t feel too enthusiastic about this command since I had no idea why it was issued, but orders are orders.

Though I had resolved to conduct background checks on these individuals, my current options were extremely limited. No matter how I squeezed my time, it was impossible for me alone to monitor several people.

However, for once, I didn’t have to put in the effort myself.

There was a far more reliable method than me taking the initiative to investigate.

I picked up the receiver.

“…Hello, is this the Secretariat? This is Frederick Nostrim from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Abas. May I see Administrator Ranieri for a moment?”

—

Even with the atmosphere in the north becoming somewhat grim, it was hard to find any noticeable change in the streets.

Despite the joint investigations by the Magic Department and the Inquisition, the information control by the Military Government Headquarters, or the agitation among those dispatched from the Magic Tower, none of it seemed to affect the daily life of the north.

Whether it be necromancers or possessed individuals, people were far more concerned about the immediate issues of food and survival.

Thus, at this very moment, there appeared to be hardly any visible changes on the streets of the north.

However, a few unusual sights caught my attention.

“…….”

The streets of the north were filled with bizarre sights not found in countries like Petrogard or Abas.

Heavily armed military police patrolled the streets wearing helmets and bulletproof vests, while a soldier from the internal troops kept his finger on the trigger of a machine gun, meticulously watching the surroundings.

Homeless individuals littered the streets. Wherever I looked, scruffy citizens stood around, their faces haggard as the majority of refugees braved the December snowstorm, waiting for their rations.

Clerics from the Cult, civil servants, and volunteers mixed as they handed out a lump of stale bread and thin gruel, causing refugees to shuffle towards makeshift tents and underground shelters while packing their meals into garbage bags.

There wasn’t even a sliver of hope to be found here. The streets that had once been filled with laughter and vitality had long since turned cold, leaving only the northern winds sweeping across the desolate, snow-covered roads.

A grotesque jumble of lethargy, despair, and fear filled the city. The northern metropolis had become a sewage treatment plant, collecting all kinds of negative emotions.

Yet, just as weeds bloom between concrete and lotus flowers bud from sewage, a person radiating a refined aura stood amidst the gloomy gray city.

I softly called her name.

“Administrator Francesca.”

“Ah, Colonel.”

Francesca turned her head slightly and met my gaze. Surrounded by what appeared to be mages from the Magic Tower and civil servants from the north, she gestured for them to disperse and began walking slowly towards me.

“I received your message. You were looking for me?”

“Yes, I have a couple of things I’d like to ask. If it’s alright with you, could we move to another place?”

“Of course.”

Francesca nodded pleasantly and gave directions to the mages from the Secretariat.

“I would like to converse with the Colonel for a moment. You all stay here and continue to work on the railroad reconstruction.”

“Understood, Lady Ranieri. What should we do about the sewer cleanup project being overseen by Lord Martinez? He should be coming up from underground in about twenty minutes.”

“Hmm. Twenty minutes, huh…”

Francesca hummed thoughtfully, momentarily closing her eyes as if lost in thought. After a moment’s contemplation, she opened her pair of violet eyes, sparkling with realization.

“Depending on why you summoned me, Colonel…”

“…….”

Francesca’s gaze turned towards me.

I silently surveyed the area, and Francesca smiled softly, looking at the mages from the Secretariat.

“It might take a while. Let Lord Martinez handle the sewer issues.”

The mages from the Secretariat bowed deeply.

“Understood. We’ll take care of that.”

Like the ebb of a tide, people began to vacate the area. The mages from the Secretariat shifted elsewhere to command the field, while the civil servants from the north swiftly departed alongside them.

Thus, only Francesca and I were left in the street. While military police keeping watch and Francesca’s bodyguards were still nearby, neither the military nor the guards were in a position to eavesdrop on our conversation.

“Alright then.”

After sending off the mages from the Secretariat, Francesca opened the floor.

“So, what brings you to seek me, Colonel?”

“I have a couple of requests.”

I lowered my voice and whispered to her.

“First, I need you to conduct background checks on that group of people.”

—

Explaining the situation to Francesca didn’t take long.

Although I didn’t know exactly what Leoni’s intentions behind the background checks were, or who they aimed to assassinate, the identity of the information agents that were to carry out the operation was also unclear, but I had no reason to explain every detail.

I simply relayed the critical information that Francesca needed to know.

“You know the Secretariat staff operating here? We need to look into them.”

“Secretariat employees?”

Hmm. Francesca crossed her arms, pondering.

“Investigating Secretariat employees… that’s quite a sudden request.”

“It’s not really a request. I’m here on orders as well.”

“I see.”

Francesca was an official from the Magic Tower’s Secretariat. Until a few months ago, she had served as an administrator in the Economic Management Department, skillfully managing Oracle’s slush funds with expertise that could rival that of seasoned economic criminals, handling smuggling and double contracts with ease.

She belonged to a prestigious family directly descended from the great archmage ‘Ranieri,’ holding a significant position within the organization. If Francesca set her mind to it, she could exert influence within the Magic Tower or the Secretariat effortlessly.

Of course, she was my informant now.

“I should help with that. Who should I investigate?”

“Please look into the individuals listed here.”

With a background in information gathering and espionage spanning over a decade, I refused to be stumped by the request. The moment I received the list, I had a fairly clear idea of what to look for.

Department affiliation, age, name, contact info, gender, family ties—such trivial intel was not necessary to collect now. After all, one could easily obtain such information by bribing a low-level civil servant. An organization like Military Intelligence wouldn’t need that.

Moreover, since Leoni had specified me directly in the intelligence gathering orders, it was clear that the requested intel pertained specifically to matters within the north, not the Magic Tower.

“What I need you to investigate is not merely mundane details like department affiliation, age, gender, or family connections, but rather more personal and intricate aspects.”

“What do you mean?”

“Find out where they are primarily active, what tasks they are responsible for, who they frequently contact, and who their closest colleagues are. Info on their favorite restaurants or preferred foods would be great as well. Please gather as much detail as possible.”

I was primarily focused on gathering intel relevant for an assassination. While I still had my doubts, Clevenz had indicated that an assassination operation was underway, so it was highly likely that those listed were targets, not assets.

But that was beyond Francesca’s concern.

I handed over the list, adding a few additional requests.

“Please ensure that the background investigation does not come to the attention of the individuals concerned. Furthermore, if possible, look out for any potential conflicts among them.”

“Conflicts?”

“Basically, see if there are people who don’t get along. This one has had frequent arguments since school days, that one has a troubled relationship with their boss… such information. Oh, and if possible, check if any of them have underlying health issues, even minor ones.”

“Hmmm… that’s quite a unique request. Alright, I understand.”

Francesca, who had been quietly listening, snickered.

She didn’t appear to jot down my requests anywhere. Instead, she memorized everything in her mind while quickly scanning through the list of names.

“Um?”

Francesca, who was inspecting the list, suddenly raised an eyebrow. I turned to her, wondering if something was wrong.

“What’s up?”

“Not all, but some of these individuals overlap in their work locations.”

“Yes?”

I barely had time to react to her words.

Francesca’s finger jabbed at names listed in the document.

“Karim Boumediene from the Political Affairs Department, Gabi Schneider from the International Affairs Department, Jean Marbo from the Operational Support Department, and Lord Martinez. All four of them have worked in various other continents before.”

“…Other continents?”

“Well, I don’t know all the backgrounds of the Secretariat employees. Lord Martinez was active as an adventurer before joining the Secretariat, but the others have been sent out there for a few years. I should confirm the exact dates, though.”

“Where are we talking about?”

Francesca responded confidently.

“The Mauritania Continent.”