A Dark Fantasy Spy

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Veronica suggested I take a break.

It was a kind of care session.

“Since you’ve encountered a demon, whether intentional or not, it’s best to rest for a while.”

“Rest, you say?”

“I’m not talking about aimlessly eating and sleeping; I mean you need proper care.”

In short, her suggestion was to take some time at the cathedral for safety, whether that meant staying for a while or coming back frequently.

There was no reason to refuse.

So, I decided to accept her proposal without much thought.

“Alright.”

“Good decision.”

Episode 12 – The Strongest Magician Ever

Hours had already passed since the incident in the sewers.

Though I had been advised to take a break under the guise of care, unfortunately, I was not in a state to relax comfortably.

From the reports collected by my subordinates, it could be inferred that by now, the Military Government Headquarters and the Empire’s government likely had a reasonable grasp of the situation.

The forces from the Inquisition that participated in the joint investigation had moved under the command of a high-ranking clergyman in the dead of night, and that high-ranking clergyman was none other than Veronica from the Kien Empire. They must have sensed that something unusual was happening.

No, leaving that aside, despite being underground, how could they not notice the gunfire that had erupted?

Taking care of my health was one thing, but I needed to separate work from personal matters.

Thus, I intended to inquire about the current situation through Veronica, my information agent, but—

“Why are you worrying about that now, Colonel?”

The cold response caught me off guard.

“I’m telling you to rest and not think about what comes next.”

“Even so, there are priorities, aren’t there?”

“Ah, you’re really ignoring what I’m saying. Stop acting like an old man at a care home and just relax.”

“But you’re my information agent…”

“Ugh, whatever. Just move forward already.”

Veronica pushed my back playfully, refusing to engage further. She pushed hard enough that I didn’t budge, so she ended up pressing her body against mine to apply her weight and start pushing.

It reminded me of Sisyphus, condemned to roll a boulder to the top of a mountain for offending the gods.

But Sisyphus had strength; Veronica seemed to lack any real means. Her determination to push me was amusing yet earnest.

Turning beet red as she shoved, I remained nonchalant. Honestly, at this point, I should have given in, but I was afraid it would create an awkward atmosphere.

“Ugh…”

In the end, I pretended to relent and started to move forward under her persistent pushing.

*

I wanted to hear explanations about everything that had happened, but Veronica continued to refuse to answer.

While she might have had a superficial reason for saying I should focus on recovering and put thoughts of work aside, I felt she had her own agenda.

“Saint, are you perhaps thinking of something else?”

My cautious inquiry darkened Veronica’s expression.

“What other thoughts could I possibly have?”

I attempted to use every trick I had to pry an answer, but her lips remained tightly sealed, showing no signs of opening.

It was a frustrating situation; unfortunately, there was little I could do now.

Questioning a saint in the midst of an Inquisition force would not look good for a foreign diplomat. Depending on the matter, it could snowball into a diplomatic issue.

More than anything, Veronica had no reason to skirt providing me with an answer. Surely, there must have been something behind her reluctance to speak.

So, I had no choice but to trust her and wait.

Eventually, as always, she would come to me discreetly, leaking bits of information. That’s just how Veronica was.

“No, I was just saying it.”

With a sigh of apparent abandonment, I let it go. Veronica responded with a broad smile.

“Good thinking. It would have been better if you’d started that way.”

“Seriously…”

“When you’re resting, rest! Don’t worry too much. After you relax a bit, I’ll explain everything slowly.”

She added, giving my back a light slap.

“Now! Let’s go have fun!”

*

Despite using grand phrases like systematic recovery and the like, rest turned out to be quite simple.

“Shall we eat first?”

“The food from the North isn’t great. I don’t mind, but will it suit your taste?”

“Why eat something bland? Did you hit your head? We should definitely eat inside the cathedral.”

Veronica insisted on starting with a meal.

“Eating well and resting is the best. After the meal, you’ll have a checkup. If there’s any issue, a healer will be called afterward. If all is well, you can sleep soundly.”

“I appreciate the concern, but I don’t have any serious injuries. Just a few scrapes.”

“What you see isn’t all there is. There could be issues elsewhere, so I’m advising you to get checked.”

Better safe than sorry, right?

Though her reasoning seemed a bit over the top, it wasn’t wrong. As such, I decided to eat first and rest well.

However, there was one problem.

“Um… Saint?”

“Yes, Colonel. What is it?”

“Isn’t this a bit excessive?”

I murmured, observing the inquisitors and nuns entering the restaurant. The monks belonging to the Cathedral of Saint Basil were hauling fruits, vegetables, meats, bread, and even fish that were hard to find in the North—all in their arms.

The monks began to carry food into the dining area.

They dashed down the hallway as if their eyebrows were about to get plucked by the wind, constantly setting dishes on a long table that could seat at least twenty.

“Even if they managed to bring food not typically found in the North, what exactly are they doing pulling people who are supposed to be resting?”

I commented with disbelief as I watched the monks scuttling around.

“Why do you care about those people, Colonel?”

Veronica stood there with her arms crossed, indifferent.

She replied with an audacious tone, as if to imply there was no issue at all.

“According to church law, a saint ranks higher than both the archbishop and the cardinal of the cult. In fact, I am their superior.”

“So because you’re higher-ups, you can just boss around the lower ranks like this?”

“If you don’t like it, they should try becoming saints themselves.”

In that moment, I lost my ability to argue.

“…Veronica, do you have no sense of ethics?”

The saint, standing on one leg, chuckled softly.

“This doesn’t feel like something a Colonel should be saying, does it?”

As I bickered with Veronica while watching the busy monks, the suddenly summoned inquisitors and nuns couldn’t hide their sorrow, but no one was bold enough to disregard the saint’s orders.

The monks of the cathedral had no choice but to carry out their meal prep begrudgingly.

Upon hearing that the meal was ready, I was led to a table by an inquisitor. Just as I picked up the utensils to see what foods were available—

-Scraaaaaape.

The sound of a chair being pulled back announced the arrival of someone sitting across from me.

It was Veronica.

“Why are you eating with me?”

Veronica, sitting across the table, glanced at me while cutting cream cheese with a knife, as if asking where I came from with that question.

“Should I starve then?”

“Uh…”

I sneaked a glance at the clock hanging in the corner. 1:57 PM. It was almost 2 PM.

“You haven’t eaten anything at all during the entire meal time?”

“Guess it turned out that way.”

Veronica said nonchalantly.

She hummed a little tune while taking a bite of bread smeared with cheese and fig jam. I looked at her enjoying the meal with incredulity.

“Saint.”

“Yes?”

“Surely, you weren’t waiting to eat with me, were you?”

Veronica’s movements stopped abruptly as she chewed her bread. She hastily dropped her food as if tossing it away and began to cough repeatedly, guzzling down water in a panic.

Once she settled down somewhat, she covered her mouth and a substantial part of her face with her hand, clearing her throat before speaking to me.

“Colonel.”

“Yes, Saint?”

“Please eat your fill.”

“…….”

Is she a saint or a thug?

I sighed lightly and began eating.

*

There are indeed many strange things in this world. Sitting at my desk while watching TV, that thought often crossed my mind.

For instance, there’s the dining of the wealthy and famous. News like “A certain tycoon paid tens of millions of dollars for a dinner with a world star or a renowned scholar or great entrepreneur” occasionally pops up when flipping through channels.

The meeting of the rich and the glorious. What kind of conversation would unfold at a table with someone who is the envy of many? When watching the news, such thoughts were a constant companion.

From that perspective, I considered myself quite lucky.

I could enjoy a meal with the saint of the cult, who received the admiration of worshipers across the globe and was treated with the same honor as a head of state on the international stage. Moreover, not just one, but two. More than once.

No one would openly admit it, but I’m sure there were plenty of people cursing me from behind.

For a saint whom even a hundred million wouldn’t allow you to meet even from a distance, here I was, dining without paying a single penny. I’ve probably heard more curses for this than I’d ever encounter in my lifetime.

Yet,

As always,

Viewing the world from a distance may seem comical, yet experiencing it close up reveals its tragedy.

Dining with the saint, a wish everyone had, felt like total chaos.

“Veronica. Is it really necessary to act like that while we’re eating?”

Veronica, sitting across from me, slightly parted her lips. A swirling gray mist oozed from between her red lips.

“Why?”

“I mean, who smokes at the dinner table?”

In her hand, Veronica held a cigarette.

Not just any cigarette; it was a cigar crafted from leaves dried personally by a master, not some low-quality product.

The brand-new, doughy brown cigar burned evenly, holding its ash without crumbling.

As she inhaled the smoke, the end of the cigar glowed red. Taking a deep drag, Veronica slowly exhaled the smoke, savoring the fragrance and taste.

“Hmm… nice. Would you like to try some, Colonel?”

“…….”

To be offered smoking by a clergyperson; it was something I’d never imagined.

I looked at Veronica in disbelief, but she remained unfazed.

Calmly, she placed the cigar in the designated ashtray and began sipping wine. Then, without warning, she casually brought up a baffling observation.

“You don’t smoke, don’t drink, never touch gambling, and yet you still lack the company of women. Just what kind of fun do you have in life? It’s honestly puzzling…”

“You can live just fine without alcohol, smoking, gambling, or romance.”

“That sounds dull. Really dull. At times, you seem more like a clergyman than me.”

Could someone called a clergyman really be more intolerant than a civilian?

Though I tried reprimanding her in this nonsensical way, my words had no effect on Veronica. She was completely at ease enjoying a drink and a cigarette in broad daylight, all within the cathedral’s dining hall.

Honestly, wouldn’t it be justifiable for the gods to strike her down right at this moment?

They say saints are the most beloved offspring of the gods; so thinking of this as kind of a sacrilege isn’t far from the truth.

“Ugh…”

I was just glad that no other clergypersons or monks saw this scene.

The moment the meal was ready, Veronica had shooed all the help out of the dining hall, so no one else witnessed her antics besides me.

I rubbed my face with my palm and asked Veronica.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Are you caring for me?”

“…….”

With a playful tone, Veronica remarked, while I scanned her from head to toe.

“Honestly, I think the Saint will end up sick far sooner than getting hurt. Perhaps from tuberculosis or liver cancer.”

“…….”

Veronica, who had just been grinning, immediately stiffened her face. It was a nasty surprise.

We sat at the dining table and exchanged trivial chatter.

“How are your siblings these days? Is Francesca doing well?”

“She’s working at a comfortable post without a scratch. She even launched a business recently.”

“That’s great. She was quite worried, being in a conflict area for the first time. And how’s the Hero?”

“Doing well, in fact too well.”

Francesca and Camila could handle themselves, so there were no major issues.

If I had to point out a problem, it was that Camila had been gaining weight?

Somehow, she seemed to be brimming with energy day by day.

Having flown to the frontline and engaged in battle, I was certain that she must have expended more stamina than anyone else in our group, yet she showed no signs of fatigue.

“She must be sneaking food somewhere. I told her not to.”

“Is there really a need to limit her food intake? Honestly, the Hero seems fine to me. Quite lovely, in fact.”

“Is that so? I’m not so sure myself.”

Veronica, while picking off meat from chicken wings, laughed and made a joke.

“It seems you should visit an ophthalmologist. Or maybe a urologist.”

“Did you just imply I’m impotent?”

“Well, yes.”

She was right.

Right in the feels.

Annoyed, I gave Veronica a light smack on the head like a playful tap.

“Hey! Why are you hitting me?”

“It’s for getting what you deserve.”

I smacked her head again, now twice. She asked why I hit her again, so I just explained that it’s because she crossed the line.

After pacifying the ruckus caused by Veronica with such a peaceful resolution, tranquility returned to the dining hall.

“Ugh, this still hurts…”

“See? You should know to choose your targets wisely, Saint.”

“That’s a rather narrow-minded thing for somebody to claim.”

Veronica rubbed her forehead, grumbling, and I sighed deeply while scolding her.

As always, our conversation was trivial. When she joked, I’d scold her, and when we played around, we’d keep it light. Thus, we continued our banal exchanges.

As the prepared dishes gradually disappeared and the meal neared its end.

“Oh, by the way.”

While reaching for dessert, I belatedly noticed that Lucia wasn’t here.

Now that I think about it, I hadn’t seen her in the cathedral today.

“Veronica.”

“What is it?”

“Where’s Lucia?”

“Oh, Lucia?”

Veronica gave me a glance while cautiously scooping dessert.

Then, without a care, she casually continued eating as she bluntly replied.

“She’s currently under restrictions.”