A Dark Fantasy Spy

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A subtle tremor and a fleeting brush were never long.

The memory, short yet intense as a summer night’s heat, fades like clouds scattered across the sky.

Even as the cool air tickles my nose, the warmth of soft skin remains.

As I slowly turn my gaze, I see Lucia, barely covered by a crumpled blanket, resting her head on my shoulder and softly snoring.

Her skin is as white as snow. Flawless and devoid of blemishes, it resembles a pristine snowfield without a single footprint.

With a delicate nose and finely featured face, even her cascading golden hair is a sight to behold.

Her appearance is so noble and pure that now, just having awakened, I can hardly think of touching her.

After some hesitation, as I casually brush down Lucia’s shoulder, I admire her skin softer than silk and close my eyes for a moment.

And I thought.

“…Damn, this is bad.”

—

Episode 12 – The Mightiest Magician

Since joining the Information Command, I’ve heard a story drilled into my ears time and again.

The precautions to take when dispatched overseas.

Never exchange classified information in unsecured places.

Maintain communication with fellow employees on-site for swift emergency responses.

Avoid conflicts with civilians whenever possible.

Be cautious with alcohol, ideally abstain from drinking and smoking abroad, and so on.

The rules an information officer must follow are countless. It’s hard to determine their priority.

However, if you ask what one should be most careful of abroad, the seniors would reply in unison.

Women.

It’s not some cautionary tale about the perils of dating girls or focusing on work instead of indulging.

“Hey, do you know when an information officer is at their most dangerous moment?”

“When you first make contact with an informant after reporting the intel, right?”

“No. It’s when you’re getting lucky.”

“Huh?”

“It’s when you’re making love, you idiot.”

The seniors who had been in the field for quite a while emphasized that “the moment a person is most defenseless” is precisely during intimate relations.

Things like eavesdropping, assassination, and leaking sensitive information pose great risks due to both mental and physical vulnerabilities.

Thus, it’s a tacit rule that male information officers going abroad are prohibited from engaging in sexual relations.

No prostitution, no one-night stands.

If it ever gets out that you’ve formed relations with the opposite gender abroad, you’ll be summoned to the Inspection Office for a thorough investigation.

While overtly using beauty as a tool has been declining, you never know with people. Even if you weren’t coerced, discipline is unavoidable.

There are no exceptions to this principle.

The only exception would be if sexual relations were used as a means to entice a target.

And so, I’ve also been investigated by the Inspection Office due to a “scandal with a saint.” Ultimately, I was cleared of suspicion with a warning.

But this time, it’s real.

“……”

The lingering heat of last night, hotter and fiercer than a midsummer night’s tropical heat, still lingers in my body, yet my mind is more chaotic than ever.

Who would have dared to imagine it?

That a mere soldier, barely a diplomat, could sleep with a cleric of the cult. Not just any cleric, but Lucia, the sister of the current Saint Veronica, elevated to the rank of saint alongside her.

If there’s a limit to causing trouble, I’ve surely crossed it.

My head throbs, and it feels like my stomach is pricked with needles.

What would the consequences be for violating the purity of a saint from a cult with countless believers around the world?

At this point, it’s not just the Inspection Office that’s a problem; I might need to be cautious just walking down the street. The moment this leaks to the media, I might receive love letters from fervent devotees stuffed with threats and parcels filled with animal carcasses – no, I certainly would.

Then it wouldn’t be easy for Clevenz and Leoni to cover for me.

As I ponder, moments of having collided bodies with Lucia flood through my mind. The moments when we shared a blanket, and kisses muffled our moans to keep our breaths quiet in front of the shy girl.

Looking back now, I barely remember using any protection after drinking.

If Lucia were to get pregnant…

Just imagining that sends chills down my spine.

“……”

I had no idea how to fix this mess.

Staring at the empty wine bottle rolling on the dusty floor as if it were my nemesis, I repeatedly splashed my face with cold water.

“…Umm.”

Lucia, still lost in sleep, opened her eyes.

With a small, almost cute, nasally voice, she spoke, her blurred eyes blinked as if she hadn’t fully woken up.

Our gazes met as she briefly closed and opened her eyes again.

“…Ah.”

A sound of surprise slipped between her slightly parted lips. Lying there dazed, she gazed up at me, pulling the blanket shyly closer and offering a bashful smile.

“So, you’re up first….”

The moment I saw that smile, the anxiety about our future that had filled my heart seemed to melt away like snow.

Lucia, feeling shy, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced at me from the corners of her eyes. It seemed to say she found it hard to meet my gaze right now.

“Yes.”

“Did you wait long?”

“No, I just woke up….”

I paused for a moment to gather my breath.

Last night, I had seen her image bathed in moonlight, but it felt different now.

Against the softly lit dawn breaking through the window’s warm rays, Lucia appeared so sacred, so noble.

At the same time, I felt a tinge of guilt at the thought that I had shared an intimate bond with someone like her.

As I settled my heart, I finally opened my mouth to reply.

“It hasn’t been long.”

“Is that so? Then….”

Lucia reached out her hand. With one hand pulling the blanket over herself, she extended the other toward me.

Lucia, always with that kind demeanor, wore a gentle yet faintly affectionate smile.

“Just rest your eyes for a little while. While getting up early and being diligent is good, you’ve fought demons yesterday, so it’s better to get a bit more rest.”

“…….”

For a moment, I was left speechless by her appearance.

Seeing my lack of response, Lucia slightly lowered her head. Her luscious golden hair concealed her face, but her face and ears were vividly flushed red.

In the end, I embraced the shy Lucia, who was at a loss, and laid back down on the bed.

—

It took about 20 minutes for Lucia’s flushed complexion to regain its calm. During that time, I held her close, gently stroking her back.

Strangely, it felt like my heart was calming down when I was with her.

We maintained our silence, embracing one another.

It wasn’t that my mood suddenly soured or that the atmosphere turned awkward.

I was simply too shy to properly look into her face. More accurately, it was Lucia who felt that way.

To be honest, I had no idea what to say either. Asking if she was okay felt ambiguous. Saying something like, “Nice firm backside,” also felt wrong.

“…….”

Perhaps due to my face and body heating up, the blanket felt as hot as last night.

Embracing her in that narrow bed made me feel the heat creeping up on me, too.

To maintain this level of warmth without even a heater in the punishment room was pretty much like being paired with walking human torch Camila.

Checking to see how Lucia was doing while holding her, I noticed the remnants of that intense last night were evident on both the bedding and her body.

With my gaze lowered, Lucia, who had been twitching her lips, finally spoke hesitantly after some time.

“Um….”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Yes?”

“Nobody will know about today.”

Somehow, I continued the conversation while holding Lucia in my embrace, feeling fatigued.

“I swear today’s events won’t leak outside. Didn’t I promise to keep your secret?”

“Ah… secret.”

Lucia nodded her head.

Her soft hair tickled my skin, but it wasn’t unpleasant. She clasped her hands in front of her chest in prayer and nodded earnestly.

“Yes, that’s right….”

“So don’t worry, Saint. If by any chance something goes wrong, I’ll handle it myself.”

“…Lucia.”

“Yes?”

Lucia, who had been hunched over, slowly raised her head.

“Call me by my name.”

She made her request in a soft voice.

“Just when it’s just the two of us.”

It wasn’t an especially difficult request. Besides, I had promised her last night I would call her by her name.

So I gently stroked her back and granted her wish.

“Alright, Lucia. From now on, I’ll call you by your name.”

“…Thank you.”

Lucia replied in a tiny voice, once again lowering her gaze. I didn’t miss the shy smile playing on her lips as she tilted her head down.

–Knock! Knock!

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Both Lucia, who had been shyly smiling, and I froze.

–Knock! Knock!

The short knock came again, urging for a response.

Lucia, lying in bed, shot up, clearing her throat and began to speak in a tremulous voice that filled the silent room.

“…Who is it?”

“Oh, it’s me.”

The response was simple.

Though it wasn’t the most respectful tone for a saint, even if Lucia was known for her kindness, a common cleric addressing a saint like this felt a bit lacking, verging on disrespect or even blasphemy.

Yet neither I nor Lucia seemed to find anything odd about the other’s tone. No, to be precise, it was because we couldn’t afford to think otherwise.

“Lucia. It’s Veronica, right?”

The one knocking on the door was, after all, Veronica.

With an unmistakably sleepy tone, Veronica flatly replied before yawning.

Lucia, who had jumped out of bed, was about to leap down when our eyes met, causing her face to flush deeper as she slowly descended from the bed, the blanket covering her like a dress, whispering softly at the door.

“Um, sister?”

“Yes?”

“What’s… happening here… all of a sudden?”

“…What nonsense is this, you little brat? Why do you act like I only come to visit when there’s something going on?”

“Th-That’s not it, but still….”

“Ah, enough already.”

Veronica’s blunt voice came from beyond the door.

“Open the door.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Please open the door. I’m cold. Let me in for a bit.”

“Uh, um….”

The shaky blue eyes looked at me.

I sat on the bed, slowly closing my eyes.

“…Life.”

Finally, it has come to this.