A Dark Fantasy Spy

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“…I’m fine.”

A listening device and a securing band were firmly pressed into the palm of my hand.

The band had a subtle warmth to it, slightly warmer than my body temperature.

Francesca, having returned the equipment, closed the bathroom door with a pout on her face.

“As you mentioned, the recording went well. The conversation sounds clear, so there are no issues with the audio quality, and there were no interruptions or missing parts in between.”

“…….”

“It seems the Oracle has tentatively concluded to issue a general statement and to cooperate with the inquiry. They plan to support the Military Government Headquarters by sending skilled magicians to search for the necromancer’s body in the collapsed underground waterway. While we won’t receive a large-scale support from the Magic Tower immediately, Lord Martinez’s news is at least positive. And, um… next….”

Francesca continued her report with a serious demeanor.

Yet, even while speaking, she was glancing around nervously.

“…….”

I rubbed my cheek with a crystal glass, where she had slapped me earlier.

With the sound of ice crunching, the flesh inside my swollen cheek touched my teeth, causing pain.

“Don’t mind me.”

“….”

“Not mentioning that I forgot to say the part about attaching the listening device to your thigh is my fault.”

Francesca, who was about to say something, avoided eye contact and looked away from me.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Okay.”

—

Episode 12 – The Strongest Magician in History

“…Wow. Is something wrong?”

Camila approached me, leaning against a marble pillar. In her small, intricately crafted glass bowl, there was an abundance of vividly colored ice cream drenched in syrup.

She greeted me cheerfully with a wave as we crossed paths in the cathedral corridor.

With a bright smile, she looked as if she owned the entire world.

The incredibly sunny expression on Camila’s face suddenly turned into wide eyes as she looked at me.

“You look terrible! Your hair is a mess, your clothes are wrinkled… did you get into a fight?”

“…Ah, it’s not that I fought… do I really look that strange?”

“You look exactly like someone who just got decked at a pub.”

Though the details were different, the big picture was accurate: I had gotten slapped while attaching the listening device to Francesca. And surprisingly, it was because I had rushed my explanation.

Inside the cathedral, it was difficult to manage surveillance assets, so I had thought of letting Francesca handle the listening device herself to record conversations.

It seemed a bit odd for her to carry a handbag she usually wouldn’t, so I suggested attaching the listening device to a less conspicuous body part with a band instead. But instead of explaining delicately, I bluntly told her to strip down, which obviously didn’t sit well with her.

Anyway, I cleared up the misunderstanding later and the recording went smoothly, but before I could even try to explain, I had already offered up one of my cheeks to a furious Francesca.

Still, as a peace offering, she handed me a potion she had made herself, so I decided to shake off my feelings over it.

I moved my swollen lips to speak.

“Sometimes, you just have those days.”

“That’s a positive mindset.”

With a sweet smile on her delicate face, Camila brought a spoonful of ice cream to her mouth, leaning against the railing.

“By the way, something must be going on recently, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on—don’t pretend you don’t know. Just look at the atmosphere with the civil servants around here! The vibe in the cathedral is a bit strange, too.”

With a spoon in her mouth, Camila smiled innocently like a child holding a lollipop.

“Of course, Saint Lucia and Saint Veronica as well. I felt it last time at dinner, but everyone seemed to be hiding something from me.”

Oh, her intuition.

I leaned against the railing next to Camila, then surveyed the surroundings before speaking softly.

“I can’t go into details for security reasons, but I think there may be terrorists showing up around here.”

Terrorists?

Camila tilted her head in confusion.

“Are they religiously affiliated terrorists, like ISIS or the Taliban? A well-organized group?”

“Actually, they’re more related to magic than religion. I don’t know the details like their motives, causes, or scale yet. It’s under investigation.”

“So you’re investigating alone?”

“It’s an international collaboration.”

“Hmm… well, it makes sense to cooperate internationally for any matters related to terrorism.”

Setting her bowl down for a moment, Camila continued with a serious tone.

“If you need help, just let me know. I’ll be more than happy to assist.”

Seeing her confidence, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Camila.”

“Yes?”

“Why not clean the syrup off your mouth before you talk?”

“Ah…!”

I detached myself from the railing as I watched her flusteredly wipe around her mouth with a handkerchief.

“Just focus on your work for a while, and stay in the cathedral. I hope everything wraps up safely, but just in case, you might want to practice some magic ahead of time. The administrator will help you.”

Having quickly made my request, I swiftly departed.

Soon enough, I heard Camila lamenting about having tricked herself once she confirmed there was no syrup on her handkerchief, but thankfully, she didn’t manage to catch up with me.

—

Preparations to catch the demon were steadily ongoing.

“What should we do to fight and win against the necromancer and demons?”

“Hmm… as I mentioned before to the Colonel, the best method is to borrow the power of religion. I don’t mean to downplay magic or science, but religious symbols are particularly effective against evil.”

Determined to completely cut off the breath of the demon believed to be alive, the Empire’s military decided to rely on religious power. Out of concern for social chaos, the incidents in the North had not yet been officially reported, but internally, conclusions had already been made.

What people commonly refer to as demon extermination or demon hunting.

In that sense, the protagonist—not allowed to let the demon crawling up to the surface return to hell—had long been decided.

“I’ll confront the demon.”

The Saint of the Cult, Veronica.

“Of course, I won’t be facing it alone. Lucia will support me and we’ll work together.”

Similarly, the Saint of the Cult, Lucia. It was going to be the two of them.

Veronica, perched on the edge of the desk, gently closed her eyes and swayed her fingers. Her posture wrapped her arms around her ribs like a conductor leading a band, imparting a certain grace.

I nodded seriously.

“Are we proceeding with the Grand Exorcism? Or do we have another method?”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a Grand Exorcism or a direct fight, as long as we send the demon back to hell.”

There were no particularly set means. Veronica asserted that she and Lucia could sufficiently confront the demon on their own. With considerable confidence, she voiced her words.

I couldn’t help but admire her daring ambition to fight the demon, even if it meant getting into a brawl.

“You’re tough. Is that your nature?”

“Perhaps?”

“You’ve hidden that side of you until now….”

“What do you mean ‘hidden’? I just never had the chance to show it. Do you know how hard it is to appease the old guard in either the Cult or the Empire?”

“I really wish we could just call them back. Veronica, you seem to need some restraints.”

Honestly speaking, with Veronica’s character, it seemed more like she needed shackles than restraints, but still.

Determined to fight to the end, Veronica accelerated her preparations for demon extermination. She meticulously examined the sacred objects procured by the cult, tightening the encirclement with the imperial Ministry of Magic and the Inquisition as they tracked the demon.

Of course, the preparations didn’t stop there.

“I think I’ll be quite busy for a while, so I hope you can look after the others.”

“Who do you mean?”

“Naturally, our younger siblings and the Hero.”

Lucia, who had just been lifted from confinement, and Camila and Francesca, who remained in the cathedral. Veronica entrusted these three to me. It meant helping them finish preparing for a fight before the demon was spotted.

For all the costs and materials involved in this process, Veronica agreed to provide.

“The cathedral will take care of accommodation, so that won’t be an issue. If anything is needed for training or extermination, you can just put it in my name. While the clergy can obtain most things, if something seems a bit difficult to find, you can check with Francesca. She’ll sort it out.”

“What’s the budget for that?”

“Spend as much as you like. You could buy an island for vacation or a castle to hide in.”

“Looks like the cult is collecting a lot of donations these days.”

And just like that, I received a credit card that rivaled a black card.

“But even though Lucia is a priestess, why are Camila and Francesca entrusted to me? Camila is a bit of a grey area, but… both of them are more akin to magicians, right?”

“Do you really think only priests can fight evil?”

The Empire sought the cult’s assistance not because the imperial Ministry of Magic or the Ministry of Defense couldn’t defeat the demon. Rather, it was that religious power proved to be more effective in confronting evil than magic or science.

Veronica added that with proper preparation, both Camila and Francesca could also fight the demon.

“Of course, if everything wraps up, neither our siblings nor the Hero will have to face the demon. As long as the operation proceeds as planned.”

“Well, hearing that makes me a bit anxious.”

“Does the world usually follow your wishes? That’s what makes life interesting.”

Anyway, just focus on the preparations.

Veronica made me the caretaker for the team, with practically no spending limit.

Originally, I had planned to use the Duke’s funds to acquire what the team needed, but I never expected I would end up with this kind of money. Although it felt a bit sudden, it was genuinely a fortunate turn of events for me.

However, as with most things, there is always a price to pay.

The Veronica, who posed as a money-granting lamp, immediately demanded a fee from me.

“Please take this.”

“What is it?”

I received the box Veronica handed me. It was a luxurious-looking case, and I could feel the weight distinctly against my arm.

As soon as I opened the box, I was greeted by the sight of a shotgun and a revolver. The double-barrel shotgun and silver revolver Veronica had used in the underground waterway the last time.

“Here, please take care of these firearms, Colonel.”

“…Why do I have to manage these?”

“Because you’re a soldier. You must have used them plenty by now, right?”

“No, but it’s your gun in the first place.”

“Shooting, swordsmanship, and horseback riding are essential skills for nobility! But I shouldn’t be the one to painfully wipe and oil them, right? So please manage the firearms for me.”

“…….”

“Just kidding. Just kidding. Why are you giving me that look as if I’m about to kill someone?”

With a teasing laugh, Veronica smiled at me. I glared at her for a moment before I couldn’t hold back and playfully gave her a light smack on the head.

It was truly a blasphemous act, but it was too hard to resist.

As I turned my back on Veronica, who was glancing at the bump on her forehead with teary eyes, I took the firearms she had entrusted me and turned away sharply.

Still, given our camaraderie up to now, a single cleaning wouldn’t kill me. It was a minor issue.

But have these firearms ever even been cleaned since they were fired?

As I pondered this when I noticed the case containing the suspiciously maintained firearms, I was suddenly interrupted.

“Ah, wait! Stop!”

Veronica grabbed my arm before I could leave the room.

“Why not just leave?”

“What do you mean?”

“You should always hear someone out till the end. Ugh… it hurts like hell…”

Veronica, roughly rubbing her head, wiped her tear-filled eyes with her finger as she glared at me. I seriously considered giving her another tap on the head due to her rebellious gaze, but unfortunately, Veronica was quicker.

With an air of confidence, she crossed her arms as if nothing happened.

“Discussing the firearms was just a casual subject. There’s something I’d like to ask more seriously.”

“Please, go ahead.”

Veronica spoke to me in a serious tone, without a hint of playfulness.

“While you stay in the cathedral, I would like you to get close to someone I’ll mention.”

“You mean, to befriend them?”

“Not exactly, but I would like for you to have an open conversation at the very least.”

“…Is this about an information agent?”

Veronica shook her head. It implied that they were not someone to be recruited as an information agent.

So then, who on earth could it be?

Veronica’s question was very simple.