A Dark Fantasy Spy

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“Patients are starting to emerge from the military stationed at the collapse site.”

Francesca said.

“The situation is spiraling out of control. The military and firefighting personnel on the front lines are now coughing up blood and complaining of migraines.”

Symptoms have appeared among those trying to contain the disaster at the collapse site.

“How serious is it?”

“Vomiting, hemoptysis, coughing, diarrhea, chest pain, migraines, sore throat, auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, and so on. The symptoms are becoming more varied. The medical support personnel, along with priests and magicians, don’t seem to have a clue about what’s happening.”

The situation has become significantly serious.

Perhaps it is even more severe than I initially expected.

“Is the Empire aware of this?”

“I just heard from the people at the Imperial Ministry of Magic, so by now, it’s probably been reported to the Military Government Headquarters. The cult has likely caught wind of it as well.”

That means they still haven’t grasped the situation.

I put on my winter coat and asked, “Where is Veronica now?”

—

Episode 12 – The Mightiest Magician in History

—

The North has turned upside down.

The ominous news that arrived on the chilly winds hit every faction operating in the Empire’s North.

“Manager, the military information chief from the Military Government Headquarters wants to know if he can have a moment on the phone.”

“That foreign military officer we met last time has been calling non-stop. What should we do?”

“Damn…”

The ringing of the phones was deafening.

The force of the massive incident at the collapse site was tremendous. The phones lit up from the early hours of the New Year’s Eve.

After finishing a call with a colonel from the Military Government Headquarters, I sighed deeply and spoke heavily.

“I just consolidated the reports coming in from the scene, and it seems one company has been annihilated.”

Jake raised an eyebrow and shot me a question.

“Is that true…?”

“Would I lie about something like that?”

Given how rapidly the situation was evolving, it was likely the Military Government Headquarters hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet, but even so, news of a single company being wiped out was not something to be taken lightly.

“Whether we’re talking about a company or a battalion that’s gone is hard to determine at this point.”

I absentmindedly set the cigarette I had between my fingers down in the overflowing ashtray, large enough for several adults to use.

“Where did the troops deployed on the scene come from?”

“They’re a medical unit sourced from the rear’s legion and division!”

“Oh dear… They’re in big trouble. If the medical unit has been wiped out, where will they receive treatment if they’re injured?”

“What should we report to the company?”

“For now, report what you have, and don’t gather incoming data, just report it immediately. The embassy will sort it out.”

We were equally flustered by the unexpected situation.

“What should I write as the cause when reporting?”

“How the hell would I know? You little caffe latte!”

“Hey, Manager! Why am I called a caffe latte?”

“You’re a chocolate muffin then? What do you want me to call you?”

“Damn…”

We nervously scoured for useful intel through the calls coming in.

“Ah, yes, it’s me. I heard something happened at the scene. Were the firefighters and personnel dispatched from the hospital okay? Oh, there were patients coming out? How about those who worked far from the scene? They’re fine? Then what about the cult and the Magic Tower? I heard the administrator, Laniere, was there. They’re safe? Got it. Yes. Let the Military Government Headquarters know that instructions will be coming soon, and if possible, please evacuate any unaffected individuals as far from the scene as you can. I’d appreciate it.”

Gripping the phone, I found myself running around until dawn, sweating as I tried to gather even a shred of information to avoid the fallout from this mess.

But the Military Government Headquarters was a step ahead.

The Imperial Military Government Headquarters mobilized troops to block all routes leading into the city.

On a winter day filled with chilly winds, the major city in the North was thus sealed off.

—

For the past month, the situation in the North had been highly urgent.

Murders, monster attacks, missing residents, undead appearances, necromancers and demons emerging, and bizarre phenomena without known causes.

It had been a continuous stretch of days that couldn’t simply be described as urgent.

However, the decision by the Military Government Headquarters to completely seal off a major city was too sudden.

“All routes into the city have been blocked.”

All roads leading into the major city were sealed off by military troops.

Makeshift checkpoints were set up at every passage, and heavily armed military police began to stop vehicles heading toward the city.

Given the nature of martial law declared in the North, checkpoint-style security could be seen in any city, but this time, the checkpoints were on a different level.

“With barricades, spikes, and concrete blocks stacked instead of sandbags. Not to mention armored vehicles and surveillance equipment! They’ve practically turned it into a fortress.”

“Hmm…”

Veronica made a nuanced expression as she leaned back in her office chair.

“The Military Government Headquarters is going above and beyond what we imagined.”

The sounds of busy priests scuttling through the window of the office came through.

Clerics and monks filled a truck with medical supplies and holy objects, ready to rush to the scene at a moment’s notice once the Saint’s command was given.

Yet the one holding the reins, Veronica, could only press her temples with a troubled expression.

“It seems like this is the work of a demon…”

“Has the Inquisition found any clues?”

“Not yet. It seems we need something from the Secretariat for a proper diagnosis. Or we might have to hope the Magic Tower finds something first. They should have at least a little info on the necromancers and demons.”

Veronica added that she had already asked Francesca to investigate. Currently, she was leveraging contacts made during her tenure at the Secretariat to gather information.

“Anyway, if a demon is indeed buried beneath that pile of rocks, we need to find and eliminate it. If not, we might end up having to direct the magicians to move that pile and grind it into bits. By the way, what’s the situation like inside the city?”

“I don’t know that much. We can’t even get in, let alone share information.”

The Imperial army, having sealed off the major city, was not allowing any groups to enter.

Not only the cult and the Magic Tower, but even the Imperial troops remained outside, unable to enter the city.

Given the activity of troops stationed at the borders, working diligently on something, it seemed unlikely the Imperial army would be able to enter the city anytime soon. Naturally, the priests of the cult also couldn’t enter the city.

“It seems the Military Government Headquarters has restricted entry. The city itself is practically isolated.”

“I’d say that’s a fair assessment.”

Veronica sighed deeply, her voice weary.

“It seems the military’s upper brass is terrified. They won’t even let in the priests of the cult or the magicians from the Magic Tower. It’s really a mess, isn’t it?”

“Setting aside the center, what does the Military Government Headquarters say?”

“They seem to think that a plague has broken out in the city.”

“A plague?”

The reason people were experiencing symptoms was due to the vile energy rising from underground. It was somewhat hard to believe, but it was, in fact, true.

It was confirmed that the area affected was contaminated by the cross of Lucia.

The Inquisition and the Imperial Ministry of Magic deployed their equipment to gather numerous samples from the scene, and with the support of the Magic Tower, they investigated the correlation between the vile energy and the people’s strange symptoms.

In fact, the very first person to confirm the contamination was an Imperial soldier who went in on Lucia’s behalf.

While the exact causation and solutions wouldn’t be known until inspections were completed, those who understood the situation clearly knew why the scene had turned chaotic.

But a plague, really?

What kind of nonsense is that?

I placed my hands on my hips, incredulous.

“I don’t understand. The Imperial Ministry of Magic must have sent a report to the Ministry of Defense, so why is there talk of a plague from here?”

But it seemed they were just as confused over there.

“I’m curious about that too, Colonel. Even if Lucia and Francesca try to explain, they don’t seem to listen…”

“Explain? To whom?”

“To who else, really?”

With a deep sigh, Veronica snapped back.

“Is there anyone besides the one who can seal off a city with a single finger in the North?”

—

The Military Government Headquarters is based on the emergency laws of the Kien Empire.

Like every dictatorship where the military holds significant power, the Military Government Headquarters possesses extralegal authority.

Listing out what that extralegal authority entails would only be a pain. Just looking at the numerous journalists who have met untimely ends while poking around the dictator’s back should give you a good idea.

That’s why crossing the threshold of the Military Government Headquarters always felt burdensome to me.

It’s a whole different level compared to wandering through an anarchic third world country or a region with loose government oversight.

The Kien Empire isn’t a dictatorship like one in Africa or the Middle East; it’s closer to a nation like China or Russia. Even now, 28 years later, the memory of applying for a visa, having my identity raided, and being shadowed right upon landing at the airport still lingers as a trauma.

However, today, my hesitation didn’t stem from the fearsome counterintelligence activities of the Empire’s Information Agency.

“The Commander is waiting for you. Please enter, Colonel.”

“……”

Underneath the dull, grey sky, I entered an elevator with sliding metal bars led by a Military Government Headquarters officer armed with a pistol.

—

Arriving at the highest point of the Military Government Headquarters, I found myself in Mikhail’s office.

It had been quite a while since my last visit, but the Commander’s office remained the same. The monotonous design and simple furnishings were unchanged.

So were the people.

Mikhail, the chief commanding the Military Government Headquarters, was seated at his desk, diligently working.

He sat in the same spot, maintaining the same posture, and his demeanor surprisingly displayed little warmth, a rigid aspect of his character.

Even upon the arrival of a guest, he didn’t direct his gaze away from the paper and only spoke once he finished signing his name on the document.

“It’s been a while, Colonel.”

Responding lightly to the Commander who spoke in Abasan, I nodded in acknowledgment.

“It’s been a while, Commander. Are you well?”

Mikhail merely nodded, his response as bureaucratic and colorless as ever.

Usually, I might have attempted some small talk, but given the atmosphere, I dove straight into the main topic.

“I regret the incident in the North.”

Considering my status as a diplomat, I refrained from adding any unnecessary commentary.

But Mikhail, having risen through the ranks to become a general, quickly grasped the meaning behind my words.

“You’ve come to talk about the lockdown, I presume.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The major city in the North was under a lockdown by order of the Military Government Headquarters, commanded by Mikhail.

“I understand it was your directive.”

The lockdown of the major city wasn’t simply a problem for the Empire.

The cult desired to hunt down the demons. The Magic Tower felt similarly. Abas, too.

While it was somewhat puzzling that the military would seal off a city just ahead of the offensive operation planned for spring, in order for the military’s objectives to be achieved, it was indeed essential to lift the lockdown.

The demons rampaging in the North posed as the biggest variable and obstacle for the offensive operation.

To push forward with the offensive, they needed to cut off the demon’s oxygen, which was believed to be buried underground. Aside from that, the contamination caused by the vile energy wreaked havoc on the scene, needing cleansing.

Thus, I’d come to request the lockdown be lifted from Mikhail.

“Please lift the lockdown.”

I spoke carefully and politely.

“Given the urgency of the situation, I fully sympathize with the defensiveness taken by the Imperial Ministry of Defense, but I believe the cult and the Magic Tower should take a more proactive role to address the fundamental cause of this incident. The Imperial Ministry of Magic agrees, and if you permit, I hope that Saint Lucia and Administrator Francesca can persuade the military generals…”

“I believe there’s a misunderstanding that needs clarification.”

Mikhail interrupted my speech and bluntly interjected.

“The decision to impose the lockdown was made by the Military Government Headquarters, not the Ministry of Defense.”

“What?”

“The one who issued the order to lock down the city is me. Not the Minister of Defense.”

With a stiff tone, Mikhail disclosed the facts and looked at me with an unfeeling expression.

“I issued the lockdown based on a justifiable reason. Therefore, as the commander who issued the orders, I will respond accordingly.”

“……”

“I cannot lift the lockdown. Under no circumstances.”