A Dark Fantasy Spy

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“On the wall stands a house made of red bricks, and a charming vine plant clings to the fence along the path. Beyond the low fence, which barely allows a person’s head to peek over, the clear sky of Abas can be seen.

In the narrow space between the fences, a luxury sedan is parked.

A man with heavily tinted windows rolled down the glass, pulling the corners of his mouth into a smile as he gazed at the clear sky.

“The sky of Abas has finally cleared up after what seems like an eternity. A good omen, wouldn’t you agree?”

The man seated in the back of the sedan smiled brightly at the woman beside him. However, she merely waved her hand, looking fatigued.

The woman onboard the diplomatic vehicle of the ‘Patalian Embassy in the Kingdom of Abas,’ registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was Leoni, the Chief of Overseas Operations at the Military Intelligence Agency. She spoke in a dry voice.

“Let’s keep the jokes to a minimum, Consul.”

“It seems you’re not very fond of facing me, Chief. You frown every time.”

“I had trouble sleeping last night.”

In truth, she hadn’t slept at all; she had been hiding in a smuggling ship sneaking into Abas from Patalia, but Leoni chose not to mention that.

To that, the man, referred to as the consul from the Patalian Embassy, responded with a wide grin.

“I’ve said it before, overworking isn’t good for you. Especially for an elderly information officer like yourself. I’ve heard rumors that the office light never turned off until dawn while you were at the Royal Intelligence Department.”

“It seems the National Security Agency is also conducting background checks on intelligence officers from allied countries these days.”

The head of the Abas branch of the National Security Agency, with a smile on his face, opened his mouth.

“That’s just hearsay. We haven’t conducted any investigations.”

That was clearly nonsense. If that were true, the Patalian Embassy wouldn’t be eavesdropping on the office of the Abas Minister of Defense, an ‘ally.’

As they spoke, the information officer from the National Security Agency, who had been stealing military secrets just a year ago, countered with an unfazed expression.

“That’s in the past. Our government received a complaint from the Abas government and issued an official apology. The President personally conveyed his regrets to the Prime Minister.”

“We don’t have time, so let’s get straight to the point.”

“Of course.”

—

Episode 13 – A Country for Magicians Does Not Exist

“Our National Security Agency shared information with the Royal Intelligence Department three months ago. It feels like just yesterday when we were situated there… How did it go? Did you manage to gain any insights?”

The consul, who had been absent for an appointment concerning the sharing of information with the allied intelligence agency, looked towards the front seat of the sedan.

“There were indeed some findings.”

The Chief of Overseas Operations at the Military Intelligence Agency picked up the conversation.

“Thanks to the information provided by the National Security Agency, we were able to investigate a terrorist and identify several others connected to him. We are also uncovering the details and the mastermind behind the recent attack.”

“That’s a relief to hear. Wasn’t this something you’ve been preparing for years?”

Indeed, it had been. From when he served as the head of the Royal Intelligence Department to when he was reappointed as the Chief of the Military Intelligence Agency.

He was almost piecing together the puzzle when he received a vital piece necessary to approve the operation—provided by the National Security Agency.

“That’s right. As an information officer from an allied country, I appreciate that personally.”

“It seems you have tracked their whereabouts. May I ask where they are hiding?”

“They are not hiding, per se. They haven’t openly shown themselves either.”

The agency head from the National Security Agency smiled. Compared to before, his smile seemed somewhat conventional and bureaucratic.

“I didn’t come here to play a guessing game, Chief.”

As Leoni stared at his shiny face, she thought internally. They’re just like robbers; they don’t even need a knife to be a criminal.

Cooperating between intelligence agencies is akin to making sausages; everyone desires the end product, but no one is curious about the process.

Always worried that these guys might be playing pranks, fearing they might take advantage after making promises of cooperation. It had always been like that. Leoni didn’t trust the intelligence officers from the National Security Agency or any other intelligence agent parading around as allies.

If the consul wasn’t an intelligence officer from the allied country, and if this wasn’t a formal procedure between the intelligence authorities of both countries, she would have left the meeting right then. However, instead of getting up to leave, Leoni answered the official question posed by the head of the National Security Agency.

“They are located in the northern part of the Kien Empire.”

“…The northern Empire? That’s a conflict area.”

The consul, who looked somewhat suspicious, received a response from the chief.

“You don’t doubt the capabilities of the Royal Intelligence Department and the Military Intelligence Agency, do you?”

Wasn’t the information initially provided by you? If that’s the case, any inaccuracies would stem from your end. That was the nuance behind her words, making the consul’s expression twist in an instant.

“The information we shared was meticulously reviewed by our side. It was verified intelligence gathered from human intelligence assets that had access to the most sensitive materials over a span of ten years at the Magic Tower’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That officer was the top informant from the National Security Agency.”

“The information you just mentioned was derived from our own investigations and intelligence assets accumulated over the past few years. Of course, we dispatched our best personnel from the Royal Intelligence Department to the field.”

Leoni added succinctly.

“All suspects are currently under surveillance by the agency.”

“Not suspects, but terrorists.”

In what seemed like a correction of a significant misunderstanding, the agency head reiterated, and Leoni didn’t back down even a bit.

“Even a murderer is referred to as a defendant until proven guilty. The presumption of innocence is enshrined in the Patalian Constitution, so it would be inappropriate to treat them as terrorists when the verdict hasn’t even been issued yet, Consul.”

“The opinions of the heads of the Royal Intelligence Department and the Military Intelligence Agency seem to differ from yours. They considered our data conclusive in identifying them as terrorists.”

“The one responsible for overseeing the operation will take the fall; the heads appointed that person directly.”

“…So you don’t see them as terrorists?”

“I will leave that open for interpretation. I know you enjoy humor.”

As is often the case, it was always the consul who grew tired of the roundabout conversation. The head of the National Security Agency, arms raised, conceded defeat and returned to square one.

“Very well. Since you say so, I won’t question the source or reliability of the information. You’re a person who handles matters diligently.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“However, I have one request. This isn’t just a query from the diplomat of the Patalian Republic; it comes from the information officer of the National Security Agency, considering our staff who bled for the Mauritania Continent.”

“…Please go ahead.”

The agency head looked at the chief of the Military Intelligence Agency with great seriousness, and in a resolute tone, he opened his mouth.

“When will you kill the magicians who assassinated our staff on the Mauritania Continent?”

“…….”

“It wasn’t just our company’s staff that perished, was it?”

—

“Where did you go?”

“I went a few days ago, around three days back.”

The coastal path winding alongside beautiful natural cliffs. Wearing tension and anticipation, I heard Veronica’s voice as I traversed the path that had a panoramic view of the cliffs.

It had been a long while since I had heard her voice.

“Three days? Wow—why did you leave without telling me?”

“I don’t really have the time to report to you, do I?”

“Still, you could at least let me know. There’s so much to do in Patalia. If you’re heading there, take me with you!”

“Please, stop…”

After nine days of silence, Veronica was still the same. How could she ramble on so extensively without taking a breath? Unlike Lucia, who always spoke sparingly and gently, Veronica never lacked for words.

“So, how’s the vacation treating you, Colonel?”

“Just okay.”

As I walked the coastal path, I conversed with Veronica over a secured line, and after asking about my vacation, she seemed to feel the need to shift topics.

The first subject that popped into her mind was naturally the issues in the North.

“The Imperial government is currently working to resolve the matters in the North. They’ve been receiving support from the Cult and the Magic Tower for specialized medical equipment to treat patients exposed to dark energies, and they’re repairing buildings and infrastructure damaged in the conflict.”

Having taken the place of our fellow comrades, who were all moved to safety after being injured, Veronica continued her private investigation at my request.

The conversations exchanged between the Military Government Headquarters and the Ministry of Defense regarding the North, statements made by government figures involved in disaster recovery, rumors circulating within the Cult, and so forth. The data was plentiful.

While there were hopeful notes, such as improvement in treating patients exposed to demonic energies or aid supplies reaching residents adequately, there was nevertheless a plethora of despairing content when considering the realities of the North.

“Have casualty statistics been released yet?”

“It’s realistically challenging to gather statistics.”

Veronica’s voice carried a strangely weary tone.

“Seven major cities have been affected, but there have been so many deaths among the population and the military that they lack the resources to recover the bodies. Even after a week, corpses can often be seen in the streets.”

“The situation is much graver than anticipated.”

“Exactly. But if you were to ask if that’s the sole problem…”

From the way she trailed off, it was clear various issues plagued the area. Although she left the specifics unsaid, I understood roughly.

“Could you highlight a few of the most serious issues for me, Veronica?”

“Putting them in order of priority is tricky, but… The most urgent matter is housing. The shortage of medical supplies is something Lucia has already discussed with the bishops, and we’re finding ways around it, but it’s still severe.”

With the decline in morale, the chaos in the rear, and the loss of troops, news had also emerged that the Military Government Headquarters was delaying the timing of their offensive operations.

I halted on the path, deep in thought.

“What happens to us if they adjust the operational timelines? We had planned for an offensive in the spring, and all three of us have our own individual tasks.”

The operations assigned to Camila, Lucia, and Francesca were all tasks to be completed before the Imperial Army launched their offensive.

Delaying the operation wasn’t an issue; however, if it were moved up, it could disrupt the progress.

“As far as I know, over half of the mountains have been burnt down, and all the monsters hiding within have been wiped out. But we haven’t wrapped up the repairs on the transportation network or treated the refugees yet.”

“We’ve been informed that the military is willing to suffer losses in order to reclaim the unrecaptured areas as soon as possible. They seemingly aim to send troops across the mountains and launch an attack on the demon army, regardless of whether the reconstruction of railways and roads is finished or whether patients overflow in the rear.”

“So what about us? We just fought that big battle against the demons, and now we’re meant to take on the demon army?”

“The generals are keen on resolving this crisis solely with the Imperial Army. On the day the demon was slain, it was the Colonel, the Hero, and our younger siblings that faced it directly.”

Indeed.

Originally, the idea was that once the Imperial Army raced through the newly paved roads and drove the demon forces away, they would plant their flags in the reclaimed territories and proclaim, ‘We did it!’

But now, an enemy with a smell of corpses from the desert had emerged, disrupting their plans. If the news came to light, it was only natural to point fingers asking what the foreign soldiers had been doing while fighting for their lives.

Thus, to repair their dented pride, they would seek to successfully conduct the offensive operation with only their own forces.

“Did I get that right?”

“Precisely.”

“This is infuriating…”

Staring out at the sea while sighing in exasperation, Veronica’s indulgent voice came through the secure line.

In a calm and unfazed tone, she began to speak.

“But don’t think too negatively. There will likely be good news before Lucia’s canonization ceremony after spring.”

“…Good news?”

That good news was, quite literally, splendid news.

Veronica informed me that the Imperial government planned to publicly award us the medals for our efforts in the North over the past month. More specifically, the royal decree had come down.

As I began to wonder who might have issued that order, an unexpected name slipped from Veronica’s mouth.

It was a name I was familiar with.

And someone I knew well.

“Who gave the order…?”

“Alexandra Smirnov. The Duke of the North ordered it personally.”

Veronica added that there hadn’t been many instances where the Imperial government awarded a medal to an ambassador from Abas, with the exception of a few ceremonial awards given sporadically throughout history. She sounded genuinely joyful as she said it.

“Congratulations, Colonel. Although you won’t receive a pension because you’re a foreigner, it’s still quite an honor.”

“Uh, um. Thank you.”

“I hear the National Affairs Council is also preparing for some kind of award ceremony under the Pope’s directive, so be careful for a while. You’ll only have one photo taken, and it would be unfortunate to stand there with a bruise on your face or a broken nose, right?”

There wasn’t much of significance exchanged in the subsequent conversations. It was the same old routine of the Empire, the Cult, and the Magic Tower.

Of course, today held a hint of something new.

“Oh, by the way. I received a message from the Inquisition that they’ve found traces of the remaining colleagues indicated by the oracle.”

“Really? Where are they?”

“Well, one was found in the Mauritania Continent, and the other trace was discovered on the Eastern Continent.”

The Mauritania Continent and the Eastern Continent—the tribes of savage warriors and elves were being referred to here.

Given the precedents of Lucia and Francesca, the other two colleagues would likely not be ordinary races either. They probably had some eccentricities or were caught up in serious incidents. Especially the elves. If they were the stereotypical elves, statistically, nine out of ten would be affiliated with eco-fascist revolutionary groups, making it exceedingly likely that they would be lunatics.

As the ominous thought of a daunting future made my head throb, I began to massage my temples while continuing the call.

“Please pass on any concrete information as soon as it becomes available.”

“I will. By the way, Colonel, it’s been a while since we last spoke, but are you really going to stick to work-related topics the entire time?”

“What else would we discuss?”

“How about you first? You mentioned you went on vacation to Patalia. Which area are you staying in?”

“In a city called Galbria in the south.”

“Are you traveling alone?”

“No, I have company.”

From the other end of the line, I could hear a gasp of surprise. Was my traveling with someone that shocking?

Dumbfounded, I briefly lowered the phone. Whatever the case, Veronica’s curiosity piqued as she began firing off questions.

“Who is it? Who are you on vacation with?”

“Francesca.”

“Our Francesca?”

The answer had caught her by surprise, as her voice conveyed a hint of astonishment. It was a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor, and she stumbled over her words.

“Wh-why is she there?”

I explained the circumstances of what had happened.

From encountering Francesca at the Warp Gate on the day of arrival, having dinner with her alongside a professor at the Ivory Tower, attending an invited lecture, and the subsequent stay at her villa.

That was all I could share with her. Given the substantial details I provided, Veronica should have no reason to feel uncomfortable.

Just as I finished sharing, a sound of admiration came from Veronica once more.

“Wow, you’re staying at our sister’s villa?”

“Yes, but why are you making such a big deal about it? Getting invited to a villa is no big deal.”

Being curious, I posed the question, only to receive an immediate reply.

“I’ve never had the chance to visit it myself.”

Veronica sounded somewhat glum, as she lamented about how she hadn’t been able to visit the villa that I had gone to.

I was taken aback by the sudden emotional shift from the saint.

“Why haven’t you gone? Weren’t you two close?”

“She said it was because the villa reminded her of the one she lived in with our mother. So whenever she has a chance to go to the villa, she always goes alone. Since there doesn’t seem to be anyone managing it, it seems like she takes care of it herself.”

“…….”

“It’s like a personal space she wants to keep as a treasured memory, I suppose?”

“…That could be.”

“You’re quite lucky, Colonel. Anyway, is our sister doing well?”

Thinking about Francesca’s past had momentarily distracted me, but I quickly regained my focus.

“Actually, I was about to reach out regarding the Francesca situation.”

“Is something wrong?”

“The Public Security Agency is monitoring Francesca.”

Whether she considers Francesca a sister or a godmother, that didn’t really matter.

What was important was that Veronica and Francesca’s relationship was deeper than I had expected. And that she might have the power to help Francesca.

I shared everything Francesca had experienced until now.

Everything except for the matter concerning Sophia. How Francesca had been under constant surveillance from the National Security Agency since her time at the Magic Tower and how she had been trailed and eavesdropped upon every time she entered Patalia.

When the Cult had pressed the Patalian Republic about the tome of coercive actions against magicians, it was as if the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was meddling in South Korea’s government affairs; there wasn’t much of a difference.

Yet, since Francesca was not merely a relative of the Public Security’s suspects, but a colleague of Camila’s as well, I thought it was worth inquiring whether there were any means of assistance.

However, the response I received wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped.

“Hmm…”

Veronica’s tone turned vague as she hesitated, taking a moment before speaking again.

“I’ve been aware of the issues between the National Security Agency and the Ranieri family as well. I’ve known our sister for quite some time, and the fact that the National Security Agency is monitoring the Ranieri family has been a widely known secret long before I met them.”

“Yet you chose not to help her?”

“Because she didn’t want it.”

The Cult’s saint spoke, her tone laced with noticeable bitterness.

“Patalia is a secular state, so the influence of the Cult doesn’t matter as much as you’d think. Although the number of believers is high, many citizens regard religion as a secondary aspect of their personal lives.”

“But the oracle designated her!”

“Even if a religion performs miracles, whether to believe or not is a personal choice, right? Even if that colleague is designated by the oracle, if it comes out as meddling in a foreign nation’s internal affairs, it would tarnish the Cult’s image.”

“…….”

“Though truthfully, apart from all that, there’s also the issue of whether she desires my help or not.”

Francesca didn’t seek Veronica’s assistance? This was a first for me.

“If Francesca didn’t ask you for help, then doesn’t that mean she intends to handle it herself?”

“That’s true.”

“What do you think her reasons are?”

Veronica’s words continued.

I paid close attention to her response.

The answer came simply and straightforwardly, so plainly expressed that I could understand it in one go.

“Revenge should be concluded by one’s own hands for it to hold any meaning.”