A Dark Fantasy Spy

---

As January swiftly approached its mid-point, the northern winds remained fierce.

Unlike Patalia, where warm sunlight bathed the land, the sky over the Kien Empire remained gloomy and dreary today.

Under the dusk-colored sky, only the faint glow of a dim light emanated from inside a shop.

“There you are.”

Inside, there stood a magician.

—

Episode 13 – No Nation for Magicians

In the North, where even a small light couldn’t pierce the darkness, only the pale moonlight and starlight held sway over the gloom.

Despite the deep, prolonged darkness engulfing the city, light surged across the night sky down to the earth.

The silvery moonlight illuminated the ruined city. Not just the buildings, but between the bricks, faint glimmers brightened even the smallest cracks.

We met in a quiet city café.

Martinez, who arrived first, was sipping coffee. This quaint and charming café was one he visited at least three times a week in the north. Sitting by the window, observing the frost on the glass while cradling a book in his arms, one might forget hunger and pass the eternities of dawn with a fine cup of coffee.

I pulled out a chair and greeted him.

“Good to see you, Mr. Martinez. I apologize for contacting you at this late hour.”

“Not at all.”

Though it had been two weeks since we saw each other, Martinez showed little reaction. He simply sat there stoically.

“It’s been a while.”

“Indeed. I trust you’ve been well, Mr. Martinez?”

“Yes.”

The employee of the Magic Tower Secretariat, who was as plain in demeanor as his appearance, had an unremarkable presence.

His tone was businesslike and rigid. His expression was cold and emotionless.

It was a strange feeling when someone naturally reticent fell into a heavy silence. Was it hard to guess what was on his mind?

“Glad to hear that. I’ll get straight to the point.”

I spoke to Martinez, who placed his coffee down with a serious demeanor.

“I understand one of the employees from the Magic Tower Secretariat went missing in the North last month. What happened?”

Even with this sudden question, Martinez had no words.

He met my gaze with a blank expression, took a sip of his coffee, and then slowly responded.

“Details are currently under investigation.”

Where did I hear this? Who knows?

He didn’t share any clichés; instead, he provided a concise answer that they were investigating.

After staring at Martinez for a moment, I pulled out my mobile phone. The screen displayed 10:01 PM. Below it, another blinking time changed from 2 minutes 23 seconds to 2 minutes 24 seconds.

I flipped my phone face down on the table and laid my clasped hands beside it.

“You haven’t even reported this to Miss Francesca, have you?”

“…”

Martinez kept his mouth tightly shut, his face a mystery that could either convey silence or deep deliberation.

The stillness broke as I spoke up. In a low voice, I continued.

“Miss Gabi Schneider approached the administrator. While visiting Patalia for a special lecture by Professor Niazi, a renowned academic from the Ivory Tower, Miss Schneider contacted the administrator to ask for assistance in finding the missing Secretariat employee.”

“…Schneider, you say?”

Nodding my head, I noticed Martinez’s expression subtly shift.

“I heard it directly from her. Miss Francesca is also hoping for the swift return of Mr. Jean Marbo. Therefore, I arranged this meeting to inquire if you might have any information regarding the whereabouts of the missing employee.”

“If that’s the case, I’d like to help. Unfortunately, I don’t have any concrete details yet…”

“…Hmm, I see.”

“However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do.”

With the last sip of coffee gone, Martinez quickly placed his cup down and continued.

“I know someone in the North who can locate the missing Jean Marbo. A magician with very special abilities.”

“Such a person exists?”

“Magicians can be found in every country. It took some time to inquire, but thanks to connections among acquaintances, I reached out for assistance. Would you like to meet them together?”

Before I could answer, I sneaked a glance at my flipped phone.

The screen showed 10:49 PM, and the other clock read 10:50:24.

“…Let’s go then.”

I gathered my phone and stood up.

—

We stepped out into the street and walked through the deserted city.

An ambiguous hope lingered in everyone’s hearts that the border conflicts might soon settle, regardless of status, but the curfew and prohibition remains firmly enforced by the Military Government Headquarters.

My gaze fell on the soldiers keeping watch, stationed on the main road, their eyes scanning the empty streets without even a single ant in sight.

“Let’s turn back.”

We naturally avoided the watchful eyes of the military and ambled through the city’s shadows.

Due to the monster’s attacks, the vigilance of both the Military Police and soldiers had noticeably waned. Thanks to that oversight, we reached our destination without much trouble.

At an intersection shrouded in oppressive darkness, Martinez, who led the way, stopped.

“Let’s wait here until we arrive.”

“Is this where we are meeting?”

He silently nodded in affirmation.

“Initially, we planned to meet at home, but since they are a cautious individual, we agreed to meet outside.”

The eccentric stereotype associated with magicians reflected a certain image.

Locked away in a workshop, neglecting food and drink while engrossed in research, devoting their lives to catch a glimpse of truth, and obsessively upholding ancestral knowledge until the moment death claims them.

That was generally how the public viewed magicians. And while personalities may differ, most magicians exhibited traits fitting that stereotype.

For instance, they would be fiercely protective of their workshops and homes to avoid outside disturbance during their research or hide their identities to prevent exposure.

Even magicians living in a country with a registered magician system sometimes displayed such cautiousness.

I nodded along, conveying understanding toward Martinez.

“…”

Two men approached on the desolate road, shrouded in darkness. The faint moonlight cast shadows over their heads.

In the military uniforms tinted with a blue hue, the two men, rifles slung over their shoulders, came to a halt before a flowerbed near the intersection.

Even after spotting Martinez and me, who had violated the curfew, the two men showed no particular reaction.

From within the shadows, they lit cigarettes, exhaling smoke in a nonchalant manner.

Martinez began to quietly observe the unwelcome guests in military gear, while strange meows echoed from far down an alley.

Taking out my mobile phone to check messages, I aimed a casual question at him.

“Is it alright if I ask a few questions?”

“Feel free to ask.”

With that willingness granted, I posed my first query to Martinez.

“Mr. Martinez, what kind of person is Administrator Francesca to you?”

The Secretariat employee answered.

“She is someone I respect.”

“Respect?”

He nodded, his blank expression remaining unchanged.

“Lady Laineiri is truly the pride of our Secretariat. The great fathers of our nation are universally revered, but among their descendants, very few magicians qualify for common respect.”

“So, you’re indicating that the administrator is a qualified magician deserving of respect.”

“Exactly.”

With a certain admiration in his tone, Martinez continued.

“Since the unveiling of the mysteries, the magical society has stagnated over the past century. Both magicians and senior members of their schools have been struggling to recover lost legacies, incapable of pursuing any additional truth.”

“Hmm.”

“However, Lady Laineiri is different. She could achieve feats that surpass her lineage and possesses the qualities to lead magicians toward a brighter future.”

“If she had an interest in the position of the Magic Tower’s leader, I would willingly support her.”

In a tone devoid of warmth, Martinez concluded his words.

“Certainly, Miss Francesca is an impressive figure.”

Nodding in agreement, I continued with another question.

“What will you do once you find Jean Marbo?”

“Since he has absented himself from his post, an investigation will be unavoidable. Depending on the circumstances, it may even be handed over to Public Security. For now, all I wish is for Jean to return safely.”

“Were you on friendly terms?”

“A bit, yes.”

Suddenly, a pigeon landed nearby, its fluttering wings ceasing as two men in military uniforms paused their smoking to scatter snacks on the ground.

While the pigeon pecked at the crumbs on the ice, breaking the silence, I finally spoke up.

“A communiqué arrived at the embassy a few days ago.”

“What kind of communiqué?”

“An investigation report from the Inquisition.”

The Inquisition, working alongside the Imperial Ministry of Magic, had investigated a series of incidents that occurred in the North. This was due to the permission granted by the Duchess, who was a great archmage and the Emperor’s aunt.

Considering the tremendous impact this investigation had on the magicians active in the North at the time, it was easy to fathom how significant the Duchess’s measures were.

The investigation had only recently yielded results.

“As a result of the joint investigation between the Inquisition and the Imperial Ministry of Magic, clues about the demons and monsters appearing in the North emerged two weeks ago.”

On December 31, monsters from hell revealed themselves.

These creatures were undead that had resurrected under the influence of demonic energy. Those attacked rose from the dead to assault civilians and the military alike, turning Orventzku into a sea of flames.

However, it wasn’t just Orventzku where monsters appeared.

“Monsters have been spotted in major cities, including Novo Nikolayevsk. It has been confirmed that all of these monsters emerged from the underground sewers.”

For hundreds of years, the North had been constructing and expanding its cities. The sewers built underground were vast, like massive mazes.

Since the start of the conflict, the Imperial government had struggled with sewer management, prompting them to entrust the management and maintenance of the sewers to the magicians of the Magic Tower. Francesca accepted this with willingness and delegated the work to trusted elite magicians.

That very magician stood before me now.

“Mr. Martinez. Have you ever witnessed anything unusual while traversing the sewers?”

“Unusual?”

As the person in charge of the sewer management project, Martinez pondered for a moment, his expression flat.

“I haven’t noticed anything suspicious. I’ve crossed through the sewers for a month, but neither I nor any other magicians have seen anything odd.”

“You’re pretty clever.”

“After all, demons have existed since ancient times.”

Martinez shrugged.

As I studied his profile, I shifted my gaze. Despite the time passing, the two men in military uniforms held their ground.

They tossed a few cigarette butts to the ground but didn’t hinder us, who had broken curfew. I pulled my attention from them.

Martinez asked me.

“Was there anything else in the communiqué?”

“There was indeed.”

I summarized the contents of the document sent by the Inquisition.

“There was information gathering the activities of the demons that emerged from every continent and details regarding the monsters that attacked the Rift. Both demons and monsters appeared to be linked to the Mauritania continent.”

“Mauritania is a perilous continent.”

“I heard you’ve been there as an adventurer. What’s it like?”

“It’s a place teeming with the risk of civil war. It’s also where daily attacks from monsters residing in deserts and plains occur. Personally, it was not a hospitable region.”

A magician with adventurer roots discussed the continent of Mauritania.

“Anywhere you go, if you have money, anything is possible. Corrupt police and military look the other way when faced with smuggled goods, drugs, weapons, and slaves. If you just slip a few gold coins in their hands, merchants have no qualms.”

“Can you also find monsters from those merchants?”

“There’s a saying among adventurers: If you can’t find something, it’s because you lack funds.”

It was profoundly capitalistic wisdom. I chuckled and added.

“So that’s why you quit being an adventurer?”

“I grew tired of it. After all, the pursuit of money was not my initial intention.”

“Seems like there was something more important to you.”

“There are values that simply cannot be measured by money. I had more significant goals than money. That remains true today.”

“What are those?”

“The revival of the Magic Tower.”

I turned back to him with a smirk.

“Power and glory, huh?”

Martinez’s steady demeanor finally flickered as his face hardened. Beneath his calm exterior, cold flames flickered ominously.

“I think that’s something you, Colonel, would understand better. Given your background from Abas.”

It was a veiled inquiry, suggesting I was aware of why the Magic Tower was still struggling between powerful nations.

I wasn’t oblivious to that. There’s no way someone who graduated in historical studies and worked as an Abas official wouldn’t grasp why the Magic Tower faced ongoing challenges.

Feigning contrition, I responded.

“I meant no offense. Please don’t worry about it.”

“…”

Martinez stared at me with a half-smile, then turned away again. With a rare look of displeasure on his face, I began to enumerate the information gleaned from the joint investigation, which he was evidently unaware of.

“I did see information about demons in the communiqué, but it was confidential, so I couldn’t look into it deeply. It merely mentioned that they had been active in the Mauritania continent. However, there was something puzzling.”

I initiated a discussion about the destroyed seals left behind at the scene in Orventzku during the Inquisition’s investigation.

There were two seals to contain demons.

The spell created by exorcists centuries ago, and the barriers and artifacts devised by the many schools of the Magic Tower, carefully crafted.

Traditionally, the protection school was responsible for the barriers, and they excelled in developing barriers to seal demons, therefore securing great success despite the control of the three dominant schools over the Magic Tower throughout the century.

However, the barrier developed with utmost effort by the Magic Tower ultimately failed. Both the seal spells and the protective school’s barrier had failed to contain the demons.

Yet, the most intriguing point in the reports wasn’t the history surrounding the failure, but that the barriers were shattered by external force.

So, I continued speaking.

“The chief priest conducted the final inspection of the seal spell at 6:32 PM on the 30th. After completing the inspection, the chief priest handed it over to the duty priest, and shortly after, you entered the collapsed site to inspect the barriers, didn’t you, Mr. Martinez?”

He nodded his head.

“Indeed. It was agreed that the Inquisition and the Secretariat would manage the seal spell and barriers respectively.”

“Correct.”

Yet both were irreparably damaged by external impacts.

Prompted by my intrigue, I asked my next question.

“On the day the demons appeared, 31st, what were you doing and where?”

The gaze of the Secretariat magician remained fixed on me. He briefly glanced at me before turning away, retorting casually.

“I was asleep in my lodging.”

“Hmm.”

“It was my oversight. I should have conducted a more thorough inspection.”

I waved my hand dismissively.

“I’m not blaming you. The reason I brought this up is to inquire about the sheets recording the seal spell and barrier along with the artifacts.”

“…The sheets?”

“On the day of the work, you were supervising the collapsed site, weren’t you? I noticed that you maintained detailed records of both the Inquisition and the Secretariat’s work. It would be beneficial as supplementary materials for the investigation. But where are they now?”

His gaze returned sharply to me.

As our eyes met, I flashed a grin and continued.

“Looking at the hotel log from the 31st, I found a record of your outing. I assumed you went out to organize those materials. However, Mr. Martinez.”

I asked the magician.

“From whom did you hear that demons have existed since ancient times?”

“…”

“I certainly don’t remember saying that.”

Our gazes locked, and as we stared at each other, we suddenly turned to run in opposite directions.

“Kill him!”

“Open fire!”

Magic and flares illuminated the dark intersection.