A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The morning in Abas was tranquil.

Overnight, a gentle drizzle had moistened the earth, while mist bloomed in the urban landscape, stretching beyond the horizon.

The warm spring sun poured through the gaps between the skyscrapers that stood like mountain peaks, scratching my skin and rousing me from my slumber. I opened my eyes and descended into the living room.

Though my work often kept me away, the Nostrim Family townhouse in the capital was as cozy as my mansion back home. Having shaken off the fatigue of a good night’s sleep, I was ready to enjoy my morning with renewed vigor.

I stepped out into the yard, holding a steaming cup of tea.

The dew and fallen leaves had settled on the table and chairs set in the backyard.

It seemed the branches had been knocking at my window for a reason; a storm must have swept through at dawn. After setting down my tea, I brushed away the remnants of nature with a newspaper.

“……”

As I sat at the neatly arranged table, sipping my tea, the city’s scenery captured my gaze.

Buildings towered high, seemingly reaching for the clouds, with a massive roadway cutting through the city. Smaller streets branched off like limbs from a tree, connecting various parts of the bustling metropolis.

And the sun, draped over the metallic peaks, crossed the vast cosmos, breathing life into the seedlings sprouting in my garden.

“……”

Setting down my cup for a moment, I reached out to caress the tender sprout. I felt as though it might snap if I pressed too hard, so I gently stroked its leaves with my fingertips.

There, in the townhouse’s garden, I faced a tiny sprout.

Though it was merely an unnamed weed growing in the vast grassland,

“…Hmm.”

It was still worth a glance.

—

Episode 15 – Life is Beautiful

After rolling around in the headquarters office for five months, I finally got a vacation. Those who don’t work get fired, but those who work hard are rewarded with rest.

However, as soon as I stepped out on my vacation, I realized there was nothing to do.

I was alone.

My companions were thousands of kilometers away in foreign lands, and I was here in Abas by myself. I had friends from my military academy and academy days, but those who were about to turn 30 were now proper adults living their own lives.

In other words, no one would come rushing to meet me if I contacted them right away.

Truth be told, since joining the information agency, I had cut ties with many, so there weren’t really any people I could call. If I had known this would be the case, I should have attended more alumni meetings. A wave of regret washed over me.

But no matter how estranged a person’s relationships may be, there’s usually at least one person who would happily meet if I called.

To be precise, there were two.

“Are you awake?”

“Yeah, sis.”

As I returned home, shaking off dirt at the entrance, older sister Adela greeted me.

“Where’s the brother?”

“Jerry just woke up a bit ago. He’ll be down soon, so prepare breakfast.”

“Ugh.”

Mumbling around a whole wheat biscuit, I bobbed my head and answered with a sludge of sounds. The biscuit from yesterday was so dry it was like eating chalk. Before I even scooped a spoonful of food, I had shoved in the snack like a bum who had forgotten about health management.

“I’m thirsty.”

“There’s milk in the fridge.”

Milk? I muttered while breaking the biscuit in half, crumbs scattering everywhere.

“At my age, milk? Am I a kid?”

“Then is it normal for an adult to eat snacks right after waking up? Just drink the milk. It suits you.”

I poured some milk into a glass. My sister clicked her tongue at the sight of me stuffing another snack into my mouth after claiming to be thirsty.

While preparing breakfast, Adela stared at me as if in disbelief.

“Stop eating snacks, you idiot!”

“Why are you two fighting so early in the morning? Shouting right off the bat is pointless.”

“Jerry!”

At that moment, Jerry’s voice interjected, raising Adela’s tone. His hair was still damp as if he had just showered.

The eldest son of the Nostrim family, Jerry, appeared in the kitchen, his gentle smile serving as a mediator to his siblings’ quarrel.

“Stop fighting, Adela. Freddy is an adult too; don’t lecture him just because you’re the older sister. And you too, Freddy. What are you doing looking for snacks before you’ve had breakfast? Adela’s gone to the trouble of preparing a meal for you.”

“What are you talking about… It’s my breakfast?”

Screech! Adela shrieked as if possessed, while Jerry just smiled indulgently as if dismissing her words.

This was the morning greeting of a civil servant from the Ministry of Finance and a diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Such grandeur brings a swell to the chest.

The diplomat, with his lack of common sense, yelling, and the revenue officer nodding along as if agreeing with the sibling’s argument. The defense ministry official, who had been watching the commotion, sighed while dunking his biscuit into his milk.

“Well, this is just great for the country.”

“Great for the country? More like for the household, right?”

Both are the same.

I pushed away Jerry’s grinning face with my hand. It was uncomfortable having his face so close.

Having shoved him away, I quenched my thirst with the milk and responded.

“Thanks, Jerry. Just what I needed, more bleak realities.”

Adela, watching that scene, shook her head in disbelief.

“Now the siblings are both causing a ruckus. Are we filming a comedy skit? What are grown men over thirty doing…?”

“Sis, that’s not something anyone but me should be saying—”

“Shut up and eat!”

—

After finishing breakfast, just when the kettle filled with black tea was about to boil, Jerry and Adela left for work.

It was a weekday, and since I was the only one on vacation, that was to be expected.

Anyway, having been alone since early morning, I felt I needed to do something. While napping in bed or watching the trendy stand-up comedy (with goblin comedians satirizing society being a hit), didn’t sound bad, it was only good for a day or two.

A moderate stimulus can soothe a weary soul and bring joy, but over-stimulation is harmful.

Today was the last day of my vacation, and I couldn’t afford to waste the entire day sleeping and eating. I needed to seek happiness in other pursuits.

So I stepped outside.

Staying cooped up at home wasn’t going to help, and cooking lunch myself sounded tedious. Having bought food outside daily, it seemed I’d unknowingly developed that habit.

I wandered the streets aimlessly after leaving the house. Not having any commitments or places to go, I moved where my feet took me.

The first thing I encountered was an old man walking his dog while children played in the park. I sat on a bench, quietly observing the park before heading to a nearby restaurant to solve my lunch.

Today’s mode of transportation was the subway.

A beautiful people’s mode of transport that could navigate through the capital with its looping lines and transfers.

Though I left my house without clear intentions, I hadn’t boarded the subway without thought. If I were an elderly person in South Korea, I’d really have nothing to do but take the subway through Seoul, but what I needed more than the scenery outside to dull my boredom was a lively space.

The loud noise of the railways and the echoing announcements. I leaned against the door and quietly pulled out my mobile phone.

As the familiar melody played, I whispered softly.

“…Hello?”

Amid the surrounding racket, a bright voice rang clearly. It was a welcome voice.

-‘Long time no see!’

At that moment, I confirmed with a grin that the other party had properly answered the call.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

-‘Oh, is it not a long time since we last spoke?’

“We just spoke the other day, Camila.”

The cheerful voice of Camila flowed through the signal.

I glanced around while adjusting my grip on the phone.

“So, how’s the weather there?”

-‘Very sunny.’

The weather was a sort of code we had established in advance. When the other asked, “How’s the weather there?” and the reply was ‘sunny,’ it meant we could talk for a while, but if the reply was ‘cloudy,’ it indicated we should wrap things up quickly.

So, since the weather was sunny, it looked like we could chat for a while without issues.

“That’s great to hear. So, Camila, are you practicing magic well?”

-‘Absolutely! I’m practicing steadily every day, I’ve just passed the written exam, and I even had a practical test yesterday.’

Camila was currently training under the duke.

Just after the coronation, as the duke was preparing to return with the imperial delegation, he sought Camila out that day. The Duke, Alexandra Petrovna, had proposed that she live with him and receive his teachings.

He promised to provide not only the necessary textbooks but also all the support for living expenses, which seemed to indicate he was quite eager to take on a disciple at his advanced age.

There was no downside to the proposal, nor was there any reason to refuse it.

Direct instruction from the archmage was not something even the Oracle, who managed the magic tower, could obtain lightly. The fact was that the Oracle had paid astronomical sums over the decades to gain knowledge from the archmage, yet there wasn’t much to show for it.

But to have the archmage himself personally teach and support her? That was an offer that required signing the contract without second thought.

Thus, Camila followed the duke to the capital of the Kien Empire, Petrogard.

“It seems you’ve adapted well to life in the empire.”

-‘I’ve been here for five months, so it would be strange if I hadn’t adapted, right?’

“Is that so? Now that you mention it, it does seem that way.”

Although I had grown separated from Camila, I felt no pang of sadness. It was something I’d expected. Most importantly, I was the one who encouraged Camila to head to the empire.

Camila was a magician. No matter how much I backed her with the state behind me, there were limits to what I could do without the ability to harness magic and divinity.

The conversation I had with Francesca further bolstered that encouragement regarding her imperial journey. The alchemist’s saying that it is proper for a magician to be taught by a magician was beyond dispute, and there was no better teacher than the duke. The advice that one should grasp such opportunities when they arise was similar as well.

For that reason, I had encouraged Camila to follow the duke to the empire. Though she hesitated at first, the allure of truly learning magic and the thought that such a great opportunity wouldn’t come around again led her to eventually accept.

However, it wasn’t easy for any of us to part from the comrades we had been with for every moment.

So whenever we could, we would call each other. Most often, it was me finding the time to reach out, but occasionally, Camila would call me first.

It wasn’t always that something special was on her mind. There had been times she simply called to chat before going to sleep.

By the way, I was also in touch with Lucia and Francesca regularly. Though each was in a different location, perhaps due to frequently contacting each other, it didn’t feel as if there was great distance between us despite the physical miles.

“So what did you learn today? Did you pick up anything interesting?”

-‘Oh, a lot! I learned how to read constellations using a crystal ball, and how to communicate with spirits. I haven’t succeeded yet, but it feels meditative when I close my eyes and concentrate, so it’s quite enjoyable.’

“Anything else?”

-‘Oh right! I figured out how to shape fire today.’

Camila continued with her cheerful tone. The new spells she had learned from studying the magic books, the tips on handling magical power taught by the duke, and more.

She mentioned how she had eaten somewhere nice for lunch today, how the royal chef had prepared such a feast that she thought the table might collapse, and a bunch of miscellaneous stories flew out.

Listening to Camila chattering, I couldn’t help but smile. She seemed to be doing well, which was a relief.

-‘I haven’t formed it properly yet, but if I get the hang of it, I think I can transform it into objects or animals. I have many things I’d like to create, but my current goal is to make a flame in the shape of a snake.’

“A snake?”

-‘Yeah, a snake. I think it would be fun to play a flute with a writhing snake in front of me, don’t you think?’

“What even is that…?”

Of course, I sometimes was treated to her random thoughts, but at the least, Camila was safe and sound.

She answered that she was eating well, sleeping well, and living comfortably, and the Abas embassy in the Kien Empire sent similar tidings. Both pieces of news were comforting.

Riding the subway through the metropolis, I hung up the call only once I reached the final station. I looked around diligently while moving from one carriage to another—for fear of anyone tailing me—but there were no handlers in my vision.

“……”

In the late afternoon, as I emerged back onto the surface, I squinted against the warm sun. The spring sun might be lesser than summer’s but was no trivial threat.

Should I buy sunscreen when entering the house? I would need to stock up when going on assignment to the Mauritania continent.

But since I didn’t need to buy it immediately, I could just borrow Adela’s for now.

Lost in thought, I ventured deeper into the alley.

—

I strolled through an unfamiliar back alley on the outskirts of the capital. The strange alley showcased the typical decay of a rundown slum.

Decorated buildings surrounded by yellowed walls, the paint peeling off grotesque iron railings, huddled together.

It was afternoon; almost no one was passing through the alley. Whether cleaning up or tossing away junk, furniture and odds and ends cluttered in front of the telephone poles, while cigarette butts and sticky spit dried in the crevices of the concrete blocks.

It was hard to find any liveliness in an alley devoid of sunlight.

The dreary concrete and rusty steel created a desolate atmosphere that seemed to reject the presence of outsiders.

Deep within that alley stood an old building.

It was a factory.

The factory resembled a vacant structure without even a proper name displayed. No sign of any tenant could be found; the courtyard was overrun with weeds, making it look abandoned for years.

Was this what America’s Old Town looked like when artists transformed derelict factories into homes? The surroundings bore an eerie resemblance to the crumbling industrial districts of America.

I glanced at the reflected mirror set up at the roadside with my eyes, confirming no one was tailing me. I had checked several times on the way here, and there was no one following me.

The reddish iron bars were covered in rust when I touched them. I unlatched the loose lock and cautiously stepped inside.

“……”

I stood before the door of the desolate factory lot. The silence in the back alley seemed almost ready to echo sharply with the slightest knock on the steel door.

Instead of tapping on the old iron door, I pressed the web-covered bell.

No sound came. However, I sensed a presence.

As I shifted my gaze toward the surveillance camera mounted above the door, just as I was about to turn away…

Clank, a jarring metallic sound echoed, and the door swung open.

“……”

The man emerging from inside said nothing. He simply cast a glance at me, looked around, and nodded slightly.

I passed through the door he held open, greeting him.

“Long time no see, Matt. Where on earth did you find such a crummy place?”

“A guy I know was the owner of this factory, but his company went bust, so I bought it at a reasonable price. No one was tailing you, was there?”

“If they were, would I be here?”

“Good, come on in.”