A Dark Fantasy Spy

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A lonely island in a bustling city.

Deep underground at the Military Intelligence Agency Headquarters lies a vast situation room.

If one were to bypass the heavy iron doors and the security devices preventing entry, the berets hanging near the entrance hinted that there were indeed people here.

A blond, tanned punk emerged, pulling out a cap adorned with a captain’s insignia as he began to speak.

“I’m dead tired. What kind of late-night work is this on a Friday?”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Jake. Late nights aren’t exactly a rare occurrence here.”

A short black-haired woman emerged from under her beret, tidying her hair as she scolded her colleague. In response, a sulky Jake opened his eyes wide and glared at Pippin.

“I stay late practically every day, so what does that make me?”

“There are still people inside working late, you dimwit. That kind of talk is for outside. You really have no sense….”

“True enough.”

Between the still-open iron doors, the colonel sitting in the situation room swept his sparse scalp and muttered,

“…Life.”

—

Episode 15 – Life is Beautiful

—

An employee guarding the path to the situation room spotted two incoming figures at the end of the corridor and pulled out a key.

No recording devices, be it crystals, mobile phones, or magic paper, were allowed in the situation room. The portly information officer checked the names on the list and returned Pippin and Jake’s mobile phones.

As Pippin exited the office, she checked for any missed messages.

Jake asked,
“Did anyone call?”

“My friends texted. They want to hang out this weekend. You wanna join?”

“Sure, why not.”

The Military Intelligence Agency Headquarters was dark, having long passed regular quitting hours. Offices spilling light contained employees finishing up late tasks or continuing meetings.

“An evening meeting, huh?”

“Sounds like something went down.”

In any case, what happened in the office had nothing to do with the two of them.

Once they left the headquarters building, Pippin and Jake caught a taxi. As the taxi drove them into the lit-up urban Friday night, Jake began questioning Pippin.

“Is the Mauritania Continent project wrapped up?”

“Yeah, more or less.”

It was an operation searching for an unidentified man handed over by the Inquisition. It wasn’t easy, but it finally seemed to be coming to an end.

“I’ve narrowed it down to four likely countries. Now it’s just a matter of finding him.”

“Us? Or the field team?”

“What’s the difference…?”

After all, they wouldn’t be working at the headquarters for a millennium. It was a predetermined fate that whoever found the new colleague would head to that place after joining Frederick’s team.

“Oh damn, now that you mention it….”

Jake scratched his head, looking troubled.

It had already been a month since they found a new home to live in together with Pippin. They had put out the fires and secured a house, so they hoped for a bit of comfort—but thanks to the overly diligent employees, they were now heading overseas again.

After getting out in the bustling area, the two entered an upscale apartment guarded by an orc security officer, his canines jutting out above his tightly closed lips.

After shaking off sand at the entrance, Pippin flipped on her magic lights and murmured in admiration,
“Wow… it always feels nice here.”

“Should we just live here permanently then?”

“I’d love it if we could.”

Jake smirked at Pippin’s wistful wish.

“Can you afford the rent?”

“Once I get promoted to major, I should be able to make it work, right? Between you and me, I think we could cover it just fine.”

“Seems like you’re prioritizing the butt more than the belly…”

This place, which they couldn’t even afford with both of their salaries, was a gift from the company.

The procedures for moving in, eligibility requirements, funds, and even the complicated paperwork for loans (especially the income verification documents) were all handled by the company.

The notorious stingy information agency extended this favor to its employees for a straightforward reason.

After the demon’s extermination news broke, the Military Intelligence Agency found themselves needing to protect their employees linked to the northern conflicts.

The primary threats were journalists, diplomats, soldiers, and spies, all with ulterior motives to uncover the truth from the north. Preventing their access was the clear intention.

Perhaps that’s why the home offered by the company felt like a fortress.

In response to the terror attacks occurring at department stores months prior, a security company, having received permission from the Magic Department to “subdue criminals using magic in case of emergencies,” secured the entire apartment, while agents from the Counterintelligence Department inspected the security arrangements throughout.

Even the police station was just a stone’s throw away.

Despite feeling a bit monitored (which was somewhat suffocating), it was much better than before. Half the relief was knowing they were safe from eavesdropping and external intrusions, and the other half was that there were no suffocating neighbors around like a superior.

“About that residence the manager decided to move into,”

“Oh, that official residence?”

Pippin inquired.

She heard it was a residence used by generals from the Army Headquarters for generations. Although she did not know the full secret related to the residence, it was impossible not to recognize the identity of the neighbors if they worked for the Ministry of Defense.

“They say the neighbors next door are quite prestigious.”

“I feel so bad for the manager. Just running into them on the way to work would be….”

Having changed into comfortable clothes, Pippin and Jake sat on the sofa, tilting their beer bottles as they wished for their superior’s well-being.

“Originally, we were supposed to move into that nearby official residence.”

Jake made a sympathetic expression. Pippin slapped Jake’s arm lightly.

“I told you we shouldn’t move in there. Since all the official residences are clustered together in this capital, if you don’t want to salute passing cars, you shouldn’t be living in those kinds of places.”

“Do you think the manager knows?”

“I wouldn’t know. Maybe they know.”

“For a while now, it seemed like the manager dealt with the official residence situation while focusing on company work. You know the manager’s personality. When working, they tend to zone out on anything related to themselves.”

“Eh… Still, they’ve been working here for over three years. They should at least know who lives near the official residence.”

Of course,

Frederick had no idea who lived next to the official residence he was about to move into.

Jake sighed deeply.

“…Do you think they know?”

That was a top-notch analysis with a 100% accuracy rate.

“Well, the manager will figure it out. What’re we having for dinner?”

“I’m sleepy if I’m full.”

“You really… Are you planning to act like a perv even after working late?”

“Fine, fine. Let’s just grab something from the place nearby. Don’t wander far.”

Two hours after the two of them were dawdling over beers while thinking, ‘Surely it can’t be that bad,’ a phone call came in.

—

The pleasant drinking session wrapped up around an hour before midnight.

Brother Jerry and Older Sister Adela stayed in the backyard tidying up. Proposing a group meal was the privilege of a superior, but cleaning the grill and disposing of the leftovers were always the lower-ranked’s duties.

“Hey, pick up the grill.”

“Adela, what’s with that attitude towards your big brother?”

“Am I supposed to lift this heavy piece of iron? Who was it that insisted on using something too big for family use instead of something else?”

“Ugh….”

In the end, the Treasury Department official and the diplomat had to tidy up after the financial examiner and the royal court maid.

But what is the public sector like? It’s a fierce battlefield where superiors dump work on subordinates and siphon off their salaries.

Thus, Brother Jerry and Older Sister Adela, abiding by the strict rules of the public sector, subcontracted the task of handling serious matters (cleaning the heavy grill) to an appropriate civilian contractor.

“Ayla!”

“What is it, sister?”

“Move it with your magic!”

“…….”

“Shak shak! You can do it! A- faster.”

Throwing aside her university cape emblazoned with symbols, Ayla, donned in a plain cape with no markings, observed her enemies with a blasé expression, thinking, “Do these humans think magic is万能 (ubiquitous)?”

The promising magician from the academy and university had now sunk to moving grills. It was a prime example of the vicious cycle of subcontracting perpetuated by malicious officials.

“Ugh, it’s heavy….”

“Want me to help you?”

“No, it’s nothing like that… Where are Mom and Dad?”

The youngest, lifting the grill into the air, asked. The eldest daughter, wiping down the table, retorted as if it were obvious.

“They’re in the bedroom.”

On a usual day, Ayla would express indignation at ‘Why are the kids laboring while the parents are relaxing in the bedroom?’ But today, she silently continued to clean the grill with water drawn by magic.

The eldest son, organizing the charcoal, started speaking as he watched the youngest go about her task.

“Our youngest. Has grown quite mature since we last saw each other, huh? Working has made you develop, huh?”

“Growth, my foot. You must have gotten a good scolding.”

“Adela.”

The diplomat let out a snicker. The treasury department official appeared displeased, but considering the differing departments, the diplomat was undeterred.

However, despite the family’s banter, the company employee maintained silence. Ayla continued cleaning quietly with her magic.

“…….”

Noticing her sister’s unusual silence, Adela felt a strange déjà vu.

“Hey. Did something happen at work?”

“No, why suddenly ask?”

“You’re too quiet. Ayla, you’re not normally this quiet. Now that I think of it, it’s been ages since you’ve talked about work, right?”

“…….”

“It’s been a long time since we’ve met, so share something.”

Adela’s suggestion was supported by Jerry.

“Yeah, Adela’s right. We should know what our youngest is up to. We’re family.”

Yet, no response came.

Ayla remained silent, repeating the task of cleaning the grill with magic. As the ensuing silence lingered, the dripping sound of water continued. Finally finishing her task, she stood up and magically dried her hands.

Then, she spoke as if letting it slip out:

“The company is just the company.”

Adela was taken aback by Ayla’s blunt response, placing her hands on her hips.

“Is that all? Is that how you introduce your workplace?”

“Ah, it’s just that I had nothing specific to say.”

Ayla glanced at her sister with a pouty face.

“It’s just a company that handles the import/export of goods. Didn’t you and brother see it last time? Compared to the Treasury and Foreign Affairs, it’s a meager company, so no big deal….”

“Ayla.”

Jerry called to his younger sister in a low voice.

“Saying that is rude. It’s your workplace, after all, claiming it’s meager. We’re merely curious about what kind of workplace you’re at. How’re the people, what do you do there? Is the cafeteria food tasty?”

At Jerry’s remark, the diplomat interjected.

“Why is the cafeteria suddenly part of this conversation?”

“Just curious about the food quality.”

“Will it magically appear? Why on Earth are you asking something like that?”

“Be quiet, diplomat. Didn’t your cafeteria serve every cuisine from around the globe? That’s a waste of tax and budget funds, you realize?”

“It’s definitely better than the notoriously flavorless treasury cafeteria. That’s for sure.”

It was a rather trivial conversation for public servants in their thirties. Watching this unfold, the company employee could no longer hold back and interjected into the dialogue.

“It’s an ordinary workplace. The people are just okay, and the work is manageable. The food? I have no idea. It’s so bad I eat out every day….”

“That’s not healthy, though.”

“Anyway, it’s just okay. Ordinary, if anything, and special if there’s anything to highlight.”

“What kind of workplace could be like that?”

At Adela’s retort, Ayla sighed.

“You’re right, sister.”

“Why the heck did you even take a job like that? You could have worked for a better company. Should I write you a recommendation for the Magic Department?”

“No way. By the way, what about Fred?”

The youngest inquired about the whereabouts of the second son. How come they were tidying up here while he was off somewhere?

“He was headed to his room not long ago. Said he got a call from the Ministry of Defense.”

Jerry answered while moving the grill to the storage room. The eldest daughter, tidying the refrigerator, chuckled.

“Not the Ministry of Defense, but the Church, I bet. I heard he’s getting close to the saint, and all that.”

The third one, often off gallivanting abroad, being linked to one of the two saints in the Church was common knowledge among diplomats and the rest of the world.

News of a maiden favored by the divine getting involved with a foreign man was such an outrageous scandal that the Pope at the time, Pope John XVI, was said to have stumbled and fallen at the news.

The guards, witnessing his fall, summoned a doctor and a healing priest, just to scramble about again.

“Heard the Pope tripped over himself and fell when he heard the news.”

“How do you even know that?”

“Embassies are not places for play, you know~.”

Adela’s knowledge of this little-known information came from her occupation as a diplomat.

A friend, working as a second-level secretary in the Church’s diplomatic mission, had handed over this intel with a lead-in like, ‘Today the consul was summoned by the Inquisition….’

Of course, any diplomat worth their salt would already know the rumors were just tabloid gobbledygook. The leading source of the scoop was yellow journalism and major outlets, yet fact-checking went right out the window.

Plus, the Inquisition’s unusually quiet response only fueled speculation.

Had it been true, they would have been the first to cause a ruckus, so the fact that they were behaving was telling in itself. Even the Royal Intelligence Department acknowledged the Inquisition’s exceptional information prowess.

There was no way those rumors had any validity.

Adela chuckled lightly.

“Do you think he really has a thing with the saint? It’s just a wild rumor, don’t take it so seriously.”

The eldest sister scolded the eldest brother.

Lost in thought, Jerry, who had been serious and contemplative, suddenly broke into a smile after hearing Adela’s comment.

“Fred seemed really distressed. He even splashed soda on our parents’ faces.”

“That was just shock. Has he ever introduced us to a girlfriend?”

“Uh… no?”

“See? He hasn’t even dated during his time in the academy; you think he’d be able to pull it off with a foreign saint?”

It was difficult to argue against the point, as it wasn’t entirely incorrect.

Trying to defend his younger brother as the eldest, Jerry
held back a smile slipping out. He tried, but he couldn’t help the snickering sounds that escaped.

Imagining Fred desperately defending himself against accusations that he was in a relationship with a saint cracked him up.

“Oof.”

The three siblings, having finished organizing the storage, surrounded the living room couch. They planned to converse and catch up on what they hadn’t shared as a family until now over some snacks.

Looking tired, Ayla settled onto the sofa and spoke to them.

“So, what about you? Any plans to get married soon?”

“Leave me be. My parents have already been hounding me about when I’m bringing a daughter-in-law in. Let me relax today.”

“Still, what’s the real deal with him?”

Amid the continued conversation between the three siblings, Fredrick, finishing up a phone call, flopped down on his bed, cursing under his breath.

“Damn it….”

He found out that his next-door neighbor was the Chief of Staff.

—

A month ago, upon receiving a summons, he arrived at the office of the overseas operations manager only to hear unexpected news.

‘Pack your bags. You’re moving.’

The Military Intelligence Agency abruptly ordered him to vacate his official residence. To be precise, he was instructed to change his living arrangements.

‘Your identity has been exposed way too much.’

‘Wasn’t my identity exposed since the day I got my commission?’

‘That’s why we’re giving this order.’

The head of the Overseas Intelligence Division, the first female general produced by the Military Intelligence Agency, said.

‘Official residences have poor security as it’s hard to control entry. With so many employees living there, how can we enforce control? Huh?’

Leoni pointed out the vulnerable security situation of the official residence and instructed him to move out. He’d actually been pondering this issue lately, so he found it easy to agree.

‘Understood. So where am I supposed to stay?’

‘It’s still not possible to move in because we need to check the security of the alternative place and set up preventive measures. We secured a budget, but Clevenz’s subordinates are busy nowadays. Do you have any spot to stay in the capital? If not, you can go to a hotel, and we’ll cover the activity costs.’

‘I can stay in a townhouse. I’ll decline the hotel, thank you.’

‘We need to transfer the current occupant first, so it’ll take about a month.’

‘Current occupant?’

‘It’s an official residence, after all. We need to give the previous occupant enough time to move out.’

An official residence typically refers to a place for the ministers or legislators. In the military context, it indicated the dwelling of a general.

Why, I thought, would a major be given a general’s residence? I was curious if this was even legally permissible, but I didn’t dig into the specifics.

There was no need to, as the living conditions offered were quite appealing.

‘First of all, we’ll switch all the materials in the official residence to those that prevent eavesdropping and wiretapping; similar measures will be taken inside as well. Military police will protect the area, and personnel who will assist you in managing the facilities will be moving in too.’

With measures against eavesdropping, a security unit, and personnel commuting to and from the official residence.

This looked like a set of rewards only given to generals. Still, what caught my eye the most was the location conditions.

‘How long does it take to get there?’

‘About 10 minutes by car, under 30 if walking.’

Damn Military Intelligence Agency never provided accommodations for employees. They threw everyone of merit working in the capital’s military base into the same congested building and called it ‘accommodation.’

With no noise from passing employees in the corridors at night, and no drunken loudmouths crying about their promotions, living in a spacious home capable of accommodating a large family without facing a pathetic neighbor was every person’s dream.

Plus, someone else would handle the cleaning, and the commute was short?

You’d be a fool to pass up such an offer.

‘Let’s sign the contract right away.’

Without a second thought, I scribbled my signature on the documents.

Leoni asked, “Aren’t you going to hear the other details?” But my mind was already painting a beautiful rose-tinted future.

A spacious house. A quiet, serene neighborhood. A quick commute.

The only downside was that I didn’t own it. But aside from that, it was a home I was completely fond of.

Having taken a step closer to my dream of having a home (not really), I returned to the situation room to finish off my duties.

Only now, reflecting back, did I ponder,

“Signing documents recklessly isn’t a good idea….”

I plopped down onto my bed, smiling giddily at the thought of my earlier self packing up to move out of the official residence, wishing I could strangle that memory.

Yet time travel was a field even an archmage had given up studying, so I turned my resentful gaze towards the phone resting on the table.

The recent 7-minute call had come from the Army Chief of Staff’s residence. I had received a late-night call, and the person on the other end had casually introduced themselves as, “Oh, I’m the Chief.”

It had been but barely over 10 minutes since that utterance caused me to wonder what was going on.

When I confirmed that the official residence I was supposed to move into was right next to the office of the Chief of Staff, I nearly tore the document into shreds.

For reference, the house behind mine belonged to the Minister of Defense (a former four-star general), and the house in front was occupied by the Chief of Staff’s secretary and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Realizing all that,
I barely managed to suppress my impulse to burn down the residence I was supposed to be moving into.

“No wonder Pippin and Jake found separate accommodations…”

I squeezed my cheeks in disbelief. What good could come of holding back such news from me, you bastards?

Of course, I knew full well that the root of this incident lay in my carelessness for not listening to Leoni’s explanation before signing the documents. That only fueled my anger.

“Life….”

I filled a glass with whiskey and swallowed it down. I couldn’t possibly endure this with a clear mind anymore.

My neighbor being the Chief of Staff. Hosting a housewarming party with the Minister of Defense.

I hadn’t really planned a housewarming, but something the Chief mentioned right before hanging up weighed heavily on my mind.

He said he’d do everything to help me blend in with the neighbors.

Essentially, he intended to gather the residents from the official residence and hold a grand welcoming event. I desperately hoped it was a joke. It suddenly reminded me of how similar situations unfolded when he was appointed as the corps commander.

“…….”

Lying on the bed, I gazed blankly at the ceiling.

At that moment, the thought that crossed my mind was,
“Should I just go abroad?”

Running away overseas.

As a colleague of Camila, I could go anywhere.

I could easily find a vacant seat at an embassy in a country of no consequence, use a diplomatic passport to exit, or get a fake passport and travel abroad as a third-country national.

Pretending to be an unofficial spouse and escaping abroad seemed like a far more civilized option than burning down the official residence. Plus, it was a realistically feasible choice.

“Maybe I should just go see Camila….”

Or perhaps Lucia or Francesca, or even Veronica. At the very least, it would certainly be better than being stuck in the shadows of the Minister of Defense, the chief secretary of the Prime Minister, and the Chief of Staff.

I glanced at my phone, contemplating seriously. It was likely afternoon where Patalia was, so perhaps Francesca would pick up.

Just as I was considering my options for an escape route, a lifeline suddenly fell from the sky.

-♪!

The phone vibrated across the table. The number flashing on the screen looked like something you’d commonly see in the capital. At least on the surface, it appeared to be that way.

It was a company call.

I sprang up, grabbed my eavesdropping prevention equipment, and confirmed the safety measures before answering the call.

“What’s going on, Matt?”

A deep male voice resonated from the other side, carried through a magical wave.

-‘It’s about work. I need you to come to the office for a bit.’

“Did something happen?”

-‘Something like that.’

The Royal Intelligence Department employee continued.

-‘I think we found your colleague.’