A Dark Fantasy Spy

---

As I lay lazily by the lakeside, the Imperial Army made their grand entrance.

The rapid response unit dispatched from the Central Headquarters defending Petrogard began to take control of the area. They urgently pushed passersby out and blocked entry, but guess what? The scene had long been overrun by many people already.

With the help of an officer who had a translator with him, I was moved to another location. He recommended I go to the military hospital for a quick check-up, but I turned down that suggestion.

“Looks like you’ve caused another incident.”

It was just then that the Duke appeared at the scene, right when the rapid response unit was fully engaged in controlling the situation.

She popped up from thin air, accompanied by blue flames, and upon spotting Camila resting in an ambulance, she scolded softly.

“I told you to be careful! Are you hurt at all?”

“I’m fine…,” Camila replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

After checking our conditions, Alexandra Petrovna handed over two potions. They were to help stabilize our mental state.

“Thank you…,” Camila gratefully gulped down the potions in a hurry, which prompted the Duke to stare at her incredulously.

“What on earth made you fall into the lake?”

“Well, you see…”

As I wiped the potion remnants from my lips, I answered on behalf of Camila.

The Duke, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke after what seemed like ages. Alexandra Petrovna adjusted her expression to one of genuine disbelief as she began to speak.

“Where did you leave the cube? It must have operated without any issues, no matter how low you were. Did I not tell you to use it in case of a magical failure and contact the Magic Department for rescue?”

“……”

That was the first I had heard of such a thing.

As I blinked in confusion and turned to glance at Camila, she quickly averted her eyes.

Her shoulders trembled like aspen leaves, her eyes darted around in distress. Her fingers fidgeted with the poor, innocent blanket beside her.

The moment I saw Camila’s demeanor, I couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of realization.

Ah, she forgot how to use it.

“……”

“……”

“……”

Amidst the awkward silence that enveloped the inside of the ambulance, a soft sigh escaped the Duke’s lips.

—

Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood

—

Two foreigners, who violated five laws represented by the Magical Aviation Safety Act, had a minor accident by crashing into the scenic lakeside of Petrogard, but all matters were left unspoken.

The Ministry of Land, overseeing aviation laws, along with the Ministry of Defense responsible for the capital’s air defense, the police under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs all pretended not to see. After all, the one at the center of it was none other than the Duke of the North’s prized pupil.

However, the foreign journalists on the lookout for stories couldn’t be silenced. The correspondents stationed in Petrogard treated Camila’s shy and adorable mishap as an exclusive.

Naturally, the reporters from Abas were no exception.

Thus,

-“After sending them on vacation, they’ve caused quite the ruckus.”

I was immediately summoned to the embassy and received a stern reprimand through a secure line.

-“What on earth were you doing?”

Colonel Clevenz clutched his office phone, firing questions at me. This time, he wanted to know what fiasco I had caused for my face to end up in the newspaper.

“Actually, I was just helping Miss Camila with her magic practice…”

-“You mean to tell me that you broke the lake while practicing magic?”

“Well, that’s….”

It took me just about a minute to explain the chain of events.

On the other end of the receiver, I heard a deep sigh, and Clevenz spoke with an incredulous tone.

-“Not only did you mess around in the imperial airspace like it was your backyard, but you also caused an accident that smashed Petrogard’s lake. How ridiculous…”

“I agree, it’s pretty silly.”

-“Shut up, you!”

Fortunately, no punishment followed.

The Abas Ministry of Foreign Affairs distanced themselves by stating through the ambassador, “We regret the material damages caused by the incident, but Abas bears no connection to it.”

The Kien Ministry of Foreign Affairs made it clear too: since no casualties occurred, this was merely an accident caused by Camila’s failure to control her magic—making the Abas government a mere uninvolved third party.

Though it was a sudden event, follow-up measures were smoothly executed.

Once the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made their clear stance, the Ministry of Defense quickly smoothed over the situation.

Although the commander protecting the imperial capital had initially reported an unauthorized teleportation spell in Petrogard’s airspace and exclaimed, “The Abas scoundrels are finally starting a war! What are we doing just sitting around?” and attempted to mobilize troops,

Nothing happened, and he was ordered by the Ministry of Defense to return the troops, leaving him grumpy while sipping vodka as he went home.

Thus, the peace of the Empire was maintained once again today.

“Camila!”

“Yikes?!”

“Get over here right now!”

…Well, maybe.

—

“Well, who do we have here? The one who first pierced the Petrogard airspace, right?”

“Enough of that.”

“Even without a parachute!”

“I said stop it!”

A blonde ruffian and a squat nymph lay rolling on the ground, clutching their stomachs in laughter. They were making sure I heard them, having a grand time at my expense.

Jake, chuckling away, suddenly pouted his lips. With an annoyed expression, he muttered with floundering sincerity.

“Huh, the Mlrgh.”

“Brat….”

“Stop it already, Jake.”

As I trembled in indignation, Pippin, who appeared with a binder, chuckled lightly and intervened.

Pippin smacked Jake’s thigh and gave a warning to Charnoy, indicating not to tease superiors.

However, there was no stopping Charnoy’s antics.

“The nymph of the ditch, Charnoy… I’ve never met someone who jumps from a high place without a parachute in my life…”

“……”

“How can a person do that? Not even the foolish beastmen would do something like that…!”

I let out a deep sigh.

Ever since the accident in the Empire made headlines, I had been hearing such remarks non-stop. “Is he really the guy who broke through the Empire’s air defense, bare-bodied?” they would ask in wonder.

Even acquaintances and strangers alike would whisper, “Is he really that guy?”

News of my mishap had spread like wildfire; it would have been unnecessary to find out how far-reaching the rumors had become.

It was still the case now.

Sitting blankly in a chair and staring vacantly, I heard Jake’s voice. He was nudging Charnoy with no hint of shame in his tone.

“Charnoy, cut it out.”

“Is the fun already over?”

“…I said stop it.”

Of course, these were not the kinds of people who would listen to mere words.

As I sat there with a gloomy expression, losing focus on the antics of Jake and Charnoy circling around my desk, I felt a frown creeping across my features. This is just disrespect toward a superior, you brats….

“Ugh. Jake, how old are you to still be acting like this?”

Pippin couldn’t hold it any longer and casually admonished the two. They had better watch out, ’cause if Pippin weren’t in a nice mood, all of this would lead to a tempestuous rage.

With that, Jake and Charnoy returned to their spots.

Just a few days after the chaos of diving from high up to the lakeside, I returned to headquarters. My vacation was wrapping up, and with the accident, Leonie issued a recall, probably thinking, “Looks like you’ve rested enough with all those mishaps.”

Upon entering the embassy for my return, I was recognized by some staff members who whispered about me. The moment I cleared the customs, Grace Nostrim rushed over, having heard about her son from the news at 9 o’clock, and smacked me on the back.

Rumors spread quickly in the embassy, and not only did I receive a lecture in customs, but I also became the target of my subordinates’ mockery; I truly found myself in a pitiful position.

Though I brought it upon myself.

“Tsk….”

Lost in thought, I was reminded of the binder Pippin had lowered to my side. He pulled out a paper from it and placed it on the desk.

It was a dispatch.

“The Magic Tower branch sent this. It says that the Hero and Miss Francesca have met.”

“Are they safe?”

“Yes. Seems like they’re not seriously injured at all. The Duke is still in the Empire. As of now, it appears only those two are in the Magic Tower.”

After the incident, Camila moved her residence to the Magic Tower, under the pretext of contacting Francesca to prepare for the next dispatch.

Her presence at the Magic Tower certainly caused quite a stir. After all, she had been a guest at the Duke’s mansion for several months and was the only prized pupil of the Archmage—naturally, that raised eyebrows.

Some speculated that the Duke might return to the Magic Tower, igniting hopes. However, Alexandra Petrovna had yet to budge from the Empire.

Having entrusted her disciple to Francesca, the Duke remained in the capital. She simply left Camila in the care of an acquaintance at the Magic Tower, as she hadn’t yet finished managing the aftermath of the Northern conflict.

From the information in the dispatch, it seemed like Camila was doing well there. Practicing magic with Francesca and checking out various magical tools indicated that she, too, was likely prepping for the upcoming missions.

“Good to hear she’s safe. What about the Lateran branch?”

“Saint Lucia had a meeting with the Bishop of the Lushan Federal Kingdom. As you know, Mauritania is under the influence of Al-Yabd, making it a continent where the cult has limited reach. It seems she’s reached out to Lushan, which shares a similar culture and can exert some influence in Mauritania, either directly or indirectly.”

“Hmm.”

Looks like Lucia is preparing in her own way.

It feels strangely nice seeing her manage without relying on Veronica’s help for her overseas visits. While I wasn’t overly worried about her resolute mindset, I did wonder how well she was adapting to life abroad. Thank goodness it seems like worries were unfounded.

Though, I suppose there’s a slight problem with Veronica? It’s not a huge issue, but these days, she would often call me complaining about how Lucia no longer spends evenings with her.

Of course, being busy preparing for my dispatch, I didn’t have time to lend an ear to the Saint’s complaints.

I cleared the dispatch away and started skimming through the binder. As I flipped to the first page, Pippin’s voice broke the silence.

“Oh, Manager. About this upcoming business trip…”

“Yes?”

“From our team, only you and Jake have experience in Mauritania. Is that going to be alright?”

I responded without looking up from my papers.

“You guys have been trained too. We’ll have gathered urgent info by the time we get there, and we can figure out the finer details as we go.”

“That’s a relief. And one more thing. What are your thoughts on the Royal Intelligence Department’s operations team?”

I pulled my gaze away from the paper and looked at Pippin. He pointed at a document tucked in the binder.

“The project you were in charge of is being taken over by them. I received instructions from above to have you handle the follow-up directly.”

“Then that’s what I’ll do.”

I said as I closed the binder.

“Contact the lead analyst.”

—

Mauritania Continent, an Unknown Desert.

—

The wind brushed over the barren sand scattered with sparse bushes. A man, clad in a traditional hat that pressed down on his head, spoke as he adjusted the scarf wrapped around his neck.

“…Did you get the message? They said they’ll arrive soon?”

In his hand was a large radio.

Behind him, a van parked with communication gear plugged in every which way. A figure hunched over, tapping away at the keyboard of a console, was checking the communication status.

“No signs of anything at the moment. The reconnaissance command is quiet. Only sporadic skirmishes are happening, nothing significant.”

A rifle barrel peeked out through the cloak fluttering in the wind. The decorated rifle was once the property of the Kien Empire’s army, but now it wasn’t.

“Got it, be careful on your way. Since you’re entering officially with a civilian identity, just keep that in mind. I’ll catch you later at the rendezvous.”

After finishing the communication, the man handed the radio to a team member. The members, having loaded their gear into the trunk, were getting ready to head to the next location.

As the man walked across the soft sand, he lifted his head, pushing the scarf back and slightly adjusting his hat. He called out to his team member.

“Kair!”

The person standing on the mound turned his head.

The team leader shouted.

“Come down now!”

The tufted ears atop the traditional hat perked up and moved. A beastman, slung with an automatic rifle, came bounding down the sandy terrain on all fours.

Finally, as he reached his prepared teammates, the beastman straightened up, and a peculiar sound echoed across the desert.