A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The sun wrapped the golden land in a sticky blaze, while the dry wind danced the grains of sand.

The endlessly stretched wasteland seemed to have absorbed even a single drop of the sun’s tears, lying in silence.

A pure desolation untouched by human hands. Stepping onto it was a single sneaker.

– Kyaaaak-!!

A whirlwind erupted, breaking the desert’s silence.

It was the work of a monster with a shell reminiscent of a rock.

The brown-colored shell that had burst forth from the sands spilled grains as if they were streams flowing through a valley.

The monster, revealing itself to threaten the unwelcome visitor in its territory, let out a ferocious roar.

– Kyaaaaaaak-!!

With tremendous power piercing through the depths of the sand, the monster began to glare at the intruder.

The tranquility of No Man’s Land had long since been sucked into chaos with its intense appearance, like those grains of sand dispersing into an underground cavern.

Amidst the heavily tensed soldiers aiming their guns at the monster, a girl in sneakers stepped onto the sandy ground.

“…….”

Her red hair swayed in the rough wind filled with sand. The monster’s figure reflected in her blue eyes.

As razor-sharp claws were swung accompanied by monstrous roars, Camila stretched out her fingers and pointed at the monster.

And then,

“Bread!”

A playful spell began to weave magic.

—

Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood

—

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶!!!

A blazing red flame exploded, wrapping around the monster. The shooting flames raced through the air, and the fired shell ricocheted away.

The monster, caught in the red storm, left no shape behind.

The gigantic shell was violently dismantled under brute force, and in the spot where the monster collapsed, only a handful of blood bubbled and soaked the wasteland.

A soldier shouted.

“Everyone, form up for battle! We will purge the monster from now on!”

Armed soldiers began to sweep away all the incoming monsters.

Firearms roared, and shattered shells sprayed flesh and blood in every direction.

The sight of soldiers, emboldened as they swept away the monsters, resembled people who had witnessed a huge sale and hurriedly grabbed the discounted items, and under that overwhelming force, the monsters quickly turned into fertilizer for the desert.

-~~~!!

Amidst the oncoming monsters, a gigantic explosion occurred.

In the swirling red storm, Camila, who had incinerated dozens of monsters, blew on her fingers.

“…Hoo!”

Just as she was catching her breath after unleashing magic in all directions, a multitude of people began to surround her.

Camila smiled brightly at them.

No Man’s Land.

The battlefield where the Peacekeeping Force and monsters clashed.

Looking around the desert with a proud expression, she placed her hands on her hips.

“Another job well done today!”

—

Despite the blunt criticism aimed at the international community that had abandoned them, ironically, the peace of the Mauritania Continent was being protected by the World Union.

To be precise, by the strength of just one person.

“…What is that?”

“Who knows.”

Gathered soldiers whispered, looking at a girl. The center of attention was none other than Camila.

While she hurriedly collected the remains to prevent other monsters from following the scent of blood, all attention was drawn to Camila standing atop the charred pile of shells.

“Is she really spreading her arms to the sun…? What kind of pose is that?”

“Is it some sort of religious ceremony?”

To soldiers who frequently ventured into No Man’s Land to purge monsters, the girl from another world was always a source of curiosity. Setting her origins aside, her actions and words were truly fascinating.

For instance, the posture of stretching her body while looking up at the sun.

It was entirely incomprehensible behavior. Was it a religious ritual from another world? Or perhaps a traditional ceremony? Considering that a significant portion of the spoils obtained from catching monsters was expected to be allocated to her, it might just be an offering to the gods.

Perhaps she was receiving some form of power from the sun.

Various speculations flew around, but in the end, no one could arrive at the correct answer.

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“You, too, hero, have worked hard!”

The soldiers of the Peacekeeping Force waved their hands to bid farewell. Camila energetically waved her arms back at them.

“See you again tomorrow!”

“What if we meet again? We’ll probably have to fight another monster.”

“Hey—don’t think too negatively!”

Since ancient times, when civilizations bloomed in the red desert, this land had been without an owner.

Monsters that set up their nests in the wasteland refrained from attacking civilizations, risking their lives to traverse the barren desert, and the humans who settled by rivers and coasts regarded the desert as land not permitted by the Earth God, so clashes between civilization and monsters had been rare.

But that was now a thing of the past.

Nowadays, No Man’s Land in Mauritania is seen as a land of opportunity. Minerals, magical stones, and oil were the lubricants of civilization, and in the untouched wasteland lay the blessing of the Earth God.

People were desperate to find the divine grace buried somewhere in the desolate desert, much like Americans racing to the west in search of gold mines.

Of course, that was a story that had nothing to do with Camila.

“Ah~!”

As Camila gulped down a carbonated drink just taken out from the fridge, she couldn’t help but exclaim. From anyone else’s perspective, it might have looked like she was chugging beer.

Her appearance suggested she might be about to search for the tavern. However, her hometown was not the Korean peninsula in Northeast Asia, but a European island nation; hence, the notion of her searching for a tavern was nonsensical.

Instead, she simply poured herself a drink.

After tossing the empty can into the trash, Camila collapsed onto the sofa.

“Ugh, today was tough too!”

The soft texture of the mattress enveloped her body, and as she rolled from side to side, the blanket quickly rolled up, transforming into a huge caterpillar.

In that state, Camila extended her arm to grab some potato chips and skillfully tore open the bag.

The thin, golden snack smoothly slid into her mouth.

“Mmm….”

The salty flavor awoke the tired taste buds from the bland grains, and the fantastically fried potato crunched delightfully.

The texture unique to potato chips, something hard to find in biscuits, combined with the carbonated drink created a taste of heaven. Cautiously bringing the can to her lips to prevent wasting the precious drink, moments later.

After placing the empty can on the table, a satisfied sigh escaped her lips.

“Ha…!”

Having drained the soda can, Camila leaned back against the sofa. In that stance, she resembled someone who had merely finished a long day with a beer in hand.

That wasn’t an incorrect depiction. Hunting monsters was no easy feat.

Beneath the sands, inside caves and ravines, the wasteland was an area untouched by human hands for thousands of years, almost like the ground zero for predators. It was a place where even nomads, well-acquainted with the geography and proud of being children of the desert, or a thoroughly prepared army, struggled to tread.

Even apart from that, traversing the distant desert was a laborious task.

But what could be done? Rather than waiting and watching monsters attack people as they approached the border, diving straight into the monsters’ lairs was a far better option.

“Ugh….”

With a groan resembling a zombie, Camila slumped off the sofa, tidied up a bit, and walked outside the building.

With fluttering flags, armed soldiers were returning to base. A person carried on a stretcher was unloaded from a vehicle that had stopped, kicking up dust.

A representative from an international organization, dressed in a suit, frowned as he peeked into the sheet, while refugees grouped together, forming a line with the help of civilian volunteers.

Camila walked along the long line when she spotted Lucia.

“Lucia!”

“…Ah, you’ve come.”

There, she met Lucia.

The Saint was sitting in a simple tent of the refugee camp. To avoid religious disputes, she had changed out of her priestly robes into a white dress, but no matter how much her clothes changed, her essence remained the same.

“Please wait just a moment. I have a patient to attend to.”

Apologizing, Lucia crouched on the dirt floor.

As she opened the entrance of the tent and stepped in, the gaze of a child sitting in a chair met Camila’s.

Was she already six years old?

The child seated in the chair stared at Camila, revealing her pink gums and teeth. Her skin that should have protected her mouth had already fallen away.

Symptoms of missing tissue including her left cheek, upper lip, and a portion of her nose. Camila recognized that condition too.

“…Is it noma?”

“Yes.”

Noma. Initial symptoms resemble an inflammation, but within just two weeks, bones and tissues dissolve, disfiguring the face.

Those who fall ill are mostly children under the age of five. The symptoms are dire, but the regions where noma spreads are in the Third World, meaning most patients go untreated and ultimately die.

Only a handful of fortunate survivors manage to live on, yet those who do were already so disfigured that they would bear disabilities for life.

“…….”

Lucia knelt in front of the child and gently closed her eyes.

Warm hands wrapped around the small hand, and her rose-pink lips began to move.

“Please alleviate all the suffering of the sick, and bestow mercy upon this child’s illness and wounds—”

As she whispered the prayer,

A small miracle occurred.

– Shaaa—

A white light began to erase the scars, and new skin began to grow.

Though the newly grown skin bore a subtle hue and still bore marks that testified to the once-existing scars, the child’s joy was visibly radiant on her face, and that alone was enough.

The child, having regained her youthful face, smiled broadly, spreading her arms. Lucia, wearing a smile, lightly embraced the child before returning her to the guardian.

Having witnessed the entire scene, Camila sparkled her eyes and whispered to Lucia.

“You’re amazing, even after seeing it again.”

“You don’t need to say that….”

“No, I’m not just saying it. It’s really impressive!”

Lucia waved her hands in embarrassment. She felt quite bashful to be praised for something she deemed natural.

While it might have been obvious to Lucia, curing patients was, in Camila’s view, a remarkable feat.

“My sister who graduated from medical school can’t fix things perfectly like you, Lucia. She’s skilled, but reconstructive surgery is inherently challenging… it takes a long time.”

“There are many excellent priests when it comes to healing, but can I humbly take credit?”

“You don’t need to be too humble. This isn’t self-praise; so what?”

At Camila’s words, a brief smile appeared on Lucia’s face.

After curing the noma patient, Camila and Lucia exited the tent. There were priests from the convent sent for relief efforts, and since no critical patients required the Saint’s healing, the two decided to stroll around the camp to catch their breath.

“Ah—today was tough too.”

“Were you in No Man’s Land?”

“Right. I had business in the vast desert. And you, Lucia?”

“I usually stay here unless something special happens.”

While purging monsters in No Man’s Land was Camila’s duty, caring for patients in the refugee camp was Lucia’s role.

While patients aren’t solely confined to refugee camps, statistics indicated that among the camps in Mauritania, they were rated as having the highest patient-to-population ratios.

Of course, there were many refugee camps, meaning Lucia too would occasionally move between different camps to care for patients.

“You must be quite tired, moving here and there.”

Camila sighed, appearing sympathetic.

“Not at all. I manage to rest whenever I can.”

“Even so, sleeping for a short while isn’t going to suffice. If a quick nap could eliminate fatigue, no one would ever collapse from overwork!”

“Ahaha….”

“On top of that, heading into dangerous areas is a problem too.”

Wherever it might be, if there’s a patient in the area, the rumor that the Church’s Saint would come visit was rather well-known locally.

The rumors circulating among the locals were known even to Camila. To be precise, as an aspiring Information Officer (or in other words, a budding spy), she had acquired that intel during her active pursuit of amusing local news while meeting various people.

“Why would you come all the way to where the warlords and soldiers are fighting? That’s so dangerous.”

“How could I remain still when people are hurt?”

“Providing relief work is good, but you need to prioritize your safety!”

With Frederick away and Francesca separate from the group, she continued to intently remind Lucia to be careful.

Seeing Camila chide her like that, Lucia offered a faint smile.

“Thank you for worrying.”

“Of course I should worry. We’re colleagues. Besides, this isn’t a game. Hospitals aren’t respawning points.”

“…….”

Her pretty eyelashes fluttered up and down.

The moment Lucia had been smiling moments ago, she started blankly staring at Camila.

Realizing her gaze, Camila tilted her head in confusion.

“Did I say something strange?”

“…Um, what does respawn mean?”

“Ah.”

—

Arriving in a completely unfamiliar world brings numerous inconveniences.

Food, clothes, transportation, and various entertainment to keep boredom at bay, not to mention the essential modern commodity of the 21st century—mobile phones.

Yet if she had to choose one most uncomfortable aspect, Camila would pick ‘language’ without hesitation.

“Hwaaa….”

After concluding a debate that stretched on for a whopping 23 minutes to explain the concept of respawn to Lucia, Camila slumped onto the sofa.

“So, respawn is like a resurrection. It means that dead people or monsters come back to life after a certain time.”

“The dead come back to life? The necromancy is not only a taboo but utterly impossible….”

Perhaps because this was a world where fanciful notions were a reality, Lucia found it hard to grasp the concept of respawn.

In fact, if one were to take a closer look, it made perfect sense. She had no understanding of what a video game was.

Thus, upon hearing that ‘the dead come back to life,’ it was only natural for Lucia to think of zombies and undead controlled by wicked necromancers.

“My goodness. What kind of place is a hospital in another world? Resurrecting the remains of the deceased….”

“No, no! It’s not that dead people actually come back to life…!”

Ultimately, it was only after Camila drew comparisons to card games or board games that the misunderstandings could be dispelled.

“Ah…. So that’s what it was. I guess that’s the term used when a person who has been eliminated joins the next game. I see my misunderstanding now.”

“There’s really no need to think about reviving the dead in a hospital…”

“Why do you think that can’t happen? There are some who steal bodies from mortuaries and sell them to wizards without the consent of the bereaved….”

“…What!?”

What a tiring day this was.

Primarily, in a mental sense.

Little did she know how inconvenient it would be to communicate inadequately. While she could understand the language, it felt as though genuine conversation could never take place.

With a drained expression, Camila laid her head on the desk.

“I’m so tired….”

To her, the root of all this confusion lay in Frederick’s absence.

Without the one who acted as an interpreter to help ensure mutual understanding, misunderstandings arose even in routine conversations, didn’t they? If he had been there, he would have jumped in to clarify things before Lucia had the chance to misconstrue anything.

“When is he coming back…? I haven’t seen Francesca either.”

With a fatigued look, Camila reached into a glass container (larger size) to pull out some snacks. After gulping one down, she began pondering deeply.

Wishing they would return soon enough. Though she realized that if Frederick were here, he’d probably have stopped her from snacking.

Upon that thought, Camila rested her chin on her hand and frowned contemplatively.

“Hmm….”

Snacks or comfort? That is the dilemma.

It was a contemplation encompassing profound themes, akin to Hamlet’s soliloquy. Perhaps even more so.

Despite her serious expression, Camila swiftly organized her thoughts.

It had been quite a while since Frederick and Francesca had left, and given that she had had enough snacks while he was gone, akin to turning the tide for all of them, it seemed it would be best for him to return soon.

Yeah. It’s been a few days already; he should be back by now.

“Should I try contacting him?”

While fiddling with the phone Frederick had given her before he left.

– Ugh!

“Whoaah-!”

Startled by the ringtone, Camila nearly dropped the phone, which began to bounce in her palm.

Repeatedly throwing up the phone, catching it again, she barely managed to snag it just before it slipped away, exhaling a sigh of relief.

With her heart racing unsteadily, Camila took a deep breath and carefully answered the call.

“Hello?”

– “Camila.”

“Frederick?”

A familiar voice crackled from the other end of the line.

It was Frederick.

Seeing that she had been able to get in touch with him meant that he was at least safe for now. Only then did the true Camila begin to visibly relax.

“Is everything going well on your business trip? Why did you call?”

– “Something has come up.”

“A problem? What problem all of a sudden?”

– “We might soon get caught.”

“What??”

– “It means we got screwed.”

“…….”