A Dark Fantasy Spy

---

“If the purpose of those called Al Kair aligns with my thoughts, then surely a great calamity will befall the world. Therefore, we must stop it.”

“That sounds lovely, but….”

Veronica tilted her head slightly, trailing off her words.

“Do you think after awakening for 800 years, you can contend with cultists you’ve never even heard of?”

“Of course, it’s impossible alone. But when many join forces, nothing is impossible.”

“Many?”

I glanced at Veronica and then at the knight.

“You’re not referring to us, are you?”

I detest being dragged into something dangerous, especially if the ‘evil’ mentioned by the knight resembles the demons I encountered in the northern Kien Empire.

Personally, I wanted to avoid facing such foes again.

Seeing my hesitance to help, the knight shook his head reassuringly, as if there was no need for concern.

“I’m not thinking of dragging you in. It’s my duty to prevent evil from emerging into the world. You can rest easy and wait. Of course, if you wish to risk yourselves and stop the evil’s awakening, I won’t stop you.”

“Well, let’s hear it first, Colonel. You seem to have a good idea in mind.”

“Indeed.”

Veronica asked the knight what plan he had. After a brief moment of silence, he began to explain while checking his gauntlets.

“First, we must find someone to help. Someone who can tell me what happened while I was asleep, so I can locate where evil lurks.”

I wondered if there was even someone who could help a knight who had been asleep for 800 years.

Fortunately, it appeared the knight had someone in mind. He mentioned that after meeting with this collaborator, he would uncover Al Kair’s plans and eradicate the evil.

“Hmm….”

Listening to this, Veronica tapped her lips, lost in thought.

“Well, it’s not a bad plan. But is there a way to contact this collaborator? You seem rather stuck here, don’t you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

The knight checked every corner of his armor as if preparing it. A strange determination emanated from his mannerisms as he confirmed his gauntlet, boots, chest plate, and finally his helmet.

The knight stood up, brushing off the sand with a grave voice.

“There is nowhere that can contain me.”

—

Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree

—

The beautiful wave patterns created by the wind resembled a painting.

The sharp sand dunes.

From the shaded valley of a gently sloping hill, where a crescent-shaped peak stood, a sound pierced the air.

“You’re putting too much tension in your shoulders. Excessive force makes your muscles heavy and stiff.”

A fist cut through the air. Just narrowly grazing her temple, the punch veered towards her side.

The moment she avoided the hook, her punch hit only air again. But it was too early to give up. She clenched her fist tightly and retaliated.

A flurry of punches.

As the relentless rights and lefts brushed against her lovely blonde locks, Lucia gracefully dodged the attacks.

“You’re quick.”

She kicked up her leg to guard against a low kick and offered a compliment. Her words were transparent, devoid of hidden intentions, but Camila’s feelings were different.

Though she clearly kicked her leg, it felt as though she had struck metal. The shooting pain coursing through her shins made Camila wince involuntarily.

“Ugh….”

Though she poured her heart and soul into the attack, not a single hit landed. With every strike she made, Lucia deftly defended herself.

Not only that.

Look at her face. It remained calm, not a bead of sweat even forming despite the continuous exchanges.

“Are you okay?”

Hearing a faint groan, Lucia asked with concern. Shaking her head, Camila replied that she was fine and quickly got back into position.

Regaining her breath, she leaped forward with all her might. Flames flickered above the footprints left in the sand, and her swinging fist sliced through the air sharply. Lucia raised her arms, dodging the hook and countering with a swift straight.

The exchange of blows flowed naturally, as if they had previously rehearsed it. Yet, the sharpness of the attacks and the cold defenses felt like grueling combat in a Roman arena, where bloodied gladiators fought naked.

The sound of air slicing continued in succession, mixed with sporadic impacts that spread across the crescent dune.

Camila’s relentless assaults pressed forward, but Lucia lightly punched out and created some distance.

“It’s good to pressure your opponent with speed, but don’t lose yourself in the offense. If you neglect your defense, you will only give them an opening.”

Just like this.

Another hand effortlessly layered over the extended fist. Lucia evaded the punch by stepping lightly onto the sand and caught Camila’s fist and wrist.

Using one hand to snatch Camila’s punch, she twisted the wrist as if bending an adult’s arm back gently.

As the wrist rotated, her arm began to turn, and it was only natural that her upper body would lose balance. Lucia powerfully twisted the captured fist and began to pull it.

Like a star drawn into a black hole by gravity, Camila felt her body being pulled toward Lucia. Her tilted upper body began to be dragged effortlessly, and at the destination awaited Lucia’s fist.

The fist came directly up to her face, filling her vision. As Camila fell, ignoring the sensation in her twisted wrist, she quickly rolled to the side.

Just as Lucia tried to attack, Camila’s body suddenly burst into flames.

—

-Whoosh~!

—

Her flaming body soon turned to embers.

The chaotic sparks filled her vision. As Lucia raised her arms to shield her eyes, a heavy sensation suddenly wrapped around her waist.

“Ha!”

Emerging from the flames, Camila laughed heartily.

The arm that had been trapped was liberated, and her legs wrapped around Lucia’s waist. She was now hanging on Lucia tightly in a rather shameless manner.

But her expression was nothing short of bright.

In the blink of an eye, Camila, who had closed the distance to Lucia, laughed widely and clenched her fist. She had seized the opportunity to counter from a life-threatening predicament.

Thus, the victorious smile on Camila’s face shone brighter than ever.

“I won, didn’t I?!”

A rough hand suddenly clutched her waist!

Lucia, capturing Camila’s waist, spread her legs wide and bent over like a bow, flipping her over.

Camila, who was about to swing her tightly clenched fist, let out a helpless cry as she grabbed Lucia’s shoulder, but it was no use.

“Ugh!”

With her head planted first into the sandy ground, the crimson sand greeted Camila in a blushing hue.

Having landed head-first, whether she lost consciousness or not, her body lay limp.

“I was surprised by your sudden attack. Are you okay… uh.”

Surprised by the sudden ambush, having pinned her down, Lucia finally turned her head to check on her and flinched.

“Wow, you two are really making a racket with this spar. Who won….”

Francesca, who had been focused on work a little distance away, paused.

“……”

The butt of Camila, buried in the sand, twitched.

The suffocating silence lingered for a moment.

“…Herooon!!!”

“Saint Luuuuucia!!!”

The screams of the cleric and magician echoed across the red desert as they tumbled down the sandy hill.

—

Despite the small accident, the situation quickly settled down.

Camila, pulled from the sand pit, regained consciousness in no time.

When the onlookers, who had been anxiously watching the unprecedented crime scene where the saint had allegedly killed the hero, finally saw her consuming food, they managed to let out a sigh of relief.

In the midst of the desert, where the cleric of the cult and magicians of the Magic Tower provided security.

Slurping! Camila paused while drinking and grimaced.

“I can still feel the grains….”

“I-I’m so sorry.”

Lucia fidgeted, looking as if she didn’t know what to do with herself out of guilt.

Seeing her like that, Camila waved her hand to reassure her.

“Don’t worry about it. Things like this happen in a spar.”

“Still….”

“And it was I who asked for the spar, right?”

This was to say it wasn’t Lucia’s fault.

Camila, with a gentle tone, shifted the responsibility onto herself and sucked up the remaining drink.

“No, it’s my fault for being underprepared. It’s just that you asked for the match so suddenly…. But why did you want to spar with me?”

“Oh, well…. I just thought I might need some practice.”

Camila vaguely trailed off, evading the question. It would be quite embarrassing to admit she asked for practice because she was humiliated in close combat.

Slurping! The sweet beverage flows through the straw.

Though the sensation of grains was bothersome, the overly sweet taste masked the discomfort.

At that moment, a worried voice slipped into her ears. Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of Francesca’s profile.

“Couldn’t you be more cautious? What if you had gotten seriously hurt?”

Though her tone seemed blunt, the underlying message wasn’t bad.

Camila plopped down on a carpet. With the Arab-style carpet beneath her and the fine sand of the desert around her, she felt as though she were on a journey.

“Oh my. Are you worried about me now?”

“If you could think of it as advice, I’d be grateful.”

“I’ll take that to heart! By the way, what are you working on?”

Camila suddenly fired off the question. Francesca, sitting at the metal workstation, was deeply engrossed in something.

The workstation looked barren without a trace of wood, but it was filled with bubbling liquids of various colors and diverse materials, giving off an air of strange mystique.

“Alchemy.”

Francesca, fiddling with the tools at the workstation, stated. At that, Camila tilted her head slightly.

“Alchemy? It seems pretty different from the alchemy I know.”

When one thinks of alchemy, it usually conjures images of putting ingredients into a boiling cauldron.

That’s how it is usually portrayed in movies, novels, comics, and dramas. However, the alchemy here seemed to have peculiar aspects.

“Reagents symbolize alchemy, but just making reagents doesn’t encompass all of it.”

Francesca picked up a piece of metal and gazed at Camila.

“The essence of alchemy is transformation and refinement. Ancient alchemists aimed to refine metals into precious ones.”

“Oh, I know about that. There were many attempts to turn base metals into gold, right?”

“Yes. Most attempts failed, however.”

The endeavors of ancient alchemists to turn iron into gold were futile, but the essence and efforts were passed down to later generations of alchemists.

The essence of alchemy is transformation and refinement. To elevate the purity of compounds and convert them into other substances.

This is why alchemy is regarded as the foundation of modern chemistry and a key concept that permeates contemporary alchemy.

“As long as one can extract substances, combine them, and turn them into something else, that is alchemy. Be it liquid or metal, it doesn’t matter.”

Francesca murmured as she mixed the metals together.

Small gears arranged in a circle around a large cog, long metal needles resembling stakes or nails, large plates that looked like thinly hammered steel—various strange objects lay on the workstation.

Though each item had different shapes, they all shared a commonality: strange patterns engraved upon them.

Curious about what she was making, Camila watched Francesca work for a while, but without knowledge of alchemy, there was no way to satiate that curiosity. To avoid disturbing her focus, Camila carefully moved aside.

“Alright, we’ve rested enough, so shall we get back to training?”

Whoosh~! Flames erupted from her fingertips and stretched toward the blue sky. Camila concentrated, gradually shrinking the size of the flames.

The swirling flames began to condense into a single point.

The fire, which repeatedly spun and gathered, formed a small orb, and Camila began her training on maintaining the flame. Lucia, who had been standing off a little distance, approached Camila.

“Are you practicing magic?”

“Oh, yes!”

“This is my first time seeing this magic.”

Lucia gazed curiously at the small flame orb forming at her fingertips.

Thinking back, this was magic she had never shown her before. The only one who had seen it properly was Frederick.

As Lucia watched the magic intently, Camila shyly smiled and replied.

“It’s magic I learned from the Professor. No, from the Duke. To be precise, I made it and asked for corrections.”

“A spell you’ve created independently. That’s quite an achievement. I’m envious.”

“Oh, please! No need to flatter me! I’m still lacking.”

This was the blue flame she had conjured when facing the shaman. She was trying to recreate it again but repeatedly failing.

Following the Duke’s advice that magical manifestation draws from intense emotions, she had attempted to channel her feelings when casting magic, but the blue flames would not appear as she wished.

As Camila let out a secret sigh, perhaps sensing her disheartenment, Lucia shook her head gently.

“I’m not giving empty compliments. Creating something, whether it be magic or knowledge, is a remarkable feat.”

Lucia expressed admiration for the independently created magic. Just that alone was enough to hold significant meaning.

Though her gaze was the same as usual, Camila felt something oddly profound behind those eyes.

For a brief moment, as she momentarily broke the swirling flames, she stared intently at Lucia.

“Lucia, do you have something to say?”

“Yes?”

“No, it’s just… you’ve been looking at me with a questioning look since earlier….”

Initially taken aback, Lucia tried to deny her interest.

However, after persistent questioning, she eventually surrendered.

“…I guess you caught me.”

Letting out a sigh too quiet for others to hear, she began to reveal her heart.

“Actually, a few days ago, I received a report from the Holy See about an issue. Apparently, an incident occurred at some facility on the Mauritania Continent.”

At the mention of ‘incident’ and ‘facility’, Camila easily connected it to the problem that had arisen a few days earlier.

A vampire had wreaked havoc at the facility, and the church’s army had entered to search for the missing Veronica. Though she didn’t fully grasp the situation, she vaguely recalled hearing something like ‘Report to Saint Lucia’ as she passed by.

It was likely that report had gone up then. As Camila continued her reasoning, Lucia’s explanation followed.

“A dangerous something that had been sealed escaped and caused chaos at the facility. There were mentions of missing persons too. However, I couldn’t hear anything beyond that.”

“Does that mean you don’t know anything else?”

Lucia nodded silently.

“Due to my insufficient authority, I could only access limited information. Since Saint Veronica is here, having been granted full powers by His Holiness….”

“Oh, I see.”

Since the Pope’s plenipotentiary was present, proper information could not be relayed to Lucia, who had lesser authority. Though that was a relative standard, of course.

“I couldn’t grasp what had happened at all. Besides, it seems you both… feel a change in mood.”

Lucia’s gaze skimmed over Camila and Francesca. When Camila glanced toward Francesca, she saw her quietly concentrated on her back.

“Hmm….”

Understanding the general situation, Camila asked what was on her mind. Lucia asked for information about what had transpired there.

Since they had already received a report that the two were on-site, there was no need for other conversations.

“I don’t know the full details, but… something that was inside a coffin attacked people. The Order of the Holy Knights and many others worked tirelessly to prevent the escape but had to retreat due to overwhelming power disparity.”

Camila answered as best she could with the knowledge she had.

However, one crucial piece of information remained undisclosed.

She had been asked to keep information about the knight secret. Both Frederick and Veronica had requested this. The saint and colonel would allow them to testify about what happened at the facility, but they asked to refrain from saying anything about the knight. They themselves hadn’t reported it yet either.

Whatever the reason, the knight she encountered that day seemed rather suspicious.

To call him a vampire was awkward. To label him a demon was no good either.

Such matters shouldn’t be hastily concluded or carelessly spoken of.

Perhaps sharing a similar thought, Francesca and she resolved to deny any inquiry about the knight’s identity.

“Coffin, you say?”

“I remember it being a Cedar Coffin.”

“Was it perhaps a deceased? If you’re not familiar with undead, I can explain.”

“Not particularly. It didn’t look like an undead.”

“Were there any other peculiarities?”

“Well…. The seals and barriers set to prevent the escape were ineffective, and the ammunition provided by the church also didn’t seem to have any effect. They claimed it was blessed ammunition. Oh, and holy water was the same.”

After listening to the lengthy explanation, Lucia cupped her chin, wearing a puzzled expression.

“…That’s strange.”

Several questions followed, but clear answers didn’t surface.

Lucia could only rub her chin in deep thought while Camila encouraged her to ask more if she was curious as she returned to her exercises.

Despite gathering here after a while, personal conversations were scarce. Camila concentrated on creating blue flames, Francesca was busy mixing materials at her workstation, and Lucia was reading a report detailing the incident at the facility.

While focusing on gathering the embers, an alarm suddenly rang from her pocket. Camila extinguished the flames and pulled out her mobile phone.

“Yes, Frederick. It’s me. Where are you right now?”

At that moment.

A cleric hastily approached Lucia, interrupting her.

“Saint Lucia. I apologize for interrupting your rest, but I have an urgent matter to report.”

“Go ahead, Brother.”

“It appears that Saint Veronica and Colonel Frederick Nostrim have gone missing.”

“What…?”

Camila, who was on the phone, let out a confused sound and turned to the cleric.