A Dark Fantasy Spy

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I was so baffled that at first, I couldn’t even speak.

Girlfriend?! What on earth is that supposed to mean?

And more than one daughter-in-law? I had heard of Chinese families having three fathers, but this was the first time I heard that someone had multiple daughters-in-law (there exists a person with 29 mothers-in-law). And to top it off, the protagonist of this tale was none other than me.

This was an outrageous slander like no other.

“Could you say that in a way I can understand? What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”

I pressed Jerry for answers about his absurd claims, but all I got was his vague reply.

-“Um… I’m not sure how to explain it, either.”

“What the— No, never mind. Just know I’m arriving soon.”

What on earth had happened that caused such a ruckus at the company, and even Jerry was involved?

Feeling frustrated, I hung up and let out a big sigh.

—

Side Episode – Suffocated by All Kinds of Slander

The diplomatic quarter in the heart of Abas looked like a venue for a multi-national conference.

Diplomats poured out of the embassy in groups. Kien Empire, Cult, Magic Tower, Al-Yabd, Patalia… I even spotted staff from the Jamria Federation embassy.

Behind them was a unit of embassy guards. Soldiers lined the walls, wearier than usual, donned in bulletproof vests, with expressions of tension on the faces of the stern squad leader and deputy captain.

It was strange that the guards, who usually didn’t wear bulletproof vests, were now fully kitted out with equipment, signaling something was seriously amiss.

There were police cars blaring their sirens, and foreign journalists and high-ranking officials milling about, too.

It was no wonder that Camila and I were wide-eyed, glancing around in disbelief.

“What’s going on here?”

“I have no idea…”

I didn’t know the details, but it was clear that this series of events was tied to my family. Rejecting the change for small bills, I tossed a stack of cash to the taxi driver and hurried into the embassy.

“Jerry! Adela!”

I dashed through the chilly night air.

Before the guards at the embassy entrance could shout anything, I successfully entered the building, swiftly climbing the stairs to fling open the front door.

I peeked inside, heart racing as the warmly heated air enveloped the cold sweat clinging to me.

The Nostrim family was gathered in the living room, with my companions seated across from them.

“Oh, you’ve arrived.”

“Colonel, is that you?”

“…Huh?”

They greeted me with cheerful smiles.

Francesca waved her hand playfully.

Lucia sat demurely, nodding at me.

Akande was munching on snacks, laughing away.

“…?”

Why on earth were they here when they should be in Jamria?

The moment familiar faces appeared before me, my mind felt like it hit the pause button, shock overwhelming me.

This was an absurd situation that went beyond just being flustered. Thus, I decided to stop thinking altogether.

As I stood there dumbly, unable to even think to greet them, Camila finally caught up, peeking in curiously.

“Huh?”

A look of pure incredulity washed over her face, as though she hadn’t anticipated such a situation at all.

“Why are you all here?”

“Why am I here, you ask? That’s a good question, you brat.”

“Professor, why are you—”

Just as Camila began to glance around, someone instantly seized her and lifted her off the ground with a spell from the Order of Protection that wrapped around her in a flash.

The old man, catching up the boisterous disciple, clicked his tongue and shook his head, expressing his displeasure as if he had just seen something he shouldn’t have.

I rubbed my eyes, half-wondering if I was hallucinating, but the silver-haired figure didn’t vanish.

“Wait… Did the Duke come here too?”

“I committed the grave discourtesy of barging into a family I had no dealings with because of you. Why do you look so scruffy?”

“Why are you treating me like this?! I don’t even understand what you’re saying!”

“Oh dear, you have no idea what you’ve done. What on earth am I to do with you…”

“Gahhh…!”

While Camila flailed around in midair, I finally managed to gather my thoughts and speak.

“Uh, I thought everyone was in the Jamria Federation…”

I was flustered, unable to articulate my thoughts properly.

What on earth was happening? Why were my companions in the embassy, and what was this old man (the duke) up to punishing one of my disciples?

I wished someone would explain this madness, but just then, Francesca, who had been quietly seated, suddenly spoke up.

“I was awaiting word from the Colonel, but when I received no news, I decided to come.”

“…Is there anyone who crosses through the Warp Gate just because they didn’t get a call?”

“Of course, that wasn’t the only reason for my visit… I happened to receive an intriguing piece of news.”

Once she had said that, the alchemist pointed silently towards the TV behind her.

The TV, which no one was watching, was in the midst of flashing breaking news. A muted announcer babbled on, and a headline scrolled across the screen.

[Camila Lowell engages in an unexpected chase in downtown Abas…]

Next to it, a clip showed Camila sprinting frantically through a square, labeled as “Tip-off Footage.”

Finally, it all clicked into place.

I couldn’t contain my astonishment.

“Ah, crap!”

—

The incident originated like this. While Frederick was happily spending time (tutoring) with Camila, the Duke and company were waiting in the Jamria Federation.

“Is it really okay to let her go alone?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like she’s going to a dangerous country.”

“When have I ever been anxious about my safety? I’m just concerned that my somewhat clumsy student might get lost.”

“Why would she get lost in Abas? There’s really nothing to worry about…”

By the way, today felt monumental. It was the day Frederick’s investigation concluded.

Having participated in the swift delivery of democracy (which hadn’t even been requested), Frederick was required to undergo an inquiry by the Abas government due to a “little mistake” of not obtaining prior approval.

(Of course, they would argue that’s absurd if a military court heard it.)

Regardless of how ridiculous it was, it was still the decision of the Abas government. Foreigners had no right to complain about it. There was nothing they could do but confirm that Frederick was okay and console him.

So the Duke and company planned to welcome their comrade back (not that anyone had actually hit jail, nor even detention) to Abas but, unfortunately, due to various reasons, only Camila set out alone.

“How can I not worry? Even Abas is foreign territory for her. In unfamiliar places, anyone could go astray…”

The master sighed heavily, clearly worried about the far-off student. Yet Camila’s companions, Lucia, Francesca, and Akande, appeared unconcerned.

“When will the Colonel be back?”

“I don’t think it will be easy for him to return right away. According to the foreign ministry, there are many restrictions on his position…”

“I heard that sometimes senior officials dispatched from the Ministry of Defense join stationed units. So that method isn’t entirely out of the question.”

“Ultimately, we just have to wait for the Abas government’s decision. Whatever happens, only the Ministry of Defense will make that final call.”

“By the way, what are we going to do for dinner?”

“I know a nice place in a nearby city that’s really good.”

“Oh, that sounds delightful.”

Regardless of how worried Alexandra Petrovna seemed, the three of them were preoccupied with picking a dinner menu.

Commentary about “Aren’t you worried?” would spark the Duke’s reprimand, yet the group wouldn’t even flinch.

Surely, the Abas government wouldn’t dismiss Frederick, right? Even if they couldn’t provide the rank of defense attaché, they would find some way to send him back. And Camila wasn’t someone who’d struggle to find her way, as the Duke seemed to worry.

Could it really be that Camila was just six years old?

Stop whining already—

That silver-haired girl. Had she finally lost her senses— they joked, filtered through the stereotype that the old man was actually an archmage.

Given how things turned out, even Alexandra Petrovna couldn’t help but concede. After all, the student they raised was nobody’s child. Why would they be timid like a child at the edge of the water?

“I guess my worries were unfounded… Tsk.”

“You have to trust the student you raised, grandmother.”

“Right. You’re absolutely right. Have you all decided what you want for dinner?”

“Not yet. The Duke should come and join us, too.”

Up until this point, everyone had remained relatively unconcerned. A slight delay in Camila’s contact was easily dismissed with thoughts like, “She must be busy catching up on a month’s worth of stories.”

But after easily wiping out some criminals, having dinner, and returning to their lodgings, no communication had come through.

“What could that mean?”

“Could it be that something has gone wrong?”

“Don’t speak ill-fated words. Let’s just wait another hour or so.”

Just then, as we were all gossiping about the cursed phone that seemed destined never to ring, Akande, who had been flipping channels on the TV, leapt up in shock and grabbed everyone’s attention. One familiar red pig dashed across the screen, dodging for its life!

Flustered by the chase of his disciple, the master rushed to the Warp Gate, and the other three followed without even thinking to pack their belongings.

“Er, excuse me, customers? You’ve come from a country that does not have a visa agreement with the Abas government. Please obtain your visas from the embassy and return later—”

“Abas.”

“Excuse me?”

“Abas.”

“Can you not hear me…?”

Although the civil servants at the immigration office blocked the four of them over visa issues, fortunately, the Duke proved to be quite capable of resolving this matter.

In a very simple and quick manner, she managed to open the Warp Gate.

That meant she must have bribed them.

And so, quickly, the four successfully flew straight to Abas. Despite not having their visas and passports, their entry ended up going smoothly. It was only that they were technically entering illegally.

Still, a minor scuffle ensued with the Abas immigration office staff who’d detected the illegal entry.

(SFX: “Emergency! Squad! Quickly!”)

As the rapid response team revived and teleported into the scene, special forces easily infiltrated through, causing many commanders to face a forced discharge scare.

Regardless, they successfully made their way into Abas, so everything turned out alright in the end.

Anyway, that was the situation.

—

Upon hearing the Duke’s explanation, I was left half-dazed.

…The Warp Gate got compromised? In the context of the Earth, that was basically an airport.

In Korea, the “A” grade crucial national facilities included major cities’ power networks, financial market systems, large reservoirs, and KBS, classifying them as top-tier. Nuclear power plants classified as “A” level important infrastructure, and the Presidential Office, Ministry of Defense, National Intelligence Service, Sejong City Government Building were likewise such facilities.

So the security of this Warp Gate, which was akin to an airport in this place, went without saying.

But that crazy old senile had broken in twice, once from Jamria and once again from Abas!

“Ah….”

Frederick felt dizzy at the revelation.

The Duke’s concealment magic had breached the military and police blockade, and amidst confusion, commanders unaware of what was happening began checking their temperatures only to be restrained by their aides in upheaval while the Kien Empire foreign minister fainted from the excitement.

However, those matters paled in importance to Frederick.

What truly mattered was…

“…Everyone, what exactly did you tell the family?”

“What do you mean?”

“To the family, I mean. What stories did you spin? Whatever it was, it seems you’ve stirred up some misunderstandings…”

Frederick gathered Lucia and Francesca, probing them for the truth. What kind of nonsense had they spread for his family to be talking about daughters-in-law, girlfriends, and whatnot?

The two replied in a way that seemed utterly unconcerned.

“Ah, is that what you’re wondering about?”

Francesca quickly recounted the unfolding events.

“When I first visited your place, they asked about the relationship between me and the Colonel.”

“…Wait a minute. Why would they want to know about us?”

If all of us visited together, there wouldn’t have been a need to ask that! Frederick could not restrain his curiosity and inquired further.

With a gentle smile, Francesca explained.

“There was a bit of a commotion. Everyone was in a rush to escape.”

Thanks to the Duke’s invisibility magic, they could sneak out quietly, but the problem was, in their hurry, they ended up scattering in different directions.

Hastily, they tried to reach Camila and Frederick by phone, but they couldn’t get through, forcing the three to fend for themselves and find their paths.

And the ones they chose happened to be heading towards the Colonel’s home.

After all, they came to see their comrade, and Camila was someone they wished to check on—given the circumstances, they thought it best to stay for a few days before returning home. They all seemed to come to the same conclusion and decided to move forward.

The issue was that there was no means of communication among them.

Luckily, since their thoughts aligned, they picked a gathering point, but being scattered made reaching their destination all up to chance.

“Who are you?”

“Excuse me, is this the residence of Colonel Frederick Nostrim?”

“Yes, that’s correct…”

As it turned out, the first to arrive was Francesca, followed closely by Lucia.

Had things been normal, they would have introduced themselves upfront and asked for the family’s permission to enter the embassy. However, given the ‘abnormal circumstances’ here, they had to lie.

“Ah, I’m a friend of the Colonel.”

“I’m just an acquaintance of Frederick.”

Fortunately, the Nostrim family didn’t recognize Francesca and Lucia.

On a common sense level, it was unexpected for a high-ranking official from the Magic Tower and a saint from the Order to visit consecutively in the dead of night.

Adela (a foreign service public servant, a permanency) thought, “Wow, she’s really beautiful” but couldn’t imagine they were dignified guests, only that they reminded her of someone.

“A friend? Oh, you must be the person Frederick went out to meet. Please, come in.”

“Acquaintance? Ah, was there supposed to be two people meeting today? Well, please step inside. It’s chilly, would you care for a drink while you wait?”

Jerry and Adela warmly welcomed their guests, having no reason to turn them away now that they were identified as family friends, plus the fact that they seemed to know too much about the younger brother.

And so, the eldest son and daughter received their visitors without suspicion.

Afterwards, they curiously asked about what was taking their younger brother so long to arrive.

There wasn’t any special reason; it was purely out of curiosity. Anyone would ask such questions when their younger brother brought home a love interest.

“But what kind of relationship do you have with our brother?”

“What about you? What’s your relationship with Frederick?”

And here, the well-bred Francesca and the pious Lucia deemed it exceedingly rude to visit someone’s home without sufficient cause, even more so if they didn’t have prior contact.

They understood they needed to come up with a solid reason that would convince the family.

Thus, with their brain gears spinning at full capacity, what excuse could they come up with?

Saying they were there from work was a flawed approach. There wasn’t even a Ministry of National Defense in the Magic Tower and Cult (although the departments might be similar, the contexts were entirely different). It would soon be obvious that they were out of their depth.

It would be equally tough to claim they were old friends from the Academy, or childhood buddies. The family would find it peculiar if they didn’t know Frederick’s friends.

Both of those avenues were blocked. They needed a reason the family was clueless about and somehow one that wouldn’t logically tie them together.

Suddenly, an acceptable phrase came to mind.

“She’s my girlfriend.”

“…I’m his girlfriend.”

As expected, the eldest son and daughter of the Nostrim family, Jerry Nostrim and Adela Nostrim, were left flabbergasted.

Oh, hell no!

“My crazy brother finally lost it! He’s two-timing two women!”

Jerry and Adela were swiftly drawn into an emergency meeting, witnessing a family collapse in real-time as they suppressed silent screams.

‘What do we do, brother?! The first person claimed to be a girlfriend, and now the second is claiming the same!’

‘I don’t know!’

‘You need to do something!’

‘What on earth do you want me to do?!’

Up to this point, everything seemed manageable. The real problem came with the phone call that followed.

There was a message indicating that the Duke had entered the country with his party and was searching for the Duke and the remaining individual. So without further questions, he requested them to keep both guests in their home for the day.

The person on the other end was a director-level public servant from the foreign ministry.

Right at that moment, the two weak national civil servants realized who the “girlfriends” of their younger brother were seated before them.

“…”

“…Jerry.”

“…Yeah, Adela.”

“Are we in deep trouble?”

“Probably.”

This dismal news spread throughout the household faster than the communications of a K-military elite unit.

The elders of the Nostrim house were unable to contain their joy upon hearing the delightful news about two daughters-in-law (a saint and an archmage’s descendant!) suddenly visiting.

And then, there was the chief protagonist of this joyous tale.

Proudly bringing home not one but two daughters-in-law, the esteemed son (or the rascal) Frederick exclaimed,

“Wait a moment! Wait a second! Looks like there’s been a tremendous misunderstanding, so please calm down and listen to me!”

This was obviously slander.

No, it was a genuine misunderstanding, and all I wanted was some dialogue! But alas, it was unnecessary to continue the lengthy explanations.

Adela, who had been lounging on the sofa, looked over at their mother while watching her fluky brother stutter out excuses.

“Mom.”

“…Yes?”

“Are you happy having two daughters-in-law?”