A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The investigation team began to move, and the operation was underway.

At least five agents lay in wait on-site. Each was positioned perfectly, keeping the spy in sight without any blind spots, ready to dash out and block any escape routes at a moment’s notice.

It felt like looking at a meticulously arranged chessboard. Their careful surveillance gave away no hints, indicating that everyone had some level of field experience.

“Coffee?”

“No, I prefer black tea.”

“Tea is nice. How about you, Colonel?”

“Coffee is fine.”

I said flatly.

“How many sugar cubes would you like?”

“No thanks. I don’t really like sweet things.”

Giada Bianchi offered me a cup as if she was presenting a carefully brewed coffee. As I took a sip, I slowly started to think.

So far, things were stable. Giada didn’t seem suspicious and only insisted on coffee for me and Camila Lowell, showing no abnormal behavior.

Everything was perfect, except that the investigators who went up didn’t come back down. That was crucial information I couldn’t get, and I had no way of knowing exactly where the team leader was.

Given the circumstances, it was impossible to arrest Giada Bianchi as a spy right here. It might be doable if she were an ordinary agent, but to nab a magician in a place filled with civilians, especially with only five of us, would be suicidal. It would probably be less damaging to fight an armed spy in downtown Seoul.

In any case, I couldn’t apprehend her right now.

“…….”

I needed to buy some time.

—

Episode 3 – A Fantastic Holiday

Dealing with people is truly complicated. Especially when you’re not just acting normally but trying to deceive them.

However, when you turn something into a job and repeat it over the years, you inevitably become accustomed to it.

Moreover, being an agent in an information agency means you inevitably tell a lot of lies; it was an easy task for me to pull the wool over someone’s eyes.

So I geared up.

“… So, what you’re doing right now is developing pharmaceuticals, right?”

“Yes. I’m researching drugs to treat casualties that arise during combat.”

“That’s impressive.”

Since I had memorized all the information related to the spy, it wasn’t difficult at all.

“Where does that technology come from?”

“Six years ago, the base technology emerged from the Magic Tower. I participated in research while studying abroad, collaborating with alchemists to develop substances that regulate nerves and immunity, as well as neuroglia, which could replace existing potions and healing arts. We build on that….”

Of course, I couldn’t stall for hours, but at the very least, the knowledge in my head would buy me around ten minutes.

I continued probing into the project Giada Bianchi was overseeing.

A senior I knew had spun the tale of participating in a medical system improvement project at the Ministry of Defense, so this was possible.

“If so, is the aim enhancing physical functions, or healing wounds?”

Of course, that was a half-right and half-wrong statement.

It was true that someone I knew was involved in a medical system improvement project, but I conveniently left out that this person was the Counterintelligence Chief of the Military Intelligence Agency and was directing counterintelligence operations to intercept industrial spies.

Anyway, Giada Bianchi didn’t seem suspicious. Rather, if I just nudged her a bit, she would excitedly chatter away.

I had expected this. No matter how much of a spy she was, her essence was that of a scholar and a researcher.

And people like her tended to get a bit chatty whenever the conversation turned to their field, regardless of nationality or race.

“Enhancing physical capabilities is a secondary goal. Right now, we are focused on healing wounds. If progress is made, we’ll move on to studying functionality enhancement in the next phase, and ultimately, we hope to aid in fatigue recovery and help overcome battlefield stress through combined physiological regulation.”

“Is it applicable to subjects other than casualties?”

“That delves into sensitive matters, so I can’t really go into that…. But for now, we’re not researching on that front.”

It was almost laughable that a spy would mention security protocols, but considering she was bound for prison anyway, I wasn’t too concerned.

In any case, Giada Bianchi started sharing bits of information about the drugs being developed at the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute.

And as time passed, the conversation escalated into topics I could hardly follow with my two-bit education.

However, as ten minutes rolled by and people began to trickle into the restaurant, the figures of the investigators were still nowhere to be seen, and my paltry knowledge paled in comparison to her Ph.D. Eventually, the flow of our conversation teetered, on the brink of an awkward silence.

But,

As always, I managed to find an opening.

“By the way, you mentioned you studied abroad at the Magic Tower?”

—

The next destination being the Magic Tower was an open secret.

This was due to the Imperial Guard HQ stepping in to negotiate after dealing with the antics of rebels, bypassing the Imperial Foreign Affairs Department.

While I had embargoed the press corps covering the Ministry of Defense and Foreign Affairs, there was a chance that the pesky press could ignore the embargo, so I had only tipped off a few large media outlets that were ‘trustworthy’ and ‘reliable.’

Even with numerous reporters in various government branches, many had yet to hear the official word, leading to all sorts of wild theories.

Yet, because the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute had all communications cut off for ‘security reasons,’ most employees hadn’t even seen those speculations.

Anyway, it was confidential that the next stop would be the Magic Tower. Though an official announcement would be forthcoming.

What mattered is that this confidentiality falls under classified information.

“Magic Tower?”

“Yes.”

Classified information isn’t just about the high-level secrets you see in movies. Personal details or interests—like family connections, community dynamics, hobbies, and preferences—are also significant information.

And when such information is processed by skilled analysts, it becomes precious material applicable everywhere.

“Oh, yes. I did study abroad there… but why do you ask?”

The Magic Tower is the leading institution of civilized society.

Due to the Inquisition’s long-standing oppression, while the foundation of civilization rests on science (magic was only formalized as a systematic discipline a century ago), the age of magic began with the emergence of the Magic Tower after the war.

The magicians grouped around the Magic Tower have attempted to enter various sectors of society, seemingly eager to satiate their long-simmering desires, revealing a thirst for knowledge stronger than any group on the continent.

Whether that thirst stems from a yearning for knowledge, revenge against the cult, or sheer intellectual vanity is anyone’s guess. Perhaps they themselves don’t know.

But those trivialities are inconsequential. What truly matters is that the Magic Tower’s desire for knowledge is unfathomably strong beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Would such individuals simply sit back and watch Camila Lowell, declared a hero and magician from ‘another world’? Furthermore, the Magic Tower had already sent an unofficial letter to our Foreign Affairs Department requesting to at least lay eyes on Camila Lowell. I know this because I received that official correspondence during my time with the cult.

It’s certain that the magicians wouldn’t simply withdraw after taking a look. Regardless, the Magic Tower was waiting for Camila Lowell to arrive, and the Imperial Royal Family—a supporter of the Magic Tower—had suggested through informal meetings in the information agency that the next destination should indeed be the Magic Tower.

Of course, it was a low-key contact between high-ranking officials in the intelligence community, so it was highly unlikely that the Magic Tower had caught wind of it.

So,

The Magic Tower was eagerly awaiting Camila Lowell for some ulterior motive, and although diplomatic negotiations and inter-agency meetings named the Magic Tower as the next destination, the Tower itself was completely clueless about whether their demands had been met, twiddling its thumbs.

“I suspect we might need to stop by the Magic Tower soon. Given the circumstances, it seems necessary.”

“Ah….”

I was confident our spies placed at the Magic Tower would latch onto this tease.

And the spy confirmed my expectations.

“Is that so? What exactly are you curious about?”

Giada Bianchi seemed pleased that she had finally found something to inquire about, and I let out a sigh of relief, feeling I had bought myself some time.

While time-dragging conversations were spiraling, commotion erupted towards the entrance.

Researchers moving toward the restaurant suddenly parted like the Red Sea in shock.

Wondering what was happening, I turned my head that way and spotted a suit-clad man, an incongruous sight among the white coats, alongside military uniforms.

“Whoa?”

They were armed with guns.

What the hell, man?