A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The sedan, belching out a heavy exhaust sound, was an object that clearly stood out from the ordinary.

It was a truck loaded with dirt and wall plaster, and passersby, who had only seen beat-up cars that seemed to have been through forty years of reincarnation, couldn’t take their eyes off the shiny black sedan.

This was only natural. A person driving such a car was a rare sight in the Republic of Ashtistan.

Someone connected to the authorities or a wealthy individual receiving favors from them. The aura of the unusual sedan led citizens to speculate that its owner belonged to one of these groups.

“…….”

The gazes of the passersby and the vehicles on the roadside. The black vehicle that had arrived with quite a commotion formed a stark contrast with the surrounding scenery.

To put it simply, the sedan was like a two-eyed being that had fallen into a land of cyclopes, a presence isolated from the surroundings.

And it was extremely alien.

– Vrrrrrrooooom! –

The car, kicking up a cloud of dusty dirt, didn’t even drive into the parking lot but came to a halt right by the roadside.

Coincidentally, Camila and I were standing near the road. The sedan came to a precise stop right in front of us, as if it had business with us.

I could detect the unusual features that the car emitted.

Thick window tinting. Bulletproof tires designed to withstand gunfire. A receiver placed between the driver’s and passenger’s seats.

“…This isn’t good.”

What an unsettling combination.

Just then, a sudden, ominous premonition creeped in, indicating that something terrible could unfold.

The back door of the sedan opened, and a leg peeked out.

And then.

“?”

I couldn’t hide my momentary incredulity.

The suit man who stepped out of the car naturally adjusted his posture and straightened his cuffs before approaching me with confident strides.

“Long time no see.”

Since when did we have an acquaintance to greet one another like this?

I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t help but ask.

“…Are you here to collect money?”

The loan shark from Ashtistan, whom I encountered on my first day at Azadi Palace.

The ‘that guy’ from the Security Committee.

—

Episode 20 – Who Threatened with a Knife?

The official from the Security Committee of the Republic of Ashtistan was an impressive individual, ranking among the “Top 5 Worst Humans” in my entire life.

Didn’t he just come directly with a bunch of suit men trailing him, blathering on about ‘money’? It was quite an extraordinary first meeting.

Right. An information investigator could receive bribes. Even if the counterpart was a foreign spy, I could embrace them with a broad mind.

Why? Because I had seen plenty of gentlemen like this before.

Investigators who received bribes from criminals, public security officials who would stop a passing foreigner and suggest a game of “pay the fine vs. pay a bribe.” Even information officers who extorted their own civil servants.

The luxurious economic life forms the basis of our daily needs, and quirks like these exist everywhere. Most of the oddballs I had met fell into this category.

In this sense, I could understand the Security Committee official demanding a bribe. Perhaps he wanted to pick up some extra cash, though I couldn’t be sure if that’s a normal mindset.

Still.

No matter how thick-skinned a person may be,

this was too…

“Leave this country at once.”

Doesn’t that seem somewhat disgraceful?

“What do you want me to do?”

“I mean to say, get out of Ashtistan.”

Caught off guard by the abrupt request to leave the country, I could only blink in response.

What on earth was he talking about?

“Has something gone wrong with your hearing lately…? Camila, did I hear him correctly?”

“I think you did.”

Camila, with her wide rabbit eyes, affirmed it for me. I had heard it clearly.

I couldn’t help but frown.

“…We’re only on the third day?”

“Guess it was just a 2-night, 3-day trip.”

“Didn’t we plan to lounge around for about a week? I thought this was a packaged tour, and what is this?”

“Is there a complaint coming from Korean again? Your itinerary has been replaced by departure.”

“Fine!”

I shoved a scoop of Bastani (Persian ice cream made primarily from milk, eggs, sugar, rosewater, and salep) into my mouth.

“Awawawaw!”

Camila began to savor the ice cream, making delightful sounds.

The smooth Bastani boasted a dazzling color and melted in my mouth so quickly it was hard to believe it had just come out of the freezer.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes!”

“It’s not like you’d dislike any food…”

Just as the spoon scooping up the ice cream halted,

a sharp gaze pierced through me like a dagger.

“…What did you just say?”

“I told you to get another one if you need.”

“Can I order two?”

“No.”

As you can see.

We were out and about, exploring Shizuya after leaving the hotel.

Being cooped up in the room had made me feel sluggish, so Camila insisted we go sightseeing in town both to find a gift for the Duke and to have a bit of fun, while I gathered intel from hotel staff on decent tourist spots.

Our first stop was a bazaar famous for its handicrafts. It was a market rooted in Arab-Persian culture. For reference, the word “bazaar” comes from here.

Excitedly, Camila and I wandered through the corners of the bazaar, adding any good products to our basket. There were stores selling handmade crafts and snacks, notably run by a unique pair—a little old lady and a young goblin.

Enthralled by the Arabesque aesthetics, Camila asked how the old woman and the young goblin came to run the shop together, chatting for about an hour and end up buying a ton of their goods.

It was hilarious watching her stack items in both hands, barely able to see in front of her. Every time she took a step, the old lady and goblin had to sweat bullets to keep up.

After having visited a department store, one of the few remaining in Shizuya, and roaming through the old town, which has existed since the 1600s,

we stopped to have some Bastani at a place recommended by the hotel staff when suddenly…

“…Wait. But what brings you here again?”

I glared at the uninvited guest—the official from the Security Committee, who showed up kicking up dust.

We were having such a good time, and he had ruined the mood as soon as he appeared.

And that was why I was so indignant.

“Ah, I am not buying anything. I’m irreligious and don’t believe in gods. Just please go along your way. Please.”

I had no idea where he’d heard any rumors from.

Even the first-line ghost of the subway line who preached about the salvation theory wouldn’t bother me like this.

Even during my commute to and from the main office in Seoul (the Information Command had its headquarters in Seocho-gu until the 2010s), I’d only heard some soothing background music, no one had chased after me in harassment like this.

Such a leech, bothering people.

“Leave while I’m still saying it nicely.”

“…Excuse me?”

Now he was threatening me?

I shot the Security Committee thug a disgruntled look. Where did he find the confidence to threaten me so brazenly in broad daylight?

In a low voice, the Security Committee official spoke.

“I give you 12 hours. Leave Ashtistan.”

“……”

“And don’t ever come back. Don’t let me see you again.”

His voice was low and had no discernible characteristics.

Though it sounded serene at a glance, layer beneath it lay a subtle anger, making the warning burn like an emerging flame.

“…Hmph.”

Slowly picking apart the message, I realized that not only his voice carried emotion but his expression did too.

Anger or malice. Whatever emotion one might express was quite intense and clearly targeted at me.

Thus, I couldn’t help but think.

Why was this guy acting all psycho towards me?

“……”

So many suspicious angles existed.

Perhaps someone had reported him for soliciting bribes, and the inspectors had come down hard on him, or maybe he found the sight of a foreigner wandering about without any bribe to be a nuisance.

But none of that really mattered. At least not at this moment.

What mattered was that I was being demanded to leave by an employee of the Security Committee.

And that I was being coerced to leave without any proper procedures.

“12 hours.”

“……”

“Hmm…. Let’s leave it at that for the moment.”

I naturally packed up my basket and stood up.

The Security Committee thug fixed a hard stare on me. Whether he wanted to or not, I popped another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth before turning back with Camila, heading towards the hotel.

“…Is this okay?”

Worry etched on Camila’s face as she seemed unable to comprehend the situation, prompting her to question me.

“This is illegal, isn’t it? They’re telling you to leave without reason?”

“Then what do you want me to do? Grab him by the collar and fight?”

“You should report it. Inaccurately it would be a protest, but… we must do something, be it the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or elsewhere—”

“Good thinking.”

“…Huh?”

I nodded my head readily.

Camila’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Just as you said, we have to report it.”

“…Are you really going to do it?”

“Of course. We have to report it.”

Hoo.

I added my words with a light sigh.

—

Even though the third-world intelligence agency is riddled with corruption, it’s still a state and intelligence institution.

Moreover, under the laws of the Republic of Ashtistan, accepting bribes is indeed a crime, and particularly for civil servants, it is a serious offense.

“Camila, come translate this for me.”

“What should I do?”

“Just write down as I call it out. ‘Thank you to the civil servants for tirelessly striving towards the normalization of the Republic of Ashtistan. On a street in Shizuya today….’”

I poured the events of the day into the stationery.

It was a kind of whistleblower letter.

Naturally, the destination of the letter was the Security Committee of the Republic of Ashtistan, the workplace of ‘that guy’ who had just threatened me.

For your reference, all reports in this country were only accepted through verbal or written correspondence, as it was an underdeveloped region devoid of the infrastructure to send reports or tips through wireless means like the Korean people’s news office.

Anyway.

The letter was drafted with Camila’s help. Why? Because I could only speak Persian and couldn’t even write a single letter in Ashtistani script.

But that was no problem. My walking Google Translate, Bio-Papago, boasted such stellar performance that it could even transcribe unfamiliar crooked letters into neat handwriting without breaking a sweat.

“But isn’t the tone a bit too stiff? It sounds strange to use ‘tirelessly’ in a letter to the enemy’s intelligence agency….”

“Well. Should I just write ‘I hope the Republic of Ashtistan collapses soon’ instead?”

“Hmm… Upon reflection, it sounds like a piece worthy of a fairy. I’ll use it as is!”

In any case, she did her best to write the letter as I dictated, and I sent it to the Security Committee.

“Though reporting it was good… do you really think they’ll take it seriously? Aren’t you worried they might ignore it?”

“So I wrote in the postscript that if things go sideways, I’d shove it to the foreign press and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These folks can tolerate corruption but not humiliation.”

“Ah!”

It was truly a complaint full of essence.

I had firmly communicated that if they protected their silly employee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would protest, and I’d spread it to the media to bring shame to their nation.

I firmly believed that within a week at the latest, inspectors would turn that loan shark’s office upside down.

“Another job well done!”

Camila seemed overjoyed for some reason as she bounced in excitement. Though I lamented that my disciple should sit still, who really cared?

The Duke was happy to receive gifts and entertainment from his disciple, and Camila had enjoyed an exciting spectacle, while I had dealt with the oddball without lifting a finger.

It was truly a double blessing.

“I got it, so please stop bouncing around. The hotel might collapse at this rate…”

That evening, we held a small celebration party to commemorate sending off the loan shark.

It had been a very pleasant and happy day.

—

And the next early morning.

The staff from the Security Committee came to the hotel.

Along with the letter we had written.