A Dark Fantasy Spy

---

The capital of Ashtistan, Shizuya, is a city rich in long history and tradition.

It is home to one of the holy sites proudly claimed by Al-Yabd, with traces of the dynasties that have ruled this land since ancient times scattered throughout the city.

Some liken this place to a sandcastle built on fear and lies.

However, for the residents of the Republic of Ashtistan, Shizuya is a religious sanctuary— a homeland imbued with the essence of a people that has remained untainted by foreign powers for thousands of years.

Thus, for the people of this land, who live not in fear and lies but in happiness and kindness, Shizuya has always served as a “refuge for the soul.”

Well, until the wave of revolution hit, that is.

—

Episode 20 – Who Brandished a Knife to Threaten?

The striking red background and white lettering of the sign stopped the man’s footsteps.

Bonheur sans mélange. (Pure happiness.)

The elegant cursive of the shop’s name caught his eye.

With his jacket draped over his forearm, the man couldn’t tear his gaze away from the sign for a while.

As if he were spellbound by something.

“……”

The beauty of the font was enough to capture attention, but not enough to enchant the soul. The same was true for the splendor of the jewelry on display.

Necklaces, bracelets, and rings were clearly items meant for women. No matter how extravagant, that alone was a bit lacking to catch a man’s interest.

Yet the man waited.

Was it because he was captivated by the dazzling sign? No.

Was he curious about the meaning of the foreign language? Not that either.

So why couldn’t he leave the jewelry store that catered to women?

The answer to his dilemma was quite simple.

“How about it, dear?”

His wife was showing interest.

“Aren’t they beautiful?”

The middle-aged woman smiled, her gentle eyes lighting up. She was a woman who stood out with her light makeup and modest attire.

With subtle makeup, styled loose hair, and even with the bump of a hairstyle at the back, her beauty was dazzling.

Her hands were neatly placed on the counter, and the dreamy patterned bracelet gleamed enticingly from the display.

Yet the man’s gaze was fixed on the woman’s smile.

“To me, you’re even more beautiful.”

“Oh dear… What are you saying in a public place?”

Despite her light reproach, the man could only laugh.

When someone truly loves you, it’s only natural that laughter bubbles up.

Thus, his steps halted outside the store, unable to pull his gaze from his beloved wife’s face.

“It’s the truth.”

The husband, who had been lingering outside the store, stepped closer to his wife.

Though there were no displays of affection, their gestures and glances easily conveyed the love they shared.

The smiling wife examined the jewelry, and the husband looked at her with affectionate eyes.

“What’s the price for this?”

“Yes, dear customer. Currently, this you’re looking at is….”

As the kindly employee wrapped in loose attire replied in a gentle voice, the wife leaned in closer.

Yet when she heard a price far more exorbitant than she had anticipated, a subtle worry flickered across her face.

“Um… Is that so?”

The helpful explanation continued, but the employee didn’t seem to notice the customer’s slight change.

However, the husband noticed.

In that fleeting moment, he caught a different light passing over his wife’s face.

And he discerned what that emotion meant.

And so.

He interjected into the conversation between the two women.

“Do you like it?”

“…Um.”

The answer didn’t come easily. The middle-aged woman smiled, trying to hide what felt like an awkwardness or embarrassment, but soon she had no choice but to concede.

Having exchanged feelings for decades through the academy and university, it was not easy to deceive a man like that. And considering her husband’s occupation, it made it even harder.

“I do want it. But dear, is it really okay for us?”

“If my beloved wife desires it, then nothing is too precious. If you want it, I won’t hesitate to buy it all.”

“Thank you for saying that, but…”

“Don’t worry. Today is a day off, after all.”

The wife wore a troubled smile. While it was true that her life with her husband had been full of happiness, sometimes his nature had led to awkward moments.

Whether he knew that or not, the husband just continued to smile contentedly.

“I’ll look around.”

“Which store are you going to?”

“I’m just going to grab a drink real quick.”

After flashing a smile at his wife, he left the store with light steps.

As he walked toward the fountain in the department store, he naturally took out his mobile phone from his inner pocket.

“…Hmm.”

The screen showed a familiar number.

It was a call from work.

Clearing his throat, the man answered the call.

“Speak.”

-‘This is Ashraf. I’m sorry to disturb you on your day off.’

“It’s fine. Just tell me what’s going on.”

Ashraf responded.

-‘An incident occurred in Rabdari.’

In that instant, the man’s brows furrowed slightly.

“They’ve caused trouble again, haven’t they? What happened?”

-‘One employee was found dead. About 60 kilometers northeast of Shizuya, along the riverbank. The local police have filed a report.’

Could it be an accident? Most likely not.

The man let out a tiny sigh, brushing his finger over the edge of the report. Ashraf continued on the line.

-‘Considering powder traces, burn marks from gunfire, it seems he was shot with a pistol pressed against the back of his head. The estimated time of death was at latest two days ago.’

“What about ammunition? Have they checked on that?”

-‘The forensic team sent the results, and the rifling marks on the bullet are ours.’

As the man listened to the explanation, he lapsed into thought, remaining silent for a while.

An employee of the Ashtistan Republic’s counter-intelligence agency was shot. And the bullet found at the base of his skull was identified as belonging to the Ashtistan Republic.

“Tell me about the deceased Security Committee employee.”

Rustle, rustle… The sound of paper flipping followed shortly.

With a tightening grip on the receiver, the explanation resumed.

-‘Hmm…. Until he entered Rabdari, he was just a local civil servant, not someone particularly important. He worked as a Security Committee officer in the outer palace of Azadi Palace and had traces of taking bribes from officials before a report was filed with an inspector.’

“What a foolish thing to do.”

Blinded by greed, it seemed he had stepped on high-ranking officials’ toes.

If he had just taken a reasonable amount while keeping a low profile, there might not have been any reports filed. In the end, he had brought trouble upon himself.

“Find out who killed him. Determine who ordered it as well. Place everything you’ve gathered on my desk.”

-‘I’ve already done that. But there’s a problem…’

Ashraf hesitated, trailing off in his explanation.

-‘The inspector general of Rabdari, who is presumed to have issued the orders, has been dismissed today. There are already rumors that the inspectors from that side will all be summoned for questioning.’

“Why all of a sudden?”

-‘I don’t know the reason. However, the imperial government protested early this morning, and the Kien ambassador urgently visited the hotel where the duke is staying. Leading the Imperial Guard personnel himself.’

The dismissal of the inspector general. The Kien ambassador’s hotel visit. The movements of Kien’s intelligence agents residing at the embassy. The purged Security Committee member. And Azadi Palace.

“……”

It felt like a distance that was both near and far away. As if peering at a pointillist painting that was slowly coming together.

-‘Should we look into it?’

“No. No, don’t do that.”

Ashraf replied understandingly. The man continued.

“Send a vehicle here. I’ll go to the hotel. You head over to the Security Committee.”

-‘Are you going in person? What about your day off? Your wife…’

“I know, Ashraf. But I can’t just let them clean up the mess they created without me.”

-‘In that case… I’ll prepare the vehicle right away.’

With a slight sigh, he ended the call.

Just before the line disconnected, a brief remark from his subordinate came through the magical wave.

-‘Take care, Deputy Commander Kasem.’

—

The grievances of Her Grace Alexandra Petrovna had brought a massive storm.

“Why is it only me that’s always being scolded…!”

Having worked day and night for the entire department, the military intelligence agency staff was enraged when a no-show customer declared their absence.

Frederick, amidst a chorus of curses from dozens of employees, had become an audacious face, the very picture of failure, showing his vicious character to the world, while he crawled on all fours through the hotel corridor, barking like a dog. (※ Not factual.)

“Is there no more listening device lying around?”

Camila had secretly installed one in her master’s hotel room.

The fiery disciple, who repeatedly torched her master’s calm demeanor, proving the proverb “A dog’s habits won’t change,” had shown her incredibly disruptive behavior once again.

Before the ambassador of the Kien Empire, the consul (head of the Imperial Guard branch), and civilian witnesses from the hotel, she had brandished multiple listening devices, jangling them like a celebratory moment in a birthday party.

“…This is bad.”

The public servants fleeing to the hotel emergency stairs were left trembling like condemned criminals (almost the same situation), unable to do anything but smoke nervously.

As they gathered, the clouds of cigarette smoke filled the emergency stairs, transforming them into a giant chimney.

It created a beautiful sight reminiscent of the smoke from a Scandinavian home during the December Christmas season!

“Who searched the room earlier? We didn’t do it, though.”

“Does the order matter? It’s not just a written report; it looks like the branch manager’s head might roll as well.”

“What should I do? I can barely pay off half of my student loans….”

With a single batch of listening devices, Camila had completely wrecked dozens of information officers. She was the living embodiment of havoc, a proud citizen of the UK, the finest product of the SIS university internship program.

Interestingly, Her Grace had not scolded Camila. To be precise, she had turned a blind eye to it.

After all, the truth was undeniable; the Ashtistan government had been eavesdropping on them. It didn’t matter whether the target was the duke himself or the disciple Camila. (Though the thoughts of the Imperial Guard personnel who had to be reprimanded by the inspectors may differ.)

And as long as they had located the listening device, that unpleasant object should not remain in the room. It was of no use.

“No! The plans I had prepared…!”

“Frederick! Stop yelling and just get some sleep!”

In any case.

The aftermath brought on by a single phone call from the Archmage created such a massive impact that it was hard to find any place that wasn’t turned upside down, from the Kien Empire’s mainland to the government of the Republic of Ashtistan.

However, Her Grace Alexandra Petrovna had no intention of dragging out this issue.

Having come to visit a friend along with her entourage, she was certain that continued disturbances would spoil what should have been a delightful trip.

“Your Highness, I’m sorry, but… a listening device has been found in the guest room.”

“Is that so?”

Hearing the branch manager’s report, the duke let out a hollow chuckle.

It seemed her clever disciple had gotten herself into trouble.

“…Ambassador.”

Her Grace Alexandra Petrovna muttered as she gazed out the window.

“If I say I’m heading out right now, will they persuade me not to go?”

“Um… The time is late, but if you tell me the destination….”

Under the starry night, the towers of the city stood tall on the horizon.

After pausing, the Archmage quietly added.

“To Azadi Palace.”

To the place where an old friend awaited.