A Dark Fantasy Spy

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I stood up to catch the madman who honked the horn. The sound came from the direction of the outpost.

In the distance, several black sedans were lined up in front of the outpost, and the executives who had come out to see what was going on were crowded together. I pushed through them and slowly moved forward.

And there I was faced again with the suit man I had met just a few days prior.

“Nice to see you again,” I said.

“……”

I couldn’t find the words. It wasn’t embarrassment or anything; I was simply curious why these guys had come all the way out here to cause trouble. The suit man strode forward and said, “Could you come over here for a minute?”

The soldiers guarding the outpost tried to stop the suit man, but a group of young suit men stepped in to block them, clearing a path with their bodies.

However, I stood still, staring at the suit man.

“Why should I? You should send an official document or contact me properly. What is this about?”

The Royal Intelligence Department was a rival company. Although I had no sense of belonging and no patriotism toward Abas, it was merely a few days ago that they had attempted to hijack the business I was managing. There was no way my words would be gentle.

But the suit man stood firm, looking at me as if to say, “What’s the problem?”

“……”

“……”

Just then, as our gazes hung in the air, a strange tension filling the atmosphere—

“Cut it out.”

A person stepped out from the black van parked in the back. It was a middle-aged woman.

She waved away the approaching suit men and walked forward.

“What are you all doing among family?”

“I’m sorry, Director.”

“Tsk….”

The middle-aged woman clicked her tongue in reprimand at the suit man. Then she turned to me and said, “Well, look who it is again.”

Former Head of Overseas Operations of the Military Intelligence Agency, Kien Empire.

Former Head of the Military Intelligence Agency, Lushan Federation Branch.

And now, the Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department.

She was my former superior.

“Don’t just stand outside. Come sit down and talk.”

“……”

Leoni Risha.

She had come to see me.

—

Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

—

In the information agency, there are people known as “named” individuals.

These are people with long-standing achievements and skills or those who gain fame by producing quick results in a short period. They become objects of admiration and respect, but they can also be the targets of envy and jealousy, and at times they might even be sought after for recruitment.

The most representative example is Clevenz.

Clevenz was an agent who had been running around the field since his officer days, and after rising to a higher rank, he became an outstanding investigator who sent hundreds of spies to prison as a case officer.

His abilities were so exceptional that he was considered a strong candidate for the next department chief, surpassing the Security Chief and Information Chief, both of whom held higher ranks than him. It could even be said that during his captaincy, he was offered job transfers from the Cabinet Security Office and the Special Investigation Bureau; his abilities and prominence had reached a peak.

However.

Where there is sunlight, there is also the moon. If Clevenz was in the domestic part of the Military Intelligence Agency, then conversely, Leoni was in the overseas part.

Leoni Risha.

The top operative of the Military Intelligence Agency. She started in the department known as the graveyard for agents, responsible for the Kien Empire, and rose to the position of chief, the second-in-command of the imperial branch.

She swept numerous awards and medals since her officer days, yet ironically, no one knows what awards she received them for.

The detailed history of her career and the missions she undertook remained unknown.

There were countless rumors, but no way to verify them.

However, the fact that many senior operatives who had served alongside her kept quiet, and many agents who had been beside her had suffered casualties or retired, contributed to the story that she handled very dirty and dangerous tasks within the information department—this became accepted as common knowledge.

What was certain was that she was an extraordinarily skilled operative, and the Military Intelligence Agency continued to assign secret missions to her.

If Leoni had completed her term as the branch chief of the Lushan Federation smoothly, she would have returned to the Empire to sit as the branch chief again. There wouldn’t be anyone as exceptional as her, no matter how hard you looked.

If she had passed through the key position of branch chief, she could have aimed for not only the head of overseas operations but also the position of the next chief of the Military Intelligence Agency.

“……”

I thought she had quietly retired after going through an incident and her star had faded.

But upon meeting her again, she seemed as formidable as ever. She remained in the industry exactly as she was back then.

“What are you staring at so intently? It’s embarrassing.”

“…It’s been a while, Director.”

“Director? Just call me Chief now.”

Leoni was dressed not in military uniform but in a suit.

Affiliated with the Royal Intelligence Department. I had no idea what position she held.

Once an elite operative of the Military Intelligence Agency, now the Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department, her demeanor seemed more like that of a relaxed civilian than someone from the military.

Maybe it’s because she had retired.

“I thought you had retired, but I never dreamed you’d transfer to the Royal Intelligence Department.”

In a room of a barracks, slightly distant from a barren operational area, I replied with a smile. We weren’t particularly close, nor were we distant, but she had been my superior once.

To which my former superior replied while leaning against the backrest of her chair.

“It’s not a retirement; it’s a dispatch.”

Maybe because she was my superior, her casual tone was just as it had always been, both then and now.

When we met in the Royal Intelligence Department’s conference room, I wondered if she had changed due to her tone, but seeing her in a private setting, it felt like the days from the Military Intelligence Agency had not changed significantly. If her personality were still the same, she would likely curse as easily as before.

Anyway.

“Is that so?”

A dispatch. I mulled over her answer.

Like the National Intelligence Service, the Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department can request the dispatch of active military personnel or civil servants at any time. This is not an overstep of authority but an inherent power that can be exercised within established laws. In South Korea, the head of the National Intelligence Service and the heads of relevant agencies collaborate to obtain the president’s approval.

Thus, the dispatched soldiers or civil servants maintain their original status while simultaneously serving as employees of the Royal Intelligence Department.

In other words, Leoni is currently both an agent of the Military Intelligence Agency and the Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department.

I nodded and replied.

“I see. I didn’t know that.”

I didn’t understand how that worked. I wasn’t a legal expert and didn’t particularly want to know. After all, it isn’t unusual for intelligence agencies to bend the rules. Sometimes, it’s better to just let it be.

“So what are you doing in the Royal Intelligence Department now…?”

“Deputy Chief of the Operations Division, 2nd Section. You could think of it as something similar to the head of the Operations Division.”

The National Operations Division of the Royal Intelligence Department.

The central hub for all intelligence gathering and covert operations carried out by the Royal Intelligence Department. I didn’t know exactly what a 2nd Section Deputy Chief was responsible for, but I instinctively felt it must be a very high position.

After all, it wouldn’t be a low-ranking position to bring in someone with experience as a branch chief in the overseas general department. At the very least, it would be a high-ranking position, above that of a branch chief.

“You’ve been promoted. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, it’s the first time I’m hearing congratulations from you in three years.”

“Ah… I was an advisor then…”

“Tsk.”

Leoni clicked her tongue and leaned back deeply in her seat. It wasn’t that she was unlucky, but she was just that kind of person.

Anyway, I wondered why on earth she had come to see me.

“……”

I racked my brain hard. There was no way she came all this way just to receive congratulations three years later; she wouldn’t be the type to casually engage in small talk after such a long time.

That could only mean one thing.

“…Did you come to discuss overseas operations?”

“What?”

“Are you here to ask me to transfer the mission to the Royal Intelligence Department?”

It seemed highly likely that she had come to suggest handing over the mission of tracking the organization behind the spies to the Royal Intelligence Department.

After all, she was a military figure, someone who had lived her life exclusively in the overseas operations arm of the Military Intelligence Agency responsible for the Kien Empire. And I was an information agent of the Military Intelligence Agency, my first assignment being the Kien Empire.

In short, it felt like an act of seniority. A military senior might come to request a favor from a junior. It was common in the intelligence community. Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything else. But the reason she had chosen to visit me directly eluded me, though it wasn’t of utmost importance.

Leoni smirked and retorted.

“Did I look like I came here to ask you for that nonsense?”

“……”

Her eyes, filled with fierce determination, pierced through me. It was an intensity that couldn’t be expressed as mere hostility, and her piercing gaze felt like a dagger through my heart.

Leoni straightened up as she continued.

“I didn’t come here to ask for some transfer.”

Though her gaze was sharp, I unyieldingly smiled.

“…Is that so? Then please, go ahead and tell me. I need to have lunch.”

“……”

“Oh, by the way. Have you had lunch yet?”

“You really are something…”

Leoni relaxed her expression and muttered, ‘That Clevenz taught you something strange,’ as she resumed leaning back in her seat. Though she was my senior officer, treating a colonel like this felt a bit excessive.

As I was lost in such thoughts, she adjusted her glasses and began to speak.

“Right. Since we’re not close, let’s skip the complicated small talk. Just get to the point.”

“I’m all ears.”

“You…”

A deal was on the table.

“Are you thinking about transferring?”

—

The Royal Intelligence Department is a competitor of the Military Intelligence Agency.

To be precise, they can be seen as mutually checking and monitoring each other to achieve better operational efficiency, forming a symbiotic relationship.

Intelligence gathering.

Intelligence analysis.

Counter-terrorism.

Protection of advanced technologies.

Support for companies expanding overseas.

Assisting decision-makers.

Covert operations, among others.

The Royal Intelligence Department and the Military Intelligence Agency, as well as the Military Intelligence Agency and the Royal Intelligence Department, engage in a fierce intelligence battle in various fields to check and monitor each other.

This relationship exists in any country.

CIA and DIA, FSB and SVR, DGSE and DST, SIS and GCHQ, Mossad and Aman, CIRO and DIH, the Ministry of State Security and the General Staff Information Agency, the Cultural Exchange Bureau and the Reconnaissance General Bureau, the National Intelligence Service and the Information Command, etc.

Both national intelligence agencies and sector-specific intelligence agencies engage in fierce intelligence warfare, competing for more budget and dominance. So sometimes they overstep their boundaries and make blunders.

Yet, they don’t always compete. They often hold regular exchanges under the pretext of training, information sharing, personnel exchanges, joint operations, dispatches, and business trips. After all, they’re family, belonging to the same nation. You can’t help but put up with it when it’s family.

However, in this part of the world, it’s a different story.

Due to the remnants of feudalistic systems that still exist, pride and sense of belonging soar high. To suppress the other party, internal intelligence battles can be fiercer than those waged globally.

In short, as long as the line isn’t crossed, they’ll do whatever they can get away with.

Just like now.

“…What did you say?”

A deal came from the Royal Intelligence Department.

A suggestion to transfer.

In other words, a suggestion to change jobs.

In the intelligence industry, rotating personnel is quite common. Because experienced and skilled personnel are scarce, it’s unavoidable.

Thus, intelligence agencies often bring in external hires for filling special positions. Similar to when the National Intelligence Service announces external recruitment for military intelligence, North Korea, overseas, investigations, IT, and other experts.

Of course,

“They asked if you’d consider moving to the Royal Intelligence Department after retirement.”

There are also instances where they approach someone directly with a proposal for job transfer, just like now.

I asked Leoni.

“Why would I move to the Royal Intelligence Department?”

“How many years have you put in so far?”

“…It’s been six years.”

“Is that so?”

She closed her eyes and pondered. Then she spoke aloud, counting the numbers.

“Three years until commissioning. Right after that, one year as a field squad leader. Six months of training. Three years of practical work. Three years as an advisor…”

“……”

“A six-year Military Intelligence Agency agent. When short-term agents with three to five years of service are brought in through special hiring, they come in as level seven newcomers. So if you join now, at the least you’d be a team leader. A major is level six, so if you transfer, you’ll typically go up two levels…”

“……”

“Elevate your rank by two levels to level four. A position of manager. How does that sound?”

The suggestion was that they would elevate my rank to the position of manager if I moved to the Royal Intelligence Department.

It was a pretty unconventional offer. A manager’s position in an intelligence agency at the late twenties is quite high, even if it’s a mid-ranking role.

“This isn’t just about your rank. You’ll also receive authority, assigned personnel, equipment, and a scale of support equal to that of a manager. If necessary, we could even write a blank check for you.”

“……”

A blank check issued by a national intelligence agency. This was essentially a license to do whatever I wanted. It was an outright overstep of authority beyond laws and regulations.

Being a level four manager at the age of 28 is an exceptional offer. If I mishandled it, it would create chaos. However, even though that chaos could be dangerous, the offer was certainly worthwhile.

I kept silent, weighing my options, while Leoni adjusted her posture and continued her persuasion. More inquiring if I had any further explanations to demand rather than trying to recruit me.

“Will you not take it, even with all that? The job change.”

“That doesn’t provide me with a reason to leave the Military Intelligence Agency.”

“A reason?”

She laughed softly.

“You would know the answer once you earn your living through this work. The actual number of operational staff in the Royal Intelligence Department is significantly larger than that of the Military Intelligence Agency’s overseas operations staff.”

“The exact number of employees and the scale is classified information.”

“Do you think I wouldn’t know? Listen. Regardless, I don’t know the precise scale either. It’s classified. Only the heads of agencies or the Prime Minister would know. I just have a rough estimate.”

That’s true.

Even for an intelligence officer, classified information remains classified. You cannot arbitrarily access confidential information that doesn’t match your rank and duty. Especially the exact organization size is vital classified information.

However, those with seniority can often sense their organization’s scale and prowess. And she was someone seasoned in the industry.

Leoni held up one finger confidently.

“But one thing is certain: whether in terms of status or scale, the Military Intelligence Agency cannot compare to the Royal Intelligence Department.”

That was accurate.

The Military Intelligence Agency is a branch intelligence agency, while the Royal Intelligence Department is a national intelligence agency. There’s a clear distinction in organizational scale.

In broader numbers, the Military Intelligence Agency might seem larger than the Royal Intelligence Department, but since the Military Intelligence Agency encompasses both domestic and overseas, compared to the Royal Intelligence Department, which focuses solely on overseas, the overseas part of the Military Intelligence Agency is much smaller.

“And you know, don’t you? Working in the Royal Intelligence Department offers far better working conditions than in the Military Intelligence Agency.”

“……”

“I mean, if you really don’t want to transfer the business, wouldn’t it be better to work in a more favorable environment?”

She only spoke from the perspective of an operative, firmly avoiding any talk of belonging or loyalty, as if it were needless.

In simple terms, it was a matter of practicality over ideology, efficiency over sentiment.

“……”

“Think it through. Defending the country isn’t only about holding a rifle and fighting, you know?”

Of course, she didn’t forget the slight patriotic marketing.

Having fired her rapid-fire words, Leoni collected her things and stood up.

Before stepping out of the room, she said to me, “I don’t believe you’re someone so foolish as to waste your talents.”

“……”

“You won’t have much time to decide. So make your choice. As soon as possible.”