A Dark Fantasy Spy

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It rained.

Raindrops hammered fiercely on the vehicle’s hood, and the smell of wet earth invaded my nostrils.

The once vibrant green hills now soaked in water. The soft green hills were stained in darker hues, and amidst the gloomy air, the intense wetness of the landscape evoked a solemn atmosphere that felt even awe-inspiring.

“Looks like it’s raining a lot here.”

The great ancestor spoken of by the Magic Tower. The mysterious legacy left by the founders blessed those who lived in the Magic Tower today.

People referred to this phenomenon as a mystery.

Magic, science, and the divine. A phenomenon that couldn’t be explained by any means—mystery.

Months of relentless sandstorms and poisonous gases had soaked the southern rainforests, which boasted remarkable resilience. The gigantic magic tower floating in the sky for a hundred years—source of magic and the divine, origin of the species.

Countless scholars tried to understand and prove it, but these historic enigmas eluded comprehension and proof.

The people of this world called such conundrums mysteries.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Yes, a little.”

“You’ll get used to it if you see it often. Just adapt and live with it.”

Seated in the passenger seat, the operative murmured as he raised his monocular to observe the road.

A quiet road with few signs of life. Listening to the fierce sound of rain against the window, we waited.

At that moment, a piece of good news came in.

The radio buzzed.

-‘3 km. Speed 47. One black SUV.’

I set the radio down and opened the car door. The torrential wind and rain rushed in through the open gap.

“Let’s get out.”

“Sure.”

—

Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

The fierce wind and rain resembled a storm.

The man in the driver’s seat leaned his arm against the steering wheel and spoke to his friend in the passenger seat.

“How’s the real estate market nowadays?”

“It’s serious. You can’t tell from the fact that I’m stuck here?”

Though they weren’t from the same military background, both were reservists who had been discharged long ago.

That fact alone connected the two of them, who belonged to different factions and nationalities.

Of course, the main reason was money. They were both working under the same employer.

The driver asked, “Is it hard to buy in the Empire?”

“What about Lushan?”

Faced with the unexpected question, the driver turned the wheel and replied.

“Don’t even get me started. It’s chaos because of the refugees. Prices in the southern lands have skyrocketed, and while it’s somewhat okay in the north and central regions, the east is in serious trouble. There’s also the drug issue…”

“Ugh. How many people can afford to buy a house with their own money in this day and age? Kien is pretty much the same.”

The two continued their discussion about real estate prices. The SUV sped down the two-lane road against the backdrop of the storm-like winds and rain.

Though it was a world where people lived, it was indeed a tough one.

Monsters lurking at every corner and the flames of civil war threatened the continent’s economy from its roots. The reasons for the economic instability were varied, but the more the economy shook, the more chaotic the world became, and with insecurity of law enforcement and national defense, the current state of the continent was a cycle of calamity.

However, such complicated issues did not arise in their conversation.

That was none of their business.

To the two of them, merely getting by was more important. It’s only logical that full bellies should produce full voices.

So they began to share their trivial tales.

“I’m thinking of taking a trip home next week to see my wife’s face. You going?”

“Why would I go to Lushan?”

“Well, you know the dancer living next door? She said she wants to see you.”

“I’ve lived my whole life in Kien. How would I survive there? Besides, I already have a religion. Even if it’s not marriage but dating, if our religions are different, one of us has to convert.”

“Who’s threatening you to get married right now? Already making a fuss after seeing her a few times…”

“I have a face that could pass. Unlike you. You should be thanking your future wife for the rest of your life. Got it?”

“Ugh… It’s a storm of nonsense. Just don’t get married. Your mouth is the problem.”

The black SUV pushed forward through the storm. The passenger glanced at the backseat in the rearview mirror.

There sat a student in academy uniform, dozing off.

“Is the young lady tired? She must have had a hard time.”

With the audible murmur, the driver lowered his voice.

“She just got back from a trip. Let her be. Don’t wake her up for no reason.”

“Once she’s asleep, she wouldn’t know if someone carried her away, just like usual.”

“Then she’d wake up suddenly.”

“Usually someone enrolled in the academy wouldn’t wake up even with commotion during breaks.”

“You’re talking like you graduated from an academy.”

“Kien has mandatory education up to middle school, you know.”

“I only went to elementary school, so I wouldn’t know.”

“Just bragging.”

In a world where it was common for many to jump into the workforce before even graduating high school, there was nothing wrong with that.

Who could blame anyone for the world’s absurdities?

A reservist with an elementary school education drove the car while another reservist who believed the recruiter’s promise to pay for his tuition upon enlisting complained.

“What a load of crap. They said they’d send me to college after discharge, but they didn’t because I couldn’t complete the service period.”

“Did you really believe that? You should have listened to the adults.”

“How could the teacher care about me? There are hundreds of students. Plus, the academy needed to meet its quota. How could they send me away and still fill it?”

Life had its ups and downs, but one couldn’t blame anyone.

If you hate the temple, the monk should leave, but if the world is terrible, you just have to endure it without any solution.

The high school graduate reservist neither blamed the twisted world nor the army that pushed him out for being delayed in promotion.

If you really wanted to protest, you could take a picket to demonstrate, but that would probably get you killed by the police swinging a metal pipe.

So instead, he just sighed heavily and let out curses.

“At least I’m making decent money now, so that’s a relief. I want to be born into a rich family in my next life, damn it.”

“Hey, what’s that light up ahead?”

“What?”

At the same time, the high school graduate bodyguard turned his gaze to the front windshield.

In the raging winds and pouring rain, it was difficult to see even a step ahead.

In the distance, a bright yellow will-o’-the-wisp flickered.

“Is that… a ghost?”

—

Fortunately, it was not a ghost.

The light flickering in the middle of the road wasn’t a will-o’-the-wisp; it was coming from a flashlight.

“Excuse me…! Help me…!”

Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a magical tool, but a very thick and heavy flashlight.

In a world where magic had flourished, it wasn’t strange for a wizard to operate in the shadows until a hundred years ago. After all, for thousands of years, science had ruled over the world. What was the big deal about carrying a flashlight around? Expensive magical tools weren’t something anyone could just carry.

However, the current situation felt rather odd.

“……”

On the desolate road swept by the fierce wind and rain, we encountered a suspicious person.

Soaked to the bone like a drowned rat, his appearance was truly pitiable, yet strangers were a target for wariness no matter the time or place.

The man holding the flashlight knocked on the car window.

“Excuse me…!”

“What do we do?”

“Isn’t there an accident? Just call the police.”

“You really think they’ll come in this weather? In this kind of wind, even a broom wouldn’t fly.”

“So, do we give him a ride?”

“Let’s see what’s going on first and then decide. He’ll catch pneumonia out here in this rain.”

Ignoring him was an option, yet the man tapping against the window looked too miserable.

The driver, keeping the engine on, turned on the headlights. A rundown red pickup truck was parked with its hood wide open, a small toolbox on the ground, and a man draped in a blanket sitting in the back seat.

“Looks like there are two men on that side too. You handle it. I’ll check that flashlight.”

“In this weather, he’s bound to catch a cold. Damn.”

“Are you made of sugar? You won’t melt just because you get a little wet. Get out already. Be careful with the tools.”

“Fine….”

The driver opened the car door and stepped outside, followed soon by the passenger.

As expected, the cold raindrops lashed against their faces. Though the rain intensified, visibility remained poor due to the mist, and the downpour was quite the formidable opponent.

The sound of shoes hitting asphalt echoed faintly against the louder sound of the wind.

In the hazy view, two figures were illuminated by the headlights. The figure in front was clearly visible from the flashlight’s beam, whereas the silhouette of the bodyguard behind was dim.

Voices reached them.

“Y-You! The car…! Problem…!”

The man with the flashlight shouted, shining its beam on the hood, indicating there was something wrong with the vehicle. Although the voice was somewhat drowned out by the rain, it was loud enough to be faintly understood.

The driver, being a family man, was particularly interested in the vehicle and could easily handle a minor problem.

While the bodyguard examined the hood, the man who had handed over the flashlight hastily ran to grab the toolbox.

The bodyguard who got out from the passenger seat inspected the vehicle’s overall condition.

To the naked eye, the tires appeared fine. A firm press confirmed adequate air pressure, and no nails or metal debris were felt. Though some minor damage might not be visible, the tires didn’t seem to pose any issues.

The entire exterior seemed alright. It might have looked a bit old, but due to the heavy rain, there was no visible dust or foreign matter. While some paint was chipped off here and there, that wasn’t a major concern either; a few scratches wouldn’t affect vehicle performance.

Of course, if its maintenance was terrible, that would have been a different story, but that was a matter the bodyguard couldn’t assess just from the exterior.

—

What were their professions?

The man holding the flashlight had a broad build and appeared muscular. In contrast, the man seated in the back was somewhat smaller. Although shorter, he was covered with a blanket, concealing his physique.

Based on their overall appearances, they did not seem like wealthy individuals. After all, it was unlikely for a rich person to drive such an old car or tremble from the rain like that.

“Are you okay?”

“……”

The bodyguard approached the man under the blanket.

His head was covered, obscuring his face, but the lips looked slightly blue—it seemed he had really been drenched in the rain.

As he got closer, the man raised his head to look up.

Black hair. Brown eyes.

He didn’t have an unusually distinct appearance, but his expression seemed a bit fierce, and his gaze was remarkably calm. It was hard to believe he was soaking wet.

“Are you alright?”

“……”

With no response to his question, the weather was indeed cold, and the wind and rain remained strong. The man seemed weak from being out in the rain.

Just as the bodyguard contemplated fetching a warming blanket from the car, a sudden scream echoed from the direction of the hood.

“Awk!”

Turning his head, he saw a man raising a pipe wrench and swinging it down towards the bodyguard’s head.

Decisions were made quickly.

“Shit—!”

The bodyguard reached for his self-defense tool, slipping his right hand towards his waist.

Right then…

“……!”

The man under the blanket sprang up, grabbing the bodyguard’s left wrist and tripping him.

They rolled on the asphalt road; the man who had handed over the flashlight raised the pipe wrench high.

There was a sickening crack.

“F-Fuck…!”

The bodyguard struggled to draw his self-defense weapon, but with one arm pinned beneath him, he couldn’t pull it out.

The man who toppled the bodyguard sat on his abdomen, pinning him down with his knee against the solar plexus.

It rained.

Below the hill where the fierce winds struck, two vehicles stood on the road. The ground was drenched, and the blood mixing with the rainwater flowed from a shattered skull.

The relentless sound of the rain hammered against the asphalt as thunder roared, briefly illuminating the dark view.

A flash of light struck the two figures.

The bodyguard lay on the road.

The man who had the bodyguard pinned down lifted his arm.

Then the spy plunged a knife into the bodyguard’s abdomen.

It wasn’t an exaggerated action scene out of a movie.

Just…

Thud—!

Simply,
quietly,
one person had died.