A Dark Fantasy Spy

---

Every action has a consequence.

There are established laws in this world.

There are formulas for problems, and there are ways to reach destinations.

People are no exception.

What moves people? The principles that govern their actions.

Usually, that’s called psychology.

“I’m sorry, Merlo. You know our regulations.”

“I understand. I get it.”

That psychology.

“Sophia.”

“Yeah?”

If you only knew that,

“Can I ask something else then?”

“Sure.”

“…Thank you.”

It’s very easy to manipulate people.

Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

“Ugh….”

Sophia snorted and swung her legs back and forth.

“So, what are you curious about? As long as it’s not about the Ranieri family, I’ll answer sincerely.”

“For example?”

“For example….”

Sophia hummed while revealing one finger at a time from her glass.

“Like an analysis of the Magic Tower Oracle Committee elections… or data regarding rumors about the health of the Kien Empire’s Emperor… or the drug smuggling routes from Mauritania that we’re tracking….”

I slowly stared at her outstretched fingers.

Then suddenly, I asked,

“Isn’t the amount you’re offering a bit too hefty for fulfilling a favor?”

I implicitly questioned whether the information she was giving me was truly safe to hand over. At the same time, I wondered if there was a reason to hide information about the alchemist to such an extent.

Of course, I didn’t voice that concern.

In response, Sophia smiled brightly and rested her chin on her hand.

“We’re not strangers who just met once, right? We have a bond after all.”

“A friend?”

There were too many secrets between us to call ourselves friends, too many conflicting interests to consider us allies, yet we were too close to be labeled as enemies.

We were caught in an ambiguous relationship, as is often the case with worldly matters.

“I thought we were friends.”

“If you say so, then I guess we are, Sophia.”

Anyway.

What mattered right now wasn’t such frivolous banter.

“Alright, tell me what you want to ask.”

“What is the Patalia government’s policy towards Francesca Ranieri?”

“Foreign policy direction? Sorry, but that falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The president’s foreign policy is determined by the Foreign Minister, not our boss.”

With a sly grin, Sophia slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

“You know that’s not what I mean. Why are you acting like an amateur?”

“Sorry, I was just teasing.”

She lightly tapped the table with her hand, letting out a soft sigh.

“Ugh… Right. You want to hear the agency’s stance?”

“Yes.”

“Were you aiming for this from the start?”

Well, she caught on quickly.

“I’m not sure.”

I answered ambiguously, maintaining a neutral expression as I stared at her. Sophia briefly looked into my eyes, then shifted her posture and rested her arms over the back of the chair.

“Okay, where should I start….”

Just as planned.

*

In truth, I didn’t need information on Francesca Ranieri. Given the extensive intelligence network that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set up regarding the Magic Tower and Patalia, it wouldn’t be surprising for me, as an envoy dispatched to the foreign mission, to not be able to track down a single civilian.

I was already well-acquainted with information regarding the alchemist.

So what I actually needed wasn’t information about Francesca Ranieri herself, but rather, the attitude of the Patalia government towards her.

To be precise, I sought their unofficial stance. I wanted the raw thoughts, unembellished by diplomatic rhetoric.

That’s why I deliberately summoned Sophia to ask about alchemical information. I already knew the National Security Agency wouldn’t hand over information about Francesca Ranieri.

To be more accurate, I expected that.

There were several rational reasons behind this.

First, Francesca Ranieri’s background.

Second, the contemporary history of Patalia.

Third, the relationship between the Magic Tower and Patalia, and the missions of the National Security Agency, among other complexities.

To avoid dragging it out, I’ll summarize simply:

“Francesca Ranieri is under surveillance. More accurately, her entire family is being monitored.”

A family issue would suffice.

“You know the reason, don’t you?”

“The restoration of the monarchy?”

“Exactly, the conspiracy to overthrow the state.”

Sophia added in a calm tone.

“Actually, if you’re being technical, it would be more related to propaganda instigation….”

Francesca Ranieri is the child of a public security criminal. In our language, she would be an ‘associated person.’

To summarize the reasons why she became associated with a public security criminal, one would first need to discuss the contemporary history of Patalia, the diplomatic relations between the Magic Tower and Patalia, and the peculiar nature of the Ranieri family.

First, the history.

Patalia was originally an absolute monarchy. The royal family ruled the entire nation, and unable to tolerate the misgovernance and tyranny of the royal family, the military staged a coup and turned the absolute monarchy into a republic. Following the fall of the monarchy, the military seized the power vacuum that was created, and after maintaining military rule for about twenty years, a civilian revolution brought about a democratic government.

Thus, both monarchy and dictatorship are shared grievances of the majority of Patalian citizens.

In the process of cleansing the taint of dictatorship, measures such as the abolition of the guilt by association policy, social rights protection, constitutional amendments, and the strengthening of parliamentary powers were implemented.

Additionally, all laws and systems that distinguish ‘noble blood’ were abolished, to the extent that the parliament even enshrined “Prohibition of the Creation of Special Social Classes” in the constitution to ensure that nobility and royalty could not sprout again.

As a result, the term ‘nobility’ in Patalia faded into history—except for one instance.

“No matter how much the Ranieri family was founded by a grand mage, isn’t it unconstitutional for them to retain their noble title? Especially in a democratic republic?”

“The Constitutional Court concluded it was constitutional. So that’s that.”

“Isn’t that the government using the judiciary as a mouthpiece?”

The Ranieri family is the only existing noble house in Patalia.

Considering that the Patalia constitution does not recognize special social classes, this was a clear violation of the constitution, but its feasibility was made possible through the diplomatic relationship with the Magic Tower.

The Ranieri family can trace their lineage to the grand mage referred to by the founding fathers as the founders of the nation. And Patalia and the Magic Tower were comrades in the same revolution.

The military government did not inherit the monarchy, but they certainly wanted to maintain their amiable relationship with the Magic Tower. This was true for the democratic government as well. A new government always needs legitimacy, and drawing that legitimacy from abroad is politically advantageous.

Therefore, recognizing the status of the Ranieri family, which has tremendous influence politically and historically with the Magic Tower, allowed a friendly relationship between the Magic Tower and the Patalian government to be built. The Patalia government manipulated the Constitutional Court to change the unconstitutional status into a constitutional one, despite opposition from the parliament, due to this background.

At this point, Sophia began to trail off with an ambiguous expression.

“Well…? That’s domestic politics, so I don’t really know….”

“Well, let’s say that.”

Anyway.

The Ranieri family was the only family acknowledged by the Patalian government with the privilege of existence.

The military regime, which valued its relationship with the Magic Tower, showered the Ranieri family with various perks (tax exemptions, preferential selections, parachuted appointments, etc.), and they enjoyed these benefits for about twenty years. Of course, after the democratic government was established, only the symbolic title of nobility remained, and all benefits were confiscated.

The problem was that the Ranieri family harbored some resentment toward the Patalian government’s decisions.

This was only natural. It’s human psychology—when things you once possessed are taken away, it’s normal to get angry. It’s even more irksome when the government takes away benefits it once granted.

For that reason, over the past 70 years since the establishment of the democratic government, the Ranieri family harbored a twinge of bad feelings toward the Patalian government. They didn’t openly oppose it, but I heard they sometimes criticized government policies through media commentary and cartoons.

In reality, the critiques were more like criticism for the sake of criticism rather than constructive critiques. They criticized the government for policy failures regardless of which political party held power. Just like bats.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day, so there were definitely people who viewed the Ranieri family’s commentaries and cartoons positively.

However.

The Ranieri family, which had maintained its anti-government sentiment for generations, eventually crossed the line.

They published a cartoon saying, “Honestly, the time of monarchy was better than now,” during a time when the government was receiving nationwide criticism for a catastrophic economic policy.

While it was routine for the Ranieri family to criticize the government in the press, advocating for the restoration of the monarchy was a grievous wound in the history of Patalia, second only to a coup. Therefore, the fallout from that cartoon was not simply a minor misstep but stirred considerable waves.

In short, they had pressed the red button. And they pressed it hard.

“Nonetheless, it’s true that the Ranieri family brought up the restoration of the monarchy, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

“What does that mean?”

The Patalian government saw it as a challenge to the regime.

“It’s inciting rebellion.”

Thus, the Ranieri family, which had symbolized the friendship between Patalia and the Magic Tower, was promptly branded as a den of public security criminals and subjected to intense surveillance by the National Security Agency.

Monitoring anti-establishment figures is one of the missions of intelligence agencies, so it wasn’t particularly unusual.

Given the Ranieri family’s ties to the Magic Tower’s political circles, there were definitely murmurs of concern about deteriorating relations with the Magic Tower, but in response, the Magic Tower distanced itself by expressing regret instead of offering support.

The Ranieri family’s cartoons could be interpreted as an endorsement of dictatorship, and for mages who suffered from painful histories linking them to the Inquisition, the term ‘dictatorship’ was especially unsettling. Moreover, for the Magic Tower, which was marginalized in the international community, maintaining relations with the revolutionary comrades who resisted dictatorship became even more crucial at that time.

As the interests of the two governments coincided, a prestigious family fell from grace.

The clan founded by the founding fathers of the revolution was now accused of inciting rebellion, and the joint investigation team formed around the National Security Agency began investigations and surveillance of the Ranieri family.

And that scrutiny has continued for the past twenty years.

“You asked me about our company’s stance on Francesca Ranieri, right?”

“Yes.”

Thus, I needed to know not the official stance of the Patalian government but its unofficial stance.

No matter how trustworthy a partner might be, forming relations with the children of public security criminals could lead to diplomatic issues.

And this was information that could only be shared in the shadows, not the light.

That’s exactly how intelligence agencies function, and that’s why the state pays me a salary to perform these duties.

In that regard, Sophia, an investigator from the National Security Agency and a long-time acquaintance of mine, conveyed the stance of the Patalian government.

“If this is a formal meeting, I can understand, but if it’s in a private setting, I have no way of helping you. It’s best to keep your distance, both for you and for her.”

She advised me not to get too close to Francesca Ranieri.

Even with allies, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed.

“It wouldn’t look good for the child of someone who incited rebellion to be friendly with a foreign soldier, right? Especially a foreign military officer.”

“Should I deal with her as impassively as possible?”

“Our official involvement in your government policies would be an act of interference. I’m sorry, but I hope you understand.”

If it escalated into a diplomatic issue, it would become a hassle for both sides, so they asked me to consider their position.

Considering that they conveyed this directly to me instead of through the embassy, it seems like the Patalian government is just as troubled as the Magic Tower.

“Sigh….”

What can I do? Intelligence agencies are set up to resolve such matters.

I should inform the higher-ups about the Patalian government’s stance.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Yes, thanks for telling me.”

I emptied my cup and nodded.

I had gained the information I wanted.

I had a rough idea of how to approach Francesca Ranieri.

*

“We’ll see each other again soon.”

“Yeah.”

After a long conversation and wrapping up the contact, I caught up with Sophia as she was about to leave the wine bar while my subordinates were waiting with the car.

“Sophia.”

“You called?”

Sophia paused and turned to look at me.

She had an expression that seemed to find something amusing.

I asked her a question.

“Last time you were definitely here to arrange the retirement of someone, but how come it sounds like you know so much?”

Due to the nature of intelligence agencies, non-high-ranking staff usually only handle the specific tasks assigned to them.

What does that mean? It means that the information is limited.

To prevent security incidents like information leaks, intelligence agencies generally control the information that employees can access. It’s somewhat similar to a veil of secrecy.

Thus, even if one is an intelligence agent, they can’t know information unrelated to their task. Especially critical information regarding policies or positions.

So,

“…Did you catch on?”

It was a reasonable assumption that Sophia, the investigator, wasn’t simply in the Magic Tower to monitor Fabio Verati.

My guess was correct.

“You found out.”

Sophia, the investigator from the National Security Agency, flashed a clear smile.

“Don’t try to know too much, Merlo. Sometimes, feigning ignorance is part of etiquette.”

“Maintain security?”

“Isn’t that common courtesy?”

Anyway, thanks for doing me that favor, Merlo.

With a smile still on her face, Sophia waved goodbye as she exited the wine bar.

I chuckled softly and took a moment before exiting the wine bar myself.

How ironic.

Professionals using pseudonyms, sharing secrets, and considering each other’s positions despite their conflicting interests.

No one knows who the ally is and who the enemy is. Yesterday’s ally may become tomorrow’s betrayer. And after tearing each other to shreds, suddenly they find themselves laughing and chatting.

It’s a world where the refined pretense barely conceals the monstrous individuals who peel away others like peeling skin from a rotten fruit.

Even the purest people, once they step into this world, become tainted.

Those who can’t adapt fall apart early on, while those who forcibly conform to the mold last a little longer.

Ultimately, only those who completely change themselves can survive to rise higher.

It’s indeed a romanticless world.

But still.

“…Things seem to be going well.”

I appreciated how everything clicked into place just as I wanted.

It seems that this might just be my destined career.

*

The news about Francesca Ranieri’s schedule for a meeting reached me around dinnertime that day.