A Dark Fantasy Spy

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Leaning against the bathroom wall, I tied a towel around my shoulder.

“Ugh…!”

My head was spinning from the pain. It was as dizzying as the moment I was hit by a car during a confrontation with the Chinese police.

Dizzy? I suppose “feeling out of it” would be more fitting.

Still, my body seemed to be moving well enough. The pistol I had hurriedly pulled out in my left hand naturally switched to my right. I somehow managed to apply pressure to the gunshot wound too.

Sitting there against the wall, I pondered.

“…….”

Where did things start to go wrong?

—

Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

I had lured Fabio Verati into a hotel room, trying to bring up conversation about my youngest daughter in a bid to recruit him.

It wasn’t so much recruitment as it was half a threat.

With the help of a hotel staff member I had bribed, I installed a listening device in the room and set up additional equipment in the neighboring room booked under an alias.

The aim was to assess Fabio Verati’s psychological state through conversation and subtly gather any information he might let slip.

If the situation proved unfeasible for recruitment, I planned to leave the hotel, listen to the recorded conversation, and determine the direction for future operations.

This was a mission that could not afford to fail.

There was no worry of getting caught, and with the help of the hotel staff member, all loose ends had been tied up. The diplomat’s status would serve as a solid shield against severe troubles.

There was no reason for the operation to fail in any way—except until an uninvited guest barged into the hotel room.

“…Who the hell are you?”

I asked, assuming from the sounds outside that the intruder had not yet entered the room, as the door was ajar.

The intruder, seemingly aware of my knowledge, responded to my question. Remarkably, he spoke in Abas.

“I’m not interested in you.”

He wasn’t exactly polite, but we exchanged brief words over the wall.

His pronunciation wasn’t fluent, but it was understandable.

The intruder proclaimed, “We’re only interested in that Patalia guy. If we take him, we’ll disappear quietly, so let’s not make it worse here.”

It was a one-sided notification.

“…Oh, really? For a bunch of assholes barging in with guns, you’re surprisingly nice.”

“You fired first. We got shot first too.”

“So your parents taught you to draw guns and barge in on strangers?”

With three bumbling idiots storming in with guns, who wouldn’t fire?

“…Fuckers.”

With my gun aimed down the hallway, I took a moment to think.

First, let’s assess the situation.

After bringing Fabio Verati and his colleagues from the Magic Tower into the hotel, I entered the room booked under my name, discussing with Fabio Verati. Just when I was thinking of how to bring up the talk about my youngest daughter, suddenly three thugs barged in, and a shootout ensued.

It wasn’t an intense shootout. As soon as I saw the gun in the hands of the intruders, I drew my pistol first and fired a shot, causing them to drag the fallen intruder back while giving a volley of shots without ever stepping into the room.

I unfortunately got shot in the shoulder and rolled into the bathroom.

So here I am… in the bathroom.

“…….”

I never imagined things would spiral out of control like this. I thought I’d clash with the Magic Tower representatives, but I never dreamed other groups would get involved.

Peeking outside the bathroom door, I spotted Fabio Verati.

It seemed the experience of an information officer hadn’t failed him as he was hiding behind a rather thick piece of furniture.

“…Are you okay?”

He adjusted his glasses slightly and nodded. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a pistol or anything.

I glanced at the gun I carried for self-defense. Lucia had insisted I get permission to carry it for close protection during her medical volunteer work, and it seemed that was a wise choice after all.

As I replaced the half-used magazine, I continued my thoughts.

The Magic Tower staff who had been waiting outside the room were likely all dead by now. Given the current commotion, it was obvious they weren’t around.

What about means to contact the outside? I wasn’t carrying a phone. At least I had the communication devices and security terminals provided by the intelligence agency, but I only grabbed one of the communication devices when I stepped out for a moment.

But it might have gotten broken during the shootout, since it wouldn’t even turn on. Besides, with a shot in my left shoulder, I couldn’t use it even if I wanted to.

Had the police been notified?

Probably not.

“I guess you’re waiting for the police, but it won’t help you. How do you think we found your hotel room?”

“…….”

Right. They must have bribed the hotel staff. Or worse, threatened them.

Usually, guests don’t report incidents. They talk to the front desk first.

If they had the front desk staff under their control, it was highly likely that no report would make it to the police. I’ve been in that situation myself several times.

“Think it through carefully. You’re not a foolish person.”

It was like he knew me well.

I aimed the gun toward the hallway while lost in thought. Blood dripping from the wound pooled on the floor due to gravity.

“…….”

This was the Magic Tower. The suit-wearers waiting outside were Magic Tower officials.

Which means the thugs had killed officials from the Magic Tower. They were insane. Killing state officials in a foreign country is one of the riskiest moves imaginable. Unless it’s in a state where the administrative system is shot or in locales out of central control. But taking out state agents in the middle of a foreign country guarantees repercussions. It’s virtually impossible to escape the fallout.

In other words, their actions indicated that they believed they could handle the consequences.

“…….”

How did they find the hotel room?

Today’s meeting was a secret known only to the representatives of the Abas and the Magic Tower. Recruiting officials is a significantly more complicated matter than bribing a hotel employee.

Unless it’s a local government official or a civil service worker, reaching out to government staff from the headquarters is nearly impossible for an ordinary citizen.

But these guys managed it.

The moment I realized this, a hypothesis struck me.

“…….”

Among the groups I know, there is only one that possesses this level of intelligence and engages in such shady business abroad.

The Empire Information Agency.

—

I had been trailed.

The opponent was likely the Empire Information Agency, specifically from military intelligence.

Either the Reconnaissance Command, involved in military intelligence gathering and covert operations abroad, or the Counter-Intelligence Command, which conducts domestic intelligence gathering and covert operations.

I knew that the Empire Military Intelligence was watching Fabio Verati. More specifically, I had received such reports.

Jake had informed me of a minor following they had detected while monitoring Fabio Verati’s youngest daughter, suggesting that the operatives linked to the guys were estimated to be affiliated with the military.

I didn’t know for sure if the thugs that stormed the hotel room were actually part of the Empire Military Intelligence. There were only circumstantial indications. There was no way to find out for certain right now.

However, my instincts warned me that they were indeed part of the Empire Military Intelligence. It felt like a sort of intuition.

If this were a skill, I suppose it would be a skill.

Me against at least three intruders. Fabio Verati had taken position by the door as we faced off. It felt like just over five minutes had passed.

The intruder broke the silence first, proposing a deal. It was the same thug I had been speaking with.

“We know who you are.”

“…….”

“Frederick, let’s face each other and talk like men.”

It was just nonsense.

I merely extended my arm and head, aiming my gun toward the hallway.

“From now on, think of me as a woman.”

“This isn’t a time for jokes.”

“I’m serious, so don’t take it lightly.”

Connecting eyes with the hiding Fabio Verati, he made eye contact with me and slowly began to open the window leading to the terrace.

And that’s when it happened.

“Our rear guard will join us soon. Don’t think you can last until the police arrive.”

The thug standing by the hallway began to threaten.

“There are more of us, and there’s nowhere for you to run. Think carefully and decide.”

“…….”

His low, heavy voice pierced my eardrums. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to assure me or intimidate me. Probably both.

With a calm voice, the thug pressed me while I recalled the structure of the Empire Military Intelligence.

Typically, the Empire Military Intelligence involved in special missions is from the Reconnaissance Command. If those thugs were affiliated with the Reconnaissance Command, it would mean that there would be more than five thugs in the hotel.

Operatives from the Reconnaissance Command typically operate in teams of five at minimum. If there were two teams out there, it could easily mean ten of them.

The thug continued, “There’s no reason for either of us to spill blood here. We just need to take that Fabio Verati guy.”

“That person is my guest.”

“We know.”

The thug insisted that if I simply handed over Fabio Verati, there wouldn’t be a bloody incident.

From my perspective, that was complete bullshit. Why leave a witness alive? Whether it’s an intelligence agency or a terrorist organization, those with such gentlemanly attitudes are rarely seen.

I calmly continued facing the thug while scanning the room.

“…….”

The hotel room was a single room. A typical style where the bedroom and living area were combined. It was booked just for a quiet discussion, so besides the bathroom and closet, there was no place to hide.

Like most hotels, the door opened inward, providing a clear view of the room from the hallway. Because of a corner structure, the only parts hidden from view were where I was, the door to the terrace, and where Fabio Verati was hiding.

A mid-level manager wouldn’t have made it to his position without some ingenuity.

As Fabio Verati slowly pushed open the terrace door, he locked eyes with me.

What would come next?

“Time is running out, Frederick.”

The thug warned.

“You have no means to contact the outside. There’s no one to help you. You can only talk for a little while longer.”

“…….”

“Our kid is hurt too, and you’re hurt. Sending lives away unnecessarily abroad is foolish. Let’s avoid further bloodshed here.”

“…….”

Let’s try hashing this out through conversation.

—

The hotel room we were in was on the 15th floor.

This was the only room available nearby that wasn’t occupied, making it the chosen location.

If one fell, it would definitely mean death. I wasn’t sure if I could jump to the adjacent room or if I would survive if I leaped down to the terrace below. Fabio Verati seemed ready to jump or keep barricading himself, but from my viewpoint, it looked impossible.

I had chosen an excessively luxurious hotel, and the terrace space was ridiculously wide. Damn the construction company. Can’t they plan better?

The only exit leading outside was the door to the hallway. And that was already taken over by the thugs.

There were no other routes. If there were, I wouldn’t have hidden in the bathroom.

“…….”

Ultimately, I had two choices.
I could either run to the terrace and throw myself into the air with a bullet in my shoulder, or burst out into the hallway and fight for my life.

Both options were gambles. The stakes were my life. I could only rely on luck or skill.

What should I do?

“I’ll give you ten seconds! Drop your weapon and surrender!”

The thug raised his voice for the first time.

He started counting.

“10!”

I quickly scanned the room for anything helpful.

“9!”

I aimlessly tried to look for a fire extinguisher, then remembered there weren’t any in this place.

Classic, stupid fantasy world. Did they leave safety regulations in their mother’s womb?

“8!”

Rustle!

Fabio Verati began tearing down a curtain and binding it to the bed’s leg.

I could guarantee that even if he tied himself up and jumped, he wouldn’t make it to the terrace. He’d either dangle precariously during descent or crash to the street and become a corpse.

“7!”

I tightened the towel I had wrapped around me.

“6!”

With three of them, it was manageable. One was already hit, so I could count him as out. That left two moving targets.

“5!”

It wasn’t certain, but if the thugs belonged to the Reconnaissance Command, and if three had come forward, two must remain at the back.

I would only have to face four foes.

“4!”

I pushed myself off the wall, standing directly over the pool of blood that had accumulated.

Fabio Verati was tearing down another curtain, creating a knot.

The shadows cast by the lights flickered in the hallway.

It was bizarre.

“3!”

In that moment, a glint struck my mind like lightning.

I reached into my pocket.

I felt something hard under my fingertips.

“2!”

As I rolled it between my fingers, creating friction,

“1!”

I threw it.

—

Whoosh-!

A bright explosion burst forth, sending a bird flying into the air.

That was the signal.