A Dark Fantasy Spy

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I’m feeling dizzy. I think I might have a slight fever.

Beyond my fuzzy consciousness, I hear a voice. It’s a deep, solemn tone.

“…You did well.”

Through my blurred vision, as if looking through a foggy lens, the Executive Director is looking at me.

“How was the business trip? I heard the local situation isn’t good.”

The sound of TV news mixes into my response.

[On the 9th local time, Russian media reported that a North Korean diplomat was found dead in the Nahodka region. According to local sources, the diplomat was a third-class secretary….]

“Really?”

The Executive Director sinks into his chair. The old seat squeaks in protest. Squeak.

“Damn it. I told them to oil it…. Anyway, they didn’t even properly update the supplies when moving the Headquarters….”

The Executive Director curses in an irritated tone.

“Anyway, there are no problems with this business trip, right? Last time with that… what was it, Hanoi? If rumors leak again, we’ll be in trouble.”

Well, he probably handled it well himself.

“What are you going to do now that you’ve come back from the trip?”

“I’m thinking of stopping by Cheonggye Mountain on my way home.”

“Cheonggye Mountain? …Ah. You’re going to see your father. That’s good. You should visit him regularly. A real filial son.”

After those words, an awkward silence lingers for a moment. The sound of the TV news blends into the silence, creating a strange atmosphere.

Ahem. With a hearty cough, the TV sound fades, breaking the silence.

“How long until your promotion assessment? First-level Major.”

“About three years left, I think.”

“Really? Hmm… Did you say your hometown is in Chungcheong-do?”

“My grandfather’s hometown is in Chungcheong-do. I’m a native of Gyeonggi-do.”

“Oh? Then… can you do me a favor on your way back home?”

The Executive Director, having put down the remote, hands me a binder. It’s a list. Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, Rangrim County, Jagang Province, Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province….

“This is the list of defectors who passed through the Hapshin Center. Normally, defectors are managed by the Ministry of Unification, but you know some are managed by Naegok-dong and Sogyeok-dong, right? Our company is the same.”

The Executive Director taps the edge of the list.

“From here to here. Stop by and check them out on your way back.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Why ask questions when you already know everything?”

Tsk. The Executive Director lights a cigarette.

“Huuh.”

The smoke fills the room.

“Meet them for coffee. If you need anything while chatting, just consider it a favor. The basic info is in the company server, so you can refer to that. If you can solve it with money, try that first. Maybe call the family through a broker, you know? Got it?”

“Will that really be effective?”

“What else can I do? It’s not like we can infiltrate across the DMZ like in the ’88 or something.”

The Executive Director turns his chair and waves his hand.

I gather the binder and salute before leaving the room.

Just as I turned the doorknob.

“Colonel.”

Through my muffled eardrums, someone calls me.

“Colonel!”

“Ughhh…!”

“Damn, you scared me!”

*

Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

*

As soon as I open my eyes, I’m hit with a mouthful of curses. I was definitely with the Executive Director in the office, but when I came to my senses, I’m in a lavish hotel room.

Confused about where I am, as I attempt to look around, a stabbing pain washes over me.

“Ugh…!”

“Stay still!”

“Ughhh!”

While rolling around on the bed, feeling the texture of the gauze on my fingertips, I recalled why I was here.

One, I was brought to this hotel under my name to blackmail Fabio Verati.

Since I intended to review the conversation if I failed, I had even set up listening devices in the adjacent room. Naturally, that room was booked under a pseudonym.

Two, while I was talking to Fabio Verati, someone barged into the room.

They were thugs speaking Kien. There were three of them. Including two who joined later, there are a total of five.

Three, the thugs were armed with guns, and I ended up in a gunfight with them.

I intended to take care of them all before they shot first, but their response was swifter than expected, leading to a standoff for a while. Outnumbered, I managed to use rune stones as makeshift weapons and took them all down.

Four, public officials from the Magic Tower arrived at the hotel after receiving a fire report.

After sending Fabio Verati down first, I retrieved the recording tape from the adjacent room and burned everything in my room to eliminate evidence. Any equipment I couldn’t recover was hidden in the plumbing.

Five, I stopped by a pharmacy to buy a ton of medicine and returned to the hotel where I had been staying.

Since any hospital records could pose a threat, I hastily performed emergency treatment on myself. I extracted bullets, applied burn ointment, injected antibiotics, and had IV fluids….

I did all possible first-aid measures, contacted everyone I could reach: Clevenz, Military Intelligence Agency, Defense Attaché Office, members of the 73rd Project Team, Pippin, and Jake.

As those thoughts crossed my mind, suddenly Jake spoke to me.

“What the hell happened? You were supposed to meet with Number 51!”

“I got shot…!”

“What?!”

“I got shot, you idiot…!”

After rolling around on the bed for a while, I gathered my senses and examined the wound area. Fortunately, it seemed the wound hadn’t reopened, as the bleeding had stopped.

Yet the pain remained the same, so I swallowed a painkiller from the bedside table before feeling slightly calmer.

As I waited for the medication to kick in, I looked at Pippin and Jake.

“What are you two doing here?”

Pippin answered my question.

“You got shot, right?!”

“How do you know that?”

“You texted us!”

Did I really?

Thinking back, I do vaguely recall sending a text to Pippin and Jake. I can’t quite remember it well, but a fuzzy memory surfaces.

Is this forgetfulness?

As I seriously ponder whether I might already be getting dementia, Jake began rummaging through an envelope.

“Weren’t you supposed to go meet Number 51 today? Why are you back here shot?!”

“I don’t know. The intel must have leaked.”

“What?!”

Pippin and Jake looked horrified at the mention of leaking intel.

“Leaked intel? Who? Why? From where?”

“You didn’t get into a fight with the Magic Tower public security, did you?”

“Shut up and let me talk slowly.”

I sat Pippin and Jake down and started explaining.

I skipped the details of when I first met Fabio Verati and picked up the story from when I encountered the thugs inside the hotel.

To be honest, there wasn’t much to say. Today, thugs attacked the temporary safe house, and after a brief standoff, I killed them all and escaped before the police arrived.

It was a simple and straightforward story.

But the repercussions were anything but simple.

“Imperial Army? Reconnaissance Command…?”

“I don’t even know that. I’m not sure if it was the Imperial Army or not. Just the surrounding circumstances suggest that.”

“Did your identity get exposed?”

“I don’t think so. …Probably.”

First, where did the thugs who stormed in come from?

“Haven’t you checked the bodies?”

“I didn’t have time to collect biometric data. Teeth, appearance, ears, fingerprints—none.”

“…So then, those bodies must be in the hands of the police now, right?”

“That’s likely.”

“…Can we resolve this under the diplomat’s immunity?”

“That, I can’t say.”

Second, how will the police of the Magic Tower and the counter-intelligence agency respond?

“…What should we do?”

Third, what should we do now?

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

There was so much to think about that we all froze in place.

I had no idea which direction things might turn.

The higher-ups could decide to cancel the operation for safety reasons or send investigators to find issues before resuming the operation. The Magic Tower could designate me a persona non grata and expel me.

It’s also possible that tomorrow the Public Security will come knocking on my door, or assassins could seek revenge for the dead members.

I had no idea what would happen to me.

“First, we should report…”

“I already did.”

“What now?”

“What should we do? We wait until instructions come down. Inform the staff to be cautious for a while.”

I retrieved a thermometer from the envelope Jake was holding and checked my temperature. It would be serious if I got infected. Although I had taken antibiotics, it’s not like a priest treated me, so it wouldn’t be surprising if I got infected at any time.

“My temperature… is normal. What time is it?”

“10:37 PM. You’re alright, right?”

“Just got shot, do I look alright? I can move fine. I just have to be careful.”

Pippin nodded.

“Just rest for now. I’ll clean up here and contact the staff.”

“Don’t use the emergency contact network; use the regular one. This isn’t a situation that requires the emergency network.”

“Isn’t this a case for the emergency network?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I opened a bottle of mineral water. Just as I was about to gulp it down, I suddenly remembered something strange and pulled the bottle away.

“Hey. But how did you get in here? The door should have been locked.”

Jake, who was sorting out the medical supplies, answered.

“It was open.”

“…The door wasn’t locked?”

“Yeah. Did you forget to lock it?”

Jake answered briefly, and he and Pippin quickly tidied up the room.

I mulled over his words and tilted my head.

“…Is that so?”

I might have been too flustered to think about locking it.

Ring ring.

The phone rang. It was the hotel phone.

Thinking maybe a call came from another room, I answered it with my fine hand.

“Hello?”

-“This is the Information Analysis Office from the Representative Office. Could you come out to the front of the hotel?”