A Dark Fantasy Spy

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In a mansion located at the heart of the Cult, I wandered through its expansive garden.

A neat old man greeted me with a bright smile, and I received his salutation with a nonchalant expression.

“I am honored to meet the Hero’s companion. I am Cardinal Raul.”

Cardinal Raul.

The one who personally delivered the Pope’s message, instructed by the Oracle. A letter writer in the game appearing in the role of a cardinal.

The old man was the owner of this vast mansion.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Cardinal Raul. I am Colonel Frederick Nostrim.”

He was a character who appeared as the Pope in the middle of the game.

—

Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent

Cardinal Raul.

A friendly named character from “Heroes of the Dark World.”

The writer and deliverer of the cardinal’s letters. A fervent supporter of Priest Lucia.

And he becomes the Pope starting from the mid-game.

That was the Cardinal Raul in the game.

According to the “High-ranking Officials of the Cult” report I had seen in the Information Agency, he was described as “a very gentle and honest person.”

He had no scandalous private life typical for religious figures, and of course, he had neither a government nor a lover nor an illegitimate child. He appears to be a pious cardinal, faithfully adhering to the teachings.

Naturally, considering he had the wealth to own a grand mansion, I had some doubts about the depiction of him as “an honest person.” But in a dark fantasy setting, that was just a minor quirk.

“So how long have you been residing here, Your Eminence?”

“This place was built by my father. I was born and raised here.”

The old man smiled, saying he had lived here all his life. I matched my stride with the cardinal’s as he explained further.

“This is where I’ve kept the artworks I’ve personally collected. Every piece was purchased at charity events.”

“Remarkable. It seems like a private gallery. Do you just store these paintings?”

“Sometimes, I charge an entrance fee and open the mansion to donate to the monastery.”

Cardinal Raul proudly showed me around the mansion, from the garden to the gallery. His elaborate descriptions seemed never-ending. I could feel his love for this mansion in his manner and tone.

After completing a grand tour of the mansion, the cardinal guided me to the reception room. I didn’t voice it, but I had a feeling that Priest Lucia might be waiting there.

“Shall we enter?”

“Excuse me.”

Passing through the door the cardinal opened, I entered the reception room. The first thing that caught my eye was the luxurious furniture and tableware. And a blonde-haired woman was standing by the window, looking at me.

She bowed slightly and opened her mouth.

“I am Priest Lucia of the Cult.”

—

To be honest, I knew quite a bit about the character Lucia, but I only had scattered knowledge of the person herself.

She had served as a healing priest on the Imperial-Demon realm border, had just reached adulthood this year, and was chosen as a companion of the Hero, making it onto the list of Saint candidates. That was about all I knew.

So our initial conversation was trivial.

“I hear you’ve taken an interest in reading lately?”

“Yes. With the current situation preventing me from going out, my hobbies have diminished.”

I refrained from asking about the reason for her staying indoors. With journalists camping out in front of the mansion, how could she go outside?

“What was your hobby before?”

“I used to enjoy horseback riding.”

The conversation with Lucia went quite well. She was confident and articulate.

She wasn’t someone who stuttered or hesitated, making the dialogue flow smoothly. However, there was one moment when her confidence waned, and that was the instant Cardinal Raul opened his mouth.

“Priest Lucia. While I understand your enjoyment of exercise, indulging in intense activities to the point of injury is undesirable.”

“…Yes, Cardinal.”

When Raul chastised Lucia, he turned to me and smiled.

I knew that the doctrine states it’s improper to have unmarried men and women in one location, but there was something unsettling in Cardinal Raul’s demeanor. Something about it felt overly controlling.

Honestly, while I understood the rules and etiquette, witnessing someone getting reprimanded in front of others made me feel uneasy.

I pondered about the elderly figures I had met in the Cult.

Cardinal Raphael, who smiled while asking who killed thousands.

Inquisition Director Petrus, who suddenly calls people for a plaything.

Cardinal Raul, who scolded someone publicly.

“…”

Why am I only involved with such people?

Is there no kindly and upstanding old man? Ah, right, this is a dark fantasy. Expecting kindheartedness in this world makes me a fool.

As I maintained a deadpan expression, merely moistening my lips with tea, Cardinal Raul posed a question.

“By the way, I am curious about the sudden call for a meeting today.”

That was the anticipated question. I gathered my prepared answer.

“I wanted to express my regret for the abruptness of my visit. According to the original schedule, the Hero was supposed to be present, but due to an unfortunate incident, he is recuperating, and I alone came to see you.”

I hinted at the possibility that I was personally roaming around to patch up the schedule disrupted by the explosion in your territory.

A cardinal of the Cult should be politically savvy. Therefore, Cardinal Raul would not miss the underlying meaning of my words.

“That is unfortunate. Are you and the Hero doing well?”

Calculating briefly, I surmised that depending on the answer, it could lead to discussions about resuming official schedules or where the Hero would reside.

Camila Lowell was currently holed up in the embassy, so from the Cult’s perspective, they would prefer her to either attend external events or stay in a location they provided.

However, that was beyond my authority.

I had neither the power to adjust her schedule nor the authority to move her location. Though, if I shot a message to the Colonel, all could be resolved, there was no reason to risk that and do the Cult any favors.

So, I offered an extremely fundamental response.

“Fortunately, all our companions are unhurt. I understand the Cult’s concern about the Hero’s whereabouts following this incident. However, given that the terrorist suspects have yet to be caught, and with the potential for further attacks, I deem it inappropriate for anyone to participate in external events.”

It had only been a short time since we almost got wiped out due to the bomb; was he joking?

Upon delivering such sentiment, the cardinal gracefully acknowledged and receded.

“I understand.”

Cardinal Raul hurriedly got up, claiming he had suddenly remembered something he needed to attend to. After that, Priest Lucia and I quietly sat across from each other at the reception room table, exchanging glances.

The silence was first broken by me.

“You seem tired; shall we take a walk?”

“…Sure.”

—

Honestly, there wasn’t much significance in this meeting.

It was more like reconnaissance to find out how Lucia was doing after the terrorist attack. We kept exchanging trivial updates with no real substance before heading back.

Yet, the meeting wasn’t entirely meaningless. What matters is not the messenger, but the message.

What kind of reactions would arise if a companion of the world’s most notable person took a stroll with a Saint candidate from the Cult?

-‘Have we confirmed the knight?’

“Yes. I am reviewing it now.”

As I skimmed through the newspaper, I saw the headlines.

[Colonel Frederick Nostrim visits Saint Lucia Candidate.]
[An unexpected meeting. What was discussed?]
[Is this a meeting influenced by conspiracy theories? Cardinal Raul says "it's an ordinary meeting..."]
[Concerns over another attack? Is the Saint candidate safe? ]
[Inquisition announces an increase in protective personnel for the Saint candidate... is an attack anticipated?]
[The Priest and the Soldier spotted in a discreet meeting in the garden.]

The last headline was almost like kindling. I didn’t need to read the content.

“Having met like this, it definitely seems the negative public sentiment has lessened.”

-‘Unless they want a rift with the kingdom, there’s no reason to attack the Saint candidate with conspiracy theories. I think it’ll be quiet for a while.’

A famous soldier from the kingdom met with a priest plagued by conspiracy theories.

Even that simple fact displayed a noticeable decrease in antagonism.

No matter how money-hungry the bishops are, they couldn’t attack someone receiving recognition as a guest. Furthermore, I carried diplomatic immunity.

If Lucia were to be attacked now, the ramifications would inevitably strike me too, so they were perceptive enough to calculate accordingly. In reality, that was how things played out.

Moreover, the fact that a victim of the attack visited the Saint candidate stirred public opinion.

-‘But isn’t it too dangerous? The terrorists haven’t been caught yet. What would happen if a bomb were delivered to the Saint candidate?’

“Well….”

The terrorists are still at large. Going out to meet someone who could potentially have been their target?

If I was the bombers’ target, then Lucia Priest could now also be considered an objective. After all, a bombing could occur while Lucia and I were together.

Of course, it wasn’t that I was a madman unconcerned about what happened to Lucia to pull such a stunt.

“Nonetheless, since the Knights are now protecting Priest Lucia, it ultimately becomes a good thing, doesn’t it?”

-‘That’s just a result-oriented story.’

In the first place, the Inquisition’s intent was to make her protected.

By tying the Inquisition personnel to Lucia’s side, they were using their resources and manpower.

-‘Did they do this because they were conscious of Saint Veronica?’

“Yes.”

This was likely an attempt to prevent any assassination on the Saint candidate.

It was a means to counter Saint Veronica.

In a situation where the Hero and cardinal were bombed, could it be said that Priest Lucia was safe? Currently, the Information Agency was suspecting both the Empire and Cult factions behind the terrorism.

And Veronica, who applied to both, was a prime suspect.

While there was also a possibility that Saint Veronica was not the bomber, that didn’t guarantee she wouldn’t employ someone against Priest Lucia.

After all, it had been Saint Veronica who sent an assassin against Lucia in the game.

In any case, my objective was to provide protective personnel for Priest Lucia, calm down the conspiracy theories, and incidentally, weaken the Inquisition’s power.

-‘By the way, unexpectedly, your suggestion worked quite well.’

And I was the one who suggested all of this to the Colonel.

“Well, I just learned from what the Colonel does.”

-‘I’ll take that as a compliment. Thanks to you, the people analyzing intelligence seemed pleased that the variables in election analysis have diminished.’

“Tell them to treat me to a meal later if they’re grateful. It’s strange that they don’t take me out for a meal now that I’ve become a senior.”

-‘With today’s prices, who can afford to eat out? And our way to the Empire is blocked, so trade isn’t happening.’

While lamenting about the difficulties in exports, imports, and international trade, I began to report the events of the day.

“After contacting Cardinal Raul, I noticed he was exerting excessive control over Priest Lucia.”

-‘Did he reprimand her in front of you?’

“He did sit me down and chastise her several times. Given that Lucia is already an adult who behaves naturally without caring for others’ eyes, I believe this might just be his habit.”

-‘That doesn’t sound like a parent advising a child. How did the Saint candidate react?’

“She appeared somewhat diminished. Considering that the Priest consistently exhibited confident speech and demeanor, it seems she and Cardinal Raul are not on good terms.”

The Colonel lightly drew in a breath.

-‘According to a report written five years ago, he was described as a gentle person. It seems the report doesn’t align with Cardinal Raul’s present behavior.’

“Who authored that report?”

-‘An agent embedded in the Cult. He was the one who trained me when I was educated.’

He’s an elder in the profession.

An individual capable of elaborately analyzing figures like Cardinal Raul must have been an elite operative, likely active in the Cult for at least twenty years.

If they’ve recently submitted reports, they are probably still active and could very well be embedded in the Cult’s core.

A high-ranking official able to contact key members of the Cult. An informant who operates without attracting the attention of intelligence agencies. At least twenty years of operation.

I’m merely a rookie compared to them.

-‘We need to reconsider the investigations into Cardinal Raul. I’ll handle this part, so focus on matters related to the Hero.’

“Understood.”

Ah, right.

“Colonel, I delivered the data I received from the Inquisition Director yesterday morning. Did you receive it?”

-‘I’m reading the report now. It seems to be more useful than expected.’

I could hear the sound of paper turning over the communication device.

-‘The explosives used were blasting powder typically employed in mines. Given its structure, it seems the bombers had little knowledge of explosives.’

“It seems clear that the terrorists lack professional skills in bomb-making. Just from the placement of the bomb, I don’t believe the Imperial Guard is involved.”

-‘If it were them, the entire street would have been obliterated.’

The Colonel and I spent some time discussing who might be behind the terrorism.

However, deductions remained just that—hypotheses. As our conversation began to wind down, I revealed the source of this document.

“By the way, I got that report directly from the Inquisition Director.”

-‘What? How on earth did you meet with him?’

The Colonel seemed quite surprised. He was evidently shocked by the fact that I had a private audience with the leader of the intelligence agency.

-‘… It appears your courage is greater than I thought.’

“To survive, one needs to have guts.”

-‘True. Just keep doing as you’ve been doing.’

—

After wrapping up the conversation in a casual manner, I stepped into the embassy.

I exchanged greetings with passing embassy staff, discussed future schedules with the ambassador, and sketched through the reports delivered by undercover agents. Before long, it was evening.

“Are you guys not having dinner?”

When I checked on how Pippin and Jake were doing, they were rolling around on the bed amidst crumbs of snacks. The time for dinner was upon us, yet they were filling up on junk food.

Jake patted his inflated belly and blurted nonsense.

“Bing-bong-ryu.”

“What in the world?”

I casually tossed my military coat onto a chair and set myself by the window. I felt like jumping onto the bed due to fatigue, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so since those two had made it a mess.

“While Major’s out working, you two are bingeing on embassy resources. Is this what they call salarymen living off their employers?”

“It was Major who put us on leave.”

“…Yeah, it’s all my fault.”

Jake was lounging around inconspicuously as if nothing were amiss. Such a nuisance.

“Your blonde hair is too conspicuous; you should consider dyeing it.”

“It’s easier to disguise myself as a foreigner. It’s not like I stand out in the Kingdom, but the Cult or Empire has such a mixed race that I don’t stick out.”

“True. Given the number of pilgrims visiting. By the way, Pippin, what are you doing there?”

“…I’m collecting information.”

Pippin crawled over the mattress and handed me a stack of papers. It was a newspaper.

“I’m collecting publicly available information. This column analyzes the terrorist incidents involving the Cult over the past few years.”

“Looks like this is the first bombing incident? There are no organizations pointed as suspects.”

As I perused through the tidy charts and timelines, I listened to Pippin.

“There are a lot of secret societies or subversive groups involved in terror, but none linked to the Cult. If you look closely, the reformist groups mostly adopt a moderate stance, right?”

Hmm.

“So you’re suggesting that it might be an external force with no significant ties to the Cult?”

“It’s possible that an insider intending to assassinate Cardinal Raphael instigated the terror.”

“What kind of person is that Cardinal? From the analysis report, he didn’t seem to be particularly problematic.”

“Since he used to be the Inquisition Director, you never know. It could be revenge borne of a grudge, or a political move to exclude him from the papal selection.”

I knew from the Colonel that Cardinal Raphael was a former Inquisition Director. But a papal election, huh.

“Who is the frontrunner being mentioned as the next Pope?”

“Cardinal Raphael was the sole candidate, but recently Cardinal Raul has surged as a candidate. His popularity is great, you know?”

Only bishops hold the voting rights for selecting Saints, but anyone recognized as a true believer in this religion can vote for the Pope.

While I found that a bit hard to understand, long ago, one immensely powerful Pope rewrote the laws to enshrine that, and it had yet to change.

Though this system allowed other nations or influential noblemen to meddle in the papal selection process, because of a few safeguards, it would be challenging to interfere easily.

The pivotal aspect is that the voting rights belong to the believers.

“So, Raul’s support of a Saint candidate, distressed by conspiracies, has seen his approval ratings rise?”

“Isn’t it good for him to blow away the competition for the papal position in one fell swoop through an explosion?”

That was a pretty reasonable deduction. However, Pippin’s logic felt weak.

“But blowing up a place only shrinks the competition; it raises suspicions, doesn’t it? And the likes of Camila Lowell and I were also present, not just Raphael alone.”

“….”

“It’s hard to believe that someone who traveled all the way to the Kingdom to inform the Hero of the Oracle and personally support and protect the Saint candidate would make such a choice, right? You know that as well?”

Pippin nodded.

Above all, Cardinal Raul had no strong motive to unleash a bomb attack. Regardless of how tempting the papal seat was, the death of the Hero due to such an attack would create an unmanageable situation.

To have unleashed a bomb in the middle of the boulevard, it was unlikely to be an assassination attempt solely targeted at either Cardinal Raphael or Camila Lowell, but rather a bombing aimed at both—or perhaps even someone entirely different.

“Pippin, how much sleep have you gotten?”

“…About four hours.”

“Just sleep. It’s hard to recover from something exploding in your face. If your parents were victims of a terror attack, there could also be trauma.”

Jake silently retrieved a pillow to support her head, while I began skimming through the newspaper, checking for useful information.

While silence fell over the room, the only sound was that of pages turning.

“Excuse me….”

“Hero?”

“Yes, that’s me. …And Colonel, you should be here too?”

Camila Lowell entered as she opened the door, holding a piece of paper.

“What brings you here?”

“Um, there was something from the Kien Empire Embassy? A document came from them; it seems important, please read.”

The Kien Empire?

Why would they send an official document after being silent following the terror attack? I quickly accepted the document she offered and read through it.

“What does it say?”

“…A party.”

“Pardon?”

“They’re inviting us to a party.”