A Dark Fantasy Spy

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A chaotic world has descended.

‘The Inquisition has killed 16 Dark Magicians who kidnapped and murdered the Cardinal of the cult. It is reported that the Dark Magicians abducted Cardinal Raul to a villa in the northern outskirts, tortured him, and then killed him.’

The 16 escaped agents died as Dark Magicians.

‘The Pope mourned Cardinal Raul’s death during Mass, while Cardinal Raphael spoke of his ambition to create a safe cult…’

The hollow commemoration plunged the world into sadness, while the rulers celebrated their victory behind masks.

‘The investigation into the kidnapping incident that occurred in the cult’s heart is spiraling into a labyrinth…’

‘The Dark Magicians have finally revealed their evil nature! Therefore, I…’

‘There are associations between the Dark Magicians and the sinister organization that has caused the outbreak in the southern continent…’

However, the world slowly began to stabilize.

‘Cardinal Raul’s funeral was comparable to that of a director…’

‘A massive personnel reform to eradicate corruption within the empire…’

‘The relaxation of import and export tariffs between the Kien Empire and the Kingdom of Abas has passed…’

‘Director Petrus of the Inquisition has shattered the existing framework and…’

‘Colonel Frederick Nostrim, who experienced a bombing and an assassination attempt using poison, expressed through wreaths…’

Thus, the world began returning to its original state.

—

Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent

Raul was a Cardinal of the cult and one of the leading candidates for Pope.

Although he hadn’t built a significant power base compared to Raphael, he was the leader of a faction and an idol to its believers.

Thus, Cardinal Raul’s funeral was grandly held.

As the priests carrying the coffin took steps, the long procession commemorated his final moments. Cardinals, including Raphael, solemnly observed Raul’s last rites, and the Pope placed his hand on the coffin and recited a prayer.

We watched the scene from the rooftop with indifferent expressions.

“…Everyone is acting quite well.”

“Acting? If someone hears that, they’ll misunderstand…”

“Isn’t Raul’s corpse not in that coffin?”

“After all, people won’t know.”

I enjoyed the spectacle with Petrus. It felt like a massive movie set meticulously crafted.

A perfect set-up to save someone’s face.

“At least he didn’t die as a traitor, so that’s a silver lining.”

“Raul might think so too.”

Petrus, gently shaking his cup, asked.

“How’s Raul doing?”

“By now, he’s probably resting deep down in the sea.”

“Alive? Or dead?”

“I checked last, and he was still breathing.”

“He must be dead then.”

From the beginning, Raul wasn’t dead.

He hadn’t been kidnapped at all; he had run away with the escaped agents. The Inquisition pursued them, and we, having received the intel, took them down ourselves.

The 16 escaped agents were killed on-site, and Raul met his ‘official death’ at the villa.

After being pronounced dead by the doctor, Raul spent about three days enjoying a deep date with the counterintelligence agents at Safe House No. 5 before embarking on a long trip to the sea.

Thus, the truth of the successful operation was sealed deep beneath the surface.

“Did we handle it well enough for no rumors to spread?”

“We just happened to have a bag of concrete left to finish it neatly.”

“Ah, it was said to have disappeared from the construction site?”

Petrus, with a subtle smile, looked around the long line. By the way, the Inquisition’s agents helped with Raul’s concrete mixing. Sister Rebecca brought some over since there was a bit left from the wall repairs.

“How’s Veronica doing?”

“I saw her popping champagne.”

“She seems delighted.”

Veronica is currently under protection at the Safe House. She’s no longer just a lobbyist for the empire; she has become a lobbyist for all nations. She’s tasked with balancing interests between the empire, the kingdom, and the cult.

As the Imperial Guard HQ withdrew its operatives, the team assigned to the Saint was disbanded. Veronica is expected to return to the cult once the cleansing operations of the Inquisition are finished. She was thrilled that she no longer had to worry about dying.

“What was it like meeting her? Isn’t she an interesting woman?”

“She’s a heavy drinker.”

“And a smoker too.”

Since she said it was lonely drinking alone, I shared some drinks with her, and she told me many amusing stories.

From how she became close with Lucia, who used to serve her, to the moment she first met the Emperor, as well as the situations of the royal family and minor power struggles within the Imperial Guard HQ.

I was fortunate enough to get a useful informant.

“Luck is ultimately skill.”

“Is that so?”

“If you’re unlucky, you stumble while being all successful in life, right?”

Listening to that, there seems to be some truth in it.

I’ve had my close calls with bombs exploding and nearly dying from neurotoxin as well.

If the kingdom hadn’t sent a messenger back to the empire, if I hadn’t refused to meet the counterintelligence agents, I might never have met Veronica, nor would I have known who the enemy was.

The outcome created by a delicate tightrope walk and extraordinary coincidences.

This is the essence of this operation.

While thinking about what might happen next as I chatted with the Inquisition Director, the procession soon reached the cult’s headquarters, and the funeral ended. Petrus, emptying his cup, stood up from his chair.

“Good work, Major.”

“You too, Director.”

Now that the funeral is over, it’s time to go. Before parting ways, I shook hands with him.

The old man’s wrinkled hand possessed a strange power. Was it wisdom? That aura was palpable.

Petrus waved his hand dismissively and congratulated me.

“You’ll receive a medal when you return and might get a promotion.”

“I’m not sure since the personnel transfer is just around the corner.”

“Does someone like you worry about taking off your uniform? That’s quite funny.”

He shook his head in disbelief and chuckled.

“Many people owe you a debt.”

“…”

“Not just the cult, but the people of the empire and the kingdom owe you a little as well.”

Although what I did won’t be disclosed to the world.

Those who are aware of the work I accomplished will know.

The Emperor has purged the nobles who are thorns in his eyes, consolidating his internal authority, the Pope has solidified his political successor, and Raphael has been confirmed as the next Pope.

The Inquisition has successfully turned a crisis into an opportunity, and the Military Intelligence Agency has finally achieved their long-cherished wish. Coincidentally, the Imperial Guard HQ has also repeated purges to earn the Emperor’s trust.

The lobby and compensation exchanged among the three factions made everyone happy. They primarily secured political and economic stability.

Everyone except the traitors took a bit of profit.

I managed to pull off all this through a delicate tightrope act and a bit of luck. At the center of this bizarrely intertwined web of interests, I was.

Thus, Petrus says to me.

“You are our hero.”

“…It feels strange.”

The Inquisition Director laughed at my ordinary sentiment. It was a laugh just like any other.

“Sorry, your reaction was too calm for my liking.”

“I understand.”

“Honestly, I feel a bit dizzy too.”

He patted my shoulder.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Yes.”

Getting thanks from the head of the counterintelligence agency felt exceptionally peculiar.

He took out two small boxes from his bag and handed them to me.

“What’s this?”

“One is a gift.”

“So what’s the other?”

“It’s a personal request of mine.”

I opened the box he asked me to look at.

Inside lay a small necklace.

“What good is this?”

I was curious and asked, but Petrus just left behind a mysterious phrase and departed.

“If you show it to Clevenz, you’ll understand.”

—

The extinguished embassy.

I sat in the dark office watching the news.

The announcer, who had been delivering chaotic news, now reported hopeful tidings.

‘Housing supply projects for citizens suffering from typhoon damage have resumed. Refugees receiving relief supplies that arrived from the empire…’

‘A complete declaration of the resolution of the epidemic that has lasted for seven years…’

‘The protracted civil war has come to an end through negotiations between the rebels and the government army…’

At first glance, it seemed like the world had indeed transformed into a peaceful place.

I operated the communication device and dialed the Colonel.

-‘…Were you not sleeping?’

“I just finished my work.”

-‘You’ve done well, Frederick.’

That remark naturally brought a smile to my face.

-‘It has been only two months since you were assigned as an operative, but you did quite well.’

“With this, I might leave my name in the history of the Intelligence Agency.”

-‘You’ve left your name in the kingdom’s history.’

Of course, my name will not be recorded in any history book.

I am just an ordinary army major. A hero’s companion. Nothing more, nothing less.

However, I have surely left my mark on the world.

Although no one may recognize it, someone will remember.

“You’ve worked hard too, Colonel.”

-‘Yes, I too will finally be heading home after a long while.’

“What were you doing when the staff already left for the day?”

-‘I just had a brief meeting due to the refugee situation.’

The next director of the Military Intelligence Agency casually continued speaking.

-‘I found that terrorists and rebels were mixed among the refugees.’

“What did you do?”

-‘I sent them all back, refugees or not. Since there’s also an epidemic issue, we’ll be closing the borders for a while.’

Another bloodstorm will surely brew somewhere in the world.

It was a familiar matter, so I shrugged it off.

“You must have received quite the verbal abuse.”

-‘Don’t worry about me; just take care of your subordinates.’

“Of course. They’re heroes of the Intelligence Agency, so I must take care of them.”

-‘Well, it’s a mission we can’t easily recognize as meritorious, so treat them well.’

“I understand.”

As I was about to finish the call, my gaze fell upon a box sitting on the corner of the desk.

“Oh, right. The Inquisition Director made a request from me.”

-‘What request?’

“He handed over some old necklace. He said you’d understand if I showed it to you…”

-‘….’

“Colonel?”

The Colonel fell silent.

Silence lingered for about two minutes, and then he spoke with a voice deeper than usual.

-‘For now, keep it with you; when you return, bring it to me.’

“What on earth is this about?”

-‘Um. Just consider it a request from a senior, okay?’

That was a strange expression.

A request from a senior.

The Colonel’s words made my thought process rapidly spin, gradually piecing together past events to reach a conclusion.

“That must be the fixed spy you mentioned before, from Petrus.”

-‘…When did you figure it out?’

“No, well. I suspected it might be a supporter.”

The attitude he displayed toward me was different from other counterintelligence personnel.

His actions suggested he was warning the spy of their mistakes.

The way he willingly passed on insider information to the spy.

His actions were as if he were telepathically orchestrating an operation against the empire, having a keen awareness of every minor detail.

There were far too many suspicious elements.

In a world where no kindness exists without reason, Petrus showed me far too much affection.

And decisively, he brought up the subject of the knife, discussing special forces and agents.

He knew the training details that neither Jake nor I were privy to. For reference, that technique was directly taught by a ‘trainer.’

“I became suspicious after you’d mentioned knowing a technique not in the manual.”

-‘Heh.’

“The internal trends report and the word ‘fixed agent’ led me to piece things together, and the answer became clear.”

Considering the capacity of the Inquisition, real intelligence activities within the cult would be challenging.

The entire Imperial Guard HQ had intervened to facilitate something like inserting a straw into Veronica next to her.

The reason the escaped agents remained undiscovered was that Raul provided a suitable hiding spot.

So to evade the Inquisition, a mere operative must be either extraordinarily lucky or…

“It would have to be an insider from the interrogation department.”

Fixed spies face significant hurdles in returning home.

Especially as their scale increases, their freedom of movement shrinks, and they must act with extreme caution.

Perhaps the reason Petrus entrusted this matter to me was because he wanted it conveyed to the kingdom? I cautiously speculated.

-‘Indeed, sending you out of the Intelligence Agency was a wise choice.’

“Aha….”

-‘Make sure to take good care of the senior until you return.’

“I understand, Colonel.”

The call ended.

I set down the communication device and examined the old necklace.

“….”

A fixed spy who had operated for 50 years.

A witness to the history of espionage.

An excellent supporter of the Military Intelligence Agency.

A true elite agent.

An unnamed hero.

—

Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent – END –