A Dark Fantasy Spy

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On the way to the National Affairs Council of the Cult.

A gentle breeze tickled my forehead.

What lovely weather.

As I looked up at the sky, where fluffy clouds were rising, contemplating how nice the day was—

“Wuweeeeeeeek!”

…The Hero suddenly began to gag.

“Get a grip, Hero! You can’t faint!”

Pippin shouted, patting her on the back. Judging by her pale face, it seemed she was feeling just as nauseous.

“Are you okay, Pippin?”

“I feel queasy too, uh, I mean, Colonel.”

“Good grief.”

You should go take some motion sickness medicine and rest.

Pippin, with her short bobbed hair flapping, dashed toward the infirmary. The sight of her running like a dog with its tail on fire was quite a scene.

“Excuse me! Miss Camila Lowell! Are you conscious?”

“I-I think I’m going to lose it….”

With that last gasp, Camila Lowell’s head drooped heavily.

I shook her shoulders gently, but there was no response.

“Hello?”

Looks like she fainted.

—

After laying the limp Camila Lowell down in the infirmary, I returned to the deck.

There were a pale Pippin and a curious Jake, who was peering around. As if sensing my presence, Jake turned to look at me. His blonde hair reminded me of a meerkat.

“How’s the Hero?”

“Is the Hero more important to you than the superior?”

“Hey! I know Colonel Frederick doesn’t get seasick! He’s so sturdy, after all!”

He responded with a lazy retort. He may be annoying with his words, but knowing he’s just playful made it bearable.

“You little rascal. The Hero you like is currently lying in the infirmary. How about you, Pippin?”

“She just took some motion sickness medicine and is resting now. I think her stomach is feeling better….”

Following the gaze of the mumbling guy, I looked at Pippin’s face. She seemed close to passing out.

Maybe it’s the first time on the ship for her; I didn’t realize she might get seasick.

“Jake. Let’s take Pippin and head into the cabin. Staying on deck will only make the seasickness worse.”

“Got it.”

I settled down with Pippin and Jake near the infirmary. I pretended to go to the bathroom while keeping an eye out for any nearby spies or eavesdroppers. I also checked on the Hero lying unconscious in the infirmary; it seemed like it would take a bit longer for her to wake up.

No people, plenty of time, and good security. I locked the door as I entered the cabin and approached the slumped figures.

“Hey, Pippin. Are you with us?”

“Yup. I think I’m okay now.”

“Good, good. The thing is, I have something to discuss about this trip. Gather around.”

The three spies huddled together and began to murmur. The first to speak was the spy with the Major insignia.

“We’re set to wander abroad this time, right? We’re heading to the Cult now, but once we finish our business there, we’ll be heading to the Empire.”

“Are you talking about the Kien Empire?”

“Jake, are there two empires on the continent? Of course, it’s the Kien Empire, you fool. Anyway, as soon as a candidate for saint joins us from the Cult, we’ll head to the Empire. The Hero’s colleague is in the Magic Tower.”

“The Magic Tower? Oh, the one in the Kien Empire.”

“There’s an alchemist there. That person is also a comrade of the Hero. He’s the last in line among the heirs of the Magic Tower. With the fuss over the heir issues, it’ll probably be tough to get him out right away.”

Jake, who was snacking on peanuts in the cabin, tilted his head.

“If he stays there until the heir selection is done, doesn’t that mean we’ll be staying in the Empire for a while?”

“I don’t know the exact duration. It’s an internal issue of the Magic Tower, so I have no idea how things are unfolding.”

“You were originally in charge of the Kien Empire, right? The Magic Tower is handled by a different department.”

“Smart of you. Anyway, the important thing is that we’ll have to stay in the Kien Empire for a good while. We don’t know when we’ll leave, so we might have to just wait it out.”

Pippin, regaining color, seemed to be deep in thought as she stroked her chin.

“Staying in the Kien Empire for an extended period might be dangerous, right? Although the diplomatic relations have improved, it’s still an enemy nation. Colonel might not worry, but we’re part of the Information Agency.”

“You guys have also disguised yourselves as diplomats, so there shouldn’t be an immediate problem.”

The blonde-haired punk Jake raised his hand slightly.

“Uh, Colonel. I’m not too familiar with the Empire, so…”

“Speak. What’s on your mind?”

“Isn’t that where the Imperial Guard HQ is?”

“Yeah.”

The expressions of Jake and Pippin turned pale.

The Imperial Guard HQ was a notorious organization even ordinary folks knew about.

The sword of the royal family.

The shield of the Empire.

The graveyard of spies.

An infamous counter-intelligence agency infamous for torturing countless political prisoners, rooting out spies, and quelling uprisings. They’ve dominated the information network across vast territories for centuries.

In some ways, they are worse than Colonel Clevenz.

So it’s no surprise that such a reaction would follow.

“I’m sorry, Colonel, but do we have to go there?”

And I respond simply.

“Yep.”

I’m your superior, you brats.

—

Like all subordinates in the world, Pippin and Jake had no choice but to nod in agreement.

If you’re unhappy, try to get promoted; what can you do? Our salaries don’t just fall from the sky, and they all come from the taxpayers.

“Stop looking so glum and cheer up. You guys are getting bonuses for this mission; good for you, right?”

“I didn’t think that was a life insurance allowance.”

“So you were trying to get that money for free, huh?”

“Living as an idle person with a lot of money is a dream.”

“Good grief. Stop the nonsense and focus.”

I started scribbling on a sheet of scrap paper spread on the floor. I drew a large circle for clarity.

I began placing words inside it: Cult and Empire.

“We’re not going on a vacation overseas; we’re heading to gather the Hero’s comrades. The second comrade is the saint candidate, High Priest Lucia, from the Cult. The alchemist I mentioned is next in line.”

“Why is the saint candidate the second comrade?”

“Am I not a comrade of the Hero? Then I’m the first in line. Anyway, forget about the alchemist and let’s talk about the priest first. Listen up.”

I doodled under the circle labeled Cult. Lucia. Saint Candidate.

“The important thing is that this woman is currently a candidate for saint. You all know what a saint is, right?”

“Yes. It’s a saint of the Cult. The one with the highest divine power aptitude is recommended as a candidate, and elected by a vote of the bishops.”

“Exactly, it’s sort of like an election.”

“But if there’s already a saint, do they vote again? Isn’t there only one saint?”

“That’s usually the case. It’s not legally defined, but it’s a custom to have no more than one saint at a time.”

Saint Veronica. Custom. Only one.

I jotted down those three words, poking Veronica’s name with the pen as I continued.

“This woman is the current saint you all know. Her name is quite long, but just calling her Veronica is enough for everyone to understand. Anyway, what did I just say?”

“That the custom is to not have more than one saint?”

“Right. That’s the norm. It’s been that way for hundreds of years and has become customary law. But now, it’s been broken.”

I crossed out the custom, writing next to it: exception clause.

“Why do you think that is?”

“…The oracle pointed her out. As the Hero’s comrade.”

“Exactly.”

I drew an underline under the exception clause and wrote the words oracle below it.

“You know how my fellow religious zealots can be, right? They’re either crazy with faith or obsessed with money.”

“There are also those who are crazy for power.”

“Saint Veronica is a noble from the Kien Empire. As Jake said, there’s no one in the Cult who doesn’t like money or power. That’s why they elected Veronica as the saint.”

“Election interference?”

“Yeah. Given the circumstances, it seems the Empire interfered in the election. I’m not sure exactly who, though.”

“Hmm….”

Pippin, resting her chin in thought, slowly closed her eyes.

“I grew up in an orphanage, and I’ve heard some stories. Someone from the Cult must have come? I overheard a nun chatting for a while.”

There’s something there.

I instinctively began jotting down Pippin’s words.

“When Veronica was still a saint candidate, I heard someone mention. Jake, do you know what a ‘Daejabo’ is?”

“A Daejabo? Is that the thing that students or intellectuals post in plazas?”

Pippin slowly opened her previously closed eyes, her gaze sharp.

“Yeah… It wasn’t from our orphanage, but there was a Daejabo posted by the Cult. It mentioned that someone was pouring money into the election. Bishops were receiving bribes. That’s definitely what it was about….”

“Pippin. Tell me more about that.”

“Someone intervened in the saint voting process and bribed the bishops… with expensive artworks and jewels.”

Hmm.

That’s more specific than I expected. Taking into account the possibility of memory distortion, it still holds credibility.

“Artworks or jewels are easy to launder. Doesn’t the Cult hold art auctions as charity events?”

“Each diocese has annual events for orphans in charity, and the central office regularly holds auctions too.”

“Do a lot of people from the Empire attend those?”

“What does nationality matter when it comes to money? They’re all pigs thirsty for honor.”

Pippin cocked her head, cynically. It was a lamentation thrown towards the cruel reality.

“I remember there were quite many affluent people from the Empire. There are many traders in the Empire, after all. There are also plenty of businessmen benefiting from the big money.”

After listening for a while, Jake opened his mouth.

“So those who wanted to make Veronica a saint bribed the bishops back then?”

“What it is, I don’t know either.”

“Let’s return to the conversation about the saint candidates.”

I tapped the paper and motioned them to focus back on me. The two of them turned their gazes back to me.

“The Hero’s comrade, Lucia, the saint candidate, is currently undergoing voting in the Cult. More precisely, she’s going through the candidate verification process.”

“When’s the voting date?”

“I’m not exactly sure. I have no information on the internal affairs of the Cult. But what’s important now is that the saint candidate, Lucia, is under external attacks. Things like conspiracy theories, smear campaigns, that sort of stuff.”

“The elections in the Cult aren’t much different from ours.”

Jake made a face of disbelief. At least the Cult folks don’t deliver bombs, so that’s a plus.

I continued, tapping the paper again with my pen.

“So we have to take this candidate with us, right? Regardless of how things turn out, whether she becomes a saint or not, we must absolutely bring this woman Lucia along. But someone is constantly attacking her.”

“Someone is trying to tarnish the saint candidate’s name.”

“What do you think would happen if Lucia joins up with the Hero in this situation?”

We’d all be covered in filth.

“If she joins now, she’ll be criticized for running away without verification, and even if she’s elected as a saint, she’ll still get backlash.”

“If things go wrong, the Hero might get criticized alongside her, right?”

Since they’re smart, they’re good at drawing conclusions. Maybe they’re just used to these situations, and it comes automatically.

“As you know, the Hero was summoned from our kingdom. I can’t share the details, but let’s just say the higher-ups of the kingdom care a lot about the Hero.”

Just a few days ago, the high officials of the kingdom were shaking hands and taking photos with the Hero.

But if the Hero’s image suffers due to the comrade issue? That’d be a disaster. The kingdom that summoned the Hero would definitely take heat for it. Whether there’s guilt or not, the Empire will make it that way. Character assassination often happens without a basis.

It feels regrettable for Lucia, but the saint candidate receiving criticism isn’t our concern. The important thing is to ensure that the Hero or the kingdom’s image doesn’t take a hit.

That’s what we must prevent.

“Hmm. So we have to stop the saint candidate and the Hero from being criticized together, right?”

“Exactly. That’s our job. Since the Hero isn’t being criticized yet, we can wait and see how things unfold before intervening. Understood?”

“Yes. Pippin and I will start gathering information as soon as we arrive at the Cult.”

“Right, right. I’ll hang out with the Hero and gauge the atmosphere.”

—

As I felt the incoming wind while fiddling with my communication device, a familiar voice came through.

“—That was better information than I expected, Colonel.”

“Is that so.”

“You’ve got good subordinates. I was feeling uneasy and trying to gather info; it turns out there was a witness closer than I thought. Isn’t that right?”

That is true.

“Anyway, the related individuals are under investigation. And I’m also moving agents embedded in the Cult to look into it. So, just watch the situation and move accordingly.”

“Is it okay to work in this situation? I’m worried we might cause complications with our activities since the election is ongoing.”

“Who would object when the Hero’s comrade wants to do their job in a faith-based community? Have some confidence, Colonel. As long as you don’t kick up a fuss, it’s all manageable.”

In other words, don’t cause trouble, but be discreet about your work.

But the fact that a Colonel is managing issues within the territory of the Cult feels off. I glanced around and whispered in a hushed voice.

“…I hope the kingdom hasn’t poured money into the Cult either?”

“Would you really want to know?”

“No, not at all.”

“Wise choice.”

Not knowing is sometimes the best way to go.

“Once we arrive, I’ll follow the official schedule while getting a feel for the atmosphere in the Cult. And I expect my formal orders when you finish analyzing the information you have, Colonel.”

“Sure. By the way, why does it feel like you’re asking for more work as soon as you leave the Information Agency? I should have kicked you out sooner.”

He joked with his usual nonchalant tone. However, I couldn’t show a serious face, so I just laughed along.

“Anyway, I’ll end the call here.”

“Sure. Just one more thing. When will you arrive?”

“I think we’ll arrive in the morning. Maybe at noon.”

“And please don’t handle the orphanage staff too roughly. They’re like family to my subordinates.”

“Understood. I’ll hang up now.”

“Take care.”

The connection was cut.

I stared blankly at the darkened screen before slipping the communication device back into my pocket.

In the gently flowing river, stars floated like the Milky Way.

As I gazed at the river, it reminded me of that day— the day of receiving my medal.

“…Sigh.”

I turned my body from the railing and began heading back toward the cabin. The wind swept through my coat, and I could see Pippin and Jake waiting for me in the distance.

“How long until we arrive?”

“About six hours until we dock.”

“Looks like we’ll be pulling an all-nighter. You guys should go in and rest your eyes.”

I nudged the two of them as we entered the cabin.

And thus, the ship carrying four people arrived at the Cult.