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“Greenpeace is an environmental protection organization. But the key point is that Greenpeace isn’t just an ordinary environmental group; it’s an organization that pursues its ideals in somewhat extreme ways, like ramming ships to stop fishing and breaking into French nuclear power plants….”

Camila said.

“And the Colonel mentioned that when I brought up Greenpeace while burning down the forest, the Elves would protest. He also clearly stated that Elves tend to have extreme tendencies. But I only mentioned the existence of an organization called Greenpeace. I never said it was an environmental protection group or that it had extreme tendencies.”

The English university student speculated.

“So, there are two possible answers.”

Two dainty white fingers were pointed at me.

“First, detailed information about Greenpeace is known here.”

“Second, there’s no information about Greenpeace here, but the Colonel is well-informed about it.”

“Which one do you think is correct?”

She concluded her reasoning.

“I can’t help but think it’s the latter.”

That was the right answer.

—

Side Episode – Spy Game

Even after Camila finished speaking, I remained silent for a while. During my silence, the Black-haired Foreigner kept quiet, while the Blue-eyed Englishman simply watched me without saying a word.

After a long pause, I decided to calmly acknowledge the reality.

“…Since when was it?”

Camila spoke. The response came immediately.

“It was the Research Institute.”

It had been a longer time than I expected.

“When the researchers interacted with me, they always asked if we all knew the same things, but the Colonel never did that. Upon reflection, it felt strange.”

“…….”

“Of course, I didn’t notice it at first.”

Camila had sensed something unusual at the Research Institute. Based on that, she formed various hypotheses and immediately began verification after leaving the Institute.

“At first, I wondered if this was right. So, I checked every book and article I could find in the library.”

“Article?”

“There’s a library that keeps old newspapers.”

Searching for articles, borrowing books, and looking for theses or academic journals. After wandering around for weeks, Camila managed to gather most of the information available about Earth in this town.

“Much of the information was incorrect, and there were instances where stories from World War II and the Cold War mixed together, but one thing was clear: most of the materials were not macro and systematic research but rather micro and localized data collected from individual testimonies.”

“…….”

“In fact, rather than reputable newspapers or a collaborative wiki, the predominant content was gossip-worthy topics. For example, instead of discussing the origins of the labor movement or social revolutions in European society, it was mostly just complaints about their own country’s unions, lacking any background explanation. So, with such data, research and investigation were bound to be inaccurate. That’s my personal opinion.”

I quietly sat and assessed the university student from the foggy country.

Strong mentality. Calm demeanor. Cool judgment. Concise reasoning. High concentration.

Camila possessed a somber personality for her age and had a remarkably quick mind, almost suspiciously so.

“So what about Greenpeace?”

“It wasn’t mentioned at all. I might have missed it, or perhaps there was no information about Greenpeace in that library.”

That was like throwing a dice. Regardless of whether or not information about Greenpeace existed in this town, most of the information floating around concerning Earth was likely inaccurate, so she just took a shot.

Even if I didn’t know about Greenpeace, it didn’t matter much; if I did, I could have changed the subject and probed further. Of course, the opposite was also possible. Whether it was the UN, the dollar as a reserve currency, the Cold War, or anything else, she had countless means to validate her hypothesis. If the other party seemed unfamiliar with Greenpeace, she could throw out another bait.

However, I had given her insights considering the tendencies of an organization that Camila hadn’t even mentioned.

I had taken the bait.

“…….”

At this point, I decided to acknowledge my mistake. Having been away from the field for over 20 years, I had become completely out of touch.

Simultaneously, regardless of Camila Lowell’s background or temperament, I recognized her capabilities. Though she lacked a bit, it was clear that she wasn’t ordinary.

But it seemed Camila still had some hidden cards up her sleeve.

“Of course, there was a decisive factor.”

“What was that?”

She pulled out an item she had kept hidden since entering the room.

It was something very familiar to me.

“…It’s a PET bottle. A beverage PET bottle.”

“It’s not just any drink.”

The English university student lightly smiled as she pointed at the PET bottle.

“Hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid are key materials for making a priest bomb. A large syringe would have been used to remove the contents of the PET bottle. Nitric acid is easily pickable during searches, so you must have discarded that. What’s left are acetic acid, powdered juice, and a magic power conversion cell. According to the instructions I read, the cell converts magic into a substance with properties similar to electricity. Like a battery.”

Camila recited the ingredients and manufacturing process that went into the PET bottle.

Some of the information was familiar to me, some differed from what I knew, and some was far more detailed than my understanding. Her explanation was quite different from what I had known, yet the general outline remained similar.

The method for creating a priest bomb. I had learned to make explosives when I went for special demolition training at the Special Forces Command long ago.

By the way, the homemade explosive I was holding in my hand…

It’s an explosive device discovered in the UK.

Coincidentally, Camila was someone from Britain.

“How did you know?”

The university student smiled brightly.

“I caught a glimpse when Jake went shopping. It wasn’t intentional, though.”

“Did you learn how to make it at university?”

“Not from the professor, but the department is a bit special. I saw it in some materials given by a senior who graduated while preparing an essay.”

“What was the essay about?”

“It was about the potential for airport terrorism by non-state actors.”

“…”

“I told you, it’s a special department.”

“…”

I mulled over her words carefully.

So it was material from a senior who graduated…

Camila attended university in the UK. Cambridge University, majoring in Conflict Studies.

Since it’s a prestigious institution, Cambridge graduates are all regarded as elites. In fact, names of such prestigious universities are well-known. Tokyo University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Princeton, Cambridge, Oxford, Stanford, Harvard, Yale.

Generally, people who graduate from universities like these are called elites. Most people entering information agencies also belong to this category. This is a fact. No wonder Americans joke that the CIA is a “place only for whites from Harvard and Yale.”

South Korea is no different.

Most people entering the National Intelligence Service come from Seoul universities, not from local universities. Not from lower-tier Seoul universities, but from the upper-tier. Not from SoSeong universities, but from SKY.

Some might curse the evils of academic elitism, but the National Intelligence Service has no reason to accept applicants who only play around without studying. Of course, no matter how prestigious a university, an applicant with an average GPA of 3.2 and no certifications or second languages is likely to be eliminated. Being from a top university doesn’t grant admission to those who aren’t prepared.

In that sense, the situation in the UK isn’t so different.

In fact, that was really the case. According to my colleagues dispatched to the UK and the friends I met at Langley, the dominant forces within British intelligence agencies were precisely Oxford and Cambridge.

And just so happened, a Cambridge graduate stood right in front of me.

She said, “Ordinary army majors or resident officers wouldn’t be buying these chemicals or medical supplies in bulk, would they?”

“Right.”

Camila grinned as she leaned in closer.

“Were you in the intelligence department?”

“Hmm… Not as a full-time employee, but I was an intern during the summer vacation? For about 12 weeks.”

“A university recruitment-linked internship?”

“Oh, you know about that?”

“There were people going around here and there to bring it in.”

I thought of the NIS people wandering around the university district and settled comfortably into the sofa.

Camila smiled widely, moved my hand aside, and perched herself on the bed.

“So, what’s your answer?”

I chose not to respond, maintaining my silence. The silence was an acknowledgment.

Camila wasn’t so dim that she wouldn’t understand that, and for once, she was able to smile.

“Well, I don’t know where you’re from, but it seems like we’ll understand each other!”

“What if your expectations are wrong?”

“Well, if you know what Greenpeace is about, I doubt you’ll be bored surrounded by people you can’t communicate with, right?”

“I suppose so.”

With a cheerful smile, Camila extended her hand, and as I quietly looked into her softly folded eyes, I thought to myself.

I couldn’t fully trust her.

She probably didn’t fully trust me either.

Thus, I grasped the hand she offered. The warm reddish hue contrasted sharply with the cool sensation that washed over me.

“I guess I won’t be bored either.”

Who knows if I could trust her.

Whether she could trust me or not, I didn’t know.

“I’ll formally introduce myself. I’m Camila Lowell from the UK.”

In this line of work, the rule is to never trust people easily.

—

Side Episode – Spy Game – START –

 

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