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“Advisor Vasiliy Vladimirovich and his family stepped out of their house.

His wife got into the back seat with their daughter, while the advisor placed the bags in the trunk and took hold of the steering wheel.

The Information Officer of the Imperial Guard HQ, Ekaterina’s team member, snapped photos of their every move as evidence.

“Vasiliy Vladimirovich is currently leaving his residence.”

Ekaterina said while fastening her seatbelt, speaking into the radio.

“You all need to get out of the car and go to that guy’s house immediately. Collect all potential evidence.”

-‘Has the search warrant been issued?’

Search warrant? They don’t have time for that.

Fortunately, the Imperial Guard HQ was not a company that strictly enforced illegal evidence gathering against its employees, unlike other information agencies.

While the team members monitoring the apartment nearby rushed up the stairs towards the advisor’s house, Ekaterina drove her vehicle closely behind the advisor.

All the while, the radio continued to ring.

-‘The Joint Operations Team has arrived.’

-‘The academy division has sent support and has reached near the destination. What should we do?’

-‘Ekaterina, we’re here.’

The sub team leader of Ekaterina’s team announced their identity over the Imperial Guard HQ radio network and relayed the situation.

“Listen closely. There are three nationals suspected of attempting to defect, currently moving out of their residence. We are in pursuit, so please hold your positions.”

Driving skillfully, Ekaterina kept her focus on the advisor’s vehicle, muttering to herself.

“Where the heck are they going?”

An answer soon followed.

The advisor abruptly parked on the shoulder of the road, hopped out, gathered his family’s belongings from the trunk, and dashed into a building with them.

Keeping a distance, Ekaterina parked her vehicle and took out binoculars to confirm the building the advisor’s family had entered.

The sign in front of the building read:

[Embassy of the Kingdom of Abas, Kien Empire]

Episode 10 – Turn Northwest

The advisor and his family had entered the Abas Embassy. There was nothing more to see.

“That’s definitely a defection.”

While team members captured footage of the advisor’s vehicle and family entering the embassy, Ekaterina stepped out of her car to join the Imperial Guard HQ support team.

Counterintelligence investigations, domestic information, communication intelligence, you name it.

Information officers from various fields huddled together in an alley near the Abas Embassy.

“Ekaterina!”

One information officer who recognized Ekaterina waved enthusiastically. After she nodded back with a warm greeting, she explained the situation to the officers.

“One advisor capable of detecting military and state secrets just defected with his family.”

“…….”

“Our team confirmed they entered the Abas Embassy, and they’re currently searching his residence. They are inside the embassy right now.”

As the information officers blinked in surprise, trying to comprehend the sudden news, Ekaterina’s colleague posed a question to her.

“What do we do now?”

“First, we need to tap the embassy for listening devices and station staff at every exit for surveillance. No one knows when or where they might slip out.”

“Oh, great…. Looks like I’m working late again.”

Hearing the mention of overtime, the information officers pulled out their mobile phones to notify their families, partners, and friends about their late return.

Ekaterina and her colleague quietly conversed, scanning their surroundings.

“Is there a safe house nearby? Anywhere we can keep an eye on the embassy.”

“Who knows? There are plenty of safe houses around, but not one near the Abas Embassy.”

“A safe house? Well, there might not be one, but there is a house.”

One information officer interjected. Ekaterina and her colleague turned to look at him simultaneously.

He was a junior employee of the Imperial Guard HQ, indicating towards a nearby building as he explained.

“My friend lives there. He’s in grad school, and the place is quite spacious. You’d be able to see the Abas Embassy from there.”

Immediately, Ekaterina led the junior officer towards the building where his friend lived.

After escaping from the lab for the first time in a while, the friend, who had been resting at home, came out upon receiving a call from the friend working at a public institution.

Ekaterina flashed her Imperial Guard HQ ID to reveal her affiliation.

“I’m from the Imperial Guard HQ. This is your place, right?”

“Uh, yes… it is…”

“I’ll be using it just for today. Please contact us regarding any damages to furniture, dishes, or loss.”

The grad student, receiving an Imperial Guard HQ business card, stared blankly between his friend and Ekaterina.

Whether he approved or not, the Imperial Guard HQ staff had hurriedly set up camp in his apartment due to the availability of a safe house.

Staring at the bizarre equipment flooding into his apartment, the grad student muttered dreamily toward Ekaterina.

“Do I… just stay in my room…?”

“No, get out immediately.”

Ekaterina shoved a thick pile of cash into the landlord’s hand before kicking him out.

The friend, who was thrust out of his room in the middle of a nap, vented his frustrations to the junior officer, but Ekaterina coolly ignored him and closed the door.

Thus, in an instant, the Imperial Guard HQ staff took over one apartment, converting it into a situation room.

“Ugh…!”

A technician from the Imperial Guard HQ lugged heavy equipment towards the window.

While he was setting up the gear, another technician slightly opened the window and peeked out, propping the eavesdropping device just outside, followed by quickly drawing the curtain to obscure the interior.

Technicians blocked off every potential entry point from the outside that could view the apartment.

With the curtains drawn shut except for a few windows, they secured them tightly with tape to prevent any movement.

As the eavesdropping devices were being set up one by one directed towards the Abas Embassy, the technician in charge of the devices spoke to Ekaterina.

“The equipment is almost set up, just need to run some tests. But there are too many people inside, so the team members are feeling cramped.”

“What specifically is making them uncomfortable?”

“It’s the people, rather than the equipment. If somebody trips over a wire or bumps into the device, it could break. It’s quite expensive, and we need to handle it cautiously.”

Ekaterina decided to clear the place of non-essential personnel.

The technicians essential for operating the eavesdropping equipment needed to stay, while other lower-ranking personnel were sent outside.

The suddenly displaced junior officers now took on the task of monitoring the embassy from rooftops or vehicles.

The roommate crouched in the hallway begged his friend, “Just in case, could you not smoke in the room, please?”

And so, only essential personnel and team leaders remained in the apartment.

Ekaterina slightly parted the curtain with her finger and looked down at the Abas Embassy.

The embassy, just a minute’s sprint away, was eerily quiet.

Pulling her gaze away, Ekaterina drew together the team leaders.

“Now that the urgent situation is under control, let’s share information.”

*

At that moment, inside the Abas Embassy.

The advisor had safely entered the embassy, tightly holding his wife’s and daughter’s hands.

“It’ll be alright. Everything will be okay now.”

“Dear….”

“It’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about….”

His wife’s trembling hands called out to him with urgency, and the advisor silently comforted her and their daughter, who looked on the verge of tears.

The family man calmed his family down, telling them to wait for a moment, then left the office in search of someone.

“Colonel Nostrim.”

“Oh, Mr. Vasiliy Vladimirovich. You made it safely.”

“Yes.”

“Hope you aren’t injured?”

Colonel Frederick recognized the advisor while talking with another attaché, waving the officer away to subtly inquire about the advisor’s condition.

“Are you alright? You didn’t encounter any issues on the way?”

“No. No problems at all.”

“That’s glad to hear.” Frederick replied with a smile.

He led the advisor into an empty office deeper within the embassy, a place genuinely shielded from filming or eavesdropping by the exterior.

Frederick explained the situation to the advisor as concisely as he could.

“First off, I want to thank you for making it all the way to the embassy. However, we’ve hit a snag.”

“Yes? A problem…?”

“It seems the news of your defection has leaked. The Imperial Guard HQ is now keeping an eye on us.”

Upon hearing that the Imperial Guard HQ was aware of his defection, the advisor’s complexion drained of color. As he seemed ready to faint, Frederick guided him to a chair and continued speaking in a calm voice.

“You don’t need to worry. We have ways to safely get you out of the embassy.”

“Safe methods…? What do you mean…?”

The defense attaché explained to the advisor.

“All vehicles registered to diplomatic missions carry diplomatic license plates. By international law and practice, vehicles marked with diplomatic plates are exempt from inspection by the host country. If you and your family board a diplomatic vehicle, you can move safely.”

With this information, the advisor couldn’t hide his confusion and asked with a trembling voice.

“Uh, but doesn’t the Empire know about the diplomatic vehicles…?”

“Of course, the Imperial Foreign Affairs Department is aware. After all, to receive diplomatic plates, they must be registered with the Foreign Affairs Department.”

“Then the Imperial Guard HQ will tail us…?”

Sure enough, if defectors used an embassy to attempt defection, they would typically be on the move through embassy vehicles. There was no other way to pass an inspection once a manhunt had been issued.

Naturally, the counterintelligence agency was aware of this.

Therefore,

“It means that the embassy is now under surveillance. Both you and your family, in fact, any of our diplomats or administrative staff leaving the embassy, will be monitored by the Empire. Surely, vehicles will be the main target for surveillance. It’s practically the only means of defection.”

“Then it’d be better to just scale the wall….”

Frederick shook his head and chuckled. In a situation where the embassy was under surveillance, trying to climb over the wall would be futile.

If someone were foolish enough not to predict that, they wouldn’t even last a minute in their intelligence agency’s recruiting process.

But there was a solution.

“I understand you’re very anxious. However, please trust us and wait. We can securely escort you to the border today.”

“Oh, today? Is that really possible?”

“It’s not impossible. Even beastmen make their way across borders, so why couldn’t we?”

After exchanging a few more words with the advisor, Frederick reassured him before returning him to his family. Staying with his loved ones would be the best way to ease their minds.

Emerging from the office, Frederick immediately sought out his superiors, the heads of the Royal Intelligence Department and the Military Intelligence Agency handling the Kien Empire’s affairs.

“It appears he’s more anxious than I expected. For now, I briefed him on the situation and instructed him to remain with his family.”

As soon as the advisor and his family had entered the embassy, the leaders of the Imperial agencies cautioned the diplomats to be vigilant. With the entire embassy now under the watchful eye of the Imperial Guard HQ, extra care was mandatory.

The operatives working in-house halted their scheduled appointments and refrained from entering while the operatives returning from outside dodged surveillance and quickly returned to the embassy.

At that moment, a report came in from an officer in charge of communications at the Royal Intelligence Department.

“Minister! Unusual signals have started being detected near the embassy. It seems like someone is attempting to eavesdrop.”

“From where?”

“We don’t know the exact location, but judging from the signals not registered in our system, it appears they have introduced new surveillance equipment.”

“Have the communication team clamp down and stop regular lines. Use backup lines immediately.”

The report didn’t end there.

“Director! One employee returning from the field spotted suspicious vehicles near the embassy. They’re vehicles we haven’t seen before, and two robust adult males were inside a passenger car, while individuals with radios were observed outside. They are presumed to be surveilling the embassy.”

“Did you check the vehicle’s registration number?”

“No. It doesn’t come up. Should we ask our staff with connections at the local government or police to investigate?”

“Don’t do that for now, just note it down. Anything else?”

“Yes. The returning staff asked if they could take photos of the occupants of the vehicles…”

“Stop saying nonsense and tell them to come back immediately. We can’t have them stuck in a photo snare.”

“Understood.”

Suspicious communications, strange vehicles, and individuals with radios. The Imperial Guard HQ had already surrounded the embassy.

It had only been just over thirty minutes since entering the embassy, and the response was remarkably swift. It was almost akin to Chinese or Russian efficiency at its best.

The intelligence officers working in the embassy gathered at the counterespionage security office to report to the Royal Intelligence Department and the Military Intelligence Agency, while the agency heads convened to formulate a countermeasure.

In the meantime, Frederick stopped a passing diplomat.

“Ah, Diplomat!”

“Yes, Colonel. What can I do for you?”

“How many vehicles are currently at the embassy?”

Chika Karachev. I’m the policy advisor to a member of the National Defense Committee. I’ve worked for decades in the department that plans defense policy within the Ministry of Defense, and that’s how I became an advisor.

Documents and photos were laid out on the desk.

To one side, there was a cheap frozen pizza and a soda, presumably consumed by the previous occupant over the night.

While another team leader cleared away the food, Ekaterina quickly continued her briefing.

“My wife is a homemaker. She has worked at the Ministry of Defense, but it seems she lacks the authority to gather meaningful information.”

“We have one child who is currently a student at the Royal Academy. I checked her friends, their parents, and the professors in charge of classes, but none of them proved to be particularly noteworthy.”

“We suspect that while working in the National Assembly, the advisor provided military and state secrets to the Abas Information Agency. Yesterday, he attempted to flee the country with his family but failed, and they are now in the Abas Embassy.”

One team leader, examining the documents, flicked his finger against the paper.

He was the information officer responsible for ferreting out ideological criminals on campus.

“Your daughter is a magician?”

The domestic information officer scrutinized her background.

“Third-year in the Magic Department at the Royal Academy. She’s signed up for five courses, including Advanced Elemental Theory, which began during the break… She has conducted several flight surveillance operations for forest disaster prevention in the East as part of her field practice assessment.”

He tapped a corner of the records with his finger.

“It appears there’s a possibility of her escaping via flying magic; what do you think?”

It was a conclusion drawn from his experience dealing with many students in the Magic Department. However, a counterargument surfaced.

The team leader who handled counterintelligence shook his head.

“If she was going to fly away, she would have done it long ago. Why would she create such a ruckus entering the embassy?”

“That makes sense… Her home is a high-rise; she could have easily flown from an apartment.”

“Furthermore, can two adults and luggage fit on a broom? She’s not an albatross but a student. Even if they abandoned their luggage, they would still need to make two trips.”

An investigator offered a different opinion.

“They’re escaping by vehicle.”

“I believe the same. Ekaterina, what do you think?”

“I agree.”

Ekaterina pulled out a document from her bag. It was a list sent from the Imperial Foreign Affairs Department to the Imperial Guard HQ detailing the cars registered at the Abas Embassy.

Ekaterina pointed to the list with a pen and explained to the team leaders.

“There are a total of 13 vehicles registered to the Abas Embassy. Three are specifically for the ambassador, minister, and defense attaché. The rest are for general use.”

The list included various information such as vehicle type, license plate number, color, and size. Ekaterina highlighted the top three vehicles with her pen.

“The ambassador is a diplomatic expert active in the empire for over a decade. Those who know, know, but the minister and defense attaché are key figures in the Royal Intelligence Department and Military Intelligence Agency.”

“Ah, I know this person. He came to our headquarters to negotiate a prisoner exchange last time.”

“If the exiles are using vehicles, it’s likely they’ve boarded the minister’s or the defense attaché’s designated cars.”

While quietly listening, one of Ekaterina’s colleagues pointed at the list with his finger.

“What about these vehicles?”

“Those are public vehicles. Over half have been inactive since the last time we expelled diplomatic personnel.”

According to the Imperial Guard HQ, the recent usage rate of vehicles at the Abas Embassy had plummeted to below half.

The staff remaining in the diplomatic office were fewer due to the expulsion, and there were more employees without licenses or need for vehicles than previously thought.

Ekaterina pulled out a photo from her bag, placing it on the desk while marking a vehicle from the list with her pen.

In the photograph was a distinctly visible black sedan with a diplomatic license plate.

“And this, is the vehicle of the diplomat who recently came into contact with the advisor.”

“Whose vehicle is it?”

Thud. A document from the Imperial Guard HQ was placed on the desk.

“Colonel Frederick Nostrim. He worked as a military attaché for the cult and the magic tower and is currently serving as the attaché in our country.”

“And?”

“I suspect this guy is an intelligence officer for the Abas Military Intelligence Agency.”

Gasps erupted in different corners in response to Ekaterina’s confident statement.

A team leader-level intelligence officer, dispatched under the director’s orders, chuckled in disbelief.

“Wait, are you saying this person is a spy? Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Ekaterina Andreyevna, do you not know who this is? He’s a hero companion; even recognized by the cult.”

The intelligence officer presented a counterargument against the theories of other intelligence officers.

“Though he is a major, I understand he has recently received special treatment after receiving an oracle. He obtained his attaché qualification due to that. But an intelligence officer? If he really were, why would he skip training he should have undergone before leaving the country?”

Another team leader, examining the materials containing information about foreign attachés, discovered something strange.

“What? This attaché has a firearms permit? For protecting important persons? Did he get it from his colleagues?”

Ekaterina nodded.

“He had the same permission when he was active as a magic tower attaché.”

“If he has a firearm… this could really get complicated. I should have brought a bulletproof vest.”

“I don’t have a bulletproof vest.”

Ekaterina pulled a pistol from her belongings and placed it on the desk.

“I do have a gun.”

“……”

“Is everyone surprised to see a standard-issue sidearm? Don’t you bring it when you go out on duty?”

At the moment the team leader-level intelligence officers were dumbfounded by the pistol, a technician eavesdropping in the embassy suddenly shouted, removing his headset.

“I caught something odd!”

An intelligence officer seated nearby inquired.

“What is it?”

“We’ve got a vehicle coming up! Just heard it over the embassy front gate security radio!”

Ekaterina swiftly seized the radio left in the corner.

“Front gate monitor. Do you copy? Front gate monitor, respond.”

-‘…Ah, yes. This is the domestic information team monitoring the front gate. What is it?’

“One vehicle is departing from the front gate. Prepare to take pictures.”

Ekaterina, securing her pistol, stood up and approached the window.

The heavy front gate barrier lifted, and the embassy guards began moving about in a hurry.

“Make sure to ascertain who is on board.”

Ekaterina added.

“If they get past today, it’s all over.”

*

The front gate barrier rose, and a single car slowly exited the embassy.

The information officer from the Imperial Guard HQ, lurking in a nearby vehicle, swiftly scanned the departing car with binoculars.

He whispered into the radio.

“Report. The vehicle leaving the Abas Embassy front gate is an ambassadorial car.”

The vehicle bore both the Kien Empire flag and the Abas Kingdom flag. The face of the driver in the front seat and the ambassador in the back seat were clearly visible.

Confirming that the vehicle had passed, Ekaterina asked nervously.

“Were there any passengers on board besides the ambassador and the driver?”

-‘No, there weren’t. We took pictures from here and also got shots from the roof, but only those two were seen inside.’

“…Understood. Please continue monitoring.”

Setting down the radio, Ekaterina returned to her seat. Along one wall of the rented room were secured documents and photos by tape, and the team leaders stared at them while sharing their thoughts.

As Ekaterina returned to that spot, one of her colleagues, who had been speaking with another intelligence officer, approached her.

“Did you find anything?”

“No, it was a bust.”

“Hmm!”

The colleague seated on the sofa casually threw a question at Ekaterina.

“Could it be they’re hiding in the trunk?”

Ekaterina shrugged her shoulders, indicating she didn’t know either.

“I requested the police to check the vehicle. Without the diplomat’s permission, they can’t search it, but perhaps we can delay a bit to see if there’s any movement in the trunk.”

According to international law, diplomats are granted immunity. The same applies when they are in a vehicle. Without the diplomat’s consent, the police cannot search the vehicle under international law.

However, expectations were derailed.

The police reported that they had checked the trunk.

“You checked the trunk?”

-‘Yes. We expected them to refuse cooperation, but they consented easily, which surprised us. But… there was nothing inside.’

Ekaterina calculated the distance from where the police had checked the ambassadorial vehicle to the embassy.

It was less than two minutes on foot, just a single block away. If there had been someone hiding in the trunk, they wouldn’t be able to jump down and escape without being detected by the Imperial Guard HQ.

Moreover, dashing out right in the middle of a busy four-lane street could result in getting hit by a vehicle and dying on the spot.

Ekaterina reasoned that it was unlikely a civilian would take such a risk.

Of course, the oddities didn’t stop there.

-‘One vehicle is departing. The minister is driving.’

-‘The defense attaché’s car is on the move. They’re currently cooperating with a police check.’

The minister’s and defense attaché’s designated vehicles had exited the embassy.

Since both had appointments today, their leaving the embassy wasn’t unusual, but that they both cooperated with the police check was certainly noteworthy.

“Did you check the trunk as well?”

-‘Yes.’

“Was there nothing in there either?”

-‘Correct, nothing was found.’

The two vehicles, which were initially predicted to be used for the exile, had left the embassy without a hitch.

The minister and defense attaché complied with the check, with the police thoroughly searching the interior, trunk, and even the axle, but not even a stray hair was discovered.

Ekaterina glanced at her watch. There was less than thirty minutes left until the embassy’s closing time.

“How many of the diplomats have left already?”

“Reports compiled from monitoring teams indicate that while many are still working at the embassy, some left early today.”

“Has there been any movement from any of the vehicles or handlers?”

“No, all have left on foot, and aside from three vehicles, none exited.”

It was strange.

There were exactly ten vehicles remaining at the embassy. The Imperial Guard HQ officers had taken their official cars, so according to simple calculation, they had the upper hand.

However, the Imperial Guard HQ could always request support from the police. The officers assigned to the check also came out under the request of the National Assembly.

“What about the request for magician support?”

“Our department rejected it. The magicians said they were all occupied with their own cases. It’s a manpower shortage, as usual.”

Ekaterina scanned the vast array of materials plastered across one wall with her own eyes.

The external schedule of the military attaché suspected of being an intelligence officer today shows none.

The hero, saint, and alchemist have appointments filled to the brim today, but there’s no schedule that includes him.

Thus, he would likely be inside the embassy, and it’s highly probable that the advisor, along with his entire family, is still within the embassy grounds.

Were they traveling together by car?

Ekaterina peered out the window, examining the perimeter of the Abas Embassy.

“…….”

It seemed impossible to scale the embassy’s surrounding walls. Even if a fully grown adult extended their arms, they couldn’t reach it, let alone a family consisting of the advisor, his wife, and daughter all at once.

Moreover, intelligence officers had already been positioned nearby, so if anyone was to try to vault over, a message would undoubtedly come through immediately.

But why?

Why haven’t they left the embassy yet?

“…….”

Ekaterina stepped closer to the window, gazing at the Abas Embassy. Despite it being winter, the sky was dark and gloomy, yet the lights of the embassy twinkled through the darkness.

“Any reports of vehicles coming out?”

“No, even from the guards’ radio chatter, it’s just idle talk.”

“Is it possible to eavesdrop on the inside of the embassy?”

The technician shook his head. The cords of his headset swayed left and right.

“It’s impossible to intercept communications inside the embassy. Without an internal collaborator, it can’t be done.”

“Understood. Please continue your hard work.”

The technician tapped the equipment a few times, stood up, stretched, and headed towards the kitchen. Just then, an employee was returning from outside with food, distributing it among the team leaders and technicians.

An employee brought a take-out container and handed it to Ekaterina.

“Uh… Team Leader. It’s dinner.”

“I’m not hungry. I had some bread.”

“Team Leader, you’ve only eaten bread for an entire week. You can’t possibly avoid the bathroom while on standby… At least eat this.”

The employee urged Ekaterina to have dinner, but she adamantly declined.

Ultimately, the employee set the remaining dinner container in a corner of the kitchen, while Ekaterina took a bite of a dry piece of bread, watching over the embassy.

However.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty minutes passed.

No one emerged from the embassy.

Thus, the closing time arrived.

Still, the exiles remained absent.

 

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