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I can’t describe how isolated this island feels amidst the bustling city.

Down underground in the Military Intelligence Agency Headquarters, there exists a massive situation room.

If you get past the heavy steel door and the security devices that prevent unauthorized personnel from entering, you’ll find the berets hanging near the entrance, hinting that people are present here.

A blonde punk who stepped out of the steel door took out his cap with a captain’s insignia and started off with a sigh.

“I’m absolutely dead tired. What’s with the night shift on a Friday?”

“Come on, Jake. Working late isn’t exactly new, is it?”

A petite black-haired woman adjusted her hair that had slipped out from under her beret as she scolded her colleague. Jake, sulking, opened his eyes with a pout and shot a glance at Pippin.

“I’m the one stuck here working late every day. What’s that make me if you say it like that?”

“There are still people working late inside, you know, you clueless idiot. You should say that outside.”

“Yeah, fair enough.”

As Jake and Pippin’s banter echoed through the still-open steel door, a Lieutenant Colonel sitting in the situation room idly rubbed his bald head and mumbled.

“…Life.”

Episode 15 – Life is Beautiful

The staff guarding the passageway to the situation room noticed two individuals walking down the hall and retrieved a key.

The situation room was a facility where no recording devices, be it crystals, mobile phones, or magic stones, were allowed. The plump information officer verified the names on the list and returned Jake’s and Pippin’s mobile phones.

As Pippin stepped out of the office, she checked for any missed calls.

Jake asked, “Did anyone call?”

“Friends sent texts. They want to hang out this weekend. You wanna join?”

“Absolutely, sounds great.”

The Military Intelligence Agency Headquarters was shrouded in darkness long past the quitting hour. Here and there, light seeped from offices where employees either wrapped up their overtime or continued meetings.

“A meeting in the evening, huh?”

“Sounds like something went down.”

Regardless, what was happening in the offices was none of the two’s concern.

After exiting the headquarters, Pippin and Jake hopped into a taxi. As the cab swung into the bustling downtown, Jake initiated a conversation with Pippin.

“The Mauritania Continent project? Is that wrapped up?”

“Yeah, roughly.”

They had been on a mission to locate an unidentified man pushed onto them by the Inquisition. It wasn’t an easy task, but the end was finally in sight.

“We’ve narrowed it down to four probable countries. Now it’s just a matter of finding him.”

“Us? Or the field team?”

“Is there really any difference…?”

They weren’t destined to work at the headquarters for eternity anyway. Whoever found him first would head to the place where new colleagues were waiting, a fate sealed the moment they joined Frederick’s team.

“Oh, crap. Now that you mention it…”

Jake scratched his head, looking troubled.

It had already been a month since they found a new home to live in together with Pippin. They had extinguished the immediate fire and secured housing, thinking they’d finally get some rest. But now, due to overly diligent coworkers, international travels awaited them again.

After getting out in the vibrant area, the two stepped into their upscale apartment guarded by a burly orc with jutting teeth above his pouting lips.

As Pippin shook off the sand at the entrance and powered up her magic, she let out a heartfelt exclamation.

“Wow… This place never fails to impress me.”

“Should we just stay here forever?”

“Yeah, that would be delightful.”

As Pippin whispered her wish, Jake chuckled softly.

“Will we even be able to afford the rent?”

“If I get promoted to Major, I think we could manage it. Just you and me together should make it quite feasible.”

“Seems like the belly is bigger than the belly button…”

This place was a gift from the agency, as neither of their salaries as captains could even cover the rent monthly.

All the procedures needed for moving in, such as eligibility for support and finances, and even the mountain of paperwork for loans (especially income verification documents) were all taken care of by the company.

The reason the notoriously stingy information agency offered such employee benefits was simple.

After news broke that the Demon had been purged, the Military Intelligence Agency needed to protect employees involved in the Northern conflict.

The main threats were journalists, diplomats, soldiers, and spies. The intention was to completely cut off access to those with ulterior motives seeking the truth about the North.

Perhaps because of that, the house provided by the agency felt like a fortress.

Due to the recent department store terrorism, security firms had been granted permission by the Magic Department to “use magic to subdue criminals in case of emergencies,” protecting the entire apartment complex, with employees dispatched from the counterintelligence department checking the security status of the residence. There was even a police station almost right at their doorstep.

Though it felt a bit claustrophobic being under surveillance, it was undoubtedly better. They were half at ease knowing they were safe from eavesdropping and outside intrusions, and half relieved that there were no choking neighbors like their superiors around.

“About the residence the manager moved into…”

“Oh, that official residence?”

Pippin asked back.

From what she heard, it was a residence that had been used by high-ranking army officials for generations. Although she wasn’t privy to the sordid details surrounding the residence, the identity of the neighbors living nearby wouldn’t be a mystery if they were from the Ministry of Defense.

“They say the neighbors next door are quite formidable.”

“Poor Manager, and what if he runs into them on his way to work…”

Having changed into casual clothes, Pippin and Jake sat on the sofa, tipping their beer bottles in hopes for the manager’s wellbeing.

“We were actually supposed to move into a residence nearby.”

Jake wore a sympathetic expression. Pippin slapped Jake’s arm with a grin.

“See, that’s why I told you not to go there. If all the official residences are clustered in one place in the capital, you wouldn’t want to salute passing vehicles, would you?”

“Do you think the manager is aware of that?”

“Well, I don’t know. He might’ve known before moving in.”

“For a while now, he’s been tied up with work, so he might not have bothered with the residence situation. You know how he is; he tunes out anything remotely connected to his work when he’s busy.”

“Eh… Well, he’s been stationed in the capital for over three years now, so he should at least know who lives near the official residences, right?”

Of course,

Frederick had no clue who lived near the residence he was set to move into.

Jake heaved a long sigh.

“…Would he know?”

A piercingly accurate observation.

“Well, I’m sure he’s handling it. What’s for dinner?”

“If I’m full, I’ll sleep.”

“You really… Want to be a pervert after working late?”

“Okay, fine. Let’s just grab something nearby. No need to go far.”

About two hours after they had started drinking while thinking, ‘surely, it can’t be that bad,’ a phone call came through.

The cheerful gathering was wrapping up just an hour before midnight.

Older Brother Jerry and Older Sister Adela were outside in the backyard, tidying up after the event. While suggesting the gathering was a superior’s privilege, cleaning up the grill and leftovers was always the job for the subordinates.

“Hey, lift the grill.”

“Adela. What do you mean?”

“Should I lift this heavy metal thing? You’re the one who insisted on using this big one for our family gathering, weren’t you?”

“Uh…”

In the end, the Treasury Department official and the Foreign Affairs official were left to clean up after the scraps left by the Treasury auditor and a Royal Court Maid.

But what’s it like in civil service? It’s a battleground of subordinates catching the boss stealing their paycheck.

Naturally, Older Brother Jerry and Older Sister Adela decided to subcontract the heavy lifting to a suitable civilian contractor according to the strict rules of public service.

“Ayla!”

“What?”

“Use your magic and move it!”

“……”

“Come on! You can do it! A- Hurry up.”

With a cape adorned with the academy’s emblem thrown aside, Ayla donned a plain, unmarked cape and shot a weary glance at her enemies. It was as if she thought these people viewed magic as a panacea.

The once-promising magician had fallen to the disgrace of moving grills, a typical scenario in the world of ruthless bureaucrats where subcontracting and re-subcontracting flourished.

“Ugh, this is heavy…”

“Need me to help?”

“No, thanks… Why, are Mom and Dad around?”

The youngest, who was levitating the grill into the air, asked. The eldest, wiping the table, replied in an accusatory tone.

“They’re in the bedroom.”

Had it been any other time, Ayla would’ve grumbled about why her parents were resting when their kids were hustling. But right now, she just continued to scrub away at the grill with a stream of water magically conjured into existence.

The eldest son, who was tidying up the charcoal, broke the silence, sounding quite proud.

“Our little one has grown up, hasn’t she? She’s grown ever since she started working.”

“Growth? More like she’s gotten a lot of scolding.”

“Adela.”

The diplomat chuckled, while the Treasury official frowned, not impressed. But since they were from different departments, the diplomat paid it no mind.

Regardless of the family’s banter, the worker remained silent, continuing to clean with her magic.

“……”

Ayla’s quiet demeanor while cleaning gave Adela a strange sense of déjà vu.

“Hey, did something happen at work?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

“You’ve been so quiet. You’re not usually like this, Ayla. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since you shared anything about work?”

“……”

“We haven’t seen each other in a while, so just share a bit.”

Adela’s suggestion was backed up by Jerry.

“Yeah, Adela’s right. We should at least know what our little one’s been up to. We’re family.”

But no answer came.

Ayla kept silent, only repeating the motion of cleaning the grill with her magic. In the following silence, the gentle sound of running water continued, and after she was finished, she rose and magically dried herself off.

And then she bluntly replied,

：“Work is work.”

At her curt response, Adela put her hands on her hips, a look of incredulity on her face.

“Is that all? What kind of workplace introduction is that?”

“Ah, I don’t really have much to add.”

Ayla shot a sulky look at her sister.

“It’s just a company that imports and exports goods. You saw it the last time, right? It’s not much compared to the Treasury or Foreign Affairs…”

“Ayla.”

Jerry called his sister in a low voice.

“It’s rude to talk down about your workplace like that. We’re just curious about what kind of place you’re working in. Whether the people are decent, what your job is, and if the cafeteria food is tasty.”

The Treasury official’s comment earned an interruption from the Foreign Affairs official.

“Why is the cafeteria suddenly coming up?”

“Just curious if the food’s good.”

“Does it even get served well? You’re lucky it does.”

“Surely it’s better than the Treasury cafeteria known for its bad cuisine. Absolutely.”

It was an embarrassing conversation for a thirty-year-old public servant to partake in. Seeing this unfold, the office worker could no longer hold back and interjected into the conversation.

“It’s a perfectly normal workplace. The people there are just okay, and the work is manageable… The cafeteria, well… I don’t know. It’s been so bad

“Every day I eat outside…”

“That’s not good for your health.”

“Anyway, it’s just okay. If it’s ordinary, it’s ordinary. If it’s special, it’s special.”

“What kind of job is that?”

At Adela’s comment, Ayla let out a sigh.

“Exactly, sis.”

“Why did you even take such a job? You could have worked at a better company. Should I write a recommendation for you at the Magic Department?”

“Forget it. What about Fred?”

The youngest was inquiring about the whereabouts of the second son. While they were tidying up here, where could he have gone?

“I think he went to his room earlier? It seems like they contacted him from the Ministry of Defense.”

Jerry replied while moving the grill to the underground warehouse. Adela, who was organizing the refrigerator, chuckled.

“I bet it’s not the Ministry of Defense, but the Cult. I heard he’s close with the Saint.”

The rumor that the third child, who roams abroad, was involved with one of the only two Saints of the Cult was known by diplomats and everyone in the world.

The news that a maiden favored by the deities was having an affair with a foreign man was such a scandal that even Pope John XVI at that time staggered upon hearing it from a Cardinal, prompting the Guardsmen witnessing this to call for a doctor and a healing priest.

“I heard the Pope tripped and fell over when he heard that news.”

“How do you know about that?”

“The embassy isn’t a place for leisure~.”

Adela knew this inside information because of her job as a diplomat.

A friend who worked as a second secretary at the foreign affairs office handed her a piece of intel starting with, “Today the consul was summoned to the Inquisition….”

Of course, any diplomat would know that it was just a tabloid story. Even though the initial report came from a sensationalist press and major media correspondents didn’t fact-check it.

Moreover, the Inquisition’s quiet reaction added to the suspicion.

If it had been true, those guys would have been making a fuss. The Inquisition’s intelligence capabilities are acknowledged even by the Royal Intelligence Department, after all.

There’s no way that kind of rumor could be true.

Adela snickered.

“Do you really think he’s in a relationship with the Saint? It’s just talk, why are you reacting so seriously?”

The eldest daughter scolded the eldest son.

Jerry, who was deep in thought with a strict and serious expression, brightened up upon hearing Adela’s words.

“Fred’s reaction was so intense that he even splashed soda on our parents’ faces.”

“That was just surprise. Has he ever introduced us to a girlfriend?”

“Hmm… no?”

“You see? He’s never even dated anyone at the Academy; how could he be dating a girl abroad? Especially a Saint?”

That wasn’t exactly wrong, so there was no way to counter that.

Trying to defend his younger sibling as the eldest son, Jerry stifled a laugh. He tried hard to contain it, but a chuckle slipped out.

He imagined himself emphatically denying any romantic involvement with the Saint, shaking his hands in denial. The image was funny even upon reflection.

“Oof!”

The three siblings had finished tidying up the warehouse and gathered in the living room. They planned to have a family chat over snacks before bed.

Ayla, who had taken a spot on the sofa looking exhausted, turned to the two.

“How about you, brother? Call him down?”

“Leave it. Mom and Dad nagged him about when he’ll bring home a bride. Just let him rest today.”

“Then, what the heck is he really doing?”

Just as the three siblings were chatting, Fredrick, finishing a call, plopped down on his bed, muttering curses.

“Damn it….”

The neighbor next door is the Chief of Staff, apparently.

*

A month ago, I received an unexpected order upon arriving at the office of the overseas branch.

‘Are you telling me to prepare to move?’

The Military Intelligence Agency suddenly ordered me to leave my official residence. More specifically, it was a directive to relocate.

‘Your identity is too exposed.’

‘Wasn’t my identity exposed from the moment I received my rank insignia?’

‘That’s the directive considering that.’

The overseas intelligence operations director, the first female general produced by the Military Intelligence Agency, said this.

‘It’s difficult to control access at the official residence, so security is weak. With so many employees living there, how can we regulate it? Huh?’

Leonie pointed out the weak security of the official residence and ordered me to move out. It was something I had recently been pondering, so I readily agreed.

‘Got it. So where should I stay?’

‘It’s not feasible to move in yet since we need to check the security of the other place and set preventive measures. We’ve managed to squeeze a budget, but Clevenz’s subordinates are busy these days. Do you have a place to stay in the capital? If not, you’ll have to go to a hotel. I’ll provide the operational funds.’

‘I can stay at the townhouse. I’ll decline your offer.’

‘First, we need to relocate the current occupant, so you’ll need to wait about a month.’

‘Current occupant?’

‘It’s an official residence. We need to give the previous owner time to move out.’

An official residence typically refers to a place where ministers or chairs of the Houses reside, but in the military, it meant the residence of a general.

I wondered if it was legally permissible to give a colonel the residence of a general, but I didn’t dig into the specifics.

That was because the conditions of moving in were too attractive.

‘How long does it take to get to work?’

‘By car, ten minutes. Walking, within thirty minutes.’

Damn Military Intelligence Agency didn’t provide accommodation for its employees. They crammed all senior officers commuting to the military base in the capital into one shabby building and labeled it ‘accommodation.’

At night, there’s no sound of footsteps in the halls, and there’s no drunken ruckus from promotions gone wrong. Living in a spacious house that can accommodate a large family without bumping into annoying neighbors is every person’s ideal dream.

Plus, getting cleaning service from someone else and an easy commute?

That’s definitely too good to pass up.

‘Let’s sign the contract right now.’

I didn’t look back as I hastily scrawled my name on the documents.

Although Leonie asked, “Aren’t you going to hear any other explanations?” my mind was already envisioning a beautiful rosy future.

A spacious house. A quiet and peaceful neighborhood. A quick commute.

The only downside is that it’s not my own house, but besides that, it’s the perfect place.

Thus, I took a step closer to my dream home (not really), hastily signing my name before heading back to the situation room to finish up the poppy fields.

And now, I suddenly realized.

“I shouldn’t have signed so carelessly….”

I sat on the bed, grinning, imagining tearing to shreds the version of myself from a month ago packing up at the official residence.

However, time travel is an area even the great Archmage has given up researching, so the resentful gaze that had nowhere to settle turned toward the phone laid on the table.

The recently ended seven-minute call had come from the residence of the Chief of Army Staff. It hadn’t been ten minutes since I received the call late at night where the person on the line said, “Oh, I’m the Chief.”

In that moment, I wondered what in the world that nonsense was about, and when I confirmed, it turned out that the official residence I was set to move into was next door to the Chief of Army Staff.

For reference, the house behind me was occupied by the Minister of Defense (a former four-star general), while the house in front was said to be occupied by the Chief of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Upon learning that fact, I had to fight the impulse to burn down the official residence I was about to move into.

“Ah, that explains why Pippin and Jake were looking for separate accommodations….”

I squeezed my face with my hands. How dare you not tell me, you damn bastards.

Of course, the root cause of this situation lay with me not bothering to listen to Leonie’s explanation before signing the documents. That made me even angrier.

“My life….”

I poured whiskey into a glass and gulped it down. I couldn’t handle this sober.

My neighbor is the Chief of Staff. I have to host a housewarming between the Minister of Defense and me.

I’m not even planning a housewarming event, but the last thing the Chief said before hanging up still lingered in my mind.

He promised to do his best to help me fit in with the neighbors.

In other words, he intended to host a lavish welcome ceremony for the residents living in the official residence. I really hope that was a joke. I suddenly remembered a similar event he’d held when he was assigned as a corps commander.

“…”

Lying on my bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

The thought that popped into my head was,

“Should I run away abroad?”

A foreign escape.

As Camila’s colleague, I had the freedom to go wherever.

I could immediately find any available position at an embassy without regard to the country, grab a diplomatic passport, and fly away, or I could forge a passport and disguise myself as a citizen of a third country.

Ditching the official residence in favor of an unofficial disguise seemed like a more reasonable option, rather than setting it ablaze, anyway. Plus, it was a realistically possible choice.

“Should I rather go see Camila…?”

Or I could visit Lucia, Francesca, or Veronica. Even the information agents Dmitri or Victor would do, at least it’d be better than stuck in between the Minister of Defense, the Chief of the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Chief of Staff.

I looked at my phone, deep in thought. It was probably afternoon in Patalia now; maybe Francesca would pick up the call.

Just as I was contemplating my escape plan, a lifeline fell from the sky.

-♪!

I grabbed the vibrating phone, scratching against the table. The number displayed was a typical one you’d see in the capital. At least, it seemed that way on the surface.

It was a company call.

I quickly got up, set up anti-eavesdropping equipment, confirmed the safety measures, and answered the call.

“What’s up, Matt?”

Through the phone, a deep male voice resonated with magical waves.

-‘It’s work. I need you to come to the office.’

“Something happened?”

-‘It’s similar.’

The Royal Intelligence Department Employee continued.

-‘We might have found your colleague.’

 

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