Chapter 540
In the 1970s, shortwave radios were a primary communication tool utilized by North Korean agents working in the South.
HF (High Frequency) communications operating within the frequency range of over 3 MHz and under 30 MHz leveraged the properties of shortwave—absorbed and reflected by the ionosphere—to facilitate long-distance communication.
This was why shortwave radios and transceivers attracted attention from North Korean operatives in the Korean Peninsula, which has an intangible barrier known as the Military Demarcation Line.
However, limited frequency bandwidth, communication disruptions caused by high-output signals, malfunctions, and vulnerability to eavesdropping and interception posed multiple issues.
Thus, after the 2000s, North Korean agents sought VHF (Very High Frequency) communication equipment, and in 2009, North Korean scientists successfully launched ‘Kwangmyongsong 2,’ which enabled UHF (Ultra High Frequency) relay communications.
An interesting fact is that South Korea had been conducting signal monitoring of geostationary satellites since around 2002.
More specifically, it was monitored by the Central Radio Management Office.
This made South Korea the fifth country in the world to engage in satellite signal monitoring, following the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany.
Fast forward 14 years to 2016, monitoring of non-geostationary satellites also began.
Taking into account that the Central Radio Management Office inherited ground surveillance systems ‘G/2’ and ‘M/2’ used by the military in the 1960s, it could be said that incredible achievements had been made in just under 50 years.
A question arises here.
If the Central Radio Management Office started monitoring subversive communications using military equipment, that would imply the military itself had been engaged in signal monitoring at that time, wouldn’t it?
Furthermore, building a satellite signal monitoring system as the fifth country in the world after the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany implies that someone might have been eavesdropping on satellite communications since the Cold War era, doesn’t it?
—
Side Episode – YES WE CAN
From the hilltop where the sun rises to the depths of the sea where the light sleeps, there is no area out of reach.
Not only the rumors that circulate among people’s lips but also the waves of electromagnetic and magical signals bouncing off the ionosphere cannot escape surveillance.
The eyes and ears of the watchers exist everywhere, especially when it pertains to technologies connected to science or magic.
*
If one were to ask gossip lovers, “Which is the best intelligence agency?” the answers would vary greatly.
-“They’re pretty skilled… It’s obvious. The organizations on the Mauritania Continent, rumored to be dangerously influential, right? Ashtistan too, and the culturally and geographically close Lushan Federation.”
Gossipmongers interested in international affairs would cite the ‘Law Enforcement Corps,’ ‘Special Investigation Bureau,’ or ‘Barak (בָּרָק).’
In a region fraught with religious conflicts like the Mauritania Continent, these entities are said to fight in a meticulous and efficient manner for survival, leading one to wonder who could possibly contend with them.
-“I would like to praise the Northeast Union. How much have the magicians and shamans of the East grown? It used to be that we considered them inept back to our generation, but these days they are catching up in magic and various fields.”
Some economically inclined gossips pay attention to Eastern intelligence agencies.
While they may seem weak now, it’s anticipated that their influence, with a rapidly growing population and market, will soon take flight like a dragon from the East.
-“In terms of status, they’re far behind the Empire and the Holy See. Take the Magic Tower for example; there was a time when its fame nearly surpassed that of our kingdom… yet the Oracle, in the end, couldn’t even catch a shadow of the royal family and failed, did it?”
On the other hand, traditionalist gossip lovers reminisce about the three intelligence agencies.
The Imperial Guard HQ, Inquisition, and Royal Intelligence Department. They assert that these will forever be the best, both in the past, present, and future.
-“Whether it’s the Magic Tower, Lushan, or Northeast Union, it’s the general consensus that they still have a long way to go to catch up with us.”
However, there is a fact the gossips are unaware of.
The ‘backtalk’ they share is actually reaching the ears of the ‘parties’ involved.
《 When speaking of the shadows of the royal family? 》
《 It must surely be the Royal Intelligence Department. I heard that the Oracle has taken an interest in the outside world and has focused on obtaining information for some years now. It seems, however, they have caught the attention of our intelligence department, possibly to concoct their own schemes. 》
As a man continues his conversation in the streets of the capital of the Kingdom of Abas, the transmission traverses the coaxial cables across the open seas, reaching a dark blue submarine idling offshore.
The moment the electromagnetic waves emitted from the copper cable were detected by the underwater sensors.
The ‘Research Vessel 581’ from the Royal Northern Marine Research Institute, cutting through the cold sea, captured the signal sent from the deep-sea exploration submarine.
“Director? Could you take a look at this?”
“What is it?”
“It’s a call that was just intercepted; doesn’t it seem strange?”
The man squinted at the display. Wearing a headset, he secretly glanced at the newly appeared blue-hued combat uniform.
As he began typing a brief report, numbers and symbols were encrypted in real-time to prevent anyone from deciphering them and were sent to the institute.
The decrypted message transmitted from the ‘Research Vessel 581’ soared through the ionosphere and reached the Kingdom of Abas. The highly-directional electromagnetic waves boasted exceptional straightness, arriving at the target without leaking sideways.
Once passed through the reporting system, the encrypted message entered the integrated network, with the program extracting magical wave communications from electromagnetic communications based on the database.
Not long after, this information was automatically propagated to each department.
“Ah, get that information flipped back quickly!”
“To what format are we reverting?”
“Let’s see… it’s wired, plus it’s electromagnetic… uh, oh, it’s Format 3.”
“Redirecting to Colonne.”
The analysis officer input the attached audio records into the program.
The voice analysis program that reads thousands of transmissions daily began deriving information based on the speaker’s voice, language, intonation, and expressions.
“Where did this communication originate?”
“It’s from the heart of the capital. It appears to be originating from Dwelling No. 24, and we’re assuming it’s someone on the move while conversing.”
“I see… How busy they are this early in the morning. Wake the surveillance team, prepare portable equipment, and send a van.”
“Yes.”
“Did you get in touch with the surveillance posts?”
“Yes, they’ve already been informed.”
“…Oh my, everyone is working hard.”
The listening site situated in the highlands beams down on the city. Vans circuit through the streets, while sedans head up the hills.
The officer, holding portable equipment, surveyed the area below, and from the van equipped with field gear, a beep echoed.
Direction Finding (DF) was performed based on the angles of received signals from different locations. Plainclothes police and arrest squad members searched for the agent.
The information agent walking and conversing in the heart of the capital was apprehended merely 16 minutes after the report from the ‘Royal Navy Intelligence Gathering Vessel’ came through.
“…Hello?”
-‘Sorry for calling so late, Chief. There’s an urgent matter I need to report.’
The news of the arrest reached the Royal Intelligence Department Chief’s ears just 2 minutes and 47 seconds later.
*
“I can’t believe this!”
A senior official raised his voice.
“Do you really think it’s believable that at his age, he lost his head over a woman and accidentally sold out the country? This must be a deliberate act!”
Slap! The high-ranking intelligence officer, passionately exclaiming, slammed the document binder onto the desk. It was a report forwarded from the Special Investigation Bureau, which serves both as an investigative agency and counterintelligence body under the Interior Ministry.
Early in the morning, all attendees gathered in the conference room were at the director level. To be precise, every director was present without exception.
This was only natural. There was only one person capable of calling them together within the agency.
The Royal Intelligence Department Chief.
“……”
The elderly intelligence officer had occupied the seat of honor from the moment the directors arrived in the conference room.
This didn’t mean he arrived at work earlier than them. The Chief’s residence is more than an hour away from headquarters, while the directors often stayed late at the office.
Indeed, the director of the National Operations Bureau, sitting to the right in the seat of honor, had been at the office just before. His tired expression and the hint of lingering smell that even air fresheners couldn’t mask testified to that.
Still, the Operations Director had no choice but to arrive later than the Chief.
It wasn’t that he was being lazy. It was merely that his office was closer to the conference room and he hadn’t gone home yet.
“A deliberate act of disclosure of confidential information to a foreign nation…”
The Royal Intelligence Department Chief nodded slightly.
“It would be reasonable suspicion, given that information regarding the Magic Tower was leaked to the Empire.”
That intuition was, indeed, rational. It was plausible to have suspicions.
The fact that the Oracle, which governs the Magic Tower, wishes to establish its own intelligence organization, and that they nearly acquired it, are indeed state secrets.
The Chief asked.
“What was the name of the intelligence organization that was going to be established at the Magic Tower?”
“It was called the Talent Development Institute. Under the Foreign Ministry of the Magic Tower.”
“Ah, yes. That was the name.”
Thanks for reminding me; the Chief thanked him with a lighthearted tone.
“Hmm…”
Tap. Tap.
His fingers rhythmically drummed the table. The elderly intelligence officer reclined in his leather chair, gazing contemplatively across the room.
“The Talent Development Institute… We recognized that organization quite a while ago. The major issues began two years ago.”
To be precise, it happened when a ‘guest’ from another world stayed at the military magic research institute. A spy from the Magic Tower disguised as a student infiltrated the military research institute, and it was the Military Intelligence Agency’s counterintelligence team that captured him.
Here comes the actual problem.
It was the Military Intelligence Agency that detected and apprehended the spy from the Magic Tower. However, there was also information that someone who had contacted that suspicious individual was affiliated with the Talent Development Institute of the Magic Tower.
Fabio Verati.
An overseas information officer from the National Security Agency of Patalia. Currently, a high-ranking official in the friendly country’s intelligence agency.
The Royal Intelligence Department was the entity that initially acquired and managed this information.
And today, that information was leaked to the Kien Empire through an outsider.
“Where did this person obtain that information from?”
The Royal Intelligence Department Chief shook the investigative documents in front of him.
An investigation into the official affiliated with the suspected intelligence organization of the Magic Tower was conducted. No matter how you look at it, if this issue were publicized, it would undoubtedly escalate into a diplomatic incident.
Yet, the real problem wasn’t that.
The fact that the Royal Intelligence Department monitored officials from the Magic Tower does not hold much significance.
What truly matters is if that official from the Magic Tower was, in fact, an intelligence agent dispatched by the National Security Agency of Patalia, and that the Magic Tower contravened the Nastassia Treaty by setting up an intelligence organization while the intelligence agencies of Abas, including the Royal Intelligence Department, were trying to overthrow the Magic Tower government.
“If our military research institute was compromised by the Magic Tower. If the Oracle is trying to violate the Nastassia Treaty. Even if only these two pieces of information leaked to the media, everyone present would be compelled to resign.”
“……”
“If word gets out that an intelligence officer from Patalia infiltrated the Magic Tower or that a project orchestrated by the National Operations Bureau was uncovered, what do you think would happen?”
No one answered. They didn’t express it aloud, but they envisioned a future where they would have to run for their lives from reporters until the day they die. Until that day when everyone, including the Chief of the Intelligence Department, met their demise.
They acted with that knowledge. They did it knowingly.
Failing would mean standing trial, but if they succeeded, the Magic Tower would remain at Abas’s side for decades to come. As a solid ally or as a compliant puppet state.
Of course, it’s uncertain whether a pro-Abas government would be established in the Magic Tower or whether a special envoy from the Prime Minister’s office or an economic advisory group from the Abas government would be dispatched. It was expected that the overthrow operation would take at least three years from preliminary preparations to the actual execution.
Even now, it’s said that the Royal Intelligence Department continues to meddle with the Magic Tower government from the shadows.
“What of the leaked information?”
A slender-looking secretary spoke up in a soft voice.
“From the surveillance results, it has been confirmed that only information at the level stating ‘the government department of the Magic Tower was collecting certain information when we detected them’ was leaked.”
The elderly intelligence officer adjusted his glasses as he leaned toward the documents in front of him.
The forged document was engraved with anti-forgery magical symbols and contained results jointly investigated by the two organizations. The signal intelligence department of the Military Intelligence Agency and the information and communications division of the Royal Intelligence Department.
Whether by electric means or magical means, if there’s a flow of data, this division can screen communications crossing from nations thousands of kilometers away. It wouldn’t matter if it were love letters exchanged by eight-year-old children abroad, as long as they weren’t letters from the past or future, they could easily intercept them.
In that regard, capturing communications through undersea cables is not significantly different from peeking into children’s love letters.
They intercepted because they could, and they took a look because they could.
That was simply the way of things.
“Hmm…”
The leaked information confirmed in the call doesn’t appear to be fatal on the surface.
It’s as if a foolish man who wanted to save face in front of his mistress exaggerated news he had happened to learn while working as a civil servant.
Yet, the fact that this man is a senior diplomat from the Abas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who once served at the Kien Empire Embassy, is noteworthy.
That he fortuitously acquired information related to the Intelligence Department is a concern.
And the fact that the woman receiving that information is a citizen of the Kien Empire poses a problem.
Just as a furrow crossed the Chief’s brow, a slender man sitting to the right spoke up. He was none other than the director of the National Operations Bureau, who arrived first at the conference room.
“Today, the only organization explicitly mentioned in the call was our Royal Intelligence Department. Other involved agencies like the Military Intelligence Agency, the Talent Development Institute of the Magic Tower, the National Security Agency of Patalia, and the Reconnaissance Command of the Kien Empire were not mentioned.”
“So, an official from the Foreign Ministry heard information that was floating around and conveyed it to an unidentified woman from the Empire. Is that what you’re saying?”
A middle-aged woman sitting diagonally opposite added to the conversation.
She was the head of the analysis department responsible for distributing publications to the royal family, the Prime Minister’s Office, and each minister. She created the daily brief to be submitted to the king and the prime minister.
The head of the analysis department nodded while elaborating.
“That makes sense. It’s plausible, at first glance, that an intelligence organization from the Magic Tower was caught collecting information at an unknown location—we’d almost believe it. But if we think deeply, it’s logically flawed. For we are not investigative agencies, to begin with, right? The capture was done by the military, after all.”
“Did the Ministry of National Defense control the information back then?”
The Royal Intelligence Department Chief asked, to which the secretary took a moment to recall and affirmed that they indeed did.
“That’s quite the open-ended answer. If they did it, then why mention it?”
“Well… The Military Intelligence Agency, the investigative arm of the Ministry of National Defense, and the Military Police all conducted separate investigations and secured confidentiality agreements. But due to the sheer number of research staff at the institute…”
This implied that it was challenging in reality to monitor each one of those numerous people.
One could say it was fortunate that no informant tipped off any reporters. Although the news and papers wouldn’t be raucously buzzing about it, it would be difficult to stifle rumors spreading by word of mouth.
Nevertheless, here lies the core point.
“Isn’t it possible that the Military Intelligence Agency mistook our employees for their own?”
The Operations Director interjected.
“There’s a prevailing opinion that the talks leaked from within, rather than the distorted memories and confusions of witnesses leading to vendor conversations—”
“But what if.”
The Director fell silent. The slender Director was rendered speechless.
The Chief’s voice had sealed his lips.
“What if this is indeed a case of a leak of classified information?”
“……”
“What if someone within our organization intentionally leaked information, and this man acted as a liaison to relay it to the higher-ups across the Empire?”
The Royal Intelligence Department Chief closed his eyes, waiting for a response, but none dared to speak easily.
In this perfectly soundproofed meeting room, where no wave or magical signal could penetrate, the silence became even more pronounced.
A long time passed.
The atmosphere felt like walking on thin ice. Therefore, no one stepped forward. Once the ice broke, none would know who would plunge into the depths.
The first to disrupt that uncomfortable silence was the Operations Director seated to the right of the head table.
“…If there is indeed a spy within our company. They would have heard about the arrest of one of their operatives by now.”
The intelligence officer mentioned.
“They’re surely somewhere right now, waiting for a lifeline to be tossed.”
*
After a lengthy meeting concluded.
By the time the official vehicle passed through the Royal Intelligence Department’s security checkpoint, it was already noon.
39 hours… no, 45 hours and 57 minutes later, they were finally going home.
While everyone would usually be excited about the commute home, the air felt unusually stuffy today.
Was it due to a lack of ventilation, or lack of sleep? Or perhaps it was because the Prime Minister’s response to the information memo submitted in the morning felt so indifferent?
The Royal Intelligence Department Chief turned his gaze away from the city reflected in the glass and the blurry face.
“…….”
With eyes closed, the elderly man leaned back comfortably in his seat as if he were taking a short nap. Yet, knowing the Chief’s tendencies, the driver opted for conversation instead of silence.
“A report has come in from the Prangia branch. It seems foreign businessmen believed to be from ‘Barak’ are looking to acquire six warships to mine marine magical stones.”
Prangia. Barak. Warships. The words that had been hovering in his mind suddenly lined up, flowing like a stream.
Months ago, the Prangia government entered into a contract with a nation on the Mauritania Continent, agreeing to sell six state-of-the-art warships under the condition of maintaining peace on that continent.
One condition; the nation seeking to purchase the warships attacked a neighboring country with whom it had ongoing territorial disputes.
A small city had turned to ashes due to a 5th-grade military magic spell, and the president of the attacked nation dashed to the Prangia Embassy to protest against the sale of the warships.
However, they were not simply pushed into this by their allies.
When the Prangia government was initially offered the defense contract, one of the preconditions specified was ‘the peace of the Mauritania Continent.’ The issue lay in the fact that the other side had conditionally agreed, only to launch a preemptive strike.
In the end, the Prangia government resolutely declared they would not sell the completed vessels…
And the intelligence agency was secretly attempting to transfer those ships.
“Are the Prangia friends aware of this?”
“It appears they are not. At least, not the military or defense contractors.”
“I can vividly picture the president of Prangia raging in fury.”
The Chief chuckled while the driver chimed in.
“Meanwhile, drug cartels from Latwan are expanding into the area. Dobble Cabeza, Caballeros, El Familia….”
Familiar names from foreign tongues stirred memories organized neatly in the elderly man’s mind.
While the dazzling economic growth brought light, it also cast shadows. As the skyscrapers glowed brilliantly at night, the back alleys became riddled with bloody syringes, leftover bags, stumbling rats, and unidentified corpses increasing by the day.
The Drug Enforcement Division of the Special Investigation Bureau has been striving for the past 20 years to cure the affliction plaguing Abas, yet the results have only led to countless casualties, growing domestic consumption, and highly organized criminal syndicates.
Best efforts do not always yield the best results. And the notion that reform always leads to atonement…
That’s not it.
So, the means chosen by the Government of Abas was punishment.
The Royal Intelligence Department had conducted numerous intelligence operations in various regions over the past seven years to eradicate international organized crime. Espionage collection, intelligence analysis, trailing and surveillance, wiretapping, sabotage, psychological warfare, torture, kidnapping, assassination…
All of these were illegal operations, yet no one raised an issue. If you just turned a blind eye to the four characters of international cooperation, even the local governments would welcome it with open arms. If they didn’t like it, they could just replace them with someone new.
This method worked effectively in every country.
The allied nation of Patalia sentenced a 36-year-old mafia boss who had murdered a local prosecutor to life imprisonment without parole, while the long-time adversary, the Kien Empire, deployed two full squads of public security to clean up criminal organizations.
The chief of the Petrogard branch, who aided in that cleaning, enjoyed an unprecedented three consecutive terms as the chief of the Kien Empire headquarters since the establishment of the Royal Intelligence Department.
The Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department chuckled softly.
“Tell the Operations Director to prepare the personnel and secure a transaction through the branch. If necessary, request the military’s cooperation. What’s the location for the base?”
“It seems the officials on the Latwan side will arrange it.”
That meant the collaboration agents from the Latwan intelligence agency would secure the accommodations.
In the meantime, the embassy would mobilize the intelligence officers in the field to gather intel, and the quasi-military operatives would track the targets as soon as they arrived, coordinating with the Latwan branch.
There was no need to worry about any illegal issues that might arise during this process. Even if the Latwan media labeled the Royal Intelligence Department employees as a ‘murder squad’, the Latwan judiciary wouldn’t even consider prosecution.
In the first place, the media wouldn’t have a chance to catch on. The Latwan Ministry of Defense had already been collaborating with the Abas Ministry of Defense and Intelligence Agency to eliminate criminals since last year.
This time, the scene that would be caught on camera would likely be the ‘unknown Latwan special forces’ moving along with local military police.
“Hmm…”
The Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department murmured into the thick darkness.
At that moment, the driver, who was carefully adjusting the steering, glanced at the rearview mirror with a worried expression.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Keep going.”
“Yes. Next is from the Ivory Tower…”
I must be getting old. My stamina isn’t what it used to be.
The seasoned intelligence officer pondered how much longer he could work, but that concern was soon swept away.
This was not the time to consider retirement. At least I must not step down right now.
There is still only a strong suspicion, but there could be a spy in the company. It is presumed that the spy was planted possibly by the Kien Empire, the Imperial Guard HQ, or the Reconnaissance Command.
“……”
Having served in the Royal Intelligence Department for over 30 years, he did not want to suspect his colleagues or juniors with whom he had worked all this time. But, what if, just what if a double agent actually existed?
They must be caught.
By any means necessary.
The problem was who the traitor was and how to identify them.
The structure of the Royal Intelligence Department is Director – Chief – Division Head – Manager – Team Leader. There are several information agents under the team leader, but they were all newly recruited agents.
Considering the level of information leaked, it was highly likely that the issue arose from above the team leader or manager level. In other words, it was most probable that the problem occurred at the division head, chief, or director level.
Could there be a culprit among the directors? Probably not. The level of information a director could handle was less than that of scraps of gossip from stock traders.
Then…
“I need some fresh air.”
-Scree!
The sound of tire friction briefly filled the air, and the secretary stepped a few paces away from the vehicle.
Watching that, the chief of the Royal Intelligence Department took out an old PDA.
A reputable telecommunications manufacturer in Abas made a special mobile phone for the royal family and the Office of the Prime Minister, tailored to the requirements of the Cabinet Security Office.
Its unparalleled security attracted attention from intelligence agencies, and countless models were delivered for the intelligence agents.
Just like this PDA being held in the chief’s hand.
-♪
At that moment, a familiar melody floated in his ears.
-‘Speak.’
A deep voice pierced through.
*
The instant he crossed the entrance of the residence, he instinctively thought he needed to check the living room.
Cautiously overcoming the corner in the dark, he stepped a few paces away from the entrance.
He surveyed the quiet living room with a wide glance. However, the curtains, mail, and everything else looked no different from what he had seen when he left the house.
The old man, quietly shifting his gaze, briefly glanced towards the kitchen before turning on an ornate lamp, illuminating the house.
-Clack.
The dark corner was filled with warm yellow light.
The light that instantaneously brightened the living room spread into the hallway and kitchen.
It even clearly reflected the profile of a man seated at the table.
“Are you here?”
The old man asked while removing his gloves, and the man waved his hand in response.
“I came because you called.”
“That makes sense.”
“It’s a bit empty here, isn’t it, quite suitable for a bachelor. Don’t you think, Chief?”
The bachelor living alone, nicknamed the Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department, let out a soft chuckle.
“Since Ani left, it has felt a bit empty.”
“…’A bit’?”
The man murmured as if questioning how it could be called ‘a bit’.
Hearing the reprimand was slightly embarrassing for the subordinate. The Chief approached the kitchen table.
“There were kids outside.”
The Chief placed his gloves on the table and subtly inquired how he had entered without the staff noticing.
The man could not help but smile brightly.
“89, Snezhgorni Correctional Facility. Have you already forgotten who rescued the magician stuck there?”
The elderly intelligence officer could only laugh. How could he forget?
“I remember. Well.”
“It was probably ridiculously cold that day, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was ridiculously cold.”
The truck that was used for extraction had its engine frozen, and the prisoner could not walk due to frostbite on his right leg. With a bullet from the Kien soldiers lodged in his calf, he was in life-threatening condition due to blood loss, let alone amputation.
At that time, the collaborator he had spent two months bribing seemed to have panicked and couldn’t even get out of the danger zone, and suddenly sirens blared from the prison. The Kien Empire’s counterintelligence squad was sent out to chase them.
The fierce blizzard and combat magicians chasing after them were truly terrifying.
It had been a mission that almost went completely wrong, due to his misjudgment.
However, having crossed that critical point and traveled thousands of kilometers, who wouldn’t know the person who returned alive with the prisoner?
The Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department smiled for the first time in a while.
“It’s good to see you again, Matt.”
The intelligence officer responded, “It’s good to see you too, Chief.”
*
“What a ridiculously tiring day, right?”
Matt playfully asked his exhausted superior. The Chief, sipping tea, shrugged nonchalantly.
“Is there ever a day that isn’t tiring?”
“You should have retired long ago. I don’t even know how many years it’s been since I last saw you in the company.”
Around 30 years, perhaps? When the subordinate asked, counting with his calculator, the superior answered as if it were a surprising question.
“32 years.”
“Oh, then you really are quite the ghoul.”
“Call me a specter instead. Ghoul sounds too…”
“Wrinkled?”
“Well… I’m not sure if that’s the right term, but it’s similar in essence.”
The owner and superior accepted his subordinate’s playful jab with ease. It was hard to believe this was how he interacted with an intruder.
Strictly speaking, Matt was neither an intruder nor a home invader. His reason for being there was because the Chief had summoned him.
The Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department poured tea into Matt’s cup and started humming.
“How are your team members doing?”
“They’re so energetic that it’s a problem. I thought throwing them into the desert would tire them out.”
“Mauritania has always been a place full of passion. Fierce and hot. The warlords and government army fighting fiercely like flames… It’s impossible to be bored in a place like that.”
“It’s normal to tire out, though.”
“That’s just because you’re getting old. Make sure to take nutritional supplements regularly.”
“Please reflect that in next year’s budget. If the support department sends medical supplies, they might as well send nutritional supplements too.”
“Nutritional supplements won’t be covered by health insurance, so it’ll be tough. But I’ll at least review it.”
“If the folks in the analysis department stopped wasting snacks, sweets, and drinks in the break room, we wouldn’t have to worry about insurance rate hikes… They think medical insurance is free.”
“And what about you guys using military equipment costing hundreds of thousands of shillings like it’s water?”
“That’s my tax money, so what does it matter?”
That would make the finance department weep.
As the teacup clinked, the Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department followed up with more casual questions. These were very mundane and ordinary questions.
“I heard it’s been quite a while since you’ve worked in the State Operations Department. Don’t you think it’s about time for a promotion?”
“I’m comfortable in the field. By the way, how is Larry doing? I heard he’s struggling with asthma again.”
“The senior analyst is currently being treated by the internal medical staff. He’s improving quickly and is expected to return to the field soon.”
“That’s good news to hear.”
“What about Kair? HR is considering whether to recruit more beastmen next quarter, and I’d like to hear your opinion.”
“He’s a well-trained intelligence officer. Both Bill and Steve are satisfied with his performance. It would certainly be good to train cat beastmen in night shooting and sniper team education.”
“Basic skills are excellent, huh?”
“It’s tough to compare human staff and beastmen on the same level. Taking Kair as an example, in areas populated by humans, he becomes a target of suspicion due to the difference in species, while in beastmen settlements, he moves around as if it’s his own home.”
“Meaning he would be suitable for training as a specialist… What are the issues then?”
“Um… He installed something that resembles a cat tower in his accommodation, requesting the formal introduction of it from the homeland.”
“Let’s consider that from a welfare perspective. Anything else?”
“He’s shedding too much hair. Is there any way to fix this? It’s not just a bother for electronic equipment but also when importing firearms; the fur sticks to them, making quite the mess.”
“Interesting. During the last meeting, Kair complained that he was dying from your cigarette smell.”
“…Damn.”
I need to either stop smoking or cut back, Matt muttered to himself.
The dialogue between the Chief and the intelligence officer continued for quite a while. They exchanged many words.
“What was it like to work alongside the military intelligence agency friends?”
“It was good. Especially that small, pointy one. She’s cute and quick-minded, so the analysis team likes her. That analyst is pretty competent for a rookie.”
“I heard about her evaluations through Larry. I also saw some navy materials. She was quite impressive. How about Nymph?”
“As long as he’s not fighting with Kair, everyone likes him. Should we consider hiring Nymph?”
“It seems he’s an endangered species, so that might be tough.”
“What a pity.”
As the Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department took a sip of tea, the conversation briefly paused. The old man calmly tilted his teacup and, without changing his expression, casually continued speaking.
“What are your team members doing now?”
“……”
The instant he heard that, Matt instinctively sensed that they would be getting to the crux of the matter from now on.
He also realized that all the conversations they’d had up to that point weren’t mere pleasantries.
The Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department asked a question, and the quasi-military operative responded.
“You know what mission our team is responsible for, Chief?”
If there’s a job, just say it.
To this, the Chief replied with a bright smile as he set down his teacup.
“Information leaked.”
“……”
“This morning, I captured evidence that classified information from our company was leaked abroad. I believe one of our own has leaked that information without approval from the higher-ups.”
Mole
Although he did not voice it, the Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department suspected the existence of a mole.
Thus, one of the Royal Intelligence Department employees asked why the Inspection Office had not been mobilized.
“Do you even know the inspector?”
“He does know. A large-scale inspection of the company is about to take place, and he was called in by the Prime Minister this morning concerning that matter.”
“Who exactly do you suspect?”
The intelligence officer stroked the sleeve of his clothing and averted his gaze.
“All division heads and chiefs.”
At the mention of a planned inspection of the senior intelligence officers, Matt let out a hollow laugh. It was understandable since among his entry cohort, the frontrunners often occupied high positions.
If the inspection department started digging into their colleagues’ private lives, some would probably end up losing their positions, even if the mole didn’t actually exist.
The inspection department’s job was to uncover everything, from staff misconduct to the smallest wrongdoings.
Of course, what was important to Matt right now wasn’t his colleagues who might lose their jobs.
“Is there something you need me to do?”
The order was given.
“Put a team together. Quietly.”
The Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department instructed. He commanded to form a team, not to assemble one.
Matt could easily guess the reason for this.
“Can I leave my team members in Bill’s care?”
“Yeah, let’s do that. And make sure they don’t work too hard. Distribute the workload generously.”
That meant not to move the team. The moment a squad on a mission pulled out, it could spark suspicion.
Especially if that person is stationed domestically, not abroad, and in the capital’s headquarter.
This is going to be a headache.
Matt muttered inwardly as he took a drag from his cigarette.
“Do you have any specific employees in mind?”
“Well… There are a few around.”
The Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department allowed him to bring along the intelligence officers who could be utilized immediately. Profiles of the employees rolling in Mauritania flickered through Matt’s mind.
“Make preparations for the business trip outside the company. Internal resources are noticeable.”
“Where will I get the budget?”
“Funding will be provided through the shell companies we’ve set up for tax avoidance. Orders will come down through the committee.”
“And where am I headed?”
The quasi-military operative inquired in a calm voice, as if asking where he was going for a picnic.
The Chief of the Royal Intelligence Department looked into the face of the quasi-military operative, then shifted his gaze back to the teacup and responded.
“Shizuya.”
*
Holding a fake passport and a Warp Gate ticket, Matt immediately hopped into a taxi.
“Where to, sir?”
“Immigration Office.”
As the vehicle glided smoothly over the road, Matt slowly replayed the information he had heard in the residence.
A former senior official from the Abas Ministry of Foreign Affairs leaked state secrets. The leaked information flowed to the Kien Empire. The counterpart was presumed to be a former official who had received the Royal Intelligence Department’s secrets through a woman he encountered at the embassy.
That secret had been leaked from the Royal Intelligence Department. There was a possibility that the stories carelessly shared during drinking sessions, gatherings, or with family by the employees of the High Military Magic Academy had transformed into rumors, yet the intelligence officer remained doubtful of the leak.
The command was singular.
Find the double agent who leaked the secrets.
By now, the Inspection Office would likely be combing through the whereabouts and records of all employees like a hawk, but if the mole had realized that one of his operatives had been captured, he had likely escaped abroad.
The chief suspected that the double agent would aim for one last “big score.” It could be a confidential document he could take using his authority, but given the circumstances, heading to the office to grab documents while needing to exit in a hurry was too risky.
Then…
-‘…Hello?’
Matt spoke quietly into the phone.
“Where are you?”
-‘Hah- I’m getting ready to cross into that damn place called Shizuya or whatever. Thanks to an old hag, this is a real hassle.’
“Have you arrived?”
-‘No. Departure is the day after tomorrow. Once I get there, I’ll go straight to Azadi Palace to meet someone. After that, I haven’t heard anything else.’
I see.
Matt nodded to himself.
“I’ll call you as soon as you arrive.”
Click. The call ended and he stared at the blank screen for a while.
With his eyes closed, Matt sank into deep thought.
There were many colleagues he could take with him to Ashtistan. From Kair and the military intelligence agency’s intelligence team to other task forces operating in nearby countries.
However, very few individuals could be deemed unlikely to betray him.
“Hmm…”
Glancing out at the night view reflected in the window, Matt opened his mobile phone. The area code was entered and a short dial tone began.
And finally.
He got in touch with the most suitable individual.
*
What the hell.
Just a few hours ago, he had been enjoying luxury meals and the hospitality of the allied nation’s officials in a palace-like accommodation, only to end up in a hostile nation after a long journey.
“……”
A disheveled woman with a ‘crown’ of curls lost in thought looked up at a sign. Beside her, a man in military attire, likely a war hero from this country, was the first thing he encountered upon arriving on this land.
Another woman brushed past her, a senior officer who made a strong impression, though they hadn’t formally introduced themselves.
And here was her immediate superior, who had summoned her to this damn place.
“I heard this isn’t your first deployment to the Mauritania continent.”
“…Yes?”
“Correct.”
The sharply featured man, carrying a duffel bag, handed over a suitcase. It contained all the supplies she would be needing.
“You’ll need to get standard supplies separately, but at least make do with the essentials for now. It’s got a four-day supply in there, so make sure to ration it well.”
“…Uh, yes. Thank you?”
“No need to thank me.”
The immediate superior, who seemed like someone she’d like to smack, added nonchalantly while wearing sunglasses.
“That’s your brother’s work, after all.”
The female intelligence officer received the suitcase, boasting a glittering career of less than a year at the Royal Intelligence Department—Ayla Nostrim.
The younger sister who had sent her brother to Mauritania was surprisingly being drawn back into the field because of him.
“…Damn it.”
It was truly a reunion scene of separated families that could only be viewed with tears (though they had never been apart).
Side Episode – YES WE CAN
– END –
