Chapter 27
In the capital of the Kingdom of Abas, the Kien Empire’s embassy is located.
The empire and the kingdom have maintained a rather cold diplomatic relationship for a long time. However, recently they have been trying to get along better. To be precise, that has been the emperor’s intention as of late.
Since the emperor, who is treated as a living god, desires such things, it’s no surprise that the Imperial Foreign Affairs Department and the Imperial Guard HQ have put considerable effort into improving diplomatic relations.
Of course, as with all worldly matters, simply making an effort doesn’t guarantee success. Nevertheless, the empire did indeed try.
Most of that effort came in the form of money.
Wherever the money gathers, power concentrates. Therefore, the Kien Empire’s embassy in the Kingdom of Abas is a necessary stepping-stone for diplomats.
It’s like how diplomats in South Korea aspire to be assigned to the embassies in the USA, China, Japan, and Russia.
“What on earth is happening!”
The embassy’s security officer yelled, throwing a newspaper. The Information Analyst picked up the tossed newspaper from the floor of the conference room and handed it to the ambassador.
“Ambassador! We need to talk!”
“Oh, no. I was just…”
The ambassador’s face turned pale as he checked the newspaper article. It was unbelievable to him that he had been indicted for espionage.
In truth, he was indeed a spy. Officially, he was the ambassador of the Kingdom of Abas working in the Central Bureau of the Imperial Foreign Affairs Department, but he was actually a spy.
Why was he a spy? Because of the close-knit relationship between the Foreign Affairs Department and the Information Agency.
Since the two departments get along so well, they often place agents in diplomat positions and give high posts in information agencies to former diplomats. It’s enough to make one think of a lovey-dovey newlywed couple.
The ambassador had been under the management of the Imperial Guard HQ’s overseas division even before his job assignment. He was sent to training for job transition, and he had been deeply involved in the many information agency missions known as “offshore operations,” including the Imperial Guard HQ and the Reconnaissance Command.
Of course, everyone knew he was a spy. But he wasn’t an operative of the Information Agency; he was a white agent, not a black one, so he operated within the gray area of legality.
As long as he didn’t get caught, it was fine. Even if he did, he would only be exiled. That’s what he believed.
But he got caught.
“They say you were involved with anti-government organizations?”
“I—I just went to an academic conference where educated folks were meeting…”
“Did you know those people were anarchists when you met them? Or, did you know that anarchism is considered an undesirable ideology?”
He didn’t know.
He realized that only after attending, and he never went near them again. In fact, he had only attended that event for precisely thirty minutes four years ago.
“The Kingdom of Abas is linking you with anarchists. Our empire is making headlines claiming you support anti-government groups!”
The security officer shouted.
By rank, he was someone who shouldn’t speak so harshly to the ambassador.
However, he was an agent from the Imperial Guard HQ whom even the seasoned officials from the Foreign Affairs Department were wary of. Moreover, he was a high-ranking member of the renowned first department’s overseas counterintelligence division.
“Uh, first, please calm down…”
“Calm down?!”
*BANG!*
The counterintelligence officer slammed his hands on the desk.
He was the one monitoring and managing all espionage activities taking place in the Kingdom of Abas. In other words, if the ambassador fell, his own head would roll too.
By the way, he was also responsible for the college tuition of two children.
“We’re all about to die here…!”
“Is this person really trying to intimidate the ambassador?!”
The first and second departments, the counterintelligence division and the operative division, the white agents clashed. Other agents watching began to step in to mediate.
This was the state of internal affairs within the Imperial Guard HQ. Everyone was desperate not to be swallowed by the chaos swirling around them.
The ambassador, watching this scene, covered his face with his wrinkled hands.
“….”
Right. It’s still manageable. He could refuse attendance using his diplomatic rights and just get exiled.
Before the situation escalated further, he had to notify the homeland and prevent things from blowing up…
“Ambassador!”
The secretary, bursting into the room, paused at the sight of the chaotic conference room.
The secretary was an ordinary employee of the Foreign Affairs Department. Therefore, she dared not look directly at the agents grabbing each other by the collars.
“Uh… What happened?”
“A cable has arrived from the homeland.”
The ambassador let out a sigh. He must have received new instructions.
He read the document with a heavy heart.
And he almost fainted.
“The Imperial Foreign Affairs Department has decided to expel the ambassador of the Kien Empire to the Kingdom of Abas.”
—
Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent
Honestly, expelling ambassadors in the international community is quite common.
And, bringing down a white agent for espionage activity isn’t much of an issue.
After all, people in this world don’t hesitate to launch aircraft carriers, fly fighter jets, and fire missiles when they get bored, do they?
Most of the time it’s just a country’s way of saying, “Hey, listen to me!” and the problem is just the fierceness of it.
Anyway, the Information Agency indicting the ambassador of the Kien Empire on espionage charges wasn’t a significant matter.
The assassin was dead, so no one could reveal who was behind it.
There could easily be unidentified black agents, so it was only circumstantial evidence.
Thus, indicting the ambassador was more like a warning that they were aware of all activities being conducted. It also meant not to cross the line any further.
However…
“We just received news that the Kien Empire’s Foreign Affairs Department has decided to expel the ambassador of Abas…”
It seems the empire took it as a provocation.
In the blink of an eye, a national tantrum turned into a request for mutual expulsion.
Being expelled at this moment wasn’t very good. What was the Imperial Guard HQ doing? They must be busy running around trying to manage the situation.
Anyway, the careless bureaucrats just didn’t get the hint.
In any case, as the two nations mutually expelled each other’s ambassadors, this became a ‘serious matter.’
“Ambassador?”
“….”
“Contact the homeland.”
It was the moment when the provocation escalated into localized conflict.
—
A whirlwind began sweeping across the entire continent.
It started with two terror incidents involving a cult.
An assassination attempt using a poisoned needle led to the indictment of the empire’s ambassador, and that indictment led to the expulsion of the kingdom’s ambassador. The decision for mutual expulsion was made.
Just like that, an absurd request for mutual expulsion was accepted.
“Today, an additional 36 individuals in the Kingdom of Abas have been indicted on espionage charges. The spokesperson for the Kingdom’s Foreign Affairs Department condemned this as a malicious act inciting extremists…”
The Military Intelligence Agency delivered a follow-up strike. On the surface, it seemed like an attack against the Kien Empire, but in reality, it was a blow aimed at the Imperial Guard HQ’s second department.
Since most spies belonged to the Overseas Operations Department, the empire was likely catching on to this. According to the Foreign Affairs Department, several secret diplomats had apparently come and gone. Perhaps the emperor wanted to smooth things over by now.
If nothing problematic arose from here, it might be quietly swept under the rug.
But the pope suddenly stabbed a dagger in the back of the emperor, who had been quietly observing.
“The Inquisition has released a list of companies that support a dark magic organization operating within the cult. Many of those companies are from the empire…”
The Imperial Guard HQ and Foreign Affairs Department had worked tirelessly to build up the companies they supported, both officially and unofficially, only to see them shattered.
The corporations that had been supported in their overseas expansions were now publicly dismantled.
Petrus and the pope did this to survive.
The cult’s reputation was severely tarnished at this point. Thus, they moved the Inquisition to target the dark magic organizations.
If terrible dark magicians seemed to be running rampant, people would be scared and seek out priests. The cult’s prestige would be restored. Simultaneously, the Inquisition would have a shield. If anyone interfered with the Inquisition during this time, they’d be accused of heresy and burned at the stake.
Naturally, it wouldn’t matter whether those dark magicians were real or not. Nobody knows if the corporations actually funded them. The important thing is that the news has been reported.
Many people would remember that the Inquisition caught the dark magicians.
However, in reality, it was an attempt to keep the activities of the Imperial Guard HQ’s second department in check.
It’s a well-known story that the empire had used Saint Veronica as a lobbyist to win over the cult. While the public might be oblivious, those who know will certainly remember.
But if the cult severed its leash and attacked the empire, what would happen?
“Magicians who leaked vital information from the Magic Tower have been expelled…”
“Politicians have been indicted on bribery charges in Patalia…”
“The Minister of Economic Affairs has delivered a speech on economic exploitation by foreign capital…”
“The investigative authorities have decided to reopen the case regarding the mysterious death of an exiled politician…”
“There are signs of Kien Empire involvement in the civil war of the Latwan Principality…”
Slaves began breaking their chains.
Pandemonium ensued.
—
There is no domain untouched by the Information Agency.
Diplomacy. National Defense. Economics. Politics. Media. Academia, and more.
Espionage warfare unfolds across numerous domains.
They persuade politicians using lobbyists.
They distribute business cards here and there to have some home-grown businesses treated kindly.
They trade sensitive information that diplomats should never know.
They fund academic conferences to elevate intellectuals as spokespersons.
They invite heads of media organizations to meals while subtly pulling strings.
Sometimes they send industrial spies to foreign companies to steal technology.
And at times they meddle in disputes to mess with other intelligence agencies.
Additionally, they keep an eye on foreign military movements.
They support think tanks, lobby, distribute money, and persuade…
In any case, they are everywhere and nowhere at once.
If you picture something like James Bond, you’d be quite mistaken. Most of the time, they’re more occupied with paperwork than guns.
There are even periodic shooting drills in the Information Agency. It’s quite a sight to see their desk-jockey agents, proudly displaying their ample bellies, trying to shoot.
To note, the reason for the protruding bellies stems from their daily meals of instant food consumed while seated at their desks. It means their workload is quite lethal.
In that sense, all the localized conflict arising in various domains right now was something that could make the people at the Information Agency clutch their necks and faint.
Even an investigation into espionage can take a decade, so how much time and budget do you think it would take to lobby a foreign politician?
They’ll probably hire a lot more people in the next quarter.
Of course, people don’t care about that. What matters is the fact that someone is meddling in domestic issues.
Politicians grab the microphone and speak passionately during speeches; bureaucrats make bombshell statements in conference rooms; announcers raise suspicions in the news; and university professors blurt out their off-the-cuff speculations in debates.
In the midst of all this, someone’s cabinet was opened.
Who it is, remains unknown. Anyway, I just don’t know.
And just like that, the empire’s spies placed in the Magic Tower were expelled, and the black money paid to foreign politicians came to light.
A minister from some country even delivered a one-hour and fifty-minute speech in parliament on ‘the impact of foreign capital on domestic economics.’ Naturally, the target was the Kien Empire.
And the investigation authorities began probing into the mysterious death of an exiled politician. Who would the culprit be? It’s all quite obvious.
The little principality of Latwan complained that the empire was sponsoring rebels. This is partially true. I’ll elaborate on the details later.
In any case, the empire was being hit from all fronts.
Other countries were taking some hits too, but we were taking it less than the empire.
It’s chaotic.
More chaotic than smear campaigns during election season.
Every day, new suspicions burst forth as breaking news.
People flail about in the sea of information.
Countless spies gather intel, and countless analysts pour over them.
It’s a bewildering situation.
The fog of information obscures visibility, and someone’s chattering speculations dominate thoughts.
People are wandering through the dense fog.
A signal flare launched by ‘someone’ called forth a massive fog.
And I’ve realized that this smoke screen has been set up for my benefit.
A very grand and impressive smoke screen.
“Colonel?”
-‘Speak.’
“Please send some people.”
It’s my turn to make a move.
—
The colonel has set the stage beautifully.
In fact, it’s not just a stage but a battlefield. The main dish is the Imperial Guard HQ’s second department. Other countries’ intelligence agencies are the side dishes.
Since the first department usually plays nice and stays domestically, there’s no need to touch them.
The bombers and the ones who poisoned the ambassador are all from the second department.
In reality, there’s only circumstantial evidence. Nobody knows if it was the agent or someone from the cult who did it.
So, the colonel placed all of them on the hot grill.
The people in the intelligence agencies have swift instincts, so they probably know who’s behind this. They’ll understand why it’s happening too.
As if they received a telepathic message, the intelligence agencies of various nations started going for the empire. To avoid being too obvious, they also took a shot at a few countries they weren’t fond of.
A chaotic battle ensued.
Amidst all this, the Imperial Guard HQ, the source of the trouble, began moving as soon as they figured out the situation.
“Colonel, the security officer of the empire’s embassy…”
“Is he asking to meet?”
“Yes.”
“Tell him I’m busy.”
“Understood.”
The truth was, I felt tense about meeting. The ones who delivered the bomb and poisoned the ambassador were from the second department. No matter how you looked at it, I had to be cautious about meeting them.
Plus, those empire bastards had previously disregarded our official communications. I was annoyed and didn’t want to meet them.
After sending the Foreign Affairs employee out, I returned to the conference room.
“Uh, I’m sorry. Please continue what you were saying.”
-‘Yes, we have identified the residence of the cult member who received the bomb, and currently, only the identification remains.’
“Let’s handle that. It’s a simple matter.”
-‘Understood. We also conducted a search of the residence, and industrial explosives were found in the basement.’
“Make sure to document the evidence, right?”
-‘I documented it with photos and videos. Also collected a few pieces of evidence.’
“Just hand over the explosives for now; send the rest to the Information Agency.”
I just now found the one who took the bomb. Handing over the explosives will allow us to verify whether they match the explosive used in the terror incident.
I quickly located them once I distributed the sketches to our agents.
Now, the ‘agent’s work is done. From here on, it’s in the realm of the scary uncles.
“Ahem, do you hear me?”
-‘Loud and clear, Operative.’
“Nice to meet you, Team Leader. Have you arrived?”
-‘I’m currently on my way to the southern outskirts office.’
“So, you’ve crossed the border. If you don’t mind me asking, what equipment did you bring with you?”
-‘I brought standard equipment designated by the Information Agency.’
“Oh, I understand. Once you arrive at the office, I’ll prepare the plan for you to review.”
-‘Thank you.’
“Yes, you too, Team Leader.”
The scary uncles have crossed the border. I’ve also brought along a few technicians.
Once those scary uncles abduct the cult member, the technicians will make them talk.
If we get that info, I just need to track down the one who detonated the bomb and deal with them. The real question is who to put on trial. I’ve had a talk with Director Petrus about that.
“We’ll take the instigator of the terror, and the rest can be taken by the Inquisition.”
“Why are you taking the instigator?”
“You need kindling to burn a dark magician, don’t you? If we ensnare someone important, the cult would be in trouble.”
Just to note, the Inquisition has been branding this as a dark magician’s terror. If they suddenly said someone from the cult caused the bomb, it would only embarrass them and ruin their reputation with the magic folks.
The pope is hell-bent on hunting down dark magicians, so they must somehow assert that this was a dark magician’s terror.
Whatever it takes.
“Oh no! Our plan has been exposed!”
“I provided plenty of kindling this time; please don’t get greedy.”
“Just make sure there are no loose ends.”
“Of course.”
I’m considering burying the bodies deep in the river so that nobody can retrieve them.
—
Thus, I conveyed some straightforward instructions.
I requested the special forces to abduct the cult member who received the bomb, and I asked the counterintelligence division to extract some information.
I didn’t touch Ekaterina. I still wasn’t sure if she was a foe or an ally. More importantly, she was being cooperative with the investigation.
Even though the interrogation room may be her battle ground, conducting the interrogation and enduring it are two completely different territories.
‘So, it means it wasn’t a purge, but rather an attempt to suppress?’
‘Yes…’
Could it be that she had endured days of intense questioning? She was a mess.
The video quality was unnecessarily high, revealing her physical state.
I heard she went days with almost no sleep, going through relay interrogations.
Whenever she fell asleep, they woke her up with questions, repeated questions over and over, forcing her to write reports by the hundreds.
It’s a simple method, but running this over several days can break you down.
Ultimately, everyone has their limits.
‘Now, could you say that again?’
‘2nd department, planned the terror…’
Her words were exactly what I had anticipated.
‘They planned it….’
Once she finished speaking, Ekaterina slammed her face down on the desk in the interrogation room and fell asleep. An agent splashed water on her, but she didn’t wake up.
That was the end of the footage.
Rubbing my tired eyes, I swallowed a painkiller and went through more footage.
‘Why did you come here?’
‘Order… suppression…’
‘Who did the order to suppress?’
‘Operative…’
The same questions and the same answers played back hundreds of times. There were dozens of these clips.
According to the report prepared by the psychological warfare agent, most were deemed as accurate.
In other words,
The agents from the 2nd department planned the terror, while agents from the 1st department came to stop it and thus, failed to suppress it and ended up in a gunfight.
They also asked if there was a possibility of counterintelligence at play, but the intelligence agency analysts hadn’t provided an answer yet. It seemed like the analysis was taking some time.
But something felt off.
In my experience, when purging overseas operatives or shoving failures back into the fold, it’s customary to call them back to the home country first.
It’s for promotions, medal ceremonies, vacations.
They add those justifications to call them back, and afterwards, either the internal affairs or counterintelligence division conducts thorough investigations and purges. Dealing with the lives of loyal agents is not something done haphazardly.
But they sent counterintelligence agents abroad without having called them back?
This meant the Imperial Guard HQ couldn’t pull in their operatives to the empire.
Which translates to: The orders weren’t followed.
Insurrection. Disobedience of commands.
“If this is the case…”
Normally, this situation is labeled as betrayal, and the scenario where the two departments are shooting at each other would be termed civil war.
A civil war is occurring.
Inside the Imperial Guard HQ.
“This is a disaster…”
With a pounding headache, I gripped the edge of the table and staggered. My body wasn’t recovering, but I had to work, which made it even worse.
The doctor pleaded for me to rest, but I just got another prescription of painkillers.
I was curious if healing might help, so I asked Lucia, but even she said fatigue was beyond her control.
Her advice was to eat well and rest, but is it really that easy?
After struggling at the table for a while, I finally managed to sit in the chair.
*Knock knock.*
“Who is it?”
“It’s Pippin.”
“Come in.”
Pippin opened the office door and dragged over a chair to sit across from me.
“Did you manage to get some sleep?”
“Yeah.”
“You were sleeping on the chair, weren’t you?”
She pointed to the blanket I was tucked into. I had no words, just clicking my tongue.
“Please take care of your health. Not just the employees; even the Hero himself is worrying us.”
“Do I look that serious?”
“Yes.”
I had damaged my health somewhat.
Still, I should be able to sleep soundly when there’s work to do.
“By the way, why did you suddenly come to see me?”
“I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Pippin silently took a note from her pocket and handed it over to me.
I unfolded it and read it aloud.
“In a week. 01:00. Under the bridge. 25-2. What is this?”
“It’s the meeting place and time.”
“Who are they meeting?”
“They want to meet you, Colonel.”
Me?
I pointed at myself, and Pippin nodded.
“Who in the world wants to see me?”
“Saint Veronica.”
Saint Veronica.
The baroness from the Kien Empire.
The beneficiary of the Imperial Guard HQ’s overseas operations.
And a lobbyist for the empire.
“Why on earth is she wanting to see me?”
“What’s the reason a lobbyist would want to meet?”
She seeks to meet with me.
“Perhaps she’s going to make a declaration of position.”
