Chapter 45
As the meeting concluded, the investigators filed out of the conference room in a neat line.
With fewer than ten people, the room was emptied in no time.
“Hey, over there. Request a warrant from the headquarters,” one of them instructed.
“Yes, understood.”
“Oh, good work.”
The sub-team leader, giving one of the investigators a light shoulder rub, took a look around the room and nodded respectfully before closing the door.
– Click.
“….”
Silence fell. The once lively conference room had turned into a small, quiet chamber, with only the sound of breathing filling the air.
“Colonel.”
“Yes?”
“Can we talk for a moment?”
—
Episode 3 – A Fantastic Vacation
—
I had anticipated some heavy, secretive conversation given the serious situation, but surprisingly, the talk unfolded in a relaxed atmosphere.
“Go ahead and have some.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The team leader offered me a cup of mixed coffee before sitting down.
As I took a sip of the steaming coffee, it suddenly struck me that this might be a product from the Magic Tower.
It was somewhat comedic that the people catching spies were using stuff made by the Magic Tower themselves.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Oh, it’s nothing…”
“It’s quite a shortage of manpower as it is, and you provide us with information, so we’re the ones who should be grateful.”
I calmly sipped my coffee mix at the awkward compliment, while the team leader fiddled with his chin, lost in thought.
Slurp. This coffee had no hint of sweetness; it was still bland and tasteless.
By the way, I wondered what kind of topic needed this much hesitation. I had an inkling of what it might be, so I fiddled with the poor paper cup while waiting.
How long did I wait?
Just as the cup was about to reveal its bottom,
“Colonel.”
“Yes, team leader.”
Breaking the silence, the team leader finally spoke up.
“Would you do me a favor?”
“Of course, what is it?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like you to take on the role of a tailing investigator for this operation.”
That was a request I could’ve predicted.
*
Even in the dazzling 21st century with advancements in technology, the work done by humans hasn’t changed much.
Every year, new spy gadgets and technologies are developed by support departments and research institutes, but undercover operations, counterintelligence investigations, and information gathering remain largely the same. To be exact, the methods remain unchanged.
No matter how much filming equipment improves, or switches in directors and actors occur, the act of charming women while holding a pistol stays constant, whether it’s Sean Connery in “The Man with the Golden Gun” or Daniel Craig in “Spectre.”
The same goes for information agencies.
A prime example of this is “tailing” (尾監).
“Tailing surveillance, you mean?”
“Yes.”
Tailing, commonly referred to as “尾監,” is a frequently employed investigative method not only in information agencies but also in investigative bodies.
It is generally executed to track suspects’ movements and interactions, as well as their residences, and unlike wiretapping or search warrants, it doesn’t require one, making it somewhat convenient.
“Well, that’s a convenience of wording; in reality, it’s like heading into the unknown. For an investigator, it’s brutal.”
“Haha…”
I understood that as simply being a taxing endeavor.
“So you want me to take on the tailing role?”
“Precisely.”
In fact, tailing is something that agents overseas often do, so I was somewhat familiar with it.
The investigator who catches spies would naturally know this as well. Hence, he must have requested it.
However, what surprised me was….
“I’m not an investigator.”
Why request it from me?
In the nature of information agencies, responsibilities are divided, but while working, overlaps often occur. Whether an agent being pursued domestically suddenly traveling abroad or intelligence coming in about technology leaks from overseas to domestic companies.
When such incidents arise, departments work together under the control of the support unit.
In this instance, overseas information officers provided data on the suspected spy to domestic investigators, and related agencies relayed information pertaining to the investigation to the Military Intelligence Agency.
However.
“I’m not an investigator.”
This was a different case altogether.
“As you know, I handle communication tasks and investigation support; I’m not an investigator like you or your team members.”
“….”
Directly investigating and arresting someone is fundamentally different from supporting investigations.
In other words, the role of tailing is not in my jurisdiction.
“There are command structure issues and performance problems, but also issues of accountability, are there not?”
“….”
“If an accident occurs, who will take responsibility?”
Regrettably, even information agency agents are ultimately civil servants, taking care of families and dependents.
If an accident occurs and they receive disciplinary action, it tarnishes work evaluations, which can result in falling short of promotion reviews or being pushed into lesser roles, leading to unemployment.
Due to the nature of information agency personnel, they can hardly boast of their credentials anywhere. In fact, dreaming of reemployment becomes impossible, with many relying on pension in their later years.
Of course, in a world where the old hierarchical system still lingers, an aristocrat might not have to worry about feeding their family after discharge. Yet, witnessing family members thriving in society while sitting idly at home isn’t something one can easily ignore.
Many have faced failure while dabbling in business after retirement, and regrettably, some fell prey to foreign information agencies due to financial necessity.
Thus, we tread lightly regarding accountability.
No one wishes to be dismissed from a stable job in this world.
“Rather, it would be better to request more personnel for deployment or seek cooperation from related agencies—”
“No, no, that’s not it.”
The team leader waved his hands and interrupted me.
“Excuse me?”
“It’s not a matter of accountability.”
“Then…?”
“It’s a bit of a political issue.”
*
In every information agency around the world, there exists a subtle state of tension.
Most work closely together for national interests, but occasionally, while working hard, overlapping responsibilities can lead to conflicts.
Legally, a comprehensive information agency with planning and coordination authority over information and security matters holds an upper hand over sector-specific information agencies, but the reality is that this is often not the case.
Originally, in organizations with specialized tasks, confidentiality is paramount, and, to maintain that confidentiality, organizations become more closed-off, leading to inherent exclusivity. Information agencies, being the most closed-off, exclusive, and secretive organizations, have high self-esteem.
Just look at bureaucrats in any department—they walk around with their heads held high. People striving to transcend the shadows typically boast high self-esteem, and there’s no reason they would be low. Even as a spy, their mood is just fine. Perhaps too high, but that’s another point.
However, when you assemble high-self-esteem information agency employees and ask them to work together, sometimes issues arise.
They often clash over responsibilities.
Of course, while performance and accountability are part of it, conflicts also arise over who takes the lead in creating the so-called “atmosphere.”
That’s why the FBI and CIA are always at odds. By the way, South Korea has similar tensions.
“How much do you know about counterintelligence, Colonel?”
“I know a bit.”
The team leader, who belonged to the Counterintelligence Department of the Military Intelligence Agency, took a sip of his coffee.
“Due to the nature of counterintelligence work, you frequently encounter not only soldiers but also civilians—people from defense companies, banks, and private enterprises.”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“In those cases, we carry out investigations jointly with the police or other companies.”
Other companies.
“Are you referring to competitors?”
“Yes.”
Most modern countries have multiple information agencies.
For instance, the U.S. has bundled sixteen agencies into an intelligence community, and countries like the UK, France, Germany, Israel, China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea usually have at least a few.
Naturally, these agencies maintain subtle tensions with each other.
“The Royal Intelligence Department, Cabinet Security Office, and the Special Investigation Bureau have taken notice.”
We were no different.
“They insisted that we carry out this espionage investigation jointly.”
“Jointly?”
“Yes.”
The investigator from the Counterintelligence Department of the Military Intelligence Agency explained.
“Colonel, you may be unaware since you’re in the cult, but what originally was intended to be a discreet conclusion to this case at headquarters is now being called into question because the headquarters bears some responsibility.”
Hmm. This was somewhat predictable.
A spy sent by the Magic Tower infiltrated the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute.
This indicated that the personnel management system had failed to operate properly. The primary responsibility would naturally lie with the personnel department of the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute and their investigation department; however, the Military Intelligence Agency could not escape accountability.
That’s because the Military Intelligence Agency was also tasked with conducting background checks on research institute staff.
“The background checks on personnel at the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute and the security measures for the facility fall under the jurisdiction of the Security Department of the Military Intelligence Agency.”
“Isn’t it just for security checks in the field units?”
“The main duty of the Security Department is to inspect military base security, but it also oversees security at the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute and defense enterprises. They are related to the military, after all.”
“Indeed….”
I could roughly picture the scenario.
It was unclear whether the Security Department had been negligent or if staff on their end had caused the incident, but either way, this situation indicated that the Security Department had some level of responsibility.
If this fact were to reach the media, it wouldn’t simply be a matter of the “Security Department” of the Military Intelligence Agency being at fault—it would be an issue concerning the entire “Military Intelligence Agency.”
People generally don’t care much about minute internal affairs, and the media needs to sell newspapers to citizens, so the complicated internal circumstances will likely not be thoroughly reported.
If the image of the Military Intelligence Agency is tarnished, the military’s credibility will plunge along with it. The Military Intelligence Agency is an information agency affiliated with the military, after all. It’s clear that they’ll face criticism for mismanaging the organization.
So, what happens then?
Without honor, a soldier is akin to a corpse; with the honor of the entire military tarnished, the higher-ups won’t sit idly by. It’s only natural that many will be dismissed due to disciplinary measures, and it’s a given that the commanders of the Military Intelligence Agency will get lambasted in meetings with military leaders.
In the end, everything goes downhill.
Morale among operatives will plummet, motivation will vanish, and Clevenz’s first day in office will likely begin with disaster. Furthermore, it’s quite possible that other information agencies will swoop in on the Military Intelligence Agency.
There’s a reason we refer to other information agencies as “competitors.”
“By the way, isn’t the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute under the jurisdiction of the Military Intelligence Agency? Why are competitors concerned with our business?”
“Do you really not understand?”
The team leader looked at me with a mysterious gaze.
His look felt like it was poking at something in my chest as I twitched my fingers while answering.
“Why is that?”
“Because the Hero is currently at the research institute.”
“….”
“While the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute is under the direct oversight of the headquarters, the Hero is not.”
So it was because of Camila Lowell.
*
While I belonged to the military, Camila Lowell wasn’t a soldier.
Although she lacked nationality (since the UK isn’t around here), her unique status as a Hero allowed her to receive inspections at the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute.
The issue was that there was a spy within that research institute.
According to regulations, the investigation relating to the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute falls under the jurisdiction of the Military Intelligence Agency. While it may need collaboration with other information agencies if necessary, at this moment, there hadn’t been a strict need for it—according to regulations, that is.
However, since Camila Lowell was currently present at the research institute, it was a terrifying matter for the information department. They had kept all information about Camila Lowell classified, and the most critical intelligence regarding her abilities and characteristics was at risk of being snatched away by the Magic Tower.
In that regard, a joint investigation did seem like a reasonably good proposal.
No matter how proficient the Military Intelligence Agency may be, it was still just a section-specific information agency; if the comprehensive information agency, the Royal Intelligence Department, ordered a joint investigation, they had to comply.
However, if the Military Intelligence Agency were to suffer any damage due to this spy incident, it would not bode well for me at all.
I’m an operative of the Military Intelligence Agency, and the extent of power held by the Military Intelligence Agency directly influences the level of support I can receive. If the Military Intelligence Agency fails, I also fail. Just as I’m finally getting accustomed to the tasks of an operative, if the headquarters collapses, I’ll be left out on the streets.
I’m not lying; that’s genuinely the case. It had happened once before.
So it was crucial to resolve this situation as swiftly as possible—before the neck-ties come and snag a win for the headquarters.
Of course, this entire thought process might stem from self-serving, bureaucratic mindsets or could just be an absurd delusion.
Thus, I fell into contemplation.
Could I really carry out tailing without drawing attention?
Could I catch the spy in one go?
Was my judgment on the right track?
However, one thing was undoubtedly clear….
“Right now, there is indeed a spy freely roaming the research institute, and the Hero is present here as well.”
“….”
The spy is running amok right next to Camila Lowell.
“What will you do, Colonel?”
“…I will do it.”
With that alone, I had more than enough reasons to catch that dirty little spy.
