---

The investigation had gradually entered its final phase.

The team leader divided the investigators into three groups for their missions.

Group 1 was interrogating Benoit Ferrand, whom Giada Bianchi had attempted to recruit; Group 2 was heading upstairs to search Giada Bianchi’s quarters in the residence.

The most crucial was Group 3, which was trailing and monitoring Giada Bianchi.

I was assisting with that task.

It seemed like a rather secretive and grand mission, but in reality, it was just a matter of tailing someone. Following where she went, whom she met, what conversations she had, and what she was up to.

Ultimately, it was just about figuring out those bare details.

On one hand, it was a rather simple task, but it definitely wasn’t easy.

After all, the target was a spy.

Whether an official employee or a recruit, individuals involved in this line of work had a tendency to be quite perceptive.

They were often suspicious, not trusting others easily, and once they started doubting, they were more rat-like than anything—clinging on or bolting at the first opportunity. There were even many cases of agents fiercely resisting.

Agents crashing into cars and escaping. Throwing bricks. Drawing kitchen knives. Lurking around corners to ambush.

This led to many agents getting injured during the surveillance process, requiring trips to the hospital. I had seen plenty of cases where bystanders received threats of murder, and instances of kidnapping weren’t uncommon either. Sometimes, desperate measures led family members to betray the state to rescue hostages.

There was no guarantee that this time would be any different.

However,

– “The considerations for measures have been reviewed by the higher-ups. The dangers of magic have also been acknowledged by the headquarters. However, due to the potential harm to innocent civilians during the suppression process, the dispatch of a task force cannot be accepted.”

– “However, when apprehending the suspect in compliance with investigation rules, if they resist or do not comply after due rights are stated, it is permissible to terminate them at the discretion of the field commander.”

I could only hope nothing would happen.

—

Episode 3 – A Fantastic Vacation

—

The most critical aspect of intelligence work is to act naturally.

Behavior. Breathing. Tone of voice. Trembling. Eye contact.

The moment anything goes awry, the atmosphere becomes awkward.

Hence, all agents put in a considerable effort to present themselves as naturally (or as unremarkably) as possible. Altering their speaking style, being more cautious with their vocabulary than usual, maintaining eye contact but limiting it to three seconds, and deliberately using words commonly employed by their interlocutor to match them.

Typically, these techniques are proliferated when collecting information, attempting recruitment, or carrying out close surveillance.

Since this is such an exceptional skill when dealing with people, many employees who leave their jobs end up pursuing careers in similar fields.

Of course,

“Magic can be fun, but using it too often feels exhausting.”

“Really? You’re talking about mental fatigue, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

That technique was currently in use for a counseling session.

Camila Lowell tilted her head, looking exhausted. After a simple blood draw followed by magic use, her face looked a bit pale.

She lightly massaged her arm and smiled faintly.

“The researchers say that fatigue accumulates during the process of absorbing external magic and converting it to usable magic, but I still don’t quite understand….”

“What part don’t you understand?”

“The part about absorbing magic and converting it into usable magic.”

Hmm. To be honest, I didn’t really know what usable magic was either. I wasn’t a magician, after all, how would I know?

This was the most awkward part of the conversation. Having chosen a subject, only for a topic I knew nothing about or had no interest in to pop up.

But there were ways to handle it.

“Don’t think of it too hard. Converting magic is not much different from purifying contaminated water. External magic is like dirty water, and internal magic is like purified water. A person serves as the filter.”

“Do you happen to know the precise principle behind it?”

“Well, since I’m not a magician, I wouldn’t know. I can ask my little brother later and let you know.”

I wasn’t sure if he would know the principle, but the essential thing was diverting Camila Lowell’s attention away from it.

Fortunately, she reacted just as I had hoped.

“Little brother…? You have a brother?”

“Yes, I have a younger sister who is four years younger and an older brother who is one year older.”

“It seems like you’ve never mentioned your family before. This is the first time I’m hearing it today.”

“We’re not exactly that close.”

“I think I can relate to that.”

Camila nodded as she noted that she had friends who were also not on good terms with their siblings.

“I’ve seen many friends who have distant relationships with their families, yet when they face difficulties, it’s only family that truly worries about them.”

Our family atmosphere isn’t bad, though. Other than teasing my younger sister, who’s struggling with her exams, my relationship with my siblings is generally harmonious.

Of course, I rarely go home. To be precise, I’m not ‘not going’ but can’t go.

Anyway, I stayed quiet and just nodded along.

“There’s no one as precious as family.”

“What about me?”

…Huh?

Did I just hear that right?

Thinking I might have misheard, I turned my head toward Camila Lowell. She was looking at me with bright eyes, waiting for my answer.

I wanted to ask why she suddenly inquired about that, but my tongue seemed to stray from my brain.

“Of course, Camila Lowell, you are precious too, as a colleague.”

“……”

“…Camila Lowell?”

I called her name, but there was no reply. She stared at me with a quite ambiguous expression for a long while.

“……”

“……”

An awkward silence followed, and just as I began to reflect on whether I had overstepped, she suddenly spoke up.

“Colonel.”

“…Yes.”

“I’ve been curious about something for a while; could it be-.”

Right at that moment,

“Hero?”

Someone interrupted the conversation. I turned my head toward the direction of the voice and saw Camila Lowell, taken by surprise, fumbling her words.

“Y-Yes, four…?”

“You need to move to the inspection room.”

“Ah….”

At the researcher’s words, Camila hesitated for a moment, then glanced at me with a slightly disappointed expression before nodding.

Sensing the odd atmosphere, the researcher said it would be fine to talk for a bit longer, but she politely declined the offer and followed the researcher out.

“I’ll see you later, Colonel!”

“…Ah, ah. Yes.”

She left with an awkward reply.

I continued to stare at her retreating figure for a long time, oblivious to the radio buzzing.

—

Regrettably, there was no time to contemplate what her question meant.

A suspect had appeared.

“Good morning, everyone. Please return to your positions.”

Giada Bianchi, leading a group of researchers, instantly seized the atmosphere of the room and began directing the inspection.

No one dared to interject or show discomfort towards her words. With the chief and responsible researchers all detained, Giada Bianchi was one of the few authorities on biological matters.

Of course, there were several other senior researchers, but according to the military intelligence agency’s investigators, none could rival Giada Bianchi’s capabilities, who had even studied abroad.

To be precise, this conclusion stemmed from analyzing the agency’s existing documents.

The existing document, or “존안자료” (existence document), is a record where intelligence agencies compress and compile “everything” about prominent figures from all walks of society.

In South Korea, these are produced by intelligence officers (I/O) from agencies such as the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Defense Security Command, police, and prosecutors. They’re generally recognized for being consulted as cheat sheets when the president appoints high-ranking officials.

Of course, the existence documents are one reason intelligence agencies attract media scrutiny, but they remain in demand—especially during election seasons, rivaling Christmas cakes—so they have persisted even since the advent of the civilian government.

However, that’s the case for those who report to the president. For someone like me, who had no direct dealings with the president, the existence documents primarily serve as essential personal information for operations like counterintelligence, overseas operations, information collection, and surveillance.

The documents used to identify the previous suspect were existence documents, and the data regarding Giada Bianchi’s activities sent by affiliated agencies also fell under that category.

“Senior Bianchi, the specimen test subject is ready.”

“Remove the restraint from the specimen and have emergency personnel on standby inside the inspection room.”

“In that case, the inspection data….”

“Let’s just proceed safely. As safely as possible. Understood?”

While there were plenty of rumors about her studying at the magic tower, her skills were universally acknowledged as exemplary by those around her.

The question was, why had such a person become a spy… well, that’s something to figure out from now on.

“Senior Bianchi?”

“Yes? What can I help you with?”

—

– “Emergency. Emergency. Please call the investigation chief at once. A body has been found in the residence. I repeat, a body has been found in the suspect’s quarters on the 3rd floor of the residence.”

 

---