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Sophia’s words completely exceeded my expectations.

Fabio Verati.

The mastermind who infiltrated a Shaman Spy into the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute. And the missing Giada Bianchi—a figure presumed to be connected to both.

For a long time, I had deemed Fabio Verati an information man and handler associated with the Magic Tower’s representation.

Thus, he became the primary target of this operation.

And then,

“What do you mean by that?”

“Fabio Verati? He’s one of our retirees, so leave him alone.”

The National Security Agency insisted that our target was one of their people.

—

Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

To summarize Sophia’s claims:

1. Fabio Verati, a representative of the Magic Tower, is actually from the National Security Agency of Patalia.

2. He is a retired agent from several years ago and currently works at the Magic Tower as a diplomat.

3. Even though he is a retiree, he knows secrets that could pose a threat to Patalia’s security.

Conclusion: If he falls into the hands of the Military Intelligence Agency or the Royal Intelligence Department, it could lead to a major crisis for Patalia.

In short,

“Shouldn’t we handle this ourselves?”

Sophia systematically reiterated her argument.

“I don’t get why the Military Intelligence Agency and the Royal Intelligence Department are tracking down Fabio. But he’s one of our employees, right? So it’s only proper that we take responsibility for him, whether things go south or right! He’s a colleague.”

At that point, I couldn’t help but chuckle and tease.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about. Who is Fabio Verati, and why are the Military Intelligence Agency and the Royal Intelligence Department involved here?”

Sophia tilted her head with an exasperated expression.

“…You really don’t know?”

I mirrored her head tilt and asked back.

“Why should I know?”

The reason I was acting like a clown was simple: I had to hide the fact that I was chasing Fabio Verati.

In this operation, security is paramount. No one, especially not the National Security Agency, should know that the Military Intelligence Agency employees, including myself, were tracking down Fabio Verati.

How the National Security Agency became aware of our pursuit of Fabio Verati didn’t even matter.

Right now, Jake had reported to me, saying, “Allied and partner intelligence agencies have denied sharing information.”

Fabio Verati is from Patalia, and to trace his past, we would need help from Patalia’s intelligence agencies. It was highly likely that during the process of sending official correspondence, someone had leaked who was investigating whom. The Royal Intelligence Department probably lined up with the National Security Agency to snatch away our opportunity.

Anyway.

The National Security Agency acknowledged that the Military Intelligence Agency and the Royal Intelligence Department were trying to uncover Fabio Verati’s identity.

The important thing is that they still did not know I was the identity thief.

So I plastered a smile on my face.

“Alright. I’m not sure what’s going on, but we’re chasing after your retiree, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“What was that gentleman up to? I mean, what’s going on here that has those two agencies chasing him?”

“I can’t say.”

It’s classified.

“Then I can’t help you out either.”

“…What?”

“Listen, here’s the thing.”

I tried my best to disguise my ramblings as if they made sense.

“The Military Intelligence Agency and the Royal Intelligence Department are tracking this Fabio fellow, right? And you’re asking me to stop that from happening? To report it to the higher-ups?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, at the very least, you should give me some sort of explanation, don’t you think? I’m just a Major, you know. I can’t just report to the Director or Prime Minister on a whim, can I?”

“You’re a Hero’s colleague, right?”

“So does that make me a Hero?”

“Well, in a way.”

I was officially a Defense Attaché and a Hero’s colleague. I was also an information agent who was somewhat acquainted with Sophia.

In essence, the National Security Agency wants to amicably and indirectly resolve this situation through connections rather than engaging in a full-blown conflict, risking the embarrassment of allies. That’s my hypothesis.

Why is the National Security Agency trying to protect Fabio Verati?

“First, let’s find out the reason. Why are the intelligence agencies chasing him? I need to know, so spill.”

“It was mentioned in the documents that he’s leaking military secrets.”

“What does that mean? He works for the Magic Tower, doesn’t he?”

“I dunno. They said you guys leaked military secrets. We don’t have the precise details yet; we’re still figuring it out ourselves.”

I couldn’t tell if they were still figuring things out or if they’d already covered it up.

One thing was for sure: the National Security Agency was aware that a retiree had caused a major accident.

There are two possibilities.

One is: “We don’t know what the issue is, but it might stir up trouble if it becomes public, so we’ll take responsibility.” The other is: “We need to capture this guy and clean up his mess.”

They sound similar, but the nuances are different.

For now, it doesn’t seem like Sophia was hiding information from me. At least she knows that Fabio Verati got into some trouble, but seems clueless about exactly what he did and how serious it is.

I rubbed my chin and mumbled.

“Hmmm….”

There’s nothing certain.

I can’t make a judgment.

I need information.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a smile automatically spread across my face.

The only thing certain right now is this.

“Alright, I got it. I’ll report back and we’ll talk.”

“Thanks.”

“But first, I need to get a handle on the situation. So….”

I have to snag that guy before they do.

“Tell me everything you know.”

—

Upon my demand for information, Sophia briefly consulted with someone presumed to be her superior. After a while of back-and-forth, she returned, slumping into her seat, and showed me a document.

“Look.”

“What’s this?”

“The stuff you asked about.”

Sophia thrust a device screen into my face.

Narrowing my eyes as I held it at arm’s length, I caught a glimpse of the information displayed.

“Is this the personnel roster?”

Most of it was blacked out, so there wasn’t any useful information, but it was valuable intel since it was an internal document from the intelligence agency.

I began to slowly read aloud the information displayed on the screen.

“Magic Tower Information Officer from the National Security Agency’s overseas counterintelligence division. His final rank was manager, grade 4. One spouse. Four children. Retired nine years ago… but there’s no reason listed for his retirement?”

The retirement reason was blank.

It wasn’t crossed out with black lines during security review; it was glaringly empty.

Sophia plopped herself down in a chair and said, “I dunno. Neither superiors, subordinates, nor colleagues, not even the Inspection Office or Auditing Office know. He left without a word.”

“Does that even make sense? Retiring from an intelligence agency?”

“He just said he wanted to live comfortably. We can’t pry into personal matters, you know? It’s private.”

I scoffed at that comment.

“You’re telling me that they can tail people, wiretap them, and haul in a fresh recruit for an interrogation, yet now they wanna protect personal privacy? Give me a break.”

The internal surveillance in intelligence agencies is severe.

It’s conducted in the name of preventing leaks and catching corruption, but for the one on the receiving end, it can feel just as invasive as civilian surveillance.

“They can catch you gambling or cheating! They can even catch you working a side job! And yet they don’t know the reason for your retirement?”

“How would I know? The Inspection or Auditing teams would know.”

“Could it possibly be a love issue? Maybe he has a secret lover in the Magic Tower and switched jobs for that reason?”

“No, that’s all clear. It seems money is the issue….”

Sophia tapped the family section of the screen with her finger.

He has one wife and a staggering four children. The names were blacked out, making them unrecognizable.

“No matter how generous the intelligence agency’s salary is, he’s still a civil servant. He might not even go home, and his living conditions must be unstable.”

“…So, he moved jobs to provide for his family?”

“I don’t know if diplomats make a lot of money, but it looks like he’s at least doing okay to keep up with his family’s spending. Even the youngest studies abroad at the Magic Tower. Can we enjoy such perks? We can barely get a loan to afford a home.”

“The youngest is here? So, his family is….”

“They’re in Patalia.”

That means he’s been keeping tabs on them.

Well, it’s a bit too obvious for me to be shocked.

“Money issues….”

“He used to save and invest, but I guess the children started draining his finances. It doesn’t seem he’s involved in gambling or any crime.”

I let it slip out.

“Is there a chance he got recruited by the Magic Tower? People often get swayed by money.”

“I don’t think he’s selling secrets for cash.”

“Is he not a traitor?”

“That’s the assumption we’re making.”

He’s not a double agent, apparently.

In the eyes of the National Security Agency, it seems he left his job purely out of financial need. But Fabio Verati is definitely up to something with information.

His ex-girlfriend, Giada Bianchi, is missing, and a Shaman Spy used her identity to infiltrate the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute.

Had the spy not been caught due to incompetence in communication, no one would have ever realized. In other words, Fabio Verati is a seasoned handler with considerable knowledge and experience in information and operations.

Whether it’s to be seen as fortunate or unfortunate depends on perspective. I shouldn’t be one to judge about changing jobs when I find myself in a similar situation.

In any case.

“Have you checked what he does at the Magic Tower? If it’s an important position, considering the Magic Tower and diplomatic relations, we could potentially maneuver around.”

“Right, he probably works at the Talent Development Institute or something like that.”

“…Talent Development Institute?”

“Oh, you know! The place where Magic Tower diplomats hand out scholarships to make scholars.”

“Ah.”

After hearing that, it felt akin to major corporations lobbying government officials through scholarship foundations.

I chuckled awkwardly and replied, “I really don’t follow these things too well. Anyway, is there no other information?”

“There’s a bit….”

Sophia showed me various pieces of information, but the majority had been blacked out during security review, leaving little that could be gleaned.

But that wasn’t a big issue.

In a dim alley, I sat with Sophia, scanning the information she provided alongside what was transmitted through secure channels. After a lengthy conversation, we finally reached a conclusion.

“…Yeah. This is enough.”

“Is that it?”

“Yep.”

Sophia switched off the security terminal and tucked it into her pocket. She stretched and yawned.

“Yawn… Oh, I’m dead tired.”

“Take better care of these retirees. What mess did he make to require this much hassle?”

“Shut it. Anyway, we’ll handle it from our side. Just talk to the higher-ups properly, okay? No need for us allies to bicker unnecessarily. No need to raise tensions.”

“Oh, come on….”

I stood up and checked the communication device. A message had come in about the vehicle arriving 17 minutes ago.

Turning off the comms and tucking it into my inner pocket, I patted Sophia’s shoulder.

“Thanks. Keep up the good work.”

“Seriously, this is no big deal. If anything comes up, contact me. I’m heading in now.”

“Got it. I’ll give you my contact details. You head back first.”

“Yeah, let’s meet up soon.”

Sophia tossed her half-smoked magic stick onto the ground, turning to her subordinates.

“Let’s go.”

—

Sophia climbed into the vehicle with her subordinates.

The black van smoothly took off, speeding down the straight road.

I waved goodbye until they disappeared from view, then leaned against a warm streetlight, silently watching the shadows.

“….”

Just then, the awaited vehicle quietly approached and halted in front of me.

With dark-tinted windows, protruding antennas, and extra side mirrors.

An unremarkable but familiar-looking van.

The window rolled down.

“….”

“…Is it done?”

The staff member wearing sunglasses glanced sideways at the techie in a checkered shirt occupying the passenger seat. The techie, glued to a rugged-looking laptop, finally lifted his head with a bright smile.

“It’s done. I believe I can decrypt the database’s password by tomorrow.”

“Good.”

I opened the vehicle door. The spacious interior was filled with all sorts of eavesdropping equipment.

Shoving myself into the cramped seat, I let out a heavy sigh as I muttered.

“Let’s go.”

The van that intercepted the National Security Agency’s wireless communications swiftly drifted away from the lamppost’s glow and disappeared into the darkness.

 

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