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I did it.

Episode 5 – Journalist, Diplomat, Soldier, Spy

The whirlwind that seemed to sweep away the world calmed down, and the torrential rain that descended like a waterfall began to drizzle instead.

I cupped my hands to catch the raindrops and washed my face.

While wiping the sticky sweat and trying to tidy my drenched hair, Jake came over to report the situation.

“Manager, we’re almost ready for extraction.”

“Got it. Make sure everyone avoids stepping on the blood and corpses. It’s hard to erase those traces.”

The employees kept their distance from the corpses of the bodyguards as they cleaned up the scene. Honestly, there wasn’t much to clean; they were simply gathering their things.

The plan was to take out two bodyguards and kidnap the target. That was the content of this operation.

The result was successful. The operative and I easily subdued the two bodyguards, and the target was secured without any wounds.

Just then, the Special Activities Department operators were dragging the youngest daughter of Fabio Verati out from the back seat of the SUV.

The operatives placed a mask over her face, layered it with a blindfold, stuffed earplugs in her ears so she couldn’t hear anything, and bound her wrists with rope.

I watched that scene and shook the blood off my hands.

“It’s too bad there are no zip ties here.”

“Didn’t catch that?”

“Nah, it’s nothing. Just focus on your task.”

I took off my clothes drenched in rainwater and blood and stuffed them into a large plastic bag.

The pocket knife I got from the Magic Tower was sticky with blood. Now that I look, the blade was a bit nicked. I thought about tossing it after one use, but I decided I should buy a better knife next time.

I folded the knife neatly and tossed it onto the clothes, then changed into a suit as an operative from the Special Activities Department approached me.

“Preparation for the transfer of Subject 51 is complete.”

“Oh, thank you. Let’s move to the next location.”

The Special Activities Department set off with Fabio Verati’s youngest daughter in their newly rented vehicle.

The Counterintelligence Department followed behind in the black SUV they had seized, while the operative waved goodbye as he drove the pickup truck off in another direction.

Thus, three vehicles disappeared, each in a different direction.

This was a tactic to evade tracking and create confusion in the investigation.

“…Ugh.”

I sat in the vehicle with the diplomatic license plate that Jake had brought and stared blankly at what could be either the sky or the ceiling.

It was raining on the stormy hillside.

On the now-crowded road, only one vehicle, two bodies, and a few people remained.

The operations of the Special Activities Department and Counterintelligence Department had ended. But there was still work left for me.

Thinking about what was to come made fatigue wash over me already. My head started to throb a little.

Anyway, the operation was a success.

But now, the important part began.

*

There’s such a thing as clandestine operations.

This term refers to actions carried out by information agencies across political, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and defense sectors, irrespective of peace or war.

Clandestine operations can be categorized into seven types, including assassination operations that are commonly seen in movies.

There are political operations that involve bribing politicians and manipulating civic organizations from behind the scenes.

Economic operations that engage in sanctions, tariff adjustments, and spreading rumors to crash the stock market.

Propaganda operations that use loudspeakers and disseminate information to domestic and foreign media to stir up confusion.

Disinformation operations that spread false information to increase chaos.

Subversion operations that instigate protests and orchestrate coups to topple governments.

Terror operations that sabotage critical national infrastructure like railways, power plants, dams, roads, and substations.

And quasi-military operations involving the kidnapping and assassination of key figures or rescuing convoys.

The CIA’s encouragement of the coup that toppled Chile’s Allende regime, the collaboration with MI6 to oust Iran’s Mossadegh, and the incident where Osama bin Laden got a hole blown in his head after ten years on the run are prime examples of clandestine operations.

In this case, the focus on ‘kidnapping the youngest daughter’ could certainly be classified as a quasi-military operation.

However, there were a few issues with this particular operation. The main problem was the use of force.

Since clandestine operations are illegal activities that risk violation of international law and foreign sovereignty, it’s crucial to carefully conceal the behind-the-scenes actions.

But if military force is used in a clandestine operation, it becomes much harder to hide the perpetrators. This phenomenon is referred to in the intelligence sector as the “Rohendel Ladder.”

That’s why Pippin asked me like this.

“What do we do now?”

“About what?”

“You’ve left two corpses behind.”

Pippin pointed at the bodyguards sprawled on the ground.

“You’ve made a mess here! If this leaks out, we’re all screwed!”

“Are we screwed? The country will be the one in trouble.”

“Is that what you’re telling me? We’re all about to lose our uniforms!”

“You all are still young, so go find new jobs.”

“Oh! Seriously!”

As Pippin panicked and flailed about, Jake calmed her down.

“Hey, I’m sure there’s a plan. Just hold on a bit.”

“You’re about to lose your uniform too, so how can you say that?”

“Oh crap. Now that you mention it, you’re right?”

Pippin went off like a madwoman. In the rain, on the road, soaked to the bone while shouting, it looked like a scene from a crazy person.

Of course, there were rational reasons behind it.

“If we don’t get out of our uniforms, we’ll be in deep trouble if we get deployed to the field! My career will be over!”

Due to the nature of the Military Intelligence Agency, the structure and promotion system differ from typical units, making advancement in the field quite challenging.

I was selected as a junior executive without knowing much due to the security measures in place, and now that I had somewhat of an experience, would I even be able to adapt if I got sent to the field?

As a result, the most dreaded order among the people of the Military Intelligence Agency is the return to base. It sounds nice, but it’s essentially like getting fired.

Regrettably, this also applied to the Military Intelligence Agency.

“Tch.”

“Stop clicking your tongue and say something!”

“I explained everything in the briefing. Why do you keep pestering me?”

“I honestly didn’t think you’d go that far! Especially with a foreigner!”

Judging by their chatter, they were clearly green recruits.

Meaning they had a lot to learn.

I sat next to the corpse in my suit, pressing a handkerchief against my abdomen and spoke.

“Don’t worry. You think I can’t handle one of you?”

“Is there any company out there that would take a five-year short-term resource? And two of them, no less!”

“You might find one if you look. Let’s think positively.”

I soaked the handkerchief with some blood, and a bit of the blood on my hands also smeared onto my sleeve and clothes.

Having sufficiently painted myself in blood, I stood up.

“It should be fine; now get ready.”

“If we get caught, will you come save us…?”

“Is there such a thing as diplomatic immunity just for show? You won’t get caught, so don’t worry, Pippin. And even if we do get caught, what’s the worst that could happen? Death?”

“This is insane….”

I looked up at the sky. It was raining, and the world remained dark and murky.

“Call them.”

I took the phone from Pippin, who was staring at me with a disgusted expression.

“…Are you really going to do it?”

“Would I do this for fun?”

“Ah, I can’t handle this….”

Pippin ran her fingers through her hair and stepped back.

Half of her seemed overwhelmed, and the other half didn’t want to interfere during such a critical moment.

…Right. This is what matters now.

This was the moment to lay the groundwork for approaching the objective, free from the surveillance of the counterintelligence and investigative agencies.

I pressed the button briefly and dialed the number I had memorized.

“…Hello.”

-‘Yes, this is the police. What seems to be the problem?’

The operation had commenced.

“There’s been a death here.”

*

When a crime occurs, the police begin their investigation.

This is a truth that applies even in this town.

And just like police around the globe, the inquiries here are thoroughly based on investigative techniques.

It’s the unique way police find criminals: scene documentation, inquiry investigations, sting operations, victim interviews, witness interrogations, crime scene examination, profiling, forensics, document analysis, chemical analysis, and so on.

The police analyze numerous crimes to prevent offenses and catch perpetrators, conducting investigations based on the results.

This rules and common sense regarding crime-solving among police can be seen as a kind of framework. Even the fact that initial investigations and witness testimonies are vital is similar.

In simpler terms, it’s all about preconceived notions.

I decided to use this to my advantage.

“Yes, I witnessed it while passing by.”

“Can you explain the circumstances at that moment in detail?”

“I was driving and saw someone lying on the road….”

I planned the kidnapping citing the report prepared by the Magic Tower Police and the Ministry of Justice, established my operational area, and prepared the equipment to be used in the operation.

The crime of robbery and murder usually had a high probability of the victim and criminal knowing each other, while crimes involving strangers often occurred out in the open.

And then,

“I found a stab wound in the abdomen.”

“A stab wound?”

“Yes, it seemed like they were stabbed with something….”

Among the tools used by strangers in robbery and murder crimes, many were sharp objects. Next in line were bludgeons.

In a world where magic exists, there are indeed cases where people are killed by magic or curses, but magicians generally commit murders in a state of diminished capacity (due to alcohol, drug use, etc.) after getting into fights, so they were the exception.

“Did you happen to see a knife at the scene?”

“No.”

Of course, the pocket knife I used had already been incinerated by the staff, along with my blood-coated clothes and the guard’s blood.

Thus, there was no evidence connecting this crime scene to the Military Intelligence Agency. What officer would suspect an operation by an intelligence agency? There are so many crimes happening daily.

Still, the reason I reported to the Magic Tower Police was simple.

“…Ah.”

“Did you remember anything?”

“Now that you mention it….”

It was all about deception.

“I saw two cars passing by.”

“Do you remember their license plates? At least tell us the make and color.”

“A black SUV and the other seemed to be a hatchback.”

 

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