Ch.131Episode 7 – Daily Life

In the cold dawn, as an asthmatic patient holed up in a workshop gasped for breath, I walked quietly with Camilla near the hotel, passing under the yellow glow of streetlights.

“You asked me to teach you techniques, right? The ones intelligence officers use in the field.”

“Yes… that’s right?”

Camilla nodded with a bewildered expression at my sudden question. I put my hands in my pockets and began.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re thinking getting interested in this kind of work, but I’ll teach you anyway.”

“Really…?”

“If I don’t, you’ll just cause another scene at headquarters. When you keep showing up at the military attaché’s office, I’m the one who gets in trouble with the higher-ups.”

My tone resembled a parent scolding a picky child, but it was closer to a lament. So I stopped talking, clicked my tongue, and led the way.

“Tradecraft is the correct formal term. However, it refers to intelligence operations or espionage itself, not specific techniques or methods.”

“…”

“The techniques field officers use have different names depending on the department. What you probably want to learn are operational methods.”

The techniques and methods used by foreign intelligence collectors and operatives in the field vary widely.

From small things like finding a safe restaurant for an immediate meal, to larger skills like developing the conversational ability and discernment needed to build an intelligence network. This includes methods to prevent surveillance, tailing, and wiretapping by counterintelligence agencies, as well as using enhanced interrogation techniques (known as “fish soup”) to extract information.

Of course, these operational methods are all classified. If I were caught teaching Camilla what I learned at military intelligence, I would definitely be punished for violating military secrecy laws. In intelligence agencies, leaking secrets essentially means acting as a double agent.

So teaching Camilla operational methods was quite burdensome.

But, as always, humans are creatures who seek answers. When pushed to the limit, a way opens up.

I managed to find a way to satisfy Camilla without any repercussions.

“Follow me. This way.”

Episode 7 – Daily Life

Camilla Lowell is an ordinary university student.

Though she has some Conservative Party politicians in her family, attended a private school known for its murderous tuition fees, and enjoys cultural activities that could hardly be called ordinary, Camilla always thought of herself as an average person.

She has no particular rough edges, but nothing exceptional or unique either. If pressed, her grades were good, but Camilla wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about academics.

Watching her brother and sister attend the London School of Economics and Political Science and King’s College, she thought about going to university, but Camilla didn’t pay much attention to higher education.

A mundane, ordinary, and dull life. She had no dreams to pursue or passions to fulfill.

She had visited Sandhurst with her father, courts with her mother, and news agencies with her brother. She was even tricked by her sister into going on a medical volunteer mission to Africa. Her entire family tried hard to spark some interest in their youngest daughter, but sadly, none of it caught Camilla’s attention.

What finally piqued her interest in a certain building across the Thames overlooking Westminster was, of all things, a movie.

007.

The film based on Ian Fleming’s novels. Undisputedly the flagship of British cinema enjoyed worldwide and the most successful franchise in the world. A film so famous that the lead actor appeared with the Queen at the London Olympics opening ceremony.

Camilla didn’t suddenly become patriotic after watching the movie and decide to dedicate herself to her country; she just thought Daniel Craig looked incredibly cool on screen.

Some might call her a pure soul, but Camilla believed people don’t need special reasons or motivations to dream.

That’s why she remained serious even when the interviewer tried to suppress laughter after hearing her motivation. That was why she applied to Cambridge despite her family’s objections when they wanted her to attend the London School of Economics. And that was why she secretly filled out an SIS internship application form at dawn. She eventually got in.

But reality and ideals are clearly different. While Camilla clearly understood there would be differences between movies and reality, the gap between “non-regular intern” and “regular employee” was evident from the most basic tasks. Camilla didn’t like that. She even rejected the SIS officer’s offer to extend her contract and decided to take a year off.

That’s why she could smile when a colleague with the title of resident officer told her to follow him.

“…”

And as Camilla stood in the cold wind on the streets of Matap at 3 AM, she suddenly thought this gentleman seemed to be mocking her.

“…What exactly are you going to teach me?”

“How to eat safely.”

Camilla stared at the resident officer with a blank expression, but the black-haired foreigner continued undeterred.

“Intelligence officers deployed overseas need to be careful even about meals. So when you’re first assigned to field work, they introduce you to department colleagues and tell you where to eat. I’ll explain the detailed precautions while we eat at a restaurant.”

“…You can’t even eat comfortably?”

“Of course not. How would you know if someone put poison or drugs in your food? In the past, during the World Wars and Cold War, many intelligence officers sent abroad died while eating. Especially alcohol. Bars are essentially places you go expecting to get intoxicated. Plus, if you become unconscious, you might blurt out who knows what. That’s why intelligence officers generally avoid bars.”

“Wait, if you can’t properly eat out or drink, couldn’t you just cook for yourself?”

“To buy ingredients, you need to go to a market, which is much easier to monitor than restaurants. It’s also easier to follow someone to a safe house. Of course, factory-produced food you’ve just purchased is safest, but if someone is determined, they can tamper with sealed canned goods or bottled drinks. Logically, if drug smugglers can do it, don’t you think intelligence agencies can too?”

“…”

“There’s always a reason behind what people do. Just eat at restaurants. It’s the most convenient and safe.”

The black-haired foreigner who had been speaking seriously pointed to a building across the street.

“See that restaurant across the street? The green sign. I went there with some military attaché staff before, and it’s quite good. It’s a foreign cuisine restaurant with dishes similar to Spanish food. The ingredients are different so it doesn’t taste exactly the same, but it reminds me of when I was on assignment in Latin America.”

“The restaurant next to it with the yellow sign specializes in Moritarian continental cuisine. Moritania is similar to the Middle East on Earth, and personally, I think it’s the closest to Islamic cuisine you can get in Matap. The owner sometimes makes whole roasted camel, which is excellent. Have you ever tried whole roasted camel? It’s a dish eaten at weddings and parties in Islamic cultures. Let’s try it sometime. Oh, but don’t go with people from the Luciana sect. The owner and patrons follow a different religion, so you might get into an argument before the food even arrives.”

“The restaurant right next door is also good, and the restaurant district in the Chinese neighborhood a few blocks away is nice too. That district has shops opened by immigrants from the East, so I recommend it if you like Asian food. However, there might be hygiene issues, so it’s best to go to larger restaurants located in central areas. Also, be careful with raw foods. I once got food poisoning from sushi sold locally when I was on assignment in South Sudan. Speaking of sushi, when I was in LA…”

Although all the shops were closed, the streetlights made it possible to read the colors and names of the signs.

The compatriot from Northeast Asia continued, counting off points on his fingers.

“Of course, there are precautions to take. When you enter a restaurant, try to sit toward the back. But not too deep. Rather than the furthest corner, choose a seat where you can see the entire interior of the shop while also monitoring the outside. A spot close to the exit but not visible from outside is also good.”

“…”

“When you enter, it’s good to identify the exits in advance. If you can’t find the exits, locate passages from the kitchen to the outside, or check if there are ventilation ducts or windows in the bathroom. You might need to kick those out and crawl through in an emergency.”

“…”

“If you’re meeting someone under the pretext of a meal, the timing is also important. It shouldn’t be too noisy with many customers, but also not too quiet with few customers. And after finishing your meal, never leave together with the person you dined with. If someone waiting outside takes a photo, that could be a big problem. To prevent such accidents, you must leave through a different exit than the one you entered. Remember what I said earlier? Check the exits when you enter. Use those to leave.”

“…”

“Oh, right. And if you need to extract important information, prevent the other person from touching their food. Usually, when people start eating, they get distracted and can’t focus on conversation. Remember. Important information always comes before they pick up their food. Have you followed everything so far?”

Camilla listened to the lengthy explanation in silence, utterly dismayed. Honestly, Frederick’s explanation wasn’t what she was curious about at all. Although the later explanations were quite interesting, information about which restaurant served Spanish-like food or how delicious whole roasted camel was seemed completely useless.

That wasn’t what she truly wanted to know.

So Camilla spoke up in a somewhat blunt voice.

“Excuse me, Major…?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t mean to insult you, but you didn’t really call me out here just to tell me about a few restaurants, did you…?”

The answer was as concise as possible.

“That’s exactly what I did.”

“What? Give me back the intelligence operations I imagined…!”

“This is really what we use in the field….”

Frederick muttered in disbelief, but Camilla didn’t care. She stomped her feet in frustration and raised her voice.

“What I’m curious about isn’t where to find good restaurants…! You know that! Why are you doing this? This isn’t funny…!”

Her attitude resembled a child throwing a tantrum in front of a toy store, but considering that Camilla was a magician who could instantly incinerate a wolf the size of a luxury sedan with three heads, this was more of a threat than a tantrum.

But despite knowing this fact, Frederick simply stared at Camilla with a sullen expression.

“So you want to learn about following people, recruiting informants, and that sort of thing like in the movies?”

“Yes!”

“If you get caught clumsily imitating such things, you could be charged as a spy. Do you know the maximum penalty for espionage is death?”

Espionage. Death penalty. At these chilling words, Camilla closed her mouth tightly.

Silence fell. Camilla looked at Frederick with a bewildered expression, and Frederick stared back at Camilla with an impassive face.

And a moment later.

The intelligence officer suggested to her in a slightly cracked voice.

“Let’s talk for a bit.”

*

We crossed the streets of Matap toward a café in a quiet neighborhood.

The late-night café had about three or four customers. Judging by their appearance, they all seemed to be magicians.

Considering how curious magicians tend to be, it would be wise not to get involved with them, but fortunately, the magicians sitting at each table were scribbling in notebooks full of formulas, the type of people who sacrifice their present for a comfortable future. No one paid attention to us as we entered the café and ordered coffee.

“Let’s sit there.”

I led Camilla to a table located in the innermost corner.

In South Korea, the most coveted real estate might be an apartment overlooking the Han River, but for me right now, this table with a clear view of the entire café interior was the prime location.

As I sat down and added sugar to my coffee, Camilla hesitantly opened her mouth.

“Um, why did we come here?”

“I have a few questions to ask, so just relax.”

I gestured to reassure Camilla while briefly lost in thought.

I had planned to teach her some useful but simple skills that would satisfy her, but Camilla wanted much more detailed, or rather, professional knowledge than I had anticipated.

She’ll learn all this eventually anyway, so I don’t understand why she’s so eager to learn it now.

What should I do?

“Camilla, you said you became interested in intelligence agencies because of a movie, right? 007?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Why specifically a movie? Was there no other reason?”

Her answer was immediate.

“Because the hero beating up bad guys looked cool. The lead actor was handsome too.”

Camilla answered with a sheepish smile.

“So you want to join an intelligence agency to beat up bad guys like James Bond? Is that why you majored in conflict studies and applied for the SIS internship?”

“Yes.”

Her answer came quickly, with noticeable confidence. Camilla’s motivation was, to put it kindly, pure, or less kindly, flimsy.

The automatic way she answered suggested she had practiced this response many times. Perhaps it was her true feeling.

“Hmm.”

But I wasn’t an interviewer, and I didn’t need to probe further into matters she didn’t want to discuss.

I let out a sigh and nodded.

“I can teach you what you called Tradecraft—techniques and methods. But to master them well enough to use in real situations will take a lot of time. And it’s not just physical skills; there’s a lot of theory to study too.”

“Yes.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“Of course.”

Camilla answered confidently. Whether it was genuine confidence or recklessness born from ignorance, I couldn’t tell yet.

Anyway.

That’s not what’s important right now.

“I understand what you’re saying. But there’s something I really want to ask you.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Are you trying to imitate the spies you saw in movies? Or do you genuinely want to become an intelligence officer?”

It seemed unnecessary to ask someone who had chosen her major and even completed an internship with this goal in mind, but I wanted to know.

“As I said before, I want to learn because that’s my career path. No other reason.”

“Then you could learn all this after you officially join, right?”

She shook her head.

And then she told me in a voice that sounded principled and confident:

“It’s a dangerous world. I think everyone should have enough skill to protect themselves.”

I wanted to tell her to learn magic instead, but unfortunately, Camilla was already learning magic. Self-taught, at that.

Moreover, Camilla had the peculiar problem of fainting when using magic. If she relied solely on magic and lost consciousness at a critical moment, it could lead to an irreversible catastrophe.

Camilla paused mid-sentence and awkwardly laughed while scratching her nose. As I watched her hand touch her nose, her bright blue eyes quietly observed me.

“And even if I’ll learn it later, wouldn’t it be better to know in advance?”

She was saying she wanted to learn from me now what she’d eventually learn after joining an intelligence agency. It was also a request for a fellow countryman to share his talents by teaching her skills to protect herself.

Camilla’s argument was sophistry, plain and simple.

It wasn’t logical enough to convince me, had no compelling evidence, and moreover, Camilla was currently lying.

After all, touching one’s nose while speaking is a classic sign of deception.

“…”

I took a sip of coffee to compose myself.

Although Camilla was spouting sophistry, constantly bothering people day and night, and even blatantly lying, it was hard to scold someone who was so desperate to learn from a stranger.

It wasn’t easy to be harsh with an English girl who had fallen into an unknown world and was clinging to a compatriot.

In the end, I overlooked her lie.

“Sigh… Alright. I’ll teach you.”

“Really?”

“But only if you answer one question honestly.”

“Yes.”

“Have you thought this through carefully?”

I put down my coffee cup with a clatter and asked in a serious voice.

“Intelligence agencies aren’t good workplaces. There’s almost no personal life, and you don’t get paid as much as you would at a major corporation for the work you do. Reality is very different from what movies show.”

“…”

“If you transfer departments, you might have to live abroad or in rural areas for years, or work in remote places like deserted islands. You might have to do things you don’t want to do. You could grow distant from family and friends. Plus, due to the nature of the job, your freedom is often restricted. You can’t even date or marry freely. No matter how much you love your spouse, if problems are found during the background check, you’ll have to break up.”

“…”

“If you can fully accept all that, I won’t try to stop you, but honestly, I don’t recommend it. The same goes for what you’re trying to learn now. Simply knowing these things isn’t a problem, but if you get caught using them inappropriately, your life could become very difficult. So I’ll ask you once, first and last time. You can quit right now if you don’t want to do this.”

“…”

“Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

Camilla didn’t answer.

She simply nodded firmly with her lips tightly sealed.

If she’s so determined, what can I do? I don’t think she’d listen if I tried to dissuade her, and I don’t particularly want to stop someone who’s set on doing something.

“Alright.”

I nodded calmly.

“I’ve never taught anyone before, so I can’t claim to be an expert, but I’ll teach you based on what I’ve learned and experienced. I’ll give you the details tomorrow, so from tomorrow on, you’ll have to do as I say. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“Good. From what I can see, you’re not in a position to learn techniques right now. You’re not ready yet.”

So.

“Let’s start with the basics.”

*

The next day, at her strong request, Camilla began training.

“Normally when you join an intelligence agency, you receive basic training before being assigned to field work. This includes spotting, assessment, analysis, intelligence collection, shooting skills, conversational skills, and so on. Some take years, while others are relatively quick. The longest might take several weeks, the shortest about a week.”

“What will I start with?”

“Skills that require long-term training can’t be learned at once. Simply put, these are things you need to remember with your body, not your head.”

In other words, habits.

“You need to start with those.”

“I understand.”

“I can’t guarantee how long it will take. Especially for training that requires repetitive practice. To master those perfectly, it could take at least half a year, or up to 5 years. If you want to quit in the middle, just say so. As long as no one’s threatening you with a knife, you can quit anytime. But then you’ll have to forget everything you learned from me, everything you saw and heard during this time. Understood?”

“I don’t think that will happen.”

“We’ll see about that.”

I gave Camilla basic training. I taught her the things that couldn’t be learned at once and required long-term training first.

1. Disguise.

“In national intelligence studies, when a spy—an intelligence agent—conceals their identity, actions, and purpose, it’s called disguise. When deployed abroad, behavior, clothing, or language that doesn’t match the local culture will inevitably attract attention. You stand out. That situation should never happen to an intelligence officer. The more clearly your impression remains in someone’s memory, the more problems it creates.”

“Isn’t it better if the other person recognizes me more clearly?”

“In normal human relationships, yes. But if an intelligence officer contacts someone, it’s almost certainly for work reasons. What if that person is an informant for the local counterintelligence agency?”

“…They would find it suspicious.”

“The moment you arouse suspicion or are detected, the operation fails. You never know when surveillance might follow. If an intelligence officer has to fight with a gun because their identity is exposed, that officer is already screwed. James Bond might be fun to watch on screen, but if you tried it yourself, you’d be cursing.”

“Then how do you avoid getting caught?”

“You have to adapt perfectly to the local environment.”

2. Common Knowledge.

“In that sense, an intelligence officer must have knowledge about the local culture, language, customs, religion, politics, society, economy, and ideology in all fields. Knowing these things well makes it easier to carry out operations and adapt quickly to the local environment, but conversely, not knowing local circumstances can cause major problems. So it’s best to have as broad a knowledge base as possible.”

“How broad should it be?”

“You should be able to answer almost any question without hesitation. Let me give you an example. If someone asks you to recommend food to eat on the Trans-Siberian Railway from Vladivostok to Istanbul, and tourist attractions in Istanbul, what would you say?”

“Um… Turkey historically has a mix of religions including Roman Orthodox and Ottoman Islamic traditions, so I might recommend religious architectural sites like the Hagia Sophia. As for food… I’m not sure.”

“That’s a decent answer. If it were me, I’d introduce the Nuruosmaniye Mosque built during the Ottoman Empire in Baroque style, and the Dolmabahçe Palace constructed by combining various architectural styles. I could also explain that Dolmabahçe was used as a residence by Atatürk, Turkey’s founding father. And the Trans-Siberian Railway passes Lake Baikal, where they sell a fish called omul. I’d recommend that.”

“How on earth do you know all this?”

“I told you. You need to have broad common knowledge. This can even be used to identify foreign agents or terrorists. So Camilla, learn the common knowledge of this neighborhood as quickly as possible. You understand what I mean, right?”

3. Language.

“Of course, common knowledge alone is useless. To properly utilize it, language is important.”

“Language?”

“More precisely, conversational skills. For an intelligence officer, conversational ability is a crucial skill. You need to hide your intentions during conversation, extract information from the other person, and simultaneously disguise your true thoughts. That’s why all intelligence agents receive such training from the moment they join. It’s useful for recruiting informants, but honestly, it’s quite useful for making friends too.”

“That’s practical. But don’t we learn foreign languages?”

“We do learn foreign languages. In fact, if you’re going to work abroad, foreign languages are most important. Logically, you can’t spy if you can’t even read road signs. Plus, you can’t always communicate in English with every foreigner you meet like in movies and dramas. But you’re talking with me now without knowing Abas language, right? So you don’t need to learn it right now. It’s a lower priority. First master conversational skills and rhetoric, then learn foreign languages later.”

“I see.”

“Now, go talk to people in this park and collect information. I’ll give you 5 minutes.”

“What…?”

“I told you conversational skills are important. The fastest way to learn is by doing it yourself.”

“Um… let me just go to the bathroom first to wipe off some sweat—”

“20 seconds have passed.”

“…”

Camilla trained as I instructed throughout the day. Disguise, common knowledge, conversational skills. The training focused on things that couldn’t be learned at once and took a long time to master.

Naturally, being her first time, Camilla acted clumsily and made many mistakes throughout the training. She got scolded quite a bit. Of course, getting scolded didn’t make Camilla change her mind and abandon the training.

After training during the day, Camilla returned to the hotel in the evening to study theory.

1. Psychology.

“Intelligence officers routinely deceive people, so they need to be proficient in psychology. In fact, skilled intelligence officers can assess someone’s psychology just by observing their gaze and gestures during conversation.”

“How is that possible?”

“Because they’ve been trained. For instance, if someone points their feet toward me while I’m speaking or leans their upper body forward, I judge they’re focused on the conversation. If they suddenly trail off or cross their arms, I judge they’re activating defense mechanisms to hide specific details or facts. That’s why intelligence agencies typically teach psychology during training and give subtle advantages to psychology majors when recruiting new agents. Have you taken psychology courses?”

“No.”

“Then start studying psychology now. When you go out, stop by the library and check out psychology books. Let’s start with that.”

2. Forensic Medicine.

“Like psychology, forensic medicine is quite important in intelligence agencies. You don’t need to know it as thoroughly as a specialist; just having basic knowledge as common sense is enough.”

“Common sense? Where would you even use that?”

“In many places. If you have investigative authority, you use it to assess crime scenes. If a body appears, you can determine why they died and how they were attacked.”

“By that logic, wouldn’t forensic medicine be useless unless you’re an investigator?”

“So if your informant or colleague gets shot or stabbed to death in the field, you’re going to just move on without knowing how they died?”

“…”

“Everything has its use, that’s why I’m telling you to learn it. I have one forensic medicine textbook, so study with that for now. We’ll use it when I teach emergency first aid.”

3. National Intelligence Studies.

“You said you took intelligence studies courses at university, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s review slowly to keep your mind sharp. Since terminology differs slightly between the UK and South Korea, let’s align our terms first.”

Teaching intelligence studies was quite easy since Camilla already had basic knowledge.

“There are four main activities of intelligence agencies: intelligence collection, intelligence analysis, covert operations, and counterintelligence. Intelligence collection methods are divided into six categories—do you know them?”

“Human intelligence, technical intelligence, signals intelligence, measurement intelligence, geospatial intelligence, and open-source intelligence. Right?”

“Yes, in modern intelligence warfare, the importance of technical intelligence and open-source intelligence is increasing daily, while human intelligence—collection through spies—is relatively weakening. That’s because technology is advancing.”

“But HUMINT is still important, right?”

“Of course. Anyway, according to established plans or when demands arise, national intelligence agencies and departmental intelligence agencies collect intelligence through various routes. That’s PNIO, EEI, and SRI.”

“PNIO.”

“Priority National Intelligence Objectives, comprehensive guidelines produced annually by national intelligence agencies for efficient intelligence collection and production, distributed to various intelligence agencies.”

“EEI.”

“Essential Elements of Information, established by national intelligence agencies and departmental intelligence agencies based on PNIO, basic intelligence collection activities conducted consistently regardless of conditions.”

“SRI.”

“Special Request for Intelligence, unexpected sudden situations… like when planes crash into twin towers, or when additional intelligence is needed according to OIR (Other Intelligence Requirements).”

“…Is that all?”

“Is there more?”

“You forgot that SRI is not included in PNIO or EEI, and takes precedence over PNIO and EEI. Memorize it again.”

“…Can’t you let it slide just once?”

“No, I won’t change my mind. Memorize it again.”

“Ugh…”

While there were some issues, it wasn’t bad overall.

Thanks to Camilla’s university studies in national intelligence, this session allowed for deeper education compared to other sessions.

“The history of HUMINT dates back to ancient times. Ancient Egypt used spies in wars against the Hittites, and espionage was active in ancient China during the Spring and Autumn period. It’s even mentioned in the Bible.”

“Oh, is that the part with Moses?”

“That’s right. When Moses led the Jews to Canaan, he organized reconnaissance teams and used informants, as described in the Bible. Did you know that?”

“I heard about it from a friend who attended a mission school. Are you a Christian, Major?”

“No, I’m not. I just picked it up from a Jewish friend.”

“Jewish?”

“He’s Israeli. Of course, from a conservative perspective, he’s not an orthodox Jew since his mother’s family isn’t Jewish… but he introduced himself as Jewish, so that’s what I call him.”

“People don’t realize this, but different countries and intelligence agencies focus on different issues. The United States acts as the world’s police and conducts intelligence activities globally, but other countries only need to take care of their own security. For example, Indian intelligence agencies primarily focus on China and Pakistan-related work, while Israeli intelligence agencies deal with Iran, surrounding Middle Eastern countries, and Palestinian armed groups like Hamas. That’s why Israeli intelligence agencies closely cooperate with American and British intelligence agencies that are deeply involved in Middle Eastern issues.”

“Is India’s focus on Pakistan related to border disputes?”

“Of course. India’s main adversaries are China and Pakistan. Wait a minute. Come to think of it, weren’t both India and Pakistan British colonies? How can a British person not know why India and Pakistan are fighting?”

“What about your homeland, South Korea?”

“We’re always dealing with North Korea, as usual. Of course, we also handle neighboring Japan, China, and Russia.”

As a conflict studies major, Camilla was well-versed in the world’s various conflicts, which made our conversation flow smoothly.

Incidentally, Camilla seemed to have adapted enough to easily ignore my nonsense. Or perhaps she was just pretending not to notice.

“There’s a perspective on intelligence analysis methods called the technical school. Do you know what it is?”

“It’s an approach that strictly separates intelligence from policy, from what I understand. I believe Soviet intelligence agencies used it most. Conversely, American intelligence agencies emphasize connecting intelligence with policy and understanding causal relationships. The scientific prediction school, was it?”

“That’s correct. You’ve studied well. Do you also know why Soviet intelligence agencies separated intelligence from policy?”

“I don’t know that… Why did they separate them?”

“It’s because of the characteristics of Soviet intelligence agencies. During the NKVD and KGB eras, they purged political figures within the intelligence agencies and established themselves as independent agencies free from Communist Party influence. That’s why intelligence agencies in former communist countries influenced by the Soviet Union, like North Korea, Vietnam, and China, as well as Russian intelligence agencies, still retain many traces of the KGB. Remember this as common knowledge. It might be useful in England too.”

“Is there a way to gain credibility when analyzing intelligence?”

“There are many ways. As I mentioned yesterday, if an analyst has extensive knowledge about the target region’s culture, history, ideology, language, politics, society, economy, and popular culture, credibility is ensured. It also helps to accurately understand the relationship between your country and the nation or organization you’re analyzing. In short, having expertise makes it easier to gain trust.”

“Then what about ways to lose credibility?”

“There are plenty of those too. For example, adding too many footnotes to reports, or focusing excessively on current intelligence to suit the consumer’s taste… Especially when focusing on current intelligence or short-term tactical information, not only does the analyst’s ability deteriorate, but work becomes inefficient as they produce reports tailored to policymakers’ preferences. The more intelligence becomes contaminated and distorted, and the more consumers overrely on intelligence agencies, the higher the probability of problems. That’s why the CIA made a blunder after the Twin Towers fell, claiming Hussein had hidden WMDs, leading to the deployment of troops in Iraq. Of course, Hussein’s provocative behavior was also a cause.”

“Adding more footnotes reduces credibility? Why?”

“It’s somewhat related to psychology… Simply put, analysts fight by cramming their reports with footnotes to assert their arguments. In intelligence studies, this is called the footnote war or annotation war. But why do you ask?”

“Oh, I briefly worked in analysis during my internship at SIS. I was just curious.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll give you a topic to analyze by this weekend. The topic is… predicting the location of a core member of an Islamic fundamentalist armed group. That should be sufficient.”

“What? Suddenly?”

“SRI is always assigned suddenly.”

Since Camilla already had sufficient knowledge of theories and concepts from her university courses, there wasn’t much to teach. So for this session specifically, I assigned homework instead of theoretical lectures.

Intelligence agencies typically train new recruits by giving them assignments to analyze, so for Camilla, who had internship experience, this would be a better lesson than teaching the same theories again. It’s absolutely not because I was too lazy to talk.

Anyway.

Camilla followed the set schedule, training during the day and studying theory at night. But the most important aspect was something else.

Physical fitness.

“Run!”

“Huff…! Huff…!”

“I said run! Why can’t you manage just 10km!”

Camilla’s daily routine consisted solely of sitting at a desk reading books and practicing magic, so she had completely avoided exercise. In other words, her physical condition was highly questionable.

For an intelligence officer, physical fitness is one of the most basic requirements. You need physical stamina to endure intensive training and grueling work. And Camilla was currently receiving basic intelligence officer training from me.

So I needed to somehow improve Camilla’s basic physical fitness, which is why we were running around the neighborhood from 6 AM.

“Hey! Focus! We’re only halfway and you’re already giving up!”

“Gaaaaah… I am running… Gaaaaah…”

“If you keep falling behind like this, I’ll have no choice but to chase you with a club. Want to run while getting hit with a maple wood club?”

“Who… chases someone… exercising… with a club…!”

“Instructors do! I know because I’ve been hit myself.”

“Gaaaaah…!”

After running around the neighborhood from 6 AM to build basic stamina, we would have breakfast and then begin training.

Since this was an unfamiliar field requiring long-term training, I made time to teach her directly as much as possible.

“Use blind spots. Main roads make it difficult to detect surveillance and easier to be monitored. This applies not just here but on Earth too. If you use main roads, your face gets caught on CCTV. Plus, there’s a risk of pickpocketing.”

“Pickpocketing?”

“There are many criminals targeting tourists’ and foreigners’ pockets. This neighborhood has criminals running rampant these days, so be careful. The world is quite dangerous…”

“Should I dress more shabbily?”

“That’s a good idea too.”

How to use blind spots.

How to evade surveillance and monitoring.

How to remain inconspicuous.

How to haggle on the street, and so on.

I taught everything I could, and had her collect information to practice conversational skills. Especially conversational skills. I focused intensively on this area as I thought it was the most difficult and vulnerable part. I gave her a voice recorder, and Camilla would stop passersby, ask various questions, and collect information.

“…Good. The recording came out well. But you made one mistake.”

“What mistake?”

“First, you said you’re briefly visiting to meet a friend studying abroad in Matap. Second, your friend is studying sorcery. Third, your friend lives nearby. Fourth, you’ve been close friends since childhood, attending the academy together. Fifth, your occupation is a painter. This is what you told that foreigner about yourself. Correct?”

“Yes. Is there a problem with that?”

“Let’s assume that person is an intelligence officer. Do you have any evidence—testimonies or documents—about your imaginary friend’s identity, residence, university, or related individuals?”

“No.”

“Let’s say that imaginary friend exists. You told that foreigner you’re a painter. If that person were an intelligence officer, they would investigate what works you’ve created, what awards you’ve received, and what you’re currently working on. Could you prove any of that?”

“…Um, no.”

“If that foreigner you just spoke with were really an intelligence officer, all the lies you just told would need to become truth. Do you understand what you did wrong?”

“…”

“Don’t tell lies that will be easily exposed. Also, remember that intelligence agencies don’t choose artistic or creative professions as cover jobs without special reasons.”

Of course, that wasn’t her only weakness.

“You’ve only borrowed psychology books? Good job. But you don’t have any of your usual books. Didn’t the librarian say anything?”

“She did ask if I suddenly became interested in psychology.”

“What did I tell you?”

“Um, not to do anything that stands out…?”

“From the librarian’s perspective, does Camilla’s behavior stand out or not?”

“…”

To be honest, Camilla wasn’t particularly skilled at lying without batting an eye or deceiving others convincingly. And she repeatedly made minor mistakes that an intelligence officer wouldn’t make.

I understand. How could someone change 20 years of habits at once? Moreover, Camilla was venturing into a field she had never entered before.

So I could fully understand and empathize. I was the same way. It would be excessive to expect her to excel at everything when she hadn’t even been training for a week.

But her Cambridge-level intellect was far from ordinary.

Although she couldn’t lie well, Camilla had the talent to understand perfectly even when explanations were unclear, and she was very intelligent.

“Predicting the location of a core member of an Islamic fundamentalist armed group is simple. I’ll give you hypothetical data and intelligence, and you’ll analyze it to determine the likely location.”

“Hmm… What’s the setting here?”

“The Levant. You know where the Levant is, right?”

“Isn’t it the region extending from Egypt to Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria? The area where four wars were fought over the Suez Canal. Plus, Syria is currently in civil war… Come to think of it, you were in Syria too, right? Did you serve as a peacekeeper?”

“Not exactly, but I did stay in Damascus and Raqqa for a few months.”

Her memory was excellent too.

“Zakyah… Sahnaya…. Wait a minute. Aren’t these areas in southern Syria? Southwest of Damascus. I think they’re villages that Israel bombed?”

“Um… probably not?”

“No, they are. Zakyah was suspected to have a Hezbollah stronghold supported by Iran, and Sahnaya had a Syrian army base. I know Sahnaya especially because I went there for volunteer work with my sister.”

There were some issues because she was too good, but anyway.

“You’re doing very well. When collecting information through conversation, don’t try to extract all the information at once. Take your time and find out gradually.”

“Find out gradually?”

“You know how in medieval times, people would shave off the edges of coins to make a profit? That’s exactly what you should do. If you keep asking about a specific topic, the other person might feel uncomfortable and avoid it, or in severe cases, end the conversation.”

“…Oh.”

“So don’t try to find out everything at once. If you can’t extract all the information here today, that’s fine. You can set up another reception, make contact again, and collect information then. You’re doing well. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Camilla had good social skills, making it easy for her to recruit people, and while she couldn’t easily adapt to a different world’s culture, she had a decent way with words that could charm people. She could probably use this strength to compensate for her weaknesses.

However,

What I looked forward to most was:

“I’m ready.”

“Let’s begin.”

Analysis.

*

Camilla appeared with a large hardboard that high school students might use for group presentations. The board was covered with dense notes, strings connecting various points, and crudely drawn maps.

I turned on the voice recorder and signaled with my hand, and Camilla began speaking while pointing at the board.

“…Alright. Let’s start with the overview.”

[Overview]

△ A Western intelligence agency has been tracking a core member of the Salafist terrorist group “Al-Nusra Front, ANF” for several years.

△ ANF aims to overthrow the Assad regime in Syria and establish a Sunni Islamic state, carrying out a suicide bombing against riot police in Damascus in 2012, a suicide bombing targeting government forces in Aleppo in 2013, and 57 other suicide attacks that same year.

△ Currently, ANF occupies parts of Syria, governing based on Sharia law, with approximately 10,000 combat troops deployed throughout Syria.

△ The intelligence consumer has requested through SRI to investigate the expected location of “Abu Humam al-Shami (AHS),” a military operations commander and core member of ANF, on May 1.

△ The intelligence agency has established hypotheses based on archived materials and collected data until the collection deadline of April 30.

“According to the overview you provided, an intelligence agency that has been tracking the Al-Nusra Front, an armed group within Syria, for several years has recently been ordered by its policymakers to investigate the expected location of a core member of the Al-Nusra Front on May 1.”

“The Al-Nusra Front is an anti-Assad government group operating in Syria, aiming to overthrow the Assad government and establish a Sunni Islamic state.”

“The Assad government has traditionally been friendly with Hezbollah and Hamas, and has poor relations with Israel. Naturally, it also has bad relations with the West, including the United States, which supports Israel. Conversely, it’s quite friendly with Iran and Russia—so much so that the Russian Air Force conducts bombings on behalf of government forces.”

“In this context, ANF might seem aligned with the West since it opposes the Assad government, but ANF fundamentally advocates returning to early Islamic society ruled by Sharia, so it’s not friendly with anyone.”

“My goal is to find out where AHS, ANF’s military advisor, will be on May 1. Below is the intelligence you provided, or rather, the intelligence collected by the Western intelligence agency in this scenario.”

[Intelligence]

△ a. AHS enjoys sushi, roasted lamb, whole roasted camel, chicken curry, and palm wine.

△ b. AHS ate chicken curry at a curry restaurant in Zakyah, Syria at around 4 PM on March 13 (Zakyah is located southwest of Damascus)

b-1. His presence in Zakyah is clearly confirmed.

△ c. AHS held a tea gathering with ANF executives in Al Mokaylebah, Syria at around 3 PM on March 24.

△ d. AHS held a fasting prayer session with ANF subordinates at a safe house in Sahnaya, Syria at around 2 AM on April 1 (Sahnaya is located southwest of Damascus)

△ e. AHS bought roasted lamb for himself and his subordinates at a night market in Sahnaya, Syria at around 3 AM on April 4, then headed to a safe house.

△ f. From April 5 to 22, AHS did not leave the safe house in Sahnaya and procured food at night through his subordinates. Analysis shows he ate the same food every day.

△ g. AHS’s favorite whole roasted camel restaurant is Al-Asman, located on Street B in Damascus. Whole roasted camel is a rare dish that few restaurants serve, but the restaurant closes during Ramadan as the owner goes on pilgrimage. It reopens on May 1. May 2 is the restaurant’s own holiday.

△ h. The Ramadan period for 20XX is April 1-April 30.

△ i. AHS’s favorite roasted lamb restaurant is in Sahnaya. The owner will be on pilgrimage from April 23 to May 8.

△ j. AHS likes sushi but only eats halal-certified sushi.

△ k. There are no halal-certified sushi restaurants in Damascus.

△ l. AHS prepared a safe house on Street R in southern Damascus on April 29 and moved some equipment from Sahnaya to that location (reported by a local collaborator)

△ m. AHS fasted until evening on April 30.

△ n. AHS is scheduled to meet with an ANF executive who is a CIA informant in Maarba on May 3 (Maarba is located north of Damascus)

△ o. According to information provided by Dutch intelligence, government and security agencies in Damascus have confirmed an agreement not to interfere with ANF as long as they don’t engage in extreme actions due to ANF’s influence.

△ p. AHS’s close associate was confirmed enjoying shisha at a shisha shop on Street B on April 30.

“…It’s a bit, no, very long, but let me summarize. First, let’s look at the locations.”

I interrupted Camilla.

“Before that, please explain how you analyzed this.”

“Oh…”

Camilla answered with a slightly flustered expression.

“I applied the causal chain technique. Since the data is limited… I thought qualitative analysis, which examines causality through inference and argumentation, would be more appropriate than quantitative analysis, which produces statistical figures.”

“I see. Please continue.”

Camilla resumed her explanation, flipping through the sticky notes plastered all over the board. Suddenly, her speech began to accelerate. Either she was nervous or excited. One of the two.

I made a small note of her characteristic and checked that the voice recorder was working properly.

“If we combine intelligence items b, c, d, and l, we can see where AHS is moving. He’s gradually moving from the southern Damascus area toward Damascus. The important thing is his speed of movement.”

“The speed is very slow. We can’t tell if it’s due to transportation issues, health, or scheduling problems, but looking at the results, AHS appears to be moving very cautiously. If this prediction is accurate, based on intelligence item n, which mentions ‘a scheduled meeting with an ANF executive in Maarba on May 3,’ we can determine that his final destination is northern Damascus. In other words, he’s somewhere between the north and south.”

“Next, let’s look at information about Damascus.”

“Combining l and o, we can see that he has established a base in Damascus, the capital of Syria. This suggests that ANF’s organization or AHS’s personal influence is being exerted there. If so, this is certainly a secure area and likely a major operational area.”

“Also, according to b, d, e, f, h, and m, during the Ramadan period from April 1 to 30, AHS ate the same food every day and fasted on the 30th. This suggests his appetite will be strong after the 30th. Because he’s been hungry.”

As I wrote down her analysis on paper, I checked for any problems or deficiencies.

Meanwhile, Camilla paused briefly and took a short breath.

“Is there a problem? Should we take a break?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Camilla smiled brightly at me. She seems to know she’s nervous.

“Finally, I looked into AHS’s schedule.”

“From intelligence items a, b, e, f, g, i, j, and k, I could determine what foods AHS prefers. He likes sushi, roasted lamb, chicken curry, and whole roasted camel.”

“However, as a Muslim, AHS cannot eat halal-certified sushi in Damascus. He’s probably tired of roasted lamb since he eats it almost every day. Plus, the owner of his frequent restaurant is away on pilgrimage. Meanwhile, the whole roasted camel restaurant was closed until April 30 and reopens on May 1. Of course, it will be closed on the 2nd due to its own holiday. But AHS is scheduled to meet with a CIA informant executive in Maarba, north of Damascus, on May 3. He won’t have time to enjoy whole roasted camel that day. So if AHS has decided to eat whole roasted camel, he’s likely to visit the restaurant on May 1.”

“Checking g and p, it appears AHS’s close associate has coordinated with the owner of Al-Asman, the whole roasted camel restaurant, to arrange seating or to check escape routes, surveillance, and monitoring around the area. Of course, he might choose to eat chicken curry, but that wouldn’t explain why his associate was near the whole roasted camel restaurant.”

“Moreover, according to o, AHS has an agreement with the Damascus government. The government has poor relations with him and can’t seek cooperation, with enemies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Russia. So AHS is likely to avoid leaving the safe house in Damascus until the meeting. If he did, he might end up as a corpse in the desert.”

Let me summarize.

Camilla pointed to the strings connected on the board and concluded her analysis.

“First, AHS is likely to be in Damascus on May 1.”

“Second, if AHS eats a meal, he will likely do so at a restaurant within Damascus for safety reasons.”

“Third, AHS is likely to eat whole roasted camel at Al-Asman located on Street B in Damascus. Unless he suddenly craves chicken curry.”

Conclusion.

“In summary, ‘Abu Humam al-Shami,’ a core member of the Salafist terrorist group ANF, is likely to dine at the Al-Asman restaurant on Street B in Damascus, Syria on May 1.”

After finishing, Camilla gulped down bottled water as if her throat was dry. Then, breathing somewhat heavily, she asked me a question.

“…”

“Um, how was it?”

“…You did well.”

It was a perfect analysis.