Ch.160Episode 9 – Old Fashioned

□Paramilitary Operations Officer

Paramilitary Operations Officers direct covert operations and collect foreign intelligence necessary for national security policymakers.

You will assume challenging responsibilities as a professional, take considerable risks, and bear responsibility for the outcomes.

Full-time position.

Starting salary: $70,491 – $116,788 (*Higher salary possible depending on experience)

Bachelor’s degree required.

□Minimum Qualifications:

Accredited four-year bachelor’s degree.

Military service experience.

High level of physical fitness capable of successfully completing military training.

Strong willingness to serve in dangerous foreign environments.

Impeccable mental health and moral character.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills regardless of conditions.

Dedication to the CIA and DO.

□Preferred Qualifications:

Minimum of 8 years of active duty service.

Officer experience.

Operational experience.

Overseas deployment experience.

※Note:

Paramilitary Operations Officers spend “most” of their time conducting short-term and medium-to-long-term operations abroad.

-CIA CAREERS, Paramilitary Operations Officer.

Episode 9 – Old Fashioned

The disciplinary committee finally got to the point. It was a meeting disguised as a disciplinary committee. Perhaps even an interview.

By instinct, I knew that my future would be decided right here, right now.

“I’ve read your materials. Newspapers, magazines, academic journals… You’ve subscribed to quite a few.”

One of the committee members seated in the center spoke first. The member wearing thin glasses casually flipped through some papers and asked a question with an indifferent attitude.

“What do you think is the most critical threat to our security?”

“In the past, it was war. Military threats directly related to national defense were the most critical.”

“And now?”

“It’s diverse.”

The committee member said:

“How would you define terrorism?”

“I don’t believe that’s something I should presume to discuss.”

The committee member removed his glasses and held them in his hand. Gripping the temple of the glasses, he put the end in his mouth and leaned back. His shoulders opened up. A positive signal.

“According to recent academic definitions, terrorism refers to groups or individuals who employ violence to threaten others in pursuit of political objectives. We believe this category includes the organizations in the no-man’s-land related to the current situation.”

“The Minister of Internal Affairs will be speaking to Parliament next week. He will identify terrorism as one of the threats facing the government and formally request legal amendments and budget allocations through the Parliamentary Special Investigation Committee and the relevant standing committee.”

One of the threats, he says.

The specific wording suggests there’s something else at play.

Sure enough, a kindly-looking committee member addressed me. He was from the Special Investigation Bureau.

“Intelligence Officer, do you know how much drugs were smuggled into Abas from abroad in 1989?”

“I don’t know.”

“Seven tons. And last year, the total weight of drugs seized by our authorities was 56 tons. Do you know how much it is this year?”

“…”

“112 tons.”

The committee member continued:

“Drug-related prosecutions have increased by 50% compared to last year, and the weight of seized drugs has nearly doubled. There are more drug offenders arrested this year than in the past three years combined. The weight of confiscated drugs is twice that amount.”

“Drugs aren’t the only problem.”

A committee member from the Foreign Ministry spoke up. The woman with short bobbed hair had been silently watching me with an expressionless face the entire time.

“Over the past several years, the civil war in the Moritani region has intensified daily. Tribal conflicts entangled with religious, cultural, historical, and ethnic issues have escalated into civil war. Currently, many governments have lost control.”

“…”

“Tribes based in the provinces have transformed into warlords. In situations where the central government’s role is difficult to expect, they effectively function as local governments. Some mainstream tribes have absorbed local military forces and initiated separatist movements. I’ve even heard that some tribes are approaching foreign governments to establish independent diplomatic relations.”

A slightly hoarse, murky voice continued:

“Of course, that’s not all.”

The committee members began to speak one by one. Most of the content was technical and specific, but I had no trouble understanding.

After all, it was related to me.

“When there was an assassination attempt against the Intelligence Officer, an employee of the Royal Intelligence Service operating in the Moritani region had an accident. He was an intelligence officer managing armed forces in his assigned area. While collecting intelligence on black magic items traded in the local black market, his safe house was raided. We believe these items are related to the recent terrorist attack, and that a foreign intelligence agency was behind the raid on the intelligence officer, but due to uncooperative local authorities, we failed to track down the exact perpetrators.”

“Several months ago, there was a case of foreigners illegally entering southern Abas across the border. The border guard discovered and arrested the illegal immigrants during riverbank surveillance. Through interrogations by military intelligence, the Special Investigation Bureau, and the police, we determined that terrorists and rebels were mixed among the refugees. However, when we investigated through overseas channels, we found that this illegal entry route had been used for the past two years through foreign brokers, and by the time we began our investigation, so many foreigners had already used this route that we couldn’t determine the exact number.”

“The Advanced Military Magic Research Institute. I think you know it well since you’ve been there. When a spy sent by the Magic Tower was leaking confidential information about weapon systems and pharmaceuticals under development at the Institute. On the same day, in a different location, the Special Investigation Bureau intercepted an attempt to leak industrial technology being researched by a domestic conglomerate. It was a relatively minor technology compared to military secrets.”

“…”

“The funny thing is, the estimated damage if that technology had been leaked would have been several hundred billion shillings. If it had been leaked, not only would there have been economic losses, but our companies would have lost their technological edge in the global market, making the loss difficult to calculate. Of course, this is excluding the activities of other foreign intelligence agencies. There’s no need to mention those specifically.”

“…”

“This is the problem.”

The committee member said:

“Terrorism, industrial espionage, international criminal organizations trafficking drugs and counterfeit currency, conflicts, diseases, refugees, food, resources… Things we never considered threats in the past are now emerging as new threats.”

Threats beyond traditional security concerns, unprecedented challenges faced by numerous intelligence agencies since the end of the Cold War. The committee member quietly recited in a calm voice.

“How long do you think this situation will last?”

It wasn’t a question. The answer was already evident.

“Fortunately, the government has prepared measures to address these new threats we face. We’ve decided to strengthen cooperation between relevant departments, recruit more personnel, provide education and training to secure expertise, and expand exchanges with foreign governments.”

“…”

“Of course, there will also be major organizational restructuring. It will take some time for each agency to complete its reorganization and for the organization and this committee to stabilize.”

“…Committee?”

“Where you’re sitting right now is a newly established committee. A committee composed of personnel dispatched from major agencies, dealing with new threats and national security issues facing our government.”

Quite a sudden revelation.

The committee member who had laid out this unexpected information looked at me intently with an unreadable expression.

“To be frank, if we just sit here dazed, the country will collapse. Times are changing, so people should change too.”

“…”

“In that sense, we would like the Intelligence Officer to join a newly established organization.”

“What kind of organization?”

“A task force. It will be composed of experts drawn from various fields including defense, intelligence, diplomacy, and security.”

“Why me specifically?”

“Because you’re the right person for the job.”

One committee member lifted a folder, and someone sitting in the corner quietly stood up and handed the documents to me.

Inside the file were various graphs and charts messily drawn, with the emblem of the Cabinet Security Office at the center.

“This year, the activities of foreign intelligence agencies and unusual movements of terrorist organizations have increased several times compared to previous years. They’re particularly concentrated in the past few months. Specifically, from the moment the person currently staying with you was summoned by our Abas.”

“…”

“While we’re still determining the exact connection, we believe that the series of incidents occurring this year are not unrelated to the hero’s appearance. You know this well, don’t you?”

I didn’t answer. And that was my answer.

I remained silent, and the committee member smiled gently.

“I understand. Anyone would covet a mage who can single-handedly produce the firepower of a regular army battalion without proper training or acquiring decent skills. The Magic Society believes she could reach a level comparable to an archmage. The same level as those legendary mages who achieved victory in the war against the Church.”

“…”

“You know what I mean?”

It meant that Camilla was too valuable to lose, so they needed to claim her before someone else snatched her away. Whether it was a nation, organization, or individual.

That’s a rather elaborate way to order a hit.

“Two individuals have recommended you for the position of Paramilitary Operations Officer.”

At the committee member’s words, I turned my head to look at those sitting in the corner. Clavins subtly averted his gaze, while Leoni was staring at me with his characteristically intense eyes.

I blinked quietly with a faint sigh. I wanted to get this over with quickly rather than drag it out since it was giving me a headache. So I asked:

“If I become a Paramilitary Operations Officer, what happens to me?”

“If you accept our proposal, you’ll be assigned to work on related matters in the TF with other intelligence officers. Normally, you would undergo a period of training before being deployed to the field, but… unfortunately, we don’t have that luxury right now.”

That means going straight into action.

“And if I refuse?”

“That’s fine. You’ll continue working at the embassy as you do now, and you won’t face any disadvantages.”

However.

“Since you’re operating in an embassy under surveillance by foreign intelligence agencies, you won’t be able to continue field work as before.”

“…”

“You’ve been in the field for a long time, so you know how things work, don’t you?”

The committee member concluded with a gentle smile still on his face. Simultaneously, the elderly man who had kept his mouth firmly shut opened it.

It was the chairman.

“We’re not asking you to decide right now. We’ll give you plenty of time to think about it. You said you received about a month of vacation? That should be sufficient. We’ll be waiting for a positive answer.”

“…”

“Enjoy your vacation.”

*

When you make a living in society, you naturally develop a sense of reading between the lines. People call this social skills.

And when you earn a government salary in an intelligence agency, you naturally develop this sense. That’s because intelligence agencies are workplaces too, in their own way.

The higher-ups want me to become a Paramilitary Operations Officer. Two superiors have recommended me, and they’re even planning to deploy me directly to the field, ignoring regulations. At this point, it’s not a suggestion but a threat.

Given the nature of the organization, their insistence suggests they intend to squeeze every last drop from my spine. If I were to say something like, “Could I do office work instead of field work? My health hasn’t been good lately…”, they would likely make me take off my uniform and rest at home for the rest of my life. Even their offer of time to think was essentially telling me to prepare myself mentally.

In the end, I had to make a choice. When they’re basically saying “do it or get out,” what choice do I have? When they say jump, I just have to ask how high.

“Haah…”

“Why do you keep sighing? You’ll make the ground cave in.”

Veronica grumbled beside me, poking my side. Wearing sunglasses, she looked more like a tourist than a religious saint.

Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now.

“Saint…”

“Did you eat something bad? Why are you making such a gloomy face when you’re not usually like this?”

“I wonder…”

“Just hurry and unload the luggage.”

I followed Veronica’s instructions, taking out the luggage bags from above and tossing them into the corridor. As she and I placed the bags on the floor, Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca approached with small steps to collect the luggage and shuttle back and forth across the platform.

Veronica, having put down her carrier, exhaled lightly and smiled brightly.

“Whew! Now it feels like we’re on vacation. Being cooped up in the hotel was just killing me.”

“Why come to the beach when December is right around the corner? We should just stay at the hotel…”

“No! We’ve come all the way to Abas, how could we not visit the southern resort known for its mild climate year-round?!”

“So it’s fine for you to abandon your official duties and stick around here?”

“That’s… I can’t argue with that.”

“Sigh.”

I came down to the platform with a deep sigh, carrying heavy bags in both hands. I could see Camilla waddling like a penguin ahead of me. As I was about to call out to her, a gust of wind blew my bangs into my eyes.

A warm breeze.

Pushing my hair away with my fingers and narrowing my eyes, I could see in the distance the picturesque, mild coastal city stretching out under the clear sky.

“Wow. The southern part of Abas really is nice. Don’t you think, Major?”

“…”

Instead of answering, I nodded and joined the group with Veronica.

It was the official beginning of my first proper vacation in months.