Ch.195Episode 10 – Turn Your Course to the North-Northwest
by fnovelpia
Vasili Vladimirovich, the aide, and his family emerged from their home.
His wife put their daughter in the backseat and got in herself, while the aide placed his bags in the trunk before taking the wheel.
An intelligence officer from the Imperial Guard, a member of Yekaterina’s team, photographed their every move as evidence.
“Vasili Vladimirovich is now leaving his residence and on the move,” Yekaterina reported into her radio while fastening her seatbelt.
“Get out of the car right now and go to his house. Collect anything that could serve as evidence.”
-“Has a search warrant been issued?”
Search warrant? There wasn’t even time for that.
Fortunately, the Imperial Guard wasn’t an organization that strictly enforced rules against illegal evidence collection. What intelligence agency would?
While team members who had been monitoring the apartment climbed the stairs toward the aide’s home, Yekaterina drove her vehicle to follow the aide.
Meanwhile, the radio continued to buzz with activity.
-“Communications team has arrived.”
-“Support from the Academy Division is here. We’ve reached the vicinity of the destination. What should we do?”
-“Yekaterina. We’re here.”
Yekaterina’s deputy team leader identified himself on the Imperial Guard radio network and broadcast the situation.
“Everyone, listen carefully. Three nationals suspected of attempting to defect are currently on the move after leaving their residence. Our team is in pursuit, so please stand by for now.”
Driving skillfully, Yekaterina kept her eyes fixed on the aide’s vehicle while muttering to herself.
“Where on earth are they going?”
The answer came soon enough.
The aide suddenly pulled over to the shoulder, grabbed his luggage from the trunk, and hurriedly entered a building with his family.
Yekaterina parked her car at a distance, then raised her binoculars to identify the building the aide’s family had entered.
The sign at the front of the building read:
[Embassy of the Kingdom of Abas to the Empire of Kiyen]
Episode 10 – Set Course North-Northwest
The aide and his family had entered the Abas Embassy. There was nothing more to see.
“Defection confirmed.”
While a team member photographed the aide’s parked car and the family entering the embassy, Yekaterina got out of her car and joined the Imperial Guard support team.
Counterintelligence, domestic intelligence, signals intelligence, and more.
Intelligence officers from various divisions had gathered in an alley near the Abas Embassy.
“Yekaterina!”
An intelligence officer who recognized her waved enthusiastically. Yekaterina nodded in acknowledgment, then explained the situation to the gathered officers.
“An aide with access to military and state secrets has just defected with his family.”
“…”
“Our team confirmed them entering the Abas Embassy, and we’re currently searching his residence. They’re inside the embassy now.”
While the intelligence officers blinked, trying to process this sudden information, one of Yekaterina’s colleagues asked her a question.
“What do we do now?”
“First, we need to bug the embassy and station personnel at every exit for surveillance. No one knows when or where they might try to escape.”
“Ugh… looks like we’re working overtime again.”
At the mention of overtime, the intelligence officers pulled out their personal phones to notify family, lovers, and friends that they’d be home late.
Yekaterina quietly conversed with her colleague while surveying the surroundings.
“Is there a safe house nearby? Anywhere we can monitor the embassy from would be fine.”
“Hmm? There are plenty of safe houses, but I don’t think there’s one near the Abas Embassy.”
“A safe house? Not exactly, but there is a place,” interjected one of the intelligence officers. Yekaterina and her colleague turned to him simultaneously.
He was a low-ranking Imperial Guard employee who pointed to a nearby building and explained:
“My friend lives in that building. He’s a graduate student with a fairly spacious apartment, and you should be able to see the Abas Embassy from there.”
Yekaterina immediately led the junior officer to the building where his friend lived.
The friend, who had been enjoying a rare break from his lab at home, answered the door after receiving a call from his friend who claimed to work for a government agency.
Yekaterina flashed her Imperial Guard ID and identified herself.
“Imperial Guard. This is your residence, correct?”
“Uh, y-yes, it is…”
“We’ll be using it for just today. For any damaged furniture, dishes, or lost items, please contact this number for compensation.”
The graduate student, receiving the Imperial Guard business card, looked back and forth between his friend and Yekaterina with a dumbfounded expression.
Regardless, Imperial Guard personnel flooded into the apartment at the mention of a safe house, setting up their operation.
The graduate student, witnessing strange equipment being installed in his apartment for the first time since leaving his mother’s womb, mumbled dazedly to Yekaterina:
“Should I… just stay in my room?”
“No. Please leave immediately.”
Yekaterina stuffed a wad of cash into the owner’s hand before showing him out.
His friend complained bitterly to the junior officer about being kicked out in the middle of his sleep, but Yekaterina coolly ignored him and closed the door.
Having requisitioned an apartment in the blink of an eye, the Imperial Guard staff began converting the studio into an operations center.
“Ugh!”
A technician carried heavy equipment to the window.
While he set up the equipment, another technician slightly opened the window, extended surveillance gear outside, and immediately drew the curtains to conceal the interior.
The technicians blocked all windows that could provide a view into the apartment from outside.
Most windows were covered with curtains, firmly secured with tape to prevent movement.
As surveillance equipment targeting the Abas Embassy was being set up one by one, a technician responsible for the operation approached Yekaterina.
“The equipment is mostly installed and just needs testing, but there are too many people in the apartment, making our team uncomfortable.”
“What specifically is uncomfortable?”
“It’s more about the equipment than the people. If someone trips over a wire or bumps into equipment, it could break. These are expensive and need to be handled carefully.”
Yekaterina decided to send people out.
The technicians operating the surveillance equipment were essential and had to stay, while lower-ranking staff among the other personnel were sent outside.
The junior staff, suddenly evicted from the apartment, were assigned to monitor the embassy from the rooftop or vehicles.
The apartment owner, crouched in the hallway, asked his friend to “please not smoke in the apartment, just in case.”
With only essential personnel and team leaders remaining in the apartment, Yekaterina slightly parted the curtains to look down at the Abas Embassy.
The embassy, less than a minute’s run away, was eerily quiet.
Closing the curtains, Yekaterina gathered the team leaders.
“Now that we’ve handled the urgent matter, let’s share information.”
*
At that moment, inside the Abas Embassy.
Having safely entered the embassy, the aide held his wife and daughter’s hands tightly.
“It’s going to be alright. Everything will be fine now.”
“Darling…”
“It’s okay. There won’t be any problems…”
His wife’s hand trembled as she called to him anxiously. The aide silently comforted his wife and daughter, who looked ready to burst into tears.
After calming his family, the head of the household told them to wait there briefly, then left the office to find someone.
“Military Attaché Nostrim.”
“Ah, Mr. Vasili Vladimirovich. You’ve arrived safely.”
“Yes.”
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
Fredrik, who had been conversing with another attaché, recognized the aide. He dismissed the attaché with a gesture and discreetly inquired about the aide’s condition.
“Are you alright? Did you have any problems on your way here?”
“No. There were no issues.”
“That’s good. How are your wife and daughter?”
“They’re quite tense, but fine. My daughter’s health is also not a concern.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Fredrik replied with a gentle smile.
He led the aide to an empty office deep within the embassy—a location surrounded by the main embassy building, completely secure from external surveillance or eavesdropping.
Fredrik explained the situation to the aide as concisely as possible.
“First, I want to commend you for making it to the embassy. However, we have a problem.”
“A problem…?”
“It seems your defection has been leaked. The Imperial Guard has us under surveillance.”
At the news that the Imperial Guard was aware of the defection, the aide’s face turned ashen. Fredrik guided the aide, who looked ready to faint, to a chair and continued in a calm voice.
“There’s no need to worry. We have a safe way to get you out of the embassy.”
“A safe way…? What is it…?”
The military attaché explained to the aide:
“All vehicles registered to diplomatic missions have diplomatic license plates. By international law and convention, vehicles with diplomatic plates can avoid inspection by the receiving state. If you and your family board an embassy vehicle, you can travel safely.”
The aide, listening to the explanation, couldn’t hide his confusion and asked in a slightly trembling voice:
“But, wouldn’t the Empire know about diplomatic mission vehicles…?”
“Of course the Imperial Foreign Ministry knows. After all, you need to register with the Foreign Ministry to receive diplomatic plates.”
“Then, wouldn’t the Imperial Guard follow us…?”
He was right.
Typically, when a defector attempts to escape through an embassy, they almost always use embassy vehicles. It’s the only way to pass checkpoints when there’s a warrant out for their arrest.
Of course, counterintelligence agencies are aware of this.
In other words:
“As of now, the embassy is under surveillance. Not only you and your family but any diplomat or administrative staff leaving the embassy will be monitored by the Empire. And vehicles will naturally be the primary surveillance target, as they’re almost the only means of defection.”
“Then perhaps climbing over the wall would be better…”
Fredrik smiled and shook his head. In a situation where the embassy was under surveillance, climbing over the wall would be futile.
If intelligence officers were stupid enough not to anticipate that, they would have been stripped of their positions long ago.
But there was a way.
“I understand your anxiety. But trust us and wait. We’ll get you safely to the border today.”
“T-today? Is that possible?”
“Why not? If illegal immigrants can cross borders, why can’t we?”
After exchanging a few more words with the aide, Fredrik reassured him and sent him back to his family. Being with family was the best way to calm his mind right now.
Leaving the office, Fredrik immediately sought out the Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office—the heads of the Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Agency’s Kiyen Empire branches.
“He seems more anxious than I expected. I explained our method and calmed him down, then told him to stay with his family.”
As soon as the aide and his family entered the embassy, the Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office had warned all official covers to be cautious. With the entire embassy under Imperial Guard surveillance, extra vigilance was required.
Intelligence officers working inside the embassy canceled appointments and restricted their movements, while those meeting with informants outside hurried back to the embassy, evading surveillance.
Just then, a Royal Intelligence Service employee handling communications submitted an urgent report.
“Counselor. We’ve detected strange signals near the embassy. It seems they’re attempting to eavesdrop.”
“Where from?”
“I can’t determine the location. Based on the unregistered signal pattern, they appear to have deployed new surveillance equipment.”
“Tell everyone to restrict communications, cut the regular line, and use the backup line.”
The reports didn’t end there.
“Sir! An employee returning from outside spotted suspicious cars near the embassy. They’re unfamiliar vehicles with two robust adult males inside each, and they saw individuals with radios outside the vehicles. We believe they’re monitoring the embassy.”
“Did you check the vehicle numbers?”
“No. They don’t show up in any registry. Should we ask our informants at the district office or police?”
“Not now, just keep a record. Anything else?”
“Yes, returning employees are asking if they can photograph the vehicle occupants…”
“Tell them to stop talking nonsense and get inside immediately. Don’t get caught taking photos.”
“Yes, sir.”
Suspicious communications, suspicious vehicles, people with radios—the Imperial Guard had already surrounded the embassy.
It had barely been 30 minutes since they entered the embassy, yet the response was remarkably swift. This speed rivaled even Chinese or Russian operations.
The intelligence officers at the embassy rushed to the TSCIF (Technical Surveillance Countermeasures and Secure Information Facility) to report to the Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Agency, while the Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office held a meeting to devise a strategy.
Meanwhile, Fredrik stopped a passing diplomat.
“Ah, Diplomat.”
“Yes, Military Attaché. What can I do for you?”
“How many vehicles does the embassy have?”
*
At the Imperial Guard’s temporary field headquarters.
While technicians collected signals coming in and out of the Abas Embassy and intelligence officers on the street photographed people entering and exiting, team leaders gathered to compare notes.
“Let’s share information.”
Yekaterina, who had assembled the team leaders, shared the intelligence they had gathered so far.
“Vasili Vladimirovich Karachev. Currently serving as a policy aide to a congressman who is the secretary of the Defense Committee. He worked for decades in the Defense Ministry’s policy planning department before becoming an aide based on that experience.”
Photos and documents were placed on the table.
In one corner lay frozen pizza (cheap) and soda, presumably consumed by the apartment’s owner overnight.
While another team leader cleared away the food, Yekaterina continued her briefing at a rapid pace.
“His wife is a homemaker. She once worked at the Defense Ministry but didn’t have access to any significant information.”
“They have one child, currently a student at the Imperial Academy. We’ve checked the daughter, her friends, their parents, and even her professors, but there’s nothing particularly noteworthy.”
“We believe the aide provided military and state secrets to Abas intelligence agencies during his time working at the parliament. Yesterday, he attempted to flee abroad with his family but failed, and now they’ve entered the Abas Embassy.”
One of the team leaders tapped his finger on a document he was examining.
He was an intelligence officer from the Academic Division who frequented universities to identify ideological criminals.
“The daughter is a magician?”
The domestic intelligence officer reviewed the daughter’s profile.
“Third-year magic student at the Imperial Academy. Registered for five courses including Advanced Elemental Theory that started during the break… Performed several aerial surveillance missions for forest fire prevention in the east as part of field training.”
He tapped a corner of the record with his finger.
“Do you think they might escape using flight magic?”
This was a judgment based on his experience dealing with magic students at universities. However, a contrary opinion emerged.
The team leader from the counterintelligence investigation team shook his head.
“If they were going to escape by flying, they would have done so already. Why go through the trouble of entering the embassy?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true… Their apartment is high-rise, so they could have flown from there.”
“Besides, can a student carry two adults and luggage on a broomstick? She’s not an albatross, just a student. Even without luggage, she’d have to make round trips.”
The investigator offered another opinion.
“They’ll escape by vehicle.”
“I think so too. What about you, Yekaterina?”
“I agree.”
Yekaterina pulled a document from her bag. It was a list of Abas Embassy vehicles provided to the Imperial Guard by the Empire’s Foreign Ministry.
Pointing to the list with her pen, Yekaterina explained to the team leaders:
“The Abas Embassy has a total of 13 registered vehicles. Three are exclusively used by the Ambassador, Counselor, and Head of the Military Attaché Office. The rest are for common use.”
The list included various details such as vehicle type, license plate number, color, and size. Yekaterina marked the top three vehicles on the list with her pen.
“The Ambassador is a diplomatic expert who has worked in the Empire for over a decade. As some of you may know, the Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office are the station chiefs of the Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Agency.”
“Ah, I know this person. He visited headquarters for prisoner exchange negotiations recently.”
“If the defectors use a vehicle, they’re most likely to be in the Counselor’s or the Head of the Military Attaché Office’s exclusive car.”
Yekaterina’s colleague, who had been listening quietly, pointed to the list.
“What about these cars?”
“They’re common-use vehicles. After we expelled diplomatic staff recently, more than half of them aren’t being used.”
According to the Imperial Guard’s intelligence, the Abas Embassy’s vehicle utilization rate had recently dropped to less than half.
With the expulsion of diplomatic staff, there were fewer people to use the vehicles, and many employees either didn’t have licenses or simply didn’t need cars.
Yekaterina took a photo from her bag, placed it on the table, and marked one of the vehicles on the list with her pen.
The photo clearly showed a black sedan with diplomatic license plates.
“And this is the vehicle of the diplomat who recently contacted the aide, as identified by our team.”
“Whose car is it?”
Thud. An Imperial Guard intelligence document was placed on the table.
“Fredrik Nostrim. He served as a military attaché to the Order and Magic Tower, and now serves as a military attaché to our country.”
“And?”
“I suspect he’s an intelligence officer with the Abas Military Intelligence Agency.”
Yekaterina’s confident assertion drew gasps from around the room.
A team leader-level intelligence officer who had been dispatched on the director’s orders laughed incredulously.
“Wait, are you saying this person is a spy? Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“Ms. Yekaterina Andreyevna. Do you know who this person is? He’s a hero’s companion. Even recognized by the Order.”
The intelligence officer presented an opinion contradicting his colleague’s suspicion.
“I understand he’s a major who was recently promoted after receiving an oracle. That’s also how he qualified as a military attaché. But an intelligence officer? If he’s really an intelligence officer, why did he skip the pre-departure training he should have received?”
Another team leader examining the documents found something strange in the foreign military attaché’s personal information.
“What’s this? This attaché has a firearms permit? For VIP protection? Did he get it because of his companions?”
Yekaterina nodded.
“He received the same permit when he was serving as a military attaché to the Magic Tower.”
“With a gun too… We could be in trouble if we mishandle this. Should have brought bulletproof vests.”
“We don’t have bulletproof vests, but…”
Yekaterina pulled a pistol from her coat and placed it on the table.
“We do have guns.”
“…”
“Why are you all surprised? It’s not like you’ve never seen a service pistol before. Don’t you carry one when you go out on field duty?”
Just as the team leader-level intelligence officers were staring at the gun in bewilderment, a technician monitoring the embassy removed his headset and shouted:
“We’ve picked up something strange!”
An intelligence officer sitting nearby asked:
“What is it?”
“A vehicle is leaving! I just heard it on the front gate security radio!”
Yekaterina quickly grabbed the radio from the corner.
“Front gate surveillance team. Can you hear me? Front gate surveillance team. Respond.”
-“Ah, yes. This is the domestic intelligence team monitoring the front gate. What is it?”
“A vehicle is about to leave the front gate. Get ready to take photos.”
Yekaterina, who had retrieved her pistol, stood up and approached the window.
The heavy front gate barrier rose, and embassy security guards began moving busily.
“Make sure you identify who’s in the vehicle.”
Yekaterina added:
“If we miss them today, it’s all over.”
*
At that moment, inside the Abas Embassy.
The aide, who had safely entered the embassy, was holding his wife and daughter’s hands tightly.
“It’s going to be alright. Everything will be fine now.”
“Darling…”
“It’s okay. There won’t be any problems…”
His wife’s hand trembled as she called to him anxiously. The head of the family silently comforted his wife and daughter, who looked ready to burst into tears.
After calming his family, he told them to wait there briefly, then left the office to find someone.
“Military Attaché Nostrim.”
“Ah, Mr. Vasili Vladimirovich. You’ve arrived safely.”
“Yes.”
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
Fredrik, who had been conversing with another attaché, recognized the aide. He dismissed the attaché with a gesture and discreetly inquired about the aide’s condition.
“Are you alright? Did you have any problems on your way here?”
“No. There were no issues.”
“That’s good. How are your wife and daughter?”
“They’re quite tense, but fine. My daughter’s health is also not a concern.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Fredrik replied with a gentle smile.
He led the aide to an empty office deep within the embassy—a location surrounded by the main embassy building, completely secure from external surveillance or eavesdropping.
Fredrik explained the situation to the aide as concisely as possible.
“First, I want to commend you for making it to the embassy. However, we have a problem.”
“A problem…?”
“It seems your defection has been leaked. The Imperial Guard has us under surveillance.”
At the news that the Imperial Guard was aware of the defection, the aide’s face turned ashen. Fredrik guided the aide, who looked ready to faint, to a chair and continued in a calm voice.
“There’s no need to worry. We have a safe way to get you out of the embassy.”
“A safe way…? What is it…?”
The military attaché explained to the aide:
“All vehicles registered to diplomatic missions have diplomatic license plates. By international law and convention, vehicles with diplomatic plates can avoid inspection by the receiving state. If you and your family board an embassy vehicle, you can travel safely.”
The aide, listening to the explanation, couldn’t hide his confusion and asked in a slightly trembling voice:
“But, wouldn’t the Empire know about diplomatic mission vehicles…?”
“Of course the Imperial Foreign Ministry knows. After all, you need to register with the Foreign Ministry to receive diplomatic plates.”
“Then, wouldn’t the Imperial Guard follow us…?”
He was right.
Typically, when a defector attempts to escape through an embassy, they almost always use embassy vehicles. It’s the only way to pass checkpoints when there’s a warrant out for their arrest.
Of course, counterintelligence agencies are aware of this.
In other words:
“As of now, the embassy is under surveillance. Not only you and your family but any diplomat or administrative staff leaving the embassy will be monitored by the Empire. And vehicles will naturally be the primary surveillance target, as they’re almost the only means of defection.”
“Then perhaps climbing over the wall would be better…”
Fredrik smiled and shook his head. In a situation where the embassy was under surveillance, climbing over the wall would be futile.
If intelligence officers were stupid enough not to anticipate that, they would have been stripped of their positions long ago.
But there was a way.
“I understand your anxiety. But trust us and wait. We’ll get you safely to the border today.”
“T-today? Is that possible?”
“Why not? If illegal immigrants can cross borders, why can’t we?”
After exchanging a few more words with the aide, Fredrik reassured him and sent him back to his family. Being with family was the best way to calm his mind right now.
Leaving the office, Fredrik immediately sought out the Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office—the heads of the Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Agency’s Kiyen Empire branches.
“He seems more anxious than I expected. I explained our method and calmed him down, then told him to stay with his family.”
As soon as the aide and his family entered the embassy, the Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office had warned all official covers to be cautious. With the entire embassy under Imperial Guard surveillance, extra vigilance was required.
Intelligence officers working inside the embassy canceled appointments and restricted their movements, while those meeting with informants outside hurried back to the embassy, evading surveillance.
Just then, a Royal Intelligence Service employee handling communications submitted an urgent report.
“Counselor. We’ve detected strange signals near the embassy. It seems they’re attempting to eavesdrop.”
“Where from?”
“I can’t determine the location. Based on the unregistered signal pattern, they appear to have deployed new surveillance equipment.”
“Tell everyone to restrict communications, cut the regular line, and use the backup line.”
The reports didn’t end there.
“Sir! An employee returning from outside spotted suspicious cars near the embassy. They’re unfamiliar vehicles with two robust adult males inside each, and they saw individuals with radios outside the vehicles. We believe they’re monitoring the embassy.”
“Did you check the vehicle numbers?”
“No. They don’t show up in any registry. Should we ask our informants at the district office or police?”
“Not now, just keep a record. Anything else?”
“Yes, returning employees are asking if they can photograph the vehicle occupants…”
“Tell them to stop talking nonsense and get inside immediately. Don’t get caught taking photos.”
“Yes, sir.”
Suspicious communications, suspicious vehicles, people with radios—the Imperial Guard had already surrounded the embassy.
It had barely been 30 minutes since they entered the embassy, yet the response was remarkably swift. This speed rivaled even Chinese or Russian operations.
The intelligence officers at the embassy rushed to the TSCIF (Technical Surveillance Countermeasures and Secure Information Facility) to report to the Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Agency, while the Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office held a meeting to devise a strategy.
Meanwhile, Fredrik stopped a passing diplomat.
“Ah, Diplomat.”
“Yes, Military Attaché. What can I do for you?”
“How many vehicles does the embassy have?”
*
At the Imperial Guard’s temporary field headquarters.
While technicians collected signals coming in and out of the Abas Embassy and intelligence officers on the street photographed people entering and exiting, team leaders gathered to compare notes.
“Let’s share information.”
Yekaterina, who had assembled the team leaders, shared the intelligence they had gathered so far.
“Vasili Vladimirovich Karachev. Currently serving as a policy aide to a congressman who is the secretary of the Defense Committee. He worked for decades in the Defense Ministry’s policy planning department before becoming an aide based on that experience.”
Photos and documents were placed on the table.
In one corner lay frozen pizza (cheap) and soda, presumably consumed by the apartment’s owner overnight.
While another team leader cleared away the food, Yekaterina continued her briefing at a rapid pace.
“His wife is a homemaker. She once worked at the Defense Ministry but didn’t have access to any significant information.”
“They have one child, currently a student at the Imperial Academy. We’ve checked the daughter, her friends, their parents, and even her professors, but there’s nothing particularly noteworthy.”
“We believe the aide provided military and state secrets to Abas intelligence agencies during his time working at the parliament. Yesterday, he attempted to flee abroad with his family but failed, and now they’ve entered the Abas Embassy.”
One of the team leaders tapped his finger on a document he was examining.
He was an intelligence officer from the Academic Division who frequented universities to identify ideological criminals.
“The daughter is a magician?”
The domestic intelligence officer reviewed the daughter’s profile.
“Third-year magic student at the Imperial Academy. Registered for five courses including Advanced Elemental Theory that started during the break… Performed several aerial surveillance missions for forest fire prevention in the east as part of field training.”
He tapped a corner of the record with his finger.
“Do you think they might escape using flight magic?”
This was a judgment based on his experience dealing with magic students at universities. However, a contrary opinion emerged.
The team leader from the counterintelligence investigation team shook his head.
“If they were going to escape by flying, they would have done so already. Why go through the trouble of entering the embassy?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true… Their apartment is high-rise, so they could have flown from there.”
“Besides, can a student carry two adults and luggage on a broomstick? She’s not an albatross, just a student. Even without luggage, she’d have to make round trips.”
The investigator offered another opinion.
“They’ll escape by vehicle.”
“I think so too. What about you, Yekaterina?”
“I agree.”
Yekaterina pulled a document from her bag. It was a list of Abas Embassy vehicles provided to the Imperial Guard by the Empire’s Foreign Ministry.
Pointing to the list with her pen, Yekaterina explained to the team leaders:
“The Abas Embassy has a total of 13 registered vehicles. Three are exclusively used by the Ambassador, Counselor, and Head of the Military Attaché Office. The rest are for common use.”
The list included various details such as vehicle type, license plate number, color, and size. Yekaterina marked the top three vehicles on the list with her pen.
“The Ambassador is a diplomatic expert who has worked in the Empire for over a decade. As some of you may know, the Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office are the station chiefs of the Royal Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence Agency.”
“Ah, I know this person. He visited headquarters for prisoner exchange negotiations recently.”
“If the defectors use a vehicle, they’re most likely to be in the Counselor’s or the Head of the Military Attaché Office’s exclusive car.”
Yekaterina’s colleague, who had been listening quietly, pointed to the list.
“What about these cars?”
“They’re common-use vehicles. After we expelled diplomatic staff recently, more than half of them aren’t being used.”
According to the Imperial Guard’s intelligence, the Abas Embassy’s vehicle utilization rate had recently dropped to less than half.
With the expulsion of diplomatic staff, there were fewer people to use the vehicles, and many employees either didn’t have licenses or simply didn’t need cars.
Yekaterina took a photo from her bag, placed it on the table, and marked one of the vehicles on the list with her pen.
The photo clearly showed a black sedan with diplomatic license plates.
“And this is the vehicle of the diplomat who recently contacted the aide, as identified by our team.”
“Whose car is it?”
Thud. An Imperial Guard intelligence document was placed on the table.
“Fredrik Nostrim. He served as a military attaché to the Order and Magic Tower, and now serves as a military attaché to our country.”
“And?”
“I suspect he’s an intelligence officer with the Abas Military Intelligence Agency.”
Yekaterina’s confident assertion drew gasps from around the room.
A team leader-level intelligence officer who had been dispatched on the director’s orders laughed incredulously.
“Wait, are you saying this person is a spy? Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“Ms. Yekaterina Andreyevna. Do you know who this person is? He’s a hero’s companion. Even recognized by the Order.”
The intelligence officer presented an opinion contradicting his colleague’s suspicion.
“I understand he’s a major who was recently promoted after receiving an oracle. That’s also how he qualified as a military attaché. But an intelligence officer? If he’s really an intelligence officer, why did he skip the pre-departure training he should have received?”
Another team leader examining the documents found something strange in the foreign military attaché’s personal information.
“What’s this? This attaché has a firearms permit? For VIP protection? Did he get it because of his companions?”
Yekaterina nodded.
“He received the same permit when he was serving as a military attaché to the Magic Tower.”
“With a gun too… We could be in trouble if we mishandle this. Should have brought bulletproof vests.”
“We don’t have bulletproof vests, but…”
Yekaterina pulled a pistol from her coat and placed it on the table.
“We do have guns.”
“…”
“Why are you all surprised? It’s not like you’ve never seen a service pistol before. Don’t you carry one when you go out on field duty?”
Just as the team leader-level intelligence officers were staring at the gun in bewilderment, a technician monitoring the embassy removed his headset and shouted:
“We’ve picked up something strange!”
An intelligence officer sitting nearby asked:
“What is it?”
“A vehicle is leaving! I just heard it on the front gate security radio!”
Yekaterina quickly grabbed the radio from the corner.
“Front gate surveillance team. Can you hear me? Front gate surveillance team. Respond.”
-“Ah, yes. This is the domestic intelligence team monitoring the front gate. What is it?”
“A vehicle is about to leave the front gate. Get ready to take photos.”
Yekaterina, who had retrieved her pistol, stood up and approached the window.
The heavy front gate barrier rose, and embassy security guards began moving busily.
“Make sure you identify who’s in the vehicle.”
Yekaterina added:
“If we miss them today, it’s all over.”
*
The front gate barrier rose, and a car slowly exited the embassy.
An Imperial Guard intelligence officer staking out in a nearby vehicle raised his binoculars and quickly scanned the car.
He quietly reported into his radio:
“Reporting. The vehicle leaving the Abas Embassy front gate is the Ambassador’s exclusive car.”
The vehicle displayed both the Kiyen Empire and Abas Kingdom flags. The driver’s face in the driver’s seat and the Ambassador’s face in the back seat were clearly visible.
Yekaterina, who had also confirmed the vehicle’s exit, asked anxiously:
“Were there any passengers inside besides the Ambassador and driver?”
-“No, there weren’t. We took photos from here and from the rooftop, but there was no one else visible inside.”
“…Understood. Please continue monitoring.”
Lowering her radio, Yekaterina returned to her seat. Photos and papers were taped to one wall of the apartment, and the team leaders were sharing their thoughts while looking at them.
As Yekaterina returned, her colleague approached and struck up a conversation.
“Did they find them?”
“No, false alarm.”
“Hmm!”
Her colleague, sitting on the sofa, tossed a question at Yekaterina.
“Could they be in the trunk?”
Yekaterina shrugged. She didn’t know either.
“I’ve asked the police to cooperate and check the vehicle. They can’t search without the diplomat’s consent, but they can stall a bit and check if there’s any sign of life in the trunk.”
According to international law, diplomats are granted immunity. This applies when they’re in vehicles too. Without a diplomat’s consent, police cannot search the vehicle under international law.
But the expectation was wrong.
Word came that the police had checked the trunk.
“They checked the trunk?”
-“Yes. We were surprised too—he readily agreed to it. But there was nothing there.”
Yekaterina estimated the distance between where the police had stopped the Ambassador’s car and the embassy.
It was less than a two-minute walk, just one block away. If someone had been in the trunk, they couldn’t have escaped the Imperial Guard’s surveillance by jumping out and fleeing somewhere.
Moreover, suddenly jumping out in the middle of a busy four-lane road could result in being hit by a vehicle and killed.
Even Yekaterina thought it unlikely that a civilian would take such a risk.
But the surprises didn’t end there.
-“Another vehicle is leaving. The Counselor is driving himself.”
-“The Head of the Military Attaché Office’s car is on the move. Currently complying with police inspection.”
The Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office’s exclusive cars had left the embassy.
While it wasn’t unusual for them to leave the embassy for scheduled appointments, the fact that both readily complied with police inspections was certainly unusual.
“Did they search the trunk?”
-“Yes.”
“Nothing there either?”
-“No, everything seemed normal.”
The two vehicles that had been judged most likely to be used for defection had left the embassy.
The Counselor and the Head of the Military Attaché Office had readily complied with inspections, and the police had thoroughly searched the interior, trunk, and even the axles, but not even a strand of human hair was found.
Yekaterina checked her watch. Less than 30 minutes remained until the embassy’s closing time.
“How many diplomats have left?”
“Based on reports from each surveillance team, while many are still working in the embassy, some left early.”
“No vehicles or pedestrians have come out since then?”
“No. Everyone left on foot, and except for the three vehicles, none have come out.”
It was strange.
There were exactly 10 vehicles remaining in the embassy. The Imperial Guard staff had brought 8 company cars divided among teams, so by simple arithmetic, they were at a disadvantage.
However, the Imperial Guard could request police support at any time. The police officers conducting the inspections were also responding to the 1st Directorate’s request.
“What happened to the request for magician support?”
“The company refused. They said all the magicians are already assigned to cases. It’s a manpower shortage.”
Yekaterina scanned the materials covering one wall.
The military attaché suspected of being an intelligence officer had no external appointments today.
The Hero, Saint, and Alchemist had packed schedules today, but none included him.
So he was likely still inside the embassy, and the aide and his family who had recently contacted him were probably still inside as well.
Aren’t they moving together by car?
Yekaterina examined the walls surrounding the Abas Embassy through the window.
“…”
Climbing over the embassy’s outer wall seemed impossible. It was too high for an adult male to reach even with arms fully extended, and it would be impossible for the aide, his wife, and daughter to climb over simultaneously.
Moreover, intelligence officers had already been stationed nearby, so anyone attempting to climb over would immediately be reported by radio.
But why?
Why haven’t they come out of the embassy yet?
“…”
Yekaterina approached the window and looked at the Abas Embassy. Though the sky was dark in the middle of winter, the embassy lights twinkled in the darkness.
“No radio reports of vehicles leaving?”
“No. Even listening to the guards’ radio chatter, it’s just small talk.”
“Is it possible to eavesdrop inside the embassy?”
The technician shook his head. The headset wires swayed left and right.
“It’s difficult to eavesdrop on the embassy interior or communications without an inside cooperator. It’s impossible.”
“I see. Please continue your efforts.”
The technician tapped his equipment a few times, then stood up, stretched, and went to the kitchen. An employee who had gone out to buy food was distributing meals to the team leaders and technicians.
The employee brought a packaged container to Yekaterina.
“Um… Team Leader. Dinner.”
“Not interested. I had bread.”
“Team Leader, you’ve been eating nothing but bread all week. You said we can’t use the bathroom during stakeouts… Please eat something.”
The employee urged Yekaterina to eat dinner, but she firmly declined.
Eventually, the employee pushed the extra dinner to a corner of the kitchen, and Yekaterina continued monitoring the embassy while nibbling on a dry piece of bread.
However.
After 10 minutes, then 20 minutes.
No one emerged from the embassy.
And so, closing time arrived.
The defectors were still nowhere to be seen.
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