Ch.392Episode 16 – The Six Million Dollar Man

# Despite numerous suspicions and demands for explanations, intelligence agencies rarely step forward actively to uncover the truth.

This is because the moment information is disclosed, all sorts of spies rush in to snatch away classified secrets.

So intelligence agencies can neither make excuses nor boast about their work.

Even if they’re cursed as arrogant bastards, operations must continue.

In national intelligence studies, this behavior is defined as “plausible deniability.”

However,

“Hey, Frederick. Let me ask you something.”

“What is it, Director Leoni?”

“I heard the Hero fled to the Mauritani continent. Did you know about this?”

“No, I didn’t.”

There’s no law saying only the company can use “plausible deniability.”

## Episode 16 – The Six Million Dollar Man

Amid news of Camilla’s sudden departure from the country, a meeting was convened by the relevant authorities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which first obtained the information through a diplomat, and the Royal Intelligence Agency, which controls overseas intelligence channels.

At first glance, this situation seemed unrelated to the Military Intelligence Agency, which handles military intelligence, but reality was mercilessly cruel.

“The director is coming in!”

“Hey! Officer on duty. Where is the director right now?”

“The bureau chief is running a bit late. But he should be able to make it before the meeting starts…”

Duty officers running through corridors and high-ranking intelligence officials repeatedly pressing elevator buttons. The Sunday morning tranquility had long been shattered by the appearance of unexpected visitors.

This was because Camilla had pulled off a surprise departure to the Mauritani continent.

“Situation room chief.”

“Yes!”

“Contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Intelligence Agency. And connect me to the Kiyen Embassy immediately, hurry.”

Normally, issues like Camilla’s departure would be handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through daily reports. That’s how it was when she first went to the Magic Tower, and when she secretly entered Abas.

But now the circumstances were different.

First, the problem was that Camilla’s destination was a country in the Mauritani continent, which was embroiled in civil war. War zones are traditionally areas where intelligence agencies have more influence than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so most issues related to war zones are handled by intelligence agencies.

And “of all places,” Camilla had entered a country where civil war had broken out, and the intelligence agencies only became aware of the situation after receiving an official document from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Moreover, collecting information on Camilla was the job of the Military Intelligence Agency, where her colleague was stationed.

That was why employees from relevant departments were called into the office early Sunday morning.

“Who leaves the country at dawn… What did the branch manager say?”

“What could he say? He didn’t know until the news reached the ambassador’s ears. He probably went home early and was sleeping.”

“What a hassle on a Sunday. She could have left on Monday…”

“By the way, where is Major Nostrum? Did he not know either?”

“No idea. But the lights in his office were off.”

*

The Lushan Federal Kingdom, a collection of vassal states. A detached house in some unfamiliar province.

There, I encountered familiar faces.

“See you again, Matt.”

Summer shirt and jeans. A worn shirt and sunglasses.

The middle-aged man, dressed to blend in perfectly with the locals, flicked his cigarette, sending sparks flying.

“You’re early.”

“I came through a warp gate.”

He nodded readily.

“Did you bring your luggage?”

“To some extent. Just packed what I’ll need immediately in the field.”

As I pulled my luggage out of the trunk, the employee sitting in the driver’s seat took the vehicle to the garage. I shouldered my bag and followed Matt.

Inside the safe house, the advance team members of the operation team were gathered. Half a dozen intelligence officers led by team leader Matt were the protagonists.

I looked around the lodging and cautiously opened my mouth.

“Is Bill still in the home country?”

“Of course. He’s in the follow-up team.”

As the two men entered, the interior of the lodging became bustling, and amid the electronic equipment emitting a subtle heat, a beastkin poked its head out and howled.

“Meow.”

What the…

As I put down my luggage in momentary confusion, Matt, who was spraying deodorizer at the entrance, began to spout profanities.

“Ker. You damn furball. How many times have I told you not to get between the equipment?”

Something about fur getting into the equipment causing malfunctions, and how he even provided a box but what more did he want. He scolded his team member with expletive-laden reprimands.

The operation team member and cat beastkin, Ker, left his spot with a dissatisfied glare at the team leader.

“Meooow…”

The spot where the beastkin had been was quickly taken over by team members manipulating terminals. Their skill in taking out beastkin-specific fur rollers and rubbing them on the floor and equipment was remarkably proficient.

As the beastkin’s faint cry burrowed into a box after losing its nest, Matt called me while rummaging through a drawer.

“Come here.”

While department-wide scolding continued due to Camilla’s surprise departure, Leoni approved my overseas business trip.

The destination was a country in the Mauritani continent. A civil war zone where warlords proliferate and fierce political and physical struggles take place.

The purpose was singular.

Camilla’s personal safety.

There were additional objectives, but the main reason for the dispatch was Camilla’s safety. If she were to drop dead in a civil war zone, all business plans would have to be scrapped.

No matter how much of a civil war zone it is, finding one civilian who entered from abroad is not a difficult task. After all, tracking spies who disguise themselves as civilians and flee to foreign countries is what intelligence agencies do.

Finding people is a basic task for intelligence agencies, and any company that can’t do this doesn’t deserve to be called an intelligence agency.

Of course, it’s difficult to search for spies who thoroughly conceal their identity with the intention of deceiving others, but even with good preparation, they leave trails that can be followed a few times.

So finding Camilla, who isn’t even an intelligence officer, shouldn’t be too difficult.

However, preparation was necessary.

“Let’s see… You probably packed underwear and clothes to wear right away. Is there anything else you need?”

“No. Just give me what you have for me.”

“Take this.”

He handed me an ID.

“Orders came down not to use the passport you used to enter Lushan in the field. So make sure to use this passport at your destination.”

Inside the forged ID was a citizen of the Lushan Federal Kingdom, a name I wasn’t familiar with. The photo was my ID photo taken a few years ago, but all other information had been replaced with that of a third-country citizen.

Matt said:

“It’s a clean passport. A new ID minted by the company.”

“It seems to have some wear for something like that. The issue date is also four years ago.”

“Home appliances and magical tools are best when brand new, but IDs lose value the crisper they are. The department in charge had a hard time making scratches, but you can rest assured.”

He meant it was a fresh item just made by the support department that received the order. So the issue date, scratches, discolored parts, and even the magical certification mark that had faded due to time on the ID were all fake.

It was sophisticated technology that could even forge magical marks for preventing forgery, but it wasn’t particularly impressive work.

After all, the Military Intelligence Agency also has the technology to forge IDs by damaging newly made ones to make them look like they were issued years ago.

What really matters is how you can utilize the disguised identity.

That’s the measure that distinguishes amateur intelligence agencies from professional ones.

I incinerated the ID I had and took the one Matt handed me.

“Now, let’s talk about the operation.”

Matt silently flashed a grin.

Blue magical energy rose from the equipment, and a bluish image floated in the air.

With his hands in his pockets, he shuffled around in indoor slippers, stirring the image formed in the air. Meanwhile, I tightened my luggage bag and lit a cigarette.

And a moment later.

“Good.”

The operation team leader, having found a map and the faces of several people, opened his mouth politely.

“Where are you thinking of going first?”

*

Anyone who’s spent some time in the overseas department would get goosebumps at the mere mention of the word “illegal entry.”

The national computer network, developed enough to record the identity of foreigners staying in the country, is a blessing for investigative agencies but a disaster for intelligence agencies.

What intelligence agency would be happy about the personal information of their officers who visit hostile countries being stored intact in the enemy’s database? Moreover, counterintelligence agencies were known for never deleting data once recorded.

Hence, illegal entry was a rite of passage that every intelligence officer had to experience at least once in their life.

Especially for employees carrying out “shady operations.”

My case was similar.

After leaving the detached house, I boarded a ship—a food transport vessel owned by a third-country shipping company—in the Lushan Federal Kingdom.

The company that owned the ship had no connection to intelligence agencies, but the captain operating the ship had something in his back pocket. The main commodity he dealt with was contraband. To be precise, people.

Just as people around the world once immersed themselves in the “American Dream” to cross over to the United States and lead a prosperous life,

People in this neighborhood often dreamed of a second life in the Kingdom of Abas, the Republic of Fatalia, or the Kiyen Empire.

But was a work visa something easily issued? People who found it difficult to enter through legal routes generally chose illegal entry to evade the eyes of the Ministry of Justice.

The most representative means was by ship.

This was also a familiar means of illegal entry for me.

I had used it to bring Abas intelligence officers into the Magic Tower, and I had also frequently used it when sneaking into Russia. I had joined deep-sea fishing vessels traveling around the Arctic Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk after bribing the sailors more than once or twice.

The ship I boarded today was no different.

The captain was using his vessel, which traveled between continents, as his own money-making tool, and several executives of the company were turning a blind eye to the captain’s “side job.” This was because transporting refugees to and from the Mauritani continent was quite profitable.

Thanks to this, there was no great difficulty in bribing the captain.

After paying the going rate for illegal entry, the captain guided me to the cabin without asking any questions.

Of course,

The captain’s willingness to accept an unfamiliar customer without hesitation was possible because of the introduction from a trustworthy intermediary.

-‘Have you safely boarded the ship, Officer?’

“Apart from the captain drinking alcohol since noon and the cabin being a bit stuffy, there’s no problem.”

-‘Hmm. Still, don’t view him too negatively. Even though he looks like a wastrel, he’s a businessman I’ve worked with for quite a long time.’

Francesca, the intermediary who had arranged the safe illegal passage, defended the captain in a casual voice.

This operation focuses on securing Camilla’s safety.

The problem was that because I had to enter a civil war zone, I needed to be deployed to the field as a civilian to avoid unnecessary diplomatic friction.

Leoni promised not to hold me responsible for anything that might happen in this process. In other words, the company couldn’t provide direct help, so I had to handle the problem on my own.

Instead, I received ample funds. After all, nothing beats money when it comes to solving problems.

Fortunately, this part wasn’t a big issue.

Spying in the third world had been my specialty since my days at the Intelligence Agency, and I had informants who could help me anytime.

“……”

Although I’ve experienced illegal entry so many times that I’m sick of it, the horizon viewed from the deck of a ship cutting through the waves and racing across the ocean is always special.

I expressed my gratitude through the long-distance communication magic crystal.

“Thank you for arranging the ship.”

-‘Oh, it’s nothing.’

Since I couldn’t receive support from the company, I couldn’t use the Military Intelligence Agency’s information network either, but Francesca was an informant who could exert influence even in the Mauritani continent.

She provided me with conveniences through connections built through underground businesses.

Of course, I didn’t bring her into this operation just because she was capable of arranging illegal passage to the Mauritani continent.

-‘If you’re really grateful, please send along that item I asked for with the Hero.’

Francesca naturally mentioned Camilla.

-‘The Hero will return soon, but she probably won’t have the leisure to buy souvenirs.’

“You’re talking as if Camilla will return to the Empire soon.”

-‘That’s what was promised from the beginning. After all, the Hero didn’t go to the Mauritani continent of her own accord, did she?’

That’s right.

In fact, Camilla didn’t enter the Mauritani continent alone without consulting us. To be precise, she went there at my request.

It was because I needed to go on a business trip abroad but had no pretext.

So we had agreed in advance to meet up locally, coordinate our stories, and then disperse. I would go to the field, and Camilla would return to the Empire.

Considering the time it would take to travel by ship illegally and the time it would take to “pretend” to search for her, it would take about three to four days, so I had told her in advance to enjoy herself thoroughly during that time.

Of course, I didn’t forget to advise her to stay only in safe areas.

So this incident was essentially a surprise show I had planned. If the company found out, an inspection would surely follow, but there’s no punishment if you don’t get caught.

Francesca was one of the people who knew the inside story of this incident.

For reference, the other one was Lucia.

-‘I’ve already passed the message to Viktor. He says to contact him at your convenience.’

“Understood.”

-‘If you happen to meet him locally, please give him my regards.’

Of course.

After ending the call,

I came back to the cabin and finished organizing my luggage.

Because I had left in a hurry, I hadn’t brought much besides personal belongings, so my luggage was extremely simple. At most, a few sets of clothes to wear immediately, underwear, toothpaste, toothbrush, and a little food.

Everything else had to be purchased locally.

Personal firearms, vehicles, accommodation, clothing, even socks and underwear, all of it.

“Accommodation costs, vehicle rental fees, information costs, greasing officials. Buying food and clothes…”

Sigh, a deep sigh escapes. Another huge expense coming up.

Of course, it’s not coming out of my own pocket but from the budget provided by the company, so there’s no burden, but even receiving activity funds as a civilian requires going through complicated procedures. Besides, it’s always better to have more surplus funds.

Sitting in the cabin, adjusting the budget while looking out the window.

The ship, clad in heavy armor, was advancing toward the red continent with white foam trailing behind it like a tail.

Far away, toward the Mauritani continent.

The sea, flipping its blue scales and exhaling rough breaths.

As the sun hanging on the horizon stretching toward the sky sets in a red glow,

Accidents always come without warning.

“…What did you say?”

Mauritani continent. The capital of a country where civil war has broken out.

Camilla, whom I encountered in the lobby of a hotel a few blocks away from the Kiyen Empire Embassy, screams shrilly.

“I won’t go back.”

“……”

“Ah, take me with you quickly!”

I thought to myself.

Damn it.

“…Just like a Brit.”

Damn imperialist.