Ch.415Episode 16 – The Six Million Dollar Man

My relationship with Camilla is more complex than one might think. It’s difficult to categorize us simply as colleagues or comrades.

We shared more commonalities than others knew, and we also had our secrets.

I had revealed much to her. My identity, profession, workplace, and even my past.

Camilla was no exception. Like all relationships, ours wasn’t based on one-sided exchange but on mutual understanding and communication.

That’s why.

When I unusually requested a conversation, her reaction was one of subtle anxiety.

“Why so suddenly? You look serious.”

“Please sit down first.”

I gestured toward a seat. Camilla, who had been glancing back and forth between the sofa and me, took off her apron and came out of the kitchen.

A brief silence fell between us. It was a silence born from my contemplation of how to explain the current situation.

As I watched Camilla fidgeting, I let out a faint sigh. I had anticipated this, but I hadn’t expected to bring it up so quickly.

“…Camilla.”

“Yes.”

“Return to the Empire.”

Episode 16 – The Six Million Dollar Man

The incident began with the sudden appearance of uninvited guests.

Intelligence officers from the Kiyen Empire’s military intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance Command, showed up on the scene. A two-person team that had split from the unit that entered the country a few weeks ago.

What brought them here was a request for support from the Sanya tribe. The Group 2 warlords, who had started a war with Asen, requested troops, intelligence, funds, weapons, and ammunition from their backers in the imperial intelligence agency.

But the original purpose of the Imperial Reconnaissance Command’s visit to this country was an order from the Crown Prince. More precisely, the Grand Duchess of the North, the Crown Prince’s aunt and a senior member of the imperial family, had been inquiring about the whereabouts of her missing disciple.

Even though the Crown Prince was the heir to the throne and had received military authority from the Emperor as the future emperor, it was difficult to easily refuse Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrova’s request.

The Crown Prince, who had maintained close relations with the military, ordered the Reconnaissance Command to locate Camilla, and the regional intelligence officers who received the order flew to the Moritani continent.

In other words,

“The real purpose of dispatching the imperial intelligence unit isn’t to support Sanya, but to find you.”

Having compiled intelligence from informants and military intelligence bureau data, I summarized the current situation concisely.

The Reconnaissance Command’s overseas team had come to this country to find Camilla.

Since Camilla was essentially no different from a civilian except for her magical abilities, the Reconnaissance Command assumed she wouldn’t have left the metropolitan area.

The metropolitan area was under the control of the local government, so the Reconnaissance Command requested cooperation from government officials. The government, having received aid from the Kiyen Empire for decades, naturally complied with the request.

The Abas intelligence agency also agreed with this. They thought, how far could a civilian possibly go?

But Camilla defied everyone’s expectations by relocating to the countryside, which was occupied by warlords.

The problem was that the Reconnaissance Command’s overseas team staff had come all the way here.

I calmly concluded my explanation.

“With the Reconnaissance Command detachment here, it’s only a matter of time before your whereabouts are discovered. The detachment’s mission includes supporting the Group 2 warlords, which would include intelligence support.”

“……”

The intelligence gathering capabilities of the imperial intelligence agency here are beyond imagination.

The Military Intelligence Bureau has just established an intelligence network in this country, but the Reconnaissance Command has been recruiting warlords and operating informants for the past decade.

“Of course, it will take time for the Reconnaissance Command to properly assess the situation. The Military Intelligence Bureau has invested quite a lot in this operation, whether in intelligence or security.”

“……”

“But finding a civilian in the desert would be an easy task.”

The situation is serious, but not entirely hopeless.

The purpose of the Reconnaissance Command’s two-person team is, after all, to support Sanya. Since the warlords have started a war with legitimate reasons, it’s not yet time to suspect foreign intelligence agency involvement.

That means we still have time.

I told Camilla:

“Leave for the capital immediately. Stay at a hotel for a few days and then visit the imperial embassy. Once the Reconnaissance Command’s overseas team achieves their objective, they’ll take you and withdraw from the field.”

I was telling her to return to the Empire.

“No.”

“What did you say?”

“I said no.”

Camilla, who had been sitting on the sofa listening to the situation, answered with a resolute voice.

I looked at her with disbelief.

“No. What did you hear from everything I just said? Don’t you understand the situation?”

“I understand it, and I comprehend it fully.”

Camilla adjusted her sitting position as she continued. Her gaze remained fixed on me.

“I understand the situation isn’t good. But I find it hard to accept your order to return.”

I stared at her with a questioning look.

She understood the situation and wasn’t unintelligent. I couldn’t understand why she was suddenly saying this.

Why?

Meeting my silent gaze, Camilla slowly rose. Then, with a very confident attitude, she spoke.

“How could I leave you behind and go anywhere?”

*

A tense debate began over Camilla’s whereabouts. I continued trying to persuade Camilla, who refused to return to the Empire.

“Do you think that makes sense? I’m telling you the intelligence unit guys are hot on your trail.”

But Camilla wouldn’t budge.

“I know. I know spies are after me. But I can’t leave here.”

She presented her reasons for not leaving with a calm and composed attitude.

“The imperial intelligence agency came here to find me. I’m not an intelligence officer, so I don’t know the details, but if you, Frederick, are certain, then related intelligence must exist. But even if I return to the Empire, will the situation really improve?”

“What are you saying? Speak so I can understand.”

“Would the intelligence agency that secures me actually return to the Empire?”

Camilla strongly argued that the Imperial Reconnaissance Command, having secured her, would not return to their original post.

The reason was quite simple.

“The imperial people have two missions: finding me and supporting the warlords. With limited personnel but an additional mission, the team was split into two.”

“Get to the point.”

“What happens if one of the two missions is resolved here?”

To summarize Camilla’s argument:

The Reconnaissance Command’s overseas team came here to find her. In the midst of this, they received orders to support the Group 2 warlords.

With already limited personnel, they had an additional mission. The Reconnaissance Command’s overseas team divided their personnel based on mission priority, resulting in a two-person detachment being dispatched to the provinces to support Sanya.

In other words,

“The moment the objective is achieved, there’s no reason to keep the team split.”

The main unit, having completed its mission, would send only a small number of personnel back to the Empire with Camilla and then rush back here. To resolve the remaining mission.

The reunited overseas team would support the Sanya warlords, and in this process, I would have to face the fully assembled Imperial Reconnaissance Command’s overseas team.

Alone.

After hearing Camilla’s explanation, I nodded like a madman.

“I know that too. The Reconnaissance Command’s main unit will join the detachment. Dealing with those bastards is my role. But that’s not a reason for Camilla to stay here.”

I strongly advised her once more to return to the Empire immediately.

“Resolving this issue is my job, not yours. I’m the one who received the orders. So pack your bags and go to the Empire. Right now.”

“I’m telling you I can’t leave now!”

“Go back!”

A shout flew toward the resistant Camilla. It was probably the first time I had raised my voice at her.

But Camilla didn’t shrink back at all. Instead, she sprang up from the sofa and vehemently opposed, raising her voice.

“You’re telling me to help a hostile intelligence agency barge in here? Now?! It’s obvious things will get dangerous, and you’re telling me to just sit back and watch!”

“If you don’t go back, those bastards will come here anyway!”

According to the interception results of the Royal Intelligence Department’s wiretapping team stationed in neighboring countries, the communications of the Reconnaissance Command’s overseas team were gradually moving away from the capital.

The guys who had been searching the capital thoroughly for Camilla had started to widen their search range.

They were still staying near the capital, but no one knew when the Reconnaissance Command’s overseas team would come down to the provinces. Perhaps the detachment would first identify Camilla’s whereabouts and request support from the main unit.

If that happened, everything would be ruined.

“If the imperial guys find out you’re here, everything goes down the drain. The operation will be scrapped, and headquarters will order a return.”

That’s putting it nicely as “scrapped.” The worst-case scenario is the Reconnaissance Command noticing that the Abas intelligence agency is behind this civil war.

If the imperial government obtains intelligence that the Abas government provoked foreign warlords to ignite a civil war, it’s over. The local government will strongly protest to the Abas foreign ministry, and Abas will also have to bear international condemnation.

The fact that a major power’s intelligence agency is stirring up trouble in a conflict zone is a truth known to everyone in the foreign ministry and intelligence department, but it’s also information that civilians should never know. Because it’s not moral.

That’s the way intelligence agencies operate, but.

That’s precisely why it shouldn’t be revealed to the outside world.

I coldly pushed Camilla away.

“You shouldn’t be here. I don’t care about myself, but Camilla is a civilian, right? You shouldn’t have come to a place like this in the first place.”

“But I did come. I am here.”

“It doesn’t matter. The situation has changed. I’ll arrange transportation, so go to the embassy quickly.”

After pushing Camilla away, I hurriedly began to organize the safe house. I needed to erase traces of her stay, but more urgent was sending Camilla to a safe area.

I brought bags stored on the second floor and packed them hastily. Since we couldn’t take all the luggage, I packed only the essentials and burned the rest to destroy evidence.

Clothes, daily tools, and trash like snack wrappers were thrown into a drum. Camilla didn’t watch as they were discarded.

As the pungent smell of gasoline spread and smoke rose, neighbors began to linger around. Ignoring them, I gathered passports and cash and went inside.

In the dim interior with no lights on, Camilla was huddled up. Hugging her knees, she was staring at the meager luggage with hazy eyes. Then she suddenly looked up at me.

It wasn’t clearly visible because of the darkness, but there was moisture in her blue eyes.

“Here’s your ID and cash. Use them when you go.”

“……”

Averting her gaze from the offered passport and cash, Camilla looked up at me. She spoke to me in a gloomy voice.

“If this is how it’s going to be, why did you bring me…?”

“……”

“We promised to help each other no matter how dangerous it got. To get through it together. And yet.”

I didn’t answer.

I placed the passport and cash on top of the luggage and went upstairs. It was to send a communication to the Military Intelligence Bureau.

A time that was short yet long.

When I came back down to the living room after finishing communication with headquarters, Camilla was nowhere to be seen.

*

From the moment unusual movements of the Reconnaissance Command were reported, the Military Intelligence Bureau’s situation room had been operating in emergency mode.

After checking the encryption system for communication sensitivity and wiretapping, Leoni issued new instructions despite the late dawn.

-“We’re monitoring the communications of the Reconnaissance Command guys dispatched to the field 24 hours a day. We intercepted communications between the guys supporting Sanya and the main unit three hours ago.”

“What’s the detachment’s position?”

-“Comparing it with the location of the last communication, they’ve moved west from Hassan’s territory.”

“…That’s the location of the border with Sanya.”

Considering the distance between Hassan and Sanya, the Reconnaissance Command’s two-person team was expected to arrive in Sanya’s territory in at least 8 hours.

This means that in 8 hours, the imperial intelligence unit will begin full-scale operations.

-“Are you keeping track of Asen and Sanya’s movements?”

“We’re keeping a close eye through Hassan’s informants, but it will take some time to find out about the Reconnaissance Command’s movements.”

-“I’ll give you 36 hours. Find out about those guys within that time.”

I began to use the intelligence network to find out about the Reconnaissance Command detachment. Leoni analyzed the intentions of the Reconnaissance Command with cool judgment.

-“Judging by their reuse of passports and loose communication protocols, they don’t seem to have grasped our movements yet. If they had obtained intelligence that an Abas intelligence officer was on the scene, they would have moved more cautiously.”

That speculation was soon proven true.

The Reconnaissance Command’s two-person team stayed in Hassan’s territory for a full two days. For people who came to support the Sanya warlords, this was quite strange behavior.

I mobilized informants to understand their intentions. And after tailing them for two days, I was able to obtain decent intelligence.

The Reconnaissance Command detachment that came to Hassan’s territory didn’t budge from the Hassan-Sanya border area. The two stayed at a motel, and in the morning, they would lazily come out, fill their stomachs at a restaurant, look around a bit, eat lunch, and return to the motel.

The analysts from the Royal Intelligence Department and the Military Intelligence Bureau questioned whether they were “reconnoitering military facilities before attacking the border area,” but from my perspective, the detachment seemed like people who were purely on vacation. To be more specific, they seemed like people who were reluctantly doing a job they didn’t want to do.

Intelligence officers, being human, often have tasks they don’t want to do.

Usually, intelligence officers who are assigned unwanted tasks either perform their duties half-heartedly or finish the job quickly and go sightseeing, and that’s exactly what the Reconnaissance Command detachment was doing.

They briefly looked around government offices and military facilities, toured the city. If they were on reconnaissance, they would take pictures and bribe sentries, but these guys just looked at the exteriors and left.

So what did they do?

They ate.

The Reconnaissance Command detachment’s captain and sergeant were inquiring about restaurants near the border. Focusing on popular local eateries.

The two ate the most popular and most expensive items on the menu.

“What are those people eating now?”

“Looks like Hamam Mashwi and Koshari. It’s a dish made with pigeon, a nutritious food. It’s usually served to guests.”

The guys even ordered the “Camel Roast,” known as a specialty of the Moritani continent.

Camel Roast is, as the name suggests, a dish made with camel, filled with various meats like beef, chicken, goat, and grains. Since one camel can feed multiple people, it’s often eaten at weddings or local festivals.

I’ve eaten it a few times while working in the Middle East, but the Reconnaissance Command detachment eagerly devoured the Camel Roast with just two people. They ate all that food meant for several adult men, just the two of them.

“I know that. But why are they eating that?”

“Because they’re hungry…?”

“……”

In addition to the Camel Roast, they brought out the traditional palm tree liquor of the Moritani continent. Surprisingly, they started drinking from 10 AM.

The analysts who received this intelligence were so dumbfounded that they didn’t send any response. The only person who replied was Jake, who, having been deployed to the Moritani continent, commented, “They picked all the delicious food.”

I observed the Reconnaissance Command detachment’s gastronomic journey and gathered various information.

First, the Reconnaissance Command’s two-person team didn’t seem familiar with the Moritani continent.

They had received training but hadn’t visited many times. The bugs planted in the restaurant captured the voices of the two struggling with dishes tailored more to local tastes than foreigners’. The spices seemed particularly challenging for them.

The complaints didn’t end with the food culture.

The intelligence officers who entered the motel exchanged jokes about the state of hygiene and the lack of service in the accommodation.

From the motel’s employee, I heard that the two-person team demanded a refund, citing issues with mice, cockroaches, and stained bedding. Of course, the motel didn’t offer a refund but merely changed their room to address the foreign guests’ complaints. Like the bandits they were.

Eventually, the frustrated Reconnaissance Command detachment slept in their car parked in the parking lot. And as soon as day broke, they had breakfast and crossed the border.

The Reconnaissance Command sent personnel to support the Sanya tribe to save face, but the field personnel didn’t seem pleased with this dispatch. Judging by how they ignored calls from Sanya for two days with plausible excuses.

“……”

As soon as they passed through the border checkpoint, I entered the motel to collect potentially useful information. Hair clumps in the drain filter, trash in the garbage can…

I intended to analyze these to determine their habits and health status. The Military Intelligence Bureau branch agents stationed in neighboring countries received the evidence and began analysis. They said they would inform me of the results later.

Returning to my lodging, I wrote a report and took a brief respite.

The desert safe house was quiet. The building was so silent that not even breathing could be heard. I sat on the living room sofa and looked up at the ceiling.

Camilla’s absence seemed quite significant. I felt somewhat empty. I found myself looking around the kitchen and opening the bedroom where Camilla had stayed, only to quietly close the door after staring at the empty bed.

“Asud. What’s the matter?”

“I’m going to the mart for a bit.”

“The mart? Why?”

“I need detergent.”

I bought cleaning supplies from the mart and erased traces of Camilla. I wiped away fingerprints left where she had touched and removed hair stuck to the pillow.

As I erased the traces one by one, the emptiness seemed to grow. After silently cleaning the interior of the safe house, I went out to the street to organize my thoughts.

“……”

Given the local characteristics where electricity and magic aren’t properly supplied in rural areas outside the capital, there wasn’t much to enjoy here.

Water pipes puffing smoke while sitting on the street, traditional tea with a deep aroma. Vehicles emitting black exhaust and raising dust, and citizens casually walking between vehicles.

I put my hands in my pockets. Then I lit a cigarette and wandered the streets aimlessly.

As whitish cigarette smoke seeped through my lips, thoughts of Camilla filled my mind.

I wonder if she went well. By now, she should have arrived at the imperial embassy.

I somewhat regret sending her to the capital first due to the rapidly unfolding situation. I felt even more so because I had spoken harshly before parting.

Would it have been better if I had gone with her? Or should I have at least said I was sorry?

“……”

I came out to organize my thoughts, but somehow I feel more confused.

After exhaling smoke and grinding the cigarette butt on the dirt ground, I dusted off my shoes.

No destination, no direction. Just slowly moving my feet wherever they lead.

A jaywalker crosses the road in front of me. After narrowly avoiding a vehicle, a driver honks, rolls down the window, and shouts a barrage of insults. It’s clearly cursing, but unfortunately, there was no one to translate, so I couldn’t understand.

Raising my hand apologetically, I stepped onto the sidewalk. Although rural roads don’t distinguish between roadways and sidewalks, I walked as close to buildings as possible.

As dusk begins to settle on the desert, lights start to appear one by one.

Checking the watch on the inside of my wrist, I turned my course toward the safe house. And to get there faster, I cut through the sparsely populated city streets.

“……”

The city, as sunset began to settle, started to exude a quite different atmosphere from daytime.

Street vendors waving goods at passersby and old magic lamps illuminating the streets.

Vehicles noticeably decrease, and pedestrians occupy the widened roads. Shrinking my body to avoid shoulder contact, I lowered my keffiyeh headscarf and began to quietly observe my surroundings.

A merchant bargaining with sunglasses perched on his head,

An old man raising his voice and gesturing at a driver,

People sitting in the shade cooling off from the heat,

Citizens gathered in front of a store’s cathode-ray television.

And a man casually moving around, pretending to browse stalls.

The man, after rummaging through items, looked around and then began to direct his gaze at me. Then, as if afraid our eyes might meet, he quickly turned his head in the opposite direction.

As I moved forward, I observed the man’s reflection in a mirror.

And I slightly grasped the handle of the gun in my pocket.

That person.

He’s been following me since earlier.