Ch.42Episode 3 – Fantastic Vacation

# Sometimes I wish reality would flow like a movie.

Accurate intelligence gathered by someone, clean and concise analysis, reliable backup support and competent agents, and so on.

Occasionally, I wish the fantastic operations depicted in movies would happen consecutively in real life.

But this was reality, not a movie.

Intelligence with insufficient evidence and error-filled analysis. Occasional counterintelligence operations. Contaminated information and disinformation. Team members are always scarce, and rear support is uncertain.

The world has always been difficult to predict, and as always…

“Are you saying there are two spies?”

-‘Circumstances suggest so.’

The world was beautifully trampling over my expectations.

## Episode 3 – A Fantastic Vacation

The field was thrown into chaos with the newly added intelligence.

Initially, the investigators had determined there was only one spy. So when intelligence came in suggesting there were two spies, how could they not be shocked?

Sure enough, the team leader entered the room with a sour expression.

“Good to see you, Major. I heard the report on my way here. Not one spy but two—what on earth is going on?”

I almost said, “How would I know when I’m not even an investigator?”

But instead, I silently handed a document to the team leader.

“This document is from headquarters. It’s a list containing the personal information of research facility staff that was leaked.”

“Has the person who leaked it been identified?”

“No, we haven’t been able to determine that yet.”

I don’t know who Klevins’s informant is, but they’re clearly quite capable.

After all, they were someone who could intercept documents obtained by what appears to be a private intelligence agency of the Magic Tower.

While the team leader skimmed through the document, I pulled another report from my file.

“What’s that?”

“A report prepared by the analysts.”

After various verifications, the analysts were able to infer the approximate time when the list was created.

I’m not sure how they analyzed it with just one list, but they were truly remarkable people.

Of course, I was told that the reliability was somewhat low due to the lack of intelligence supporting their claims.

But now wasn’t the time to be picky.

“The list is believed to have been created this spring. All the researchers on the list have been confirmed to be from the Biological Analysis Department.”

“Are you saying the confidential materials the Magic Tower is after are the research results from the Biological Analysis Department?”

“That’s what the circumstances suggest.”

Of course, this was also a claim with insufficient evidence.

“Due to the lack of intelligence, various cognitive biases, including confirmation bias, may have influenced the analysis. The judgment may be reversed later.”

“So you’re saying we can’t be certain what materials the Magic Tower is after.”

One might ask how an intelligence agency funded by taxpayers could work in such a manner.

But the reality was that intelligence analysts are also human, and without evidence, they can only speculate.

That’s why when intelligence is lacking, analysts present various hypotheses and, with the assistance of other analysts, eliminate logical errors to find the hypothesis with the lowest risk. Various analytical techniques are used, such as devil’s advocacy, red teaming, high-risk low-probability analysis, brainstorming, AB team analysis, alternative futures analysis, wild card scenarios, and worst-case scenarios.

I learned all of this naturally from overhearing conversations between Pippin and the intelligence analysts at the embassy.

Of course, the military intelligence analysts who provided this information would have gone through the same verification procedures.

So this was the most realistic hypothesis at the moment.

“Let’s trust the analysts’ judgment for now. Has headquarters issued any specific instructions?”

“Nothing beyond the directive to secure Fernand’s cooperation.”

The team leader sighed deeply and asked me to wait a moment. A short sigh escaped from his lips, covered by his hand.

“Hoo…”

“Is Fernand still being uncooperative?”

“Yes. He’s not even eating now.”

The team leader said he could get a confession by the end of the day, but it didn’t seem like it would be that easy.

I wanted to ask if they couldn’t just hang him from a pipe and pull out his fingernails, but even I knew that wasn’t something a decent person would do, so I kept it to myself.

Besides the issue of accountability, confessions obtained through torture aren’t admissible in court.

Since they needed to capture the spy and bring them to trial, using torture would certainly lead to problems later.

Setting aside accountability and legal validity of evidence, considering the agency’s image and the uncertainty of information obtained through torture, torture wasn’t a particularly attractive option even from my perspective.

The team leader seemed to share similar thoughts.

“What about a plea bargain? Looking at his personal file, he seems to have a family. If he’s prosecuted as is, they’ll be branded as a spy’s family, won’t they?”

“We’re already trying that approach.”

“Do you have any other good ideas?”

“Yes, I’ve been considering another method.”

Since I wasn’t an investigator, I had no authority to dictate what should be done. This was a problem for the investigators to solve.

I moved past the headache-inducing topic and brought up an even more troublesome one.

“How do you plan to find the person who leaked the personal information?”

*

“How do I do this?”

“You just do it, and it works.”

Camilla Lowell responded with a bewildered voice to the researcher’s brief explanation.

“How do I fly on a broomstick?”

“Uh, well…”

The researcher mumbled, “It just works when you do it…” while Camilla Lowell looked down at the broomstick with a dumbfounded expression.

She had eagerly volunteered to try riding a broomstick upon hearing she could fly, but even after listening to the researchers’ explanations, she had no idea how to ride it.

She twirled her hair and muttered nonchalantly.

“Is it similar to a bicycle…?”

Suddenly, she recalled falling to one side when she failed to balance on a bicycle for the first time as a child.

She began to worry that if she lost her balance in mid-air, she might fall and become disabled.

“Um… if by bicycle you mean that thing with two wheels, then yes. You’ll get used to it quickly with a little practice.”

“…Pardon?”

“If you fail to balance or control it poorly, you might crash into something and end up in the hospital, but if you learn slowly in a safe place, you’ll be fine.”

When Camilla Lowell just blinked at the researcher, the researcher, wondering if they had explained something wrong, looked around at colleagues with a “did I say something wrong?” expression.

Worried that they might have offended her with a careless remark, the researcher was considering apologizing and providing a more detailed explanation when Camilla Lowell asked:

“What did you just say?”

“Y-yes? W-what do you mean…?”

“That bicycle thing…”

“Miss Camilla Lowell.”

Just as she was about to ask a question, feeling she had missed something important, a familiar voice came from behind.

A major appeared suddenly, carrying a briefcase.

“Major? What brings you here?”

“I was just passing by. Are you practicing magic?”

The researchers, startled by the sudden appearance of the soldier, hurriedly hid the broomsticks behind their backs. Teaching someone without a license to ride a broomstick was punishable by law.

Given the numerous accidents caused by broomstick riding, teaching someone without a license had become illegal after the law was enacted.

While Camilla Lowell herself might get off with a warning due to her status and being from another world, the researchers knew they wouldn’t be so lucky.

If fortunate, they might just pay a fine, but if unlucky, they could go to prison. Moreover, they were civil servants. They could receive a pension after completing their service period, but paying even a fine would destroy their careers.

The researchers rolled their eyes, trying to gauge the soldier’s expression, but he seemed preoccupied with his conversation with Camilla Lowell.

“Can you handle anything besides fire? Like shooting lightning or ice spikes…”

“I don’t think I’m at that level yet. Maybe I’ll learn later?”

“I’m not sure… I’m not a magician, so I don’t know.”

While colleagues were moving the broomsticks far away, the researcher who had been teaching broomstick riding joined the conversation.

“The hero has a very high magical compatibility, so she should be able to learn quickly!”

“Is that so? Is compatibility related to learning magic?”

Faced with the sudden question, the researcher recalled their research paper that had been scooped in the past.

Pushing away memories of the gloomy lab atmosphere, the researcher began explaining:

“Of course! Generally, magical compatibility affects learning various magic systems like elemental, arcane, shamanic, spirit…”

A very long explanation followed, but the soldier just nodded expressionlessly. After listening for quite some time, the soldier finally spoke:

“So since Camilla Lowell has a high magical compatibility, she’ll learn other magic quickly.”

“Yes.”

“That’s good news. Congratulations, Miss Camilla Lowell.”

“Hehe…”

After chatting briefly with the hero and sending her elsewhere, the soldier approached the researcher.

In a lowered voice:

“I saw you teaching broomstick riding earlier. You know it’s illegal to teach someone without a license, right?”

“…”

“It’s an intensive enforcement period, so if you’re caught now, it might go to trial. Do you prefer prison or a warning?”

“…A warning.”

“Is that so?”

Let’s have a little chat then.

*

I returned to the office after a long meeting.

On the way, I heard the investigation report, questioned the researcher who had broken the law, and even confirmed that Camilla Lowell had gone to bed.

By the time I returned to the office, made several phone calls, and finished writing reports, it was well past midnight.

In the early dawn, where misty fog shimmered silver.

I was sitting alone in the office, organizing documents.

-Knock. Knock.

“Come in.”

“Salute. I’ve brought the report, Major.”

“Yes, you can leave it there. Thank you for your hard work.”

“I’ll be going now. Rest well.”

The nameless investigator placed the documents and left the room.

As the footsteps faded, silence descended upon the office. The research facility staff and Camilla Lowell had gone to bed, and only the security guards and investigators on shift were quietly awake.

I stared at the documents for a long time, then closed the cover and rubbed my face.

“…”

No progress.

The investigators were interrogating Fernand, but he remained uncooperative. Questioning the researchers yielded no valuable information, and the documents showed no particular issues.

I had three thoughts:

First, how did the Magic Tower insert a spy into the research facility?

Second, how did the Magic Tower obtain the personal information of the research facility staff?

Third, what materials is the Magic Tower’s spy after?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t see the answers.

I leaned back in my chair, recalling my conversation with the team leader.

‘How will you find the person who leaked the personal information?’

‘According to the investigation, only the Personnel Department and the Internal Affairs Department handle the personnel records of research facility staff.’

‘I understand the Personnel Department, but why does the Internal Affairs Department have personnel records?’

‘They say it’s necessary for regular audits and internal investigations. Personally, I think the information likely leaked from either the Personnel Department or the Internal Affairs Department.’

‘…Then.’

‘Now the Internal Affairs Department is also under investigation.’

It was a complete mess.

There was a traitor inside the research facility, and the traitor was cooperating with the spy.

I suspected the traitor had helped the spy enter the research facility. If not, it meant the spy had entered the research facility evading the military intelligence background check, then recruited someone as a collaborator.

Personally, I thought the former was most likely, but the latter wasn’t impossible either.

After all, finding a way to infiltrate was what spies did.

“…”

Klevins had dispatched me to the Advanced Military Magic Research Facility under the pretext of a field inspection. And he assigned me to support the investigation.

With this assignment, my job was clear.

To find as many traces of the spy as possible.

That’s why the team leader asked me, and I fulfilled his request as diligently as possible.

Now I just had to wait.

“…”

I quietly closed my eyes and reclined in the chair.

In the early dawn where misty fog shimmered silver, with the distant sound of the boiler running…

-Ring ring! Ring ring!

Just then, someone called.

“…Hello?”

-‘It’s me, Major. I found the materials you mentioned.’

It was the call I had been waiting for.

“Go ahead.”

Saint Veronica.