Ch.540Side Episode – YES WE CAN

# 1970s Shortwave Radio: North Korean Spy Communication

In the 1970s, shortwave radios served as a crucial communication tool for North Korean operatives working against South Korea.

HF (High Frequency) communication, using frequencies between 3MHz and 30MHz, enabled long-distance transmission by utilizing shortwave properties of absorption and reflection in the ionosphere.

This explains why shortwave radios and transmitters were particularly valuable to North Korean operatives working across the intangible barrier of the demilitarized zone on the Korean peninsula.

However, this technology had significant drawbacks: limited bandwidth, vulnerability to high-power signal interference, malfunctions, and poor security against interception and eavesdropping.

Consequently, after 2000, North Korean operatives began seeking VHF (Very High Frequency) communication equipment. In 2009, North Korean scientists successfully launched “Kwangmyongsong-2,” capable of UHF (Ultra High Frequency) relay communications.

Interestingly, South Korea had been monitoring satellite transmissions since around 2002, specifically through the Central Radio Management Office. This made South Korea the fifth country in the world to do so, following the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany.

Fourteen years later, in 2016, they even began monitoring non-geostationary satellites.

Considering that the Central Radio Management Office began special radio monitoring operations after receiving the military’s fixed direction finder “G/2” and mobile direction finder “M/2” from the 1960s, this represents remarkable progress in less than 50 years.

But this raises questions:

If the Central Radio Management Office began monitoring subversive communications using equipment from the military, doesn’t that mean the military was already conducting radio surveillance?

And the fact that South Korea became the fifth country in the world to establish satellite radio monitoring systems in 2002, following the US, UK, Japan, and Germany…

In other words, hadn’t someone been intercepting satellite communications since the Cold War era?

# Side Episode – YES WE CAN

From the hills where the sun rises to the ocean depths where light fades. No realm escapes their sight.

Neither rumors on people’s lips nor radio waves and magical waves bouncing through the ionosphere can evade surveillance.

The eyes and ears of the watchers exist everywhere.

Especially when it concerns fields of science, magic, or related technologies.

*

If you ask enthusiasts of secret affairs, “Which is the best intelligence agency?” you’ll get various answers.

“For competence… obviously the agencies from the Moritani continent, known for their dangerous reputation. Both Ashtistan and the Rushan Federation, which are geographically and culturally close.”

Enthusiasts interested in international affairs name the “Law Enforcement Corps,” the “General Intelligence Bureau,” or “Barak (בָּרָק).”

They argue that in the Moritani continent, plagued by religious conflicts, these organizations fight meticulously and efficiently for survival—who could possibly match them?

“I’d like to praise the Northeastern Alliance. Look how much the Eastern mages and sorcerers have grown! Until our generation, they were considered incompetent, but now they’re catching up in magic and all fields.”

Some economy-focused enthusiasts pay attention to Eastern intelligence agencies.

Though modest now, considering their rapidly growing population, markets, and expanding global influence, the Eastern dragon’s ascent seems imminent.

“In terms of status, no one can match the Empire and the Papal Office. Take the Magic Tower—there was a time when its reputation nearly surpassed our kingdom… but in the end, Oracle failed to even grasp the shadow of the royal family.”

Meanwhile, traditionalist enthusiasts mention three intelligence agencies:

The Imperial Guard, the Inquisition, and the Royal Intelligence Service. They claim these have been and will always be the best.

“Whether it’s the Magic Tower, Rushan, or the Northeastern Alliance, they’re still far from catching up to us, according to those in the know.”

But these enthusiasts were unaware of one fact:

The “gossip” from their lips was reaching the ears of the “subjects” themselves.

《 The shadow of the royal family? 》

《 Naturally, the Royal Intelligence Service. I heard that Oracle has been interested in the outside world and investing in intelligence for several years. But whether they were plotting something or not, they were caught by our intelligence service! 》

As the man continued his conversation somewhere in the capital of the Abas Kingdom, his communication crossed the high seas via coaxial cable, reaching a dark blue submarine patrolling the ocean floor.

The moment electromagnetic waves from the copper cable were detected by underwater sensors…

The Royal Northern Maritime Research Institute’s “Type 581 Research Vessel,” cutting through the cold sea, intercepted a signal from a “deep-sea exploration submarine.”

“Communications Director? Look at this.”

“What is it?”

“This conversation we just intercepted—doesn’t it seem strange?”

The man frowned at the display. Glancing sideways at the blue naval combat uniform that had suddenly appeared, he began typing a brief report.

The encrypted message, indecipherable to anyone else, was transmitted to the research institute in real-time.

The encrypted message from the “Type 581 Research Vessel” rode the ionosphere across the high seas to the Abas Kingdom. The high-powered magical waves, with their excellent directivity, reached their destination without any leakage.

After passing through reporting channels, the encrypted message entered the integrated network, where programs sorted magical wave and electromagnetic wave communications based on the database.

Soon, the content was automatically distributed to various departments.

“Aya. Quickly process what just came in.”

“Which format should I use?”

“Let’s see… wired, and electromagnetic… ah, ah, Type 3.”

“I’ll run Colonne (column formation).”

The analysis department officer inserted the attached voice recording into the program.

The voice analysis program, which processed tens of thousands of communications daily, began extracting information based on the speaker’s voice, language, accent, and expressions.

“Where did the communication originate?”

“The middle of the capital, sir. Residential district 24. They believe the subject is moving while talking.”

“My goodness… so diligent at this early hour. Wake up the surveillance team and prepare portable equipment and a van.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you contacted the monitoring station?”

“They already know.”

“…Well done. Everyone’s working hard.”

The surveillance site on high ground illuminated the downtown area. Vans patrolled the streets while passenger cars headed for the hills.

An officer with portable equipment scanned the area below the hill, while beeping sounds emanated from a van equipped with mobile equipment.

Direction Finding (DF) was performed based on signal angles from various locations. Plainclothes police and arrest teams searched for the subject.

The informant walking through the capital center while on the phone was apprehended just 16 minutes after the report from the “Royal Navy Intelligence Collection Vessel” came in.

“…Hello?”

-‘I apologize for calling at this late hour, Director. I have an urgent matter to report.’

The news of the arrest reached the ears of the Royal Intelligence Service Director 2 minutes and 47 seconds later.

*

“This is preposterous!”

A department-level official raised his voice.

“Are we supposed to believe that at his age, he accidentally sold out his country because he was obsessed with women? This was clearly intentional!”

Slap! The high-ranking intelligence officer threw a file folder onto the desk. It was investigation material sent from the Special Investigation Bureau, an intelligence and counterintelligence agency under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In the early morning, all the department directors had gathered in the meeting room—every single one, without exception.

This was natural. Only one person in the company could summon them all:

The Director of the Royal Intelligence Service.

“……”

The elderly intelligence officer had occupied the head seat from the moment the department directors arrived in the meeting room.

This didn’t mean he had arrived at the office before the directors. The Director’s residence was at least an hour away from headquarters, and the Royal Intelligence Service directors often couldn’t even go home, staying at the office.

In fact, the National Operations Director sitting to the right of the head seat had been working in his office until just before. His tired expression and the subtle odor that couldn’t be masked by deodorant were evidence of this.

Nevertheless, the Operations Director couldn’t help arriving at the meeting room later than the Director.

It wasn’t because he was lazy.

It was simply because his office was closer than the Director’s, and he hadn’t gone home either.

“Deliberately leaking secrets to a foreign country…”

The Royal Intelligence Service Director nodded briefly.

“It’s a reasonable suspicion, given that information about the Magic Tower was leaked to the Empire.”

The suspicion was indeed reasonable. There was more than enough reason for concern.

The fact that Oracle, who governs the Magic Tower, wanted to have an intelligence organization, and that they almost halfway succeeded, was clearly a state secret.

The Director asked:

“What was the name of the intelligence agency the Magic Tower was trying to create?”

“The Talent Development Institute. Under the Magic Tower’s Foreign Affairs Department.”

“Right. That was the name.”

Thanks for reminding me. The Director expressed his gratitude in a light tone.

“Hmm…”

Tap. Tap.

His fingers rhythmically tapped the table. The elderly intelligence officer, leaning back in his leather chair, stared across with a contemplative gaze.

“Talent Development Institute… We first became aware of this agency long ago. The issue was officially raised two years ago.”

To be precise, it was when a “visitor” from another world was staying at the Military Magic Research Institute. A Magic Tower spy had infiltrated the military research institute disguised as a foreign student, and the Military Intelligence Bureau’s counterintelligence team caught them.

The problem arose here:

The Military Intelligence Bureau detected and arrested the Magic Tower spy. But there was also information about someone at the Magic Tower who had contacted the suspected spy, and that person belonged to the Magic Tower’s Foreign Ministry Talent Development Institute.

Fabio Verati.

An overseas intelligence officer from Fatalia’s National Security Bureau. Currently a senior executive at the National Security Bureau—an intelligence officer from an allied country.

The entity that first obtained and managed this information was the Royal Intelligence Service.

And today…

That information was leaked to the Kiyen Empire through an outsider.

“But where did this person get the information from?”

The Royal Intelligence Service Director waved the investigation materials in front of him.

They had investigated an executive believed to be working for the Magic Tower’s intelligence organization. No matter how much of an intelligence agency they were, once this became public, it would inevitably become a diplomatic issue.

But the real problem wasn’t this. The fact that the Royal Intelligence Service was monitoring a Magic Tower official wasn’t important at all.

Compared to the truth that the Magic Tower official was actually an intelligence officer dispatched from Fatalia’s intelligence agency, that the Magic Tower had established an intelligence organization in violation of the Nastasiya Treaty, and that Abas intelligence agencies, including the Royal Intelligence Service, had tried to overthrow the Magic Tower government.

“Our military research institute was compromised by the Magic Tower. Oracle tried to violate the Nastasiya Treaty. If just these two pieces of information had leaked to the press, everyone gathered here would have had to resign.”

“……”

“What do you think would have happened if information about Fatalia’s intelligence officer infiltrating the Magic Tower or the project planned by the National Operations Department had been exposed?”

No one answered. They didn’t need to say it out loud—they could all envision a future where they’d have to flee from journalists for the rest of their lives. All the directors, including the Intelligence Service Director at the head seat, until the day they died.

They had done it knowingly. They knew what they were doing.

If they failed, they would face trial, but if they succeeded, the Magic Tower would stand on Abas’s side for decades to come. As a strong ally or as an obedient puppet state.

Of course, no one knew whether a special envoy from the Prime Minister would be dispatched to the Magic Tower with a pro-Abas government, or whether an economic advisory group from the Abas government would be sent. The subversion operation was expected to take at least three years from preliminary preparations to the main operation.

Even now, the Royal Intelligence Service was stirring up the Magic Tower government from behind the scenes.

“What information was leaked?”

The thin-looking Chief of Staff spoke in a small voice.

“According to our interception, only information at the level of ‘a Magic Tower government department was detected by our company while collecting some kind of information’ was leaked.”

The elderly intelligence officer tilted his glasses toward the documents in front of him.

The documents, marked with anti-forgery magical patterns, contained the results of a joint investigation by two agencies: the Military Intelligence Bureau’s Signals Intelligence Office and the Royal Intelligence Service’s Information and Communications Department.

Whether electrical or magical, these departments could screen communications from countries tens of thousands of kilometers away if they involved data transmission. Even love letters exchanged by 8-year-old young gentlemen and ladies abroad could be easily intercepted, as long as they weren’t letters from the past or future.

In the same context, intercepting communications from undersea cables was not much different from looking at children’s love letters.

They intercepted because they could, and they looked because they could.

That’s all there was to it.

“Hmm…”

On the surface, the leaked information confirmed in the conversation didn’t seem critical at all.

It appeared to be a foolish man who wanted to show off in front of his mistress, exaggerating news he had somehow learned while working as a civil servant.

The problem was that this man was a high-ranking diplomatic official from the Abas Foreign Ministry who had served as an ambassador to the Kiyen Empire.

The information he had accidentally acquired was related to the Intelligence Service.

And the woman who received the information was a citizen of the Kiyen Empire.

As furrows deepened on the Director’s forehead, the thin-framed man sitting on the right spoke up. It was the National Operations Director, who had arrived at the meeting room first.

“In today’s conversation, only our Royal Intelligence Service was directly mentioned. No other companies involved in the project were named, such as the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Magic Tower’s Talent Development Institute, Fatalia’s National Security Bureau, or the Kiyen Empire’s Reconnaissance Command.”

“So you’re saying a Foreign Ministry official heard rumors floating around and passed them to an unidentified Imperial woman?”

A middle-aged woman sitting diagonally across picked up the conversation.

She was the Director of the Analysis Department, which distributed publications to the royal family, the Prime Minister’s Office, and various ministry officials, and prepared Daily Briefs for the King and Prime Minister.

The Analysis Director nodded and added:

“That makes sense. ‘The Magic Tower’s intelligence organization was caught by our side while collecting unknown information at an unknown location’—it sounds plausible at first glance, but logically inconsistent when you think about it. After all, we’re not an investigative agency. The military made the arrest in the first place.”

“Did the Ministry of Defense control the information at that time?”

The Royal Intelligence Service Director asked, and the Chief of Staff, after briefly searching his memory, confirmed they had.

“If they did, they did. What do you mean by ‘they did’?”

“Well… The Military Intelligence Bureau, the Defense Ministry Investigation Team, and the Military Police conducted separate investigations and had confidentiality agreements signed. But with so many research institute employees…”

Realistically, it was difficult to control so many people, he was saying.

At least no one had tipped off journalists, so there wouldn’t be any news or newspaper commotion, but rumors spreading by word of mouth would be hard to block.

Anyway, the point was:

“Isn’t it possible they mistook the Military Intelligence Bureau’s counterintelligence team for our employees?”

The Operations Director spoke up.

“Rather than suggesting information leaked from within, it seems more likely that distorted memories and misconceptions from witnesses created unfounded rumors—”

“What if.”

The Director fell silent. The thin-framed Director couldn’t say anything more.

A single phrase from the Director had silenced him.

“What if the secrets really did leak?”

“……”

“What if someone in the company deliberately leaked information, and this man, as a contact, passed it on to higher-ups in the Empire?”

The Royal Intelligence Service Director waited for an answer with his eyes closed, but no one could easily speak up.

In the meeting room, boasting perfect soundproofing where no waves or magical waves could penetrate, the silence was even more pronounced.

A considerable time passed.

The atmosphere was like walking on thin ice. No one stepped forward readily. When the ice broke, no one knew who would fall through.

The person who broke the uncomfortable silence was the National Operations Director sitting to the right of the head seat.

“…If there really is a spy within our company, then having heard that one of their operatives has been arrested…”

The intelligence officer said:

“Surely they must be waiting for a lifeline to be lowered from somewhere?”

*

After the exhausting meeting ended.

When the official car passed through the Royal Intelligence Service security checkpoint, it was already noon.

39 hours. No, 45 hours and 57 minutes since his last departure from work.

It should have been a welcome journey home for anyone, but today the air felt particularly stuffy.

Whether it was due to lack of ventilation, lack of sleep, or perhaps the Prime Minister’s unsatisfactory reaction to the information memo submitted this morning.

The Royal Intelligence Service Director shifted his gaze from the city reflected in the glass and his own blurry face.

“……”

The old man, who had closed his eyes and rested his head comfortably, looked as if he had fallen into a brief nap. But the driver, well aware of the Director’s tendencies, chose conversation over silence.

“A report came in from the Frangia branch. Foreign businessmen, presumed to be from ‘Barak,’ are trying to acquire six warships to mine oceanic magic stones.”

Frangia. Barak. Warships. Like dots connecting into a line, the words floating in his mind aligned and flowed like a stream.

A few months ago, the Franjian government had signed a contract with a country on the Moritani continent. The condition was to sell six state-of-the-art warships.

However, the country that wanted to purchase the warships attacked a neighboring country with which they had territorial disputes.

A small city was reduced to ashes by a level 5 military magic, and the president of the attacked country ran to the Franjian embassy, an allied country, protesting not to sell the warships.

It wasn’t due to pressure from an ally.

When the Franjian government received the defense industry contract proposal, one of the first conditions they set was “peace on the Moritani continent.” The problem was with the other party, who had agreed to this condition but then launched a preemptive attack.

In the end, the Franjian government took a hard line, saying they wouldn’t sell the completed ships…

And now an intelligence agency was trying to receive them secretly.

“Do our Franjian friends know about this?”

“It doesn’t seem so. At least not the military and defense industry.”

“I can vividly imagine the Franjian president throwing a fit.”

The Director laughed, and the driver continued:

“Drug cartels are moving into Latuan. Doble Cabeza, Caballeros, El Familia…”

Familiar names in unfamiliar foreign languages. The old man’s brain began retrieving neatly organized files.

Brilliant economic growth brought light and darkness, like two sides of a coin. As the night view of skyscrapers burned brilliantly, blood-stained syringes, bags with residue, staggering rats, and unidentified corpses increased in the alleys.

The Special Investigation Bureau’s Drug Enforcement Office had struggled over the past 20 years to cure the disease eating away at Abas, but the results led to countless casualties, daily increasing domestic consumption, and highly sophisticated criminal organizations.

The best efforts don’t always produce the best results. And enlightenment doesn’t always lead to repentance.

So the Abas government chose punishment as its means.

For the past seven years, the Royal Intelligence Service had conducted numerous intelligence operations in various regions to eradicate international organized crime. Intelligence collection, information analysis, surveillance, wiretapping, sabotage, psychological warfare, torture, kidnapping, assassination…

All were illegal operations, but no one questioned them. If they just put on the label of “international cooperation,” even local governments welcomed them with open arms. And if they didn’t welcome them, they could simply be replaced with new people.

This approach worked effectively in all countries.

The allied country Fatalia sentenced a 36-year-old mafia boss who had killed a regional prosecutor to life imprisonment without parole, while the long-standing hostile country, the Kiyen Empire, mobilized two platoons of public security to clean up criminal organizations.

And the Petrograd branch chief who provided assistance in that cleanup enjoyed the unprecedented honor of being the “three consecutive Kiyen Empire branch chiefs” since the founding of the Royal Intelligence Service.

The Royal Intelligence Service Director smiled gently.

“Tell the Operations Director to prepare personnel and secure deals through the branch. Request cooperation from the military if needed. And the base?”

“The Latuan officials in charge of public relations will likely provide it.”

This meant that liaison officers from the Latuan intelligence agency would arrange accommodations.

Meanwhile, the embassy would mobilize intelligence collection officers in the field to gather information, and paramilitary operations officers would track targets in conjunction with the Latuan branch as soon as they arrived.

There was no need to worry about any illegal issues that might arise in this process. Even if the Latuan press denounced Royal Intelligence Service employees as a “murder squad,” the Latuan judiciary wouldn’t even consider prosecution.

In fact, there wouldn’t even be time for the press to notice. The Latuan Ministry of Defense had already been working with the Abas Ministry of Defense and Intelligence Service since last year to eradicate criminals.

This time too, what would be captured on camera would be “unidentified Latuan special forces” moving with local military and police.

“Hmm…”

The Royal Intelligence Service Director sighed in the dark gloom.

At that moment, the driver, who was gently adjusting the steering, looked into the rearview mirror with a worried expression.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Continue.”

“Yes. Next is from the Ivory Tower…”

I must be getting old. My stamina isn’t what it used to be.

The seasoned intelligence officer wondered how much longer he could work, but that concern was soon set aside.

Now was not the time to consider retirement. At least, he couldn’t step down right away.

Although there was only circumstantial evidence, there might be a spy in the company. A spy presumably planted by the Kiyen Empire, either the Imperial Guard or the Reconnaissance Command.

“……”

He had worked at the Royal Intelligence Service for over 30 years. He didn’t want to suspect colleagues or juniors he had worked with all this time. But if, just if, a double agent really existed?

They must be caught.

By any means necessary.

The problem was that it was unclear who the traitor was or how to identify them.

The Royal Intelligence Service’s organizational structure was Director-Department Head-Division Head-Section Head-Team Leader. There were several intelligence officers under team leaders, but they were all newly hired rookie intelligence officers.

Considering the level of leaked information, it was highly likely that an intelligence officer at the team leader or section head level or above—at least at the division head, department head, or director level—had caused the problem.

Could there be a culprit among the directors? Probably not. Compared to the level of classified documents that directors could handle, the leaked information was less valuable than stock market rumors.

Then…

“Let me get some fresh air.”

-Screech.

After a brief tire friction sound, the secretary who got out of the driver’s seat stepped back a few steps from the vehicle.

Seeing this, the Royal Intelligence Service Director took out an old PDA.

A prestigious Abas telecommunications equipment manufacturer had produced special mobile phones for the royal family and the Prime Minister’s Office in accordance with the requirements of the Central Security Office.

Their unparalleled security features attracted the attention of intelligence agencies, and numerous models were supplied for countless intelligence officers.

Just like the PDA now in the Director’s hand.

-♪

As the all-too-familiar melody lingered in his ear.

-‘Speak.’

A deep voice penetrated his eardrum.

*

The moment he crossed the threshold of his residence, he instinctively felt the need to check the living room.

After carefully navigating a corner in the darkness, he moved a few steps away from the entrance.

He took a broad look around the quiet living room. However, the curtains, mail, and everything else appeared no different from when he had left.

The old man, who had been silently shifting his gaze, briefly looked toward the kitchen, then turned on the antique lamp to illuminate the house.

-Click.

The darkness was replaced by a yellow light.

The light that instantly brightened the living room also spread to the hallway and kitchen.

And clearly illuminated the profile of a man sitting at the table.

“You’re here?”

The old man asked while taking off his gloves, and the man answered with a wave of his hand.

“You called, so I came.”

“I suppose so.”

“The emptiness of this house suits a widower. Don’t you think, Director?”

A widower living alone. The Royal Intelligence Service Director, called as such, let out a brief laugh.

“It has become a bit empty since Annie left.”

“…’A bit’?”

The man muttered as if wondering how this could be considered just “a bit” empty.

That’s an embarrassing rebuke to hear from a subordinate. The Royal Intelligence Service Director thought this as he approached the kitchen table.

“There were people outside.”

The Director casually asked after placing his gloves on the table. It was a question about how he had entered without being seen by the staff.

To this, the man could only smile brightly.

“1989, Snezgorny Correctional Facility. Have you already forgotten who rescued the magician captured there?”

The elderly intelligence officer couldn’t help but smile too. How could he not know?

“I know. I know well.”

“It was a damn cold day, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. It was a damn cold day.”

The truck that was their escape vehicle had a frozen engine, and the prisoner couldn’t walk due to frostbite in his right leg. In that state, a Kiyen army rifle bullet lodged in his calf, making his life precarious not just from amputation but from bleeding.

Meanwhile, the collaborator they had spent two months bribing seemed to have gotten cold feet—sirens were heard from the prison before they even left the danger zone, and the Kiyen Empire’s counterintelligence unit formed a pursuit team.

The military dogs and combat magicians breaking through the fierce blizzard were truly terrifying.

It was an operation that almost completely failed. Due to his own misjudgment.

But they overcame that crisis, crossed thousands of kilometers.

And ultimately returned alive with the prisoner.

Who could not know the person who accomplished this?

The Royal Intelligence Service Director, seated at the table, smiled with genuine pleasure for the first time in a long while.

“It’s good to see you back in the country, Matt.”

To which the intelligence officer replied:

“I’m glad to see you too, Director.”

*

“A damn tiring day, isn’t it?”

Matt playfully asked his visibly exhausted superior. In response, the Royal Intelligence Service Director, who was drinking brewed tea, nonchalantly shrugged.

“Is there ever a day that isn’t tiring?”

“You should have retired long ago. I don’t even know how many years I’ve been seeing you at the company.”

About 30 years, right? When the subordinate asked while pretending to calculate, the superior responded as if it were an odd question.

“32 years.”

“Oh—that makes you practically a ghoul.”

“Call me a specter. Ghoul is too…”

“Wrinkly?”

“Well… I’m not sure if that’s the right expression, but the context is similar.”

The homeowner and superior smoothly handled his subordinate’s teasing. It was hard to believe he was dealing with an uninvited intruder.

Strictly speaking, Matt was neither an uninvited guest nor a home invader who had broken in on his own. The reason he was here was because of the Director’s summons.

The Royal Intelligence Service Director hummed as he poured tea into Matt’s cup.

“How are your team members doing?”

“They’re so energetic it’s almost a problem. I thought throwing them into the desert would drain their energy, but…”

“The Moritani continent has always been a place full of passion. Fierce, hot. Warlords and government forces fighting fiercely like flames… Being in such a place, one can’t help but be energetic.”

“They should be drained, though.”

“That’s because you’re getting old. Make sure to take supplements regularly.”

“Please include it in next year’s budget. Would it hurt the support department to send supplements along with medical supplies?”

“Supplements aren’t covered by health insurance, so it would be difficult. But I’ll look into it.”

“If we just eliminated the candies, snacks, and drinks that the Analysis Department friends eat in the break room, we wouldn’t have to worry about insurance premium increases… They seem to think medical insurance is free.”

“And you all use military equipment worth hundreds of thousands of shillings as if it were water?”

“It’s my tax money, so what does it matter?”

Words that would make the Treasury Department weep.

As teacups clinked, the Royal Intelligence Service Director continued with various questions. They were very ordinary, everyday questions.

“I understand you’ve been working at the National Operations Department for quite some time. Don’t you think it’s about time for a promotion?”

“I’m comfortable in the field. Oh, by the way, how’s Larry? I heard he’s been suffering from asthma again.”

“The senior analyst is currently being treated by our in-house medical staff. He’s recovering quickly and will likely return to the field soon.”

“That’s good news.”

“How about Kerr? The personnel department is considering whether to recruit more beastkin next quarter, and I’m curious about your opinion.”

“He’s a well-trained intelligence officer. Both Bill and Steve are satisfied with his performance. It’s definitely good to train cat beastkin for night shooting and sniper training.”

“Is his foundation solid?”

“It’s difficult to compare human employees and beastkin employees on the same level. Taking Kerr as an example, in areas with many humans, he’s viewed with suspicion because of his different race, but conversely, he moves through beastkin residential areas like they’re his own home.”

“So he’s perfect for training as a specialist… Then what are the problems?”

“Uh… he installed something like a cat tower in his quarters and wants it officially introduced back home.”

“We’ll look into that from a welfare perspective. Anything else?”

“Too much hair loss. Can’t something be done about this? It’s one thing for it to get into electronic equipment, but when we import firearms, the fur sticks to them and it’s a complete mess.”

“Interesting. In the last interview, Kerr said he was dying because of your cigarette smell.”

“…Damn.”

I should cut down on smoking, Matt muttered quietly to himself.

The question-and-answer session between the Director and the intelligence officer continued for quite some time. They had many conversations.

“How do you feel about working jointly with Military Intelligence Bureau friends?”

“They’re good. Especially that small, pointy one. He’s cute and quick-witted, so the analysis team likes him. Their analyst is quite skilled for a rookie.”

“I heard there was an intelligence officer who was deployed with your team members while tracking Al-Kair?”

“Jake? Ah—I like him too. He has deployment experience, special operations training, and plenty of practical experience. He also looks similar to locals. Observing him in the refugee camp, it seems he’s been on similar surveillance missions several times when he was in the special operations unit.”

“I heard the evaluation of the analysis officer through Larry. I also saw the navy’s data. He was a very good person. How was the nymph?”

“Everyone likes her except when she bickers with Kerr. Should we recruit nymphs too?”

“As an endangered species, that seems difficult.”

“That’s a shame.”

When the Royal Intelligence Service Director drank his tea, the conversation paused briefly. The old man tilted his teacup with a calm gesture, then continued in an expressionless voice, speaking casually.

“What are your team members doing now?”

“……”

The moment he heard those words, Matt instinctively realized that the main point was about to come.

He also realized that all the conversations they had been having weren’t just ordinary greetings.

The Royal Intelligence Service Director asked, and the paramilitary operations officer answered.

“Don’t you know what mission my team is responsible for?”

It was a way of saying just tell me what you want me to do.

To this, the Director put down his teacup with a bright smile.

“Information has leaked.”

“……”

“Early this morning, we detected circumstances where company secrets were leaked abroad. I believe someone in our company leaked that information without upper management’s approval.”

Mole.

Though not spoken aloud, the Royal Intelligence Service Director was now suspecting the existence of a mole.

To this, the Royal Intelligence Service employee asked why he hadn’t mobilized the Inspection Department.

“Does the inspector know?”

“He does. A major inspection is scheduled to take place within the company soon. I was called to the Prime Minister this morning about it.”

“Who exactly are you suspecting?”

The Intelligence Service Director lowered his gaze while stroking his sleeve.

“All division heads and department heads.”

Upon hearing that an inspection of high-ranking intelligence officers was scheduled, Matt laughed dryly. This was because many of the leading figures among Matt’s batch mates who had struggled to rise were now in high positions.

When the Inspection Department started digging into the private lives of his colleagues, some would probably be fired. Even if a double agent didn’t actually exist.

After all, it was the Inspection Department’s job to find everything from employee misconduct to minor mistakes.

Of course, what mattered to Matt now wasn’t his colleagues who might get fired.

“Do you have something for me to do?”

The instructions came down.

“Form a team. Quietly.”

The Royal Intelligence Service Director instructed. To create a team. Not to summon a team, but to create one.

Matt could easily guess the reason.

“Should I leave my team members to Bill?”

“Do that. Make it not too hard on them. Distribute generously.”

It meant don’t move the team. The moment an operations team disappeared from the field, someone might become suspicious.

Especially if that person was working not abroad but domestically, not in a provincial area but at headquarters in the capital.

This is going to be a headache.

Matt muttered inwardly as he put a cigarette in his mouth.

“Do you have employees in mind?”

“Well… there are a few nearby.”

The Royal Intelligence Service Director gave permission to take any available intelligence officers. Profiles of employees working in the Moritani continent flashed through Matt’s mind.

“Prepare for the trip outside the company. Internal resources are too noticeable.”

“Where will the budget come from?”

“It will be paid through shell companies in tax havens we’ve already set up. Orders will come down through the committee.”

“Then where should I go?”

The paramilitary operations officer asked in a calm tone. It sounded like asking about a picnic destination.

The Royal Intelligence Service Director looked at the paramilitary operations officer’s face, then shifted his gaze to the teacup and answered.

“Shizya.”

*

Matt, equipped with a forged passport and warp gate ticket, immediately got into a taxi.

“Where shall I take you?”

“Immigration Office.”

In the vehicle smoothly gliding on the road, Matt slowly recalled the information heard at the residence.

A former high-ranking official from the Abas Foreign Ministry had leaked state secrets. The secrets went to the Kiyen Empire. The recipient, presumed to be a woman he met while working at the embassy, received Royal Intelligence Service secrets from the former official.

Those secrets had leaked from the Royal Intelligence Service. There was a possibility that employees of the Advanced Military Magic Combustion had carelessly spread stories at drinking parties, gatherings, or to family members, which then became distorted into rumors. But the Intelligence Service Director suspected a deliberate leak.

The order was just one:

Find the double agent who leaked the secrets.

By now, the Inspection Department would be combing through the locations and records of all employees like searching for lice, but if the culprit had realized their operative had been arrested, they might have already fled abroad.

The Director judged that the double agent was likely aiming for “one big score” at the end. That could be classified documents they could take with their authority, but in a situation where they needed to leave the country urgently, going to headquarters to collect documents would be too risky.

Then…

-‘…Hello?’

Matt asked in a small voice into the phone.

“Where are you?”

-‘Hah—I’m preparing to go to Shizya or whatever this damn place is. What a hassle because of some old lady.’

“Have you arrived?”

-‘No. Departure is the day after tomorrow. As soon as we arrive, we’re supposed to go to Azadi Palace to meet someone. I don’t know anything beyond that.’

I see.

Matt nodded and muttered.

“Call me as soon as you arrive.”

Click. The connection was cut, and he stared at the blank screen for a while.

Matt closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

There were many colleagues he could take to Ashtistan. From Kerr to the Military Intelligence Bureau’s intelligence team, to other operations teams on missions in neighboring countries.

However, there weren’t many personnel with a significantly low possibility of betrayal.

“Hmm…”

Matt, who had been looking at the night view reflected in the window, opened his mobile phone. An area code was entered, followed by a brief connection tone.

And finally…

Contact was made with the most suitable person.

*

What the hell.

Just a few hours ago, she had been enjoying a palace-like accommodation, luxurious meals, and the goodwill of allied country officials.

But after completing a long journey, she found herself in a hostile country.

“……”

A woman with a loosely “placed” rusari on her head looked up at the sign with a vacant expression. The first sign she encountered upon arriving in this land was a propaganda poster of a man in military uniform showing his teeth—presumably a war hero of this country.

Next to the woman, who had half lost her soul, another woman passed by. She was a senior who had joined midway, and although they hadn’t been formally introduced, she had a strong impression.

And here was the most senior officer who had summoned her to this godforsaken place.

“I heard this isn’t your first deployment to the Moritani continent, is that right?”

“…Pardon?”

“I see it is.”

The man with a very prominent jaw handed over a duffel bag and a carrier. Along with the message that all the supplies she would need were inside.

“You’ll have to source supplies separately, but I’ve at least packed essentials. It’s enough for four days, so calculate and use them wisely.”

“…Uh, thank you?”

“No need to thank me.”

The senior officer, who looked like he deserved a slap, put on sunglasses and added with a thud:

“It’s for your brother, after all.”

The female intelligence officer who received the carrier—Ayla Nostrim, with less than a year of dazzling experience (not really) at the Royal Intelligence Service.

The sister who had sent her brother to Moritani was surprisingly dragged back to the field because of her brother.

“…Damn it.”

It was truly a scene of separated family reunion (they had never been separated) that couldn’t be watched without tears.

Side Episode – YES WE CAN

– END –