A Dark Fantasy Spy

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We classified people all day long based on intelligence accessibility.

Researchers with access to confidential information and those without access.

In the latter case, we judged the potential for information leaks to be low, thus potentially excluding them from suspicion and releasing their confinement.

Primarily, the junior researchers with shorter tenure were set free, and they scurried around the institute, checking equipment for inspections.

I spent the day reviewing personnel records and personal cards to decide who to investigate first, mingling with the newcomers, calling Clevenz to report the situation, and requesting the commander of the military eavesdropping unit to send over a communication interception report.

Time was tight, but the investigation gradually gained traction, and the research institute was ready to welcome guests.

Then, at 10:17 AM the next day.

Camila Lowell arrived at the research institute.

—

Episode 3 – A Fantastic Vacation

The fresh autumn breeze lightly poked at my forehead.

Rubbing my slightly bloodshot eyes to focus, I noticed a girl timidly standing down the road on a broom.

“Camila Lowell, it’s been two days.”

“Uh? Uhh?”

Her crimson hair was striking. She looked surprised. It felt strange to meet again after parting at the train station.

She pointed a finger at me and began stammering like a fish out of water.

“Colonel…?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Why are you here?”

“Well, um, I’m executing official duties. I have business at the institute.”

What should I say about Camila’s expression? She looked somewhat dumbfounded, oddly happy, and surprised all at the same time.

“You came here for an inspection, right?”

“Ah, yes. I was told it would take two days…”

“Due to certain circumstances at the research institute, the inspection schedule has been prolonged. Please bear with us a bit longer despite the inconvenience.”

“Is it a serious matter?”

“No, it’s nothing particularly serious.”

Originally, the inspection for Camila Lowell was supposed to involve all 917 researchers.

However, due to the industrial espionage issue, all research personnel were detained.

They released senior and former researchers, but since many researchers were under investigation, it was impossible for the inspection to end within two days.

But that wasn’t her concern.

She didn’t need to know what was happening at the institute; it was better for her not to.

So, I vaguely dismissed her inquiries and guided her into the institute.

“Let’s head to the institute first; please follow me.”

—

The Advanced Military Magic Research Institute is located at the foot of a mountain.

With a pseudo-Cold War atmosphere, security is tight, but it’s also a precaution in case the institute is attacked.

After descending to the underground levels via the elevator, we rode a tram through the underground world.

“Wow…”

Camila Lowell gasped in amazement at the scenery reflected on the window.

To her, the secret underground research facility likely felt like a whole new world, something out of a movie rather than a typical college student’s experience.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Yes!”

She flashed a bright, cheerful smile.

The tram glided along the tracks, revealing the peculiar sights of the underground research facility.

She gazed at the view for a long time, her mouth slightly agape, clearly captivated by the environment.

Watching her, I shifted my attention to my notepad.

“First, we’ll check Camila Lowell’s abilities.”

“Weren’t you going to use magic?”

“I’m not precisely sure if it’s magic or not.”

We still didn’t know whether her abilities were magical or something else entirely.

Why didn’t we know? That was due to the special nature of being a Hero.

All past Heroes mentioned in records displayed different abilities.

Some used divine powers, others utilized magic, some were simply physically strong, and some used abilities that were hard to classify.

Given that the samples were already limited, defining someone was no easy task, especially when everyone used different abilities.

“So today’s test will confirm what Camila Lowell’s abilities are.”

“Hmm… I hope it’s magic.”

Camila Lowell, who had been mumbling softly, suddenly voiced her desire to use magic.

“Do you prefer magic?”

“Not just prefer… there’s a certain fantasy to it.”

Fantasy?

I tilted my head in confusion until she explained with a grin.

“…Harry Potter.”

—

“What on earth is this?”

“It’s a magic power measurement device.”

The first test was for measuring magical aptitude.

From its name, you might think it involves placing a crystal ball on a hand and having light burst forth to measure one’s magic.

“Is it like a vending machine?”

“Yes.”

In reality, it was nothing like that.

Camila Lowell looked perplexed as she stared at the measuring device.

“What on earth were you imagining?”

“I thought there would be something like a hat to wear…”

Where did that idea even come from?

While I was trying to dredge up memories from decades ago, the researcher preparing for the measurement answered.

“Using crystals or hats to measure was outdated since a few decades ago. It started changing to machines around 20 years ago.”

“That’s what they say.”

“Hmm…”

While she furrowed her brows at the machine, researchers with master’s and doctorates from prestigious universities completed the setup with great effort.

The mention of possibly sending someone to prison if anything went wrong put them all on alert.

“Now, please put your hand inside the device.”

“…Is this going to be okay?”

“It’s fine; we all used it when we were kids.”

As the researchers sweated bullets in their attempts to reassure her, Camila Lowell cautiously placed her hand into the measuring device.

With magicians, suit men, and everyone else holding their breath, in a moment of anticipation—

“Huh?”

One of the researchers looking at the panel blurted out in confusion.

They poked and prodded, opened the machine to peek inside, trying all sorts of things before ultimately giving the device a good whack.

“Is there an issue?”

“Oh, no. That’s not it, it’s just…”

“Is there a problem or not?”

“No, no! Just give me a moment, please…”

Startled by the guard’s remark, the researcher was sweating profusely, begging for a little patience.

Someone was flipping through manuals, and another was dismantling the machine to rearrange the wiring.

Amidst the noise created by the magicians, researchers, and guards, Camila Lowell and I exchanged bewildered looks.

“Did you touch something wrong?”

“Did I do something wrong…?”

“Why are you asking me?”

She gazed at the machine with a puzzled expression, and I began to seriously contemplate whether she had to pay for the machine’s repairs.

After what felt like an eternity, just as I was about to lose my patience, a researcher shouted.

“We’ll retest it. I’m really sorry, but just once more….”

Under their request, Camila Lowell placed her hand back inside.

And then,

“Uh…?”

The machine erupted with light.

—

“…so it has been determined that the Hero uses magic.”

A senior researcher, with tears welling up in his eyes, rubbed his face with his sleeve.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it; I just started crying…”

“It’s fine.”

The researcher, blushing from rubbing his face, began to explain.

“The Hero’s magic aptitude was measured to be exceptionally high. It’s not uncommon for such things to happen while measuring aptitude.”

“Is it usual for the machine to go off like that?”

“No, no! It’s a genuinely rare occurrence. It might happen once every hundred years or so.”

The researcher frantically waved his hands, retracting his statement.

During the test, a flash erupted from the measuring device, sending smoke billowing up, akin to a computer power unit blowing out.

I had no way of knowing if it was a machine issue or not; all I remembered was the blinding flash and people scrambling about. The guards panicked, and Camila Lowell almost fell over in shock.

Given that a bomb went off just two months prior, it was understandable to be a bit jumpy.

While I was unaffected, Camila Lowell had been struggling with the aftermath for some time. It was certainly a traumatic incident that could stir up troubling memories.

Fortunately, since there were no casualties, I calmed myself down and listened to the researcher’s explanation.

“I’m not well-versed with machines, so I can’t offer detailed explanations. However, I assure you that the machine won’t explode or harm the Hero’s health.”

As Camila Lowell sighed in relief, the researcher wiped the sweat from his brow and presented the test results.

“Uh, well, your magic aptitude score is significantly high.”

“I heard that earlier.”

“Ah, yes. And there’s something more to explain regarding the magic aptitude score.”

Nodding slightly, the researcher cleared his throat to gather his thoughts.

The atmosphere felt more like that of a patient and escort listening to a doctor’s opinions.

“Magic aptitude is not just about determining how much magic the test subject can wield. While we generally refer to those with a certain aptitude level as magicians, that’s merely about whether they can use magic effectively.”

“It’s like a qualification certificate.”

“Exactly, it’s a type of certificate.”

The researcher pointed at a chart on the results paper with his pen.

“Additionally, the higher the aptitude, the more your rate of growth and limits are affected. You can learn magic faster than others, and the total amount of mana you can wield will quickly increase.”

That was fantastic news.

She was already comparable to elite magicians, and if she grew further from here, how far could she go? She would undoubtedly surpass most magicians at any tower.

Given that magic was a well-structured academic field, she’d study with books and wouldn’t be secluded in some remote area.

And this was also good news for Camila Lowell.

“Magic…”

She seemed unable to believe she was really a magician, her mouth agape as she continued to mutter.

For a long time, the researcher talked about her abilities and magic. Gradually, Camila Lowell seemed dazed, nodding along but not fully grasping what was being said.

After a lengthy explanation, the senior researcher at the Advanced Military Magic Research Institute wrapped it up.

“…Therefore, we deem it necessary to conduct a more detailed examination of your magic.”

—

As soon as her abilities were confirmed to be magic, we proceeded with additional tests.

We had to determine how well she could manipulate her magic and what techniques she could use.

The researchers observed her abilities using evaluation criteria. Junior researchers who could use magic informally handled the evaluations, with plans to analyze them in detail later.

While the detailed test results would only be available later, their reactions suggested that Camila Lowell had considerable talent for magic.

Was it because she was a Hero, or did she inherently possess that talent? It was somewhat ambiguous.

Nonetheless, I had to acknowledge that she was handling magic remarkably well.

“Kwaaaaah…!”

–Fhhhr~!

Camila Lowell let out a dinosaur-like roar as she breathed fire. Though the intensity was reminiscent of a flamethrower, the actual flames were just tiny flickers.

“What?! I did it!”

She cheered, grinning as she showed me the skewers with two perfectly roasted marshmallows.

The flames that could reduce a monster the size of a small bus to ashes in seconds now only managed to char the surface of the marshmallows.

Without even having learned magic, she was already adeptly controlling her magical power.

“Want one?”

“Uh… I’d love one.”

I popped the warm, brownish marshmallow into my mouth.

The chewy, crispy treat had a flavor that felt like it was clogging my veins.

“It’s delicious.”

“Right? Should I roast a few more?”

“Yes.”

With today’s tests finally wrapped up, we chatted while roasting marshmallows over the flames.

“Did you have a good time the past two days? I heard you stayed at a hotel.”

“It was fine except for being a bit boring. How about you, Colonel?”

“Oh, I just reported to my superior and took a few days off.”

I brazenly told a fib.

Whether it was rest or anything else, I was stuck in a research institute beset by industrial spies.

Ever since meeting Camila Lowell, I felt like I was telling nothing but lies.

“Oh, right. They said they’d be doing ability assessments alongside the health check starting tomorrow.”

“A health check?”

“Think of it as a health examination.”

Although many capable researchers were unavailable, we still had sufficient personnel and equipment left.

It might be tough for the remaining staff to analyze results without their experienced counterparts, but that was none of my concern.

Arts students don’t worry about such matters; that’s a job for the science folks.

“Due to the situation at the institute, we’ll focus on ability assessment until tomorrow. However, we must also identify the causes of any loss of consciousness, so we will conduct both tests concurrently.”

“How will the ability assessment happen? Will I just have to use magic on the machine like earlier?”

“I’ve heard they might do something like a mock battle. I can’t explain the details since I don’t know either.”

I wasn’t all-knowing about her schedule.

In essence, I was at the institute to report on the investigation progress as a substitute for Clevenz, and being with Camila Lowell was merely incidental.

After pondering this, the intercom mounted on the wall buzzed to life.

Camila Lowell, who had been munching on marshmallows and chocolate, reached for the receiver.

“…They want to speak with the Colonel?”

“Me?”

Who could it be?

Thinking something might have happened, I quickly took the receiver.

“This is Colonel Frederick Nostrim.”

—“Colonel, this is a call from the Internal Affairs Division.”

“Go ahead.”

—”Please come to the conference room.”

Did they find some important evidence?

I was about to ask what happened when the other party spoke first.

—”We’ve received a communication interception report.”