ALL NOVEL Chapter 21
Director Petrus.
He’s calling for me.
I pondered briefly but couldn’t comprehend why he would. His presence was unsettling, and I had no desire to meet him.
Just as I was about to dress and exit the embassy’s main gate, I heard—
“Colonel Frederick.”
“…Priest Rebecca?”
In her black priestly robes, with mint-colored hair neatly braided over her left shoulder, the dignified priest approached me.
“Director Petrus is calling you.”
—
Episode 2 – Heroes of the Continent
I followed Priest Rebecca into the office.
“Ah, you finally arrived.”
Petrus offered me a seat while Rebecca handed me a cup of tea.
“It’s been a while, Director Petrus.”
The old man tilted his head with a warm smile.
“I wonder if it’s because we exchange official documents so often? We’ve only met once in person, but it feels like we’ve known each other for quite some time.”
Over the past month, the embassy and the Inquisition had exchanged hundreds of official documents. Perhaps even thousands.
Given the current situation, due to the escort of the hero, official documents were flying around like group chat messages. We confirmed each other’s names daily on the signature line. Petrus and I were as familiar as familiar could be.
I sat across from him at the desk. The cushions made for a comfortable seat. Out of courtesy, I gently lifted the teacup and dove right into the matter.
“Why did you call for me?”
“I called because I have something to discuss.”
Well, could you please just say it already? It’s truly frustrating waiting for your words.
I furrowed my brow, implying such thoughts, and the old man broke into a broad smile, nodding.
“Right, right. You, Colonel, never liked small talk.”
What a tiresome person to converse with.
“I heard you are looking for the route of explosives. It seems you’re tracing the diplomatic lines.”
“Yes, I was aware of that.”
I replied calmly. Considering the Inquisition’s capabilities, it would be natural for them to know I was moving the agents.
There were only two reasons for him to have me sit and share this.
First: To warn me to stop indiscriminate espionage…
“Do you need help?”
Second: To convey information.
—
“The Locust Publishing House. It was established eight years ago at the heart of the cult.”
A photo was placed before me. A sleek brand image with the word “Locust” written in elegant cursive.
“It’s a publishing house run by a man named Yuri. He shares the CEO position with a bishop, but in reality, Yuri is essentially the sole owner.”
I recognized the name.
He was an operative from the Imperial Guard HQ’s Second Department that Bernard mentioned a few days ago. In other words, a spy.
“You know him too, right?”
“…I believe he is considered a black agent, comparable to white, involved in lobbying, intelligence gathering, and investigating international crimes.”
“He’s been quite helpful to the Intelligence Agency.”
That was a hint that Bernard had dropped subtly.
If my memory serves me right, Bernard mentioned he would provide additional information. Now I understood what that “information” was. I set my teacup down and shot straight.
“Is the Imperial Guard HQ involved in the recent bombing?”
“Indeed. More precisely, explosives were smuggled into the cult through Yuri’s connections.”
“Wow….”
A photo was presented.
Yuri was seen conversing with the Suit Man.
I turned the photo upside down on the table.
“Haha! Looks like you’ve been hornswoggled, Colonel. Do you feel betrayed?”
“…Well, I had my suspicions.”
Petrus continued explaining, wearing a friendly smile.
“I’ve been working at the Inquisition for over 40 years. Colonel, would you like to hear my thoughts?”
I nodded in acceptance.
The Director laid several photos on the table.
“Recently, there was a shootout in the impoverished outskirts of the southern area. An analysis of the bullet casings found at the scene revealed they were produced at the Royal Arsenal. Do you know what that implies?”
“You’re saying the agents from the Imperial Guard HQ were involved in the shootout.”
“While we found no corpses or firearms, the Inquisition suspects that the Imperial Guard agents are strong suspects.”
That’s right.
For the record, we have the corpses and firearms on our side. They’re stored in the cold storage of a Safe House to prevent decay.
“Personally, I’m suspicious of the Imperial Guard in connection with this shootout and the bombing. Isn’t it common knowledge that the special forces under the Guard undertake assassination missions and facility destructions?”
What Petrus was referring to was not just any special forces.
“So you mean the Special Activities Department.”
“Did you already know? I wasn’t supposed to say anything since it’s classified.”
“It’s well-known. They’re responsible for quasi-military operations.”
The Special Activities Department.
A secret task force under the Information Agency. All activities are shrouded in secrecy. The scale of the unit, personnel, and facility locations are all highly classified, with only ominous rumors swirling around.
Now that I had received the command for covert operations, I had the authority to call upon them.
Whenever I plan to crack down on someone, a bunch of fearsome gentlemen packed with guns and bombs come barreling across the border.
By the way, it was also the Special Activities Department that Jake initially received offers from. But he said the agents looked more romantic than special forces, so he declined. Anyway, that guy is slightly off his rocker too.
“So, are you saying that the special forces from the Imperial Guard HQ crossed the border and set off a bomb?”
“No, expand your perspective a bit.”
Petrus spoke in a tone akin to that of a grandparent chiding their grandchild.
“If it were their special forces, they could never fail at an assassination. I believe that the recent bombing was the doing of operatives.”
“…You’re suggesting it was clumsy for someone with expertise?”
I’d had a similar conversation with the Colonel before.
A terrorist with no specialized knowledge of explosives. That’s why I didn’t suspect the Imperial Guard HQ.
But now Petrus was prompting a shift in my thinking.
“Operatives could manage intelligence gathering or simple assassinations, but wouldn’t possess this level of specialized knowledge about explosives? Why do the agents carry pistols and poisons?”
“…Let’s return to the main topic.”
“The conversation strayed. Apologies, Colonel.”
Petrus chuckled, feigning regret.
“The bombing was undoubtedly the work of operatives. I don’t know if it was by the Emperor’s orders or an overzealous approach, but one thing is certain: the operation failed.”
“If the operation flopped clumsily, the agents from the Second Department were purged? So there was a shootout.”
It’s a straightforward logic.
They tried to assassinate important figures in a foreign country and failed.
The political responsibility arising from the operational failure would fall on the Imperial Guard and the Emperor.
Yet, politicians are the kind to deny everything that happens, claiming innocence, and they panic at the mere suggestion of responsibility. The Emperor likely took out several individuals affiliated with the Imperial Guard to wrap things up. And the repercussions of the purge extend to the field agents who conducted the operation.
Thus, the operatives who smuggled in the explosives and the operatives who detonated the bombs were disposed of en masse. For political stability.
“Isn’t that quite an excellent script?”
“…A bestseller, indeed.”
I answered coolly and fell into a contemplative silence.
The Imperial Guard purging the failed team that carried out the operation. The Emperor cutting off the tails to protect the head. A rather clever idea.
Yet, something about the hypothesis feels off.
“….”
“What are you thinking, Colonel?”
“….”
Just before the bomb detonated, an attacker with black hair and red eyes knocked me down.
It’s just a guess, but she probably saved my life. Had I not fallen, the procession would have slowly moved forward, and everyone would have been caught in the explosion. Considering she attacked without a weapon, it seemed more like an act of ‘intervention’ rather than assassination.
She was an agent from the Counterintelligence Department of the Imperial Guard HQ.
The man who called me to the second-floor party was an agent from the Imperial Guard HQ’s Bureau of Counterintelligence.
These two individuals belong to the ‘First Department’ of the Imperial Guard HQ.
“…It seems strange.”
If Petrus’s hypothesis is correct. They had no reason to step in and help me.
If the Imperial Guard HQ truly planned a terror act, and the goal of that terror was to assassinate someone, there would be no reason to knock me down and prevent me from entering the explosion radius. They wouldn’t feel the need to give me a heads-up about the terror either.
“…Director, what typically happens if an operation fails?”
“An operation that fails? Usually, they wrap things up and withdraw. There’s no reason to linger and leave traces behind, is there?”
I slowly closed my eyes and began to think.
The most bewildering moment in the espionage world occurs in scenarios like this.
While some say insiders from the cult orchestrated the terror, others state the Empire itself sponsored the terror.
Received intel isn’t aligning.
In this field, the thirsty have to dig with shovels to find anything.
Now I need to navigate through a myriad of false information to uncover the truth.
I slowly rose from my chair and straightened my outfit.
And then I turned to Petrus, who was looking at me with a puzzled expression.
“Director, I heard from Director Bernard that you’re quite interested in me?”
“Oh! Did Bernard say that? How embarrassing.”
Petrus genuinely looked bashful as he chuckled and wriggled in his seat.
I pulled out a recorder from my pocket and placed it on the table.
“This is a gift, Director.”
“What is this?”
“A bribe.”
I grinned and tossed out an irresistible proposition.
“Director.”
“….”
“Let’s collaborate on something.”