Espionage (1)
Espionage (1)
"Well now. Which gutsy bastard tried to play spy?"
〔I shall bring them in.〕
Lunatium A-4 Sector, Execution Bureau underground detention center.
An outsider with actual charges was finally imprisoned in the isolation cell that had swallowed the blood and tears of tens of thousands of innocent citizens.
They tried to sneak in by climbing the wall, but apparently, they didn't know it was an electric fence.
"You managed to survive even after being fried to a crisp."
〔I believe it is thanks to the advanced medical technology of Lunatium that has blossomed since the Shogun-ruled Trixie Era.〕
It's not like it's B.C. or A.D., for heaven's sake.
Obenia's ability to suck up to people—no, machines—has a certain something that makes even other AI personalities blush.
"Even so, a human brain isn't a computer. I doubt a biological brain fried by high-voltage current stronger than lightning would be perfectly fine. Ah- hey there. Can you hear me?"
"Mmph, mmph-!!"
"Your eardrums are intact, that's a green light. Remove the gag."
〔As you command.〕
Pak-!
The execution doll waiting beside the Imperial spy roughly removes the gag.
Obenia's unique specialty of synchronizing with multiple mechanical bodies simultaneously for law enforcement is something I envy every time I see it.
If I could do that, I could dump all my administrative work onto one body and live out my dream of slacking off with the rest.
"Kehek! Cough, keuheuk! Please, spare me...!"
"That depends on how cooperative you are from here on out. Your name?"
"Francis. I don't have a last name..."
He's a mess after being fried once and undergoing emergency surgery.
If you dressed him in a clean Lunatium-style suit and dress shirt, he'd look like a solid businessman.
In short, he was a man who looked harmless.
"I really don't know anything. I was just so sick of being pushed around by the Lord in the Empire, and I thought I'd starve to death, so I came here hoping to beg for a meal..."
Pachit-
Obenia transmits the analysis data of Francis-ssi's voice, blood pressure, heart rate, and pupil movement into my brain.
Strangely irregular sound waves.
Blood pressure much higher than normal.
Rapid heart rate.
Pupils that periodically roll upward and return, unable to meet the other person's eyes.
〔I believe it is a lie. They are surely harboring other intentions.〕
Scientific advancement is truly convenient.
They say that to trust someone in this world, you have to make a magic contract where you bet your soul with a demon as a guarantor to determine truth or falsehood.
In Lunatium, you don't need to bet your soul over trivial matters; you can just trust the big data built up from countless inductive materials.
"I like that your resolve is firm even after your brain got a little soft. This makes interrogating you worth the effort."
"What is that supposed to mean? What did I even do wrong...!"
"I come from a controlled nation that distinguishes individuals by serial numbers assigned based on the fingerprints and personal details of the entire population. Naturally, I introduced this advanced citizen control system to Lunatium as well. Do you know what this means?"
"Huh? I don't really know what you mean..."
Francis-ssi shakes his head with a puzzled look.
Of course he wouldn't know.
Even a spy with some wits, fingerprints, or serial numbers...
There's no way they'd understand concepts they've never heard of before.
I smiled and explained kindly.
"The Lunatium immigration screening system can very skillfully distinguish illegal immigrants who haven't been issued citizenship. Obenia. Resume the interrogation in Room 3."
〔I shall obey.〕
-Kuaaaaaa-!!
"Heok...!"
"Do you know them? I'm sure you do."
Francis-ssi's face turns pale at the scream that pierced through the wall.
Naturally, Francis-ssi wasn't the first to be caught while trying to play spy.
No matter how much they resisted, once they went through futuristic and systematic interrogation processes like drug injections, psychotherapy, electrical stimulation, body modification, and forced immersion, they would spill information easily.
Recalling the scenarios that the captured spies always spouted, I recited Francis-ssi's life story for him.
"Francis-ssi, you are a tenant farmer who lived in the Empire's border count's territory, paying a tithe. Unable to bear the Lord's vicious exploitation, you heard news that your neighbor Bricks-ssi, who had headed to Lunatium first, was living well, so you decided to run away in the middle of the night. You reached Lunatium after a long, arduous march, but fearing you'd be rejected at the strictly guarded immigration checkpoint, you decided to climb the wall... It might be a bit of a stretch, but it's not entirely implausible. Isn't that right?"
"...Y-yes, that's right. I came because I hate the Empire! I thought I could live a new life in Lunatium! That's all! I don't know anything!!"
Even though I exposed the repertoire they prepared first, seeing him hold out so uglily until the end is almost pitiful.
What kind of mentality must they have to be so confident that they could naturally blend into a city with such a cultural and technological gap?
Perhaps the ignorance caused by the extreme gap is the foundation of their baseless confidence.
"Haa. How does the Imperial Intelligence Agency send only chaff that doesn't even give me the expectation of extracting information? Mr. Francis Jamie Baker?"
"...!? How do you know my family name...?"
Francis-ssi is shocked when I call him by his middle name and family surname.
"The Empire claims to be a meritocracy, but in reality, it emphasizes the appointment of closed aristocratic elites. Where would the third or fourth sons go, who aren't the eldest or second sons inheriting the family? It's either a civil service position or a high-ranking officer. And I believe Francis-ssi knows well that with this much information, identifying a person is a piece of cake."
"H-how do you know so much...?"
It's partly from reading books, but ultimately, it's thanks to the cross-verification of information.
The gossip dug up by criminal organizations that started clinging like gum to local influential figures in the Empire.
Testimony from permanent residents who actually defected to Lunatium and are living soundly.
And the achievement of scraping information from various sources, such as satellite surveillance assets operating in the sky.
Of course, there's no way I'd reveal this willingly.
Clank-
"How does a Lunatium person know the inner workings of the Empire...? Yes, you dared to plant spies inside the sacred Imperial Palace and the church... Otherwise, you couldn't know in such detail. You vile person! Know that you will be cursed in hell for the price of forsaking God and abandoning morality!!!"
Clank-clank-!!
Francis-ssi, who had been quiet, suddenly snaps and makes a fuss to break free from his restraints.
Among the spies caught so far, this guy is, how should I put it.
He is the person whose incompetence and irrational belief stand out the most.
Shameless and clumsy.
Getting caught while climbing the wall openly.
Can't even tell a single lie properly.
Confessing that he is actually a spy because he can't control his temper.
He is lacking in many ways to be a spy sent to dig up information secretly and cunningly.
If it were me, I wouldn't make someone like this a spy. Why did the Empire send someone who was obviously going to get caught?
'They sent him knowing he'd get caught?'
At that moment, my thoughts converge on one point.
What if they sent him to be caught on purpose?
"Obenia."
〔I await your command.〕
"Evacuate the personnel and important assets within the detention center building right now."
〔I shall execute this promptly.〕
I'm glad it's Obenia, who handles things without any questions or doubts, unlike other AIs.
I immediately focused all my attention on Francis-ssi.
"Kueuk, kueueue...! May the Goddess watch over me, may faith save me...!"
Daldaldal-
Reciting prayers for salvation, he is convulsing to a level that is practically a seizure.
An ominous intuition rings an alarm.
'Let's take a quick look, everyone.'
Paaaa-
I wake the fairies sleeping inside my body and channel magic power.
-!!?, !!!!!!?!
A glittering light surrounds Francis-ssi, and the fairies return to me, startled.
My premonition was correct.
"Wow, this... they really made up their minds to dig into Lunatium's weaknesses, didn't they?"
The only blind spot that cannot be captured even by Lunatium's advanced visual technology, such as thermal cameras, infrared cameras, CT, or X-RAY scans.
Magic power.
Francis-ssi's physical condition, observed with the help of the fairies, was terrible.
Thick white magic power was clinging to Francis-ssi's entire body.
From his toes to his head, and even his internal organs, literally everything.
"This explains how he survived the high-voltage current. He was a regenerative bomb that came with holy power plastered all over his body from the start."
Like a pressure cooker exploding when heated.
A human who has scraped together magic power beyond their capacity becomes a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.
Usually, forcing magic power into someone to turn them into a disposable bomb is something only demons would do-
There is only the Saintess-nim on this continent who can cram in this much holy power.
'They attempted such a vicious method using holy power, a force meant to heal others?'
Udeuk.
I resolutely and reverently snapped Francis-ssi's neck.
As if letting out steam by taking his life again and again whenever the power of holy power extended his life.
I repeat the act of taking his life ignorantly until the holy power runs out.
How many times did I take it?
"...."
Francis-ssi looked peaceful, as if he had met the Goddess he so desired.
Even though the woman who brainwashed a solid young man and drove him to his death is probably still alive and well.
"Obenia. The situation is over, so return to your duties."
〔...Are you alright?〕
"I almost got terrorized right under the administrative center, of course I'm not alright. From now on, come up with countermeasures for magic detection as well. I was lucky to be here this time, but find a way to block it more systematically."
〔...Your unworthy Obenia. I will surely make up for this stain and achieve what my Lord desires.〕
Obenia grits her teeth.
A massive security incident happened while she was serving her superior.
Even I would be dizzy.
'Anyway, they're playing dirty even before the start.'
Trying to poke around with a spy and then resorting to a suicide bombing.
It's shocking, but it's also proof that they have no other sharp way to break through Lunatium's security.
If they can't obtain classified information because every informant they send gets arrested, it means they'd rather try to strike key personnel and high-value facilities.
But there's a fact they overlooked.
"Obenia. Can you make contact with the Baker family in the Empire? Naturally, in a secret way without getting caught."
〔Even if it were impossible, I shall make it possible.〕
A person's life is precious not only to themselves but also to those around them.