A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The person who called me was the Research Institute Internal Affairs Officer.

I know that all the agents dispatched from the Information Agency are currently focused on the investigation, so I assume the Dispatch Team Leader is also in the interrogation room.

“Here is the report from the wiretapping unit.”

“Thank you.”

The officer who handed over the documents briefly stepped away, leaving me alone in the meeting room to read through the files. It was a familiar communications wiretap report.

Dawn.

Communication time: 9 minutes and 51 seconds.

Two transmissions.

Approximately 500 characters of the main text.

As I mentally noted a few keywords, I slowly turned the pages.

While checking for any information that might assist the investigation, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh as I glanced at the contents of the wiretapped communication written on the back page.

“Haa….”

The white background was densely filled with black numbers.

“…Now even industrial spies are using codes.”

It was an encrypted communication text.

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Episode 3 – A Fantastical Vacation

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The military and information agencies use codes when sending and receiving important communications.

The content of the communications is encrypted to ensure that it cannot be understood if intercepted.

Code words and call signs can also be seen as primitive forms of encryption; only we know the meaning of those words.

In that sense, the communication sent out by the industrial spy can be viewed as a text encrypted using a random number table.

“This looks like a random number table, no matter how I see it….”

A random number table.

A cipher system that links numbers and words.

001 – Return. 101 – Command.

This way, if ‘001 101′ is sent via random number transmission, the listening spy decodes the message to receive the command “Return Command.”

This is a well-established cipher system widely used since World War II through the Cold War, and without the random number table, it is impossible to decrypt, making it a favorite among the military and information agencies.

In fact, even without a random number table, one can easily create codes using just two ordinary books. By providing the page number and line number in a random broadcast, one would only take the first letter of the given sentence.

My grandfather, a former Central Intelligence Agency Inquisitor, told me that North Korean spies often used this method. We used it frequently as well.

Anyway.

The problem is that decrypting this is extremely difficult.

I sat in the meeting room chair, lost in thought for a while.

“Oh, you’ve arrived first.”

“…Team Leader.”

“Sorry for the slight delay in the investigation.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Just then, the door swung open, and someone in a military uniform walked in. It was the Dispatch Team Leader from the Information Agency.

I handed the already read report to the seated Team Leader across the table.

“Is this the material from the wiretapping unit?”

“Yes, please take a look.”

He took out his glasses from his pocket and began reading the report, and I could see his expression deteriorating in real-time.

“…This is encryption using a random number table.”

As expected of a counterintelligence officer, the Team Leader saw right through the cipher used in the report. He let out a faint sigh and rubbed his tired eyelids after removing his glasses.

I handed him a bottle of water to break the ice.

“To me, it also seems like a random number table code. Encrypting with numbers is quite representative of that.”

“If this is a one-time code, it will be impossible to decrypt.”

He continued speaking, narrowing his brows. He had a very serious expression.

“I will cross-reference this text with all the ciphers collected by the Information Agency so far, but if this code is new, it could take months to decrypt.”

“Decrypting codes is usually complicated and difficult, isn’t it?”

According to what I heard from a professor in my previous life, both linguists and mathematicians are heavily involved in code creation and decryption tasks.

There’s a tale about how the British Intelligence formed a dedicated team to break the Nazis’ Enigma during World War II, and they ultimately succeeded in cracking the code.

“Is the investigation going smoothly?”

“Yes. It’s progressing smoothly due to the reduced number of suspects.”

“That’s good news.”

We briefly exchanged work-related small talk to pass the time while waiting for the absent Internal Affairs Officer to return.

“It seems drinking a lot of coffee is useless.”

“Don’t drink too much. If you keep skipping sleep for coffee, it’ll harm your health.”

“Recently, my chest has been tightening, so I might need to go see a hospital. How about you, Colonel?”

“I’m still managing for now.”

I attempted to smile despite my bloodshot eyes. Sitting still felt uncomfortable, so I grabbed a water bottle and started pacing the room.

When I get vacation time, I should either visit the hospital or find a healing priest. I’ll have to ask Lucia to cast a healing spell when she arrives.

“…By the way, something feels off.”

The Team Leader murmured ambiguously as he continued to study the report.

“Yes? What seems to be off?”

“An industrial spy has no reason to use an encrypted text.”

Huh?

Upon hearing that, it does sound a bit strange.

“I understand that when operatives meet with information agents, they only meet in predetermined locations.”

“…That’s right.”

“Even spies shorten their communications and only send brief reports, then provide detailed reports after returning home.”

“….”

“However, the industrial spy transmitted a main text of around 500 characters not once, but twice over 9 minutes. And they even used Morse code.”

As I opened the water bottle, I quietly pondered the Team Leader’s words.

The communication means in this world is similar to modern technology.

To be precise, long-distance communication means resemble modern technology. However, for short-distance communication, simple magic can suffice, but for long-distance messages crossing borders, scientific technology’s assistance is indispensable.

The only difference is that instead of radio waves, magic waves are used.

“Are the research institute employees allowed to leave and take overnight leaves freely?”

“I believe that while vacations may not be permitted, any outings or overnight stays require the director’s approval.”

They are not allowed to just go out whenever they please.

“Ordinary operatives can’t easily meet with information agents.”

Hmm.

“So that means the only available line of contact is through communications….”

“That would be impossible. According to security regulations, any calls made through the Internal Affairs Division of the Research Institute are monitored and recorded.”

If it’s recorded in the computer network, sending a communication report isn’t possible.

“Then the employees here can only correspond with the outside through long-distance communication.”

I took a sip of water, lost in thought.

What is the representative long-distance communication tool in this world? It’s the radio. Not just any voice communication, but a radio that transmits signals similar to Morse code.

“Can magic waves be conveyed outside of this valley?”

“In theory, if the output is sufficient, communication can be established from anywhere. Even if sensitivity decreases, as long as the signal reaches the receiver, communication can still occur.”

So it’s communication using Morse code.

In modern standards, Morse code is a technology that has been in existence for over 150 years.

However, it has been a well-utilized technology widely applied from World War I through the Cold War to modern times, and it remains a beloved method of communication among military and information agencies. If output is sufficient, communication is possible even if base stations or satellites go offline.

Therefore, it is frequently used by special forces infiltrating deep into enemy lines or spies. The special operations troops have a communication specialty involving this radio too.

But Morse code has a critical flaw.

First, learning and mastering Morse code requires considerable effort. Not only is it hard to grasp the sound of Morse code, but sending it accurately also requires significant know-how.

Additionally, there are countless risk factors such as enemy communication disruption, deceptive communication, location tracking through triangulation, solar sunspots and solar winds, fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field, and weak reception sensitivity.

Morse code is a communication technology steeped in both love and hate, entangled with both its significant drawbacks and advantages.

“Research institute staff must be well-versed in security regulations. Are they aware that there is a wiretapping unit in the area?”

“The exact location of the communications wiretap unit is military confidential.”

“So they probably don’t know.”

The biggest problem in communication is enemy interception.

With several transmitting devices, the exact location of the signal generation can be pinpointed through triangulation.

My grandfather, who was an intelligence officer, told me that many North Korean spies were caught while reporting via radio during the 70s.

Of course, the military and information agencies in this world are also aware of this fact.

“The industrial spy communicated for 9 minutes.”

“Yes.”

“Is it possible to send a main text of 500 characters twice within 9 minutes?”

“I understand that a skilled radio operator can send 100 characters a minute. So it’s not impossible.”

An industrial spy infiltrating the research institute attempted to communicate using Morse code. If the output is sufficient, communication can happen from anywhere, so this behavior is entirely understandable.

A scientist or magician with a university degree would likely know this kind of information. Nothing strange there.

However, the industrial spy sent the main text of around 500 characters twice within 9 minutes.

People trained in the military and intelligence agencies can type 100 characters a minute, but a regular researcher typing 1000 characters in 9 minutes? That doesn’t make sense.

They could be an amateur radio hobbyist, but that’s still a pretty niche interest in modern times. In modern times, while one might be able to learn Morse code online, in this world, it’s impossible for a civilian to become adept in Morse code and communication technology.

And considering that industrial spies are typically civilians who have been coerced, they’d likely be far removed from standard military training.

Thus, the communication text sent from the research institute could not possibly be the handiwork of an ordinary civilian.

They even sent a main text encrypted into numbers presumed to be from a random number table.

What that implies is—

“…Damn it, this guy is a spy.”

This means that this guy isn’t just an industrial spy taking a paycheck but a properly trained spy.

There’s a spy in the research institute.