How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game

“Father.”

On the eve of her coming of age ceremony, the princess was having a private audience with the emperor.

“Yes. Have you decided what you want as a gift for your coming of age ceremony?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me about it.”

The emperor spoke with a kind face. He was sincere. He quite liked his daughter.

It wasn’t always like this. She used to have weak points like he did in the past. She was indecisive and unable to make decisions.

But the princess changed as a person after Carl Schurtafen’s appearance. Whether she realized something or the situation became a catalyst for change, it was unclear.

What’s important is that from then on, the princess acted with confidence and expressed her opinions without hesitation.

‘Such luck is also a talent. As is attracting people.’

No one is perfect. That’s why there should always be people with outstanding abilities near the emperor.

The emperor saw attracting those people as also part of an emperor’s qualities.

He also liked that she had become mentally stronger. The princess who used to be wary of her brothers’ criticisms in the past was gone.

She seemed to have overcome it not long after being betrayed by the knight she trusted and her mother’s death.

“Please remove Carl Schurtafen’s charges of treason.”

“What?”

In this situation, the princess’s words were enough to change the kindness on the emperor’s face to bewilderment.

“Schurtafen is not a traitor.”

“… What are you saying?”

After a moment of silence, the princess gathered her courage and continued.

“I’ve been aware from the beginning that something was strange.”

It had been a long struggle. It was extremely painful and agonizing for a long time until she made up her mind.

Her mother was the only person who stood by her side and supported her amidst the humiliation and oppression in the imperial palace where there wasn’t a single warm glance.

However, she decided to accept the fact that people change. She had changed too, after all. Her mother had also changed, for the worse.

Amidst painful memories, she finally accepted the rational judgment pointed to by the questionable points.

Her mother had tried to kill her. And Carl Schurtafen knew about it in advance and tried to protect her.

That was a conclusion she reached regardless of personal feelings.

“I’ve recalled the situation thousands and tens of thousands of times. Mother tried to kill me, and Schurtafen tried to protect me.”

“…”

“You must have heard about the dagger Mother was holding in her hand.”

The emperor looked at his daughter with a subtle expression.

“Yes. I knew. That there were strange points too.”

That’s right.

The emperor had received thorough reports about that incident. The intelligence agency also examined it carefully because there were questionable points.

There was suspicion that Carl Schurtafen might be from Haisen since he came to the empire.

However, things didn’t add up. There was no reason for a Haisen figure to suddenly attack the princess and empress.

If so, they have to assume that he really became a knight and a war hero of the empire by having his abilities recognized.

But it wasn’t easy to readily accept the assumption that such a war hero had defected.

The imperial grandchildren are also monitored under the pretext of protection. It lacks credibility that he defected and came to kill right away on that day.

And if he hadn’t defected on that day, there were plenty of better opportunities than that night.

Moreover, some suspicious activities in the empress’s past actions belatedly drew attention.

“Is that so?”

These words from the emperor sounded a bit welcome to the princess.

“Mother said ‘infidel’ just before she died. Given these circumstances, Carl Schurtafen…”

“No.”

The emperor cut off the princess’s words. A heavy silence fell at the firm refusal. The princess who momentarily lost her words looked up at the emperor.

“Why do you say it’s not allowed?”

“Because it would undermine the authority of the imperial family.”

“…”

“The empress, my wife, was bewitched by a deluded voice and tried to kill her daughter?”

The emperor shook his head from side to side.

“It can’t be. It absolutely can’t be. That’s absolutely unacceptable.”

At this moment, the princess felt betrayed. Perhaps her father had been guessing all the facts from the beginning.

“But, but that is the truth.”

“Sometimes lies are more valuable than the truth.”

Erendil bit her lip. It was a difficult decision. For herself. And for Schurtafen who saved her life.

But she also knew her father’s personality. He was a person who would never change.

In fact, the emperor’s decision was good for her too. The fact that the empress defected and tried to kill her daughter…

It could be fatal even for the princess who has a lot of support. Of course, she didn’t feel good about it. It was a decision she made taking that into account.

“So I won’t allow that request. Think of another gift.”

“…”

A not-so-short silence passed. The princess was looking at the emperor with upright eyes.

The emperor calmly looked at his daughter’s determined gaze, who had grown up boldly, and sighed.

“If you really want that…”

The emperor clicked his tongue.

“Do it yourself after you ascend to the throne of emperor.”

***

The night in Chenarus was quieter than ever. The capital’s people finished their daily routines earlier than usual.

From ancient times, the coming of age ceremony of the imperial family was treated as a festival in Chenarus.

Everyone was in a slightly excited mood today, but they went home early for tomorrow.

There were almost no people even in the usually noisy pubs. It was the same for the devil worshippers.

After checking the bomb in the fruit shop for the last time, they went to their lodgings early and lay down. They looked very calm.

Only I, the imperial soldiers, and the spies were enjoying the night of Chenarus with our eyes open on this night.

Numerous presences can be felt over the quiet city.

‘Their situation is similar to mine.’

Although there were no people walking around, the surveillance was quite strict as it was the eve of the coming of age ceremony.

It’s usually harder for the defending side. The attacking side only needs to squeeze through a small gap.

In the silence, the voices of the imperial intelligence agency agents whispering quietly are carried by the winds.

-I’m dying.

-It’ll all be over by tomorrow evening. Just hang in there a little longer.

From what I’ve observed, it seemed the Imperial Intelligence Agency had entered a state of alert from two months before the coming of age ceremony.

Actually, it’s not usually this much, but it seems to be because of the precedent of the victory parade terror attack.

Also because Erendil’s support is high. Anyway, the empire’s agents seemed to have accumulated quite a lot of fatigue.

-By the way, I’m not sure if that bastard Barmer will do his job properly.

-Mr. Barmer? Is there any problem?

-That guy supports the first prince. Saying a female emperor doesn’t make sense. What an idiot. It’s ability that matters.

-True. Mr. Barmer is in charge of the parade route, right? But since we have a system of monitoring each other, there shouldn’t be any problems, right?

-I hope so.

Well, intelligence agency agents are people too. It’s natural when even the empire’s loyal subjects have different people they support.

Those in charge must know about such conflicts. That’s why they created a monitoring system.

Just look at the Chief of Intelligence the emperor appointed after the last incident – an extremely neutral and emperor-friendly figure.

After that reorganization, several nobles disappeared without a trace. There were reasons for all of them.

‘In the empire, nobles colluding with intelligence agency agents is treated as quasi-treason.’

They would have been charged with pursuing personal gain through the intelligence agency rather than the empire’s security.

There must have been quite a few such nobles during this chaotic time over the imperial throne.

They would have been purged secretly. The emperor took this as another opportunity.

He filled those positions with people loyal to the empire and the imperial family itself rather than the next emperor.

Even if his temperament is said to be fiery, he didn’t become emperor for nothing.

In fact, the current emperor is also someone who killed his brothers and ascended to the throne.

-So Mr. Lander, do you support Her Highness the princess?

-Why do you ask?

-Just curious.

-Of course. Isn’t it obvious just from the war with the westerners?

-But wasn’t it actually Carl Schurtafen who turned the tide of the war?

-You bastard, how dare you mention a traitor… Do you perhaps support the prince too?

-Me? No way. How could I? If I had to choose, I’d support the princess too. The princes have too much dirt on them, don’t they?

It was a decent conversation for a brief entertainment, but I couldn’t keep focusing on this.

There might be undiscovered devil worshippers among the Imperial Intelligence Agency agents, but…

At this point, finding them through such conversations was actually a meaningless action. We just need to stop the terror attack anyway.

I checked the time. It was past midnight now. Today, Erendil’s coming of age ceremony will be held.

Honestly, there was a part that felt unfair. I worked hard to make the situation different from the game.

There was luck and chance, but I revealed the identity of the Haisen guys and raised support for the princess.

And I exposed the identity of the devil worshippers across the continent. Yet they were still going strong.

Of course, my actions didn’t deal a big blow to them, but planning another terror attack in the capital seems a bit too much.

‘Well, what can I do? I have to stop it.’

I hid in a corner of an alley and looked up at the sky. Moonlight was pouring down between buildings.

I hope today ends safely.

***

‘It’s starting.’

4 AM. The devil worshippers started to move. Carlyn tightened his slightly loosened tension again.

However, there wasn’t much to do right away. The enemies he had identified were just preparing to open the fruit shop.

Besides the bomb, there was one thing Carlyn was worried about.

An assassin appearing right after the bomb explosion. It could be a hidden devil worshipper or a defected empire agent.

‘But if we just stop the bomb, there shouldn’t be any big problems.’

There will be guards around the princess and empire agents all around the parade route.

If he just stops the bomb, they probably won’t dare to attempt additional assassination.

Still, he needs to keep an eye out. He needs to investigate those who show suspicious reactions.

Carlyn expanded the realm of Winds a little further and a little more secretly.

As dawn passed and the sun rising from the east gradually moved towards the center of the sky.

The princess’s coming of age ceremony had just ended in the imperial palace.

“Waaah-!”

“Your Highness! Congratulations!”

The princess’s city parade began amidst the cheers of the gathered nobles and palace people.

From the moment they left the palace, flower petals fluttered from all directions.

The path the princess was walking on was literally a flower road due to everyone in the capital throwing flowers.

“Your Highness!”

“Your Highness!”

Amidst the shouts from all directions trying to catch the princess’s gaze, the princess looked at the people with a faint smile.

However, there was still discomfort in a corner of her heart. It was because of the emperor’s words.

-If you really want that… do it yourself after you ascend to the throne of emperor.

With a somewhat calmer mind, she also understood her father’s words to some extent.

That too much time had passed to correct the facts right now, a year later.

‘Also, he must be trying to instill a stronger desire in me.’

That’s why she made up her mind after hearing the emperor’s words.

She had decided to become emperor after meeting Carlyn, but that enthusiasm was strengthened by this incident.

“Your Highness!”

Under the people’s shouts, she turned the corner and entered the largest avenue in the capital.

Flower petals fluttered in the warm sunlight under the clear sky with only a few lonely clouds.

The weather was perfect for the princess’s first outing from the palace since the terror attack at the triumphant return.

Of course, there was a small regret.

‘It would have been nice if there was wind.’

But that regret wasn’t as big as before. She was planning to summon wind again after ascending to the throne herself.

The princess smiled but didn’t let go of her tension. She didn’t know what might happen.

At that moment, a faint wind blew. The flower petals that had settled on the ground fluttered gently again, riding the wind.

It was a familiar wind that was cool yet had an inexplicable warmth.

‘Huh?’

But the princess thought it might be her imagination. There had been a few times like this with just naturally blowing winds.

However, she soon realized it wasn’t her imagination.

Because she sensed that the wind that had blown in was gently wrapping around her body.

This was wind that had been wrapped around in advance for immediate protection in case of any incident.

“…Schurtafen?”

The princess murmured softly and quickly turned her head.

Author's Thoughts

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