How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game Chapter 252 - Divine Doctor (2)

To be honest, I wanted to head straight to the meeting place, skipping Al Fahri’s welcome party. Of course, I couldn’t actually do that.

It’s true that I made Al Fahri into Lu Anuma’s Sword, but that doesn’t mean I can treat him carelessly. Relationships are fundamentally based on mutual respect.

Moreover, he is a strong ally of the empire fighting against the devils, and I couldn’t ignore an ally like that.

And since I expected to spend about a day in the southwest anyway, I had set the appointment date accordingly. It meant that leaving early wouldn’t make much difference.

Al Fahri brought out some precious alcohol. I drank moderately and went to bed, then headed east at dawn.

I was supposed to meet Duke Brusek near the border between the southwest and south. I didn’t bother hiding my meeting with Duke Brusek from Erendil.

Of course, I told her that checking on the elves in the southwest was the main purpose and meeting the duke was secondary, but there was no need to lie.

Not riding a dragon was a choice made with the empire’s nobles and intelligence agency in mind.

-Isn’t it dangerous?

-Dangerous?

-Well, now that you’ve done your job…

Erendil worried about me unnecessarily. She seemed to be thinking about betrayal, but it was a useless concern.

From Haisen’s perspective, there’s no benefit in getting rid of me. There’s no reason to do so either.

Even if I were to cut ties with Haisen and collude with the empire to pass on Haisen’s information, it would still be the same.

It’s better than when the princes became emperors. After all, it’s certain that Haisen actually helped Erendil.

-No. I worried for nothing. Don’t mind it.

Erendil couldn’t have been unaware of this fact. She just seemed to have become more worried recently, having lost Minteron and having uneasy dreams about me.

Anyway, after several days of swift travel, I was able to arrive at the meeting point with Duke Brusek.

Marhan greeted me at a mansion in the city of Kelpota, located in the border area between the southwest and south.

Maybe because it had been quite a while, he seemed a bit older than I remembered. His wrinkles had deepened, you could say.

“Carlyn! It’s been so long.”

“Have you been well?”

“Of course.”

Marhan hugged me with a welcoming face. Unfortunately, we couldn’t have much conversation right away. It was because Duke Brusek was waiting.

In the room I was guided to, Duke Brusek was sitting and drinking coffee. The duke smiled brightly as soon as he saw me.

Honestly, it felt a bit unfamiliar. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Duke Brusek smile like that.

“You’ve come.”

“Father, have you been well?”

His smile deepened at the word ‘father’. Well, I used to call him that before, so there’s no need to draw a line. Haisen is also an ally.

I don’t have any ill feelings towards Duke Brusek. Rather, I feel good about him.

I’ve benefited a lot from Haisen and Duke Brusek as well. We were in a mutually beneficial relationship as we all needed to make Erendil the emperor.

‘And what I learned from the bottom…’

If I hadn’t caught Duke Brusek’s eye, where would I have learned and practiced sword and mana training methods?

It would have been lucky if I didn’t die from a stray arrow while doing odd jobs in a low-ranking mercenary group. Even thinking optimistically, it’s certain that I wouldn’t have achieved even half of my current level.

“It’s good to see your face after so long.”

Well, I’m not sure how many years it’s been. Quite a long time has passed. It was the first time since I left to become the bodyguard knight of the princess.

Strangely, there was no sense of alienation. The distance could have made our hearts grow apart, but we had kept in touch just often enough to prevent that.

“May I hug you?”

I tilted my head at the unexpected words. The duke wasn’t usually this kind of person.

“Yes.”

The duke approached with a smile and hugged me lightly. A peculiar scent was familiar. It seemed he was still using the same perfume.

It was the scent I first noticed on that day when I first came to this world, at the moment I tried to pickpocket the duke. The duke patted my back and let go.

“I’m finally saying what I wanted to say in person. You’ve been through a lot. Thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to achieve Haisen’s great cause.”

“I only did what I had to do.”

Come to think of it, the duke looked much more at ease than before. Rather than saying he had become lenient, it’s more like he seemed relaxed.

Well, from the point when Erendil became emperor, it’s fair to say that the important intelligence work that had to be done in the duke’s generation was over.

Now, Haisen just needs to maintain its relationship with Erendil, who has become emperor, receive support, and grow.

Of course, they will still perform basic intelligence work, but it was a hundred times better situation than making someone an emperor.

“No. Not everyone can accomplish what needs to be done. You’ve made greater achievements than anyone else in Haisen’s intelligence agency over the past few hundred years.”

I answered with a smile, and the duke poured coffee into the cup in front of me.

“You’re still using the same perfume you used before.”

The duke slightly furrowed his brow as he poured the coffee.

“You remember that?”

“It’s what I felt when I first met you, Father. How could I not remember?”

Originally, the duke used the same perfume even in his daily life. Someone with keen senses like me or Denif couldn’t help but notice it.

It’s just that given the years that have passed, it felt novel to smell it again. The duke smiled.

“By the way, I heard you became a Sword Master.”

“Yes.”

“It’s something to congratulate, but I feel a bit of regret.”

“What do you regret?”

“I wonder if I should have raised you as just a knight, not a spy.”

The duke said this and shrugged his shoulders.

“Of course, even if I could go back, I would have still sent you to the empire. Because you accomplished what even a Sword Master couldn’t do.”

“I also think I was the right person for the job.”

“The reason I still have regrets is that talents like you or Denif are hard to come by again. Even though there are many strong individuals in the intelligence agency, there were never any stronger than the kingdom’s best knight…”

I could immediately understand what the duke meant. No matter how much training one receives in the intelligence agency, it’s usually difficult to become stronger than the kingdom’s top-tier knights.

This is the same for the empire. Rather, if they need a strong person for some mission, they tend to ask for help from the emperor’s knights.

So, Denif and I were extremely rare cases. From the duke’s perspective, it was understandable to feel regret.

“But Denif is still in Haisen, isn’t he? Why don’t you turn him into a knight? It’s not too late, is it?”

“I’m thinking of doing just that. He’s skilled, but not the type to stay long in the intelligence agency. If we’re not going to make him Chief of Intelligence, it’s better to let him go.”

Even from my perspective, Denif wasn’t the type to be Chief of Intelligence. He’s not stupid, but he doesn’t prefer to think deeply either.

Anyway, since he was already part of the intelligence agency, they could just request his support if Haisen needed anything.

“You should have stayed.”

The duke said he had me in mind as the next Chief of Intelligence. It had been impossible for a while now, but it seemed he still had some regrets.

“But didn’t it turn out fine in the end?”

“You’re right. It’s excessive greed. It’s not bad that you remain as a Sword Master by the emperor’s side. The problem is the next generation.”

“Is there no suitable talent?”

“There are many decent ones, but after seeing you, none of them quite measure up. This is not a joke.”

The duke spoke with a smile but suddenly turned serious for the last part. I smiled lightly.

“It will probably be hard to find someone like that. You should compromise a bit.”

Though I said this, to be honest, I don’t think it’s that extreme. Looking at it objectively, I don’t think I could really do as well as Duke Brusek if I became Chief of Intelligence.

My improvisation and judgment as a spy were never bad, but honestly, it’s hard to see that as just my ability.

Most of the achievements I made were based on the information I knew.

Of course, it can’t be said that the duke’s fondness for me was entirely due to information, but it’s true that I benefited from it.

“Tsk. Now that you’ve become an imperial dog, are you mocking me?”

The duke glared at me playfully. I answered with a light laugh.

“By the way, is there no change in your body even after becoming a Sword Master? I mean your usual state.”

“No.”

“I see.”

“But why did you suddenly want to see me? To be honest, I was surprised.”

“I thought you would be. There was no reason for you and me to meet.”

“Denif said you told him it was something good for me.”

“Well. Want to guess?”

The duke looked at me slyly.

“Isn’t it because of the divine doctor?”

When I replied casually, the duke frowned one eye.

“You’re no fun.”

I had heard Ines’s words and was 100% certain as I entered this mansion. The winds had detected someone waiting in another room.

“There’s no other reason for you to call me, Father.”

“Still, in times like this, you should pretend not to know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“What’s the use of keeping it in mind, when will we ever meet again?”

“We can always make time if needed, can’t we?”

“Enough. If it weren’t for the divine doctor, I wouldn’t have asked to meet you.”

The duke said with a firm face. Yes. That’s the kind of person the duke is. He welcomed me warmly, but he would never call me if it weren’t for something like this.

Thinking about it now, the duke was a cold person with clear boundaries, but also someone with a certain degree of affection.

“Anyway, think of it as a father’s last gift to his departing son.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks, it’s too early for that. We don’t know yet if the divine doctor can treat you.”

I had the same thought, but still, I felt that if it was a Divine Healer, they should be able to treat me.

“But it’s a divine doctor, so shouldn’t it be fine?”

“That’s something we’ll know when we try. Save your thanks for after it’s done. If the divine doctor can’t treat you, I’ll be too embarrassed, so don’t come to see me and just leave.”

The latter part was said with a bit of playfulness. I still said I would come to see him and retreated. I knew the location, but Marhan guided me again.

In the open room, the divine doctor was standing by the window looking outside, and I was startled by that side profile. I couldn’t help it. It was a woman in her early 20s.

“Surprised?”

However, her tone wasn’t that of a young person.

“I didn’t expect the divine doctor to be so young.”

“Everyone who sees me thinks that way. Usually, they would imagine someone like this.”

As the divine doctor finished speaking, she transformed into the appearance of an old person. It was a process of wrinkles forming and hair becoming dry in real-time.

I couldn’t help but open my mouth. What was even more surprising was that even the gender changed. In just about 2 seconds, a man in his 70s was sitting in front of me.

“…”

“Close your mouth. I was just playing a little joke.”

The divine doctor changed appearance again. Now it was the appearance of a man in his mid-30s.

“I take on a younger appearance because it’s more convenient to move. Don’t be deceived by outward appearances. This is sincere advice.”

Of course, I know that. I’ve been trained and lived that way under the duke, but…

Who wouldn’t be surprised at the first impression of a divine doctor in their 20s?

Anyway, I was certain that this was mystic. Considering that a younger body is more comfortable, I think it might be something similar to ‘aging’ or ‘youth’, but I’m not sure exactly what it is.

‘Or is it something like body control?’

If it’s an ability to control any body at will, it makes sense that gender and age could change. The same goes for becoming a divine doctor.

If that ability applies to others’ bodies as well, then diseases could simply be eliminated.

“I heard that you’re usually not good, but once or twice a year you exert 6 times your normal strength.”

“That’s right.”

Instead of saying more, the divine doctor came behind me and grabbed my shoulders. An unfamiliar mana enters my body. This continued for a moment. It hadn’t even been 10 seconds when the divine doctor spoke.

“Now I see the reason.”

He figured out the cause this quickly? I thought that even the divine doctor might not be able to touch it because it was a penalty trait… The divine doctor continued.

“You, your soul was two. It seems they merged quite a long time ago.”

I was too shocked to speak.