How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game Chapter 30 - Kahalin

“So, what’s the issue that needs solving?”

Upon Phiri’s question, the Chief glanced at me briefly. It was probably a question of whether I should be present or not.

Phiri frowned.

“I asked because it’s fine to talk about it.”

“Oh, yes.”

The Chief couldn’t be unaware. The recent incident was evidence that it was an important matter to discuss.

In the midst of their concentration, the Chief swallowed dryly.

“While we were discreetly collecting Lyon ore, which goes unnoticed by the Empire, a suspicious group suddenly appeared.”

“Did we have competitors?”

“Yes. At first, we didn’t realize it was a group. It’s not uncommon for a Merchant Guild with a tight delivery deadline to wander around the black market, paying extra to secure goods.”

Phiri nodded.

“After tracking various small Merchant Guilds, we discovered that the ore was flowing towards a specific location.”

“Has the Empire caught on?”

“Not yet. We were able to identify the flow since we were collecting the ore, but it’s only a matter of time due to the aggressiveness of the opposing side.

Phiri sighed, and I quickly pondered the situation.

Lyon ore, primarily found in the northern region, was a material commonly used to produce magical items.

However, it was also an essential ingredient for manufacturing magic power bombs, making the Empire’s surveillance strict.

One question immediately came to mind. Setting aside the suspicious group, why was Haisen collecting it?

My thoughts turned to their leader, and not in a good way.

“If they’re collecting something that can’t be resold, there must be a purpose. Have you found out anything about the opposition?”

“Other than their base at the Kiberun Mountain range, we have no further information.”

“….”

“I apologize. The opposition has been thorough, making it difficult to track their movements.”

Phiri bit her lip, showing signs of frustration. It was an unavoidable situation.

Haisen in the southern continent had difficulty exerting its influence in the north. That’s why this place was considered remote and dangerous.

“What are the possible speculations?”

“There’s a possibility that it’s connected to Rialto or Hisala, which is adjacent to the north, but…”

As the Chief spoke, they suddenly paused.

Before Phiri could express her impatience and open her mouth, the Chief continued.

“Personally, I believe it could also be the Empire.”

“Are the Empire’s dogs involved in something?”

“Yes. They’re too aggressive to be Rialto or Hisala. There’s no reason for them to draw attention like this.”

Common sense dictated that the Empire didn’t need to purchase something coming from its own territory.

However, if there was something fishy going on, the situation could change. It was a reasonable assumption by the person in charge on-site.

If I hadn’t been in a game scenario, I would have thought the same.

“Devil worshippers.”

In the game, devil worshippers revealed themselves starting from the north.

With a grand explosion that caused a fortress to crumble. Naturally, they were connected to the Lyon ore.

What they didn’t realize was that the devil worshippers hadn’t fully revealed themselves yet.

Since the establishment of the Empire, devil worshippers had become almost extinct.

Even in the intelligence community, they couldn’t grasp every situation.

It was the same in the game. The appearance of devil worshippers caused astonishment throughout the entire continent.

Of course, there were those who were already aware.

The one concern was the leader.

He too was a devil worshipper, so he would know what was happening here.

But Phiri was sent here.

A person who didn’t exist in my memories. If she was such a strong individual, it was certain she had died somewhere.

‘Could that be happening now?’

There was no immediate warning of Death Avoidance.

However, that didn’t mean I could survive it. It meant that it would come at a truly dangerous moment.

Of course, I couldn’t say for sure that Phiri’s death was around this time. It was just something to keep in mind and be prepared for.

Moreover, the current leader might not be a devil worshipper yet.

It was a matter of timing.

He was a named devil worshipper, but it was unknown when that happened. Caution was necessary, but possibilities had to be kept open.

Amidst the silence, the Chief swallowed dryly.

“A week ago, two agents died. They weren’t weaklings, and it wasn’t an easily visible place.”

“Who died?”

“Ferret and Haim.”

“…They were capable individuals.”

Phiri closed her eyes, lightly lowering her head as she placed her index and middle fingers on her forehead. It was the silent dedication of Haisen’s intelligence agents. The Chief and I followed suit.

After a moment, Phiri opened her eyes, appearing calmer than ever. However, the ensuing silence was chilling.

I could sense that she was genuinely angry.

“Carlyn.”

“Yes.”

“In a situation like the current one, what do you think is the first thing we should do?”

It was a question from a vice-leader’s perspective. I answered immediately.

“Erase any traces of gathering Lyon ore, and if that’s not possible, clean up the branch.”

Whether the opponents gathering Lyon ore were the Empire or someone else, the result wouldn’t change.

If it were the Empire, they would have known that there were others collecting Lyon ore besides themselves.

The same applied to a third party. Aggressive buying. It would undoubtedly catch the attention of the Empire.

There was also a possibility of the Empire’s pursuit reaching us. We might have to resort to disguises.

“That’s correct.”

The Chief looked at me with a slightly surprised expression, and Phiri nodded.

“How far have you dealt with it?”

“We’ve erased all traces. Since we were cautious from the beginning, it won’t reach us.”

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

“Guild Master, it’s Hendrik.”

Phiri was about to straighten their posture, but the Chief immediately held out their hand.

“It’s an agent.”

Saying so, the Chief clenched their teeth and opened the door.

“What’s wrong?”

There was restrained annoyance in the voice.

The agent’s interruption while there was a guest was infuriating, but it was a questioning look with the understanding that there must be a reason.

If it wasn’t something important, he would be in trouble.

“We lost contact with Team 2 and Team 4.”

“What?”

The Chief looked at Phiri in surprise. I was equally surprised but for a different reason.

What? Why is that guy here?

He was definitely Mohen, although a bit scruffier. So he was here. It was a strange coincidence.

And Mohen, who had been tense when he saw Phiri, soon looked at me.

A slightly surprised glance, and in that instant, a trace of mockery flickered in his eyes.

Apparently, he thought I came to the Empire because I wasn’t as skilled as him.

‘He hasn’t changed.’

I suppressed a hollow laughter that wanted to come out. It was because of the atmosphere between the Chief and Phiri.

Phiri tapped her fingers impatiently.

“Tell me more.”

Mohen approached with his casual stride and assumed a formal posture to speak.

“Regular reports were received along the designated route until 9 AM every day, but there has been no contact since around 12:20 PM. In my judgment…”

“Who asked for your judgment?”

“S-Sorry.”

At the sharp sound, Mohen’s head jerked down. But he still glanced at me.

Phiri also noticed that and gave me a brief look.

Until the superior asks, one shouldn’t express personal opinions. Moreover, it was a serious matter.

Mohen probably knew that… He must have been trying to look good to the superior because of my presence.

‘Idiot.’

Phiri turned her gaze to the Chief.

“The situation.”

“After Team 6 went missing in the Kiberun Mountains, Teams 2 and 4, a total of 4 agents, disguised themselves as herb gatherers and set out for investigation.”

“Is there a possibility of survival?”

While it wasn’t explicitly mentioned that a problem had arisen, the complete silence in the reports of experienced agents indicated that it was not a trivial matter.

“….There is Toun Zaha. They won’t be easily defeated.”

“Toun Zaha.”

Phiri nodded. It was a name I hadn’t heard before, but Phiri seemed to recognize it.

“Was an escape route predetermined?”

“They planned to escape on their own according to the situation.”

“The map.”

When the Chief gestured, Mohen hurriedly ran to the bookshelf and took out a map.

The Chief reported.

“They started their investigation from the southern end of the mountains and moved northeast like this.”

“Was there anything in the northeast or did they encounter any problems while moving?”

“Yes.”

While Phiri was casually examining the map, she turned to everyone.

“If they’re still alive and in the process of escaping, where do you think they would have gone?”

As the Chief looked at Phiri with an uneasy gaze, I quickly pondered.

If I were them and there was a problem while disguised as herb gatherers, how would I move?

They didn’t know the exact situation, so there were too many variables to consider.

They might have encountered something in the northeast or encountered an enemy without knowing their numbers.

One thing was certain, they wouldn’t have headed toward Kahalin.

A major city close to the mountains. The enemy would naturally deploy their forces there.

‘Hmm…’

Let’s think from the beginning. There had been regular reports. They were not individual groups.

They would attempt to escape on their own, but if it became impossible, they would wait for Haisen’s support.

Since the reports hadn’t come through, it was natural for us to sense that something was wrong.

In an instant, something flashed through my mind.

We had three homing pigeons. But there had been no contact.

It was not easy to differentiate the pigeons in the mountains, let alone in the city.

Unless they were already dead, they would have sent the pigeon even if it meant risking their lives during the escape process.

‘Agents prioritize information over their own lives.’

Excluding the possibility of them being dead, there was only one conclusion—they couldn’t send the pigeon.

They were alive, but sending a homing pigeon was risky.

‘Perhaps they are hiding near the enemy’s stronghold.’

A picture began to form.

Unless they came face to face, the enemy might have discovered the herb gatherers’ tracks and started tracking them, so the agents might have realized it and gone into hiding.

“Hmm.”

The Chief and Mohen voiced their opinions one after another. They were in different directions for their own reasons.

But Phiri didn’t have a satisfied expression.

“Carlyn, what about you?”

“I think they might be hiding somewhere between the last reporting point and the northeast.”

“Why do you think so?”

I explained my reasoning clearly. Of course, it was just a hypothesis with plenty of room for debate.

However, Phiri nodded briefly.

“I have the same thoughts as you.”

Feeling a slight thrill, I unconsciously scrutinized Mohen. My tightly closed lips trembled.

Phiri silently looked at the Chief. For a brief moment, it seemed like an unspoken conversation was exchanged.

“I’ll escort them.”

“It’s dangerous.”

The Chief responded immediately, predicting this situation. Phiri didn’t pay attention to those words.

“Only Carlyn and I will go. We don’t need backup.”

“Vice-leader!”

“I won’t entertain objections. Time is of the essence. Are there any agents here who are better than me?”

It was an irrefutable statement.

Considering the urgency of the situation, it would take time to observe the situation and there would be a loss of manpower in the process.

“…”

However, the Chief silently resisted. Though it was subdued, their concern was evident.

Phiri let out a soft sigh.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“That’s not it. But what happened in the past…”

“Don’t worry, Chief. I’ll report the situation and act accordingly. If it’s dangerous, I’ll withdraw immediately.”

What happened in the past? Was there something going on?

“There’s no need for Vice-leader to personally intervene. I will send the agents.”

“I said I won’t entertain objections.”

“…”

In truth, Godfather’s spy agency would do anything to rescue the agent.

Even if it was just pretending to do so on the surface.

Otherwise, trust in the organization would diminish, and the agents wouldn’t risk their lives for the organization.

The Chief’s concern was that Phiri would personally take action.

Phiri pointed at the map with a finger. It was a route that passed through the mountains.

“Four days from now, at noon. Send a merchant guild to this location. I will join them there.”

The Chief had a talkative face, but they couldn’t bring themself to speak up.

Regardless, the outcome was already determined. If the superior ordered it, we had to comply.

The Chief, who had been contemplating, hardened their expression. It meant that they had made up their mind. The atmosphere changed instantly.

“…What will be the operation name?”

“Escort.”

“Understood.”

“We’re short on time. Get ready to leave in 10 minutes.”

“Yes.”

The Guild Master and Mohen rushed out in quick steps. Phiri remained seated, taking out a cigarette.

I took a quick breath. Anticipated fatigue overwhelmed me. It was already my third consecutive mission.

I wondered if I was pushing myself too hard, but it couldn’t be helped when it involved saving people, our comrades.

In a way, it was also my first real mission as an official spy. I tightly gripped the hilt of my sword, for no reason in particular.