How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game

Chapter 177: Coming of Age Ceremony (3)

“The enemies are still coming.”

Emmet looked at Carlyn’s back. He had openly turned his back to him. Emmet’s hand gripped his sword tightly.

A traitor, one who had tried to kill the lord he served and killed the lord’s mother. His feelings were complicated.

He was aware of the strange points about that incident, such as the fact that there was no reason for Carlyn to have staged the event on that particular day.

But people can’t think only rationally. Moreover, Emmet, loyal to the imperial family, simply believed the facts announced by the imperial court.

Since that day, his anger towards Carlyn had hardly subsided. The sense of betrayal hit hard, especially since he had opened his heart to him and given him his trust.

However, Emmet was also a skilled expert. Though the recent explosion was confusing, he too understood how things were unfolding.

‘Schurtafen stopped the explosion. Once again. Like before.’

Emmet, who had lunged towards the princess the moment he saw signs of the explosion, could understand it even better. He felt the winds enveloping the princess.

He was also thinking that the sand barrier that had shot up just before he lunged must have been done with winds as well.

This discrepancy was difficult for Emmet. But in this urgent moment, he decided to focus on what was right in front of him.

He had learned it painfully on the battlefield. You have to trust what’s in front of you. Now was such a time.

‘Schurtafen is not an enemy. For now at least.’

Emmet made up his mind. The assassins were approaching. There were twelve of them.

They must have broken through the Imperial Intelligence Agency or been hiding among the crowd. Carlyn took a step forward.

“Please take care of Her Highness.”

Emmet protects the princess right next to him. And Carlyn blocks the outside forces. It was the rhythm they had maintained until Carlyn left.

Emmet nodded.

“Don’t approach, form ranks!”

The knights who had been rolling on the ground in panic due to the explosion quickly took their positions. It was possible because they hadn’t been harmed thanks to Carlyn.

Though they were watching Carlyn with caution, their lord and Emmet had acknowledged him.

The knights protected the princess, keeping some distance around her. It was a formation they had agreed upon beforehand.

As they saw earlier, there could be traitors among the knights too. Fortunately, there were no betrayers among those remaining.

However, among the rapidly approaching assassins, a few suddenly rose up.

They were devil worshippers who had been pretending to be knocked unconscious by the shock. About twenty in total. Carlyn quickly stomped on the ground.

At the same time, he threw short swords. Five short swords cut through the air. The ones rushing at high speed came first.

The short swords, aided by winds, charged at an unimaginable speed.

“Ugh!”

Only two assassins barely managed to block the short swords, but three fell with their bodies pierced.

The gap created by slowing them down with the short swords.

Carlyn squeezed into that space. He sliced the throat of an assassin who was drawing a dagger while getting up.

‘On the other side...’

Carlyn couldn’t block all directions, but there were five skilled knights guarding the surroundings.

There wasn’t a big problem.

Anyway, from the moment the bomb was stopped, the assassins’ charge was tantamount to rushing to their deaths.

Moonlight drew a crescent between the dust and black smoke emitted by burning buildings. Three minutes, that’s how long it took to deal with the assassins.

As if orders had come belatedly, those who had been fighting with imperial agents on the outskirts began to retreat.

Of course, only those whose bodies were intact. The injured ones stabbed their own necks without hesitation.

And so, the situation was coming to an end. Carlyn’s winds sensed new presences approaching. They were people from the empire.

‘I can’t stay here any longer.’

He had no thoughts of using this incident as an excuse to restore his honor or return to the imperial palace. No matter how the situation turned out, he had killed the empress.

Considering the emperor’s personality, Carlyn judged that the empire wouldn’t reveal that the empress was a traitor.

Also, even if he tried to return, Carlyn himself would undergo intense interrogation. It would be close to torture.

There weren’t many advantages he could gain by returning to the empire.

At this point, he was much freer operating outside. What was important to Carlyn was how Erendil viewed him.

After all, to oppose the devil worshippers, goodwill with the princess was essential. That had been resolved.

‘Fortunately.’

With just an exchange of glances, Carlyn saw that Erendil didn’t harbor much ill feelings towards him.

It wouldn’t be completely absent. There was a small tremor. Nevertheless, the princess was guessing his situation and understanding his actions.

-What?

-That Carl Schurtafen appeared and saved the princess.

-...Who said that?

-No, senior, I was also on the roof at that time. I was blown away by the explosion, but before that, I saw the guy in front of me flying away in the wind.

-...

-Senior, you can tell me, right? After all the years we’ve spent together. Is Sir Schurtafen actually on our side? A double agent? Then, trying to kill the princess too...

-Omen.

-Yes.

-You must have been told not to utter what you saw if you don’t want to die.

-Uh...

-I’m letting you off because it’s me. Don’t talk about it anywhere. You could really die.

-I’ll keep that in mind.

It was a conversation between mid-level agents, and they were thoroughly controlling the information.

In fact, it’s not good for my name to come out. The empire’s authority would fall and confusion would increase.

Still, I see it as positive. No matter how much they control, it was a big incident, so words will circulate among the agents.

If they start thinking I was a double agent like that, it might be beneficial someday.

“Did you do what I asked properly?”

“Yeah.”

Denif was on his way back after contacting Haisen. Haisen would know that we intervened.

No matter how thorough the empire’s surveillance is, they would have sent people. Mingling among the citizens.

Since they would be curious about our side, I told them through Denif that we happened to come across the plan and stopped it.

Haisen’s side must have felt their hearts drop too. If Erendil had died, it would have been a disaster for them as well.

Duke Brusek, upon hearing the news, would have sighed in relief and smiled with satisfaction.

Thinking that it was good he allowed me to move separately in the empire.

“Ah, and yours came too.”

“Mine?”

“Yeah. You sent a letter to that Archmage last time, right?”

Huh? I immediately turned my head. Finally, a response came. It was something I had been expecting.

There had been no reply for a while after I sent the contact last time.

I understand. A year has passed since I brought it up, and given Shahri’s trait, she probably didn’t even check her letters every time she visited a city.

Denif handed me the letter he took out from his bosom.

Since it was a letter composed in code, it took some time to decipher. It wasn’t very long. There wasn’t much content.

I had conveyed that I was sorry for making her wait so long, and that I would soon start preparing to attack the prince.

-Confirmed. Departing from the south. About a month and a half to the imperial capital.

The reply was simple. A month and a half, huh.

Not bad. Even if she came right away because she was nearby, it’s not easy to start something now.

Since an enormous amount of bombs exploded in the capital, surveillance will be strict throughout the empire’s territory.

Hmm. I should start thinking of excuses from now.

Considering the date the reply came, Shahri must have sent it before the terrorist attack occurred.

‘She’ll be suspicious about why I didn’t call her for the terrorist attack targeting the princess.’

To her, I am a devil worshipper.

And it will also seem strange to stage such a massive terrorist attack and then attack the prince soon after.

But I’m not too worried. Originally, it was my idea to call Shahri after the coming of age ceremony.

Whether the other side becomes suspicious or has already clashed with the devil worshippers, it’s not a big problem now.

‘Regardless of the truth, she’ll come looking for me anyway.’

The devil worshippers must be furious because of this incident too. It means it’s time to bring out the magic tool that searches for Devil’s Blood.

Enraged guys and Archmage Shahri.

It will be a sufficient stage to test the glowstone brought from the desert ruins, which is actually an enormous bomb.

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