How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game - Chapter 87: Triumph Ceremony (4)

“I sensed it.”

Carlyn casually replied, making an effort not to appear anxious or flustered.

“Sensed it?”

“Since childhood, when I was an orphan, I’ve had moments when chills ran down my spine. Thanks to that warning, I’ve survived several close calls.”

The Duke stared at Carlyn with an expressionless gaze.

“And even when I became a mercenary, and later, a knight going to war, that sense has saved my life many times.”

“Honestly, it’s a bit hard to believe.”

It was a straightforward response.

“I’ve had similar experiences if we’re talking about the feeling during combat. I know it, and so do my subordinates and renowned knights under my command.”

Survival instinct, detecting danger. There were many terms to describe it. However, this time was a bit different.

Because it was a magical bomb.

“But isn’t the situation a bit different?”

“I understand it might be hard to believe, but it precisely felt like that.”

Carlyn couldn’t read what the Duke was thinking from his face.

It felt similar to facing the Chief of Intelligence in Haisen. He didn’t become the Chief of Intelligence for nothing. He was a tough person.

“I have a question. Just based on that feeling? It must have been a threat to yourself, yet how did you try to protect the princess?”

“The triumphal ceremony. In a situation filled with knights, soldiers, and civilians, I thought the target of the assassination would be the princess rather than me.”

Carlyn spoke calmly.

“However, the sense that my life was in danger meant that it wasn’t targeting an individual. I thought it was a bomb.”

“Did you make that judgment in that brief moment?”

“Yes.”

“It’s hard to believe in instincts, but that’s impressive.”

The Duke let out a bitter laugh.

“I know your achievements aren’t exaggerated, but this is beyond imagination. You aren’t just good at war strategy.”

“Thank you.”

“If you hadn’t been by the princess’s side, I might have brought you to my side.”

The Duke clicked his tongue with a regretful expression. It was hard to distinguish whether it was acting or genuine.

“If I hadn’t been by the princess’s side, wouldn’t I have caught your eye, Duke?”

It was a somewhat meaningless conversation. Carlyn waited for the Duke’s next words while looking at his amused smile.

“Anyway, saying you’re impressive isn’t just empty praise. Sensing danger and throwing yourself to protect your lord right away is no easy feat.”

“Since she’s my lord, it’s only natural.”

“As the Chief of Intelligence for the Empire, I express my gratitude. Besides this incident, the number of patriots has increased thanks to you.”

“…”

When Carlyn raised his head at the unexpected comment, the Duke subtly smiled.

“A knight from another kingdom sacrifices themselves for the Empire, isn’t that so? The recent conscription rate is the highest in decades over the past two months.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. It’s not easy to handle patriots, right? It’s a blessing for the Empire. Of course, I’m a patriot too.”

Carlyn looked at the Duke with an expressionless face. It was a sudden change of topic.

Chief of Intelligence for the Empire. It wouldn’t be his primary concern, and there must be a reason. Was he subtly testing the waters? The following silence was quite heavy.

“I’ve conducted quite a bit of investigation on you.”

“I expected as much.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Given that Her Majesty, the former princess of Haisen, brought you from Haisen, it’s only natural.”

Whether the answer was satisfactory or not, the Duke grinned slyly.

“But nothing came out. Considering you were an orphan, it was suspiciously clean. The gap between your service times wasn’t long enough for you to have any idle moments.”

“Is that so? Perhaps it was a time dedicated solely to training with the sword.”

“It’s speculation.”

Carlyn shrugged his shoulders.

“Do you not know what period I’m referring to with that gap in service?”

“I suppose not. How well do you remember events from the past?”

“I tend to remember, but during my mercenary days, life was so rough that I can’t guarantee the accuracy of my memories.”

“Perhaps, I might know more about you than you do about yourself.”

The conversation flowed calmly between the two, but Carlyn felt like he was standing on a razor’s edge.

The Duke clicked his tongue.

“Well, let’s leave it at this. I didn’t come here to interrogate you from the start.”

If he didn’t come to interrogate, then what? Carlyn thought so, but he didn’t bother to nitpick.

“Anyway, you sensed the explosion entirely.”

“Yes.”

“Too bad, I was hoping to learn something.”

“Is it difficult to trace?”

The Duke sighed uncomfortably.

“This is not something to hide. We found and tracked the tunnel under the explosion site, but they’d already erased all traces. It wasn’t an individual act.”

Carlyn read sharpness in the Duke’s eyes. He was observing his own reaction.

“Isn’t it possible that it was orchestrated by the Crown Prince’s side?”

“Well, it might seem plausible given the circumstances, but the probability is slim.”

Even though the Duke pointed to the Crown Prince, he responded indifferently. It meant he had already verified it.

“Gathering that level of bomb, even if it’s from the Crown Prince’s side, would be a challenging task.”

“Were the quantities that large?”

“Well, you wouldn’t know. Even if it was something His Majesty planned, if he had gathered that amount of bomb, I would have known about it.”

“I see.”

As expected, through this conversation, Carlyn was completely convinced that the mastermind was a devil worshipper.

The Duke stood up from his seat.

“Even though you must be uncomfortable, thanks for chatting with me. I’ll take my leave now.”

“No problem. Take care.”

As the Duke headed towards the door, he suddenly turned around.

“Oh, there’s an interesting piece of news. Want to hear it?”

“I won’t refuse.”

“Did you know well about your roots? Your parents, I mean.”

“I don’t.”

Carlyn replied with an indifferent tone. He said it like that because due to the recent mention of it with Duchess Lyurik.

The idea that all orphans of the same age could be descendants of nobility was just as likely. The Chief of Intelligence’s suspicion ultimately stemmed from Carlyn’s intelligence and skills.

In this world, the likelihood of capable individuals having noble blood was high.

“Aren’t you interested? You might be able to find your lineage.”

“The number of orphans of my age from Haisen is probably more than a thousand. The chance of me being the child of an imperial noble is slim.”

“What if someone from the empire crossed over to Haisen?”

“Even if that were the case, I’m not interested.”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

The Duke looked at Carlyn with a subtle gaze and then withdrew. As the door closed, Carlyn sighed.

Like the Chief of Intelligence in Haisen, he was far from an easy person. It felt like dealing with a sharp-witted individual.

With news of his awakening, Carlyn encountered the Princess not long after the Duke left.

The Princess seemed to have run over, as her breathing was slightly uneven.

“Is your body okay? The doctor said you should rest for a few more days.”

“It’s a bit heavier than usual, but there’s no problem. I can return to duty immediately, even tomorrow.”

Carlyn responded with a light smile, conveying that everything was fine despite the worried look in the Princess’s eyes. The Princess nodded.

“I won’t tolerate that. Until the doctor permits, take a break. Rudehrn is guarding me, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Yes. I will do so.”

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would have died.”

This morning, the Princess heard about the explosion. She was in the blast zone.

If Carlyn hadn’t protected her, she would have lost her life yesterday.

“As your knight, it was my duty.”

“Still, you saved my life. That fact won’t disappear.”

“You don’t have to think that way.”

“I cannot help it.”

The Princess asserted with determination in response to Carlyn’s humility.

“I don’t have much to offer; you declined the reward last time, and it seems you’ll do the same this time. Do you have any other things you want from me?”

“None.”

“Even if I become the Emperor someday, I’ll repay you.”

“You don’t have to think of it as a debt to me. It’s what I choose to do.”

Erendil sighed with a somewhat dissatisfied expression at Carlyn’s words.

“Don’t say it like that. I’m just thanking you.”

“…Yes.”

In the face of Erendil’s reprimand, Carlyn simply bowed his head. As the sunlight streamed in, the Princess turned her gaze outside the window.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

“Please tell me.”

“How exactly did you sense it? You were trying to protect me even before the explosion. Were you seeing into the future?”

Carlyn had anticipated the Princess’s question since meeting the Duke. She was directly involved in the incident.

“I had a feeling.”

“A feeling?”

Carlyn repeated the words he had said to the Empire’s Chief of Intelligence. Death Avoidance was essentially the same as sensing danger, so it seemed truthful.

“Impressive. I knew you were smart, but to think like that in that moment…”

Erendil reluctantly acknowledged, unable to hide her surprise.

“But during the explosion, I felt a sense of protection. It was as if there was an invisible shield.”

“…Is that so?”

Carlyn thought it was unfortunate. It was an action to save lives, but he didn’t expect it to be noticed.

It didn’t matter if it was to the Princess, but it was a part that shouldn’t be revealed to others.

“Maybe it’s because I was too shocked, but it felt like time was passing slowly. Despite seeing small fragments, nothing touched my body. Did you have something to do with it?”

“Yes.”

Carlyn readily admitted. He had decided not to lie to the Princess.

The eyes of the Princess, as anticipated, widened.

“Have you told anyone else about this?”

“I haven’t. I wanted to ask you first.”

At least that was fortunate. Carlyn sighed in relief internally.

“What exactly did you do?”

“I have a mystic called ‘Winds.’”

“…Mystic?”

“Yes. I used it to protect you.”

“W-weren’t you hurt? Why didn’t you protect yourself?”

Carlyn nonchalantly scratched his cheek.

“It was a question of whether my abilities could protect both you and me. I didn’t know the scale of the bomb—whether it was shrapnel, shockwaves, or heat. So, I could only protect you.”

“You could have died.”

“If it’s for the continent, the Princess’s safety is more important than my life.”

The Princess’s mouth gaped open. It was a mix of emotions.

Carlyn hoped that his words, the first time she saw someone sacrifice themselves for her, would leave a sincere impression.

“The path you tread is for the Empire and soon the continent.”

Of course, Carlyn had judged based on Ironman and his own body, but he didn’t explicitly mention it.

It was a statement hoping that the Princess, who got involved in the succession dispute because of the Emperor, would become a little more sincere.

“Also, it would be strange for me, who was protecting you, to remain unscathed. I also didn’t want the fact that I have Mystic Power to be revealed.”

The subsequent words were not particularly crucial in the current situation. The Princess pondered over Carlyn’s previous words.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

A moment of silence ensued. The sunlight streaming in through the window also deepened as the day progressed.

Amid the Princess’s golden hair glowing, her cheeks also appeared dusky in the sunlight.

“Do you usually protect yourself with that Winds?”

The Princess asked, suspecting that Carlyn’s mystic might have interfered.

Carlyn shook his head.

“Not particularly.”

There were times due to mysophobia, when he would use it in places with flying dust, but it wasn’t a common practice.

For an investigator, the tactile sense of something touching the skin was crucial. It always had to be sharp

“But why are you asking about that…?”

“No.”

The princess, who had hesitated, stood up from her seat.

“Anyway, I wanted to express my gratitude. I wanted to check on your condition as well.”

“Thank you for your kindness. I’ll recover quickly and return to duty.”

“Good. Rest now. I’ll come by again tomorrow.”

Tomorrow too? Carlyn wondered, but considering he saved her life, it seemed reasonable. It could also show consideration for those around her.

After the Princess left, Carlyn went back to sleep. The recovery process was exhausting.

When he woke up again, it was already night.

Carlyn looked out the window and expanded his senses with Winds. Because Haisen would be waiting.

Sure enough, Phiri was nearby. As Carlyn sent a signal, Phiri responded.

-When did you arrive?

“Just now. How’s your body?”

-I’m fine. I apologize for making you wait.

“No need to apologize. I’m just glad you’re okay. I was worried.”

Her tone was so full of concern that a smile crept onto Carlyn’s lips.

-You seemed to think so.

“You rascal. Making jokes even at a time like this?”

-It’s not like I’m not in good condition.

“How could you not be?”

He found himself having the same conversation three times today. Carlyn explained with a concealed sigh.

Knowing her temperament, Phiri easily understood.

“It was reckless. Your life is more precious.”

-Objectively speaking, isn’t the Princess’s life more precious?

“That’s what it means to me. What if both of you had died?”

-I had confidence that both would survive.

Phiri let out a small sigh but didn’t nag further.

“Anyway, this war, isn’t it a bit too much? It was impressive.”

-Aren’t I naturally impressive?

Phiri unexpectedly brought up an unexpected topic in response to Carlyn’s joking tone.

“We’ll talk about that later. I have something to say.”

-What is it? Your tone is a bit intimidating.

“The Leader seems suspicious.”

Carlyn grinned. He had been contemplating how to bring this up, and it turned out this way.

Perhaps it was related to the recent terrorist attack. There might be a connection to the devil worshippers.

-Is that so?

Author’s Thoughts

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