How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game

“I thought it would take a few more days, but you came earlier than expected?”

Phiri approached me with confidence, and in the meantime, my mind was racing.

Did we coincidentally arrive at the same time? No, it wasn’t a prearranged appointment.

She also hadn’t been waiting here all along.

Since entering Chenarus, I had been under Phiri’s watchful gaze.

‘Since when?’

Ever since I arrived in Chenarus, I had kept my senses open. Expanding Winds was only natural.

I had never been pursued.

Occasionally, I felt someone’s gaze, but it was the same no matter which street I walked.

And there was also the question of how they knew I would enter the capital today.

I highly doubted that they had kept people waiting just for me.

‘Hmm…’

It was a moment when I felt my own inadequacy.

No matter how rigorous the training was, the field was a different story. There was much to learn even here.

Phiri, who had approached me by now, turned her back. It seemed like we were looking out at the city together.

Magic-powered street lamps were installed throughout the city, so it wasn’t pitch black. It felt like watching the city skyline from Earth.

“How is it? Nice view, isn’t it?”

“Is this the hideout?”

“Huh? No.”

No wonder there was nothing here.

I found it amusing that I had worried that it was hidden somewhere I hadn’t imagined.

“Then, could it be that the clue you gave me was wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“The graduation assignment was to find the hideout of the spies.”

Phiri raised an eyebrow.

I felt like I was the one being strange for asking.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Because you said this isn’t the hideout.”

“Ah.”

Phiri finally seemed to understand what I meant and smirked.

“Did you expect to go straight to the hideout and secretly say the passphrase?”

It felt like a stab in the heart.

Even in movies on Earth, things usually proceeded like that.

“Well… it’s not necessarily like that, but I thought I had to find the hideout.”

I wasn’t asking just for the sake of it. One of the important things for a spy was the accuracy of their mission.

The given mission needs to be intuitive and precise to make it easier to perform and increase the success rate.

From that perspective, this assignment seemed slightly off.

“I know what you mean. I’ve been there before too. But this is the basic approach.”

“Is that so?”

“If someone starts using passphrase-like words in a perfectly functioning establishment, it’ll look more suspicious, right? It’s better to meet people and guide them like this.”

Come to think of it, it wasn’t a wrong statement.

I had a lot to learn. Despite having practical experience, I lacked field experience.

“This is how things will usually proceed in the future.”

I nodded my head. Even during this conversation, I didn’t let my guard down.

This place was the Empire, not Haisen.

It was where spy factions from various countries existed. That was why I hadn’t been wandering around aimlessly earlier.

With that in mind, Phiri lightly tapped my shoulder.

“It’s okay. Relax. I’ve checked everything. I’m still keeping an eye on things.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, it was truly amazing. How on earth did you find it so quickly?”

Phiri approached me and lightly tapped my shoulder as if praising me.

“I put some effort into making it hard to find. It wasn’t just a coincidence that I stumbled upon it.”

Indeed, from the moment I brought up the passphrase she had used before, a mischievous instinct kicked in, as I had suspected.

“I was thinking of the unpleasant crow story I heard during class suddenly came to mind.”

“Huh? Do they teach that sort of thing nowadays?”

“It was just mentioned briefly as something we should know… Did you not learn it, Phiri?”

“Is that so? It’s been so long, I can’t recall.”

Although Phiri appeared to be in her mid-20s, I couldn’t help but wonder if she was older than she seemed.

“Anyway, the fact that you thought of it shows how clever you are. I like that. My judgment is always reliable.”

“You flatter me.”

“Are you saying that my judgment is not good?”

Phiri laughed sharply.

“Yes? No.”

“I was joking. I really appreciate it. To be honest, I didn’t expect you to come to the Empire.”

Phiri came out with a satisfied expression and met my eyes.

“You said you had a place you wanted to go. Was it originally the Empire, or did you come because I said I would take care of you?”

I didn’t feel bad since Phiri seemed genuinely pleased. It was a welcoming gesture.

Phiri opened their eyes wide.

“Or maybe you fell for my beauty?”

“I’ve wanted to come to the Empire from the beginning.”

I quickly put on a serious expression.

“Really? Why?”

“Well, I thought I could learn more in a challenging environment.”

“That’s right!”

Phiri clapped three times with a pleased expression.

I had expected the question itself, but her reaction was slightly surprising.

“Just like the saying, you can tell the potential quality of a tree by observing its leaves from the beginning^[1]TLN: This means, one can judge or predict the future development or potential of someone or something by observing their initial actions or qualities. . You’re just like the old me. I also came to the Empire with that mindset.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Just by looking at the fact that I became the youngest vice leader, you can tell the Empire is a great place, right?”

The youngest vice leader.

I thought Phiri looked young, but I didn’t know she was the youngest. Apart from her mischievous nature, it meant that there was much to learn.

“Anyway, since I made a promise, I’ll take good care of you. If you have any difficulties, feel free to ask.”

“Thank you. But aren’t there usually assigned mentors? It’s usually difficult to meet the leader or vice-leader.”

“That’s true. But don’t worry.”

Phiri narrowed their eyes playfully.

“For a while, I’ll be your mentor.”

“Really?”

“I promised to take good care of you. Besides, I’m originally a hands-on vice leader.”

I had a question about the vice leader’s role being predominantly in the field, but I kept quiet.

Regardless, the fact that Phiri would be my mentor for a while was something to be happy about.

“Do you have any questions? It’s your first time in the Empire, after all.”

“You’ve been observing me all this time, right?”

Phiri mentioned that it wasn’t just a coincidence that she saw me.

That meant she knew I was coming here even before I discovered this place by looking at the clock tower’s hour hand.

She had been observing me before, knowing exactly that I would end up here.

“Yeah.”

“You’re the vice-leader, but is it okay?”

It was a question of whether there was time for doing that.

It could be a question based on what Phiri had seen or something heard through someone else.

“Are you criticizing me right now?”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant.”

“Hey, this kind of life is really sweet. You’ll know if you try it.”

Phiri casually brushed off the title of vice-leader.

“Right. When I meet the leader later, can I tell them that I convinced you to come to the Empire?”

“Yes?”

Phiri scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

“I promised that I saw a really talented person and would definitely bring them.”

“During the last mission?”

“Yeah.”

So that’s why she said she would treat me well at the graduation ceremony?

There was no reason to refuse. It was good to make a good impression, and it was not difficult to go along with it.

But I had a slight doubt.

Considering Phiri’s personality, it didn’t seem like she would ask for such a favor to score points with the leader.

“But by any chance…”

“Yeah?”

“Did you make a bet with the leader?”

Phiri was surprised and taken aback.

“How did you know?”

“I just had a feeling.”

“….”

“I’ll tell the leader that you convinced me to come.”

“Thank you!”

Phiri, who had been silent with a defeated look, smiled happily.

“And by any chance, is the coachman who brought me part of the spies?”

Phiri only raised the corner of her mouth.

I had expected that answer. If she noticed that I had arrived, there was no one else but the coachman.

Well, I did choose the coachman myself.

It seems she knew the day we were leaving, so she planted them in advance.

“No more questions?”

“No.”

“Then let’s go to the branch, we also need to meet the leader.”

* * *

Hide in plain sight.

It was one of the famous sayings in the spy community, and Haisen was certainly faithful to that saying.

Phiri took me to a clothing store. It was neither small nor big, just the right size.

The front door was closed, so we entered through the back door.

Although it seemed a decent size, it appeared small to be called a branch of a kingdom’s spy agency.

Was it a spacious underground area?

“It seems smaller than I thought.”

“Branches are not usually operated on a large scale. If the tail is long, it’s likely to be stepped on, and the more you gather, the more dangerous it becomes.”

“I see.”

“We usually operate it like a front organization. Spy activities are not only needed in the capital of the Empire.”

If I had any questions, I was encouraged to ask, so I didn’t hold back on my questions.

Phiri added,

“Usually, except for me and the leader, agents often don’t know each other. It’s safer that way.”

I had learned that, although it was the first time I heard that branches were operated like front organizations.

Even when I was at the duke’s mansion, I was told to learn about on-site matters on-site.

Respecting on-site work while understanding that each site had its own style.

“This way.”

Even in the darkness, Phiri walked steadily, and her hand reached into the inside of a clothes rack.

With a clicking sound, the display case moved aside, revealing a small hole.

It didn’t lead underground. The structure I had seen from the outside came to mind. It was a passage leading to the back house.

“Why aren’t we going underground?”

“Building a base underground makes it difficult to escape. We can’t dig tunnels every time we move.”

It made sense. If there were hidden underground facilities, the escape routes would disappear if they were discovered.

In a house, there were windows and you could break through walls.

“I guess people who don’t know often make underground bases. Maybe it feels safer?”

Come to think of it, that was true. Even when I was on a mission, it was easier to catch the people underground.

The place we crossed through the hole was literally a residential house.

Walking down a dimly lit corridor, I met the eyes of a couple sitting at a desk in the living room.

Nevertheless, they pretended not to see us and continued their everyday conversation.

“How was your day?”

“It was the same as usual.”

As I passed by, I noticed that the man was missing one hand.

“Is he a retired spy?”

When I murmured quietly, Phiri nodded slightly. It seemed serious inside the branch.

I decided to refrain from asking any further questions.

Phiri went upstairs, coughed lightly in front of the old wooden door, and knocked it three times shortly and twice more loudly.

And after 2 seconds, the door opened.

“Boss, I’m coming in.”

“I don’t know who the hell you are.”

“…I’m from the Foundation.”

“Come in.”

Creak… The rusty latch of the old door made a long sound. Bright light poured out from the open door.

In the center of the room, covered with blackout curtains, a middle-aged man wearing glasses was sitting.

‘…Huh?’

And even though three years had passed, I could recognize that man at a glance.

My heartbeat quickened, but I tried my best not to show it. The man looked at me.

“Are you Carlyn?”

“Yes.”

“You’re remarkably good-looking.”

In the world of spies, average looks were considered a virtue. Anything beyond or below the norm tends to be memorable.

My mind was tangled, so I kept my mouth shut. Phiri chuckled.

“I’m pretty too, and I became the vice leader.”

“You’re saying that because you’re disappointed you only got to use it once.”

Could he be referring to undercover identities?

Phiri shrugged her shoulders.

“We only need to use someone important like me once.”

The leader, who casually nodded, turned his attention to me.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Derek. From now on, you’ll address me as the boss.”

“Yes, boss.”

I tried to hide my tension as I looked into the leader’s eyes. Did he notice?

My racing heart didn’t calm down easily.

“Why did you seem surprised when you saw me?”

• 1. TLN: This means, one can judge or predict the future development or potential of someone or something by observing their initial actions or qualities.