How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game

After capturing King Rohalak, nothing much changed. We swiftly advanced to Rohalak without any resistance.

Whether it was due to the spread of the story of the surviving Western Army or not, no one stopped us, and the castle gates were open.

The advancing West was eerily silent, almost to the point of discomfort. There was no vitality wherever we went.

In a way, it was inevitable. Internal conflicts during the unification process of the West and even involving the Empire.

With consecutive wars, there would be a shortage of supplies and resources, especially due to the strict control of looting by Rudehrn.

It seemed like the Empire wasn’t causing trouble just to conquer the West. Maybe it was for future control.

In this situation, looting would only lead the Western people to blame everything on the Empire.

‘By managing the image while attributing the current hardship to King Rohalak, we’re deflecting the blame.’

Following the Emperor’s orders, we captured anyone with the name Rohalak, regardless of age or gender.

The name of the Rohalak nation changed as well. An aide next to Rudehrn received the title of Duchess and took that position.

It became a kind of vassal state and an Imperial forward base.

While rebuilding the Hrit Castle swept by the flood, it seemed they were preparing to conquer the West in the future.

Not immediately. The issue of succession was a problem, and the current West was not beneficial even to the Empire.

Due to consecutive wars, every part of the West had become desolate.

‘Rather than rushing to conquer it while in chaos, they’ll probably start once things return to some normalcy.’

The staff officer who received the Duchess title might also be drawing a plan to absorb other kingdoms from within.

The situation was flowing quite differently from my memory.

The relationship between the West and the Empire in the game wasn’t this one-sided.

It was clear that something changed when I intervened.

The actual Empire was also in a precarious situation, and well, it was a good thing, but I also had concerns in another direction.

Could Rodri dominate the West again as he did in the past?

‘Still, the major future events don’t seem to change.’

From the latest news, I heard that Rodri was heading toward the Western forces.

Rather than avoiding internal conflicts and seeking refuge, it meant he intended to build strength in another direction.

It was a similar move to the game.

With Rodri’s skills, it shouldn’t be too difficult. I wonder if he was in contact with Haisen.

I thought I might hear the story when I returned to the Empire.

When we conquered Rohalak and started to march back to the Imperial capital, a system message popped up.

[You gained Stratagem experience. Reaching Stratagem level 9. Acquiring the ‘Ideal Actor’ trait.]

Honestly, I was a bit surprised.

In reality, I didn’t have high expectations for this war. Stratagem in Valhǫll wasn’t related to war tactics; it was related to Combat values.

Stratagem itself should only be raised through espionage actions. But this time, it seemed to be applied a bit differently.

The acquired trait provided the answer.

In this war, I played the role of a knight, but I was a spy acting as that knight.

‘It probably means I perfectly fulfilled my duties as the escort knight.’

There was nothing as satisfying as unexpected income. Since we were still marching, I made an effort to hide my smile.

The newly acquired trait had the effect of immersing me more in the character when I acted. Others’ suspicions also decreased a bit.

Well, I didn’t feel an immediate difference. Maybe because I already revealed the truth to Erendil?

Actually, the latter was the more important factor. It would still be a big help even if I wasn’t consciously aware of it.

“You look happy.”

Suddenly, Duchess Lyurik approached me.

“Wasn’t the war successful?”

“Indeed. Do you have some time left?”

“Yes. Moving around is my job.”

“Let’s move together then.”

It was a sudden proposal. Was there something to talk about separately?

“If I may ask, is there any particular reason for this?”

“It’s nothing special. I just wanted to see how you move when you set up reconnaissance.”

I roughly understood what she meant.

“If you find it uncomfortable, feel free to refuse. It’s not a big deal.”

“No. I don’t know if it will be of much help as there is nothing special, but I’ll go.”

“Thank you.”

As she finished speaking, she stepped aside, but I felt someone’s gaze.

Turning my head, Erendil was looking at me. A strange gaze. I slightly bowed and greeted her.

Erendil looked at me for a moment, then nodded slightly before looking straight ahead again.

“In truth, I’m not sure if it will be a great help to you, Duchess.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t have any special methods. I’m like any other scout.”

The Duchess furrowed her brow at Carlyn’s words. It was hard to understand what he meant.

If he said he was like any other scout, it didn’t make sense because the images he had shown so far were extraordinary.

“However, I’m just more perceptive than others.”

Carlyn pointed west with his finger as he spoke. It was an area beyond the plains where there was a forest.

“From that direction, a deer will soon appear.”

Not even 10 seconds after Carlyn finished speaking, the deer emerged through the trees.

The Duchess’s eyes widened. There was quite a distance, and she couldn’t believe that Carlyn had noticed an unseen deer.

“How did you know?”

“As I mentioned, my senses are exceptional. I can see farther than others, hear sounds from a distance, and even catch faint smells.”

“…That’s an amazing story. Still, I don’t understand how you could detect something unseen.”

“Combining keen senses like hearing, sight, and smell, sometimes I can sense things intuitively that cannot be precisely identified. I have a relatively high accuracy.”

The Duchess nodded in understanding.

“I get it now. It’s like the intuition that comes during combat, predicting how the opponent’s sword might move or sensing if there might be an ambush.”

“Something like that.”

“Well, I understand, but even if you tell me, it’s not like I can follow suit.”

In response to the Duchess’s words, Carlyn smiled faintly.

“Before we continue, there’s something I want to mention. I apologize if I led you on a pointless detour.”

“No, it’s better than walking quietly in the boredom.”

The Duchess gazed at the horizon for a moment, then turned his attention to Carlyn.

“Do you have a family?”

“I was an orphan. There were people who were like family to me. They all became unfortunate guests, though.”

Considering the Duchess’s position, she probably knew about Carlyn’s past, so why ask? Carlyn hid his puzzlement.

Soon, the reason came to mind.

Given the rumor that he might be a noble bastard, the Duchess might be trying to confirm it.

“Although it may be impolite, there have been talks of you being a noble’s illegitimate child.”

As expected. Carlyn raised an eyebrow slightly. It wasn’t unpleasant, but he needed to show that. The Duchess’s words were indeed quite impolite, just as she mentioned. Their relationship hadn’t reached that level yet.

“It’s just baseless gossip. Due to the lack of memories, I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but I highly doubt it.”

“Well, among commoners, talented individuals occasionally emerge, but seeing someone outstanding in every aspect raises the possibility.”

“Frankly, although it’s an unwarranted comment, it feels a bit uncomfortable. I wonder why you suddenly say such things…”

The Duchess looked into Carlyn’s eyes.

“Don’t you ever think of finding your parents?”

Why is she suddenly doing this? Carlyn couldn’t really discern the Duchess’s intentions.

“I have contacts in the Imperial intelligence network. I might be able to help you find them.”

“There’s no reason for that.”

“No. If noble blood flows in your veins, considering your reputation and credibility, you could even take over that household, despite being an illegitimate child.”

“I have no desire for that.”

“Consider other possibilities. You might not be an illegitimate child. If your parents, noble or not, tragically lost their lives, and you were the only one who survived…”

Carlyn hadn’t considered this aspect. The mention of being a noble’s illegitimate child originally stemmed from King Haisen’s rude remarks.

Moreover, he knew about Carlyn’s identity and still made such comments.

“Could you seek revenge for your parents?”

Although the beginning was impolite, in the end, there was a hint of goodwill underlying the Duchess’s words. However, it wasn’t necessary.

For the manipulated character Carl Schurtafen, there was no way to find such a thing.

“I appreciate your words, but I’ll decline.”

“May I know the reason?”

“Since childhood, I’ve been alone in my life. I have no memories of my parents. Whether it’s noble or not doesn’t matter.”

Even if the Imperial intelligence agency had already investigated, it was something Carlyn should avoid, especially when additional personnel might be added because of the Duke.

“Even if Duchess’s assumptions about my background were true, I don’t feel the need for revenge. And if I were to seek revenge, how far should it go?”

“…”

“Moreover, I am currently the Princess’s bodyguard, and I need to focus entirely on the duties assigned to me.”

Silence lingered between them. Carlyn read a slight regret in the Duchess’s eyes. Perhaps it was empathy for the youth who didn’t even have feelings for their parents. The Duchess finally spoke.

“Alright. I apologize for my rudeness. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“What are your plans for the future?”

“What future are you talking about…”

“I mean after the Princess ascends to the Emperor’s throne.”

“Isn’t it too early for that?”

The Duchess chuckled at Carlyn’s response.

“Well, who knows. It might be quite likely, though. You’ve made it happen in this war. It’s likely to continue in the future.”

“…”

“I’m not suggesting you rush. I’m just curious.”

Why is she asking this? It puzzled Carlyn as it was the first time they had engaged in such a lengthy conversation since their first meeting.

“I will probably still stay by the Princess’s side. By then, she’ll be the monarch. As long as Her Highness doesn’t cast me aside, I will guard my position.”

“With your performance, you could take Duke’s position.”

“Isn’t Sir Rudehrn also by Her Majesty’s side?”

“To be honest, it’s quite surprising. It hasn’t been long since you became the Princess’s bodyguard.”

Carlyn thought the Duchess was suspecting him. It was a rational thought. It was unexpected for a knight from Haisen to suddenly show such dedication.

“Time is not crucial in serving one’s lord. I’m just fulfilling my duties as a knight.”

“True. It’s the right attitude. There aren’t many like you, and that’s a problem.”

The Duchess gazed at the distant sky for a moment.

“In that case, how about becoming my husband?”

“Yes?”

After a short silence, the Duchess’s unexpected proposal left Carlyn quite bewildered.

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