56
Chapter 56
It felt like I was being followed the moment I stepped out of the safehouse. I wonder who sent them.
For starters, it's not Old Man Daph.
He already knows I'm moving the Imperial Princess around, so there's no reason for him to put a tail on me and risk more people finding out.
Of course, I didn't explain the Warp Device in detail and just brushed it off as an artifact. He seemed a bit curious, but would he really put a tail on me just because of that?
Absolutely not.
Old Man Daph isn't like Old Man Roy.
Wait a minute. That means this tail has been following Old Man Daph.
Since it's impossible to track someone who moved via a Warp Device from the academy.
But when I was talking to Old Man Daph earlier, he didn't mention a thing about being followed.
A chill ran down my spine.
If they managed to deceive the eyes of Daph, the Director of Intelligence, they're definitely no ordinary tail.
Deciding that heading to the Merdi Magic Tower now would be dangerous, I turned back toward the safehouse.
'Why are you going back?'
'I'm being followed.'
I was impressed on the way back.
Even though I was on alert and spreading my magic power, I almost lost them when I entered a slightly crowded area.
No wonder the old man didn't notice a thing.
This is on a completely different level from the clumsy stealth magic the Imperial Princess showed me earlier.
Highly trained skill combined with perfect stealth magic.
As far as I know, there are only two people in the capital with this level of ability.
The problem is that regardless of which one it is, it's not a good situation for me...
"Stop following me and just come inside."
I opened the door and spoke, but there was no response.
Did they think I was just bluffing?
"I know you were tailing Director Daph and then switched your target to me. Aren't you afraid of the Intelligence Agency's retaliation?"
After a brief moment of hesitation, a very sturdy man—hardly the type you'd expect for a tail—revealed himself.
Damn. Just as I thought, it was one of the two.
Still, since I avoided the worst-case scenario, should I consider this a relief?
"Truly impressive. Even Director Daph didn't notice. When did you find out?"
"I knew from the start, Duke Dylan Andres."
Dylan Andres.
Youngest 7th Class Wizard, youngest Sword Master, youngest Duke, Commander of the Royal Guards, First Seat of the Eight Swords of the Empire... there are so many titles attached to him.
But it can be summarized very simply in just a few words.
The Empire's strongest.
'If it's Duke Dylan, is he Shine's dad?'
Well... I guess that's a few words too.
'Yep.'
"It's even more surprising that you know me. Who on earth are you? You don't seem like an Intelligence Agency agent."
"Shall we go inside and talk first? This neighborhood isn't busy, but there are still eyes around."
"Very well. Let's do that."
Why on earth was Duke Dylan tailing me?
More accurately, he must have been tailing Director Daph before switching to me.
Only the Emperor should be able to move the Duke.
Did the old man lose a lot of trust because of the last terror incident?
No, even so, to go as far as having the Duke himself tail me... Could I have been caught?
I suspect he came because he knows Old Man Daph is helping the Imperial Princess and that I've been sneaking her out of the academy to teach her.
Duke Dylan is also the Commander of the Royal Guards, so he might have come on the Emperor's orders... No.
If that were the case, he would have come to the academy and taken me immediately, but he didn't seem to know my identity.
If it's not about the Imperial Princess, I suspect it's because of the recent Exile incident.
"I've heard rumors that you're good at everything, but this is the first time I've learned you have a knack for tailing people."
"Haha, you flatter me. But didn't you do something quite remarkable recently?"
If he means something remarkable, he must be referring to my efforts to handle the fire on Creta Island, which likely caught the Emperor's attention.
In fact, fearing the Emperor would look for the agent who handled the cleanup, I had asked the old man to send Leila in disguise.
I thought it was strange that they let it slide without searching, but so they were working behind the scenes like this...
"Something remarkable?"
I had a rough idea of what he meant, but I maintained a poker face and asked back.
"Hmm, are you acting? I suspect that you are the Black Agent of the Intelligence Agency who was active on Creta Island."
They say he can do anything, and it seems his intuition is sharp too.
I considered denying it, but since he's seen my face, it's pointless.
If I keep denying it and Princess Helena's situation comes to light, it'll only become more troublesome.
"I did handle the cleanup, but I am not affiliated with the Intelligence Agency."
"Not affiliated? Did Director Daph raise you personally?"
It's true that Director Daph picked me up from the orphanage in the Holy Kingdom, but you can't really say he raised me.
"I think you're misunderstanding something. If Director Daph spent any energy, he poured 100% of it into the Intelligence Agency. He's not the type to raise someone personally."
"Then what are you?"
"Just an ordinary man who was once part of the Intelligence Agency."
As I spoke, I rolled up my right sleeve.
Since I hadn't activated the Image Effect, my arm of black metal was revealed.
"...It's a form I've never seen before, but it's a prosthetic arm. So you retired... Wait, then could you be...?"
He seems to have guessed my identity.
He's smart and capable; the world is truly unfair.
"It's not a name worth boasting about in front of the Duke, but since you've recognized me, I can't hide it. My codename during my active days was Blue Mist."
Didn't he already expect it?
A moment of silence followed, as if he were deeply shocked.
"I see. If it weren't you, who else could have done such a thing... It is an honor to meet you."
Duke Dylan reached out his hand.
What's this?
The atmosphere shifted completely.
Of course, he hadn't been frowning or creating a murderous aura just before this.
But if there was a hidden, blade-like tension before, now he felt as warm as if he were meeting an old friend.
Including the fact that he readily offered his hand for a handshake.
Since I couldn't exactly refuse the Duke's handshake, I took his hand.
"You are far too kind to call it an honor for a mere ordinary man."
"Why would you say that? I can proudly say that I know your achievements better than anyone except the Director of Intelligence. His Majesty has spoken of you often as well."
The Emperor spoke of me often?
'I guess Shine's dad is a fan of yours.'
Fan? What's that again?
Anyway, he seems to think well of me.
"The honor is mine. I've only seen His Majesty a few times, yet he spoke of me."
"You're too modest. Isn't it just because you've been too busy?"
I was busy.
Back in my active days, I spent more time wandering the continent than I did in the capital.
"Still, it is an honor. Even if His Majesty spoke of me, it's surprising that someone like you would remember me, Duke."
"Too much modesty can be a poison. More importantly, is this your home?"
"It is not."
"Right. No matter if you've retired, it makes no sense for someone with your achievements to live in a place like this. Where is your estate?"
What estate?
"I don't have one."
"You... you don't have an estate? Ah! You must have taken a large sum of money instead of a title. Then again, even with a manager, there's a lot to look after, so it's difficult without experience. Did you receive a large severance package?"
"Black Agents don't get severance packages. There is a pension, but it's 50 gold a year..."
"50 gold? Not per month, not even 500 gold, but 50 gold?"
Why is he reacting like this?
"How could the Empire treat you so poorly..."
He looked incredibly shocked a moment ago, but now he looks disappointed.
"I did receive a title. I was originally a commoner, but I'm a Baronet now."
"A Baronet is barely different from a commoner, isn't he? Especially without an estate. Just look at what you accomplished recently; it was an incredible feat. This is absurd."
It's not that I've never thought things were a bit lacking.
But since they didn't touch the side income I made during missions and gave me a completely new identity, I don't have many complaints.
"I'm fine with it."
"I'm not fine with it. How can the Empire treat a hero like this..."
"Calling me a hero of the Empire is far too much praise. More importantly, why were you tailing Director Daph?"
"I was acting on His Majesty's orders to find the person who played a key role in this terror incident."
As I thought, the Emperor ordered it.
"I didn't hear anything about that from the Director."
"I was told the current Ace of the Intelligence Agency is a woman, not a man. But since he heard a man was the one who excelled in this situation, His Majesty must have found it strange."
"I see."
"You must have been sightseeing when the incident broke out and decided to step in."
"Ah, it's similar, but not sightseeing. I'm currently an instructor at the academy."
Since everything would come out in an investigation anyway, I explained that I'm an instructor for the Ranger Class at Belliard Academy and stepped in after seeing the White Flame during a field trip.
"So that's how it was. Thank you."
"I only did what was expected of me as an Imperial citizen."
I didn't feel like the Emperor cared for me that much, but perhaps he spoke very highly of me, because the Duke is quite favorable.
"Rather than staying here, let's go see His Majesty."
...The moment has finally come.
"Um, Duke..."
"I heard Weather Control magic was used during the fire. It seems you devoted yourself to magic after losing your arm."
"No, that's not it..."
"What do you mean it's not? I'm saying this because you seem to undervalue your own achievements, but the truth is, I like you."
He... he likes me?
"But Duke, you're married and already have three children, don't you? And I'm a man."
"...That's not what I meant."
'You idiot, I told you he's a fan.'
'What's a fan?'
The only fan I know is a frying pan.
"When I first heard about you from His Majesty, I couldn't believe it. But when I asked Director Daph and did my own research, everything turned out to be true. I've admired you since then."
"I don't know why... I was just a simple agent."
"That's why I think you're even more incredible. A simple agent assassinating a Sword Master and a 7th Class Master. You completed difficult missions that would have been hard even for me, without a single failure, didn't you?"
"I was just lucky."
"Is that really possible with luck alone? I've always believed that luck is a skill in itself."
"I'm speechless to receive such praise from the strongest man in the Empire."
"I don't know why you keep putting yourself down like that."
"I'm not putting myself down, it's just that in reality..."
"It's been nearly ten years since I took over the Royal Guards. It's an honor that His Majesty trusts me to stay by his side, but truthfully, I've missed the battlefield dearly."
"I see."
I didn't quite understand why he suddenly stopped talking to lament his own situation, but I played along for now.
"But since I'm in a position where I cannot leave, hearing about your achievements from His Majesty was like rain in a drought for me."
"...Excuse me?"
"Whenever I heard your stories, it brought back old memories and made my blood boil. It's a bit embarrassing, but there were times I actually asked His Majesty to tell me more about you."
'He was a total fan.'
Ark still hadn't explained it to me, but I think I finally understand what a 'fan' is.
I was truly touched.
I thought the only one who recognized me was the old man, so I never imagined the Duke, the strongest man in the Empire, would think so highly of me.
"Thank you for thinking so well of me."
"No matter what anyone says, you are a hero of the Beluga Empire. Wherever you go, do not belittle yourself; have pride. I guarantee it."
"I will take your words to heart, Duke."
"Now, let us go to His Majesty. I will strongly insist that it is wrong to treat a hero like you so poorly just because you retired after losing an arm."
Sigh, this is driving me crazy.
"Um, Duke? I have a request."
"What is it?"
"It might not look great to you, but I am perfectly satisfied with my current life."
Since the Emperor gave the order to the Duke, meeting him is unavoidable.
Actually, it's not a huge problem.
It's not like I've been caught helping Princess Helena.
However, if I meet the Emperor as I am now, there's a high chance my peaceful life will crumble.
Knowing the Emperor's nature of cherishing talent, he won't just let me remain a mere instructor.
I planned to use the excuse that my health is poor and that stepping in this time was a strain, but if Duke Dylan recommends me like that, I probably won't be able to continue as an instructor at the academy.
Even if I do, getting the Emperor's attention will only limit my freedom to move.
"Still, a Baronet is not enough. And the pension is far too low."
"I appreciate your concern, but I have enough to support myself, so it's fine. Truthfully, my health isn't that great, and I pushed myself too hard this time..."
I slightly rolled up my sleeve to make the black arm visible.
"If your health is poor, you should be resting..."
"I haven't yet repaid the grace of the Empire for taking me in as an orphan. Though my body is broken, I wish to spend the rest of my life raising the Pillars of the State who will become the future of the Empire."
'Lies just pour out of your mouth the moment you open it. Didn't you say you'd quit after two years?'
'Be quiet.'
'Being a con artist really is your true calling.'
Ark was being sarcastic, but Duke Dylan looked deeply moved.
"...To think that you'd feel this way instead of resentment after losing an arm during a mission at such a young age... You truly are a hero."
"Um, then..."
"I understand your wishes. Still, visiting His Majesty is an imperial order, so we must follow it, but I will do my best to ensure you can live according to your will."
Phew, what a relief.
"It's a bit awkward to call it an exchange, but I have a request for you as well."
A request?