Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Infiltrating the Spy Network
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1
The morning sunlight wasn't just warm—it was downright toasty.
Perhaps because the temperatures were starting to climb, even the mornings were beginning to feel hot.
The season had fully passed spring and was now eyeing the early edges of summer.
Mid-May already, so it'd get sweltering in the blink of an eye.
"Absolutely dreadful..."
Once June hit, finals would come alongside summer break.
No one hated summer break.
I liked it too, but the trouble was the incident that would strike before then.
It's an old truth: good weather always brings trouble.
Just like how bugs multiply in summer.
I glanced around.
The students were already immersed in the festival atmosphere that had crept up on them.
Esterro Academy's festival was grand and flashy enough to make waves even in the capital, Esset, so it was only natural they'd be excited.
Unfortunately, their expectations were about to be shattered miserably.
Instead of a cozy campfire, street stalls would go up in flames.
Instead of a spectacular fireworks show, bombs would explode.
An unprecedented festival terrorist attack.
That would force Esterro Academy to halt the festivities—that was the rough outline of the "Esterro Festival Assault Incident."
"This time, I have to stop it first."
I didn't want to get tangled up in incidents if I could help it.
I'd gotten swept up in them by accident so far, but...
I still had no desire to step forward if it wasn't necessary.
If I had to do something, I wanted to handle it efficiently and simply.
Huh? Was this what they called energy conservationism?
Anyway, my policy hadn't changed.
But this time, I couldn't just sit it out.
Esterro Academy's festival, held mid-May, allowed free entry to outsiders.
The academy grounds, usually quiet and serene, would bustle with crowds, lined with stalls and vendors everywhere.
And in the midst of that festival, bombs would detonate.
No need to guess how many casualties there'd be.
That's why Leon ends up completely at odds with the Karmut Federation that orchestrated it.
...But was that really necessary?
If this were a game locked into a fixed script, maybe.
But in this world full of countless variables, was it right to let preventable incidents happen just to follow the "main story," resulting in mass casualties?
Right my ass.
Letting people die when you could stop it wasn't just negligence—it was complicity.
Innocent people would perish.
A child out enjoying the festival would lose their parents and wail amid the smoke.
Students who survived with their lives would scream at the sight of their severed limbs.
Scenes like that were plenty behind a monitor screen.
This incident alone—I had to stop it, no matter what it took.
Of course, a normal student had almost no way to thwart a nation-state sabotage operation.
But if we were nitpicking whether I was normal... even empty flattery couldn't call me that.
"When in doubt, rely on the three divine tools."
Life's hardships could mostly be solved with money, power, and connections.
And this time, it was connections' turn.
2
Abel Hall, the dormitory for third-years, felt distinctly different from Pelleo Hall for first-years right from the first impression.
Its blue roof and pristine white walls exuded an antique charm, but they were impeccably cold too.
The consensus was probably that it was great for studying but lacked warmth.
"Seeing it in person, the vibe hits even harder."
On the monitor, I'd just thought it was pretty, but up close, my impression shifted a bit.
I waited comfortably in Abel Hall's lobby for my appointment.
I'd asked a dorm staffer to pass on the message, so they probably wouldn't rush.
As the lobby's overall blue tones started making my head spin, my appointment approached me with a sullen expression.
"...Didn't you say we should never meet again? What do you want?"
The voice was curt.
A quick glance showed Louis fussing with his green hair, avoiding my eyes.
Louis Lefercia.
The mastermind behind the recent Minenbar Library occupation incident.
"I didn't want to see you again either, Senior, but first things first—glad to see you're doing well. Lucky you didn't get expelled. Louis Senior."
"......"
Louis glared at me for a moment.
I flashed a bright smile, and he immediately looked down.
"You got disciplined, right?"
"Barely avoided expulsion."
"Thanks to your identity not getting exposed."
"...Did you call me here just to rub it in?"
"No way. I called to talk business—a deal."
The word "deal" made Louis quickly scan the surroundings.
We were the only ones in the lobby's most remote corner.
No eavesdroppers.
"...We settled that last time."
"Who decided that? I covered up the fact that you're a Federation spy, and you think a simple lie wraps it up? That's not balanced."
I'd deliberately kept quiet about him being a spy.
That risk was substantial, so Louis gritted his teeth and bowed his head.
"......So what do you want?"
"You're not expelled, so you're still a Federation spy, right Senior?"
"Yeah, so don't use that word."
"Fine. Isn't the Federation targeting the festival?"
"No idea. I don't know every mission."
Louis replied nonchalantly.
But his pupils flicked slightly to the lower left.
Unconscious eye movement—the classic sign of lying.
"You're lying to the guy covering your secret? Come on, Senior."
"......You."
"No choice. Even if the festival gets canceled, I'll have to report to the academy that you're a spy."
I already knew the Karmut Federation's plan.
When I hinted at it, Louis sighed and nodded.
"Yeah. They're targeting the festival period. Why ask when you knew?"
"Confirmation's important. Now spill everything you know."
"...I told you, I don't know it all. Thanks to whose fault, I lost a ton of trust after the last mission failed. All I know is they're planning a big terror attack during the festival, so stay out of it."
I watched Louis as he spilled it smoothly.
Pupils, breathing, extremities—all reactions were calmly, genuinely indignant.
"You're a has-been too, huh Senior?"
"Yeah, thanks to who."
Louis ground his teeth.
It'd be fine if he just faded into irrelevance like this...
But wasting a valuable connection by letting the Karmut Federation discard him felt like a shame.
Know your enemy, and you'll win every battle—so using Louis as an informant made sense.
"Guess I have no choice. I'll help you regain their trust, Senior."
"...What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"You need to look competent to gather the info I need."
"...When did I say I'd give you info?"
"Then you'll be interrogated by the knights from now on."
"......You little shit."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Louis fell silent in the end.
That silence was his affirmation.
And so began the Louis Lefercia training plan to cultivate the ultimate double agent....
3
Even as the sun began to set, the muggy heat lingered.
It was Friday, so I left the academy carefree with Louis, strolling through District 5's shopping street.
"This way."
Louis, still looking grumpy, led the way and dutifully stopped in front of a shop tucked in a corner of the street.
The sign featured pictures of cards and a crystal ball.
Let me see, the name was...
"Horollus's Fortune-Telling Cafe?"
Using a fortune-telling cafe as a hideout, huh.
Unique? Or just weird?
Before I could muse further, Louis entered the shop.
I followed, and inside it was surprisingly cozy.
The lighting was dim enough that you couldn't make out anyone unless they were right next to you.
The space wasn't huge, so no big issues there.
Who'd have thought I'd end up in a Karmut Federation spy hideout like this.
In Broken World originally, you might clash with spies but never got deeply involved.
To spec up for the main story and grind side quests, there was no time for that—more accurately, the so-called open world slapped restrictions on leaving the academy before the ending, true to its trash-game nature.
Well, that's Leon's problem.
I didn't care, so here I was, boldly infiltrating a spy den.
Of course, I'd brought Deathwise along to keep Louis from trying anything funny.
It was night now, so no major problems even if something came up.
Louis eyed me, then sat at the table where the astrologer waited.
He whispered as if in casual conversation.
"Five stars head to the center."
The short, quiet murmur was a passphrase.
The astrologer fiddled with her crystal ball and replied simply.
"The true master shall soon descend."
The five stars must represent the five autonomous districts making up the Karmut Federation.
In other words, once the Federation claimed the continent's center, the continent's true master would appear.
Overconfident? Or just screaming "spy" with that passphrase?
The astrologer promptly parted the curtain behind her.
A hidden door lay beyond.
That must be the real hideout.
Louis headed to the door first.
As I followed, the astrologer subtly nodded toward me and asked.
"And him?"
"A new comrade who just received orders and joined."
"Hmm... He bears quite the turbulent fate. A comrade, then."
Only then did I get a proper look at the astrologer.
Her black hair cascaded down, and her cosmic eyes fixed on me unblinking.
"A turbulent fate, two of them even. One day, you'll have to choose."
Sounded profound.
Fortune-telling always did.
Hell, anyone dropped into a game world had a turbulent fate.
I nodded politely in acknowledgment.
Then, following Louis through the door, the true Karmut Federation spy hideout came into view.
A typical fantasy hideout, I suppose.
The not-so-spacious room was crammed with tools and furniture.
Walls and floor were sturdy stone, but most furnishings were wood—probably for quick burning in emergencies.
Several people at a long table turned their eyes toward us.
These must all be the spies.
Whew...
This was the make-or-break moment.
Time to give it a shot.
"All gathered?"
The spies at the table varied wildly in age and gender.
None were younger than me, though.
So I tossed out some informal speech, and as expected, a middle-aged man furrowed his brow.
"Not all yet. Who are you?"
"New orders came down for you all. They'll be relayed to the stragglers later."
I went bold, acting like their superior.
Fooling seasoned spies with acting hurt my gut, but it wasn't impossible.
Being able to spot others' lies meant knowing how to craft your own into truth.
I might not be an actor to move millions, but I could con the people in front of me.
Huh, even I think that's a weird way to put it.
Anyway, committing to the act fully, the middle-aged man replied evenly.
"The mark."
As he spoke, everyone reached for the weapons on their backs.
Well-trained bunch, but Louis alone looked utterly bewildered.
How the hell did this guy become a spy...
First, I pulled a dagger embedded with five stars from my pocket and tossed it onto the table.
In that instant, every spy lowered their stance before me and bowed their heads.
"""We greet the emissary from the homeland."""
That dagger—a special item permitted only to homeland emissaries.
Of course, it was a fake, shaped via a magic sword's transformation.
I'd seen it often in the game, so mimicking the look was easy.
Even Louis bowed to me in stunned reflex.
Looking at the bowed spies, a smile crept onto my face unbidden.
These spies would handle the traitors.
Nothing more fun or reliable in the world than using the enemy against themselves.
Right?