Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Bayford
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“…….”
Louis’s gaze stabbed sharply at my cheek.
Whatever. My pockets were wonderfully heavy.
Savoring the weight of the gold coins and various gear inside, I turned my eyes toward Louis, who was still glaring at me.
“Is it that upsetting that I took your homeland’s assets without permission?”
All the money and equipment in my pockets had belonged to the spies.
Of course, that wasn’t my concern, so I’d claimed I’d manage it all and taken everything.
If you’re going to strip them bare, might as well leave not even a speck of dust behind.
“How did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“How do you have the Pentacle Sword? You’re not actually the homeland’s envoy, are you?”
His response was unexpected.
He apparently didn’t care much that I’d stolen their operating funds.
Or maybe he was just that bothered by the fact that I had the Karmut Federation’s Pentacle Sword.
It wasn’t all that surprising for him to be shocked, though.
The spies had bowed their heads to me right away because of the Pentacle Sword’s unique nature.
It was an item whose very existence wasn’t publicly known, and even if you knew it existed, its form was classified information, making counterfeits nearly impossible.
In simple terms, it was just like an undercover inspector’s badge.
The moment you pull it out and declare yourself the inspector, people kneel before even suspecting it’s fake.
Of course, the Pentacle Sword I had was a fake.
No matter how top-secret it was, the Pentacle Sword was an item you could obtain in Broken World.
True to its reputation as a trash game with only good graphics and OST going for it, they’d modeled even the fine details perfectly, so I knew exactly what it looked like.
That’s why I’d forged one.
Louis already had me by the throat, so it didn’t matter if I told him the truth...
“Ahem, is it okay to be rude to the homeland’s envoy?”
“…….”
Louis clamped his mouth shut.
The way his eyes darted around reminded me of when I’d caught him as a spy.
This guy was such a pain—being a spy made teasing him all the more fun.
“As if. If I were really the homeland’s envoy, your head would already be rolling, Senior.”
“…Y-You...”
“Even if you ask, I’m not explaining. Just know that curiosity kills the cat, and leave it at that. Suppressing unnecessary curiosity is a spy’s specialty, isn’t it?”
“…You really piss me off.”
Louis grumbled.
But the fact that he didn’t press further proved he was a spy through and through, no matter how he played it.
“What now? It’s only a matter of time before we’re exposed. Then I’ll get executed right alongside you.”
“Probably. Since you’re the one who brought me in, Senior.”
“It’s over the second the contact agent shows up for the regular report. Over. You know that, right?”
“That’s why I know, and that’s why I did this. What could I do if I didn’t?”
Louis glared at me with a dissatisfied look.
I did know for a fact that there was a contact agent who linked up with the local spies.
If the contact met with the spies on the ground, my fake identity would be blown immediately, so the deadline was a week at most.
“Then we just take out the contact agent, and we’re good. Why worry so much?”
“If that were possible, do you think we’d be in this mess? No one knows who the contact is. They change personnel every time, and the contact methods vary. Taking them out? That’s nonsense.”
“Looks like you’re admitting you’re in the same boat, getting all worked up like that.”
“…You really piss me off. Can’t I just stab you and run?”
What was I supposed to do when he said it right to my face?
It was nighttime anyway, so even if he attacked, I was stronger...
“I have a plan, so don’t get antsy. I’ve got a rough idea how to help you regain the homeland’s trust, so just follow along quietly.”
No way was I going to fail at cultivating my cute little double agent.
The problem was time.
Weekdays made it hard to go out, and with attendance on a knife’s edge, finding time was even tougher.
“Let’s wrap it up by the weekend.”
So the deadline was from Friday night now until Sunday night.
A little over 48 hours, but that would be plenty.
“Let’s head out right away.”
I’d already sorted out what needed doing in my head.
At that, Louis furrowed his brow and asked back.
“Go? Where to…?”
“...We’ve arrived.”
I opened my eyes at the polite coachman’s voice.
Having slept in the carriage, my whole body ached.
Stretching sent a groan escaping me naturally.
“Ugh…….”
My joints popped.
Riding in a carriage for hours wasn’t exactly pleasant.
Still, the discomfort had made waking up quick.
“Thanks for the ride.”
I gave the coachman a generous tip and stepped down.
I closed my eyes briefly against the rush of sea wind.
When I opened them again, an expansive emerald sea stretched out before me.
“This is Bayford.”
Bayford City, located to the west of Eset.
Nicknamed the Royal Warehouse, it was a massive port city.
It handled 60% of the entire Tekat Kingdom’s fishing output, so the grandiose moniker wasn’t undeserved.
That was why the king himself appointed the mayor—it was that important.
As a result, Bayford was highly developed, its cityscape as beautiful from afar as the sea itself.
“Staying up all night to come to Bayford...”
Louis, who’d followed me down, grumbled while loosening his joints.
“Your first all-nighter?”
“What? Don’t you dare look down on me.”
“More importantly, did you enter via Bayford too, Senior?”
Louis glanced at the city and shook his head.
“I was a special case, different route. For regular infiltration routes, including the contact agent, this is the one.”
He was casually spilling Federation secrets now.
Not that I needed him to tell me—I already knew.
Starting from Bayford, transferring at southern port cities, multiple transfers leading to the Federation’s eastern port—that was the safest, most secretive route.
Using multiple fake identities during transfers, and switching outside Tekat borders limited tracking options...
Anyway, the key was that the contact agent would come via this route.
If we found and preempted them, everything would be fine.
And so, we entered Bayford City together.
The city was densely packed.
With the port so developed, the other facilities felt like afterthoughts.
To resist sea corrosion, most buildings were brick, with few wooden or metal fixtures that could rust easily.
Otherwise... the city felt eerily dead.
In the game, it was always bustling with fish auctions and fishing work, noisy and alive—but now it was deathly quiet.
It wasn’t just subdued.
It was sunk, like something submerged in the sea.
“…The vibe’s off.”
Louis murmured, scanning the surroundings.
Shops had no displays out, and the harbor was full of large and small ships just docked.
They weren’t fishing at all, it seemed.
“Yeah, definitely weird.”
Maybe I’d poke around until the contact arrived.
As I thought that, a weak meow like a deflated cat came from a nearby alley.
Turning, I saw a scrawny tabby cat cautiously approaching us.
It looked starved, flopping right down in front of us, which reminded me of Choco.
I’d left extra feed so he could eat on his own... Yeah, he’s smart, so no need to worry too much.
If anything, I should worry about what trouble Choco might get into.
Anyway, same fluffballs on both sides.
I carefully picked up the cat and handed it to Louis.
“Hold this for a sec.”
“Hey? Hey!”
Leaving Louis stunned with the cat, I ducked into a nearby restaurant.
Flies buzzed inside, and even with a customer, the owner just sat at the counter looking glum.
“Can I get a grilled fish?”
“Fish aren’t biting these days. It’s pricey.”
“How much?”
“50,000 gildings for a small one. No big ones.”
50,000 gildings...?
Rough math: 1 gilding = 1 won, so 50,000 won for one grilled fish.
No wonder the owner didn’t react much to customers.
At that price, most would back out.
It was dizzying, but... whatever.
It wasn’t even my money in my pockets.
“One small one, then. No seasoning.”
“You outsiders are picky... Eat here?”
“No, to go.”
The owner shuffled to the kitchen.
Soon he returned with a grilled fish like a sardine.
I paid 50,000 gildings, took the fish, and found Louis.
He’d sat on a nearby bench in the meantime.
Probably tired of holding the cat, he’d set it down beside him.
“What’s with the grilled fish?”
“Not for you, Senior, so give up.”
“Who said I wanted any!?”
Ignoring him, I deboned some fish and fed the cat.
After sniffing a few times, it started munching happily.
So starved it devoured the whole thing, then licked its lips contentedly.
Meow.
The cat stretched out a yowl, hopped off the bench, and rubbed against my legs, purring.
Unlike Choco, it was pretty cute, so I petted its head—and then a girl came running up from afar, do-do-do.
She snatched the cat and hugged it tight.
“Please don’t take him. He’s family.”
Her voice sounded deeply anxious.
So I knelt to meet her eyes.
“No plans to. Especially if he’s your family.”
I wasn’t confident I could handle another pet anyway—I was maxed out with Choco.
“Just feeding him since he seemed hungry.”
“Food...”
The girl said weakly.
At the same time, her stomach growled loudly.
Embarrassed, she used the cat to cover it.
Didn’t muffle the sound, though.
I looked her over slowly.
Her short black hair was dry and frizzy, her eyelids trembled faintly, and she looked like a poke would topple her.
Grilled fish was 50,000 gildings.
With auctions closed and stalls packed away, fishing itself must be the issue.
Even cats and kids were probably struggling to eat.
“We haven’t eaten yet either. Mind showing us a good restaurant? Won’t be free, of course—I’ll buy you a meal as thanks.”
“But fish aren’t biting lately... Everywhere’s expensive......”
“It’s fine. We’ve got money.”
I shook my money pouch deliberately.
The gold coins inside clinked pleasantly.
“That’s our operating funds...!”
Louis finally whispered in my ear.
But that wasn’t my problem.
“Buying food for a kid, and you complain? Heartless much, Senior?”
“Th-That’s......”
“You’re sharp enough to guess what’s going on here. Nitpicking over one meal?”
“......Do whatever, you little punk.”
Hmm, graciously approved.
Not that I’d have listened if he hadn’t.
“Still...”
The girl still looked worried.
Just then, the cat she held wriggled free and darted to my feet.
It wrapped its tail around me, purring happily.
A sign of trust.
That sparked her—she nodded.
“This way, then.”
She led the way, and only then did the cat stand by her side.
Choco too—this world’s animals were all pretty smart, huh?
Animals better than people, they say...
“What’re you staring at?”
“Nothing.”
I followed the girl, with the still-grumpy Louis behind.
Now, time to figure out what the hell was going on in this city.