Chapter 36: The Ruins of Leocren (1)

Intelligence agencies often disguise themselves as mercenaries.

The freedom of movement is a significant advantage, as they are rarely suspected wherever they go.

Moreover, there is information that can only be obtained in the world of mercenaries. For mercenaries, battles and wars are synonymous with money.

Just as merchants sniff out the scent of money, mercenaries are the first to chase the aroma of conflict and turmoil.

Both of these are useful for intelligence agents.

The allied agents in the camp were also posing as a mercenary group.

They were a small team of twelve, hired to support and guard the exploration of the ruins.

So, it wasn't us who discovered the ruins.

The essence of our mission was to deal with the employer and take whatever comes out of the ruins.

My role, along with Phiri, was to join the team as a member and deputy leader after completing another mission.

The head of the empire's intelligence agency under Haisen had delegated full authority to Phiri.

"Examine the ruins, and if it's profitable, proceed; otherwise, leave it be."

The small mercenary group was entrusted with the exploration because they had proven their capabilities and earned considerable trust.

Since such a mercenary group is often needed elsewhere, the instruction was to consider this in their actions.

In this situation, there was nothing I could do.

There was no reason to object. Even if it made me uncomfortable, there was nothing I could do. I had made my peace with it when I became an intelligence agent.

If ordered, I would have to comply.

I had to accept it. I had done dirty work before.

In any case, I had no idea what the ruins were related to, as the employer had not provided any information.

The mercenary leader, Head, mentioned that the archaeologist was wary of us.

It was common for mercenaries to betray their employers and turn into a band of thieves.

We listened to a brief explanation of the situation and set out to inspect the site.

* * *

The site was filled with dust, as tunnels were being dug underground for the excavation of the ruins.

The exploration support was part of the mission, so four agents were assisting with the work.

"Eleven slave laborers, making a total of fifteen workers."

A sigh escaped me.

I was also assigned to help with the exploration starting tomorrow. It was because of the mystic.

With the wind, I could instantly understand the internal structure and situation.

However, with others watching, I couldn't use the mystic too conspicuously. I had to get my hands and body dirty.

I should have avoided this. I pushed the dust away with the wind and followed Head.

After a brief inspection, it didn't seem like they were digging randomly. There was a certain direction to it.

After walking for a while, I could see a middle-aged archaeologist giving instructions from a distance.

He wore a round-brimmed explorer's hat, a vest, and a backpack.

His attire was clearly different from the slaves' work clothes. Beside him was a boy who looked about thirteen.

"He doesn't seem to be a slave."

The boy had coffee-colored skin, typical of the western natives.

Strangely, he wasn't wearing work clothes but was dressed like the archaeologist.

Western natives usually don't leave their tribes.

Therefore, those in the empire were likely to be slaves. It was an unusual sight.

Head whispered, "The archaeologist is raising this boy as his successor."

As we approached, the archaeologist, who was giving instructions to the slaves, noticed us.

He looked at us curiously and then approached. His stance was defensive, and he didn't seem to like Head's deep intrusion.

I felt a slight sense of unease.

After a moment of thought, I realized what it was. Neither the employer nor the slaves seemed anxious.

"Sir Head, what brings you here?"

"A few days ago, I mentioned that additional personnel would arrive. I'm explaining the current situation."

"I see. Is this boy...?"

"Yes. His name is Kale. He's young, but he's very capable."

"Hmm, well. He looks young, but he's strong, and since you say so..."

While the archaeologist and Head had a professional conversation, I pondered the reason for my unease.

My mind was a jumble of thoughts when I felt a gaze.

A small boy was looking at me curiously.

He was sixteen. Perhaps he was surprised to see someone his age as a mercenary.

"Something seems familiar about him."

Had I seen him in a game?

No memories came to mind. It could be a mistake or a faded memory.

I should try to befriend him.

The archaeologist's successor, who showed interest in me, might provide information about the ruins if I could win his trust.

I met his gaze and smiled silently, and he lifted the corners of his mouth.

A good start.

"Feel free to look around."

After parting with the archaeologist and returning to the camp, Phiri asked, "Did you notice anything unusual?"

"No. The slaves' movements didn't seem suspicious."

Phiri nodded, as if she had expected this, and lit a cigarette.

In the silence, I spoke about the unease I had felt.

"However, I had the feeling that the archaeologist was stalling for time."

"Go on."

"He didn't seem anxious. It's his own money, and the natural human desire is to find things as quickly as possible. The slaves also didn't seem to be suffering."

"Maybe he's just a good person."

I had considered that, but something still felt off.

It was a gut feeling.

"He might have called in a third party to keep an eye on us."

"Is that a gut feeling?"

It was a sharp question.

"Yes."

"He said he had been under surveillance since accepting the mission. Do you think our surveillance was compromised?"

"No. It's possible, but unlikely. He's an archaeologist, after all. But he might have hired someone before the mission."

Phiri's mouth opened slightly.

"Archaeologists are a costly profession, right? Two mercenary contracts would be a burden, so he might have hired someone at a different time to keep an eye on us."

Phiri nodded after a moment of silence.

"Yes, that's possible. Impressive, kid. Your reasoning is sharp."

"It was a gut feeling first, and I found the reasons later."

"No, in this line of work, gut feelings are the most important. Let's see if your gut is right."

Phiri, satisfied, patted my shoulder. I felt good, knowing this would reflect well on my evaluation.

This would help build my credibility for when I had to say something unbelievable.

* * *

The first thing an intelligence agent must do when starting a mission is to gather information.

This involves mingling with the slave laborers and the archaeologist during meals and work to build rapport.

Of course, our agents here were doing the same, and I received reports from them.

While the archaeologist's wariness limited our gains, my current task was to befriend the boy.

While wandering the camp, I found the boy reading a book near a campfire in front of the archaeologist's tent.

I moved conspicuously to a quiet clearing outside the camp and drew my sword.

After the moonlight reflected off my blade about ten times, the boy, as expected, approached.

"Hi?"

"Hi."

"You're Kale, right? Are you training?"

I nodded with a sly smile.

The boy, under the stern archaeologist, was surrounded by slave laborers.

I judged him to be outgoing from his earlier smile.

He probably didn't often meet peers, so he was likely glad to see someone his age.

"Am I bothering you?"

"No, it's fine. In real combat, situations are even more intense. Talking while training is also part of it."

"Wow, impressive."

I deliberately didn't approach first, hoping to make him a bit anxious.

After watching my sword for a while, the boy spoke.

"So, Kale, how old are you?"

"Me? Sixteen."

"Thought so. I'm fourteen."

"You're young."

I smiled gently, and the boy frowned.

"What, we're close in age."

Do you know how old I really am? I smiled inwardly.

"And Medim said friends are those within two years of age."

"Medim?"

"The bald guy who works here."

He seemed to be one of the slave laborers.

At this point, I needed to steer the conversation back. Agreeing that it wasn't wrong, the boy's expression brightened.

"Anyway, you must be really good at fighting. I've never seen such a young mercenary."

"Really? There must be others."

"Most mercenaries are just laborers. You and your partner are real mercenaries who take on missions."

He's not wrong. In an era where combat is more common than learning, many aspire to be mercenaries.

With the right skills, one can even become a noble.

It's not uncommon to see young people chasing such dreams.

However, they are often exploited and discarded.

How many mercenaries are actually decent people?

Most use the guise of teaching to treat them like porters or servants.

To stand out, they even cater to the mercenaries' whims, making them the perfect free labor.

Instead of explaining the harsh reality, I boasted.

"Well, I am pretty good at fighting."

"Really?"

"But I do a lot of odd jobs too. Better than most, though."

I whispered as if sharing a secret, and the boy nodded with a smile.

"You look a bit tired."

This was due to chronic fatigue, but I just gave a wry smile.

"Anyway, what are you looking for here? I only know it's ruins."

The boy slightly leaned back, showing psychological resistance.

Was I too hasty?

"Theo said not to tell anyone..."

In such situations, it's best to back off.

"Then I can't. I'm curious, but if you find the ruins, can you tell me then?"

"Sure."

I focused on my sword training again. The boy, searching for something to say, fidgeted.

He seemed to lack experience in making friends.

"If you tell me, you can't tell anyone else. Can you promise that?"

"Of course. I'm very discreet. The mercenaries here tell me everything, even gossip about the leader."

The boy's anxious expression brightened.

"To be honest, I don't know exactly."

"Come on, what is it?"

"But Theo and I have been following the trail of Leocren. It's probably Leocren's ruins."

Leocren?

One of the closest friends of the founding emperor and his personal physician, who possessed the mystic of healing.

Good information. Phiri would be pleased to hear this.

A friend of the founding emperor. There must be valuable things in the ruins.

Thinking about this, I momentarily fell silent, and the boy, mistaking it for ignorance, spoke confidently.

"Leocren is..."

"Ah, I know. A friend of the founding emperor."

"Really? You know?"

"I studied when I had the chance."

The boy's mouth dropped.

After talking, he seemed to feel anxious again, and his eyes wavered.

"Don't tell anyone!"

"Of course! Don't worry."

Wait.

In the game, there was another person with a mystic besides the founding emperor's friend.

Could it be...

"What's your name?"

"Me? I'm Cedric. Huh?"

At that moment, the boy jumped up in surprise.

"I'll go first! We can talk later!"

In a panic, he ran back to the camp. I could see the archaeologist in the distance.

He was clearly looking for the boy, scanning the area.

The archaeologist alternated his gaze between the approaching boy and me, and began to scold him.

Even from a distance, it was clear he was being reprimanded.

But I had no time to worry about that.

Cedric. The mad saint Cedric? That's why he seemed familiar. I had seen him in the game.

'Why didn't I think of this before?'

The boy's young age had prevented me from making the connection. The age and skin color matched.

Moreover, he had one eye missing, but the mad saint Cedric also had the mystic of healing.

'He hated mercenaries intensely.'

Memories that had faded over three years began to resurface.

The events here must have had a significant impact on Cedric.

His hatred of mercenaries, his acquisition of the mystic of healing.

Even his nickname as the mad saint seemed related to our mercenary group.

However, a question remained. If Phiri had come here, Cedric wouldn't have survived.

Hmm, perhaps something caused a butterfly effect because of me.

The events in the mountains might have led to a different agent being sent here instead of Phiri.

In any case, what exactly happened in these ruins?

The moonlight reflected on the sword blade, bright yet heavy.