Chapter 50: The Poison Blooming in the Flowers (5)

"He was like a brat."

Three days after Kallin escaped the city, there were secret discussions within the Imperial Intelligence Agency.

The man standing in front of the desk, Amari, bowed his head.

"......His eyes were like that. He looked similar to the one next to him, so I thought he couldn't be more than nineteen."

"Did this kid lead the suggestion to go to the Marquis?"

"While fleeing in the opposite direction, he stopped and had a conversation, then changed direction."

A moment of silence followed. Amari's mouth was dry. His superior was promising and equally cold.

He had come prepared to take responsibility for this matter, but his resolve was gradually weakening in the face of the cold gaze.

"He's a smart one. I can roughly understand why he managed to escape alone. If left alone, he could be a big threat to the Empire."

"I will request support. We need to expand the search area......"

Hepate, the leader of the Special Task Force 3 of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, looked directly into the eyes of the subordinate standing before him.

He was a good agent but lacked a broader perspective.

"Enough. You said his movements were on par with a senior agent."

"Yes."

"Maintain the current personnel. You won't catch him anyway."

"Excuse me?"

"Amari."

Hepate's brows slightly furrowed.

"Higher-ups are displeased with this incident. Regardless of the situation, it means we missed the movements of the Haisen agents. And you want to request support to catch one brat?"

"......"

"Right. How far will you request? Since he's a potential major threat, should we seal the border?"

Amari realized he had spoken out of turn and deeply considered Hepate's words.

His superior was respected within the agency. If there were no major issues, he could easily rise to the position of branch chief.

"And if you were the Haisen intelligence chief, would you let such talent die? They must be moving by now."

"I apologize."

"We don't have the luxury to quarrel with the Haisen intelligence agency. We already have enough headaches with the north......"

Hepate sighed briefly and continued.

"Always think broadly. The higher-ups don't care about individual thoughts. And......"

Amari raised his head to meet Hepate's eyes.

"Judging and reporting that the brat is a danger is a completely useless task."

Amari finally understood what he meant. There was no wrong word.

Even if he caught a future threat, would anyone acknowledge it?

On the other hand, the blame for letting him go would be significant.

In any case, his mission had a problem, and such words would only tarnish his reputation.

"Of course, such a report would be beneficial to the Empire. But no one will appreciate it. It's not causing immediate harm. Do what the higher-ups want."

Hepate shrugged.

"Only then can you do what you want later. Look, even I can't move as I please."

Amari slightly lifted the corners of his mouth at Hepate's smile.

"Roughly track him and end it. Avoid any confrontation with the Haisen agents. After that, move to the north."

Amari retreated at the dismissal.

Afterward, Hepate took out a piece of parchment from his desk. What he just said was half true and half false.

If he really wanted to, he could catch him. If he reported him as a danger, the higher-ups would act.

He had that much influence.

But the benefits of doing so were minimal. Who knew if the brat would really become significant?

There was a better way to gain a greater harvest.

'This one seems bigger than the last......'

On closer inspection, it was a losing deal, but Halban Brusek was a decent and trustworthy trading partner.

How many deals had they made together?

The Haisen intelligence chief was one of his top three trading partners.

He never made unreasonable demands and always ensured mutual benefit.

If Halban knew the gravity of the situation, he would pay the corresponding price.

If the report was accurate, the talent wouldn't be insignificant.

Hepate wrote the letter to Halban with anticipation.

* * *

Kallin woke up in the underground base near Altre.

The deep fatigue remained. It had been a nine-day escape, and both his body and mind were exhausted.

With his worst condition added, he could barely move a finger.

'How long did I sleep?'

His physical senses were not sharp. It felt like he was floating somewhere deep in the sea.

Perhaps it was because it was an underground base.

Kallin mustered the strength to turn his head. The clock pointed to 5 PM.

It didn't seem like he had slept for two days straight.

'About 26 hours, I guess.'

Instead of getting up, Kallin recalled yesterday's events.

He had thought there might be support, given that he had exposed himself to Haisen.

However, he judged the probability of encountering them to be low. There were too many possible routes.

He never imagined he would run into the mastermind.

Kallin was puzzled about how the intelligence chief managed to find him so precisely.

Timang and Denif couldn't have known his escape route.

'Was it too obvious?'

Excluding the route to Demerjan and Haisen, Altre was the closest.

However, he could have gone north, west, or east. He had even considered going west.

He thanked the mastermind, but the man only smiled mysteriously and didn't answer.

He only handed Kallin a water bottle and left.

After drinking the muddy water, Kallin followed the mastermind's orders, entered the base, and fell asleep immediately.

Well, not immediately; he brushed his teeth and took a shower first.

Kallin couldn't forget the mastermind's gaze, which looked like he was seeing a madman.

'Well, anyway. It's touching.'

He was sincere. When he felt someone watching him, Kallin thought he was really going to die.

At least, he was a Phihri-level expert, and the chances of support were slim.

In the past three years, or his entire life, he had never felt such tension and fear.

Seeing the mastermind's face in such a situation, he couldn't help but feel relieved.

If it had been another Haisen agent, he would have remained tense.

At that moment, the mastermind, sensing that Kallin had woken up, knocked on the door and entered the room.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes. I still feel a bit tired, but......"

Kallin sat up. He had no injuries, just deep fatigue.

The mastermind waved his hand, signaling him to stay seated.

"That's good. You seem about the same as usual."

Kallin smiled at the mastermind's words. It was a reference to his worst condition.

"Phihri was very worried about you."

"Really?"

Kallin couldn't easily imagine Phihri being worried.

"Yes. Denif and Timang are fine. They have been treated and will return to Haisen in the Marquis's carriage."

"That's a relief."

Kallin nodded. The intelligence chief echoed his sentiment.

"That's a relief. I heard the gist of what happened. It was your idea to go to the Marquis, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. It was the best choice. If you had left the city as planned, you would all have died."

"......Thank you."

The mastermind pulled a chair from a distance and sat next to Kallin.

"I've been impressed since last time. You've exceeded my expectations and done well. You showed flashes of brilliance even when you were at the mansion, but I didn't expect this much."

In fact, when he was at the mastermind's mansion, there weren't many opportunities for sudden situations or utilizing something.

It was a place to practice basic tasks.

Kallin smiled without being overly modest.

He had used his unique knowledge, but he was also proud of his own actions this time.

"However, you broke your promise."

"Excuse me?"

The mastermind looked at Kallin with a serious expression.

"When you left Haisen. You said that if any problems arose during the mission, you would prioritize your life, didn't you?"

"Oh......"

Kallin finally recalled the past.

"I apologize. But I was confident I could survive."

"No, you were lacking. You should have felt it while talking to me."

"Yes."

The mastermind smiled faintly and patted Kallin's shoulder.

"Remember this. Your life comes first. This kind of situation shouldn't happen again."

"I will remember."

"Anyway, as my subordinate, you saved two other subordinates. You also saved Timang, so you deserve appropriate compensation."

Kallin sensed a cold tone in the mastermind's words.

"Will I be able to leave the Empire?"

"Yes."

The intelligence chief nodded.

Kallin sighed inwardly. He had hoped, but didn't expect it to happen.

"I still want to stay in the Empire. There's much to learn."

"You can learn those things elsewhere."

"Still......"

"It's too dangerous."

The intelligence chief cut Kallin off immediately. Kallin couldn't argue.

His face wasn't known, but the men had seen his eyes and build.

Given the situation, a skilled agent might identify him by his eyes alone.

It would take some time for that memory to fade.

"Why do you want to stay in the Empire so much?"

There was a moment of silence after the mastermind's question. Kallin had no specific answer.

The mastermind patiently waited for Kallin to speak.

Kallin quickly made his decision. It would be strange if it took too long. He had no choice.

There seemed to be no other option, but he had to give a reason. He had to use a previously used excuse.

"......I haven't seen the princess yet."

The mastermind, who had been waiting seriously, burst into a hollow laugh.

"Alright. If that's your will."

"Are you allowing it?"

"In a year."

The mastermind said firmly.

"At least in a year. It's too dangerous now. I have my ears, too."

A year. Kallin quickly calculated.

Even if he didn't want to, this was a blessing. Normally, once transferred, one couldn't return for at least five years.

"Yes."

"Good decision."

"But where will I be for a year?"

"Haisen. Gain experience in making decisions and judging the overall situation from within."

The mastermind examined Kallin's face and continued.

"You are a precious gem, more than I thought. You need to grow properly. Don't be hasty."

"Yes."

Kallin thought it might be for the best.

There was still time before the main story. It was fine now. It was a safe range.

And if the mastermind said so, it meant he was determined to push him forward.

When he returned to the Empire, he would be able to do more than he could now.

"Don't worry. I'll also let you take external missions from time to time."

The mastermind added, misinterpreting Kallin's brief thoughts. Kallin smiled.

"Then I'll prepare. Let's leave today."

"No need. You can rest for one more day."

"I'm fine. You're busy, and we can move. The Empire's pursuit......"

"No. The Empire said they won't pursue you anymore."

"Excuse me?"

The mastermind laughed at Kallin's bewildered expression.

"Do you think all intelligence agencies operate independently? They are a closely-knit group, even while checking each other. They share necessary information and spread false information, as you know."

Kallin knew this, but he was surprised for a different reason.

It meant that someone who could discuss with the mastermind was involved in this pursuit.

It was a chilling moment.

The mastermind seemed to have made a deal. If he hadn't, would Kallin have been caught?

"By the way, why did you take the saddle?"

It was a sudden question. Kallin had thrown his bag around carelessly and slept, but the mastermind had checked it.

Kallin scratched the back of his head awkwardly. It wasn't the right time to be completely honest.

"It was the first item I received as an Inquisitor. Actually, it was from my father, and I couldn't bear to throw it away. I also had a bit of spare time."

"......Next time, throw it away. Your life is much more important. Even if you have thousands or tens of thousands of such items, you can't trade them for your life."

The mastermind's words were sincere.

A useful tool should be well-maintained. It couldn't be compared to such items.

"I will remember."

The mastermind's words weren't wrong. In fact, according to the rules, he should have thrown it away.

"Rest more. We'll leave at dawn tomorrow."

"Yes."

Kallin watched the mastermind's back.

And......

Thus, a year and a half passed.