Kiren was annoyed.

He was enjoying a relaxing week when he was suddenly given a mission. An important note was that the mission was given to him by Sergio Sauro himself. Sergio probably guessed that he had high skill as a scout considering he brought in that girl’s information, but couldn’t that man had better timing?

Kiren had just ordered an arrangement at a nearby massage parlor, and this mission meant canceling it! When he becomes a Right Palm member, he swore he would teach some manners to his co-workers as the most sensible person there.

Kiren exhaled loudly before taking a sip from the expensive wine he imported from Vollum. It didn’t even taste that good, but since it was the most expensive bottle he could find, that meant this kingdom’s wine wasn’t that good in the first place.

Taking another sip, he eyed the mission briefing that was scribbled elegantly into the paper he held.

“Find me an opening with the Sareid family while I am away.

—Sergio”

“And how am I supposed to do that?!” He yelled at the top of his lungs, nearly choking on his wine.

He cleared his throat before taking another look at the short “briefing”.

To find an opening with the Sareid family… He didn’t know what it truly meant. Did Sergio meant for him to find a weakness? Find an open slot in their schedule even? Maybe an open window in their manor?

Who knows what he could’ve meant? Clearly, being honest and direct wasn’t Sergio’s main suit, another thing he would like to point out to him once he has risen through the ranks.

“Tch, but I still need to do this mission…”

He was starting to go out of funds, and if he didn’t get any pay soon, he wouldn’t be able to afford the upcoming batch of wine he ordered. 

HQ had funded him greatly at the request of Sergio, for the sake of his future missions. However, he spent nearly a quarter of that on that mind-boosting potion. He looked at the clear liquid nestled in an elegant bottle sitting silently on his shelf.

“It’s an investment, for when a tough mission pops up,” he said, smirking.

As for how the rest of the mission budget was spent, he used it to “relax his mind”. As the one with the smarts in his scouting group before, he needed to have his mind clear from any distractions. So, he spent most of his free time on massages, escorts, wine, and food.

That way, he would be satiated whenever a mission starts and wouldn’t lose focus.

Still, though, he wished this mission could wait for another time. He already spent a couple of coins on that massage appointment and didn’t want to go there to refund it. It was a real hassle.

But then, he had a genius idea.

He could just finish the mission before the appointment starts!

It was a solution that would solve everything! Plus, he could consider the upcoming massage appointment as a reward for a job well done! Kiren began to wonder if he even needed that mind-boosting potion.

He began to think. If he wanted to finish this mission quickly, asking for support from HQ wouldn’t be wise. Sending in an expert spy would take a few days, after all. Besides, he had full confidence in his own abilities. He wouldn’t be able to be where he is if he wasn’t, right?

Kiren smirked and placed down his wine bottle onto the polished elegant wooden table. He walked up, grabbed his dark robe, and exited his small manor, something he had recently rented.

“I’ll just spy on that family for a while. No big deal! I’ll just send in a report whenever they look tired or something.”

Walking down the street, he laughed to himself.

This will be a piece of cake, he thought.

………

……

…

Kiren was caught.

Several knights slammed him onto the hard cobblestone street as a noblewoman loomed over him, her sharp blue eyes drilling into his soul. Several passersby had stopped to watch the commotion, creating a wall of people circling him and the knights.

“Who are you?” the woman said, her tone as sharp as her gaze. “And why were you following us?”

Kiren panicked. He didn’t expect this to happen in such a short time.

He was sure he made his presence unknown, wearing a dark robe to cover himself up. Sure the sun was blazing hot under it, but he endured it for the sake of stealth! But when the group he tailed took a strange turn, he was knocked out the moment he followed that turn.

But no matter, he can still talk his way out of this one. Kiren took a deep breath and calmed himself. He then responded as calmly as he could, “I-I-I-I swear! I’m no one! I was just passing by! I swear, I swear, I swear!”

That… came out wrong.

“Hmph, Is that so?” The woman didn’t even blink as she looked down on him. “My knights seem to think otherwise, isn’t that right?” She extended her hand, and a knight immediately placed a sword in it.

“Yes, Your Grace!” a knight answered her. “This suspicious man has been following us since we left the estate!”

“What?! No, I wasn’t! I started following when I saw—! Ah… I mean…” 

Kiren gulped, not sure how he should get out of this mess now.

The noblewoman’s eyebrow twitched.

“Seize him.”

The knights hoisted him up so fast, his hood fell off. His bald head reflected the sunlight like it was a recently polished mirror. His expensive footwear barely scraped the ground as they dragged him away.

“L-Let go of me!” Kiren shrieked, flailing his arms and legs like a cat to no avail. “I did nothing wrong!”

“You’re in luck,” the noblewoman said in an ice cold tone, ignoring his struggles. “We’re headed to the Royal Prison already. We don’t mind bringing along another guest.”

Kiren paled. This wasn’t part of the plan!

How did this happen? Things went smoothly just moments ago. Kiren’s mind couldn’t comprehend what was happening to him right then and there.

What would happen to him? Will he be exposed as a spy? Would he make it out in time for his massage appointment? Those questions kept popping up in his mind.

“L-Let me go! I swear, I’m just a nobody!”

The knights didn’t bother to listen to him as they carried him away like luggage.

“This is not happening! This is not happening to meeeeee!!!!”

—

The next day, a distinguished gentleman was reading through the billboard on the town square. On it was displayed a paper announcing the capture of a robed man by a noblewoman. The paper gave brief details about his capture.

During a walk with her knights, the group noticed a strange man wearing a dark robe stood out from the crowd. After realizing he was following them, they apprehended him. The paper also mentioned the possible connection he might have with the magic attack on the castle a few days prior.

“Don’t tell me. That’s Kiren, isn’t it?”

The gentleman tried to suppress his chuckle, but couldn’t. Before long, Sergio Sauro, a man of a built stature wearing a rather tight suit, was laughing to himself in the middle of the busy square. Although he caught the eyes of many, none dared to question it.

Once his laughter had died down, Sergio shook his head, still chuckling. “To think he would find me an opening this fast… That man is a wonder to this world!”

His gaze drifted back to the notice, this time, focusing on the smaller notes on the paper.

“The man is currently being held in the Royal Prison. His trial will commence after a series of interrogations is done by those involved.”

The last lines repeated in Sergio’s mind.

Interrogations…

By those involved…

A slow smile crept across his face. “Well done, Kiren. Well done, indeed,” he said, fixing his cuffs.

He turned on his heel, leaving the square without another glance. But his smile remained all throughout.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep