[V10C8] My Codename Is…
Translated by Jodas 10: A Job for a Con ManArmster, an Instructor of the Guidance Office, hunched over in the corner of the large room, shaking.
(Oh, what do I do? What do I do…?)
This room, which was normally used as the village’s meeting hall, was now a gathering spot for the exiled forces of the Wedge Tower.
The non-combatants and servants took shelter in other rooms and houses, busying themselves setting up soup kitchens and caring for the wounded.
If it were allowed, Armster would have loved to included in that group. While he specialized in imbuing mana into dolls, without his dolls he was a useless, powerless man.
He had left all of those dolls back at the Wedge Tower. ‘Oh, please, tell me the Monsters didn’t break those super, super, super, super precious dolls.’ Simply imagining it was enough for his stomach to churn.
(And Spiremaster Abel entrusted me with protecting the Daughter of God… And then she was stolen away by the Monsters…)
Abel must have been furious. Imagining the future where she cuts his head off with a gentle smile, Armster’s whole body rattled.
Then, someone’s hand tapped on his shoulder.
“Mr. Armster.”
“Hyawagyuewahya!? Y– yes!!”
His nerves caused him to scream as he turned to find it was Hütter beside him.
“A– Ahh… So you’ve made it back from Darwock, Mr. Hütter…?”
“Yes, I only made it back just now. I see things have gotten pretty rough here.”
Hütter had an expression of sympathy on his face as he spoke.
Armster nodded, still trembling.
“Yes it has, yes it has! Yes, yes, I really, really, have no idea what to do…”
“By the way, where are the Apprentices who didn’t come with me? Actually, I just asked Director Hegelich but he didn’t tell me anything concrete… The information is so jumbled I can’t make heads or tails of what’s going on. What did Julius do? And what’s all this talk about the Apprentices using the chaos of the Monsters’ attack to start a rebellion…?”
Armster gulped.
Armster knew. He knew exactly what the Apprentices had done that night, and how they were being treated now.
Hütter cared for his students. Surely, he must simply be worried that he saw no sign of those Apprentices.
“I– I think you should probably ask Mr. Sombart about…”
“Actually, speaking of him, I haven’t seen any sign of Mr. Sombart either.”
“Oh, I– I think he’s fine… I saw him among the refugees…”
“Did you? That’s good to hear.”
As if to look around for Sombart, Hütter’s eyes wandered around the room before settling his gaze back on Armster.
Hütter gave Armster a concerned look.
“You look sick, Mr. Armster. Why don’t we step outside to get some fresh air? What do you say we look for Mr. Sombart while we walk?”
(It would be too unnatural for me to refuse at this point…)
Considering this was the kindly Mr. Hütter he was dealing with, there should be no harm in going on a little walk with him. Decided, Armster rose from his chair.
After stepping outside, Hütter looked about the village, saying “Gosh, I don’t see Mr. Sombart anywhere!”
Armster followed after him, hanging his head as he plodded along.
Walking around outside gave him the temptation to just run away right now.
But the Daughter of God was still trapped in the Wedge Tower… he had to save that beautiful girl. Above all else, he had yet to finish the doll that imitated her appearance.
Would his hands ever be able to recreate that beautiful black hair, white skin, and expression that was at once girlish and something far beyond?
(…I want to replicate it. By my own hands.)
“Mr. Armster.”
When his name was called, he looked up with a start. He wasn’t sure when, but at some point they’d found themselves tucked away behind a house. Thanks to the shadow, he felt a chill. There weren’t any other people in sight.
“You’re one of those, aren’t you?”
“…Huh?”
Pointing a finger at Armster’s heart, Hütter spoke with a light chuckle.
“One of the ones the Black Lion Emperor sent to the Wedge Tower. A spy.”
Armster’s face paled at Hütter’s accusation.
‘I thought so,’ Hütter smirked internally as he continued to speak.
“You know, a few years ago I heard a rumor that His Majesty the Emperor was gathering a group of talented artisans and making them his advisors on magical technologies. It made me laugh, but I heard that, even though they were supposed to be advisors, he apparently gave them the tasteless title ‘Imperial Magic-Cross Flame-Heaven Four Artisans’”
That was a little tidbit he’d picked up when working as a con man.
Magical technology advisors working directly for the Emperor himself! That name alone was enough to elevate a piece of scrap into a treasure, knowledge that really came in handy to a con man like him.
Thanks to that, Hütter had taken some degree of interest in gathering rumors about those magical technology advisors.
Normally, one would ask ‘*Would someone really use their favored technology advisors as spies?’ … But this was the Black Lion Emperor we were talking about. He did not operate within the bounds of ‘normally.’
“The Wedge Tower is a place that gathers magical techniques from all across the Empire. I can totally see that guy saying ‘Why don’t you steal some technology for me while you’re spying on them?’”
“…Eek…”
Beneath his fuzzy hairline, Armster’s eyes swirled and darted all over the place.
Hütter thought back to the time he’d seen Armster working on a doll in the Guidance Office.
Even an amateur’s eyes could tell that the doll was well-made.
To a pro’s eyes, it was an unbelievable masterpiece.
And to a con man’s eyes… it was an unbelievable treasure, to the point where one would have a hard time selling it.
“The clothes on the dolls you were making… they had amazing lacework and gold inlays. Was that something your fellow artisans made for you? I’ve heard before that the magical technology advisors had someone who specialized in metalwork and a lace artisan among them.”
“……”
Armster’s expression became more and more inquisitive.
‘Who are you really?’ His face spoke louder than words.
Just one more push. From the way Armster reacted to this one, he should be able to tell where he stood.
“I’m like you, you know. A spy who’s sworn his loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor. Have you heard of me? Codename: Pigeon Eye.”
He spoke quickly and made things up as he went, occasionally saying something that made him really want to say “Actually, scratch that!”
‘Pigeon Eye’ was one such thing. It was stupid, even for him. Couldn’t he have thought of any more serious-sounding codenames?
…Yet, as Hütter was regretting what he said, Armster turned away from Hütter and ran off.
(This reaction. I thought so.)
Hütter had anticipated something like this.
As Armster ran off, another man jumped out from the shadows and blocked his path.
“Boo!”
“GYAAHH!!?”
Smirking as he looked down at Armster, who fell onto his butt and screamed, was the smiley piece of shit himself: Instructor Sombart.
Hütter had made contact with Sombart beforehand, directing him to hide here.
Sombart showed him a toothy, smarmy grin.
“Well, I’ll be damned! It really was just like Mr. Hütter said~!”
“A– Ahh! Mr. Sombart! You two were… working together!? … No way… A– Are you a– assassins sent by the Black Lion Emperor!?”
Armster fell to his knees and pleaded “Don’t kill me…!”
Looking at this pitiful performance, Hütter’s suspicions were confirmed.
“I figured as much. You’re the Black Lion Emperor’s spy, but you betrayed him, didn’t you? That’s why you’re always shaking like you’re on pins and needles all the time, right?”
Hütter’s mission was to ‘investigate the reason why the Wedge Tower cut off ties with the previous Emperor,’ but he hadn’t been informed of any collaborators aside from Heidi, who would be acting as his handler.
But when investigating a certain target, it wasn’t unusual to send multiple spies.
It was also normal for those spies not to know of each other’s existences, to prevent information from leaking out.
Considering the order of events, Armster must have infiltrated the Wedge Tower quite a long time ago.
Yet, because Armster hadn’t had much to show for his efforts, there was a need to send in a new agent.
And the next one to be sent was the third-rate con man Smoke Fox.
(Which means that I never would have been wrapped up in this whole thing if you had just done your damn job! You piece of shit!)
Half of him wanted to rip this man a new asshole.
But Armster had betrayed the Black Lion Emperor to become Spiremaster Abel’s servant. He could be forgiven for being a little out of his depth.
Hütter squatted over Armster and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
“Now spit it out, won’t you? Tell me the reason you betrayed His Majesty, along with all the information I need to finish my mission!”