Chapter 243: Sixty-Fourth Floor, Intelligence (2)

[Support the agent in their espionage mission. Time remaining 119 hours 58 minutes.]

The man’s words left me perplexed.

Being infamous and nameless seemed like an odd contradiction.

Moreover, the contrast with his previously warm demeanor and half-joking tone was unmistakable. He seemed to consider the phrase clever, but to me, it wasn’t particularly amusing.

Well, that is beside the point.

I had gained vital information on how others viewed me. It was a codename, of course, akin to those used by intelligence operatives, but it still reflected some truths.

Regardless, I lacked any knowledge of this world, my assigned role, or the man standing before me.

I needed more details, so I cautiously probed, “Nameless?”

The man hesitated before nodding. “Ah, you weren’t aware? We call you Nameless since you like to remain anonymous, plus it is somewhat of a title of honor because of how effective you are. You can’t believe how pleased we were about how you executed your previous jobs.”

Feigning comprehension, I nodded. “I see.”

He wouldn’t have a reason to lie about something like this, and honestly, it made sense.

So that is the setting I have been put into.

Lacking any prior connection to Black Butterfly would have been weird and made this trial significantly harder.

As I processed the situation, the man’s sharp gaze flickered past me and scanned the area. “You didn’t bring anyone along, did you?”

Just in case, I expanded my senses again.

Since this was a stealth-based mission, neither Doppy nor Yoonie had been summoned with me.

However, the tower was notorious for its unexpected twists. There was always a chance that something or someone was trailing me.

Reaching out even further with Awareness, I stretched my perception to one hundred meters, then a hundred fifty, and finally two hundred.

I registered the rhythmic pulses of countless lifeforms all at once—subtle shifts in the wind, the faint rustling of insects, the distant movements of small creatures. Thankfully, nothing pointed toward another human presence nearby.

After confirming we were alone, I nodded. “No one. As far as I know.”

The man studied me briefly before nodding in return. “Alright. If you say so, I won’t double-check.”

“And you?”

“Same here. I’ve checked several times. You really are as cold as they say,” he replied with a grin.

Holding back a smirk, I kept my expression neutral. So far, my plan was to maintain the image of a stoic, methodical, and detached killer. If I were going to play the role of a secret agent, I should embrace it entirely.

It wasn’t hard to imagine they thought of me as reserved, calculating, and precise. This wouldn’t be the high-tech espionage I had pictured, but there was a certain thrill to it.

Summoning a mental image of my ideal spy, I shifted the topic, trying to take control of the conversation. “What’s the mission?”

“Ah, right. You wouldn’t have been fully briefed, given how suddenly you were called in.” The man nodded before staring at the floor as if arranging his thoughts.

I waited patiently as he deliberated.

Clearing his throat with a small cough, he started with, “Let me start by explaining why you were summoned.”

Catching my gaze, his expression turned serious as he continued, “We detected movement from the Empire’s direct intelligence unit, ‘The Eyes of the Empire.’ Normally, that wouldn’t require us to take such extreme measures, but their operations seemed unusual. Very unusual, in fact.”

Leaning in slightly, his voice dropped. “Since we had no idea what they were up to, Black Butterfly scrambled to mobilize several agents. We needed to gather intel and prepare for any potential threats. As one of our contracted mercenaries, you were among those called in.”

I nodded slightly, absorbing the information.

“We confirmed those bastards were heading north, although at the cost of all except one agent who looked like a half-dead beggar when he returned. The intel he brought back claimed that they had discovered something in Kalin, up in the northern reaches of the Empire.”

Feeling the need to at least feign familiarity, I picked out a piece of the information he had mentioned and asked, “Kalin?”

“It’s a tiny village at the far northern edge. Have you heard of it?”

I gave a composed nod, though the man regarded me with a hint of suspicion.

Hmm. Maybe I shouldn’t have acted like I recognized it.

“Well, in any case, the agent happened to be nearby when a commotion broke out in Kalin. Right after that, he saw the Empire’s forces swarming in, so he ran. Later, when we investigated, we found out that Kalin had been completely sealed off.”

I listened with half an ear, simultaneously considering how I would have reacted in this role. I was interested, but the explanation was dragging.

“You’re talking too much. Just get to the point. What do I need to do?”

“Fine, I’ll keep it simple. Something was discovered in Kalin, and it's important enough that The Eyes of the Empire moved as a unit. That alone tells us it’s no trivial matter.”

He paused deliberately, controlling his breath before locking eyes with me. “The real question is whether this thing will benefit Berest or become a threat to our kingdom, to you, and to me.”

The floor’s instructions had been vague, but the situation seemed clear enough now. I would assist this man in uncovering the truth in Kalin, then determine what had been found.

Wait. No, that isn’t quite right.

“So, we just need to confirm what was found?”

“If we can take it, take it. Of course, that won’t be easy. Destroying it works too. Or, depending on the situation, we can leave it be. But as you already know, the most crucial thing is information. We need to know what we’re dealing with so that Black Butterfly can respond accordingly.”

I observed him silently for a moment before nodding.

It seemed the rewards for clearing the sixty-fourth floor trial would depend on my actions. If I seized whatever was in Kalin, I would likely earn the highest evaluation, while gathering intel would be the bare minimum.

The tower’s message had only instructed me to assist the intelligence agent, causing me to ponder.

Would the tower allow me to advance to the next floor even if I fail? No way to be sure.

Not that it mattered since I had no intention of failing. Instead, I shifted my focus back to the trial itself.

An imperial intelligence unit, The Eyes of the Empire, has been detected making significant movements.

The enemy seemed to be operating as a group. On the other hand, it was just the two of us. Even the trial’s message had phrased it that way, as it was “assist the agent” rather than “assist the intelligence organization.”

I met the man’s gaze. He was still watching me with curiosity, clearly waiting for my reaction.

“Will the two of us be responsible for everything?”

“Since you’re our kingdom’s most capable operative, you and I should be enough. We can’t exactly storm into Kalin, after all.”

Ah, is that so?

If this were Earth, an intelligence mission of this scale would have a full team assigned to it.

This wasn’t Earth, however. From what he had said earlier, it didn’t seem like there was any advanced form of communication—no magic artifacts that enabled instant communication, no enchanted transmission tools.

With Kalin reportedly sealed off and its people missing, the area was bound to be crawling with those so-called Eyes of the Empire. A small team would be more effective in such a setting.

Of course, I wasn’t particularly concerned. I hadn’t planned to, but if necessary, I could always use Shadow Veil to clear the trial. Even though I intended to limit my skill usage, this was a matter of infiltration, not combat.

As I mulled over the situation, something in my expression had likely seemed off, because the man suddenly blurted out, “Wait, are you doubting me?”

It seemed he had misread my silence.

What would Nameless say?

I hesitated just a second too long, missing my chance to reply.

In that brief pause, the man’s face shifted to one of exaggerated dejection as he turned to me. “You know, I’m actually one of the top agents in Black Butterfly.”

His expression was convincing, but considering the circumstances, it was obviously a joke.

“Enough,” I responded firmly.

“Alright, alright.”

He immediately dropped the act, nodding as his face grew serious once more.

Of course, he wouldn’t be a Black Butterfly operative if he weren’t skilled at deception.

An awkward silence settled between us. I glanced at him before breaking it. “By the way, what should I call you? I can’t keep calling you ‘you.’”

“

Haa

, well... Just refer to me as Parein.”

His brief reluctance signaled to me that it was clearly an alias. Although I would have suspected it, regardless, even without the pause.

I nodded. “Parein. Got it.”

“Then what should I call you? I doubt you want to go around being addressed as ‘Nameless.’”

“

Umm

...” I deliberately dragged out my response, though I did need a moment to think.

I had no issue sharing my name, but every intelligence agent I knew—at least, in fiction—never revealed their real one.

What should I go with?

In the end, I chose not to waste too much time on something so trivial.

“Kwon. Just call me Kwon.”

“Kwon? That sounds a little too obviously fake, don’t you think?”

“Does it matter? It’s not like I plan on introducing myself to the Empire’s spies.”

“Ah, fair enough.” Parein nodded, then slung his pack forward, unbuckling it.

“Alright, first things first. We need to change. We’ll be posing as simple herbalists. Oh, by the way, do you know anything about herbs?”

“No.” I shook my head.

There was no need to lie to an ally, and besides, this felt like an integral part of the trial.

“Makes sense. Even you can’t know everything. You’ve never worked as an herbalist, after all. But don’t you worry because I came prepared. Just get changed, and I’ll explain what you need to know.”

As Parein pulled out a set of worn clothes, I set down my axe and shrugged off my robe, revealing the cheap leather armor underneath.

He handed me the clothes but paused, looking me over. “

Huh

. A battered leather cuirass and an axe. You gotta be pretty confident in your skills. Well, I suppose that fits the stories I’ve heard about you.”

I glared briefly at him but took the clothes without comment.

A faint scent of greenery clung to the fabric: a crisp, fresh undertone, laced with a subtle bitterness.

Did he actually steal these from a real herbalist?

As I was about to change, Parein, now half-undressed, casually started explaining, “First things first, as a herbalist, there are three key things you need to know. The most important is—”

***

[Support the agent in their espionage mission. Time remaining 116 hours 23 minutes.]

We had spent the entire six hours since the initial meeting walking. The sun had dipped toward the horizon, and the sky was now streaked with deep orange hues.

How much farther is it?

I considered asking but decided against it, not wanting to seem too eager. If we still had five days left, Kalin probably wasn’t nearby.

Maybe it will take around two days of travel.

The remaining time likely included both the investigation itself and the return trip. Two days to reach Kalin, one day to assess the situation, and another two days to return.

Yeah, that seems about right.

I trudged along the darkening mountain path while glancing at Parein ahead of me.

Somewhere along the way, he had fully embraced his role as a herbalist. His pants and sleeves had darkened with dirt, and his fingernails were caked with soil.

A true professional, huh?

I had followed his lead, grabbing random roots and occasionally digging through the earth.

I wasn’t particularly skilled at identifying herbs yet. After some time, though, I had at least started recognizing which ones tended to grow in clusters—nowhere near Parein’s level, of course.

And just as I was about to gather another plant, Parein suddenly gasped.