LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 6: Imperial Terrorist Denif (1)
Ugh!
Dont be so dramatic.
I gritted my teeth and pushed up my arms. It was a simple push-up, but the weak muscles of my frail body screamed in agony.
The man who introduced himself as Marhan stood in front of me, observing me.
It had started as a basic physical training session since dawn. Despite my current struggle, the intensity wasnt too high.
It was more like a way to assess how well I could use my body.
Just looking at what I did earlier, it seems like that.
That seemed right.
He threw a small fist-sized bag that wouldnt cause much pain even if it hit me and told me to defend myself.
He even told me to try and catch it if I could, but his speed kept increasing, and in the end, I could only focus on dodging and still got hit.
Being hit by a bag of sand, even though it caused some discomfort, but one that I couldnt say I didnt want to do.
Even just putting my hand on the dirt floor was like that.
Enough.
At Marhans words, I was about to collapse onto the floor but quickly regained my balance and stood up.
It was already an uncomfortable situation due to the sand sticking to my hands and the sweat dripping.
Marhan, with a slightly complicated and disgruntled expression, greeted me as I stood up with trembling legs and arms.
Hmm, did I do something wrong? After catching my breath, he spoke.
Thats enough for the morning training.
Morning training?
Actually, it was closer to dawn than morning, but the fact that I had to do this again in the afternoon was despairing.
Even though the training intensity was light, it was too difficult for the body of an orphan.
Well, I still have to do it.
Discomfort and pain would ultimately become nourishment for my survival.
For my own sake, I needed to approach it with sincerity.
Yes.
But you still have to observe. Were a bit late, so go ahead and have breakfast first.
Observe what?
In response to my questioning, Marhan gestured behind me. Four people were approaching from the direction of the dining hall.
Two of them appeared to be around my age, while the other two seemed to be around 18 years old.
Well, it wouldnt make sense for the Chief of Intelligence of the Empire to bring only me alone.
It would have been easier to bring a talented child with a broad range of information.
The voices of the children I heard last night seemed to be real, not just a dream.
As the approaching children glanced at me with curious eyes, I was relieved to sense no hostility or aggression.
It was a moment when the possibility of the duke dealing with subordinates as an informant became somewhat higher.
Is this the new recruit?
Yes.
One of the older kids looked at me with a meaningful gaze. It seemed like they were evaluating me in some way.
The other one seemed disinterested.
Since I was the newcomer, I quietly stayed there, feeling their gazes.
Hmm. One of my peers seemed oddly familiar somehow
Just as I was thinking that, Marhan spoke up.
Well do introductions later. Carlyn, go ahead and have breakfast. The rest of you, get ready.
Yes!
Yes.
I slightly lagged behind in responding to the other kids enthusiastic answers and then headed toward a separate area.
There were still too many unfamiliar things.
* * *
There was nothing suspicious about him. The last time the child was seen was nine years ago.
The duke pondered his thoughts as he listened to the report.
The child claimed to be thirteen, so if that was true, he was abandoned here when he was four years old.
He doesnt seem to be a mentally armed spy.
Yes, thats how it appears.
Of course, the age of an orphan was not accurately determined by mere words.
However, even so, he was too young. It was unlikely that he was a spy from another country.
The duke felt a considerable sense of satisfaction with the stone that had rolled to him on its own. The man standing in front of the duke continued with his report.
As the child said, it seemed like he didnt show his abilities to others. The rats were curious about why the duke took the child away.
Was it just luck? Even if it hasnt been long since the mystic awakening, a few should have noticed.
Even among the orphans, he was somewhat of a loner.
The dukes brow furrowed slightly. No matter how they were orphans, they had their own society.
Being a loner meant having little social skills, which was not an advantage.
But it wasnt a big problem. It could be resolved through education. Training spies required delaying socialization. Pretending to be social was not that difficult.
The rats assessment and yesterdays observations were slightly different
What did they say?
They mentioned that he doesnt speak much and has a gloomy side. Even if someone shows interest in him, he ignores them. If hes hungry, he starves himself and doesnt engage in human interaction.
A young wolf, perhaps?
The duke recalled the image of the child who seemed fearless yet followed the rules well, and he let out a wry chuckle.
Do you think its safe to say that hes a little arrogant in the eyes of someone important?
Yes, especially considering that he has a mature side. Situations shape people, dont they? Its possible that he brightened up because he saw hope.
Hmm.
The duke murmured softly. It seemed like he was being too optimistic, but there was no possibility of being negative.
Teaching proper ideological education to a child around the age of four was an impossible task.
Of course, well have to observe the situation a bit more, but personally, I dont see any issues.
I agree. Well done.
No, its not a problem.
As the agent retreated, Duke added a few more words.
What did Marhan say?
I briefly talked to him just now, but he says hes still not sure. He acknowledges that the talent itself is considerable, but his actual performance falls short of expectations.
Marhans intuition has never been wrong
Marhan was a talent the duke had recruited a decade ago.
His intuition, the ability to sense the magnitude of someones talent, naturally manifested as an innate gift in instruction.
I wonder if his life as an orphan has had a negative impact. It might be resolved over time.
Yeah, it could be because he didnt receive adequate nutrition. He could be tense.
Duke nodded his head.
Anyway, for now, its a pass.
Yes.
Its a relief. Well, even if its a failing grade, hes a child with Mystic powers, so Ill have to raise him somehow.
The duke stood up from his seat.
Ill personally see him in the afternoon, so prepare for it.
You mean personally?
The duke nodded his head.
Why not? Hes a child with Mystic powers.
To the duke, people were tools. He didnt become Chief of Intelligence because he had become like that; he had always been that way, which was why he became Chief of Intelligence.
And it was necessary to manage useful tools properly.
* * *
I had breakfast and brushed my teeth before returning to the training hall.
I wanted to take a shower, but I hurriedly left because I sensed someone watching.
The children were stretching or lightly swinging their swords, each warming up their bodies.
After I arrived, Marhan gathered the children, clearly indicating that they had been waiting for me.
Marhan looked at me with a slightly uncomfortable gaze.
Time is a limited resource. Use it sparingly.
Although he packaged it as advice, it was a question of why I was so late.
I finished eating quickly, but brushing my teeth took some time.
I stood next to Marhan and observed the childrens practice.
It didnt happen simultaneously. The older-looking ones, around 18 years old, went first, while the other two waited behind.
It felt like I was observing from a closer distance.
Hmm.
There was one thing that had been bothering me since earlier.
One of the boys among my peers seemed strangely familiar. I was sure Id seen him while playing games, but I couldnt remember it clearly.
It wasnt anything strange. With over a thousand hours of gameplay, I must have come across most characters
The metallic sound rang out in succession.
.The sparring between the children with adult-like bodies was quite intense.
And when the sparring between those two ended, Marhan called out the names of the two waiting children.
Denif. Orhen.
Yes!
The two children answered loudly and stepped forward. However, I couldnt hide my surprise.
Denif? Did he say Denif?
I finally confirmed the identity of the uneasiness I felt earlier.
Imperial terrorist Denif.
If you were a player in Valhll, it was a name that was impossible not to know.
A being that could become a players nightmare or ally depending on the situation.
He was a dualistic figure even to me.
There were times when I lost my life to Denifs terror targeting the Empire, and there were times when I unintentionally gained benefits from it.
The reason for the uncertainty was that Denifs appearances and locations were random.
Whether it was to prevent players from knowing the timing and using it to their advantage or some butterfly effect based on player actions, I didnt know.
In the end, he was an enemy of the players. He constantly obstructed the unification of the Empire.
Denif didnt hesitate to join forces with devil worshippers.
But that wasnt important now.
The probability of him being a namesake was lower than the possibility of him being the Denif I knew. My initial feeling was the basis for this.
After hearing the name, I could confirm that he bore a striking resemblance to the Denif I saw on the monitor.
And the possibility of Denif under Haisen Duke and the perpetrator of Haisens downfall, who caused terror against the Empire, being different people was extremely low.
Wait a minute.
Denifs build looked similar to mine. Since I was 13 years old, accounting for some margin of error, he would be between 11 and 15 years old.
And that meant it was well before the usual game playtime.
In the game, Denifs appearance was an event that signaled the beginning of the main story. He was 27 to 29 years old at the time.
Typically, it took 4 to 6 years of in-game time from character creation to the start of the main story.
If the minimum age for randomly generated characters was 13
Assuming Denif was my age, it meant there were at least 10 years left until the games initial starting point.
And 14 years until the main story.
I thought it was closer to the games starting point, but at least 10 years? If I play this right
My mind quickly raced.
I would grow under the Chief of Intelligence, the Duke, and build a friendship with Denif. And then, when I formed a connection with the princess
I could make extensive preparations until the games starting point.
Of course, there was the danger of Devils Blood, but I now had more time than I had anticipated.
Perhaps I could prevent Haisens downfall with the information I had.
I thought it was impossible, but it was still a long time for that to happen. If it turned out that way, things would become easier.
Of course, I would need to investigate further to see if preventing Haisens downfall was possible.
But since I would be under the Chief of Intelligence, wouldnt I find out how things would unfold?
I can think about that when the time comes.
The hazy future became slightly clearer. Now, there were only two things I needed to prioritize.
First, gathering information about Devils Blood, and second, preventing Haisens downfall.
My mind was sharper and more focused than ever.
It seemed necessary to get as close to Denif as possible.
If I failed to prevent Haisens downfall and Denif became an enemy of the Empire
Things would get quite complicated. If persuasion failed, I would have to fight Denif.
Thinking about the Denif in the game, it might be better to handle him in advance.
I was surprised by the eerie thoughts I had.
Indeed, it seemed that my mind still didnt entirely belong to me.
What woke me from my thoughts was a voice that gradually became clearer.
lyn! Carlyn!
Yes? Ah, yes!
It was Marhan. As I quickly regained my composure, he looked at me with a frown on his face.
Suppressed anger was visible in his eyes.
Focus. Even if you dont know anything, just observing can be helpful.
His voice was chilling. If it werent the first day, I would have been in trouble. It was my mistake, so I needed to apologize.
I intentionally slapped my own cheek.
Im sorry! I was feeling sleepy.
The big guys standing next to me were so surprised that their eyes widened. Marhan was the same.
They probably didnt expect me to slap my own cheek.
Just focus.
Although he spoke in a low voice, Marhans expression was noticeably more forgiving than before.
Perhaps there was some consideration. After all, I was a newcomer to training today. And it was from early dawn.
I will focus.
I purposely opened my eyes wide.
Marhan was also a subordinate of the Duke. As someone who just arrived today, I was the center of attention for everyone here.
The Chief of Intelligences mansion. It was only natural for evaluations to be made in that context.
Not just the Duke, but also people like Marhan and Lena, I needed to make a good impression on them.
And while I plan for the future, I need to become stronger first.
Marhan shifted his gaze again. Regardless of the situation here, the duels among my peers were fierce and intense.
Denif wielded a longsword, and the girl called Orhen had a staff and rapier.
In Valhll, even mages carried melee weapons.
Even to my eyes, the duels seemed to be at a high level. They were intense, then gentle, and then intense again.
Of course, the previous duels were much more practical. It was probably due to the age difference.
I need to become like that too.
Having woken up early in the morning and dealing with my Worst Condition, it was honestly difficult to concentrate.
But I made an effort to set aside my daydreaming and not miss out on the duels.
Before long, the duels came to an end.
The children stretched their bodies again, and Marhan called them one by one to give feedback.
Why did you move like that?
I was planning to block and counterattack by twisting my body.
Its dangerous. If you think your opponent will leave openings in their attacks just because you have a few tricks up your sleeve, you might not be able to block. Even if you managed to block, there are significant flaws.
I also tried to listen carefully, thinking there might be something for me to learn, but I ended up just feeling flustered.
He remembered all those minor movements?
It was quite amazing to me that he knew the details of that brief duel.
After that, the duels continued, with the roles switched.
And so, when all the duels and feedback were finished, the sun was already hanging in the center of the sky.
Marhan announced the end of the morning training.
I was led by him and stood in front of the children. Four pairs of eyes scanned me. The attention from the children was particularly high.
Especially Denif, who was looking at me with a curious expression.
What should I introduce myself as?
While I was silently contemplating, Marhan spoke in an emotionless tone.
No need for introductions. This is Carlyn. Establish camaraderie among yourselves at the cafeteria.
His words were so short and clear that it was bewildering.