How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game

Chapter 154: Arachne (6)

The Branch of the Blue Star.

What I’m looking for is a staff used by mages. Of course, I don’t know much about its magical utility.

Judging value solely by combat power, a swordsman is several times better than a mage.

For success as a mage, talent alone is insufficient. Money and status must also follow.

I’ve tried it a few times, but never progressed the story until killing Arniel.

So what I know is that the Branch of the Blue Star has over a 90% chance of dropping from Arniel’s battlefield.

‘And that mages who saw it greatly coveted that staff.’

A distinctive feature is that there is a sword inside the Branch of the Blue Star. It can essentially be called a staff-sword.

It’s a slender, straight-bladed sword, thinner than a typical longsword.

The noteworthy point is that the sword rivals a named blade. It could be given to a mage or just a swordsman.

If I obtained it, I planned to use it myself.

While under the duke, I did handle staff-swords and sword-canes too.

But I didn’t use them often.

‘Their utility was lacking.’

This isn’t Earth. Unless it’s a specific situation, it’s easier to just pose as a mercenary.

And regular staff-swords lack durability too.

But the Branch of the Blue Star is different.

It widens my potential disguise as a mage, and the sword can rival a named blade.

‘Of course, there’s no guarantee it’s here.’

When I faced Arniel, it was during the war against the devil worshippers. No guarantee she still has it now.

But contrary to my worries, I soon found the Branch of the Blue Star.

It was right in the middle of Arniel’s room, as if on display.

The actual item was even better than seeing it on a screen.

A straight black wooden staff with a glowing blue gemstone embedded at the tip.

There were traces of magic around it.

‘This must have been the center.’

The Seven Stars of Illusion spell was triggered by a magic array drawn across the entire base, and the Branch of the Blue Star likely anchored it.

Now that Arniel was dead, there was hardly any residual mana.

“Wow, what is that?”

Even Denif, watching nearby, was amazed. It clearly looked extraordinary at first glance.

I gripped the Branch of the Blue Star. Nothing out of the ordinary happened.

I did feel a sense of magical fullness.

Though not an expert, I can use some magic, so I could perceive it.

I grasped the top of the staff and twisted. A clicking sound, like something separating.

Pulling it up revealed the hidden sword inside.

“Ohh…”

A dim, ethereal glow illuminated the dark room. The gemstone at the staff’s tip had become the sword’s pommel.

A lack of a cross-guard was a bit regrettable.

There were quite a few techniques that utilized a cross-guard. But the sword itself was decent.

Even at a glance, it was well-crafted.

Not just its sturdiness, but even the color emanating from the blade – Denif immediately recognized its quality.

“That’s no ordinary item, is it?”

“I’ll be taking this one.”

“Ah, why? What about me? I suffered too, you know.”

“Then you start your own organization.”

“Where would I even do that?”

“I’ll duel you for it.”

Denif flinched, then looked at me.

“…How many times?”

“Make an offer.”

“Ten times.”

“Don’t you have a conscience?”

“For something like that, ten times is fair.”

I firmly shook my head.

“I’m the one who brought us here. I promised Rina too. Whatever we get here, I can take.”

Denif glanced at Rina, then back at me.

“Fine. Five times.”

“Two times.”

“Hey, that’s too stingy, isn’t it? I almost died too, you know. You saw it – the massive waves crashing, the dragon swooping in, huh?”

I didn’t face that, so how would I know? Does he think I experienced the same illusion?

If so, I had even less reason to compromise.

I knew Denif’s capabilities, but no need to intentionally concede from my side.

“Three times.”

“Four times.”

“Three times.”

“…Four times.”

I silently looked at Denif, non-verbally rejecting his offer.

After a brief staredown, Denif sighed and clapped his hands.

“Alright, fine. Three times.”

I grinned and infused the sword with mana. The blade began glowing the same blue hue as the gemstone.

Seeing that, Denif frowned.

“Geez, what’s that about? Four times, then.”

“Too late.”

I swung the sword through the air a few times.

The balance was perfect. A well-made weapon. Deserving of being called a named blade, despite being a staff-sword.

It seemed conducive to using magic while wielding the sword. But this isn’t a weapon meant for me.

I’d be better off swinging Moonlight. Unless I needed the disguise to exploit openings.

To be precise, it’s a weapon for a mage-swordsman.

But the catch is there are barely any capable mage-swordsmen on the continent. Mastering both magic and the blade to that degree is incredibly difficult.

‘There is one person it would suit, though.’

Not sure if I’ll be able to meet them. They either appeared or didn’t, 50/50 odds.

Recruiting them would be tricky too.

For now, I can use it myself before passing it to a suitable mage, swordsman, or whoever.

‘I can think about that later.’

I turned my gaze elsewhere. Having found the staff right after entering, it was time to examine the desk.

To check for any devil worshipper connections, and find out where the other missing Stars had gone.

But contrary to my readiness, I discovered a letter within 10 seconds.

Either they trusted the base too much, or security was sloppy. Good for me, though.

[The father in the darkest place said your talent is precious. Come to Termail on the night of the 17th next month. – Io]

It’s a letter from a devil worshipper. I don’t know the name Io. It could be a pseudonym.

Or it could be someone I don’t know. To send a letter like this, they must be in a fairly high position.

After making sure to remember the name, I turned my gaze to the crumpled paper on the floor next to the desk.

It might have been discarded while writing a reply. I immediately picked it up and checked.

[…grateful for the grace of darkness despite the rudeness of the past…]

[…once again apologize for the arrogance of me and my subordinates last time…]

Unfolding a few crumpled papers, I could roughly grasp what had happened.

There had been a clash between the devil worshippers and Arachne not long ago.

The stars that are now gone died there, and only Arniel was pardoned and embraced for her talent.

Since Termail is one of their bases, the letter is unlikely to be a mistake.

‘Did it come at an opportune time?’

That must be a summons for a baptism. If Arniel used the power of darkness too, it must have been really hard.

Or maybe not.

Come to think of it, it could be similar to now. She lost because of the arrogance hidden in her self-confidence.

The Seven Stars of Illusion. – it’s safe to say she was careless with the magic circle she had prepared in advance.

That’s the kind of character she was in the game too.

If she had fought face to face from the start instead of activating the Seven Stars, she might not have been able to win.

It wasn’t luck, but that Arniel made the wrong choice. I realized the danger of arrogance once again.

Take it to heart. I must give my all, even for trivial matters.

“I suppose there’s no need to wait any longer then. Rina, are you alright?”

“Yeah. In fact, revenge alone was enough for now.”

Rina nodded her head. We all read the contents of the letter together. With this, the revenge is over.

Arachne is annihilated.

“Then let’s look around a bit more before we leave.”

We searched the quarters of the other Stars. But we didn’t gain any more information.

We just obtained a considerable amount of gold and gems before returning. It was a satisfactory unexpected income.

“Brothers! Did you have a good trip!”

“Yeah. But is Rina a brother too?”

“Ah, sister? Sister too!”

Aron hurriedly added after Denif’s remark made him tilt his head. I nodded in agreement.

“It went well. No problems. Rest today and we move out tomorrow.”

“As expected of brother!”

Aron’s flattery was the same as always. On the other hand, Osten looked at me with worried eyes.

“It seems you were injured a bit… Are you okay?”

“It’s a wound that will heal in a few days.”

Only then did the rest notice my chest, but I raised my hand to show I was fine.

Jofor came up to me with a face full of curiosity.

“Could you perhaps tell me if anything happened? That staff you’re holding looks really strange too?”

He’s wanted to join us for a while, so he must be quite curious. The others’ eyes were shining too.

They’re still just kids after all. Well, tales like this are enjoyed by adults and children alike.

The problem is that I’m a little, no, very tired.

Even if the dizziness is gone, I did go through quite an intense battle in the Worst Condition.

“Ask Denif about that. I need to rest a bit. I’ll show you the staff later.”

Knowing that I don’t entertain them when I’m tired, the group quickly lost interest.

Instead, their eyes turned to Denif instead of me.

“Brother!”

“Ah, why. I’m tired too.”

“I want to hear your amazing tales of valor. It must have been awesome!”

The others quickly nodded in agreement with Jofor’s words. Even Osten did the same.

Watching from the side, they look like fools.

Speaking of which, has Jofor already fully grasped Denif’s personality?

“Well, that is true.”

Despite being quite tired, Denif grinned smugly and nodded his head arrogantly.

Then Denif suddenly turned his shoulder and said:

“Then shall we talk while sparring to relieve the fatigue?”

“Huh?”

At this hour? Using swords to relieve fatigue? This guy is really crazy.

The others were just as bewildered.

“Mary and Osten don’t use swords though?”

“They can just watch.”

It’s none of my concern. Leaving the flustered group behind, I quickly headed for the bathroom.

It’s absolutely not because I was avoiding Denif suddenly challenging me to a duel.

But I couldn’t go straight to bed. During the bath, I thought of Rina.

She had looked quite exhausted earlier, and since Arachne’s revenge was complete, there was an issue left to address.

Time makes memories fade.

A person’s heart can change in a day. It doesn’t seem likely, but it’s better to speak when the feelings are intense.

I called Rina aside. Now that Arachne’s revenge is complete, it’s time to hear her answer.

Rina seemed to guess why I called her, nodding her head before I could open my mouth.

“Alright. I’ll join you.”

“Huh?”

I was taken aback by how easily she said it. Of course, the situation warrants it.

But it was because of my memory. Rina was a character who didn’t trust anyone and never joined others.

What I did for her was indeed a big deal. I even saw Rina’s tears during the process of revenge.

But the image of Rina from the past was too deeply ingrained in me. Memories only get stronger the older they are.

“I’m joining. You did say you needed me. I also received that much help from you.”

“Just in case, you don’t need to feel any unnecessary sense of obligation. I showed my sincerity, and you can leave on your own from here.”

And yet I’m saying this because I saw unwavering resolve in Rina’s eyes.

This act reaffirms that this wasn’t a transaction, but her own choice.

“No. You’ve shown enough sincerity. As I said earlier, I’m really grateful. I feel much more relieved.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Revenge was my only purpose in life. I feel refreshed yet somewhat empty at the same time, but it also seems like it could be fun to stay here.”

The Rina saying this seemed completely different from the Rina just a few hours ago.

She’s speaking much longer sentences, and her expression and intonation are different too. She seems a bit more relaxed.

People’s personalities can change after a major experience. The same may be true for Rina. It was a good sign.

Of course, she was still standing awkwardly when with the group just earlier, but the atmosphere did seem a bit different.

“Good. Well thought out.”

I readily nodded and extended my hand. Rina shook my hand.

It even looked like the corner of her mouth curved up slightly.

Well, I suppose we’ll head for the southern desert next?

That too was something I was quite looking forward to. The potential of the person I wanted to recruit was limitless.

Of course, I was worried too.

Their personality was a bit strange. But they were quiet, so better than Denif, Aron or Jofor at least.

Translator Note: Phew, what a not so bad arc. A little announcement, for those of you who bought the advanced chapters, and read this before this chapter got released to public. I’ll be taking a break around maybe until June 24th. And on the 24th I’ll be uploading more advanced chapters. So be sure to remember the day!

PS: Thank you so much for buying the advanced chapters! It really helps me a lot, really!

Author's Thoughts

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