Volume 4 Chapter 5 Espionage Activities
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The opera house dimmed its lights to change the stage set. The orchestra took a break. The audience began to buzz, and the mood in the hall changed completely.
Pamela was finally satisfied and climbed off me. She still enjoyed the warm feeling from our time together.
”I’m thirsty. Could you order something for me?” Pamela asked casually.
Pamela fixed the front of her cloak. I turned to Kenze, who had been watching the play.
”Would herb tea be fine?” I asked calmly.
She said yes. I stood up and fixed my clothes. Kenze came back almost right away.
”You already ordered it?” I asked.
”We’re leavin’ now,” Kenze replied shortly.
Her face showed no warmth. She was not joking.
When I asked what happened, she told me a main-line Amazoness (a top warrior from a strict dragon-worshipping tribe) was there.
”There was a dragon tattoo on her neck. No mistake about it,” Kenze said firmly.
A moment ago, Kenze had stepped out the door. The door to the next box opened at the same time. A tall woman with short hair stepped out.
She wore a dress that showed her back. But Kenze saw how she moved. She was not a normal woman, but a soldier. And from her build, an Amazoness.
Kenze watched her with interest. The woman adjusted her stole, showing the dragon tattoo. That proved it.
People say main-line Amazonesses must carve a dragon tattoo on their bodies. This is part of their Dragon God faith.
Apparently, this is a lost custom among the Amazonesses of Takshurgan, like Kenze.
”If Kenze says so, there can be no mistake,” Pamela stated, trusting her.
I agreed.
”Alright, then. Once the play starts again, we’ll slip out,” I said.
I put on my cloak quietly. Kenze pressed her ear against the wall.
”Can you hear something?” I whispered.
She only shook her head a little.
Soon, the orchestra began to play, and the show started again.
I went to the door with Pamela. I quietly turned the knob. Kenze had been listening at the wall. She quickly came over.
I opened the door. We acted like nothing was wrong and walked toward the stairs on the stage side.
A few steps later, the door next to us opened. The woman with the short hair stepped out. She looked toward us and barked a short order in a language I had never heard.
”Hurry,” Kenze commanded, pushing me forward.
”What do we do?” I asked, looking back.
”To Onhart’s place,” Kenze replied sharply.
I see. Even on a poor outing, the guy is the eldest son of a Duke. He would likely have one or two Town Guards with him. And a main-line Amazoness would not want trouble with a Duke’s house.
We slipped down to the Third Floor. We ran along the curving hallway.
”They’re comin’, move it!” Kenze shouted.
At Kenze’s voice, I grabbed Pamela’s hand. She was falling behind, so I pulled her along.
We dashed along the curve. Theater staff stood here and there. They watched us with shocked faces as we ran by.
When we passed the third staff member, I saw a door. Four Town Guards stood in front of it.
”Stop right there!” one of the staff members yelled.
The third staff member was not just shocked. He shouted at us as we ran toward the Town Guards’ room.
He did not try to stop us himself. Was he trying to alert the guards?
The staff member did not stand in our way.
The Town Guards got ready to fight. One of them drew his sword.
”They ain’t chasin’ us no more,” Kenze declared. She signaled for me to stop.
I stopped running and raised both hands.
”We are not suspicious individuals,” I explained calmly.
That excuse did not work. Every one of them drew their swords and pointed them at me.
”Um, I am Larry Fee. I had the honor of meeting the Duke earlier today. I saw Onhart-sama from the box seats. I have come to pay my respects,” I said politely.
The Town Guards looked at each other. But the Commander insisted Onhart was not here.
Well, it was a secret outing. With all the trouble happening, he could not admit it.
But I was backed into a corner myself.
I wanted to leave the theater with Onhart for my own safety. If I was lucky, he would send us to the hotel.
After all, we were being hunted by the world’s strongest warriors.
”I have been sharin’ board and lodgin’ with Onhart-sama for many days. I would not mistake him. Please, I beg you to take a message,” I tried again.
I tried to slip him a bribe, but he refused.
We spent time arguing. I tried to get them to pass the word along, but they told us to go home.
Just then, the door next to us opened. A woman and her butler stepped out.
”What is all this noise?” the woman demanded. She sounded like she thought she was better than us.
The Town Guards saluted the woman. When I saw her face, my jaw nearly hit the floor.
”Aunt Camilla?” I blurted out.
The moment I said that, she glared at me.
This woman looked exactly like my Uncle Klaus-san’s evil-natured wife, Aunt Camilla.
Well, her face did not look quite as mean. But I could tell from that look alone that she had a sharp personality.
”You. Why do you know Camilla?” she demanded.
She walked straight up to me. She looked me over from head to toe and then locked eyes with me.
”Camilla Holstein Thalbach-san is my uncle’s primary wife,” I replied.
”Hmph. So, you think I look like that wicked sister of mine?” she asked coldly.
Sister?
They did not seem like they were on good terms.
Whatever I answered would cause trouble. I kept silent. She asked for my name.
”Larry Fee Getys,” I said, offering my formal name.
”Getys House? I have never heard of it. What is someone from that Getys House doin’ here?” she asked with disdain.
”Well, I wanted to greet Onhart-sama. I saw him from the box seats on the fifth floor. I felt I could not leave without sayin’ hello,” I said.
”From the fifth floor?” she asked.
It was true that I saw the liaison from the fifth floor.
I did not say, Yes, and I saw your relationship with the butler behind you quite clearly. I simply replied, “Yes.”
”How vulgar of you, to be peepin’,” she remarked.
She was old enough to know she might be seen. But her cheeks turned a little red.
”So, if you say Camilla, that is the Viscounty of Bizan. That is quite a long way off. What did you come here to do?” she questioned.
”I am on my way to Kure,” I answered.
”Kure? Could it be, are you a Mage?” she asked. She sounded like she pitied me.
When I answered, “Yes, I suppose,” she looked at me with sad eyes.
”If you are a Mage, you should not have to go to Kure. You could make a livin’ elsewhere. They say they are gatherin’ even small children if they can handle a sliver of Mana. They say if you go there, you never come back,” she warned.
Is it some kind of demon’s den?
”The Viscount Bizan’s primary wife is my older sister. If you like, I can ask her to introduce you to some work,” she offered.
She did not seem like a bad person.
I looked young. She probably thought I was a poor boy trying to make money. She thought I had wandered all the way to the Duke’s estate.
Just then, the Town Guard Commander whispered something to the butler. The butler then whispered it to the woman.
”You, did you really meet the Duke?” she asked.
”Yes, I suppose,” I replied.
I told them I had met him with the professors from the Naval Academy. We met at a villa belonging to the Viscount’s Palace.
”But you are unemployed, are you not?” she pressed.
I did not remember saying I was unemployed. But in her head, I was just a pitiable, jobless boy Mage.
Well, I was no longer a Grand Duke. And I had been fired as an Associate Professor at the Magic Academy. So “unemployed” was technically correct.
Starting next month, I was an Honorary Professor at the Academy.
No, no. I had a job.
”No, I am a Yeoman. I have a house, a field, and an apple orchard,” I stated.
The air around us froze.
”This is no place for the likes of a Yeoman to be, boy,” she dismissed.
B-boy?
No, no, no. A Mage boy who is a Yeoman is a higher rank than a Mage boy who is unemployed. Right?
”Since he had a rare slave in tow, I thought he was a vassal or some big merchant’s brat. But he is just a Yeoman,” she muttered.
”He probably kidnapped the slave durin’ a war in Kiridal or somewhere,” another added.
They were saying some terrible things.
Besides, even if she is a slave, kidnapping one is a serious crime, right?
”He is spinnin’ a pack of lies just to see Onhart-sama. There must be somethin’ shady goin’ on,” she declared.
”Oi, theater girl. Go call the Town Guards from the station,” she ordered.
In the end, I could not meet Onhart. We were dragged out into the pourin’ rain. They took us to the local guard station.
At first, I was secretly relieved we had escaped the Amazonesses. But the station was right in front of that fabric shop. It was night and there were no customers. Still, shop workers were comin’ and goin’ through a small door.
”What is the name of the hotel where your guarantor is stayin’?” the guard asked.
”I told you, I do not remember! There is a pier across the square in front of us…” I explained.
”Do you know how many hotels there are in the harbor district? There are six! Are you tellin’ me to check every single one in this rain?” the guard complained.
I felt bad for him, but I could not help it. I did not know the name.
Kenze and Pamela had been dragged here right after arrivin’ by ship. They had been stripped of their belongings and changed into kuntoui (a simple local garment). So they had never stepped outside their hotel room.
”Do you not remember anything? If things stay this way, you will have to stay the night. This is a real nuisance,” the guard sighed.
The “nuisance” part was probably the truth.
”If you go through the alley between the next hotel and ours, there is a second-hand clothin’ store. That is where I bought this cloak,” I recalled.
”That is right. To the right of that, there were no other second-hand shops,” Kenze confirmed.
When the Town Guards heard that, they started discussin’ it. They asked if it was Al Granny’s shop.
”She was a Granny with no interest in business,” I noted.
From that, they guessed our hotel. The youngest Town Guard was sent out into the rain on horseback.
”So, why were you causin’ a scene in front of the box seats where the nobles were?” the guard asked.
”I was not causin’ a scene. I just went to greet someone I knew. I saw him from the floor above,” I replied.
”That is exactly what is not allowed. Do you have any idea what kind of things happen in those box seats?” the guard asked.
Well, I saw it, so I know. But I had my own reasons.
I acted like I did not know anything. I used my young appearance to my advantage.
”The person you spoke to was Baron Wilson’s primary wife. The Baron himself was supposedly in the room above that,” the guard explained.
Apparently, the Duke’s second wife is the Baron’s older sister. She often visits this city because she loves her sister.
”Since this is the Duke’s city, I cannot say this too loudly. But the one who was with Onhart-sama was the Baron’s younger sister,” the guard whispered.
Hmm?
So, Baron Wilson brought his wife and sister to meet his older sister. While he was there, he went to the theater.
And he was doin’ embarrassin’ things with his maids. His wife was with her butler. His sister was with the Duke’s eldest son, Onhart. They did all this where people might see them?
I wonder if the Baron’s territory is alright.
Well, I cannot really talk. I was on the fifth floor.
Compared to the third and fourth floors, maybe it was a better seat for that kind of thing.
Anyway, I casually asked about the fabric shop.
”The problem is that it is hard to communicate with them. But they are friendly, and the prices are low. Some of our young guys are even datin’ them,” the guard mentioned.
The guard looked middle-aged. He spoke with a fake, cheerful smile.
”No good,” I muttered tightly. It seemed the spy network had already taken hold within the town guard.
”Do sailors like yourself often come by to buy these?” the guard asked in a smooth, friendly way.
If they had a storefront here, I suspected it was not just for gathering intel on the Duke’s lands. It was likely about Kure.
”You are well-informed,” I replied calmly. “Apparently, sailors who have left their homes like to buy them as souvenirs.”
Just as I thought. At this rate, it would not be surprising if they had infiltrated the government itself. Beside me, Kenze stayed silent. Her sharp eyes carefully watched the guard’s every move.
Not long after, Professor Alan arrived by carriage to pick us up. He did not say much. He just dismissed me as one of the mages summoned to Kure. He handled the paperwork and shoved us into the carriage.
”Honestly. What were you thinking?” Alan sighed. He sounded very tired.
Alan sounded more than just annoyed. He had heard at the guard station about me meeting Onhart at the theater. He demanded the full story. When I explained about the Amazoness, he noted that the navy had been watching them closely too.
To make matters worse, Baron Wilson was backing these Amazoness factions. The woman from earlier was his wife. And the Duke was fully aware of it.
”What do you make of this, Kenze?” I asked. I threw the question to her. I was careful to keep her out of Alan’s line of suspicion.
”The ones I saw at the theater were just grunts,” Kenze replied sharply. “Mere underlings.”
”What do you mean?” I pressed.
”In Schweilitz, intel gathering is handled by former members of ‘Tashkurgan.’1 The main family only acts as administrators. They do not have soldiers. But that woman with the short hair… she is a soldier.”
In other words, the usual spy work was done by Kenze’s low-ranking former colleagues. But real soldiers were there. They should have only been administrators. That felt wrong.
”Then… are they planning a military attack?” Alan asked. He sounded a little panicked.
”I cannot say for sure,” Kenze stated flatly. “But someone big has arrived.”
Upon hearing that, Alan announced he was heading to the Duke’s estate. He dropped us off at our hotel and departed in the carriage. He left us behind.
Perhaps because of the rain or the late hour, the plaza leading to the pier had no stalls. I had the hotel staff bring us a late dinner.
Back in my room, I was just loosening my coat to relax. Then, a knock echoed against the door.
Kenze and Pamela were sprawled on the beds. They were wrapped in their kuntoui and too hungry to move.
With a sigh, I stepped up to answer. As I opened the door, my gaze locked onto a stunning woman. She wore a chain with a blue gemstone dangling against her forehead.
”Oh, crap!” I hissed.
I tried to slam the door, but she jammed her foot into the frame. Before I could even blink, the tip of a rapier was inches from my throat.
”May I come in?” the beauty with the blue gem asked. Her smile was sweet and utterly dangerous.
”And if I say no?” I countered.
The tip of the rapier pressed against my throat. I raised both hands and backed away. I let her and the woman with the short hair step into the room.
The short-haired woman was not wearing a dress. She wore practical pants. At the collar of her blouse, I caught a glimpse of a dragon-head tattoo.
”Mind if I take a seat?” she asked.
She did not wait for an answer. She simply sat on the sofa. Her dress was very low in the front and back. It showed an intricate dragon tattoo that wrapped around her torso. Its long, clawed front limbs seemed to reach forward to cup her breasts.
The short-haired woman sheathed her rapier and stood behind the beauty. She glared at me.
”Aren’t you going to sit?” the beauty asked. She sounded like she owned the place.
The air was thick with tension. I took a seat across from the beauty. Kenze and Pamela moved to stand behind me.
”It has been a while, Larry Fee Getys-san,” the woman remarked with a cool smile. “And you, Kenze-san, and…”
”Pamela,” she replied stiffly. “It has been nearly two years, has it not, Nikaure Saba-san?”
”My, you remember me,” she said, smoothing her skirts. “I am honored.”
How could I ever forget? Because I had accepted her demands to return the corpses and prisoners from the Fifty-three Post Station Defense War, I had been given a death penalty sentence.
”So. What is your business here?” I demanded.
We both sat with straight backs, refusing to lean against the sofa. The question slipped out before I could stop it. No doubt she would call it another overstep.
Whether she sensed my unease or not, the beautiful Amazoness just narrowed her eyes.
Then.
”I want to buy a Black Ship.”
Huh?
The corners of her mouth curled up. But the meaning of her words took a moment to sink in.
—
Summary:
After witnessing a suspicious encounter involving an Amazoness and a noble’s secret rendezvous, Larry, Pamela, and Kenze attempt to flee the theater. Their path is blocked by security, leading to a tense, failed negotiation to find Onhart. A chance meeting with a woman resembling his aunt complicates the situation, resulting in their detention at a local guard station.
Larry, Kenze, and Pamela are confronted in their hotel room by Nikaure Saba, a formidable Amazoness from Larry’s past. Earlier, Professor Alan had warned them about rising military tensions involving the Amazoness and Baron Wilson. Nikaure’s sudden, direct request to purchase a Black Ship catches Larry entirely off guard, signaling a new, dangerous shift in her objectives.
—
Trivia:
- The Dragon God faith mandates dragon tattoos on Amazonesses, a tradition the protagonist’s companion Kenze no longer follows.
- Kure is depicted as a dangerous, exploitative location for mages.
- The social hierarchy differentiates between “Yeomen” and “unemployed mages,” which the protagonist exploits to keep his true status hidden.
- Baron Wilson, his wife, and his sister are all engaging in illicit affairs within the same theater, unaware of how exposed their behavior is to observers like Larry.
- The Middle-aged town guard serves as an early indicator of intelligence infiltration.
- Kenze notes that the Amazoness本家筋 (main family) usually functions only as administrators.
- The presence of a soldier-type Amazoness is a significant breach of the expected power hierarchy.
- Larry’s past connection to Nikaure involves a specific, traumatic military defense incident that led to his death penalty.
- Baron Wilson’s wife is linked to the Amazoness movement, adding political layers to the threat.
- Romy, a character from the Academy, is revealed to be from Baron Wilson’s territory.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Pamela – A petite, sharp-tongued Elf mage, maid, and possessive logistics chief married to the protagonist Larry. Clad in cloaked white Gothic Lolita attire hiding a slave crest, this independent Amazoness provides telepathic protection and healing. Formerly Earnest’s slave, she joins Larry, Katri, Kenze, and Thomas’s party on a naval assignment, though currently exhausted from hunger and custody.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Kenze – A dark-skinned Amazoness with short black hair, a niqab, and slave attire. A stoic former Takshurgan intelligence agent under state surveillance, this subordinate of protagonist Larry is his loyal guard and tactical commander. Rejecting typical slave treatment, she protects her children, like daughter Zaboo, using blinding speed to shield allies Pamela, Marie, Thomas, and Teressa.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Onhart – Tall, stern, and pragmatic, the Duke’s eldest son is a demoted Major under house arrest following a Rus expedition, now posing as caravan leader Roberto de Caliman. A father figure to the protagonist (separated from Larry by a bridge collapse), he handles logistics. Recently, Larry met him during a secret theater outing where he was infatuated with a mature woman, making him a primary target for contact.
• Larry – Sammy I (Larry-sama) is a 16-year-old, dark-haired Grand Duke, mage, and reincarnated engineering professor. Facing a death penalty and unbathed from solitary, he uses mana control, telepathy, and past-life tech to design ships and develop dynamite. He maintains heavy influence through his four wives, kids, and inventions while struggling with boundaries in a morally broken world.
• Fee – Larry Fee Getys is a 15-year-old reincarnated youth and titular Duke. Pragmatic and telepathic, this sharp-eyed young man leads the Getys household and rules Strock Village alongside Hans, Iffens, Teressa, and their maid Nico. While building a new nation, he enjoys prime whale meat and maintains crucial connections to Adolf and various underground networks.
• Commander – A man leading the mercenary press-gang at the south gate.
• Camilla – The middle-aged primary wife of a Viscount and wife of Klaus, she is the aunt to the protagonist, Larry. Characterized by narrow, slightly droopy eyes, she possesses a sharp, quiet, and potentially bitter temperament, which is reflected in her history of tense relations with her sister.
• Klaus – Thin, nervous Uncle Klaus—the protagonist’s uncle, Camilla’s husband, and Max’s father—is the Thalbach finance chief, a noble-vassal to Viscount Bizan, and tied to the Kingdom Office. Worn by endless work and his wife’s jealousy, his exhausted face has dark circles. Despised by Larry and Hans, he attends the wedding in a gold-trimmed black hat and a light-grey cloak.
• Thalbach – Klaus Thalbach, a distinguished older man, leads the Thalbach family that includes his nephew Larry; his dignified appearance and close kinship define his role as uncle and family head.
• Ho – Ho, a comrade of the protagonist. A member of the military unit that defended Garao Village and was slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Larry Fee Getys – Larry Fee Getys is a Strock Village youth and military researcher dealing with mobilization and personal dilemmas. Born to a Bizan noble family of rugged warriors—including Hardy, Denis, and Teressa—he was raised by aunts Alisa and Monica. Court officials used his academy-recognized lineage to clear him of guilt. He inherits a rugged warrior appearance, holds forest lands, and leads his village.
• Getys – Larry Fee Getys is a rugged Strock Village youth, military researcher, and village leader who inherits family forest lands. Born to the Bizan noble Getys clan—including father Hardy, brother Denis, and sister Teressa—he was raised by aunts Alisa and Monica. While his noble lineage clears him of guilt, he constantly grapples with mobilization duties and deep personal dilemmas.
• Viscount – A noble of the Rus who insisted on bringing reinforcements to the defense of the city.
• Bizan – The Viscount of the Bizan family name is the lord of a territory associated with a popular local fabric shop. He owns a castle built within the Danube River.
• Mana – A non-commissioned officer and liaison who previously had their mana drained by Larry.
• Kiridal – A female soldier mentioned as a point of reference for the demographics of the warlord’s army.
• Wilson – A Baron whose territory, the birthplace of Romy, hosted a prior military tribunal. His primary wife and younger sister were identified by Town Guards during the theater incident, and his wife is notably associated with the Amazoness factions.
• Alan – A handsome, pragmatic Naval Academy professor and Dean of Shipbuilding who is involved in the protagonist’s current situation and technological developments. A superior to Rosa and Tura, he possesses telepathy and mana-draining abilities. While detached from daily concerns, he is a master of political maneuvering. Well-connected and wary of Baron Wilson, he assigns the protagonist as a visiting professor.
• Schweilitz – The kingdom to which the protagonist is forced to return boasts towering academy spires and a full military arsenal—Royal Army troops and elite officers. Its ruler holds a captive the protagonist fears will be executed.
• Nikaure – A beautiful, pale Amazoness leader and tribe ambassador with sharp, restless eyes from countless battlefields. She wears a blue gemstone on a thin golden chain against her forehead as a mark of her noble, royal rank. On behalf of her people, she is currently seeking to purchase a Black Ship.
• Nika – A fourteen-year-old personal maid to Teressa. Freckled, has wavy bronze hair, flat chest, and prone to mocking Larry. Lady’s maid and cousin to Terese. Educated free person with a prickly personality. Terese’s lady’s maid and cousin. Known for being sharp-tongued toward Larry.
• Saba – A surname belonging to Nikaure.
• Romy – An Academy assistant professor from Baron Wilson’s territory, she was saved from debt and slavery by Larry, forming a deep bond. Arriving in Cain on a black ship, this troublemaker works with Marie, maintaining professionalism despite lacking raw ability. Primary author of a graphite clock design, she prefers sea life, serves as the protagonist’s companion at a funeral, and shows them pity.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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