Everyone but Me Is a Spy - Chapter 60

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 60
“—and that’s how information has been leaking to the remnants of the Defeated Nation.”
Back in Soltem, Joel handed the Document Envelope that had been the delivery target safely to Master, and conveyed the information about the double spy.
Master listened with a grave expression, then nodded in acknowledgment.
From his reaction, it seemed Master had harbored at least a faint suspicion of the double spy’s existence.
Now that suspicion had hardened into certainty, and the thought of what investigation might unfold beneath the surface exhausted him.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
“Joel Smiler. You’re off this mission.”
……
Joel froze mid-bow at Master’s abrupt command.
“You’ve worked hard enough. Take some leave. And from this moment on, keep your hands off Rikita’s assignments.”
……
Joel stared hard at Master, who was driving the nail home.
“There were no issues with the delivery mission.”
“That’s right. No issues, and you did it well. You even brought back information like that.”
“Then—”
“I can’t keep using someone who’s developed personal feelings for the target.”
……
“Besides, this Townhouse’s contract period is ending anyway. We’ll bring in Ryan as the new tenant and continue with the Honeytrap Operation.”
Joel listened to Master’s firm order in silence, then stepped back.
“Understood.”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
Master looked at Joel dubiously, as if his ears had deceived him.
He’d been certain Joel would refuse strongly, so the unexpected compliance bewildered him.
“I said I understand.”
“Are you certain?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re saying you’ll step away from this mission without complaint?”
“If you’re looking for insubordination, I can provide that.”
“Don’t say such frightening things.”
Master’s hand went to his chest as he exhaled in relief.
His worry that Joel might stubbornly complicate matters proved groundless.
Joel accepted Master’s words without resistance, but attached a condition.
“I’d like to take an extended leave.”
“Extended? In this situation?”
“I’ll still support any urgent Magitech Device Crafting and repairs during my leave.”
“So you’ve finally come to your senses.”
Master found Joel genuinely admirable.
The brilliant magitech engineer of Soltem had finally learned what altruism meant.
While the existence of a double spy was troubling, the Agency’s troublemaker and maverick finally showing sense was truly a relief.
Assigning him a mission far from the Townhouse had proven to be an excellent choice—just what he needed to clear his head.
Of course, even now that he’d come to his senses, he wouldn’t be used on this mission.
The next day, Ryan, acting on Master’s orders, went straight to find the landlord to arrange a contract extension.
They said Joel had left for a longer recuperation, and Ryan would live in the house while carrying out the new operation.
But then another problem emerged.
“It seems you haven’t heard the news yet.”
The landlord Ryan met with patted his shoulder apologetically.
“This Townhouse is no longer my property. The owner changed hands today.”
……How frustrating.
Ryan clicked his tongue in irritation and looked around.
Sunlight streamed in generously, and the large landscaping trees provided shade; it was a desirable neighborhood close to Soltem’s center.
He should have anticipated that a house in such demand might sell within a day.
“I didn’t know. Thank you for everything. I’ll work out the contract with the new owner.”
“Ah, but……”
The original landlord called him back and hesitated, so Ryan asked.
“Is something wrong?”
“The new owner said they’re moving in starting today.”
“Ah.”
This was a disaster.
It had been the perfect position to watch Nina’s Townhouse, and now it was lost.
‘Of all the rotten timing. I told him to just buy the place instead of renting, but I’d be grateful if he could at least secure this house somehow.’
Ryan was turning to survey the townhouse across the street when it happened.
The door of the townhouse behind them suddenly swung open, and Joel emerged with perfect composure.
Ryan approached him with a bewildered expression.
“What? You said you were taking leave. Why are you still here? Did you forget something?”
“No. I just came out to check the mailbox.”
Joel collected only the mail from the box and returned to the townhouse, shutting the door behind him.
Click. Clack. Clunk. Boom.
The heavy sound of the lock mechanisms engaging struck Ryan like a blow to the head.
“…?”
Unable to make sense of what was happening, Ryan stood frozen until the previous owner of the house pointed at the firmly closed door.
“Oh! Are you acquainted with him? That young man is the new owner of this townhouse.”
“…I’m sorry?”
“He said he’d lived here renting for a while and liked it so much he wanted to buy it. He offered such a generous price that I sold immediately.”
“…”
Ryan felt his mind fog over, and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
Then he charged straight at the door Joel had closed behind him.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Joel Smiler! Open this door!”
The new owner showed no sign of opening up, but this time Ryan wasn’t about to back down.
He pounded with fists and feet as if to splinter the door, and finally it swung open with a click as Joel appeared again.
“Sir. What are you doing? You’re disturbing the neighbors. Please be reasonable.”
“You be reasonable, you madman!”
Ryan grabbed Joel by the collar.
“Guguoo-oot!”
Guguoo, who had been away on another assignment and had just returned to the townhouse, suddenly appeared behind Ryan, flapping his wings furiously.
He had arrived even earlier than Ryan but, unable to enter the house, had been hovering about in quite a foul mood.
Ryan barely resisted the urge to beat Joel senseless and ground his teeth instead.
“What were you thinking buying this house? You know better than anyone how crucial a base of operations is.”
“Call the security before I throw you out.”
Joel brushed Ryan’s hand away and pointed toward the exterior of the townhouse.
Ryan, his blood boiling, raked his trembling hands over his face.
“I’m going insane. Look, I’m not going to ask you to sell the place—just rent it out and get out of here. Don’t come back until this mission is over.”
“Don’t give me orders. I’m officially on leave.”
Any spy involved in this operation would already know that Joel had taken an extended vacation.
Yet Joel’s indifferent reply only infuriated him further.
“What is wrong with you!”
“I haven’t finished perfecting a Magical Gun suited precisely to Nina.”
“I’m about to lose my mind with all this talk of Nina!”
Ryan was staggered anew by the realization that every custom-crafted Magical Gun on display had been made for one person and one person alone.
Regardless, Joel continued speaking.
“To do that, I need to understand Nina better. It requires time to observe her. That way, once I’ve learned everything about her, won’t The Agency benefit as well?”
“…”
“If you understand, stop pestering me. I’m on leave.”
“But still—!”
Boom.
Before Ryan could properly begin, the door slammed shut right before his eyes.
There were spies who complained about their posts, but none who had ever bought the place to stay longer.
Even for a seasoned operative like Ryan, this was unprecedented, and he had no idea how to respond.
‘Good grief. I don’t even know how to file a report on this. My head…’
He rubbed the back of his neck and ground his teeth, eventually reaching the conclusion that he needed to handle the most urgent matters first.
Rather than glare at and pound on the townhouse Joel had bought, he needed to secure a rental in the townhouse across the street for now.
It was hard to say whether he should be grateful that they could now surveil Nina from multiple angles.
His frustration mounting, Ryan even entertained the absurd thought that he wouldn’t mind if Joel turned out to be a double spy.
‘Then the other side would suffer from Joel too, and maybe they’d tear themselves apart without us doing anything.’
* * *
Meanwhile, at Count Sejak’s Estate in the Kingdom of Illite.
“Madam. Nina has sent a package.”
“Has she? Do bring it here.”
At that place, things were happening that defied imagination.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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