# Among the many countries of the Alliance, if one were to identify those most skilled in espionage, they would point to "Krasilov for internal intelligence" and "Kalion for external intelligence."
Both could be briefly equated to "armchair strategists" and "voyeurs," respectively.
However, if we expand our scope beyond nations to "organizations," there exists one that is surprisingly more borderless than Kalion and more privy to intimate secrets than Krasilov.
The Church.
All countries in the Alliance are bound by a single religion, and the priests of the church state are appointed by the Pope. With the power of appointment, deployment, and absolution, priests know no borders.
Additionally, through the system of "confession," priests can hear the most intimate concerns and shameful secrets of their congregation. Naturally, there are strict church laws prohibiting disclosure, but who is without error?
Priests are human too, so they occasionally make verbal slips. Some priests are suspected of "making verbal slips too frequently." In other words, they are suspected of being fixed spies for allied nations.
Considering all these circumstances, the organization with the most spies in this era is the Church, which also holds the strongest intelligence network, and therefore...
"My small, precious status window..."
In Pritzenkaya, at St. Yansk University's Theology Department, all theology students are potential spies, which means...
"Who on earth is a spy... please tell me..."
Yu-jin, who needed to filter out these spies, could only clutch his face and groan.
Though he wasn't entirely sure what the Saintess's plan was, this was all he could do for now.
At this point, with the Theology Department having fainted from the loss of divine power, Yu-jin could only sit blankly in the campus grounds.
"Yu-jin, what are you doing?"
"Lamenting, praying, spying."
"Good to see you being so devout. If you've got nothing to do, want to come audit a class with me?"
"Audit?"
"It's Professor Enrique's class, but it was so popular I couldn't register. Remember 'Demon Ecology'?"
"Isn't that the class you only attended orientation for and then skipped entirely?"
"Now Professor Enrique is teaching it. They say anyone can attend regardless of enrollment. Want to come? Afterward, we can go to Isabelle's for dinner."
"I can't resist that."
Kimchi stew is a major priority. That's why his senior's eyes had gone wild.
Yu-jin nodded firmly as he stood up. Since Enrique's classes were fun, it should be fine...
Enrique is skilled at teaching. This can be proven by the Annihilation Squad (which was annihilated). Her teaching methods deserve praise, as none of her students have failed.
It's not easy for a beautiful, glamorous, elegant, entertaining, young (debatable) female professor's class to be unpopular. Especially if that professor is from the Hero Party.
A point that Ivan and some others fail to easily recognize is that Enrique was one of the heroes recorded in history books. Even now, one can easily find statues of the Hero Party with her image greatly embellished.
"Last week was goblins, right?"
"Goblins and orcs. Definitely better than last semester's class."
It was a much more systematic and rational class than the one taught by the eccentric who taught that "demons' weakness: they die when their heads are cut off."
Students gathered in the forest outside campus, chatting casually while waiting. Soon, Enrique appeared at the podium.
"Hello, students! The weather is beautiful, perfect for a game of tag! Today is a practical exercise. I told everyone to dress comfortably... but the male students didn't listen!"
Ignoring some students who had dressed up, Enrique continued with a grin.
"Well, you'll regret it. Today's exercise is dealing with a Taurus. Tilles students should pay close attention. Taurus demons are the main force on the eastern front, and small-scale invasions still frequently occur there."
The Tilles students and the Hero Party nodded solemnly.
"Now, what should you do when facing a Taurus? Honestly, there's only one correct answer. Kill it from a distance. If you engage in close combat, a Taurus's charge has similar power to a knight's lance charge. If you're not mounted, avoid contact while on foot."
Isabelle, who had been listening intently to Enrique's explanation, pondered at this point. I heard Uncle just stood there and cut them all down, she thought.
"The best method is to ambush a solitary Taurus when encountered. That's why I chose the forest. Forests are good environments for hiding and ambushing. I taught you how to move stealthily in the forest in the last class, right? Today, let's practice that while evaluating your skills."
At that moment, a student raised his hand high. A male student wearing an expensive suit and doused in cologne waved his hand with a fatal expression.
"Yes, there. Um... sorry, it's the beginning of the semester so I don't know everyone's names yet. Do you have a question?"
"I am Lünen of the Düs noble family, Professor!"
"Yes, yes, Lünen de Düs. Your question?"
"When you say we'll practice ambushing a Taurus... does that mean there's a Taurus in this forest?"
"As great as I, Enrique, may be, I can't release demons into a forest attached to Pritzenkaya. Instead, I found someone to play that role."
Oh.
At this point, Isabelle and Asidis quickly looked at each other.
No way.
"Now, applause! Does anyone not know him?"
Thud.
Heavy footsteps shook the ground. It felt as if the spring air temperature had dropped by about 50 degrees.
All the students brushed off the goosebumps on their arms and quickly shifted their gaze.
From the shadow of an ordinary conifer that no one had paid attention to, a tall man slowly walked out.
"Huh?"
"Huh...?"
Ivan Petrovich stepped out of the shadow and stood in front of the podium. He surveyed the gathered students with gloomy eyes. There were familiar faces and unfamiliar ones.
And in this school, an unfamiliar face to him meant a first-year student. This is because he memorizes the personal information of all undergraduate students.
In the chilling silence, Ivan slowly opened his mouth.
"Moo."
"Pfft...!! Hahaha!!"
Isabelle quickly covered her mouth.
That old man is cute. Damn. Is this unavoidable...? Isn't this seduction?
Having turned into Dark-Isabelle, she quickly began planning to add sleeping pills to the evening banquet. Various drugs, including sleeping pills, are included in the dark chef's secret sauce.
"If you hear this sound, run. Taurus demons only howl right before combat, and if you're close enough to hear a Taurus howling in the forest, it means it has seen you."
Ivan continued stoically.
"Taurus demons have poor vision but better hearing and smell than humans. Their hearing is about three times better in the sub-audible range, and their sense of smell is estimated to be about five times better. So, to ambush a Taurus, you need to be as quiet as possible and conceal your scent as much as possible."
"Um, how do we hide our scent in the forest...?"
"Good question. There are mainly three methods."
The female student who had asked the question instinctively shrank her neck in fear, as "good question" sounded more like "I'm going to kill you."
"Immerse yourself in mud. Or wait in water as long as possible. However, staying in water for too long risks hypothermia, and when water evaporates outside, your scent becomes stronger, risking exposure, so I don't recommend it. The most recommended method is blood."
"...Blood?"
"Apply blood near the area where you want to hide. The more, the better. Taurus demons are carnivores and enjoy raw meat, so they're easily excited by the scent of blood. Then, ambush the Taurus while it's distracted by feeding."
Ivan concluded, scanning the students.
"I'll begin tracking in five minutes. I'll adjust to the level of an ordinary Taurus in tracking and combat, so don't be overly afraid when attempting an ambush. I'll take hits that I judge a Taurus couldn't react to."
In other words, he's confident he can take hits that would be effective against a Taurus-level demon with his bare body.
Students who weren't intimidated by Ivan's face snickered and smiled mockingly.
Everyone here is at least a noble, and nobles know how to use magic. Adults who have advanced to university are even more proficient, and nobles dispatched to places of international exchange are especially skilled.
In other words, these are people who have easily defeated experienced knights or wizards within their own domains. They are talented individuals who have been called geniuses since childhood.
Talented noble youths are inevitably arrogant. So when it's not Enrique herself but an unknown, shabby-looking professor they've never heard of making such claims, they can only laugh.
After surveying them, Ivan took out a pocket watch.
"I'll begin now. Disperse."
"Come on, sticking together is fine, but the more you cluster, the more visible you are, right? Consider your strategy, form teams, and move. I'll give you two hours!"
"Can we just run away?"
"You can, but don't forget the name of this class. It's Demon Ecology. Since we're testing response methods, that would be grounds for deduction. Try to land at least one attack. Even if you fail, you'll get bonus points."
Enrique waved her hand with a grin. As the students scattered, suddenly only Enrique and Ivan remained at the podium.
"Thanks for coming. Honestly, I didn't expect you to agree so readily."
"Education is important."
The Hero Party still has much to learn, and other students also need to improve their education level. As he once reflected, these are turbulent times. In this moment when the Alliance Kingdom faces the crisis of dissolution, talented individuals who can respond to demons are always valuable.
Enrique nodded happily at Ivan's words.
"And it's good for you to get some fresh air and meet people too."
It was clear that if left alone with nothing to do, he would just inspect weapons or shut himself in the counterintelligence headquarters, focusing on checking intelligence networks or intelligence materials.
A person shouldn't live so bleakly. It's better to mingle with young people and gain some vitality. Vitality is highly contagious. Doesn't the atmosphere already feel lighter?
Ivan nodded silently at Enrique's words. He put the pocket watch back in his pocket. Since he could count time to the second anyway, the watch was merely for show to the students.
"Don't be too harsh, okay?"
"Don't worry. I'll truly act as an ordinary Taurus would."
"Be patient even if the kids are a bit mischievous."
"You worry too much."
Ivan shook his head and turned around. He trudged into the forest path.
Enrique smiled watching him. Despite what he says, he's still one of us.
Because he enjoys teaching the kids.
"Hey, he's coming."
"Shh, quiet. Get ready."
Lünen gripped his longsword tightly and lowered his body. Along with several other students, he was hiding in the dense undergrowth of the coniferous forest.
It had been a long time since he had coordinated with these fellows. The Düs County was a large domain, and there were many peers among the baronial families under the count's command.
The young barons here are valuable assets for when he forms a "faction" in the future. They were old friends who had roamed around the domain together, engaging in all sorts of "fun" activities.
It was a typical combination of wizards and knights. The five students swallowed nervously as they prepared for the ambush, each gripping their weapons.
Soon, footsteps were heard. They were so strong, deliberately stomping the ground, that it would be difficult not to notice.
"Perfume scent is easily exposed. Be careful."
A low voice echoed from a distance. Even from quite far away, through dense foliage that obscured vision, it was directed precisely at them.
And soon, the stoic voice continued.
"Moo."
A Taurus only howls when it discovers an enemy.
"Aaaaaahhh—!!"
"Dieeee—!! Dieeeee—!!"
"That sounds close. Should we go check?"
"No, Essie. We're in a perfect position right now."
"Please save me please save me please save me please save me!!"
"I'm sorryyyy!!!"
"Do you know who I—!! Aaaahh!!"
"What exactly is Uncle doing?"
"Probably what he usually does. I think I could imitate it."
"Try it! What is it?"
"Hmm. Enemy. Kill."
"Pfft!! Hahaha!! Kyahahaha!!!"
Asidis immediately collapsed, pounding the ground with laughter.
After giggling for a while, the two cleared their throats and crouched down again.
"This time, you understand, right, Essie? We take him down no matter what."
"That seems a bit... bold."
"No, he said he'd 'limit his strength.' Do you think we'll get another chance like this? Are you going to give up now? Just hand Uncle over to the Queen?"
"We can't do that."
"When we meet him, I'll go out and talk to him first. Then you strike from behind, and when his attention is divided, I'll charge in."
"Sounds good, perfect."
"Excellent."
Ivan nodded as he looked at the clearing stained with deer blood.
Blood was splattered on trees and the ground around the deer carcass. Indeed, following the scent of blood had led him here. A clean, perfect trap. One that a Taurus would inevitably fall for.
Ivan walked satisfactorily to the center of the clearing.
"Uncle."
Isabelle rose from beyond the clearing. Brushing off a few leaves that had settled on her hair, she drew her sword with a fresh smile.
"Want to make a bet?"
"A bet."
"If I win, you grant me one wish."
"Why should I?"
"If I lose, I'll participate in your training camp without complaint. You need it, don't you? For the Hero to become stronger."
"That's reasonable."
Ivan nodded. But it's a deduction.
"Setting a trap for an ambush but then revealing yourself is foolish behavior. Your chances of winning don't seem very high."
"Is that so? Really?"
With Isabelle's smile, Ivan's gaze quickly turned to the side.
With his hearing and smell restricted to Taurus level, he hadn't noticed until the killing intent was about to reach him. Indeed, if he were a Taurus, this ambush would have worked.
Even more certainly if the killing intent had been concealed. Ivan nodded with satisfaction.
"Clang—!!"
"You're using an axe?!"
"Taurus demons know how to use axes."
The baton that was plunging toward Ivan's crown was blocked by an axe blade. He restrained his technique as much as possible and pushed Asidis back with pure strength, turning his head.
Indeed, perfect timing. Isabelle, who had rushed in, pointed her sword straight at his chest. Seeing that she even employed magic, there was nothing to fault.
"Clang—!!"
"You're using magic too?!"
"Taurus demons know how to use magic."
Ivan's axe deflected Isabelle's blade, spinning half a turn, and then swept away the descending baton. He immediately twisted his waist and kicked Isabelle heavily.
"Ugh—!!"
Isabelle twisted her body in mid-air to regain her posture. As she landed on the ground, her long hair settled gently.
From the distance that had opened up again, Ivan smiled slightly.
I like them more and more, he thought.
They were already outstanding children. Their talent is comparable to the previous generation. They're becoming sharper through real combat experience, and it shows.
The process of slowly building up the novice Hero Party itself.
Or perhaps as their skills improve, he feels their survival is more secure.
Yes, no one else needs to die. That's how it should be, and that's what he will ensure.
So, quite satisfied, Ivan smiled slightly and slowly opened his mouth toward Isabelle.
"Moo."
Because Taurus demons howl right before combat.
Isabelle burst into laughter.