Wayne knew he couldn't be too detailed, or he would surely arouse the suspicion of these agents who spent their days investigating and tailing others. However, he couldn't be too vague either; after all, he needed to rely on this information to make his demands.
SI:7's strict organizational structure and single-line secrecy management ensured that most agents knew only their immediate superior, aside from a few top leaders. They had no idea how many others were in the organization. Even when cooperating, they wore hoods that exposed only their eyes and referred to each other by codenames, let alone knowing each other's names or faces.
This practice was identical to that of most espionage agencies.
"Since you mentioned the Defias Brotherhood, I have two things I can tell you."
"The 'Ambassador' you're looking for... was indeed kidnapped by the Defias Brotherhood. However, some accidents happened along the way, and he isn't currently in their hands. As for the mole in Stormwind Keep you mentioned—the garden next to the royal library is where he meets with the Defias agents who have infiltrated the palace."
Corinne listened with deep skepticism. "How did you come by this information?"
Wayne shrugged. "Are you sure you want to ask for such details? Is it not your rule never to disclose intelligence to others and never to question the operations of other agents in the organization?"
Corinne's face remained still, but inwardly she agreed with Wayne's statement. This was indeed the first tenet of being an agent.
In truth, Wayne had no way of knowing these specifics through official channels. As a player before his crossing, he was the type who ignored quest text nine and a half times out of ten, relying solely on map markers. Aside from a few classic major questlines, he didn't remember the details of most minor tasks, especially for a faction like SI:7, which didn't have much screen time in the early Level 60 version of the game.
But that didn't stop him from leaving Corinne utterly stunned.
On one hand, the quest in the Stormwind Keep garden called "The Ambush" had left a lasting impression on many players, including Wayne. Not only did you have to stay hidden while listening to a mountain of dialogue, but you also had to fight two enemies who were usually higher level than you. It was very easy to die, fail the quest, and then have to restart and watch the boring dialogue all over again.
On the other hand, even if he hadn't read the quest text carefully or remembered the names of the two hostile NPCs, had he not seen spy movies?
Lurk, The Disguiser, Mission: Impossible, The Bourne Identity—no matter the cultural background or style, secret agents always relied on code words, single-line contacts, encrypted channels, and classified files. Agents worked alone or in small teams, almost never with extra help dispatched by the organization.
Although Corinne was starting to believe him, this alone wasn't enough to move her. "I cannot report to my superiors based solely on an unsubstantiated claim like yours."
Wayne expected her to say this. "The Ambassador you're looking for is currently alive. But only 'currently.' Although you call him an Ambassador, you and I both know who he truly is."
He spread his hands. "You can choose not to believe me and watch your organization continue to cast a wide net like a headless fly. But once that mole in Stormwind Keep gets wind of the situation and flees your sphere of influence, you won't just lose a chance to purge a traitor—you'll lose the chance to save that 'Ambassador.'"
Corinne was clearly shaken. She was now half-believing, because she could tell from Wayne's words that he actually knew who the so-called Ambassador was.
She pondered for a moment, watching Seiya on the arena stage receive the Pegasus Cloth. "What is your demand?"
Wayne wanted to state a price directly, but he thought it better to wait for them to offer first so he could hold out for the best deal.
He said confidently, "Whether you believe it or not, you can go back and tell your superiors, or go directly to your Master. He will verify whether my intelligence is true or false."
"Once you've verified it, you can come back to me with your terms. You're a long-time member of the net cafe; you know I won't risk my life for a mere 15 gold a month."
"At that time, I will tell you another, even more important piece of information."
Corinne eventually agreed, and Wayne exited the animation with her.
Back in the real world, Wayne announced that the "debugging" was over and gave the station to the next person in line.
Although Corinne was deeply fascinated by the techniques in Saint Seiya, as a low-level agent who had long been dormant at the grassroots level collecting rumors, this bloody case in Goldshire had given her a rare opportunity to participate in a high-level mission. She very much wanted to prove herself through this matter.
Perhaps in terms of combat strength, she could only be a novice rogue trainer, but in terms of intelligence gathering, she was confident she could stand out from the "Ring Finger" rank. After all, compared to the former, she preferred stimulating and adventurous scouting missions.
Before leaving, Corinne told Wayne that she would return with an answer tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after at the latest.
She mentioned one more thing: Lyria had some news for him. It had nothing to do with SI:7, but it concerned Wayne directly.
Just as he saw Corinne off, someone in the queue began shouting at Tess, who was handling registrations.
"Why do they get to go first?!"
Wayne turned to look. It was a middle-aged man wearing a light grey robe. His shoulder-length hair and the goatee under his chin were the same shade of grey. However, his forehead was as "bald" as a machine gun...
Tess: "Mister, because they paid the membership fee. Wasn't that explained while you were queuing?"
Bald Man: "On what grounds do I have to pay first just to queue?"
Tess: "It's a membership fee, Mister. You can also wait behind the members and pay when it's your turn."
The bald man spat on the ground. "Where did such unreasonable rules come from? Little girl, call your boss out here!"
Tess appeared to be a delicate and cute young girl, but given her childhood experiences, Wayne had long discovered that her personality was very resilient, with a touch of adolescent rebellion.
Just as she had shown when she was oppressed by Duke Bowles at the inn, any ordinary country child would have backed down or cried for their parents after being surrounded and threatened by five or six people.
Now, hearing the bald man demanding the boss, even though she had seen Wayne and Corinne walk out after their talk, Tess insisted on handling this "Mister" herself.
She was not one to admit defeat.
"The boss is busy and isn't here; I'm the one in charge! Mister, if you think the rules of this net cafe are unreasonable, you don't have to play. Just like if you go to a restaurant and think the prices are too high, you don't have to eat."
"Our prices are clearly marked, no cheating of young or old. And please take note: if you cause trouble and disrupt our normal business order, you will be blacklisted immediately and never served again!"
Seeing that this legendary net cafe was actually managed by such a dainty girl, the bald man's voice grew louder. "Little girl, do you know who I am?!"
Tess didn't buy it at all. With her personality, even if she weren't the Princess of Gilneas, she wouldn't be intimidated by such words.
She replied as if she didn't care, "If you're here to pay and register as a member, I will write down your name."
People nearby, hearing them go back and forth, turned their heads to watch the excitement.
The bald man thought Tess was getting cold feet. He walked toward the net cafe with a smug expression, saying, "Listen well, little girl! I am Brother Cassus of the Cathedral of Light. I am leaving the city today on the orders of the Archbishop, and I happened to pass by. I don't have much time; hurry up and arrange a seat for me."
Tess took two steps and blocked Brother Cassus. "Oh, I heard you. So, can you queue up properly now, Mister?"
Whether Cassus was used to being arrogant or felt he could do as he pleased in a rural place like Goldshire, he pushed Tess aside—not with great force, but enough to move her—and walked straight inside.
Just as Tess was about to lose her temper, Wayne held her back. He gave her a mischievous smile and whispered, "I'll take care of him."
Because Cassus's last shout was so loud, the people currently using the stations in the net cafe heard it and looked toward the door at the same time.
Cassus took only one step into the room. His eyes scanned the area, and his second step froze in mid-air.
"An... Andromath...? And Marlin... why are you two Archmages..."
"And Sandar... a Warlock is actually here too..."
"Ma... Marshal McBride?!"