Herald of Steel

Alexander's reason for creating duplicating spy agencies could be described using a single sentence, 'Some spies are needed to spy on the spies.'

In this way, Alexander hoped that in the event of a rebellion, it would be very likely that plans of such treacherous actions will be leaked by spies within that spy agency, each ratting out the other for glory and honor.

This was the same case in his previous world, where all countries had multiple duplicative spy services that did very similar things and who were actively encouraged to compete for funding and favor.

For example, the USA had so many letter intelligence services, CIA, NSA, FBI, DIA, the list could go on, who did a lot of the same thing and thus could be much more efficient if everyone worked under one giant organization.

But then that organization might get too much power.

And thus this was broken up and each of the intelligence services zealously protected their intelligence so others could not steal credit for themselves.

And when the intelligence service was not broken, like in the Soviet Union's KGB, they could oust leaders and even stage coups, like they tried to do by arresting Gorbachev and attempting to grab power in a last-ditch attempt to hold the Soviet Union together.

Alexander kept these lessons of history to himself and did not delineate such harsh realities to the young eighteen-year-old girl for now.

She would have her whole life ahead of her to learn it after all.

Alexander thus then turned to Ophenia, "Tayin, I also want you to tell the girls under you to keep their ears open for information. Men are especially loose mouth in bed."

Using prostitutes for spying was the oldest trick in the book and as a time-tested method, Alexander would certainly make use of it.

"Of course, master," Ophenia had no problem with this, adding with a little giggle, "Even master is no different."


She was of course referring to what Alexander told her about Cambyses in that council room.

This drew a rueful smile from Alexander who was finding Ophenia getting bolder and bolder by the day, finally breaking out of her polite, refined, fake facade.

Alexander was certainly very happy to see this, though he would have preferred it if Ophenia had chosen to do it a different way.

"Oh? What did he say? Tell me Tayin!" Cambyses's eyes were sparkling at the potential dirt.

Alexander was usually very tight-lipped so the girl was certainly interested to know what he had let slip.

"Hehehe," Ophenia only giggled, showing all her pearly whites as she withheld the potential bickering topic.

And seeing the situation about to worsen, Alexander quickly decided to divert the topic, choosing to use a piece of very juicy news.

News about Mikaya.

"I could not find the time to tell you yesterday, Tayin, but I promised Mikaya she could work for you," Alexander said.
"Work for me?" Ophenia naturally did not understand this without context, causing a slight frown to appear on her forehead.

"Yes, work," Alexander repeated with a small nod and then filled in the two women on the conversation he had had with Mikaya yesterday.

"....And that's what I meant by that," Alexander finished to the absolutely stunned looks of the two girls.

"Y..you...can't be serious." Cambyses could not even imagine that a noblewoman or for that fact, any woman would be willing to do the things Alexander promised her.

She was even looking forward to it!

'Crazy bitch,' Cambyses gave the silver-haired beauty this nickname.

If she did not know Alexander better, Cambyses would have thought that Alexander was pulling her leg.

On the other hand, Ophenia, who had seen much more of such stuff, was much calmer, "If master wishes, I can arrange that." She promised, adding, "In the temple, I have seen similar things happen."

"Some free women would hide their identity to come to the temple and either because of being frustrated, not loving their husbands, or just wanting to experience the thrill of it. They would drown themselves in the bodily pleasures the temple offered, and there are many tales of women who would even permanently join the temple afterwards."

Ophenia then finished by saying. "They would even pay the temple money for the chance, sleeping with not just priests, but regular devotees too. In fact, this was an open secret."

Alexander raised an eyebrow at this and wondered, "Oh? Then how did they hide their identity? What kind of disguise did they use?"

Because Mikaya would certainly require one and this was Alexander's biggest worry regarding her- hiding Mikaya's identity from the public.

Alexander then listed what his preferred disguise should be able to do.

"Mikaya's hair needs to be dyed. And preferably it needs to be able to be washed very quickly, within a few hours, max. Any ideas? Alexander asked Ophenia.

This was because he didn't want the twin princesses or worse the Queen mother questioning why she colored her hair black.

"Mmm, no problem master. This request was also made by many of the women in the temple and I know of a dye that does not wash with water but instantly does with alcohol." Ophenia promised.

"Really! That's fantastic!" Alexander was very pleased by this convenient solution.

Hearing the duo so casually discuss Mikaya and being dead serious about allowing her to perform the things Mikaya wanted to, Cambyses felt her eyes being opened and she felt nothing but disdain and disgust for Pasha Farzah's youngest daughter.

"Heh, where does that whore get off chiding you when she's like that?" Cambyses loudly cursed Mikaya.

She still had not let Mikaya off for mocking her husband at the dinner table tonight, and after knowing how base Mikaya was, naturally she considered her to be very low and degrading.

"Did what Mikaya's said bother you that much?" Alexander asked with a placid smile.

"Well..yeah," Cambyses said in an obvious tone, and then, thinking that she had noticed a pattern, she asked, "Alex, I noticed it even before. You never defend yourself, why?"

Cambyses certainly did not enjoy seeing her husband getting bullied and wondered why Alexander did not put Mikaya in her place.

"Hahaha," Alexander gave a very frank laugh at the question, and lightly asked, "Defend from what? From who?"

"Do I flare up when they call me a bumpkin, or slave, or peasant?

"Do I hiss and puff when they snigger and backbite behind my back?"

"Do I throw a tantrum when they deride and mock me?"

Alexander then turned to Cambyses and asked simply, "Why?"

"....." Cambyses and Ophenia were silent.

Alexander then advised, "Listen Cam, and I want you to remember what I say very well. 'The world will never let us forget who and what we are. So wear it like armor and no one will be able to hurt you'."

Alexander took this quote from a famous TV show.

This deep statement sent the two girls into a poignant thought as they remunerated what Alexander had just told them.

And the more they thought about it the more they understood that no matter what they did, they would always be seen as outsiders by the Adhanian nobility.

People of low birth, barbarians, and Thesians-the enemy, these labels would always be plastered to them and it seemed according to Alexander, the strategy was not to bother.

To treat the insults like water washing of the skin, harmless and irrelevant.

The reason why this not did bother Alexander was because as a modern man, someone from the 21st century, he, a bit arrogantly, saw all the people here as less civilized and less knowledgeable than him.

There were smart people, much smarter people than Alexander even, but he didn't think anyone was as knowledgeable as him.

Thus whenever anyone mocked him about status and bloodline, he only thought, 'What do you know about my status? I lived in a technological world you people could not even imagine, ate food you could not even fathom, and had access to luxuries you people are unable to even grasp the mere concept of.

'So, how dare you people living in mud huts, eating barely hand to mouth and still shitting under the sun think you pass judgment on me?'

Alexander would taunt and mock them in return.

To him, whatever these people said went in one ear and out the next, as other than handful ones, most were non-existent in Alexander's eyes.

A good analogy for Alexander would be like if a person hit someone for no reason.

Naturally, that person would be very angry and most likely remember the incident for the rest of his life.

But if a mosquito bites him, he would struggle to remember the incident a minute later.

Why?

Because that mosquito and its bite both were insignificant.

And this was the same way Alexander saw the people here.

He simply did not care that the people were saying such things, because, according to him, the very things they were accusing him of, he also considered to be that- Base, ignorant, and barbaric.