A feature I actually would like to see removed

[Ludens]

Whats your point? This post does not relate at all to the fact that spies and assassins start out as untrained.

Actually, it does. Recruiting "trained" or "untrained" spies suggests there was such a thing as a spy school. The wording of the OP implies something similar. Cambyses points out that in reality spies were recruited ad-hoc, rather than trained. It seems logical that they would need some time to gain the necessary contacts and skills to become proficient.

Edit: cute_wolf was quicker; or rather I was very slow.