Shadows in Riffridge

As Oasis sat in the inn with his guards, whispers began to ripple through the dimly lit room.

Word of men distributing food and money had already reached the ears of the patrons, sparking quiet gossip.

"Did you hear? Some noble's been handing out food and coins," one patron whispered to his companion, his voice low but full of curiosity.

"Yeah, I heard! Who'd do something like that in Riffridge? Must be someone from another town," another person murmured.

"Who are these people?" a woman muttered. "Could they be connected to the city lord?"

"Maybe they're from Belvan. I heard rumors about nobles from that region," someone else suggested, cautiously glancing around.

As the quiet chatter continued, Oasis stood up with his two guards, the candlelight flickering off their well-tailored clothing.

They made their way toward the inn's counter. The room had grown darker, with the lamps now fully lit to mark the arrival of night.

"Can we have a room for the night?" Oasis asked calmly, his gaze steady as his azure serpent eyes met the innkeeper's.

The innkeeper, sensing something off about Oasis's piercing stare, hesitated for a moment before responding.

"Oh, young lord, how many rooms?"

"One will do," Oasis answered, still calm but with an intensity that seemed to make the man behind the counter uneasy.

The innkeeper cleared his throat, nodding.

"Well, one room for the night will be 18 silver coins, young master."

The man's tone was respectful, noticing the fine clothing and confident presence of Oasis and his guards.

Meanwhile, the other patrons in the inn began murmuring among themselves.

"Who's that kid? Never seen him around here before," one patron whispered.

"Yeah, and who are those guards with him?" another added, watching them closely.

"Yeah, first time seeing him. Fancy clothes, armed guards—maybe a noble or a merchant?"

"Wonder what he's doing in a place like Riffridge..."

With a nod, the innkeeper handed a key to Oasis. "Your room is number two upstairs. Enjoy your stay, good sir."

Oasis took the key, and without a word, he and his two guards climbed the creaky wooden stairs to the second floor.

As they walked toward the room, one of the guards couldn't help but think,

"This brat is just wasting time, showing off his riches. Damn, why did we get stuck with him?"

The guards felt no connection to Oasis's methods.

To them, he was an overconfident child playing noble, while they believed the best course of action was a direct attack on the enemy camps, not these subtle tactics.

Once they reached their room, Oasis immediately got to business. He didn't bother with formalities.

"Listen, both of you," he began, his voice low but commanding,

"I'm heading out right away. Since you're from the Shadow Unit of Belvan, I trust your senses are sharp enough to handle this."

Both guards stood alert, though still unsure of what Oasis was planning.

"Your task is simple: retrieve the young people being held in the basement of the manor," Oasis explained.

"Do it without being noticed. The manor has four main guard stations, with the basement accessible through a hidden stairwell near the kitchen."

"You'll need to enter from the north side where the patrols are weakest at this hour. Once inside, the path through the servants' quarters will lead you to the basement."

The guards exchanged surprised glances. They hadn't even scouted the manor yet—how could Oasis know all this?

Oasis continued,

"Meanwhile, I will focus on the bedridden man. His room is on the second floor, at the far end of the hall."

"There are about 15 guards stationed around the manor."

"Six are at the front entrance, four patrol inside, and five are positioned in key areas around the building. Timing is critical."

One of the guards couldn't help but wonder,

"How does this brat know the layout already? We just arrived here. Did he use spiritual energy to figure this out?"

The guard tried to recall if he had sensed anything but came up short.

"I swear I didn't feel any spiritual waves coming from him since we met."

Another thought crossed his mind:

"Is this kid's spiritual energy really so strong that we can't even detect it? But we're the elite Shadow Unit. Something doesn't add up."

Without giving them more time to question it, Oasis nodded. "Right, let's get moving."

Without another word, the three moved toward the window, silently slipping out into the cool night air.

The inn's exterior was cloaked in darkness, the soft glow of the lamps inside casting faint shadows on the cobbled streets below.

The town's oppressive atmosphere felt even heavier under the cover of night.

Oasis and his two men moved swiftly through the streets, their steps silent as they blended with the night.

The rocky valleys and narrow roads of Riffridge loomed around them, casting ominous shapes in the dark.

The town's thin veil of prosperity in the central square vanished in the deeper corners, where the corruption was most evident.

Splitting off,

Oasis headed toward the manor's second floor while the two guards navigated the outer perimeter,

slipping through the shadows toward the servant's entrance on the north side. Oasis's plan was in motion.

As they closed in on the manor, the town's fate seemed to hang on the success of their mission.