Spionage

***1

Watching the evening clouds was not Soran's primary focus as he leaned against a tree, its leaves rustling in the gentle evening breeze. Thankfully, he had tied back his nearly long hair, avoiding any irritation on his face from the occasional tickling sensation.

Finding refuge amidst a plantation, Soran positioned himself under a tree. A well-worn path of dry soil stretched nearby, frequently traversed by pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. However, his presence seemed to attract attention, and curious gazes were cast upon him by those passing by.

"Hey, isn't that the samurai NPC everyone's been talking about? Looks like he's just taking a rest under that tree."

"I heard he was rejected by the guild for attempting a Rank A Board Quest. I'm quite intrigued by his fighting abilities, considering our levels aren't that different."

"We should refrain from disturbing him. He might be mourning fallen comrades from battle. By the way, isn't it rare to see a samurai class on our server?"

As the adventurers' voices faded into the distance, Soran feigned closing his eyes, placing his hands behind his head, seemingly oblivious to their comments. This had become a recurring scene in the days following Soran's involvement with Eldoria's Guild Office.

Ahead lay the town, its towering structures visible amidst the imposing fortress walls encircling its outer perimeter. The robust barrier indicated limited access points.

Stretching his weary back after maintaining his position for a considerable time, Soran gained a better vantage point of the surroundings. The adventurers who had passed earlier were now approaching the main gate, where guards diligently conducted their inspections prior to granting entry.

The town's stringent security measures aroused suspicion. Eldoria, one of the initial towns in the continent, shared a similar purpose with cities like Lemuria. However, it exuded an inexplicable aura of emptiness, melancholy, and desolation, despite the bustling presence of its inhabitants.

In the distance, Soran caught another disturbance arising from a group of workers toiling at the plantation since morning. Their labor showed no signs of cessation. Yet, rather than demonstrating a commendable work ethic, their actions conveyed the opposite sentiment.

One of the guards stormed towards the scene, the clinking of his armored joints resonating loudly. A teenager lay sprawled on the ground, the guard's boot pressed firmly against his chest.

"You lazy scum!" The guard's voice pierced the air, filled with disdain. He forcefully stomped down on the teenager, his foot crushing the young one's breath. "Now is not the damn time for you to rest! Just because you're a newbie here doesn't mean you can slack off, you worthless piece of filth?!"

As the guard continued his merciless berating, a broken man dropped to his knees, desperately clinging to the guard's leg, tears streaming down his face. "Please, have mercy on my child. He's just starting out, still trying to adjust. Please!"

The residents nearby, having momentarily paused their work, felt a surge of empathy and pity for their fellow commoners. But their compassion was abruptly cut short by the deafening crack of a whip, wielded by another guard with savage force, as though it could pulverize stone.

"What the hell are you maggots doing, huh?! Back to work, you sorry lot! Unless you want to end up like this," the guard sneered, jabbing his finger towards the freshly exposed earth. "That's assuming your skin is tougher than a damn chunk of iron!"

That was just one of the many peculiarities Soran had encountered since arriving in Eldoria. Even before that, gaining acceptance into the town and working for the guilds had not been an easy task. Fortunately, Soran had a cunning advisor behind him, pulling the strings.

His seemingly kind nature rebelled against the mistreatment of commoners by the guards in this place. If one thought this behavior was confined to the plantation, they were mistaken, as this torment permeated every aspect of life in Eldoria, a town that had isolated itself from the outside world.

Unable to bear the workers' cries of pain any longer, Soran stood up and distanced himself from the scene. It wasn't that he lacked the desire to help them but quite the opposite, he was restraining himself from doing so. All of this was part of a grander plan, the true purpose of his visit to this sorrowful town.

Even without engaging in any suspicious activity, Soran could sense the watchful eyes upon him from multiple directions. Guards patrolled the towers atop the fortress walls, guards stood on duty in the plantation, and guards remained vigilant at the main gate, which Soran was approaching. His steps came to a halt as two spears crossed just in front of his face.

Raising both hands, not too high, Soran allowed the guards to inspect him. It was unsurprising that he attracted strange and suspicious looks, given his attire, which was unfamiliar in this region. He donned a set of dark purple robes and carried a uchigatana slung over his back.

Drawing from past experiences, Soran maintained a silent and composed demeanor, avoiding any sense of hastiness. Speeding up the interrogation process was futile, his previous attitude nearly landed him in jail. In this moment, asking questions would not be advantageous.

"Have you completed your quests?" the guards inquired sternly.

"Ask no more, both of them B Rank!" Soran confidently responded, embodying the persona he had adopted. It felt somewhat artificial, but Soran was nudged on the shoulder, as if urged to enter. It was hardly a warm reception for someone returning from a rather challenging quest.

The swift-flowing river served as an emotional distraction, flowing beside a short bridge—barely seven meters long, wide enough for two carriages to pass in opposite directions—which Soran had crossed several times in the past few days before reaching the main gate.

Even the massive gate was only slightly ajar, providing enough space for one or two adults to squeeze through the gap. Far on the horizon, bathed in the orange glow of sunlight reflecting off the clouds, a grand and opulent structure stood atop a hill at the edge of the town. That is where the royal palace is.