The main streets in the city center were still crowded with people.
Trade continued.
Cart wheels creaked on the stone pavent.
rchants haggled over prices.
Adventurers returned toward the guild carrying their spoils.
From the outside, everything looked ordinary.
But that was only appearance.
Inside the city, movent had already begun.
Aurora's arrival had put everyone on alert.
And the factions had no intention of remaining silent.
A little away from the city center stood an old stone building.
This building was one of the rchants' guild warehouses.
From outside it looked like an ordinary trade warehouse.
But inside, sothing else took place.
Today a small eting was being held here.
But this was not an ordinary eting.
Here two major guilds were eting.
The rchants' Guild.
And
The Adventurers' Guild.
Their alliance controlled half of the city's economy.
---
Inside
The large room on the upper floor was closed off.
Windows were covered with thick curtains.
Around the table sat about fifteen people.
But not all were equal.
At the head of the table sat two n.
The first — the master of the rchants' guild.
Not fat, but solidly built man.
His clothes were simple, but the fabric expensive.
His na was Valter.
A large part of the city's trade passed under his control.
The second looked completely different.
Broad-shouldered, an old scar across his face.
Eyes cold.
This was Roderick.
The master of the adventurers' guild.
If the rchants controlled the city's money,
the adventurers controlled its strength.
---
Valter poured wine into his glass and said:
— So… she has started to move.
Roderick gave a faint smile.
— No.
— She hasn't started yet.
— She is only watching.
Those around the table remained silent.
Everyone understood the weight of these words.
---
Valter tapped his fingers on the table.
— She is waiting.
— For us to make a mistake.
One rchant spoke:
— Perhaps she wants to start a war.
Roderick shook his head.
— No.
— The state will not start an open war.
He continued:
— If they send soldiers…
— it will frighten the people.
— And the people will turn to the factions.
Valter nodded.
— Correct.
— That is why they want to break us from the inside.
---
Valter placed both hands on the table.
— So the question is simple.
— What do we do?
The room fell silent.
Then one of the adventurers spoke.
— We fight.
Roderick looked at him and smiled.
— You are still young.
He continued:
— We will not fight.
— We will apply pressure.
---
Trade sanctions
Valter continued.
— If the situation escalates…
— trade will stop.
Several rchants around the table nodded.
Valter went on:
— Caravans will leave the city.
— Warehouses will close.
— Prices will rise.
He tapped the table slowly.
— The market itself will speak.
This sentence chilled the room.
---
Roderick crossed his arms over his chest.
— We will help too.
He continued:
— If necessary…
— the adventurers will abandon the forest.
A young fighter looked puzzled.
— What will that change?
Roderick looked at him.
— Everything.
He continued:
— Who hunts the beasts in the forest?
— Who protects the caravans?
— Who clears the roads?
Roderick said coldly:
— If we stop working…
— the roads will beco dangerous.
— We can even artificially raise the danger
— but we will suffer losses too
— the problem is whose patience is stronger
He leaned back in his chair.
Everyone was thinking the sa thing: how much loss would we take?
In the next mont Valter tried to take control of the situation.
Valter smiled faintly.
— And then…
— the people will ask for help.
One rchant said:
— From us.
Roderick nodded.
— Yes.
— From us.
— Not from the state.
This was very important.
If the people began to rely on the factions…
Aurora's plan would collapse.
One person said in a low voice:
— What do you say about the Gray Wings?
And there are also those who ca to the city with black blades and are acting secretly.
The room fell silent for a mont.
These groups were not small.
Valter narrowed his eyes.
— They are not dangerous.
Roderick shook his head.
— I wouldn't say that.
He continued:
— They are not small.
— But not dangerous either.
Valter said:
— Spies.
— Information traders.
— Hired killers.
— We cannot ignore them but their place is not big.
Roderick added:
— They move according to the wind.
One rchant laughed.
— They follow the money.
Roderick looked coldly.
— No.
— They follow the side that survives.
That difference was huge.
Valter said:
— So for now we leave them in peace.
— If they don't turn against us…
— no problem.
Roderick added:
— If they do…
He did not finish the sentence.
There was no need.
Everyone understood.
The eting lasted two hours.
Many small matters were discussed.
Trade routes.
Caravan protection.
Price control.
And at the edge of the table one person sat without joining, only observing, paying attention to every word.
—inflation? We need to prepare, he thought.
---
After the eting ended, people slowly began to disperse.
But no one was careless.
The city looked peaceful.
But that was only appearance.
Inside, forces were already moving.
rchants.
Adventurers.
Gray Wings.
And Aurora.
Hidden groups.
---
None of them had started open war yet.
But everyone knew one thing.
The ga had begun.
And in this ga the losing side…
disappears.
After everyone left,
Valter remained at the end. He played with his glass, looking toward the window.
Aurora, I don't like you. Won should stay ho and raise children, but you… unfortunately trade is always on the winning side, he thought.
At that mont the door creaked open and one rchant entered.
— Master, are we leaving?
Valter thought for a mont and said
— Arrange a eting with Aurora.
He stood up from his chair and began walking toward the door.
Outside, Roderick who had co out
looked at the building and thought
Valter is neutral, a traitor, cannot be trusted, but now there is no other choice, he whispered.
Even though night had fallen, the central streets had not completely quieted.
So shops were closing.
Others were still trading.
Carts one after another headed toward the gates.
Caravans were preparing to leave the city with the evening guards.
From outside the city still looked ordinary.
But that was only surface.
This evening several people had discussed the future of the city.
And the words of those people now needed to reach other ears.
---
Among the people leaving the rchants' guild warehouse was one man in ordinary clothes.
He had hardly spoken during the eting.
No one had paid attention to him.
He had sat at the edge of the table.
And only observed.
Now he walked quietly along the street.
The wind lifted dust along the street like a curtain.
The man looked back once.
The rchants' building was still dark.
Then he continued on his way.
After crossing several streets, he moved away from the center.
In this part of the city there were few people.
Old workshops.
Half-abandoned warehouses.
Dark narrow alleys.
Most people did not walk here.
The man finally reached an old building in a narrow street.
The door of the building was ordinary.
He knocked three tis slowly.
A voice ca from inside.
— Who?
He answered.
— The wind has changed.
A mont of silence.
Then the door opened.
---
Inside, candlelight was burning.
From outside this place looked like an ordinary abandoned spot.
But inside was a different scene.
The room was large.
Maps hung on the walls.
Docunts on the tables.
Several people sat around the table.
So in black clothes.
So in light armor.
These people were not ordinary rchants or adventurers.
This was — the Gray Wings.
When the observer entered, everyone looked at him.
The middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table spoke.
— You're late.
The observer shrugged.
— The eting lasted long.
— But it was interesting.
One woman raised her head.
— Speak.
— What happened?
The man sat down on a chair.
Then said slowly:
— The rchants and adventurers have co to an agreent.
The air in the room changed.
Several people looked at each other.
— About what?
— Against Aurora.
---
The observer continued.
— The rchants are planning sanctions.
— If the situation escalates, trade will stop.
One person whistled softly.
— They want to strangle the city.
The observer nodded.
— Yes.
— Food shortages may begin.
Another person sitting near the table asked:
— And the adventurers?
The observer answered:
— They are in the ga too.
— If necessary they will stop hunting in the forest.
— They will not protect the roads.
— Caravans will be in danger.
One woman said slowly:
— So they want to start an economic war.
---
The room was silent for a while.
Then soone said:
— This city will not last long.
— Soone will win.
— And soone will disappear.
Another person laughed.
— Which side are we on?
The question was simple.
But the answer was heavy.
---
One man leaned on the table.
— If the state wins…
— they will clean the city.
— They will destroy the factions.
He paused a little and added:
— Us too.
No one in the room objected.
Everyone knew it.
---
Another one spoke.
— If the factions win…
— they will eliminate the traitors.
— And us too.
Soone smiled faintly.
— So death waits on both sides.
---
One woman crossed her arms over her chest.
— We will remain neutral.
— As always.
Another one shook his head.
— This ti it won't work.
He said slowly:
— The city does not need us.
Everyone looked at him.
He continued:
— The rchants control trade.
— The adventurers control strength.
— The state controls power.
He tapped his finger on the table.
— And we sell information.
— Send killers.
— But in this war that is not enough.
He added coldly:
— If we remain neutral…
— both sides will see us as a potential threat.
The room fell silent again.
This was the truth.
---
A young agent spoke.
— So we go to the state's side.
— Aurora is strong.
Imdiately another answered.
— The state does not need us.
— They have their own spies.
— Their own killers too.
— We would be extra burden for them.
---
Another one added.
— The factions don't need us either.
— They have already placed spies inside each other.
— Every guild is watching the other.
— We don't give them new information.
---
The argunt gradually heated up.
Soone said we should choose the state.
Soone said the factions.
Soone said wait.
But no one could find a clear path.
---
At that mont the room door opened.
Everyone fell silent for a mont.
A tall man entered.
His footsteps were quiet too.
But the people in the room imdiately stood up from their places.
This man was Marvek.
The leader of the Gray Wings.
He ca to the head of the table and sat down.
His eyes were cold.
— Continue.
No one spoke.
Several monts of silence passed.
Then the observer said slowly:
— Which side do we choose?
Marvek looked at him.
Then slightly tilted his head.
— Why do we need to choose?
Several people in the room looked surprised.
---
Marvek spoke slowly.
— The rchants think they are the pillar of the city.
— The adventurers think the sa.
— The state considers the city its property.
He smiled faintly.
— But they have all forgotten one thing.
Soone asked.
— What?
Marvek answered.
— Information war.
He placed his hand on the table.
— In this city everyone hides sothing about soone.
— The rchants.
— The adventurers.
— Even the state.
He added coldly:
— At that ti we speak.
---
One agent said slowly:
— But they don't need us.
Marvek looked at him.
— Then we will make them need us.
Silence fell in the room.
Marvek continued.
— If the factions do not trust each other…
— they will co to us.
— If the state does not know whom to trust…
— they will co to us too.
He leaned back in the chair.
— Do you know what needs to be done for that?
No one answered.
Marvek said slowly:
— Find the spies.
Several people in the room looked at each other.
— Which spies?
Marvek answered coldly:
— All of them.
— The spies inside the rchants.
— The spies inside the adventurers.
— The state's too.
He narrowed his eyes.
— Find them.
— And eliminate them.
One agent whispered:
— Won't the price be heavy?
Marvek nodded.
— Yes.
He added slowly:
— But then everyone will need us.
The people in the room remained silent.
Marvek said the last words.
— This is my final order.
A heavy silence reigned in the room.
The city was still peaceful.
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