Nolan raised a slender finger to his lips, signaling for silence. A rare glint of mischief flickered in his eyes.
“Every city has its own shadow network. They call themselves the Brotherhood.”
Leaning back into the sofa, he allowed himself to relax completely.
“They usually hide behind all kinds of fronts. Only those who know the right methods can reach them. They may not be respectable, but there are things only they can handle. Without the proper connections, even an army couldn’t flush out a single rat from their holes. On the other hand, when it comes to finding one of their own, no one is faster.” He paused, then added, “And because they’re such a mixed crowd, they also happen to be the best information brokers around.”
Understanding dawned on Anna. No wonder the tavern felt like two entirely different worlds above and below. She lowered her voice. “Then what about that conversation just now?”
“Underworld slang,” Nolan explained. “In a place like this, paying normally only gets you watered-down swill. Flicking a coin into the glass is the key to the hidden menu.” He continued, “ ‘Drinking’ means buying information, while ‘looking for entertainment’ means placing a job. Finding someone, fencing stolen goods, even darker dealings. It all depends on how much you’re willing to pay. As for what he said about ‘stealing from the fire,’ it means messing with someone you shouldn’t. That’s a big taboo in their line of work.”
“I see.” Anna nodded, then voiced the question that had been lingering in her mind. “And his sudden change in attitude… that was because of the mark?”
“Exactly.”
A faintly smug smile appeared on Nolan’s face.
“That bartender is actually the one running the Brotherhood here in Veli City. The Brotherhood is spread across the kingdom. They look disorganized, but in reality they’re tightly controlled by the Blade Brotherhood in the royal capital, with a strict hierarchy. Their king is the Crow Prince, Lloyd Camp. The mark I carved is his personal insignia. It can’t be used without his authorization. It’s a complex design, and the speed and precision of the carving reflect how close the bearer is to the prince.”
Anna’s eyes widened. “Then Mr. Nolan, does that mean you…”
“I just happen to know the mark,” Nolan said, shaking his head, his expression relaxed with quiet satisfaction. “And I just happen to be decent with a sword. I used to practice carving intricate patterns into wood to train my wrist. Thought it might come in handy someday. Didn’t expect it to be here.” He lifted a brow. “There’s an old saying among the wise people of Tyr: knowledge is the sharpest weapon.”
That, of course, was a lie.
He had learned this particular trick in his previous life from a master thief, after pestering him relentlessly. It had taken nearly two years to reach this level, and it had become one of his most reliable tools for navigating the gray world.
Anna was quick to grasp the implication. “But if anyone could learn it, wouldn’t the mark lose its credibility?”
“That’s why it can’t be used carelessly.” Nolan’s tone grew more serious. “Every forged mark is a provocation against the Crow Prince. Once discovered, his most elite agents, the Blade Shadowguard, will come for you to carry out what they call a ‘rite of vindication.’ They carve a new mark using your bones as a warning to the next impostor.”
As expected, worry surfaced on Anna’s face. Nolan quickly waved a hand to reassure her.
“Don’t worry. That only matters if we’re discovered. Even if we’re unlucky enough for word to get out, it would take weeks to reach the capital and come back. By then, we’ll already be far away, building something of our own. This is a one-time play.”
***
Elsewhere, in an inconspicuous corner of the slums.
Vivi sat inside her small wooden shack, sorting through the eight or nine “trophies” she had picked up that day, each in a different style.
She picked up Nolan’s flat, unimpressive pouch and rummaged through it, muttering under her breath, “Tch, carrying such a nice sword, and he turns out to be broke… Hm? What’s this…?”
Her fingers brushed against something cool and smooth.
It was a semi-transparent, silvery-white scale, its edges naturally curved. Even in the dim light of the shack, it gave off a soft glow, so beautiful it made her heart tremble.
Vivi froze, entranced.
Carefully, she cradled the dragon scale in her palm and lifted it closer to her eyes. The wariness that usually lingered in her amber-brown gaze was gone, replaced by pure fascination. This unknown scale stirred something deep within her, an instinctive sense of awe and reverence that seemed to come from her very blood.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, a series of urgent, heavy knocks pounded against the door, accompanied by a man’s anxious shout from outside.
“Vivi! Get out here and come with me! You’ve really stolen from the fire this time!”
Startled out of her trance, Vivi nearly jumped. She hurriedly pulled up her hood, stuffed the scale into her pocket, and rushed to the door, yanking it open.
“Uncle Tom, what are you doing? Trying to break my door down?”
The man she called Uncle Tom pointed at the pile of money pouches on the table and grabbed her arm, his voice tight with urgency. “I knew it. You went ‘hunting’ again this morning, didn’t you? Grab everything you took and come with me, now!”
Vivi shook off his hand and curled her lip in disdain. “What, did some noble come looking again? Like last time, we can just hide outside the city for a couple of days. When we get back, we can even squeeze them for a ‘handling fee.’ What are you so panicked about?”
“Idiot! This time it’s different!” Tom stamped his foot in frustration. “That man. Three seconds. Just three seconds, and he carved a perfect Lloyd Mark! You’ve provoked someone none of us can afford to cross!”
Vivi froze, shock stealing her voice.
When had someone like that arrived in Veli City? How had there been no word at all?
Before she could say anything else, Tom practically dragged her along at a run, all the way to the second floor of the Boar’s Ribs tavern.
The Brotherhood’s manager, the same bartender from before, was pacing anxiously at the top of the stairs like an ant on a hot pan.
Vivi had never seen him like this.
When he spotted them, the bald manager let out a visible sigh of relief. He strode over, fixing Vivi with a stern gaze unlike anything she had ever seen from him.
“Vivi, I don’t care what you usually do. Right now, drop your tricks. Go in there and admit your mistake. Otherwise, not even the Mother Goddess will be able to save you.” He drew a deep breath, his eyes filled with nothing but awe. “That man… no, that honored guest… his standing within the Brotherhood is beyond anything we can imagine. I’d even guess he might be the Crow Prince’s elusive shadow lieutenant! They say he once took a job to purge political enemies. In a single night, he assassinated twelve nobles in the imperial capital of the Rus Empire, and to this day no one knows how he did it!”
Seeing that Vivi still looked a little defiant, the manager’s tone hardened further.
“Don’t be fooled by how young he looks. Someone like that can disguise himself and kill as easily as breathing. I’ve spent over a decade in the Brotherhood. I know that kind of technique and bearing when I see it.”
As he spoke, they continued up the stairs. Reaching the second floor, the manager straightened his collar, then knocked lightly on the door with the utmost respect.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
From inside came a young man’s voice, calm and clear, “Come in.”
The manager pushed the door open.
Vivi immediately saw the man seated on the sofa, with a woman sitting across from him. It was the same tall figure she had bumped into on the street earlier, the same man she had casually picked clean.
He sat with one leg crossed over the other, an elbow resting lazily on the armrest, watching her with a faint, unreadable smile.
A chill crept up Vivi’s spine. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on the smooth scale hidden in her pocket.
The man did not speak at once. Silence spread through the room, heavy and suffocating.
After several unbearable seconds, he finally opened his mouth. His voice was soft, yet it rang clearly in everyone’s ears, “Some things aren’t yours to take. Would you mind returning it to me?”
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