Chapter 48: The Embryo of an Intelligence Network
Two years later.
Autumn in Redstone Fortress was marked by fallen leaves covering the ground and a chill in the wind.
Lia stood by the window of a three-story building in the east of the city, watching the pedestrians coming and going on the street below. She had bought this building six months ago with the private savings she had accumulated from missions—three hundred and seventy gold coins, bargained down to three hundred and twenty. The landlord's face had looked more bitter than a bitter melon when he left.
The first floor was a teahouse, the second floor was her private residence, and the third floor was a warehouse filled with all sorts of miscellaneous things she had collected over the past two years: ancient books, scrolls, magical items, Dragon Language material samples, and intelligence gathered from various channels.
Two years of undercover work done, one year remaining.
She looked down at the several sheets of paper on her desk, which were densely covered with records of the latest movements of her various "partners."
First: The Thieves Guild.
The boss of the Redstone Fortress Thieves Guild was a fellow nicknamed "Lame Old Fox." He was in his fifties, lean, and had his left leg broken in his youth, leaving him with a limp, but his mind turned faster than anyone's. When Lia first approached him two years ago, he was indifferent until she pulled out that bottle of fire lotus aphrodisiac—
"What is this?"
"Try it and you'll know."
Three days later, Lame Old Fox came to her door personally, bowing and scraping, begging her to sell him a few more bottles.
The effects of that medicine were far too potent.
He had only used one drop, and it caused his sister-in-law, who had been widowed for three years, to throw herself into his arms. Now, the two even had a child.
From then on, the Thieves Guild became Lia's most loyal source of intelligence. As long as she wanted a noble's secrets, a merchant's background, or an official's leverage, Lame Old Fox would immediately arrange for someone to investigate without a second word.
The payment? One bottle of fire lotus aphrodisiac in exchange for three months of intelligence.
A System product was bound to be high quality.
The paper on the desk read:
"The youngest daughter of the Northern Marquis is pregnant; the child belongs to the stableman. The president of the East City Chamber of Commerce has been evading taxes for ten years; the ledgers are hidden in a false wall in his bedroom. The City Defense Commander's son owes thirty thousand gold coins at the casino; the creditor is an underground bank—"
Lia put down that sheet and picked up the second one.
Second: The Mage Guild.
The Redstone Fortress Mage Guild was a small branch with only about twenty mages, but its library held many ancient texts. When Lia first arrived and wanted to borrow books, she was stopped by the administrator: "Non-members cannot borrow books."
Three days later, she walked into the Guild holding a fragmented scroll of Dragon Language magic and found the president.
"This is a fragment of the ancient Dragon Language spell 'Lava Armor.' I can translate it in exchange for three years of borrowing rights."
The president stared at the fragment for a long time before looking up to ask, "Where did you get this?"
Lia replied without blinking, "Found it."
The president was silent for three seconds before nodding. "Deal."
From then on, Lia became a "Special Consultant" for the Mage Guild, visiting once a month to help them translate various Dragon Language documents. Her payment was the freedom to borrow any text from the library, with no limit on quantity or time.
In these two years, she had read over two hundred ancient books, covering Dragon Language history, magical theory, planar studies, demonology—and even a few forbidden books recording the secret reproduction methods of ancient dragons.
The most valuable one was titled 'Origins of Chaos,' which mentioned a startling viewpoint: all dragon races—the Western Five-Color Dragons, Metallic Dragon, and Gem Dragons, as well as the Eastern Jiao Dragons, Ying Dragons, and Dragon Kings—all originated from the same chaotic source. Later, for unknown reasons, they split into two branches; one went West and the other went East, and they had no contact ever since.
Lia stared at that line for a long time.
A common origin, diverging paths.
The author of this book was a Great Sage of the dragon race from three thousand years ago who reportedly went to the East and never returned.
She kept this book separate and tucked it at the very bottom of her chest.
Third: The Slum Orphanage.
In the northern part of Redstone Fortress lay a slum crowded with refugees fleeing famine, bankrupt artisans, and homeless orphans. When Lia passed by two years ago, she saw a group of children scavenging for food in a trash heap; the oldest was barely ten, and the youngest was still nursing.
She stood there for a long time.
Then she walked into the slum and found the person in charge of the orphanage—an old nun in her fifties, thin as a rail, staring blankly at an empty rice vat.
"I can sponsor you," she said. "Thirty gold coins a month to ensure everyone is fed and clothed."
The old nun was stunned. "What... what do you want?"
Lia looked out at the children rolling in the mud. "I want them to help me keep an eye on people in the streets. Which strangers have arrived, which caravans look unusual, which nobles go out late at night—record it all and tell me."
The old nun was silent for a long time, then nodded.
From then on, Redstone Fortress gained a group of the most inconspicuous informants.
Street urchins.
They could appear anywhere without raising suspicion: markets, docks, tavern alleys, outside the walls of noble estates. They could slip into any crevice without being driven away: trash cans, sewers, woodpiles, stables.
No one would notice a filthy street urchin.
But it was these very urchins who helped Lia keep watch over half of Redstone Fortress.
Three days ago, a boy named "Little Bean" brought news: a strange caravan had arrived at the East Gate with twenty large wagons. The escorts were all unfamiliar faces, and their accents didn't sound local. He had eavesdropped under a wagon and heard a sentence: "...We must find that dragon this time."
Lia was drinking tea at the time; hearing this, her hand paused for a moment.
She set down her teacup and patted Little Bean's head. "You did well. Go back and tell the others to keep watching. Report any news immediately."
Little Bean nodded vigorously and ran off.
Lia watched the small, thin figure disappear into the alley and remained silent for a long time.
——————
A knock came from the door.
Lia snapped out of her memories and turned toward the door.
It was a lackey from the Thieves Guild, a young man of seventeen or eighteen, lean with shifty eyes—clearly cut out for this line of work. He bowed and scraped as he handed over a wax-sealed letter. "Lady Lia, the boss sent me to deliver this. He said it's urgent."
Lia took the letter and opened it.
There were only a few lines in the letter:
"A mysterious force has recently been searching for a 'Red Dragon with pink-shimmering scales,' offering an extremely high price. The client's identity is untraceable, but word is the news came from the Metallic Dragon' side. Additional intel: The client's scouts have already entered Redstone Fortress, disguised as merchants, staying at the Yuelai Inn in the East City. Be careful."
The signature was Lame Old Fox's personal mark: a three-legged fox.
Lia stared at those words for a long time.
"Red Dragon with pink-shimmering scales."
That was Caesar's description of her.
Two years ago, her sinister and greedy sister had taken advantage of her pregnancy to lead a flock of Fire Hawks in a sneak attack, only to be lured into a sulfur eruption zone and heavily injured by her. The parting threat she had shouted was: 'I'm going to the Metallic Dragon to expose your scandalous affair!'
At the time, she thought it was just a childish, tattle-tale threat.
It seemed now that her sister had been serious.
She put away the letter and looked out the window.
The setting sun dyed Redstone Fortress a dark red. Pedestrians hurried through the streets, and cooking smoke rose from thousands of households. Everything seemed normal; everything seemed peaceful.
But she knew this peace would soon be shattered.
Caesar's scouts had already entered the city.
What would happen next?
Lia picked up her teacup and took a sip.
The tea had already gone cold.
But she didn't care, simply staring at the sky as it slowly darkened outside the window, her golden pupils reflecting the last rays of sunlight.
Two years.
This remaining year was likely not going to be peaceful.