David followed Aisha and Ravi down the main street. They were leaving behind the portal building and making their way to what seemed to be the richer districts. Curious, where were they taking him?
"Do you have any idea how surprised we were when we found out?" Ravi spoke after a moment of silence.
"Found what out?" David asked.
"…That the young man we had been dealing with was actually the patriarch of his family all along."
David grimaced. "I apologize for the deception—" he started, only to be immediately waved off by the Archmage.
"No need. It's not like we don't understand why he did it. And even if we didn't before, we understand now." As he spoke those words, Ravi glared at a particular pedestrian who immediately backed up before fleeing down an alleyway.
David furrowed his brows, observing his surroundings. Since Ravi and Aisha appeared, he had sensed numerous eyes on them. Initially, he thought they were people sent by some rivals, but now he doubted it. The man's words hinted at something deeper.
"Who are they?" David asked.
"Opportunists, most of them," Ravi sighed. "Ever since news broke that Pete was a wanted man, people have been snooping around."
David's eye twitched. "A wanted man? That's Empire business and should have no place in Korrovan."
Ravi shrugged. "In the face of profit, borders often mean little."
"Shouldn't your king do something about this?"
The Archmage shook his head. "There is little he could do, even if he wanted to."
"Why?"
Ravi pointed to a man spying on them from a nearby alleyway. "These people don't actually plan to hunt the boy down themselves. They're just gathering intel."
David nodded slowly, grasping the point. Selling information was a legitimate business, and the sellers weren't responsible for how others used that information. In that sense, the spies weren't guilty of any crime. The distinction might seem minor, but that was often how the law worked.
Suddenly, it made a lot more sense why Aisha couldn't safely walk the streets. She had been the last person publicly seen with Ezekiel during the auction. For anyone seeking his current whereabouts, she was the logical starting point.
David dipped his head toward her. "Apologies for the trouble, Miss."
Aisha shook her head. "I offered to escort him. Besides, the whole business with the Firebrand family started because of me..."
David didn't agree with that assessment. While it was true that she had sparked the conflict between Ezekiel and the Firebrand school, she couldn't be blamed for the outcome. Given what he knew about his young lord, a clash had been inevitable.
"...But if you want to make it up to me," she added slyly, her mercantile side shining through, "maybe you could help my family out."
David smiled wryly. He had no mind for the games merchants played. "What did you have in mind?"
Aisha perked up as the conversation turned to one of her favorite topics. "Our agreement with Pete—sorry, Ezekiel—was that my family would have the exclusive rights to sell his products in the city. But none of these goods have arrived as of yet, and the money he left us is starting to dwindle."
David nodded, a smile emerging on his face. "Don't worry, Miss, I'll take care of that," he said, patting the briefcase in his hand.
At his words, two pairs of eyes landed on the briefcase. It was Aisha who asked first. "What is that? Could it be… sample products?" She was almost drooling as she uttered the words.
David chuckled and shook his head. "No, nothing like that. They're just schematics and instructions from our lead engineer based on my lord's designs. We plan to have the products made locally."
Aisha and Ravi exchanged a glance before the Archmage spoke. "That… might be a bit of a problem..."
David frowned. This step was crucial for their plans. "What's wrong?"
"Despite being known for our inexpensive labor, we've been experiencing... shortages lately. It began when a significant number of workers began refusing work. There is no end in sight, and prices are skyrocketing by the day."
David's frown immediately transformed into a neutral mask. Though, it took all his self-control not to burst out laughing. Problem? This wasn't a problem. Instead, it seemed that the city had finally taken notice of his lord's action.
"Can you tell me more about it?" he asked, doing his best to fake concern.
"Certainly," Aisha said. "It all began when the gangs of Undercity started to work together. They have since come to rule the city, calling themselves the council…." David listened intently. This was all new information for him as well. "The council is comprised of the leaders of the most significant factions, representing over 85% of the population. It was at their behest that the people refused to work. At least that is what the rumors claim."
David nodded along. It seemed the factions under his lord had managed to come together.
"Yet, there is an even more surprising piece of gossip making the rounds…"
David perked up. "What's that?"
Aisha leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's talk of a figure pulling the strings, ruling the city from the shadows. They say this person can release slaves from their bonds and shield them from future enslavement."
David tried to act surprised, though his performance wasn't entirely convincing. However, neither Aisha nor Ravi seemed to notice. "How are the people reacting?"
Ravi scoffed. "What else could they do? They panicked. Despite no one wanting to admit it, the country is reliant on Slaves. The idea of someone being able to break that bond is enough to keep many people up at night."
"Not you?" David asked.
The Archmage just shrugged. "It likely wouldn't affect me much. Despite training fighters for the arena, I offer plenty of perks. There's a reason why some free men choose to fight for me. Didn't your boy join me for those reasons as well?" he teased.
David couldn't deny the logic in those words. While the gladiatorial schools primarily relied on Slaves, they would likely not be affected that much. After all, the offer of a Breathing Technique and a share of their winnings wasn't a bad contract—certainly a better deal than some people back in the Empire got.
"What are they going to do about the workers?" he asked instead.
"They won't have to do anything," Aisha interjected, rejoining the conversation. "There's a reason why people in Undercity work for mere coppers on the silver."
David furrowed his brows. "…and that reason is?"
Aisha's expression darkened, revealing her discomfort. "They don't have enough food, and there's no place to grow it in Undercity. Not enough for everyone, at least. When the people stopped working, so did the food deliveries. They'll start starving any day now."
At those words, David clutched the briefcase a bit tighter, once again reminded of the importance of what he was carrying. He bridged the silence with another question. "Where are we going?"
"To my family's estate," the girl offered. "You are welcome to stay with us for as long as you need."
David quickly considered the offer before shaking his head decisively. There were too many eyes on her and her family. Besides, he wanted to get out of the sun as soon as possible. "I'd prefer if you showed me the way underground."
Two pairs of feet came to a stop as his guides turned to face him. "You mean to go to Undercity still? After all that we've told you?"
David smiled confidently, tapping his briefcase again. "Isn't your family waiting for the products we've promised?"
"Still…"
"Don't worry about me, Miss Aisha," David said reassuringly. "My lord has taken certain steps to ensure my safety."
Ravi nodded, a pondering expression on his face. "The boy had me help bully a few people down there. Maybe he really has made preparations for this. He truly was a cunning brat."
David's loyalty urged him to object, to defend his lord. Yet, he found himself unable to contradict the man. The description was too accurate: Ezekiel truly was a cunning brat. Instead, he let out a defeated sigh. "Would you please show me the way?"
***
A while later, three figures approached a tunnel opening. David noticed for the first time the intricate patterns etched into the sandstone around the entrance, the result of meticulous chiseling that seemed to blend with the natural formations of the cliff face.
The tunnel itself yawned wide, its mouth shadowed and mysterious, a stark contrast to the golden hues of the desert landscape surrounding them. As they drew closer, David noticed how heavily guarded the place was. Given the fact that there were supposedly many entrances to Undercity, the manpower invested in this food embargo had to be immense.
David came to a halt studying the layout of the guards.
"Are you certain about this?" Aisha queried, once again attempting to sway David from his chosen path.
David remained silent, scanning the encirclement for any weakness. A moment later, his lips curved into an arc. There must not be many Shadow Mages here because, to him, the troop deployment seemed to have more holes than an ant hill. He turned to his guides, offering a courteous bow.
"Thank you for your help thus far. I'll manage on my own from here," he assured them, then met the gaze of the young woman in particular. "You can expect positive news about the promised goods."
The girl offered a shaky smile as she bid him farewell, but David's focus had already shifted. His eyes honed in on his destination: a shadowy corner in a narrow alley adjacent to the tunnel. There, he concealed himself, virtually invisible to all but the most skilled counterintelligence agents.
Moving between shadows was effortless; his gaze fixed on the few guards who were actually paying attention. Before long, he entered the tunnel, where navigating became even simpler amidst the darkness. Surrounded by shadows, he felt completely at ease. If any mage could rival Earth Mages underground, it was undoubtedly the Shadow Mages. He had to dodge several more patrols as he descended the endless stairways.
Finally, after what must have been an hour of sneaking around, he arrived at a large cavern. His eyes opened wide at the sight. Having read the descriptions left by the young lord, David had been somewhat aware of what to expect. However, standing here in person, the sight in front of him was so much grander than what he had expected. It simply stole his breath away.
To call the cavern enormous would be an understatement. The grotto was like a dried-up sea bed that had once housed an ocean's worth of water. The ceiling was studded with large clusters of luminous crystals that gave the cave systems an early glow—not too bright, yet bright enough so even regular humans could see.
David stood there, gazing at the marvelous city in front of him. He couldn't help but rifle through his coat pocket in search of his cigar box. He lit the second one today, simply enjoying the marvelous sight of Undercity as he puffed on the elven leaves.
This... was a place he could get used to.
He was only brought out of his revelry by the sounds of heavy footfalls drawing closer. David quickly hid behind an outcropping as he waited for the group to pass. As many times before, they were a team of guards. However, compared to any such teams he had met before, they weren't human.
David identified them as beast people, or Chimeroi, as they were known in these lands. This suggested they were not dispatched from the city above but rather served as guards for Undercity. Intriguing. His young lord had failed to mention this detail. It appeared there were further developments of which he was unaware.
The moment the group passed his hiding spot, David emerged from his cover and took the path they had come from. It was high time he visited this newly established council.