As the brawlers and soldiers left, the street fell quiet.
Clearly, the pedestrians were somewhat afraid. Looking in the direction the soldiers had gone, they instinctively lowered their voices. Their steps quickened, and rather than linger on the street, they hurried away.
"Is this the unrest in the Soma Alliance that Inogova mentioned before?" Richard looked around, coming to a realization.
Clearly, if a city suddenly stepped up public security measures and treated even ordinary fights with severity, something major must have happened.
But what exactly was this major event?
After thinking for a while without coming up with anything, Richard did not waste any more time. He walked down the street and soon stopped in front of an inconspicuous shop.
The shop did not appear to be doing well. Its outer walls were dark gray and coated in dust, making it look extremely worn-down. The writing on the sign was also utterly blurred. After years of rain, it was impossible to make out what it said, which naturally meant not a single customer came through its doors.
A pretty good disguise... Richard raised an eyebrow, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
More than ten seconds later.
With a creak, the shop door opened. A young clerk who looked to be in his teens poked his head out, his face carrying a trace of wariness.
"Sir, what can I do for you? Our shop has already closed down. If you want to buy something, please go elsewhere," the young clerk said.
"I'm not here to buy anything. I'm looking for someone." Richard glanced at the clerk as he answered.
"Looking for someone?" The clerk's expression suddenly turned serious as he pressed, "Who are you looking for?"
"Waterbird," Richard answered.
The clerk's eyes widened slightly. He scrutinized