The Gathering Storm

The streets seemed unchanged, but Heka knew that some things had already changed.

There were far fewer children on the streets, at least compared to before.

At street corners and in alleyways stood familiar adult beggars, looking around as though searching for someone.

Heka pulled the edge of his cloak lower and vanished into the dark mouth of a drain before those people could notice the gaze watching them from the sewers.

He later left the sewers from a hidden spot at the edge of the wealthy district.

This had originally been a maintenance entrance, but when the wealthy district had been demarcated, it had ended up right on its border.

As a result, it lay beyond the surveillance of the gangs outside and made for a fairly ideal exit.

Heka and Tuft of Hair had entered the sewers from here. Now, Heka was leaving them by the same route.

However, now was not the time to enter the district. He reeked unmistakably of the sewers, and coupled with his small stature, he would immediately draw attention the moment he stepped onto the streets. Then he would die without even a place to bury his body.

Heka was even hesitant about whether to use the silver coins. Though they were indeed Walin currency, the exchange rate between silver coins and copper coins was one to a thousand.

One silver coin was enough to equal half a year's income for a dockworker, and that was only when there was plenty of work at the docks. The docks also practiced protectionism; their workers had their own groups, and their wages were generally higher than those of ordinary laborers.

The commissions earned by the adventurers in tavern bards' songs were mostly paid in silver coins as well.

As for gold coins, honestly, they only appeared when someone wanted to emphasize just how precious an item was.

Heka had once thought they were some kind of adjective used to describe luxurious objects.

The sum was simply too enormous, so enormous that it felt unreal. Even now, whenever Heka saw the item in his backpack marked Huika Gold Coin, he felt a sense of unreality.

Heka skillfully avoided the patrolling guards, then raised his head and quickly searched through several possible targets.

Soon, Heka found his target. No sheets fluttered in that courtyard, and the curtains on the windowsills were tightly shut. There should have been no one inside.

And if Heka remembered correctly, that villa did not have an independent water valve. Once, when he had gone there, he had discovered that the water still worked.

There were more patrols on the main roads, but thanks to the wealthy district's pleasant greenery, Heka managed to circle around the side and reach the room he had chosen.

After confirming that no one was nearby, Heka expertly and carefully pried open the window, then flipped inside and landed steadily in the room.

All the furniture in the room was covered with cloth. This was a study, and the books and valuable decorations from the shelves had probably been packed away and properly stored. The shelves now stood empty.

The sight made Heka relax slightly. He carefully lowered the window, restored the curtains to their proper place, and patiently smoothed out their wrinkles.

The first thing to do after entering a house was determine whether anyone was inside, then figure out an escape route. That was a trick Heka had learned from a beggar whose eyes had been gouged out.

"He's in the sewers. Have the exits been blocked?"

The sheriff tapped the map in front of him. It was a map of Seapeak Port, probably the most complete map of Seapeak Port currently in existence.

Yet large portions of the districts marked on the map were blank, with scarcely any details drawn in.

Those were gang territories, where the layout changed constantly. Sometimes the gangs blocked the alleys connecting two districts, while other times they opened them up. This was the tangible manifestation of the increasingly fierce struggle over smuggling routes between gangs.

But every place where one could enter or leave the sewers was clearly marked on the map.

"Boss, we don't have many men. For now, we've told those gangs that the kid is an important witness and that they must capture him alive.

They aren't very enthusiastic about it. Should we sweeten the deal and make them put in more effort?"

"No. What happened with the Graytooth Gang has already made those hounds realize something. I finally reached an agreement with the few people who know about this. We absolutely cannot let more people learn of it.

Otherwise, they'll send everyone into the sewers. Once things turn chaotic, we'll never find that money again.

Don't underestimate those people's hunger for money."

The sheriff pressed at his temples. He had originally thought he could settle this with swift and decisive measures.

He had even gone so far as to strike at the Graytooth Gang leader loyal to him, then put effort into backing another one.

All so that his raid on the gang's base would look to outsiders like a crackdown on the gang, with the search for something merely incidental—a smokescreen.

"Any recent progress?"

The sheriff did not dare press too aggressively, afraid that the meat pie in the sewers would be snatched away by some passing stray dog.

If not for his concerns, he would have driven the gang members into the sewers long ago and made them search every inch.

It was not as though they had never done this before. The lives of those low-level gang thugs were worthless. Even if they died, there was no need to pay compensation; the gangs would handle such matters themselves.

And if they could not handle it, that was simple enough. Just replace the gang.

After all, they were the ones running the game.

"We interrogated that Fat Pig a few more times. Combining his testimony with the statements of several people we captured who have connections to that kid named Heka, it seems that the kid can enter the wealthy district."

Upon hearing his subordinate's words, the sheriff's finger, which had been moving over the map, suddenly stopped and then pinned itself to an area outlined in brown.

This was Seapeak Port's wealthy district. It was said that when it had been built, they had deliberately chosen an area less prone to flooding, then gone to great lengths to drive out everyone who had lived there.

High walls, uninterrupted patrols, and lights that burned through the night made it the most suitable place for humans to live in the entire city.

"The territory of those stingy bastards? How does this little rat always manage to run into such out-of-the-way corners?

Look at that. How nice would it be if he delivered the thing himself? I might even be able to give him a quick death. Instead, he's made everyone miserable and dragged so many people he knows into this.

Do this: find some pretext for those people we captured and throw them outside to be hanged. Station men at the scene and see if we can wait for the rabbit by the tree stump."

The sheriff tapped the desk before him. This was already the worst possible option. He knew the other side most likely would not appear, but it was the only lead he could think of at present.

The city was too large. Once a child disappeared into it, finding him was like searching for a needle.

Especially since the child could dive. Once he slipped into the sewers, he vanished without a trace.

"As for inside there, I'll negotiate with them. We'll cut off a little flesh, and they'll let you in. But this is only a delaying measure in the end.

Our partners are already growing impatient.

That lord may no longer want his uncle's estate, but before leaving, he contacted an adventurer group called Red Sparrow. They have already assembled their people and have been lurking nearby lately.

If we still have no clue within half a month, then I'll have no choice but to report this to the old men above. By then, we won't even get warm shit to eat.

I might get one or two gold coins. Huika Gold Coins have depreciated badly here, so they can only be exchanged for five or six hundred silver coins. The three of you can get around a hundred each, but those fifty silver coins I promised before will be gone."

The sheriff looked up at the ceiling. That little rat had run too quickly, leaving him utterly exhausted.