Chapter 382: Capital Eyes [ 1 ]

"Where do you want me to be?" Pax looked seriously at Sage and asked.

Sage leaned back slightly, smiled and said, "I want you to go to the Royal Capital."

The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly as silence fell between the two of them. Pax was shocked for a moment when he heard what Sage said.

Pax did not answer immediately. His gaze slowly landed on the large map spread across Sage’s desk, following the roads that left the Evergreen Region and stretched toward the heart of the Kingdom.

The Royal Capital sat there like the center of a web, connected to major trade routes, noble territories, military roads, old cities, and administrative districts that fed into it from every direction.

Compared to Greyvale, the place was on another level entirely. The moment Sage’s finger stopped over the Capital, Pax understood what was being asked of him, and the faint change in his expression showed that he was already considering the difficulties before Sage even finished speaking.

"You want me there before you," Pax said at last, lifting his eyes from the map.

Sage smiled slightly. "Exactly. Months before me, if possible. By the time I enter the Royal Capital, I don’t want to arrive like some country Guildmaster staring at the city walls and asking strangers which noble House controls which street. I want people inside before I move. I want information, routes, names, habits, rumors, allies, enemies, and enough understanding of the city that we’re not reacting to everything after it happens."

Pax slowly nodded, though his expression remained serious. "How many people do you want me to take?"

"Not many."

That answer seemed to surprise him.

Sage leaned forward and rested one arm against the desk. "A large group defeats the purpose. If twenty unfamiliar people arrive together, rent property together, start asking questions together, and suddenly appear in poor districts speaking to beggars, somebody is eventually going to notice. Take the people you trust most, but send them separately. Different routes, different arrival dates, different reasons for entering the city. One can travel as a laborer. Another as a merchant’s helper. Someone else can join a caravan. I don’t care how they enter as long as they don’t look like one organized group."

Pax considered the problem for several seconds. "Five to eight people initially."

"That sounds about right." Sage thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Enough to establish the first network without creating an obvious pattern." Pax added.

"Exactly."

Pax reached toward the map and traced one of the major roads leading into the Capital. "If we travel separately, I’ll need a way to identify safe meeting locations after arrival. We also shouldn’t use the same inn or district immediately."

Sage nodded. "You’ll decide those details. You understand your people better than I do. What matters is the objective."

He pulled a blank sheet toward himself and began writing while Pax watched from the other side of the desk.

"The first thing you need is a base."

Pax nodded once.

"Nothing impressive," Sage continued. "In fact, the less impressive the better. Find somewhere cheap, crowded, and forgettable. Poorer districts would probably be ideal, especially somewhere with enough beggars, workers, travelers, and low-level merchants that unfamiliar faces don’t stand out. I don’t want an expensive building with guards standing outside and our Guild crest hanging over the door. If someone can walk past your base a hundred times without ever wondering what’s inside, you’ve chosen well."

Pax’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "A warehouse could work, but too many deliveries would eventually attract attention. A small lodging house might be better because strangers coming and going would be normal."

"Or several connected rooms instead of one obvious headquarters," Sage suggested. "Use whatever gives you the most flexibility. Just make sure the base has more than one exit. If someone discovers it, I don’t want half your network trapped inside."

"Understood."

Sage wrote another heading. "Second, I want the Capital’s power structure mapped."

This time Pax gave a small sigh. "That is considerably broader."

"It needs to be."

Sage turned the paper toward him. "I want the Royal Family first. Not gossip about what color clothes the King likes. I want useful information. Who actually has influence? Which princes or princesses have political support? Which members of the Royal Family are close tothe military, the Mage organizations, merchants, churches, or noble Houses? Who has factions around them? Who is ignored publicly but listened to privately?"

Pax nodded slowly.

"After that, major noble Houses," Sage continued. "Not every minor lord with a townhouse. Focus on the Houses that actually matter inside the Capital. Who controls land? Who controls soldiers? Who has money? Who has old bloodlines, political connections, or influence over appointments?"

Pax added quietly, "And which Houses are rivals."

"Exactly, but we’ll get to relationships later."

Sage continued listing groups."Military factions. I don’t want to assume the Kingdom’s army acts like one united block just because everyone wears the same colors. Find out which commanders answer directly to the Crown, which ones have noble backing, whether the Capital Guard is politically separate fromthe standing army, and who controls important military appointments."

Pax’s expression became more focused with each category.

"Mage organizations," Sage continued. "Mage Towers, associations, private schools, research groups, anything important. The same goes for Knight Orders. I want names, leaders, strength if you can estimate it, recruitment methods, and how they treat outsiders."

He added merchant associations next, then churches, criminal organizations, mercenary companies, academies, and influential bureaucrats.

Pax looked over the growing list and gave Sage a dry look. "You realize you’re asking meto map half the Kingdom’s power in one city."

"I’m aware."

"You said you wanted information, not a miracle."

"I’ll settle for an organized miracle."

Pax almost smiled before looking back down at the page. "Bureaucrats will be more difficult than merchants. Nobles attract attention naturally, but the people who actually move documents between offices are harder to identify from outside."