Chapter 383: Capital Eyes [ 2 ]

"That’s exactly why I want them identified," Sage said. "Anyone can tell me the name of a duke. I want to know who signs the permit that allows someone to build a large headquarters inside the Capital. I want to know whose desk a Guild registration request lands on. I want to know which official can delay construction for three months because someone paid him to lose a document."

That changed Pax’s expression immediately.

"Now I understand."

Sage leaned back. "The important people aren’t always the people with the biggest titles."

He paused for a moment, then tapped the map lightly. "Power isn’t knowing who sits on the throne. Power is knowing who whispers into the ear of the person sitting on it."

Pax remained silent for a few seconds before nodding once. "That will be harder to learn."

"Of course it will."

"Public power is easy to map. Hidden relationships take time."

"That’s why you’re going first."

Sage moved to the third objective. "Relationships."

Pax folded his arms.

Sage continued. "I don’t only want a list saying House A is rich and House B has strong Knights. That’s useless by itself. I want to know who hates whom. Who owes whom money. Which merchant families secretly fund which nobles. Which Knight Order receives weapons from which House. Which prince’s supporters refuse to work with another princess’s faction. Who attends the same private gatherings. Who suddenly stops appearing together after an argument."

Pax nodded more slowly this time.

"Who is vulnerable," Sage added. "Not because I necessarily plan to exploit them, but because vulnerable people make desperate decisions. Debt, scandals, weak heirs, internal family conflicts, unpopular policies, bad business deals. I want to know where the pressure points are before somebody else tries to use them against us."

"And district control?" Pax asked.

"Absolutely. The Capital won’t just be one city in practice. Different districts will have different people controlling them. Merchants may dominate one area, nobles another, criminals another, the military another. Find out who actually has influence where. If I want to build the Guild Kingdom Headquarters, location matters. I don’t want to buy land in a district controlled by some faction that already hates the Guild."

Pax studied the map again, clearly organizing the task in his head. "That will require local recruitment."

"Yes."

"How far do you want us to go?"

Sage understood the question. "Carefully."

He paused for a few moments and then continued. "Recruit locals when you find people who are useful and dependable. Beggars are still the easiest starting point because your system already works with them, but don’t limit yourself to beggars. Stable boys, servants, tavern workers, porters, street vendors, messengers, low-level clerks, people working around merchant houses. Anyone who sees things and is normally ignored."

Pax nodded. "No one too close to major factions at first."

"Exactly. Don’t rush into recruiting some duke’s personal servant because the information sounds valuable. That’s the kind of move that gets people tortured when something goes wrong." Sage nodded with a calm expression.

Pax’s expression remained calm. "What about bribery?"

Sage thought for a moment. "Allowed when necessary. Not as your first solution."

"Why?" Pax was puzzled.

Sage gave him a faint glance anr said."Because the moment someone realizes we’re willing to throw gold at every problem, every piece of information suddenly becomes twice as expensive. Worse, people start inventing secrets to sell us."

Pax gave a small nod of agreement.

"If someone has access to something genuinely useful and money is the safest way to get it, pay them," Sage continued. "But build relationships first when possible. A man who only helps because you’re paying him more than someone else can be bought by the next person who offers more."

"Understood." Pax hesitated before asking the next question. "And political interference?"

Sage’s expression changed immediately.

"No."

Pax raised an eyebrow.

"Not yet," Sage clarified. "You are going there to observe, not play kingmaker. Don’t support princes. Don’t fund noble disputes. Don’t spread rumors to weaken factions. Don’t arrange merchant conflicts. Don’t help criminals remove rivals. None of that."

Pax looked slightly amused. "You have apparently thought about all of those."

"I think about many bad ideas so I know not to use them."

"Of course."

Sage pointed toward him. "I’m serious. The fastest way to destroy this operation is for someone in the Capital to realize an outside intelligence network is already trying to manipulate politics before the Guild even arrives. Watch. Listen. Record. Confirm. Stay invisible."

"And if we see something that directly threatens the Guild?" Pax thought for a moment and asked.

Sage expression turned serious. "Report it immediately. If you must act to protect yourselves, act. But don’t turn your network into a political faction."

Pax nodded.

The room became quiet for several moments while he reviewed the objectives again. The task was enormous, but Sage could see the interest behind Pax’s serious expression. Greyvale had been training.

Evergreen had been expansion.

The Royal Capital would be the first time his intelligence network entered an environment where hundreds of experienced factions were already watching one another.

Sage pulled another paper from beneath the map. "I want regular reports once the base is stable. Monthly packages at minimum."

"Written?"

"Partly. Sensitive information should use whatever code system you trust. Anything urgent comes immediately rather than waiting for the monthly report."

Pax nodded. "What exactly do you want in each monthly package?"

"Changes," Sage answered. "I don’t need the same history of every noble House sent to me twelve times. Tell me what changed. New alliances. New conflicts. Military movements. Important appointments. Merchant disputes that could affect us. Regulations being discussed. Land prices. Construction permits. Anything connected to Guild operations."

He looked toward the Capital again. "And I want the information organized well enough that I can actually use it. By the time I arrive there, I want to know that city better than some people who were born inside it."

Pax gave Sage a long look. "That will take work."

Sage smiled. "That’s why I’m sending you first."

The answer drew a small smile from Pax as well. He folded the written objectives carefully and slipped them inside his coat before looking once more at the map.

"I’ll need funds."

"Obviously."

"Enough to establish several safe locations, pay informants, rent rooms, cover travel, and handle emergencies."

Sage nodded. "Prepare an initial budget and send it to Lyana. Don’t be ridiculous with it."

Pax looked offended. "When have I ever been ridiculous with money?"

"I work with Boren. I’ve developed trust issues."

"Fair."Sage leaned back in his chair. "Anything else?"

Pax thought for several seconds before shaking his head. "Not until I see the Capital myself. Plans made from maps have limits."

"Agreed."

He stepped away from the desk, but before leaving he stopped and turned back toward Sage. The casual humor had disappeared from his face again, replaced by the seriousness Sage had noticed when the meeting began.

"I’ll choose the first team tonight. They’ll leave separately so no more than two travel together. I’ll follow after the first people are already inside and confirm a meeting point through the Runner system."

"Good."

Pax gave a small bow. "I’ll leave within three days."

Sage nodded. "Be careful."

Pax straightened, turned toward the door, and left the office without another word.

The door closed quietly behind him.

Sage remained seated for several moments before lowering his eyes toward the large map still spread across his desk.

Greyvale sat far to one side now, surrounded by the cities and roads of the Evergreen Region that had occupied nearly all of his attention since the Adventurer Guild began growing.

His gaze moved toward the center.The Royal Capital.

For the first time, Sage did not look at it as some distant city he might visit eventually.

People would soon be moving there under his orders. Information would begin flowing back. The groundwork was being laid.

The road to the Capital had begun.