Chapter 213: The Blueprints

"...We were paid silver to sneak in, grab the bags, and drop them off at the old river pier!"

"I see," Konrad whispered. He grabbed the boy by the collar of his charcoal coat and pulled him close. "And tell me... who gave you the keys required to open the inner doors of my most secure warehouse?"

"W-we do not know who!" the young thief cried out. "I swear to the Maker, King Konrad... We do not know his name. We never even saw his face!"

Konrad tightened his grip slightly, and pulled the boy an inch away from the snowy stones. "If you do not know who he is, then why the hell did you risk your life to steal my guns?!"

"He gave us silver!" the thief sobbed. "He found us in the river slums last night. He just tossed a huge leather pouch full of pure silver coins right into my hands!"

After hearing such words, General Richter stepped forward. "You betrayed your own kingdom for a few pieces of silver?"

"He convinced us!" the bleeding thief on the ground groaned, clutching his shattered knee. "He told us it was just a small mission... He said it would be incredibly easy!"

"Easy?" Richter roared. "To break into the Royal Armory?!"

"He said no one would be watching," the young boy pleaded. "He said that because of the sprawling coronation festival today, every single guard, officer, and prince would be too busy drinking stout and eating meat to even care... He said the whole city would be distracted!"

"Aghh..." Konrad groaned, finally releasing the boy’s collar and letting him drop back into the muddy snow.

Konrad rubbed his face, feeling a sharp headache begin to throb right behind his eyes.

This was not just a random robbery. The spy had used Prince Karl’s celebration as the distraction to bypass Richter’s security.

And the worst part was, it had almost worked perfectly.

"Felix!" Konrad barked, spinning around on his heel to face the red-haired marksman standing on the stone steps.

"Yes, King Konrad?" Felix straightened up.

"Grab a dozen of your fastest men," Konrad commanded. "Run to the barracks and get on your horses right now. I want you to ride full speed toward the old river port. Lock down the piers. Do not let a single boat leave the water!"

Felix saluted sharply, his green eyes entirely focused. "Understood, my King. Should we shoot anyone who runs?"

"No, I need answers, not corpses," Konrad ordered firmly. "Get down there and get back here with the suspicious ones."

"It will be done," Felix yelled. He whistled to the remaining guards in the square, and they all sprinted off toward the royal stables, leaving heavy tracks in the fresh snow.

Konrad let out a slow breath, watching his men disappear down the street.

"Richter," Konrad said, not even looking at him. "Throw these idiots in the dungeon. Confiscate the silver. And gather up my stolen rifles before the wet snow rusts the firing hammers."

"I am sorry, King Konrad," Richter said. "This breach happened on my watch. I will double the patrols immediately."

"Just clean up the mess, Richter," Konrad sighed, shaking his head.

Konrad turned his back and slowly walked back up the stone steps toward the doors of the royal palace.

Margrave George and Elector Philip were waiting for him at the top of the stairs, having watched the entire tense interrogation in silence.

"Curse it all," George muttered, wrapping his fine cloak tighter around his shoulders. "You have spies infiltrating your own capital? I thought Augsburg was wholly impenetrable."

"There is no such thing as an impenetrable city, George," Konrad replied dryly. "If a man has enough silver and a silver tongue, he can find a rat willing to chew through any wall."

Konrad looked at Elector Philip. The young prince from Hesse was staring thoughtfully at the spot where the thieves had just been kneeling.

"Philip," Konrad called out, leaning against the wooden doorframe.

Philip blinks, pulling his attention away from the snowy square. "Yes, King Konrad?"

"Tell me... what do you think we should do now?" Konrad said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Afterward, Margrave George let out a laugh. "What do you mean, what should we do? You just sent your best marksman to the port to catch the bastard. We go back inside and drink some more spiced wine until Felix drags the spy back by his hair."

Philip frowned, stepping closer to Konrad and keeping his voice low.

"With all due respect, Margrave George, I think King Konrad is asking because he knows the spy will not be at the river port," Philip said.

Konrad could not help but grin. "Go on, Philip. Tell me what you see."

"Let us look at the thieves... They were sweating, panicking, and dropping their canvas bags in the middle of a crowded square. If you were a wealthy spy who managed to bypass the tightest security in the world... would you really trust those blubbering idiots to deliver your stolen goods?" Philip explained, holding up one finger.

"No," Konrad agreed. "I would expect them to get caught."

"Exactly," Philip nodded. "The spy paid them silver to steal the bags and run through the most crowded part of the city. He wanted them to make a huge scene. He wanted the citizens to scream. He wanted General Richter to rush out of the Great Hall with his guards."

"It was a distraction?" Konrad asked.

"A brilliant one," Philip said. "While every single guard in the upper district was staring at the thieves in the square, and while you sent your fastest horses charging toward the southern river port... the real spy is free to move."

George looked between the two men. "Wait, wait! Where the hell is the spy?"

If the spy did not care about stealing a few heavy rifles, it meant he was after something more valuable. Something light. Something that could easily be tucked into a woolen coat.

There was only one thing in Augsburg more valuable than the guns themselves.

The blueprints.

"The royal archives..." Konrad whispered.

"King Konrad?" Philip asked. "What is it?"

"Get back in the Great Hall!" Konrad roared at the two princes, shoving the doors open. "Lock the doors... Do not let anyone out!"

Without waiting for a response, Konrad drew his revolver and broke into a sprint down the long hallway.

"Lothar!" Konrad yelled.

He rounded the corner leading to the grand archives. The hallway was empty.

The lock on the archivist door had been melted off by some kind of intense acid, leaving a smoking hole in the wood.

The door was cracked slightly open, and from inside the room, Konrad heard the sound of a body hitting the floor.

"Lothar..." Konrad asked the hallway, raising his revolver as he kicked the door wide open.

"...Are you still breathing in there?"