Surprised, they turned around.

They were sure they hadn't seen anyone else in the street.

But slowly, an older man in tattered clothes crawled out from behind some trash bags.

"Did you just crawl out of the sewer?" he asked in a slightly sickly tone.

"And if we did?" Kawao replied.

The two stared deeply into each other's eyes for a moment.

"Even if you did, it wouldn't concern me. But..."

"Exactly. It doesn't concern you," Koru interrupted him, signaling Kawao to leave the alley.

They had just started to move when they caught the old man's last words.

"But you seem like you could use some help! Or am I wrong?"

At these words, they stopped.

What did he mean by that?

Kawao wanted to find out.

"You are not wrong, old man. We could definitely use some help! However, you don't exactly look like you can provide it."

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"Kawao!"

"It's alright."

He walked back to the old man.

"I may not look like it, but I do know a few people who might be able to help you in your predicament!"

"What do you know about our situation?"

"Oh, I have my eyes and ears everywhere. Your arrival at the harbor was hard to miss!"

How did he know that?

Is he a spy?

"But it was undoubtedly a good idea to enter the city through the sewers. There probably isn't a better way for you!"

"You seem to know our situation better than we do! But you mentioned people who could help us. Now I wonder: Why do you want to help us?"

"Hmm... You just seem trustworthy. And that can't be said about many people these days."

"So you just blindly trust us?"

"Yes, I do!"

The two exchanged a deep look again.

"Then I will trust you too!"

"Kawao!"

"Calm down! He can be trusted!"

"How do you know that?"

"I see it in his eyes! He still has hope! When Paikon arrived at Isulon, the mood of the people there quickly shifted from hope and joy to despair and fear. This man knew we came here on an army ship. He knows we are enemies of the protectors of his land. And yet he is not afraid of us, no! He has hope!"

"Yes, but still..."

"I will trust him, and that's final!"

He turned back to the old man.

"If you help us, you surely want something in return! We don't have much, but..."

"I need nothing in return! It is enough for me if you reach my contacts safely and achieve your goals, whatever they may be!"

"Okay... if you say so."

The old man looked around briefly and then beckoned Kawao to come closer.

"So, if you go left here, you need to follow the street until you reach a large intersection. Just before that, you will see a small side street like this one on your right. Go in there and knock twice quickly and twice slowly on the door. Someone will come who can help you!"

"Thank you!"

"Don't mention it!"

Shortly afterward, Kawao and Koru made their way to the place the old man had told them about.

Once they were out of sight, the old man slowly stood up.

"Well, I have fulfilled my part of the task. Now we just need to convince them!"