--Disappearance Individuals--

Draxuropolis

Felix stepped into the small tavern, the hood of his cloak pulled low over his face to hide his identity. Inside, the hubbub among the drinkers, making the room chaotic as it accompanied by the smell of ale and smoke of tobacco. He made his way to the counter as his boots tapping against the worn wooden floor.

Complain as he could inwardly, there was nothing could do but accept the command from Duke Alexander. His plan go to Dravana had postponed forcefully today because of that. He had traveled for four days to Draxuropolis for a mission. The disappearance individuals had been a matter of interest that needed to be solved as part of his quest as Duke's son.

An Inheritor - soon, he would take his father's position in the Dukedom, but he hoped the day of his inheritance wouldn't come immediately. He was not yet ready for that.

The bartender at the counter, a burly man with a thick beard streaked with gray, glanced up as Felix approached. His eyes were watchful. He wore simple, well-worn clothes: a faded tunic, dark trousers, and a leather apron that had seen better days. His teeth, though not perfectly white, were far from yellowed could be noticed as he spoke.

"What'll it be, traveler?" the bartender asked.

Settled onto a stool, Felix replied. "I'll have the Dionysus' Favor." It was a rare and expensive wine, not something typically ordered in a place like this, but it was also the agreed-upon signal.

Seeing the bartender's wide eyes, the order was definitely unusual but gave no other sign as he turned back from Felix to retrieve a dusty bottle from a hidden shelf beneath the counter.

After a brief moment, the bartender poured the wine into a glass until a group of drinkers at a nearby table raised their voices, one of them slurring slightly from too much ale. "Barkeep! It's the harvest festival! How about some free drinks for everyone?"

The others agreed along and began to pummel their wooden mugs on the table.

"Free drinks, you say? Well, if I gave away all the ale, I'd have to start harvesting my own crops to pay for it! And trust me, you don't want to drink anything I've grown," the bartender said with a good-natured grin.

They laughed to the obvious excuse. Today marked the Feast of the Vintners' Glory in Draxuropolis, a day of celebration based on the grape harvest. As part of the tradition, everyone would stomp the grapes with their feet while sharing festivity throughout the city. It would be a day of merriment for all its people.

A wink from bartender received by Felix as he set the glass of wine in front. Discreetly, he slid a small folded piece of parchment next to it and smiled. "Enjoy."

Then, Felix picked up the glass and took a sip to wash over his tongue. He palmed the parchment and slipped it into his cloak, careful not to draw attention. And as the bartender moved away to attend to other customers, he unfolded the parchment under the cover of his cloak, and read the brief message:

Room at the back with crimson door. Knock twice, pause, then knock thrice. He folded it back and slipped it into his pocket. Then, he finished his wine in one gulp and stood up, making his way to the back of the tavern. He expected to see the crimson door immediately, but instead, he found himself walking down a long hallway where the torches lined the walls.

A most fitting setting for business rendezvous. He was surprised the tavern had such a place. It felt like a secret route. And thanks to his friend, Igner, for telling about guild of intelligence's secret establishment. He still wondered how his friend knew about this. But that didn't matter for this moment as his pacing continued. His purpose was to meet the Guild Master of Intelligence, a person everyone sought for information in the capital.

Finally, at the end of the hallway, he reached the crimson door. And remembering the instructions, he knocked twice, paused, then knocked three times. Just a second, the door opened slowly.

With the quick scan, the room was big and too plain. The men inside the room, they didn't quite match the image he had in mind for the guild master. And there, a table was placed in the center, directly facing the door. No one was sitting there. He wondered where the person he supposed to meet was. But then, his eyes were drawn to a thin brown fabric that hung on one wall. He notice a silhouette moving behind it, hidden from view. The guild master was there.

Felix wasted no time and began to step forward, but after three steps, two men guarding the door stepped in front of him. Both were tall and muscular, with hard expressions and hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

"Hold yourself, and don't even think about crossing the line," one of the men pointed with his chin. Felix looked down and saw a thick line on the floor, the same color as the door. It marked a clear border between the guild master and the customer. He hadn't noticed it when he entered the room, but now it seemed glaringly obvious.

One of the men pulled a wooden chair from the side and placed it on Felix's side of the line, ordering him to sit. He then seated as he kept his hood up while ensuring his face stayed hidden. For a moment, a low voice heard behind the fabric.

"What brings the son of a duke to my establishment?"

That was a unexpected, the guild master knew his customer identity right away. And the men in the room turned their eyes to Felix. There was no need to hide his face anymore after the guild master addressed him who he was. He removed his hood, displaying his hair was as dark as the abyss, and the men straighten up as they confirmed it -he was indeed the son of a duke.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

One man left the room while the other stayed behind. He handed Felix a parchment and a writing instrument. This was the document needed to start the negotiation. After Felix signed it, the man took the parchment and writing instrument, placed them in a wooden drawer in the corner of the room, then left.

The brief silence interrupted when the guild master spoke again, guessing his customer came over for wall incident's information. The latest news spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom: four sentries stationed at the eastern border were found dead under unknown circumstances. Their deaths were unexplainable and rumours began to circulate that the kingdom might be under threat from a foreign spy. Some believed that the spy had crossed the border by eliminating the sentries that night.

Felix's brow stretched up together. He had heard about the incident last night but he didn't pay much attention about it. But the way the guild master mentioned it made it sound far more significant.

"But I see you have other business."

Even though the man's face remained hidden, Felix could sense those eyes looking at him. "I'm here to request information...People have been disappearing these past few days in my city."

These past few days, some complaints reached the Duke's ear about missing people. Among them was the apprentice of the Duchess's favorite tailor. She was last seen few days ago, and no one had heard from her since. The Duke had resources at his disposal, including a military force and a group of loyal followers who could assist in investigations and locate missing individuals. But he assigned this important task to his son.

Asking information always came at a price, and Felix knew this well. He reached into his cloak and carefully pulled out a small, ornate box. With a flick of his wrist, he opened it to show a gleaming ruby. The gem was worth a small fortune, but in Felix’s line of work, some things were priceless. Once the deal was struck, there would be no turning back. The exchange was more than just a transaction...it was a binding commitment, one that could set events in motion far beyond anyone's control.

"Speak your questions, and I will see what can be provided."

They started to start their negotiation as the guild master listened to Felix's account. The disappearance of individuals wasn't limited to the Dukedom alone. It had spread across the entire kingdom. Although considered a minor concern, it hadn't yet reached the knowledge of the king. It had been keeping an eye by the guild since before. And few people from capital were also went missing and yet not found.

Based on the information they gathered, there seemed to be a pattern. The people who had vanished came from all walks of life, and they had no obvious connection to one another. But based on the timing and locations of the disappearances, it seemed to be that they were being targeted by someone or something specific.

At first, the disappearances seemed random and unrelated. But as more cases came to guild's attention, they began to notice certain patterns. People from different parts of the city, of different ages and backgrounds, were vanishing at the same time every night. From what report they had gathered, the disappearances appear to be occurring between the hours of midnight and dawn. It was as if something was specifically targeting people during that time frame.

Now, Felix thought based on what the guild master shared, one theory he considered was that the disappearances might be related to enslavement. It was possible that whoever was behind these kidnappings was targeting people who were vulnerable or easy to kidnap, with the aim of selling them into slavery.

By the gods, this was outrageous!

"It's a horrific thought, but it's unfortunately not unheard of. There have been reports of people being forcibly taken and sold into slavery in the past, and the city has a dark history of slavery, which hasn't been totally eradicated," said guild master.

He was right. Since under the rule of a tyrannical king, King Edmond Draxurio, the kingdom had been caused continual numerous issues, with slavery being one of the most prominent. One particularly egregious example of this was the practice of conscripting every family's first-born sons into military service from the age of seven until their death. This inhumane practice forced many talented and promising young individuals to spend their entire lives serving the whims of the former king. But in the present, might be the one of the primary orchestras of the illegal slave trade in the city was the Black market. It was network of thugs and criminals who operate on the outskirts of the city where trying to sell all sorts of illegal goods and services, including slaves, poisons, and weapons.

Lawbreakers, who could be? Someone with power and influence, someone with access to slaves and the resources to make people disappear without a trace. He glanced around the room as he thinking the possibilities.

This particular mission proved to be an headache than anything Felix had ever thought. To emphasize the importance of the ruby as a priceless piece of information, the guild master had provided additional. There were a number of buildings and locations in the city, some of which had secret basements and subterranean passages.

"How is it that you know of these secret routes? The map of the entire city is kept secure by the Royal Cartography Office. Such knowledge should be beyond the reach of most," Felix asked.

But maps were not the only way to know a city’s secrets. The eyes and ears of the guild were everywhere, and over time, they had pieced together knowledge that even the royals might overlook.

“What the Royal Cartography Office holds is a map of what is known and shown to the world. What we possess are the truths that lie beneath—hidden paths and the secrets would prefer to keep buried. If it pleases you, young master, you may take a copy of our map. It awaits you in that very drawer."

As soon as the guild master told about the map, Felix rose from his chair and made his way toward the wooden drawer where his signed parchment now rested. There was really a map. He retrieved and returned to his seat. His eyes started to study the lines and markings. It was clear that this map went far beyond the official one held by the Royal Cartography Office. Every hidden passage, every secret basement, every underground tunnel was too detailed.

While, he was busy studying the map, the guild master continued to speak in related to the passages. It was believed that these individuals were using these tunnels to carry out their operations which making it easier for them to disappear unnoticed. The intricate network of tunnels beneath the city had been used for various purposes for centuries, including but not limited to, smuggling and slave trading. It was conceivable that these individuals were employing these tunnels as a way to navigate their way through the metropolis without being spotted. Their utilization of these tunnel systems would not only facilitate the swiftness of their movements but would also serve to shield their whereabouts from the watchful eyes of the kingdom.

"Today's festivity, is it easier to target new victims?" The guild master's silhouette on the fabric, leaned back in his chair, assuming the figure four lock pose.

It was undeniable that those responsible for the illegal disappearances could certainly have an easier time targeting individuals in the capital today. With the harvest festival in full swing, there was a large crowd and a plethora of activities taking place, which could make it easier for criminals to act without being detected. Moreover, the distractions of the festival may cause individuals to lower their guard and become less cautious, considering them as vulnerable targets, especially at night.