Stana apologized profusely after Ali’s party got a pitiful compensation. Despite their aid to the merchants, the merchant guild wasn’t impressed one bit. The guild even claimed that the four of them were friends with whoever shot down the airship, thus they refused to work with criminals. As an act of mercy, the guild would allow the four of them to leave as opposed to getting thrown into a prison. Belen reassured Stana that they weren’t offended by the situation.

“We really must get going,” said the teenage girl. “Maybe in the future, you can return the favor.”

“Of course! Of course!”

Once they parted ways with Stana, the party headed to the slums to gather information. If the Dark Cult did have a minor presence, then they were more likely in the slums where it was far easier to establish a base. After the group asked around, they began to realize how minor the Dark Cult was in Naeleph. The Dark Cult was only known within a small circle and, even then, it didn't have much of a reputation. They eventually arrived outside a small shop that had no customers. Only one person was at the register selling simple portraits. The party stepped inside.

“Welcome! I’m Aok! Are you all here to have your portrait drawn? We are the best at this in the slums!”

The man was very enthusiastic as he offered a special deal if four portraits were done. Belen politely interrupted the man, choosing to get straight to the point. The man listened carefully and nodded his head a few times. Once Belen finished, he spoke up.

“I believe you four for what you said. However, I fear that you won’t be able to leave the city now.”

“Why?” asked Kurata. “We entered the city just fine!”

“Entering is the easy part. To leave, you need specific documents obtainable through connections with the top city officials.”

Aok went on to elaborate on the complicated situation within the city. Due to the civil war, all the local powers had been strengthening their position. Some had joined one of the regional powers in the war while others used their strength to negotiate favorable treaties and maintain neutrality. The city officials in Naeleph already had an abundance of wealth due to their city’s strategic location. The wealth ensured that they had the weapons, supplies and anything that could be bought with money. Therefore, they valued manpower more than anything to ensure that their defenses remained strong. Anyone who entered the city would be forced to remain there should the city ever need to conscript soldiers for combat.

“Sorry for the interruption but why do you trust us?” asked Kamis. “We’re just strangers who entered your shop.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“That’s a secret,” said Aok as he placed an index finger to his mouth.

“Do we have customers, dear?” A woman came out from the back of the shop. “I hope you’re doing a good job this time!”

“Not customers this time. Four spiderlings came here requesting help.”

“Spiderlings?” The woman walked over and studied the four of them. “Fascinating! My name is Lorn. A pleasure to meet you all.

After a quick introduction between everyone present, she walked up to Ali.

“A seal? You must have antagonized a powerful foe to be in such a situation.”

“You can tell? Do you have a way to remove it?”

Lorn shook her head, stating that she lacked the level and the ability. She did hint that there might be someone in the city capable of such a feat but, given their current situation, they could hardly convince the other side in doing such a task. Lorn suggested that Ali should become stronger so someone would be more willing to offer such a service.

“Since you four are already stuck here,” said Aok, “I’ll let you four stay here and you can work under me!”

Before Ali realized what was happening, he and his party members were led to the back of the store. Aok handed them each a piece of paper with a different list of tasks. He then told them to complete the tasks within a month. If they did so, he had rewards waiting for them. The man then showed them the sleeping accommodations which were basically makeshift beds in the storage space. The beds only covered limited space as much of the storage already had goods and shelves.

“How did the Dark Cult end up in this state?” asked Kurata.

“The storage is very clean,” replied Aok. “There hasn’t been any sighting of a mouse or a cockroach in years! The walls will protect you from all elements while they provide excellent sound insulation to ensure a good sleep!”

“Years?” asked Belen. “You’ve been infiltrating here for years? Don’t bases normally grow to accommodate over a thousand members after years?”

“Naeleph is a unique case where less is more. Us two are sufficient for the task. More would only attract unwanted attention.”

With those words, Ali couldn’t help but wonder how powerful Aok and Lorn were. There was no chance for the Dark Cult to give up on a juicy city like Naeleph. The two of them had to be extremely powerful if they could handle all matters themselves. This also explained why the city was never considered an adequate place for the four of them. The other three didn’t say much either as they all picked a bed. For Ali, he was relieved to have a proper roof over his head. Sleeping in caves wasn’t exactly his idea of comfort.

“Another quick thing,” said Aok as he poked his head through the doorway. “I wouldn’t have concealed summonees out in the open. There are plenty of people who can sense their presence and may get the wrong idea.”

Tian and Mika, come and rest up! Looks like we need to be more careful here.

I’m gonna miss flying out there freely. Talk about a prison.

Ali realized that the air serpent was right as they were prisoners in the city with an uncertain fate. They had to trust Aok and Lorn until they established a better foothold in the city.