Ean glanced down at the questbook resting on his lap, feeling it vibrate gently beneath his fingers. Curious, he opened it to find a handful of entries about the kingdom and Argonia Central.
He flipped to the first page.
Personal Stats
Name: Ean Fleming Level: 1
Experience Points (XP): 1 / 3
Points to next level: 2
Gold Pieces: 7
Active Quests: 2
Completed Quests: 0
Failed Quests: 0
CLASS: Spymaster Rank: 1
CLASS: Farmer (Inactive) Rank: 9
Plowing X (1/3)
Sowing IX (2/3)
Harvesting IX (0/3)
Animal Husbandry VI (1/3)
He flipped through the notebook pages until he landed on the Log section. His eyes widened as he saw a new entry titled 'Spycraft - Ciphers' had been created. The questbook had been annotating their conversation. The page glowed briefly as he read it. The entry contained a detailed explanation of the encryption process, complete with examples and diagrams.
Realizing that the questbook was not just a notebook but an intelligent tool designed to assist him, Ean couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
QUEST COMPLETED: Q-002 Locate the retired master spymaster
REWARD: +1 XP (1/3)
CLASS UNLOCKED: Spymaster (1/3)
LOG ENTRY CREATED: Class: Spymaster
LOG ENTRY CREATED: Spycraft
LOG ENTRY UPDATED: Spycraft - Ciphers
>>> New Class Acquired - Spymaster <<<
Spymasters use the art and practices of espionage - including activities such as gathering and analyzing intelligence, covert communication, infiltration, and counterintelligence - to keep their government informed about foreign and domestic threats.
The questbook's intelligent capabilities piqued his curiosity. His curiosity would have to wait. He returned his attention to Samuel, sensing that the old spymaster still had much knowledge to impart.
Samuel placed the cups of hot tea on the table. "Any questions so far?"
"Why do you switch between lowercase for plaintext and uppercase letters for ciphertext?" Ean asked, his voice revealing his eagerness to learn.
"To avoid confusion, especially when deciphering a message using a substitution cipher." Samuel gingerly sipped his tea. "If you used the same case, it would be too easy to mistake letters in the plaintext and the ciphertext."
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Ean nodded in understanding, his mind working through the implications of this seemingly minor detail. "That makes sense," he agreed. "If you got confused, then the message would never become comprehensible."
"You are a fast learner," Samuel remarked, his eyes twinkling with approval. "Now then, what can you tell me about the origins of the secret message the king gave you?"
Ean's forehead creased slightly as he considered how much to reveal to this enigmatic old man. "Only that a guard found it in the central park and thought it was suspicious," he replied with caution. "It looked like gibberish when I first saw it."
His tone eager, Samuel commanded, "Show it to me again."
Ean reached into his pocket and withdrew the crumpled piece of parchment, unfolding it with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity.
As he pressed the wrinkled parchment into Samuel's hands, intrigue flickered across the old spymaster's face. A keen observer, his gaze skipped over the unfamiliar long words and focused on the curious pattern of the short ones.
ELDNIRB SERAPERP ROF RAW
"Rof raw," Samuel muttered, as he set the message on the table. In a tone both probing and patient, he asked, "What do you notice?"
Ean's eyes darted across the cryptic message, searching for clues to make sense of the seemingly nonsensical sequence of letters. It was like staring into a distorted mirror, where everything appeared backwards and unfamiliar. Then, a flicker of recognition sparked in his mind.
"It looks like…" he began, his voice uncertain at first, then gaining conviction as the realization dawned upon him. "It looks like… 'for…war' spelled backwards. That's it! All the words in the message are spelled backwards."
"You are indeed a clever one," Samuel remarked. As he spoke, his voice held a hint of wistful admiration. "No wonder your master chose you to be his apprentice. The message was written using the Reverse The Word cipher."
Ean's questbook updated.
QUEST COMPLETE: Q-001 Decipher Encrypted_Message-01
REWARD: +1 XP (2/3)
SKILL UNLOCKED: Reverse The Word cipher (1/3)
LOG ENTRY UPDATED: Spycraft - Ciphers
Decrypted_Messsage_01 added to Inventory
QFK: Practice using the Reverse The Word Cipher to encrypt the message:
I know a secret
NOTE TO ONLINE READERS: Printable Activity Pages to learn the codes are FREE at www.neuralsplyce.com/free-stuff
'Brindle…prepares…for war.'" Ean's heart sank as the implications of the deciphered message struck him. He whispered, "Oh no." With a voice mix with fear and urgency, he turned to Samuel. "I must go tell the king the Empire of Brindle is preparing for war."
Samuel's hand shot out, halting the young man's impulsive movement. "Not so fast," he cautioned, his tone firm but fair. "Enthusiasm is commendable, but a spymaster must practice patience and gather all the facts he can before acting."
Ean faced Samuel, his brow knitted with confusion. "But…but we decrypted the king's message. Brindle is going to start a war. He needs to be told," he protested.
"Anyone can pass rumors and gossip. Besides, Argonian soldiers continuously prepare for war. That doesn't mean we intend to start one," Samuel countered, his voice steady and unwavering. "A spymaster must strive to only tell truths to their leader. The king would be displeased if you delivered unconfirmed information."
Ean's shoulders slumped as he fidgeted, unsure whether to sit or stand. "So what should I do?"
Samuel's gaze dropped to the torn edge of the parchment, his eyes narrowing as he examined it closely. "Curious. Notice how the right edge appears to be torn?"
Ean followed Samuel's gaze, his eyes widening as he realized what the old spymaster was implying. "Yes, I did. I assumed it was from rough handling."
Samuel's lips pursed into a firm line. "Assume nothing, young apprentice," he admonished gently. "Be suspicious and follow up on your suspicions. Assume the tear is not accidental."
Ean's mind raced as he contemplated the possibilities. "OK," he agreed, his determination reignited. "So we think the tear looks suspicious, but what do we do about it?"
"There is probably more to this message," Samuel explained, his voice steady and purposeful. "Therefore, you must find the missing piece."
A sense of urgency washed over Ean as he realized the gravity of the situation. He held out his hands, eyes pleading for an answer. "How do we find a scrap of paper in an entire kingdom?"
Samuel's eyes gleamed with the wisdom of experience. "You said the guard found the message in Argonia Central Park, correct? That must be where the dead drop of the spy who left it is located."
"Dead drop?" Ean questioned, his brow creased in confusion.
Samuel's lips curled into a knowing smile as he explained, "A dead drop is where spies conceal messages for each other in a public place. With any luck, the rest of this message is in the dead drop. Go to the park to see if you can discover it."
Ean's pulse pounded in his ears as he comprehended the significance of Samuel's words. His quest from the king was not to merely decipher a message—he was to embark on a journey into the hidden realm of secret codes and ciphers, the backbone of a spymaster's craft.
Excitement and determination surged through him. He had no idea the seemingly mundane bookshop owner held such secrets, secrets that could topple kingdoms. Without hesitation, he set off for the park, his mind buzzing with anticipation and the weight of the kingdom's fate resting heavily upon his young shoulders.
CLASS RANK INCREASED: Spymaster +1 (2/3)
LOG ENTRY CREATED: Spycraft - Dead Drop