The following morning, Ean left the city with a spring in his step. His heartbeat quickened in expectation as he approached the security checkpoint at the boundary of Argonia Central and Argonia East. A line of disappointed travelers walked past him. Undeterred, he approached the guard.
"Unless you're military, I cannot allow you through," the guard growled, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"I'm not military, but I do have this," Ean replied, displaying his travel pass in one hand while gripping his coin pouch with the other.
The guard glanced at it. "Even better," he said. "Unless you have already arranged for accommodations in Argonia East, the only place to spend the night is under the stars. It's the rainy season, so I would not recommend that."
"Do I have any other options?" Ean asked.
"The king's signature on that travel pass means I am to treat you like an officer," the guard explained. "Go show that travel pass to the quartermaster in the military camp by the river. I am sure he will find you a tent to sleep in." The guard turned to address the next person in line.
"Thank you," Ean said gratefully and headed down the road, taking the left fork leading to the hamlet of Gleamridge on the riverbank and the military encampment.
Argonia East was a vast expanse of fertile farmlands known for its bountiful harvests and livestock. It was also home to the only permanent military camp in all of Argonia. As he ventured deeper into the countryside, he realized how far apart the family settlements were in comparison to the condensed layout of Argonia Central. The air was heavy with the scent of freshly turned soil, reminding him of his years behind a plow.
Before going into the market in Gleamridge, Ean stopped to use the Atbash Cipher to encrypt the message 'The Kingdom requires your service' on a slip of parchment.
Secret_Message-03 added to Inventory
SKILL UPGRADED: Atbash Cipher +1 (2/3)
QUEST ACCEPTED: Q-011 Deliver Secret_Message-03 to dead drop in Argonia East
At the market, the buzz of activity filled the air as shopkeepers engaged in lively conversations. Ean overheard two of them discussing trade with Brindle soldiers along the riverbank east of the military camp, where the waters were wide but shallow.
"Those young Brindle soldiers sure like to spend money," one shopkeeper remarked. "I make more from them than Argonian soldiers."
"They do seem to have more money lately," another agreed. "And new armor and weapons."
"Very true," the first shopkeeper added. "My best-selling item is metal polish. Had to order more to keep up with demand."
Ean listened intently, absorbing every detail. The increased spending and upgraded equipment among the Brindle soldiers were troubling signs that he needed to investigate further.
LOG ENTRY CREATED: Rumors - Argonia East
He ate a leisurely lunch before strolling around the park. Being midday, it was empty. The only place he saw suitable for a dead drop was a brick water feature that had dried up long ago. One brick inside the water basin was loose. When he removed the brick, a small piece of parchment fluttered out. He inserted his message and slid the brick back into the wall.
QUEST COMPLETED: Q-011 Deliver Secret_Message-03 to dead drop in Argonia East
REWARD: +1 XP (10/12)
Exiting the park, he took a left turn to follow the road to the riverbank and the military encampment. The road had a small rise and then sloped gradually until it ended at the main gate.
Ean approached the towering wooden palisade that surrounded the military encampment, his senses heightened by the rhythmic sounds of marching soldiers and the clash of steel on steel. The air crackled with the energy of weapons training as soldiers honed their swordplay, spear thrusts, and archery.
He showed his travel pass to a bored guard, who waved him inside without a second glance. Having taken tours of the camp as a teen, Ean easily made his way to the largest tent, which he knew belonged to the quartermaster.
Ean stepped into the tent, his senses assaulted by the musty scent of canvas and leather. A burly man with a salt-and-pepper beard sat at a wooden table, poring over bills of lading and manifests. He cleared his throat, and the man's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as they landed on Ean.
"Is there something I can help you with, civilian?" the quartermaster asked, his voice gruff.
"If you're the quartermaster, the guard at the checkpoint said you could find me a place to sleep," Ean replied, extending his travel pass.
The quartermaster took the pass and examined it closely. "Yes, sir," he said, his tone softening slightly. "You can use Lieutenant Fuller's tent. He is the Officer of the Watch tonight and will not be sleeping in it."
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"Thank you," Ean said gratefully. "Where can I find something to eat?"
Ean made his way to the mess tent following the quartermaster's direction, his stomach rumbling. He grabbed a plate and filled it with stew and bread, then scanned the room for a place to sit. His gaze fell on a group of soldiers exiting the tent and taking seats around a campfire.
He debated the risk of being recognized by a soldier versus the potential to pick up valuable information. He decided to risk it, hoping his travel pass would vouch for him if necessary.
As he sat down, the senior member of the group turned to him. "Ho there, mate. Who'd you upset to get sent out here?"
"Believe it or not, I came here willingly," Ean replied.
"No offense intended, but why would you do something so foolish?" another soldier asked.
"I'm a new game warden for the king. I came out here to do a survey," Ean explained.
"A survey? Like to ask people questions about how they feel about something?"
"Not that kind of survey. I'm here to count fish, rabbits, and other game."
"Counting fish. And I thought being a soldier was boring." The soldiers guffawed at the remark.
"So, what do you do here when you're not training?" Ean asked.
"We monitor the Brindle soldiers training on the other side of the river. Fill out daily reports on what we saw."
"Ah, so you conduct a 'survey' of them," Ean said with a wry smile.
"…. well, if that don't beat all. We're glorified fish counters," one of the soldiers chuckled.
"And what have you observed about your fish soldiers?" Ean asked.
"They've stayed two weeks longer than normal so far. Getting some kind of enhanced training, they say."
"You speak to them?"
"On the weekends when they aren't training. We use a makeshift bridge downstream the officers don't know about to play card and dice 'games of chance' if you get my meaning."
"Well-trained soldiers, but terrible gamblers. If they stay much longer, I'll be rich enough to buy my own kingdom," another soldier joked.
The conversations turned to friends and family, and they pressed Ean about the latest news and gossip from Argonia Central. They talked until the quarter moon rose above the treetops before calling it a night.
Lying on his cot in Lieutenant Fuller's tent, Ean felt a sense of unease. The sounds of the soldiers training outside had ceased, replaced by an eerie silence. Only the gentle crackling of the campfire and the hooting of an owl broke the stillness.
He closed his eyes and tried to relax, but his mind whirled with thoughts about his mission. The casual interaction with Brindle soldiers was a goldmine of information but could hamper attempts to identify Brindle infiltrators and spies. That's assuming there were any. The failure in Argonia West and the relaxed attitudes in the camp contradicted claims of incursions and looming war.
Sleep finally took him. In the morning, the soldiers shared some bland gruel with Ean before he returned to the park.
His increased ability to sense dead drops served him well. When he pulled out the suspicious loose brick, he found a new message.
Ean stared at the message. It was a series of numbers with no letters. "A few weeks ago, this list of numbers would have been meaningless. Now I recognize it as a cipher. Time for another lesson from Samuel."
Encrypted_Message-04 added to Inventory
QUEST ACCEPTED: Q-012 Decipher Encrypted_Message-04
* * *
As Ean approached the bookstore, he noticed the stack of books in the front window. On top sat a red-colored book. A prickle of unease crept up his spine as he remembered Samuel's lessons on maintaining a low profile. Entering the shop while another customer was present risked arousing unwanted suspicion of himself and Samuel.
He remembered the lesson from his first day concerning his primary job duties and decided to wander the market, listening to the latest gossip and observing the mood of the citizens.
When Ean returned to the bookstore, he saw that the red book was no longer in the stack. He stepped inside. The smell of leather and parchment and Samuel sitting at the kitchen table, drinking tea left him happy to be home.
"Welcome back," Samuel said. "How was your trip?"
"I got to sleep in a tent and eat gruel," Ean replied, recalling the musty odor of damp canvas. "Is there any cake left?"
"No," Samuel said. "I did leave you some bear meat. I'll leave it up to you to find an ox to wrestle with afterward."
Ean laughed. "I have something even better to wrestle with," he said. "The spy in Argonia East replied with a message that's just a string of numbers."
He placed the message on the table.
09 19 05 18 22 05 20 08 05 11 09 14 07
"Now we're dealing with a veteran spy," Samuel said. "Letter-for-letter substitutions are limited, but Numbers For Letters open up new possibilities."
"Because numbers allow you to perform mathematical operations!" Ean exclaimed.
"Exactly," Samuel said. "Instead of 26 letters, you have 1 to infinity to choose from."
Ean groaned. "Which means infinite combinations to try and decipher."
"In this case, the spy was considerate enough to use a simple substitution," Samuel said. "Notice none of the numbers are greater than 26. You should be able to decode this easily."
QUEST COMPLETE: Q-012 Decipher Encrypted_Message-04
REWARD: +1 XP (11/12)
SKILL UNLOCKED: Numbers For Letters cipher (1/3)
LOG ENTRY UPDATED: Spycraft – Ciphers
Cracking the encoded message proved thrilling, yet straightforward. The plaintext, while useful, didn't solve his quest.
I serve the King
Ean grumbled as he stared at the decrypted message. "I can't believe I traveled there and back for something they could have written in plaintext."
"This is a veteran spy," Samuel said, sipping his tea. "They won't divulge anything sensitive until they trust us."
Ean nodded, his mind churning. "If they've been observing the Brindle training camp, they should know if there's been an increase in the number of soldiers being trained," he said. "All I have are second-hand reports from untrained observers."
"Encode a message using the Numbers For Letters cipher," Samuel instructed. "Ask them, 'Is Brindle training extra soldiers?'"
QFK: Using the Numbers For Letters cipher, encrypt the following message:
Is Brindle training extra soldiers
Note: Printable Activity Pages are available at www.neuralsplyce.com/free-stuff
Ean jotted down the encoded message and tucked it into his satchel. "The message is ready to drop off,' he said, 'but I need a plausible excuse to return so soon."
"What was your cover story?" Samuel asked.
"I said I was a game warden doing a survey of the fish and game," Ean replied.
"I imagine a survey like that is similar to gathering reports from spies," Samuel said. "You need corroborating information. Tell them your survey requires multiple counts for better statistics."
"That will work," Ean said. his mood brightening. "It also leaves an opening for future visits. I'll have to remember that when I create other cover stories." He made his way to the kitchen to reheat the bear meat. "The spy will have to wait until tomorrow because I have no desire to spend two nights in a row in a tent."
Secret_Message-04 added to Inventory
QUEST ACCEPTED: Q-013 Deliver Secret_Message-04 to dead drop in Argonia East