Ean swept away the crumbs from his late breakfast and tidied the parchment pieces he used while deciphering the encrypted message.

QUEST COMPLETED: Q-014 Decipher Encrypted_Message-05

SKILL UPGRADED: Numbers For Letters +1 (2/3)

"Samuel, I think the information the spy gave me is false," Ean said while tapping his questbook in thought. "The soldiers said the unit from Brindle was a group of reservists returning for additional training. The message from the spy says a 'newly formed unit' arrived for training. "

Samuel glanced up from his book to peer over the top of his spectacles. "Conflicting information is not unusual, but it is concerning a veteran spy would provide inaccurate information."

A loud knock at the front door interrupted their discussion. Ean's pulse raced as he rushed to gather the slips of paper and dispose of the evidence of his work. He slipped into the living quarters just as Samuel looked out the window. "It's a member of the king's personal guard, you're safe," Samuel assured him before opening the door.

A stern-faced guard stood on the threshold and addressed Ean. "The king has an urgent assignment for you," he said gruffly, holding out a leather folio. "Take this travel pass for Argonia North. Find out why there have been protests at the border gate."

Ean took the travel pass and slipped it into his satchel with the other travel passes. "Of course I will do as the king commands, but shouldn't the royal guard be handling the investigation?"

The guard shook his head. "We arrest people for breaking the law. Under King Lionshield's rule, protests are not illegal." He turned and marched away.

Travel Pass for Argonia North added to Inventory

QUEST ACCEPTED: Q-015 Determine the cause of the protests in Argonia North

Samuel smiled and shook his head in wonderment. "To be so lucky. Riverside has an amazing restaurant that serves cuisine from the Sultanate of Creston. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. "

"I'll be sure to have a meal there. Not sure what I'll be able to accomplish for the king, but it is an opportunity to contact the spy there," Ean said.

"Be careful," Samuel cautioned, "Argonia North is a veritable den of spies - not just for the government, but for every enterprise, be it commercial or criminal. Assume everyone from the wealthiest merchant to the lowliest street urchin has a master they serve. The city park is also the major crossroad for the city so will be busy even at night and early morning hours. I suggest you make a couple of false drops and see if anyone else reacts. Only make your real drop when you're certain you're not being surveilled yourself."

"Surveillance and countersurveillance. More skills I need to learn. How do I detect if someone is surveilling me?"

"Remain vigilant at all times. Move with a purpose like you're a local townsperson in a hurry. Be unpredictable by crossing back and forth across the street. Blend into crowds. Oh, dress like a merchant and wear multiple layers of clothing you can take off and mix and match."

"Be unpredictable while blending in and change my clothes frequently. I will work on that," Ean said as he prepared Secret_Message-05 for the dead drop in Argonia North.

SKILL UNLOCKED: Surveillance & Countersurveillance

LOG ENTRY ADDED: Spycraft - Surveillance and Counter-surveillance

SKILL UPGRADED: Numbers For Letters +1 (3/3)

Secret_Message-05 added to Inventory

QUEST ACCEPTED: Q-016 Deliver Secret_Message-05 to dead drop in Argonia North

= = = SKILL LEVEL UP: Number For Letters II = = =

Geographically, Argonia North is a blend of the other three regions of Argonia. The western boundary with Argonia West is lightly forested with foothills that abut the Ironstone Mountains. The east is a mix of rocky terrain near the river's edge and flat fertile fields like Argonia East. The main cultural feature of the region is the small city of Riverside, the harbor town on the Silvergleam River.

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Ean knew just enough about the city to find his way to the markets on both sides of the approach to the bridge. Every year in autumn, he had accompanied his father to Riverside to sell their surplus crops and livestock. He had never seen the market when it wasn't full of crates of fruits and vegetables or penned up cattle, sheep, and pigs. The air smelled different in the late Spring. A brackish swampy smell suffused with the smell of fish.

What he had mistaken for lively commerce turned out to be squabbles between Argonians and Brindlers.

Ean pushed his way through the crowded market square. All around him, tensions were high as Argonian merchants hawked their wares to distrustful customers.

"Go back to Brindle!" shouted one angry Argonian, waving his fist at a potential Brindler buyer. "Your money is no good here."

Weaving between shouting matches, Ean spotted a pie seller calling out to the crowd. "Fresh baked pies. One gold piece for Argonians. Two gold for anyone from Brindle," the merchant announced loudly.

A scruffy Brindler overheard and wheeled on the pie merchant. "Your pathetic pies are a guaranteed case of the runs at any price, you swindling Argonian!" he bellowed. The pie seller shrank back from the hostile customer, ending his sales pitch.

Tensions between the two countries was always present. The animosity in Riverside was higher than normal. He needed to find out why before violence erupted in the streets. With emotions running so hot on both sides, that would be difficult.

The first issue he had to tackle was determining which of the three potential dead drops was used by his spy. The park benches were too obvious, and he assumed were used by criminal spies. The tree with a hollow could be used by corporate spies, or as a nest for owls or squirrels. Then he noticed the memorial to the fallen in the last war.

A statue of the old king stood triumphant on a base of granite. On the pedestal, a bronze plaque recorded his victory speech. One edge of the plaque did not sit flush with the granite underneath. The barest hint of a piece of parchment was sticking out.

Ean was tempted to take the message but recalled Samuel's advice. He left the park, found a secluded location to change his appearance and returned to the park. Leaving a blank slip of parchment in the first potential dead drop, he exited the park, switched clothing layers, and returned to observe the possible dead drop for an hour.

When no one went near the dead drop, he repeated the process for the next potential dead drop. Only by late morning did he return to the war memorial and pretend to tie his shoe next to the plaque.

Ean pulled out the message and saw the exposed corner was faded by the sun. The message had been there for days. He recognized it was encrypted with the Caesar Cipher and was able to decipher it in his head using the 6-letter offset.

XKGJE ZU YKXBK

QFK: Try solving this short message using the Caesar Cipher Activity Page with an offset of 6.

QUEST ACCEPTED: Q-017 Decipher Encrypted_Message-06

QUEST COMPLETED: Q-017 Decipher Encrypted_Message-06

Decrypted_Message-06 added to Inventory

SKILL UPGRADED: Caesar Cipher I +1 (1/3)

'Ready to serve.' The situation must be grave if this spy took the initiative to reach out, not knowing how long before they would receive a response.

Ean slipped Secret_Message-05 behind the plaque and hoped the spy hadn't given up on being contacted.

With time on his hand, and an empty stomach, he searched for the restaurant Samuel had mentioned.

QUEST COMPLETED: Q-016 Deliver Secret_Message-05 to dead drop in Argonia North

REWARD: +1 XP (11/12)

Ean had never been to the Sultanate of Creston, but he had heard it was mostly desert. The Taste of Creston restaurant is what he imagined life was like there. Palm trees lined the outdoor seating area in the front of the restaurant. Canvas awnings and the canvas door flaps gave the illusion of stepping into a large tent.

The dimly lit dining room held six knee-high tables surrounded by cushions for seating. The clinking of plates and glasses, frying food, and meat sizzling were amplified by the vaulted stone ceiling. His appetite was multiplied by the aroma of the exotic dishes.

A hostess greeted him near the entrance. ""Good afternoon, sir," she said, giving him a critical once-over. "Are you from Argonia... or Brindle?"

The question caught Ean off guard. "Argonia. Why do you ask?"

With a weary sigh, she grabbed a menu and ushered Ean toward a table. "We had to start seating people from Brindle in the back room," she said, voice laced with exasperation. "Argonians were complaining."

This piqued Ean's curiosity. "Do you still serve many diners from Brindle?"

"Until a few weeks ago, over half of our business came from visitors from Brindle." Her voice filled with disdain. "Now it's a third that. Good riddance I say. Bunch of thieves. Whenever they see any of the royal guard come to eat, they often scurry out the back door without paying."

Her words painted a picture of rising tensions between the two nations. Ean thanked her and was seated at a low table beneath painted palm fronds. An array of spices perfumed the air.

As the courses arrived, one by one, Ean found himself torn between the temptation of the exotic flavors. Flatbread piled high with braised lamb and plums, soups perfumed with saffron and ginger, skewers of chicken simmered in pomegranate sauce - each dish more delicious than the last. By the time he finished, the sun hung low in the sky.

As good as Samuel said it would be.

Ean nursed a thick, bold coffee until an hour before sunset. The tensions in Riverside weighed on his mind. He was determined to find answers.

Feeling refreshed from the meal, he returned to the park, hoping for a message from his spy.

He was not disappointed. Most park goers passed the memorial by. Whoever the spy was must have been watching and saw him stop. The thought of being watched, possibly even now, was worrying. Anxiety dampened his shirt with a nervous sweat.

If I'm being watched, retrieving the message now will definitely give away my identity. On the other hand, when the king confirms my position, my identity will be revealed to everyone… and time is of the essence. This is either the key to unraveling this mystery, or it's a trap, waiting to be sprung.

Pretending to drop something, he bent over and extracted the new message and slipped it into his satchel without looking at it. He stood and forced himself to stroll out of the park at a casual pace. Just another visitor weary from a long day and heading home. He calculated that if he hurried, he could be back in Argonia Central within the hour. The open road between the two regions would make it apparent if he were being followed.

Encrypted_Message-07 added to Inventory

QUEST ACCEPTED: Q-018 Decipher Encrypted_Message-07