The door to the past (2)

We climbed the stairs and entered one of the small boudoirs that lined the upper floor. The room had a very intimate atmosphere, and nothing would distract the waitress now, who apparently also doubled as an information broker. On the way, she passed a colleague dressed in the same blue uniform.

“Suzanne, I have special clients. Please take over downstairs.”

“No problem,” Suzanne responded, springing into action.

The ginger gently placed Edwoyn’s dish on the low table and took a seat in the brown armchair across from us.

“Tell me what you want to know, and I’ll name the price if we can provide the information.”

Without hesitation, I began the transaction. “I want to hear everything you know about the recent activities of the Revolutionaries. What are those terrorists planning?”

Will you live up to Justine’s expectations?

“Your request will cost fifty-five thousand low-fifs. We’ll need assurance that you have the required amount on you before we proceed with any answers.”

The information trade proved to be delicate, as it was all too easy to get scammed, with most transactions being nothing more than empty words and rumors. However, the professionalism of this woman showed the confidence she had in her information.

Hmm… Maybe she deserves a chance after all...

I calmly placed the small pouches from my shoulder bag on the table, along with the five missing gold coins, which she looked at with surprise. She discreetly opened the pouches, finding that they each contained ten gold coins. She scrutinized us further, now even more wary than when I had drawn a dagger from my boot.

Did you really think we’d come looking for information without budgeting for it?

Few people had such an amount of money in fifs on hand. This currency had a very high value since it was made of pure gold. Everyday transactions were usually done with the national sub-currency, which was far more devalued. Ordinary citizens who had held actual fifs in their hands were rare. And here I was, emerging out of nowhere, pulling out fifty of them at once. This spoke volumes about our criminal activities, but carrying around bags of bronze coins would be too cumbersome. Besides, the ginger had already had us in her sights, so I might as well show her how valuable a client I could be. It was clear she would do everything possible to get us to return and spend more with her, regardless of our danger level. With an impassive face, she stated:

“The Revolutionaries aim to establish a fairer government. They are currently working to prevent the royal family from forming a military alliance with Ocayo. It’s only a matter of time before their motives are publicly announced, as stated in their pirated message. We don’t have any more details about their activities.”

I was far from imagining that the royalty was risking alliances with those who were supposed to be their worst enemies. It was so outrageous that I suspected she might be spinning us a yarn. However, the prince seemed particularly disturbed by the agent’s response. That was enough to convince me to stay and dig further.

Is that really the goal of the Revolutionaries? Is Edwoyn aware of this alliance? What does he know about his father's affairs? Should I interrogate him in the basement?

How could geopolitical stakes interest these anti-noble extremists? Claiming to act in the people's interest, this bunch of cowards only seemed to orchestrate attacks against the wealthiest from their hideout. There was no way I was going to waste my money on such implausible lies.

The Revolutionaries... what a fine bunch of masked bastards! You should be ashamed for abandoning the Asyrian people after what you’ve done. You can’t even own up to your mistakes and keep your promises. No, your specialty is to run when things get a little too hot for your backsides.

In the past, the name of the Revolutionaries was associated with courage and deliverance. This clandestine organization was founded by ordinary citizens who could no longer bear to live in poverty. Their project was to overthrow the Eight Wings, the aristocratic families who ruled over the provinces of what is now Asyria as they pleased. The success of the Great Revolt demonstrated the supremacy of the common people over the selfish nobles. Many admired the Revolutionaries for managing to bring freedom, equality, and change. The money that the governors had extorted from their subjects was redistributed fairly, giving a new economic boost to the country, which was then going through several crises. At the same time, a new resource capable of replacing technological ore emerged: the incantation sand. Thanks to this technical innovation, magic became democratized throughout the country, and the general standard of living improved overnight.

Would this renewed focus on their original ideals be a genuine shift in their agenda, or is it just another façade?

The Revolutionaries had once been hailed as champions of the people, fighting to lift the nation from the grip of greed and tyranny. Yet, as time passed, their actions had become more erratic, their promises broken, and their motives increasingly suspect. Now, it seemed their operations involved not just targeting the rich but also meddling in high-stakes political alliances.

The disconnect between their revolutionary origins and their current behavior was stark. If they were truly involved in such significant geopolitical maneuvers, it would suggest a level of sophistication and ambition far beyond mere acts of terrorism. Or were they simply using these grand claims to mask their more mundane criminal activities?

Given the history of the Revolutionaries and the dramatic changes they had wrought, it was essential to verify their current intentions and actions. If their aims had shifted, understanding the full scope of their operations—and the potential involvement of people like Edwoyn—was crucial.

Once again unified, Asyria was finally able to fend off neighboring powers that had constantly tried to invade it. This was how its citizens rediscovered what true peace meant after six centuries of conflict. Logically, the Revolutionaries were destined to govern the new Asyrian democracy. But at the most crucial moment, when everyone was watching their next move, they vanished without a trace. Instead, it was the Gasencourt— the last of the Eight Wings still standing—who took the vacant throne.

They claimed that they had been spared by the Revolutionaries to take over. The people, naïve, trusted their reputation as the "most generous Wing," and the monarchy replaced what should have been a democracy. In its early days, the new government lived up to the people's expectations, but a new generation of nobles emerged.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the problems once thought resolved nearly returned to square one. These new nobles had no political power; the situation was worse than under the old regime. Regardless of their wealth and influence, they all depended on the king, who held absolute power because he was the one who awarded noble titles. How things had changed in a decade…

“Your story about a military alliance doesn’t hold up,” I protested. “Give me real information, or explain why the Revolutionaries would intervene in a matter beyond their reach?”

“I'm sorry, but that's not information available on the market. Do you need any other details?”

“You know very little for fifty-five thousand fifs. This is downright fraud, and it’s insulting to think you can deceive us.”

“That’s part of the game, madam. Demand for information on the Revolutionaries has never been higher, so prices have risen.”

Her smug grin was disgusting. Did she think she had won?

“I see. If you want a tip in fifs, give me your next piece of information at half price.”

We engaged in a standoff of hostile glares. The ginger eventually gave in to the idea of pocketing fifs without having to share with her superiors.

“Fine,” she grumbled. “But I’m doing this only because it’s your first visit here. You won’t get any other favors...”

“See, you can be generous when you want to! Now, I want to know what you’ve heard about any new prohibited weapons trafficking.”

Edwoyn frowned at the mention of this unfamiliar name. I deliberately ignored his expressions to make it clear that this was none of his concern. This time, the agent couldn’t invent lies. The question was too pointed for her to risk deceiving me without my noticing.

“For four hundred thousand fifs, I will tell you the maximum amount of information we can share on this subject. Your payment, please.”

You wanted to charge me eight hundred thousand? Are you kidding me? This is revenge for the discount, isn’t it?

An indecent smile appeared on her face as she heard dozens of other gold coins clinking. It was clear that the schemer had raised her prices to minimize her losses. It might have been a minor sum to the prince, but only nobles could boast of earning so much by the end of the year. The agency had just set up, but its employee seemed to have years of experience in the service.

Had the agency operated in other cities before moving here? Or had they hired experienced employees to compensate for their lack of seniority? Honestly, I no longer cared about these details now that I was on the verge of getting real answers.

“Well, well! It seems you’re not afraid to put a price on things that are worth it!”

At my accusing look, the agent stopped her remarks and responded with more detachment. “prohibited weapons are indeed subject to a new wave of black market sales among the nobility. The old ones were all destroyed by the government, so these are new models only found in private auctions at very high prices. We know nothing about their location or the characteristics of these products. Does this sound like a lie this time?”

“Excuse me, how could these arms be on the market right now if everything was eradicated by the government?”

I immediately elbowed my false brother. He seemed proud of having managed to interject despite my warnings.

Idiot! This isn’t your conversation! You’re going to ruin my negotiations with your nonsense!

“Know this, sir: if the problem has not been addressed at its roots, no matter how much you cut the trunk, shoots will sprout up eventually. The prohibited weapons have been eradicated, but what about the manufacturing process? Don’t be surprised by the outcome if that’s the case. One has to wonder if the government is truly capable of protecting us…”

With an unusually softened gaze, the waitress approached Edwoyn. Her tense shoulders relaxed as she offered him a lemongrass wipe to remove the grease from his fingers. Weary, she then rested her elbows on the armrests of her chair and took a brief respite.

For a few seconds, she closed her eyes before resuming her work without complaint. The bags of gold coins, prominently displayed, slid across the polished wood towards a small box covered in magical seals.

“Haven’t you forgotten something?”

“I have one last piece of information to request. You’ll receive your tip after that.”

“Ask whatever you wish, I will stay as long as necessary, madam.”

A real predator, that one!

“Setting aside the matter of the Revolutionaries, how do you unofficially explain the illness that struck our first two kings? Could it be the work of one of their enemies?”

The woman raised an eyebrow, and Edwoyn’s expression suddenly fell.

You can’t investigate without asking uncomfortable questions, for your information!

“Please excuse me, I need to consult my manager. I’ll be back shortly.”

Right on target! That’s a question too delicate to price. She must have been considering the repercussions of selling such sensitive information to people more than a little suspicious. Why were we interested in such dangerous and targeted subjects, especially this one? Why were ordinary citizens carrying gold coins? We were just teenagers, yet we were in an intelligence agency, not to mention my show of strength…

Don’t worry, ginger. Everything will turn out fine. We’re just dismantling a shaky house of cards. The world will be better off without those damn social castes.

Her sudden retreat could only mean one thing: she had an answer. An answer I would obtain at any cost. Was the information so valuable that it could threaten the life of its holder?

Interesting.