Jackson stroked his chin and wore an unremarkable smile: "Andre, you've been doing well lately. By the way — what were you just saying?"
Andre forced an obsequious grin: "Big Brother Jackson, it's nothing much, really. I just noticed a kid I know — he's been heading out of the city every day these past few days, so it struck me as odd."
"Did you notice what he brings out with him, and what he brings back?" Jackson's smile was warm and genial, but for some reason, both Andre and Mag felt a chill creep over them.
Mag boasted of having one-sixteenth Yalan Highlands barbarian blood. He was the sort of ruffian who worshipped his fists almost as fervently as he worshipped the God of Truth, yet under Jackson's question, he found himself unable to muster a reply. Andre, slightly more composed, recalled for a moment before saying hesitantly: "I think he goes out carrying an old linen sack. When he comes back… when he comes back, the sack seems to have something inside it. But this time of year, the Black Forest across the River Belen is full of mushrooms — maybe he's out picking mushrooms?"
"Does picking mushrooms require a young man with considerable strength?" Jackson shook his head. "The edge of the Black Forest isn't dangerous. Little girls and boys manage just fine."
Andre steeled himself and asked: "But Big Brother Jackson, what could a filthy, destitute kid like that possibly be up to?"
Of Altor's three city gates, the one facing the River Belen and the Melzer Black Forest was by far the busiest. Merchants, commoners, mercenaries, and adventurers passed through in droves every day. Andre and Mag had neither the time nor the energy to pay attention to a pauper like Lucian.
Jackson chuckled: "The day before yesterday, the blacksmith Reg came to see me. He'd bought a rather nice piece of metal fragment from some young man — Seton, the kind only the wealthy and well-connected upper class can afford. Granted, it was the lowest grade, but it would help forge a sharper dagger. So he got curious about where the Seton came from and wanted to see if we could get hold of the source."
"Big Brother Jackson — are you saying Lucian sold the Seton to Reg?" Mag's muscle-bound brain made the connection immediately, evidence be damned.
Jackson gave a slight nod: "He was careful. Reg couldn't follow him, and the Seton fragment had been processed so you couldn't tell where it came from. It took me over a day to find even a small lead in the Market District. He's been making too many deals these past few days — hard not to leave an impression. Someone spotted him heading toward the Gate District around this time every day. Heh, who would've thought you two actually knew him? That's perfect."
"Big Brother Jackson, what do we need to do?" Andre hurriedly asked for instructions.
Jackson pointed toward the gate: "First, tell me everything you know about who he is. Then follow him quietly — find out where he's getting those goods. If he spots you, subdue him and interrogate him directly. And whatever Copper Fels he's carrying on him are all yours."
"Yes, Big Brother Jackson!" Mag answered before Andre could even open his mouth, the fleshy mass of his face quivering with excitement.
It had been over ten days since he'd last gotten to pound someone with his fists, and the prospect of a real brawl had him practically vibrating.
…………
Lucian walked toward the River Belen with the linen sack in hand. Since discovering his method of making money, the initial half-day of euphoria had long since given way to calm deliberation. He was already thinking about how to avoid drawing attention to his unusual behavior — at least until he'd scraped together five silver nares.
"There are a lot of things I'm already being careful about, but I've never done anything like this before, and this is an unfamiliar world. There's no telling what I might be overlooking." He nodded to himself. "According to plan, one more day through the Gate District tomorrow. The day after, I'll switch to the gate in Nolan District. Three days after that, I'll use the gate in Purple Lily District."
Purple Lily District was Altor's commoners' quarter. Nolan District had its own market area. Both gates were far from the River Belen and required a lengthy detour. If he left from the Gate District, the round trip to the Melzer Black Forest to pick mushrooms as cover took only about two hours. From those other two gates, it would be at least three hours minimum.
Lost in thought, Lucian suddenly became aware of a vague, nagging sense — someone was following him.
"Who would be following me?" Vigilance flooded through him in an instant.
Ever since his near-fatal encounter with Gary in the sewer — when the man had nearly choked him to death — Lucian had discovered that his senses had sharpened, giving him an almost preternatural awareness. Relying on this ability, he had managed to shake off would-be pursuers while selling goods over the past few days.
He didn't dare let his guard down for a second. Pretending nothing was amiss, he turned a corner along the well-paved road. The moment the bushes and trees blocked the view from behind, he broke into a sprint, darted into a sparse patch of woodland, and ducked behind a large tree to wait for his follower to appear.
Lucian was perfectly calm. He needed to find out who was tailing him — only then could he figure out how to deal with them going forward.
After a minute or two, a pair of heavy footsteps went thudding along, pausing at the corner. Then a head poked around, scanning for where Lucian had gone.
"Damn it — the kid got away!"
"Andre, you should've listened to me from the start! No need to track where he's going — just grab him, beat the hell out of him, and we'd know everything!"
The two men had abandoned all pretense of stealth. Their exasperated curses reached Lucian's ears clearly.
He had been wondering why the voices sounded familiar, but the moment Mag barked out the name "Andre," everything clicked into place.
"The Allen Gang has gotten suspicious of me? That fast?"