The city tonight seemed quieter than usual from the outside.
But inside, movement was beginning to stir.
Zaber didn't know this for sure, but he was starting to guess.
Since morning, the streets had been busier than normal. More merchants. More mercenaries. Inns full. Even ordinary craftsmen were whispering about new faces.
Four years.
Four years until the core emerges.
A long time for an ordinary person. But
For strategists, those who decide everything in advance—it's the preparation phase.
Zaber stood on the inn's roof, watching the city.
The city walls were ancient, showing marks of years. Watchtowers above every gate.
The eastern gate—the most important point.
Foreign groups had entered from there precisely. More likely than the other gates.
Zaber narrowed his eyes slightly.
Had the movement already begun?
Why had they come early?
For position.
For territory.
For control.
