Spiro joined us not long after we started eating.
He pulled a chair beside the table and accepted a bowl of stew from the bartender. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the quiet clink of spoons against bowls.
Then Spiro spoke.
"Everyone will be busy tonight."
Theo looked up from his soup. "Midnight operation?"
"Yes," Spiro replied.
Theo leaned his elbows on the table. "How much of our force are we using?"
Spiro blew on the hot stew before answering. "Ten men from Asombrir. And twenty outside mercenaries."
Theo frowned slightly. "That's not a very large force."
"That's why we came," Spiro said calmly.
Agni leaned back in his chair with a grin. "So we're the reinforcement."
Theo snorted. "More like the dangerous part of the plan."
Margaretha set her spoon down and looked at Spiro. "So what exactly is our mission?"
Spiro took another slow bite before answering.
"Simple. We create a distraction and attack a gambler's den."
Theo raised an eyebrow. "A gambling house?"
Agni's eyes brightened immediately. "Does that mean there's money inside?"
Spiro nodded slightly. "Yes."
Agni leaned forward. "Are we allowed to keep it?"
Theo grinned. "Now that's the important question."
Spiro shook his head. "The money will be collected after the raid."
Theo sighed dramatically. "That's disappointing."
Spiro continued speaking calmly, ignoring Theo's complaint.
"Half of the money will go to the clan."
He paused before adding the next part.
"The other half will be divided among you."
Agni straightened up instantly. "Wait. Really?"
"Yes," Spiro said.
Theo pointed his spoon at Agni. "See? Patience always pays off."
Margaretha smiled faintly. "You're already planning how to spend it."
Theo shrugged. "Of course. Planning is important."
Robert, who had been quietly eating the whole time, finally spoke.
"As long as the mission succeeds, the money doesn't matter."
Theo nodded thoughtfully. "That's the most Robert thing you could say."
Spiro finally interrupted before the conversation drifted too far.
"We'll scout the place tomorrow morning."
Everyone quieted down.
"I'll explain the details after we see the building."
Theo lifted his bowl again. "Fair enough."
Agni nodded. "Sounds good."
The conversation slowly faded after that, replaced by the quiet sounds of dinner.
But even though the room was calm, I could feel the tension building for the night ahead.
***
The next morning, Spiro gathered us after breakfast.
"Bring light equipment," he said. "Only what you need."
We left the inn together and began walking through the city. At first, the streets were wide and clean, lined with shops and tall stone buildings. Merchants shouted from their stalls, and carts rolled over the paved roads.
But after a while, the city started to change.
The stone pavement disappeared first.
Then the houses became smaller and older. Some looked like they were leaning against each other just to stay standing. The air smelled different here, too, like damp wood, smoke, and something sour I couldn't quite identify.
We had entered the slums.
People watched us as we passed. Their eyes followed our weapons, our boots, and the way we walked.
Theo noticed it too.
"They're measuring us," he said quietly.
Agni shrugged. "Let them."
Not long after that, three rugged men stepped into our path.
"Travel toll," one of them said lazily.
Theo leaned slightly toward me and whispered, "Classic."
I expected Spiro to ignore them.
Instead, he calmly reached into his pouch and placed a gold coin into each man's hand.
The men stared at the coins in shock before quickly stepping aside.
We continued walking.
Theo turned to Spiro. "You just paid them three gold coins."
Spiro nodded. "Yes."
"That's expensive," Theo said.
"Attention is more expensive," Spiro replied.
Theo scratched his head. "Robert could have scared them away with one look."
Robert, walking beside us, didn't respond.
We continued deeper into the slums until the narrow road finally opened into a wider space.
That's when I saw the building.
The gambling den stood taller than every other structure around it. Three stories high, with wide windows and thick wooden doors. Even during the morning, I could hear loud voices and laughter coming from inside.
Lights burned behind several windows.
The place was already busy.
Spiro led us into a small, run-down shop across the street. The shopkeeper barely glanced at us as we sat near a cracked window with a clear view of the gambling den.
Spiro looked at me.
"Rick. Use your eyes."
I nodded.
Pulling my hood lower, I leaned slightly toward the window.
Then I activated my Avenir Eyes.
Mana appeared immediately.
Soft currents of energy flowed through the air like invisible rivers.
Most of it belonged to ordinary people.
But inside the gambling den, the mana was dense.
"There are many people on the first floor," I said quietly.
Theo leaned closer. "How many?"
"Too many to count clearly. Dozens."
Agni chuckled. "That many gamblers this early?"
"Probably," Theo replied.
I focused my vision further.
"The second floor is different," I continued. "Less crowded."
"What do you see?" Spiro asked.
"Many separate rooms," I answered. "Each room has six to eight people."
I watched the movement of mana inside those rooms.
"They're playing games," I said. "Cards. Dice."
Theo sighed dramatically.
"You know, listening to that makes me want to gamble."
Pritha immediately elbowed him.
"You're here to scout, not gamble."
I shifted my gaze upward.
"The third floor has only five people."
Spiro's voice remained calm. "Describe them."
"Three guards," I said.
"And two people sitting at a table."
"What are they doing?" Agni asked.
"Counting something."
Theo grinned. "Money."
"That's likely," I said.
Spiro nodded slightly.
"Now check the guards."
I narrowed my focus.
"There are five guards on the first floor."
"How strong?" Spiro asked.
"Weak," I replied. "Their mana is thin."
Theo shrugged. "Typical thugs."
I continued scanning.
"The second floor has ten guards."
"Stronger?"
"A little," I said. "But still not impressive."
Agni stretched his arms. "Good. Easy work."
Finally, I examined the third-floor guards.
"The top floor has three guards," I said.
Theo leaned closer. "And?"
"They're different."
"How different?" Spiro asked.
"Their mana is much denser."
Agni grinned. "Finally."
"One of them is very large," I continued. "Strong body."
Theo tilted his head. "A monster?"
I shook my head.
"No. Human."
Theo sighed in relief.
"Good. I was worried."
Pritha frowned. "Why?"
Theo pointed at me.
"Because whenever Rick scouts a place, we somehow end up fighting huge monsters."
"That's not true," I said.
Agni laughed. "He's not completely wrong."
Theo crossed his arms confidently.
"Think about it. Wrock Brothers? Ogre? Fortress Guard? Orc boss?"
He pointed at me again.
"You're cursed."
"That's not how curses work," I replied.
Spiro stood up, ending the conversation.
"That's enough information."
He looked at me.
"Good work."
Then he gestured toward the door.
"We leave."
We exited the shop quietly and walked back through the slums.
Behind us, the gambling den continued its noisy business.
But by tonight, that place would be burning.
And everyone inside would either run…
or die.