Intelligence and reconnaissance information are key factors in achieving victory whether on a battlefield or in managing a city.

Knowing what your enemies are doing, their next moves and the plots against you is an essential element for any good merchant, politician and especially for a Governor.

Despite his rank, although his family was ennobled and he became a Baron, his position had aroused many grudges among his friends and enemies.

The assassination attempts had not ceased in the years following his appointment to this post. Without an information-gathering network, he would be dead by now.

The Cortez family was a very normal small peasant family, both brothers lived their happy and simple lives. Then, one day, time caught up with them and the happy days of childhood left them to give way to harsh reality.

When Iracuz was enlisted for a semester of magical education and assessment in the main city of the Duchy, his brother had to fend for himself. Both then sixteen years old, things were simple because of the development of the city and the upsurge of merchants and caravans.

Once Iracuz's magic incapacity was confirmed, he was brought back to his hometown, it is at this moment that he thought his magic life would end. He was depressed and didn't know what to do, at least until he was brought to the Governor upon his arrival.

"The Shadow Spy Corps" was their unofficial name. A military detachment belonging to the city but whose existence was not recognized. In exchange for substantial financial compensation, Iracuz became a spy and was able to afford a life equivalent to that of his brother with a salary as a captain while keeping a low profile.

To keep normal social coverage, he went through jobs without ever staying too long in one place. After all, in his job, getting too attached to one place could be fatal. This until he joined his brother's cavalry.

Under the guise of military work, he could now easily break curfews and continue his operations.

Why hadn't they joined the army from the start? The governor wanted a unique and undetectable reconnaissance force. And for that, he needed people capable of blending into the background like shadows in the night and without his help.

The return of the Promising Ones was a unique chance to find potential agents. With a little investment, the governor had managed to collect magical artifacts that could improve a person's mana circuits and artificially increase their performance for a particular magic.

Here, the magic that was chosen was that of the shadow with the disadvantage of cutting off any chance for the practitioner to use another magic for the rest of his life.

It was the life Iracuz had chosen. A life in the shadows and in the loneliness of spying on the people of his city, sometimes even his own brother. But he didn't complain, assassination missions were rare and the pay was more than enough.

What is more, it allowed him today to have leverage to put pressure on what he considered to be the two most dangerous individuals currently in town. After all, one of them was an outstanding apprentice mage and the other a man who had managed to sneak behind the back of a seasoned spy and assassin.

Rebecca didn't know what to think. Should she take this young man at his word? They had nothing to lose, if he gave them information they could always confirm it with other sources.

- "We want to know everything about the city. Who commands it whether officially and in the shadows. The most important figures" said Rebecca, taking a stone out of her sleeve.

She came to breathe mana inside the stone which suddenly lit up. Iracuz eyed the stone curiously, he wanted to ask questions but couldn't ask much at the moment.

So he just answered the question.

- "The city is ruled by Baron Yves Leatrix, the current Governor. He takes care of the main aspects of the city and his son, Franck Leatrix, takes care of the military side. Security, defense, expedition or exploration, that is"he said, swallowing lightly.

He was slowly getting used to the cold sensation of the sword under his neck, but its presence was not very pleasant either.

- "The majority of gangs and illegal groups have been annihilated and have been placed under the control of the Governor, he uses them as a means of pressure or to cover up our assassinations" he continued.

- "What is your relationship with the Governor?" asked Artiel suddenly.

- "Besides our 'dark' relationship, the Governor has known my brother since an assassination attempt a few years ago. This is what earned my brother his promotion to captain" replied the young man quickly.

- "Murder?"

- "Despite the fact that the majority of gangs and mafia groups have been eradicated, some commoners and especially some nobles did not appreciate the appointment of the Governor. This is what prompted him to set up a network of spies."

Rebecca began to think for a moment.

- "Make me a list of the people involved and those who are likely to be against the Governor" said Rebecca taking a parchment with a piece of coal.

Iracuz gave them a list of ten names, all of the city's nobles or great merchants likely to have something against the Governor. These were his best known enemies, it was no secret to everyone. Their animosity wasn't really hidden, they weren't trying to hide it.

After all, most nobles have certain privileges, and a large majority of their crimes were forgiven. Some even had the support of the Viscount of the region which made them theoretically untouchable.

- "Magi in the city? A library or something that might be of interest?" said Rebecca.

This question was not necessarily linked to their mission but especially for their Master. She knew that Isaac was very fond of researching and learning more about magic.

If they could bring him useful information, they could show him their skills in terms of information gathering and infiltration.

- "The city has no mage, which mage would decide to stay here. But the Governor has a library in his castle, the contents of the books are unknown to me but I suppose he has some that contain instructions on magic "replied Iracuz, unsure of himself.

Although he knew the location of the library, since it had nothing to do with his profession, he had not obtained direct access from the Governor to enter it.

- "It also stores magical artefacts there" added Iracuz.

Rebecca raised her eyebrow slightly, she seemed interested which pleased the young spy.

- "Frankly, most of them are there to decorate, nobody knows how to make them work except for one artifact" he continued then.

- "Which one ?" Rebecca asked immediately.

Iracuz was all the happier. He had found something that seemed to interest the young woman. It was an additional medium to be used in negotiations in addition to its intelligence services.

- "A device that unlocks the magic of poor promising people without a future like me" he replied bitterly. "It allows one to manipulate an element while blocking all the others in return forever," he finished.

Rebecca frowned seriously. It was not something that seemed useful to her or to her Master. But how it worked could probably interest him, so the young woman kept the artifact in note.

She even tried to theorize a little. According to Isaac's explanation, elemental magic was just absorbing the surrounding natural energy and reusing it. If this artifact was able to 'unlock' elemental magic while blocking any other, it was possible that it was only applying a circuit modification of its target.

By altering the flow of mana, it would be possible to force the nodes of a circuit and optimize them to absorb a specific natural energy instead of trying to absorb all at once.

She had to talk to her Master about it, but the priority was not there. They had another mission.

- "I want a detail of the Governor's habits, what time he eats, when he goes to sleep, everything" , resumed Artiel.

- "I don't have this, but I know a servant who knows it. Are you looking for something in particular?" Iracuz replied.

- "A moment of weakness" replied Rebecca, looking coldly at the young man in front of her.

- "There are a few, I suppose. I do know one. Every Saturday, the Governor goes hunting with the cavalry and his son" he said simply.

Rebecca began to note again with her charcoal before looking up at Artiel. She nodded positively. Immediately, the sword under Iracuz's neck was withdrawn and the rune beneath him dissipated.

- "Gather information on something on which we could put pressure. In two days, we will meet again here at nightfall" continued Artiel, looking at Iracuz with suspicion.

- "Find the exact composition of his escort for next week, guards and horsemen, everything. Also find a map of the castle" added Rebecca.

- "I can find this… but, for -" Iracuz started before suddenly being cut by Artiel.

- "If the Master thinks your intelligence is worth the trouble, you can negotiate with him directly," he said before pausing. "So I advise you to provide us with relevant information."

As Iracuz began to open his mouth to thank him, Rebecca resumed.

- "And don't even dare to adopt the same behavior as your brother in front of the Master. At the slightest misstep, I'll grill you on the spot" announced the young woman looking Iracuz in the eyes.

The young man shivered slightly. He had seen what women, especially his brother's wife, could do. Iracuz didn't want to know what an apprentice mage was capable of. Woman were mysterious creatures.

So he nodded positively to let her know that he understood which enchanted the young woman. Things were clear, with a few exceptions.

Iracuz was about to speak when suddenly the shadows in the alleyway darkened drastically. The surroundings became as black as the darkest cave. A few seconds later, Rebecca and Artiel were totally gone, there was nothing left.

He came to stroke his neck and the mark left by the sword before swallowing for a moment. He really hoped he could avoid a clash with the Archmage.

- "Let us pray that Father is on our side" said Iracuz, lying down on his bed, sighing.

It was with a light heart and a full mind that he decided to fall asleep in his inn's room with a restless sleep. That night, on the roofs of the houses, two shadows roamed the city in silence and invisible under the cover of night.