Three and a half days ago, the commander sent me across the border in case Blaze decided to run away. In the end, he not only stayed, but also helped take down a dragon.

I didn't need to intercept anyone in the end, and now I have to take a long walk back.

Our network of tunnels ran deep underground. It had entrances in secluded forests and the urban sewage systems. Non-human races were discriminated against in Kitrod, so people never found it weird if someone like me came out of the sewers with dirty clothes.

If someone accidentally discovered an entrance, the patrol guards would quickly silence that person, or destroy that section of the tunnel and its entrance before the person could return with a party.

Using these tunnels was how demi-humans like me were able to infiltrate Kitrod. Ever since I first came here a year ago, I gathered intelligence on this place by making friends with stray cats and some weird men who went crazy over beast-like girls.

Now that I was here again, I couldn't help but remember the last time I secretly crossed the border.

* * * * *

The commander gave me the job of finding an alchemist or herbalist willing to defect over to the Badoth side. In other words, I had to find someone chronically in debt, was unwelcome everywhere, and had a negative view of the future, since such a person could likely be enticed to switch sides with a large bribe.

That specific character description made the search near impossible, and that was why it took me almost a whole year to finally come across a run-down shop in a remote northern town near the border.

Rumor has it that the shopkeeper was a retired archmage who decided to change professions into a merchant and alchemist because his prospects as an adventurer were grim. He was hated by most people in town because his fire magic often destroyed public property, and when used outside of town the magic would often burn the bodies of monsters to the point that other adventurers could not find any recognizable pieces of monster drops to bring back as proof of subjugation.

He opened up his shop in an empty narrow street near the slums, so it was not hard to guess why he had very few customers in the first place.

I thought about going in right away, but since he was a skilled mage, he would most likely be wary of any tricks being used.

I waited a few minutes for a passerby to finally appear, then called out to her.

"Excuse me!"

"Yes?"

Luckily, the woman didn't ignore me like most other townspeople. I guess the poor people living in the slums care less about racial differences.

"Could you go buy a potion in this shop to cheer up the shopkeeper? You can keep half the money as thanks."

"Sure."

"Please take your time inside. He's probably so lonely in that empty shop that he would want someone to talk to."

I gave the woman a large copper coin while pointing at the alchemist shop with my other hand. Having someone in the shop to distract him was necessary, since he would notice me using magic on him through the store window otherwise.

Just to be absolutely sure that his guard would be lowered, I used charm magic about four or five times during the time the woman was in the shop.

My magic didn't work on females, so she probably wouldn't notice something strange was going on.

I chanted and channeled the mana for a hypnosis spell in advance, then merrily walked inside after the woman left.

"Good morning!"

If he showed signs that he'd be willing to defect, then I can put him to sleep to make it easier to bring him across the border. If he didn't, the hypnosis would just be used to make him forget about his interaction with me.

* * * * *

I closed the window shades and put up a sign that said "Out For Lunch" after knocking Blaze out with hypnosis. It was close to noon, so I'm sure nobody would find an early lunch break suspicious.

I thought about throwing an exploding potion at the shop's back wall, but luckily this place had a back door. It was connected to a back alley, and there were alleyway paths that led to one of the sewer entrances.

After confirming there were no drunkards, hobos, and lost travelers in the alleyways, I called for help from the underground network. Half a dozen goblins eventually came out to help me drag Blaze's body and carry his shop's wares out the back door and deep down the sewers.

We were spotted by a lost little child along the way, but he complied with my request to keep quiet after I used my charm magic again and gave him some candy.

A horse-drawn freight carriage eventually came by, and the goblins helped me load Blaze and his belongings onto it. I departed on the six hour underground ride towards Sachiru town, while the goblins closed off the pathway connecting the sewers and the underground tunnel system.

What happened next is all history now.