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Hearing this question, George’s face instantly turned fearful. He quickly lowered his voice, speaking cautiously: “Of course there are, but those who resist... most of them no longer exist.”

“You must have heard of the infamous ‘Nocturne’ unit, right? They are the kingdom’s deadliest blade. Once they set their sights on you, almost no one can escape.”

“It is said that those former nobles...”

He looked around warily and made a motion across his neck.

Olivia snorted coldly: “Of course, it’s a brutal and evil regime, using the cruelest means to oppress those who resist. This is when their bloody true face is revealed.”

Perhaps it was because of Angel, the golden dragon, or perhaps it was the natural enmity between silver dragons and red dragons, but Olivia held a bias against this kingdom that even she couldn’t fully recognize.

“Yes, indeed.”

George echoed quietly.

But Olivia didn’t notice how this cautious former serf began breathing heavily, his voice trembling, sweat forming on his forehead.

George kept his head down, his mind racing, recalling countless familiar slogans.

Enticed by benefits.

Mysterious, hidden identity.

Gathering intelligence, deliberately encouraging rebellion against the kingdom.

Wasn’t this exactly the description of an enemy spy from the ‘Kingdom Daily’? He thought of those tempting rewards: fifty gold coins, a house in the city center, a precious draconic potion...

“This is a spy!”

His breathing grew more ragged, his heart pounding furiously.

To George, the figure in front of him no longer seemed human but instead a walking pile of gleaming gold coins—a shortcut that could change his destiny forever!

His emotions grew more frantic, his breath heavy, his eyes almost glazed as he imagined the life he could lead after receiving the bounty.

“I’ll find a woman, have a child, and move the whole family into a nice house in the center of Northwind Fortress.”

“Then I’ll buy a brand-new shop with the gold coins, sell flowers, and earn money while sitting comfortably every day.”

“Our child, I’ll send him to the best school, where he’ll learn to read and write. Maybe one day, he’ll become a respected scribe, maybe even one of those officials managing the city...”

“By then, I’ll visit my former coworkers, and they’ll look at me with envy, fawning over me. Howard can be annoying, but he’s been good to me. I might give him a job at my shop...”

Olivia noticed his odd behavior, asking curiously:

“Are you alright?”

George abruptly snapped out of his pleasant daydream. He trembled, trying to mask his nervousness, and stammered:

“Ah, ah, I’m fine.”

“Definitely fine.”

Olivia merely assumed that the man before her was terrified of the kingdom’s power and feared being implicated. How could she know that, in his eyes, she had already turned into a walking pile of gold coins?

Thinking this, she spoke softly to comfort him:

“Don’t be afraid; none of this concerns you. I’m only asking some questions. Rest assured, those evil dragon minions won’t find out.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

George echoed her words, wiping the sweat off his forehead, feigning a look of immense relief.

In his heart, he thought fiercely: “I can’t let this chance to change my fate slip by!”

Olivia paid no attention to the human’s reaction, feeling only sympathy for these people who lived in constant fear under red dragon rule.

She continued asking, “Are there any surviving rebels? Where are they being held?”

George shook his head repeatedly, trying to remain calm as he replied: “They say there’s a massive dungeon in the kingdom called ‘Talmo.’ Anyone who dares oppose the kingdom’s order is locked up there or executed.

“But no one knows where the dungeon is. No one has ever escaped from it. Maybe only the high-ranking officials, like Lord Langpu, would know.”

“Thank you.”

Olivia nodded gently.

The man in front of her was just an ordinary worker with no access to top-level information. What he knew was mostly hearsay. Still, Olivia had gained a basic understanding of the kingdom.

Olivia turned and walked away, disappearing deeper into the alley.

“Angel, I will find what you left behind.”

“Your sacrifice will not be in vain.”

This thought ran through her mind.

Beneath the hood, her mercury-blue eyes showed a growing determination.

This kingdom wasn’t as evil as she had imagined—at least not on the surface—but behind it lurked more fearsome monsters, baring their fangs.

The Ember Kingdom was operating and expanding at an unprecedented pace. After the red dragon awakened from its slumber, it might bring even greater calamity to Anzeta.

The silver dragon needed more information to fully reveal the true nature of the red dragon hiding behind the kingdom, so she could fulfill Angel’s final wish.

George, too, awkwardly turned to leave.

The worker, who wasn’t very good at acting, began walking stiffly, so nervous that he was stepping awkwardly. Fortunately, his strange behavior went unnoticed as the mysterious figure no longer paid him any attention.

After walking some distance, George cautiously turned back.

“Is... is she gone?”

Seeing that the mysterious person had finally vanished, he first jogged along the alley and then broke into an all-out sprint.

He ran all the way to the street, following the steps he’d learned from the newspaper, removing a bounty notice from a roadside board, and pressing his palm against the blood-red rune.

Throughout the process, George was trembling, his body filled with a mix of nervousness and excitement. He feared that the mysterious spy would come back and silence him but also dreamed of receiving the generous rewards.

“I’ve found a spy!”

George gasped, panting heavily.

The rune seemed to glow faintly.

The sound of wings flapping echoed, with bats flying above, and rats scurrying about on the ground.

George felt his hair stand on end, his heart pounding with a primal fear of death.

Suddenly, a deathly pale hand silently landed on his shoulder, cold as a corpse. At the same time, an icy voice came from behind him.

“You said... you found what?”

Cold sweat trickled down George’s face as he slowly turned around, rigid.

The sight before him made his pupils dilate, his eyelids twitch uncontrollably.

In front of him stood a pale-faced man, with delicate features and a slender build. His eyes were blood-red, and his slightly exposed canines were sharp.

He wore a pitch-black tailcoat, a dark red cloak, and on his chest was a crimson emblem depicting a dagger crossed with a violin—this was the feared “Nocturne,” the special unit that haunted the shadows, feared by everyone in the kingdom.

George involuntarily swallowed, stammering as he spoke:

“I... I found a spy.”

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