Chapter 25: The Spy Among Us
The village sat under the cloak of night, the only sounds the crackling of torches and the occasional bark of a watch dog. Inside the war room, Srabon stood at the head of the table, his expression grave. Mira, Magnus, and the Builder were seated around him, their faces tense. In the center of the table lay the tattered scrap of cloth with the Goblin King's insignia — a chilling reminder of the enemy's reach.
"We have a spy in our midst," Srabon said, his voice carrying through the room. "Someone who knows our plans and is feeding information to the Goblin King."
Magnus's jaw clenched, his massive arms crossed. "You're saying one of us is a traitor?" The tension in the room was palpable, and the villagers exchanged uneasy glances.
"Not necessarily," Mira said, her eyes scanning each face. "The spy could be anyone — a villager, a survivor from Ralston, even one of the new recruits."
[New Quest: Identify the Spy. Reward: 1200 Gold, 800 Elixir.]
Srabon opened the system map, watching the blinking red dots that marked potential enemy scouts. "If we don't root out the spy soon, the Goblin King will know everything — our defenses, our numbers, our weaknesses. And when he strikes again, we might not survive."
"So, how do we find them?" the Builder asked, rubbing his beard. "Whoever it is, they're good at covering their tracks."
"We set a trap," Srabon said, his eyes darkening. "We feed false information to a select few and see which intel reaches the Goblin King."
---
Over the next few days, Srabon and Mira carefully orchestrated a series of false plans. They chose three groups to deceive. To the new recruits, Srabon told them that a secret tunnel was being dug under the village walls to serve as an emergency escape route. To the villagers, Mira spread rumors of a hidden cache of weapons buried beneath the old watchtower. To the survivors of Ralston, the Builder shared a supposed plan to launch a surprise attack on the Goblin King's main camp.
Mira kept a close eye on the villagers, watching for any unusual behavior. "Are you sure this will work?" she asked as she joined Srabon on the village wall one night, the two of them keeping watch over the darkened streets.
"It has to," Srabon said, his eyes fixed on the forest. "The Goblin King won't wait forever."
Hours passed. The village was quiet, but Srabon couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Then, a low whistle echoed through the night. Srabon tensed, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. He slipped behind a stack of barrels, eyes narrowed as he scanned the shadows.
There, near the edge of the forest, a cloaked figure moved swiftly. Srabon crouched lower, watching as the figure met with a goblin scout. Their voices were low, but Srabon caught snippets of the conversation.
"The tunnel is almost ready," the figure said in a hushed tone. "The Chief will be inspecting it tomorrow. That's when he'll be most vulnerable."
Srabon's heart pounded. The tunnel. The false information he had given the new recruits. The spy was one of them.
He waited until the cloaked figure slipped away into the woods, then sprinted back toward the war room, his mind racing. "Mira! Magnus!" he called, bursting through the door. "Wake everyone up. I know who the spy is."
---
The village square filled with villagers, their faces drawn and wary. Magnus stood by Srabon's side, arms crossed and eyes hard as steel. Mira flanked Srabon, her bow slung over her shoulder, eyes sharp and alert.
Srabon took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd. "We have a traitor among us," he said, his voice carrying through the square. "Someone who has been feeding our plans to the Goblin King."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Srabon raised a hand, silencing them. "Tonight, I caught the spy red-handed. And that spy is..."
He pointed to a young recruit, a wiry boy named Leto. Leto's eyes widened, and he shook his head frantically. "N-No! You're wrong! I didn't do anything!"
Srabon stepped forward, the scrap of cloth clutched in his hand. "You were the only one told about the tunnel. And tonight, I heard you tell a goblin scout that I'd be inspecting it tomorrow."
Leto's face drained of color, his gaze darting around for an escape route. Magnus stepped forward, grabbing him by the collar. "You betrayed us, Leto. Why?"
Tears welled up in Leto's eyes. "They threatened my sister! The Goblin King's men — they said they'd kill her if I didn't cooperate!"
Mira's expression softened, but Srabon's face remained hard. "Where is she? Where is the Goblin King holding her?"
Leto sobbed, falling to his knees. "In the old mines..."
Srabon's jaw clenched. "Then that's where we're going."
[New Quest: Rescue the Hostage. Reward: 1500 Gold, 1000 Elixir.]
Magnus dragged Leto away, while Srabon and Mira exchanged a determined look. The Goblin King had just made this war personal.