There was little sign of wealth or luxury; everything about the town spoke of survival and hardship.
The carriage rattled through the uneven streets, and Oasis glanced out the window, taking in his surroundings.
The townspeople barely gave him or his guards a second look, used to the comings and goings of traders.
Yet, Oasis could sense an underlying tension beneath the surface.
Oasis glanced out the window of the carriage, taking in the state of Riffridge.
The town, hidden in rocky valleys, was clearly struggling.
So, this is the state of Riffridge, huh? Oasis thought as they passed through the dusty, narrow streets.
People moved about slowly, their faces hollow, as hunger and hardship were etched into every step they took.
Suddenly, breaking the silence in the carriage, Oasis turned to the guards seated with him.
"What are your names again?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.
The guards exchanged quick glances, surprised that Oasis had spoken.
One of them finally responded, "I'm Alaric," he said, before introducing the others. "This is Gavon, Raegar, and Thane."
Oasis nodded thoughtfully.
"Alright, as you can see, it's already very late, and the night is about to fall," he said, his gaze still fixed on the window.
"We need to gather as much information as possible. By tomorrow morning, we must have tangible intel on what's really going on here."
The guards listened intently as Oasis continued.
"These people are suffering, hungry. And when people are desperate, they're more likely to talk."
"The four of you will move through the town distributing the goods we've brought—especially the food."
He paused, eyeing the guards seriously.
"Move in different directions. Gather whatever you can. Information is our weapon."
Reaching into his storage bracelet, Oasis retrieved a small pouch, handing it to Alaric. Inside were 30 gold coins.
The guards' eyes widened in disbelief. "Use this to gain more information where needed," Oasis instructed.
The sight of the gold left them speechless.
Alaric couldn't hide his surprise.
I don't even make this much in a year, he thought, his mind reeling.
After a quick exchange of nods, the four guards exited the carriage, scattering through the town with goods to distribute.
Oasis continued further into Riffridge with the remaining two guards, moving steadily towards the center of town.
After some time, the carriage came to a halt near the town square, where the noise and movement grew louder.
The deeper they went into the city, the more the environment changed.
The homes near the center were far better maintained, with some even adorned with small gardens, in stark contrast to the crumbling outskirts.
The people here were dressed more decently, their clothes cleaner, their postures upright.
It was clear this part of the town was reserved for those with status.
Oasis and the two guards stepped out of the carriage, blending into the crowd as they moved toward the source of the noise.
A commotion was underway—a group of people had gathered, their faces twisted with anger and excitement.
Shouts of "Kill him! Kill him!" echoed through the air.
In the center of the mob, a man was tied to a wooden pole, bloodied and bruised, barely clinging to life.
His swollen lips moved as he struggled to speak, but the jeering crowd drowned him out.
"How dare he try to touch the noble lady of the vice lord?" one person yelled.
"Disgusting, filthy man," another spat, hurling a stone in his direction.
A man dressed in fine clothing stood nearby, alongside a woman who seemed to be the noble in question.
She was holding her head high, her eyes filled with scorn as she glared at the battered man.
The man on the pole whimpered, trying to speak.
"I… didn't… do… anything," he barely managed to utter. His voice was weak, barely a whisper.
Before anyone could react, the noblewoman snatched a sword from a nearby guard and, without hesitation, drove it into the man's neck.
His body went limp, and the crowd quickly dispersed, their bloodlust satisfied.
No one dared to stand by the side of the man as his life drained away.
Oasis observed the scene quietly, his eyes narrowing. As the noblewoman turned to leave, her gaze met his.
Their eyes locked for a brief moment, and Oasis could see the irritation flash across her face.
Yet, she said nothing, choosing instead to walk back toward the grand residence nearby—likely the city lord's manor.
Activating his Azure Serpent Eyes, Oasis watched the nobleman and woman as they departed.
They both reek of innocent lives, he thought, feeling a dark energy around them.
I swear, the state of this town has been caused by them.
His mind turned toward the missing city lord.
"Where is the real lord of this town?" he wondered as he and his guards moved quietly to avoid attracting any unwanted attention.
The deeper district of Riffridge was very different from the broken outskirts they had first passed through.
Finding an inn nearby, Oasis and his guards entered.
The inn was dingy and reeked of corruption, a place where deals were made in whispers, and shady figures lurked in the shadows.
The dim lighting did nothing to hide the air of desperation that filled the room.
They sat at a table in the corner, and Oasis, still calm, leaned back in his seat.
"Divine Peak," he whispered, unleashing a wave of spiritual energy that spread through the town like invisible tendrils, probing every corner, every hidden crevice.
His energy picked up something unusual. In the residence of the city lord, he sensed the presence of a bedridden man in one of the rooms.
But something more concerning lay beneath the manor—in the basement.
Two young individuals were bound and tied, kept out of sight from the world above.
"Hmm… fascinating," Oasis mused to himself.
As they sat quietly, whispers filled the inn. People around them were murmuring, some gossiping in hushed voices.
"The real city lord treated everyone equally... I wish he was well," one person said, leaning in to whisper.
"The vice city lord and his wife have ruined our town," another whispered bitterly.
"They increased the taxes... we're barely surviving."
"Hawkers can't even have proper meals," someone else muttered, shaking their head.
Oasis listened intently, piecing together the fractured state of Riffridge.
He knew now more than ever that the corruption in this town went deeper than the surface.
The answers lay with the bedridden city lord—and the dark secrets hidden beneath his residence.