Ethan paused, gathering his thoughts. He bent down and picked up a twig, then crouched to draw a large circle in the dirt, followed by a smaller one inside it.
"You said you want to take control of this village," he began, tapping the smaller circle with the twig. "Your biggest obstacle is a man named Diggen. I'm sure you've heard of him—but what you might not know is that he used to be an aura user. A veteran. He let the nobles destroy his core to save his life. Came here with a dozen men to disappear. Thanks to his battlefield experience, he took control of this place easily."
The gang leader narrowed his eyes. Ethan continued, "What keeps the nobles from messing with this village is Diggen's connection to the commander of the nearest city. That's why no one's ever raided this dump."
A flicker of concern passed over the leader's face. "You sure about that, kid?"
Ethan nodded. "It's an open secret. I've heard merchants talk about it with Stanley. One of them said he saw Diggen and the city commander having a quiet chat at the gates of Hul Town."
The gang members exchanged uneasy looks. This wasn't just a gang or a local power play anymore—this was a potential political landmine.
The leader leaned forward, voice gruff. "How close are they?"
Ethan thought for a moment, then smirked. "I don't know exactly. But Stanley might. That fat pig knows everyone's business. He's close to Diggen too. You'll probably have to rough him up if you want him to talk."
The gang leader gave a low chuckle. "Clever kid. I like it. Go on."
Ethan drew an X in the center of the small circle. "Diggen has two confidants. One is his right-hand man, called the Bull. Not smart, but scary strong. I saw him crack a guy's skull open with a headbutt once. The other's a guy named Dan. Middle-aged, bald patches, mustache. Good with knives."
Then he marked five more Xs outside the inner circle. "The rest are average gang members. Seventeen in total, counting Diggen and his two dogs. But Diggen's real power comes from five villagers: Friz, Adam, Tikky, Caissy, and Brenda. Retired assassins. The kind of people who kill without blinking."
He looked up. "I don't know what deal they have with him, but if anyone in this village could kill Diggen, it's one of those five. That said, I'm not sure if they'd actually lift a finger to help him if things went south."
"There are some people—bandits, I think—who come and go. They never stay more than a day. My gut tells me Diggen is paying them off to leave him and his business alone."
Then he added, a puzzled look on his face, "There's another group—they show up about once every six months. No one knows who they are. They wear thick robes, hide their faces… and every time, they spend a day at Diggen's place, then vanish. Some folks say they're from a place called the 'Red Light District.'"
The gang leader interrupted, "And Stanley? You said he's in cahoots with Diggen."
Ethan's face darkened. His voice was calm, but his hatred was barely contained. He drew a smaller circle outside the main one.
"Stanley's the link to the outside world. Merchants only deal with him, not Diggen. Diggen gives him the drugs, Stanley sells them to the merchants in exchange for food and liquor."
"In other words," he added, "Stanley keeps the village fed. Without him, there's no trade."
The leader raised an eyebrow. "There's more than one merchant who comes through, though. Why doesn't Diggen deal with them directly?"
"They're not here for drugs," Ethan said. "Those merchants belong to real trading companies. They've got guards, and they're only here to buy monster byproducts from the hunters. Diggen doesn't mess with hunters. They're the only ones he leaves alone."
The gang leader nodded. "Smart move. No one wants to pick a fight with people who wrestle monsters for a living. Go on."
Ethan shrugged. "That's pretty much it. Everyone else here is just poor and desperate. They work Diggen's drug farm because they don't have a choice."
"Where is this farm?" the leader asked.
Ethan pointed north. "Right near the northern canyon. Outside the village."
There was a long pause as the gang leader studied him.
"Is this information to your liking?" Ethan asked, voice low but steady. "Will you deal with Stanley?"
The gang leader leaned back, rubbing his chin. His expression was unreadable.
"I'm not gonna lie to you, kid," he said. "Having a merchant contact is gold for people like us. I'm sure a sharp kid like you gets that."
Ethan's heart sank. He nodded silently. He'd expected this, but it still hurt.
Then the leader grinned, wolf-like. "That said… Stanley might need a reminder of who's in charge now. We'll deal with his friends first."
One of the gang members piped up, "So we're really doing this, boss?"
The leader nodded. "Of course. First, we take out the assassins—quietly. Make it look like personal fights, accidents, old grudges. If we go after Diggen first, those five might rally to his side."
He turned to leave, then looked back at Ethan one last time.
"Good work, kid."
As the gang disappeared into the distance, Ethan let out a long, weary breath. Alone again, he muttered, "I knew this would happen. But still... feels like shit."
He stood, dusted off his pants, and made his way southward through the village. Stanley had survived—for now. But Ethan wasn't done.
He would break free of this place. One way or another.
His best option now was to wait.
Something was brewing—he could feel it in his bones. The arrival of these outsiders wasn't just a coincidence; it was a sign. A shift was coming. Perhaps even a change in leadership.
"I need to stay alert," he thought. "An opportunity will come... and when it does, I have to be ready."