By the time Siegel climbed ashore, the sun had set and the temperature had dropped. As soon as he left the Blackwater River and lost the blessing of the Earth's Core Flame, the water on his clothes began to freeze rapidly. In order to prevent freezing, Siegel hurriedly took off his clothes and took refuge in a fishing gear warehouse next to the dock while wringing the water in his hands.

It was empty, and even the nets and baskets were covered with a layer of dust. Orcs don't go fishing, and this is supposed to be a place for orcs or human slaves to store their tools. Nowadays, almost all the laborers go to work in the shipyard, so it is also temporarily abandoned. Siegel didn't dare to start a fire, so he found a few dry rags in the warehouse and wiped his body, at least to wipe off all the moisture that was about to freeze. Then he hurriedly moved his limbs, doing squats, push-ups and quick small steps on the spot to warm his body.

If he was able to use magic, he had many ways to avoid frostbite on his body. However, under the shroud of the Detection Enchantment, only Professor Bill's mercenary methods can be used. As Siegel pondered his plan to infiltrate, he decided that he should only use spells when it was in the most critical moments. That time was either the eve of victory or the moment of escape.

Unable to dry his clothes, Siegel had to makeshift a makeshift outfit from the rags and fishing nets in the hut, and disguised himself as a human slave. He used a dagger to cut his hair in a mess, and his beard, which had not been tidied for more than half a month, could also hide his young face. But you can't dress up like a beggar, that would make the orc think that the slave is useless, and may pull out the knife and end the beggar's life. Siegel moderately bares his arms and flexes his muscles to play the role of a slave who can do hard work.

The simple make-up technique was learned from Janet, and the cutting and sewing of clothes was taught by Sir Bill. Siegel's greatest strength is that he is willing to learn all the methods that can be used, and he does not pick and choose. He put on his "new clothes," dusted them off, and pushed the door open.

Today is the day of the full moon, and the whole city is shrouded in the bright moonlight. This didn't do any good to hide his figure, so he simply swaggered down the street. As long as he doesn't encounter a drunken orc, others will not come up to harass him when they see him and think it's a general's slave. Siegel left the Embarcadero and walked into the interior of town, where his first target was the restaurant or hotel. One is to solve the problem of eating and drinking and heating, and the other is to inquire about the news. He didn't know anything about macabda, and he was surrounded by enemies.

He carefully chose his target, but fortunately there were many taverns here, and the orcs liked this entertainment the most, and they were willing to spend the last big boy in their pockets, anyway, they would find a way to rob it the next day. They drank shoddy ale and watched the dwarf slaves put on a burlesque performance, while their big hands roamed back and forth over the slave girls around them. When you are full, the tavern will immediately become a place of lewd pleasure, and the scene will be very chaotic and unbearable. Siegel didn't expect to hear from here, he had his own way.

Before coming to Macabta, Siegel made several plans, the first was to obtain an identity that could stand up to scrutiny, and then proceed to the next step of investigation. Every seaport, even the Golden Shield Harbor, the most powerful of the Lord of Dawn, has people who work with forgery of identification. Siegel had been trained as the successor to the old captain Marlene, and he knew all about shipping. The lucky Soth also often carried tobacco, wine, and even sugar and pepper that the tax collector had forgotten to label. In fact, these are all smuggled goods, and the captain needs to contact the shopkeepers who can sell the stolen goods, so a set of commercial order at sea is naturally formed. Siegel plans to use this system to help with his activities in the makabta.

Reluctant to think too much about the smell of barbecue wafting from the tavern, Siegel crossed the entire macabura, from the river dock to the vicinity of the open sea dock. He saw two drunkards on the way, dragged them into the alley, took off their clothes and changed them, shirts with half-length trousers, soft sharkskin shoes, and fur hats with low brims, just like a sailor. This attire is common at the open docks, where seafarers - or pirates - haunt the familiar smell of the sea, the smell of sea salt, and the aroma of rum. Siegel came here specifically to find grocery stores, especially those selling nautical goods, as they were also commonly used by smugglers to handle their goods.

However, the grocery stores run by orcs are not safe, and according to their nature, they will hack humans to death and then use human heads to receive rewards. Or after finding out where Siegel's goods are hidden, he can behead them. The Half-Orc's shop is for Half-Orcs, and unless Siegel is fully armed and escorted by a few mercenaries, he will dare to choose this place.

Orcs don't open their own shops, they think that all other work is a joke except for murder and robbery. Sometimes they would leave the shop to human slaves, at least it was easier for human slaves to be able to write and do arithmetic. Although these people are not necessarily trustworthy, the chances are always greater.

Siegel pretended to be a drunk and hid in the shadows, and the stench on his stolen clothes was enough to be easily fooled. Now is the time for the shops to close, and Siegel takes the opportunity to pick a target. He saw a grocery store called "White Fish" with a sign depicting a cable and an anchor, and an ugly flying fish jumping over the cable. The signboard is old, but the copper plate on it is polished, but it is rarely frequented and the location is very secluded. The most important thing is that the person in charge of running the grocery store is a one-eyed old man, who does not seem to be in very good health. He observed for a long time, but he didn't find any other guys in the store, and even the final proofing was done by the one-eyed old man himself.

Siegel walked around the grocery store and found that every window was locked and protected by bars. A black dog in the backyard lay in the shadow of the eaves, and did not bark, waiting for Siegel to step into the territory and pounce and bite. It was like a prison, and Siegel thought about it and decided to start here, so he didn't care that it was already closing at night, and went up and knocked on the door.

Three short, three long and three short, belong to the signal of smugglers. Siegel learned the knowledge of the sea from the old captain, knowing that such a signal would keep most grocery stores open. It is not possible to make a lot of money by selling seafaring goods alone, and only smuggling can satisfy the greedy appetites of these people.

At first, there was no movement in the grocery store, and Siegel was not in a hurry, and waited patiently for a while. Then he struck the opposite signal, three long, three short, three long. At this time, a light came on in the grocery store, and then the sound of unlocking was heard. When the wooden door opened, the one-eyed old human man leaned out and held a lantern to look at Siegel's face. It could be seen that his only remaining eye was cloudy and white, so he had to borrow light to see in the night.

"What's the matter?" asked the one-eyed man alarmedly.

"There are parallel imports. Siegel replied, "How about exchanging scallops for peppers?"

The old man let go of the door and closed it again after Siegel entered. He sat the guests down and went to the kitchen to work on the food. This is the etiquette of meeting smugglers in grocery stores: smugglers need alone space to get what they have hidden from their bodies, and this is the secret of every smuggler, and must be respected by the shopkeeper. Siegel took out a few Dwarven City gems and a bottle of Waterdeep's finest spirits. This is a good sake specially prepared before departure to ward off the cold of the north.

After a while, dinner was served, oatmeal stewed with clams and scallops, with a lot of garlic added to it to mask the fishy smell. Siegel didn't say anything, picked up the bowl and ate, and it didn't take long to eat the last bite of a pot of seafood porridge, and then put the bowl down. It was only at this time that the entire "ritual" of the cipher was completed. Siegel showed himself to be a real smuggler, not a pirate who came ashore and would only sell goods rather than trade his life. The one-eyed old man opened the bottle of wine on the table, poured it into the glass, looked at the crystal white wine, smelled the aroma of grain, and tasted it carefully. It's the taste of Waterdeep, and it's the best spirit. A feeling of home crossed my throat and welled up in my heart.

Orcs love the taste of alcohol, but they don't make good wine themselves, and the north can't grow grapes, so even the captured winemaking slaves don't have the raw materials. Therefore, the supply of fine liquor has always been in short supply, and it is one of the favorite commodities of smugglers.

"Good things, how many? I'll take twelve gold coins a bottle. The one-eyed man took another sip, smacked the taste, and asked.

"Not much, just a box. Siegel replied. He is now pretending to be a lone smuggler, so naturally it is impossible for him to own large quantities of goods, which would seem unreal. "Selling goods is not my main business, I came to buy things in Makabuda. ”

"You lie. One-Eye said, "And you're very poor at lying." Everything is in short supply here now, and the three eyes are watching everything very closely. If you want to get something out of his nose, you're looking for death. ”

"There's one thing that isn't lacking here, slave. Siegel said, "I was interested in the slave business. ”

"Do you have a problem with your brain, who do you want to sell slaves to buy slaves from orcs, humans or elves? ”

"I'm looking for a particular slave whose family will pay me. Siegel smiled and said, "All I know is that the ship he was on was captured and dragged to Makabuda, so it's possible that he is still here." ”

"Oh, I see, you're in the anemone business. One-Eye said. "Is this business easy to make now?"

"Business has just begun. The battle in the Sheepfold Mountains is just a small start, and I think that soon the human nobles will be captured, and then their anxious parents will pay for us. Even better, their brother would pay us to abandon the mission. That's the best business, isn't it?"

"You're right, good business has just begun. The one-eyed man said, "I want to know, who told you to come to me?"

Nobody, Siegel thought to himself. "An old acquaintance," he said, "doing what we do, acquaintances are everything, aren't they?"

"That's right, that's the key to doing business. The one-eyed old man nodded, got up, brought two horned cups, and poured the unmixed ale wine, one for each person. "That is, you want me to be a middleman and find a particular slave. What's in it for me?"

"Fifty gold, please do me a favor, fifty gold to find a boat that can take the person I'm looking for away. ”

"This business doesn't make a lot of money. One-Eye replied, "I have heard that when the human nobles were at war, the baron's ransom was in the thousands of gold coins, and the viscount was about five thousand. You can take the 100 gold coins this time, why don't you go to someone else. ”

"It's not proper for me to eat under your roof and you want to drive me away. Siegel said, "This is the first time I've come to your door, and the price is negotiable, but the way can't be broken." If you want to earn more, you have to take more risks, and asking for information is one price, and partners are another matter. It doesn't matter if this person is dead or alive, I take all the risks. If you want to earn as much as you want, be prepared to lose all your money. ”

The old man licked his teeth, he wouldn't hesitate to do it at any other time, but for now he just wanted to send the young man who had come to the door to leave. It stands to reason that the Faceless One of the joints must have appeared recently, could it be this person? Despite having only one eye, this young man looked like a novice no matter how he looked. He was going blind in his eyes, but he wasn't blind in his heart at all. From the first time the young man appeared before him, he knew that this man was not a smuggler, there was no doubt about it. Although he knew every code word of the smuggler, not even the smallest detail, whether it was dressed or figured more like a sailor, he did not have the smuggler's look in his eyes.

According to the news from the "Mouse", the Faceless One will come to him and give him one last mission. Once completed, he could end his fifteen-year career as a spy and return to the south of the Walled Mountains, to his sons and grandsons. When he heard the news, he swallowed five mouthfuls of snow before he suppressed his excitement. The Sheepfold Mountains, a disdainful name for the Orcs for the Walls Mountains, because they don't understand how happy it is to be a sheep to come home. At this time, he has to make sure that nothing can go wrong. Regardless of whether the person who came to the door was faceless or not, he could only stabilize him and observe first.

Still playing the role of a greedy grocer, he thought as he raised his glass and poured the ale down hard. As he drank, Siegel saw the muscles in his neck trembling, and there was a scar on it, like a noose that always hung from the gallows. One-eye slammed the glass on the table, and most of the wine was gone, and he said, "Give me a thorough explanation, if everything goes well, how much can a partner share?"