Supreme Magus novel Chapter 3522

"During the conflict, most of the soldiers were sent to the frontlines, leaving only a skeleton crew of city guards to manage the order in the city." Yerna said.

"That and the rationing of the food due to the famine helped the black market and with it the organized crime to spread their influence without meeting any resistance. Money has little value when you are always hungry.

"The citizens of Kophar were happy to trade what little they had for one more morsel of food, drugs, or those potions tattoos. It made their life easier. Also, don’t forget that our marks don’t deal in extortion or protection fees.

"They break the law to give the people what they want. It’s another of the reasons tracking this organization down has been so hard. No one is willing to talk with the officers."

"Because it would mean to implicate either themselves or someone they know." Solus pondered. "Still, I feel we are missing something. Potions are too expensive for regular people and no one becomes a criminal for charity.

"Now that the famine is over and food is no longer a luxury, how does this organization make money?"

"Good question. I wish I knew the answer." Yerna shrugged as the stagecoach came to a halt. "We’ve reached our destination. One moment, please."

A tap on the badge on her breast pocket shapeshifted her immaculate uniform into cheap, stained commoner clothes that suited her exhausted expression to perfection.

"Please, follow me." She got off the stagecoach and opened the inconspicuous worn-out wooden door of a musty stone house with a rusted bronze key.

The hallway was clean but poorly decorated, a perfect match with the outer appearance of the old building. The only weird thing about it was how cramped it was, leaving most of the space for the rest of the rooms.

"This is the bathroom." Yerna opened the door on the immediate right to the entrance, leading to a spacious bathroom with both a shower and a tub.

"This is our center of operations." Then she opened the door on the other side of the hallway.

It opened into a large office that occupied most of the house, with two desks on either side of the room and another on the opposite wall from the door. Four Constables worked on their amulets, receiving new information and revising the old.

Four members of the Knight Guard sat at every corner of the room with a bored expression on their faces. Their role was to ensure the safety of the Constables during the investigations, but operations had been suspended for a few days now.

The prolonged inactivity had worn down the elite soldiers’ nerves but they had refused to take a break from their duty until Lith’s arrival.

"Finally!" A stocky man, at least 1.85 meters (6’1") tall with shoulders as large as the doorframe jumped up from his seat and extended his hand to Lith. "Ranger Verhen, right? I’ve read a lot about you and Commander Ernas always praises you.

"It’s an honor to meet you, sir."

"The honor is mine, Captain…" Lith recognized the rank insignia but there was no name tag to protect the anonymity of the Knight Guard’s members.

"Azkel Thaas." The captain introduced himself. "These are the members of my unit. Sergeant Miks, Corporal Foram, and Cadet Shern."

Only the elites from the army could apply to the Knight Guard but that was just the entry barrier. They would then be stripped of their rank, undergo specialized training for Mage Knights, and sent to the field as mere cadets.