It was completely different from the miserable slum he had expected to see.

He needed information. He spent his first few hours just wandering the streets and mapping the layout in his head. He watched the patrolling guards and noted their shift changes too while doing the other stuff.

And then the midday bell rang.

Hundreds of construction workers dropped their work at the same time and got into the streets. Jack blended into the crowd and followed a large, loud group of builders. They did not head to a tavern for cheap bread, gruel and ale. They went straight to a specific food shop near the town square.

The shop was incredibly busy and it did not look like a traditional restaurant. In fact, it didn’t even have chairs or tables but the smell floating in the air was absolutely heavenly. It smelled like roasted spices, cooked meat, and melted fat all mixed in together to make his mouth water.

He swallowed and looked at the large wooden menu board nailed to the wall.

The menu was incredibly small. It only sold something called "Tummy Rolls", which was apparently a name that the people gave it themselves. It meant a roll that could fill peoples tummies, which was an extremely simple name.

Though, the people on Modern Earth would’ve called it a burrito.

Jack watched the chefs behind the counter. They took a flat, warm piece of circular flat bread and scooped food into the center before folding it up into a tight cylinder.

The menu options completely went over his head as he was used to the harsh economy of the empire.

The first option was a beans and rice roll, which cost absolutely nothing. The sign clearly stated it was a free meal provided by the Baron for the working citizens.

The second option was a beef, beans, and rice roll. It cost exactly one bronze coin.

The third option was a beef, beans, rice, mushroom, and cheese roll. It also cost exactly one bronze coin.

Jack stared at the board. The second and third rolls were the exact same size. They were massive, and the third one had expensive cheese and fresh mushrooms stuffed inside, yet the price did not change at all. People could just pick whatever roll they wanted without worrying about their coin pouches.

Giving away food for free made absolutely zero sense to him. All it did was prove to him that the Baron had so much money and so much food that he literally did not care about profit margins when feeding his people.

Jack walked up to the counter and dropped a single bronze coin.

"The third one." Jack grunted, his voice completely different from the one he used with the guards.

A smiling woman handed him the warm, heavy roll a minute later. He had seen the others just grab the thing and not ask for a bowl or a plate, so he did the same.

Jack took it and walked a few meters away and observed the people. They held those massive rolls and took bites from the top while making sure that they didn’t spill anything. He also watched more people get to the shop, wash their hands from a tap and get in line.

’Let’s see what’s inside this to make it so cheap...’ he thought and took a big bite, copying one of the guys near him.

He chewed a little and he couldn’t help but stare at the thing he was holding.

The savory beef juices mixed perfectly with the melted cheese. The mushrooms added an incredibly rich flavor while the rice and beans soaked up all the spicy sauces and the juices of the rest of the ingredients. It was a warm, heavy, and an incredibly delicious meal.

He was an assassin who usually ate dried jerky and hard bread on the road. This simple one bronze meal was better than the food served at many expensive restaurants he had tried.

He took another massive bite and focused his hearing on group of trio next to him.

"Did you hear?" a guy laughed as he took a huge bite. "The Baron hasn’t come back for a month now since he left... this is the perfect time, don’t you think?"

"Yeah, we don’t really know where they went but apparently he took a huge group with him." another guy nodded as he chewed his food. "General Claire and the little girl went with him too. The whole mansion is practically empty at this point."

"Burke is running the town guards while they are gone." the first guy added. "But those guards only patrol the walls, streets and the dungeon entrance. There are some at the gates of the mansion but once we get past them, there should be no one."

Jack took another bite and slowly chewed. He knew these three faces and he had noticed them a few minutes ago. They weren’t a part of the working people and they had sneaked into the line just like he had.

They had a bounty on their heads and were well known bandits.

’One mage and two knights... they’re not my targets so there’s no need to waste my time.’ he thought as he looked away.

This was the perfect opportunity for him. The targets were not in town right now, and his general was gone too.

He could just infiltrate the empty mansion and wait for his prey to walk right into the trap.

Jack finished his food and spent the next few days preparing.

He avoided the military training fields completely and nor did he go near the dungeon. He just walked the perimeter of the main estate and planned his entry and exit routes.

A few days into his scouting routine, a luxurious carriage rolled up the main road.

Jack hid behind a brick wall and watched. The carriage stopped right in front of Adrian’s mansion.

A young woman stepped out onto the stone paved road. She had soft brown hair and a face so incredibly innocent and cute that it could easily make anyone feel an urge to protect her. She looked both nervous and hopeful as she turned to look at the mansion.