The morning sun cut through the clouds in narrow beams as Evan stood before the giant map in the intelligence room. The apprentices gathered close holding fresh parchment ready to record his every word. Lenar leaned forward gripping the edge of the table as if bracing for impact.

Last night Evan said Iron Crest revealed more than they intended. Their pattern of movement tells us everything we need to know about their internal chain of command.

He tapped the three tier structure drawn on the board.
Operatives at the bottom.
Coordinators in the middle.
A strategic head at the top.

When a guild is healthy Evan continued orders move downward. But when a guild is panicked information moves upward. That is where mistakes appear.

Lenar asked quietly How do we use that

We find the cracks Evan said. Panic cracks structure.

Evan paced slowly while pointing to each tier. The rogue operative gathered herbal data. He failed. Coordinators tried misdirection. They failed. The strategic head entered personally. That means their structure is strained. They rushed. Rushing exposes weaknesses.

One apprentice raised her hand. What weakness have we seen so far

The safehouse Evan said. They use only one. That is a central weakness. A single point of failure. Most large guilds hide multiple safehouses across the city. Iron Crest relies on one. If that location becomes predictable so do their plans.

Lenar blinked. So we watch it constantly

Not constantly Evan said. That makes us obvious. We watch in bursts. Only when tension rises. And tension is already rising.

He motioned for the apprentices to spread their notes across the table. They compared timestamps of movements from last night. Evan circled three entries.

These three movements Evan said are inconsistent.
One operative returned after the strategic head spoke.
Another fled the district early.
A third stayed out too long before returning.

This pattern tells us two things.
One. Iron Crest sent mixed orders.
Two. Their internal trust is breaking.

The apprentices stared in shock. Even Lenar looked shaken.

Guilds rarely lose trust Evan continued. But when they do their actions become disorganized. That is the perfect moment to strike back.

Evan tapped another set of notes from the listening grid. Several vendors reported hearing whispers that Iron Crest was debating whether to focus on herbs or metals. This rumor told Evan something powerful.

Confusion Evan said. They are no longer aligned. Their strategic head wants one direction. Their coordinators want another. When a guild splits focus their efficiency collapses.

Lenar frowned. But Iron Crest still has more members than we do. More money too.

Numbers do not matter if direction is wrong Evan said. Alignment beats size.

He walked to the window looking down at the bustling morning market. Caravans rolled through the streets. Vendors set up stalls. People moved like threads weaving through a tapestry. Evan saw patterns in every step.

We will use their confusion against them he said softly. But first we must understand it.

He turned back to the apprentices.

We will map each operative’s route. Every entry and exit from the safehouse. Every visit to the market. Every conversation they have. We track their pattern for three days. And from that pattern we find the weak link. The person whose movements do not match the rest.

The apprentices wrote furiously.

Evan continued. That weak link will reveal their true plan. Because weak links leak information long before orders become visible.

Lenar asked What happens after we find the weak link

Then Evan said we strike with precision. Not violence. Precision. We reveal their move before they make it. We cut their plan at the root.

The apprentices exchanged excited and terrified looks.

Evan smiled faintly.
Information wins wars.
And today we sharpen the blade.