Chapter 204: Information

’Those are certainly powerful barriers.’

As I stood in line to enter the city and do a check again, I noticed that the barriers were especially powerful and varied, which I expected from a fixed city.

I had already felt it, but the standard of these realms is superior to that of the Avaloria realm, and their technology in protective barriers was a reflection of this.

No one wanted infiltration or internal attacks from their enemies, especially in a city, so they put a lot of effort into it. Just by me glancing over it, I realized that there were many barriers that detected humans in different ways.

From the more standard ones, which check for pure mana from humans, to rarer ones that register human heartbeats, something most demons don’t have, as cores replace it.

The good news is that these detection barriers only work when you walk through them. Once inside, I didn’t have to worry.

Although I also noticed that there were barriers blocking things inside the protected area, such as anti-spell barriers for appearance changing and illusions. I even noticed that there were anti-space magic barriers, very powerful ones, that affected everything inside the barrier.

I registered them, as they were an important factor in all my plans. It was a very advanced barrier and, from what I could gather, all space magics, whether by affinity, runes or artifacts or weapons, were absolutely suppressed, except for one.

The only exception seemed to be storage bags, which were used on a day to day basis by the more wealthy or powerful people.

Looking at how strict they were, I noticed that they could be an inconvenience, both to me and even to the authority figures of this city. However, I realized that the higher-ups would probably have some sort of key that would make the barriers not affect them.

since having a space artifact or two to save them is something that people of means always secure. If I could get me one of those keys, everything might be simpler.

..

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Again, I got through the registration and barriers without any problems, and once inside, I started to act. I don’t know how everything will turn out specifically; I need to gather information again, as I am only working with the report my alternate self received and the details, too many were missing including the exact date of the events.

With that in mind I immediately headed for a less crowded alleyway as soon as I saw it. There, I finally took off that mask that had curses on it, purified it, along with the storage bag and destroyed them.

I finally eliminated those memories that I felt were going to drive me crazy, I just hope I never have to steal the memories of a race like this again. And finally I undid the demonization.

Once that was done, I immediately activated morphogenesis, changing my appearance to an image I had been visualizing for a long time for a situation like this.

While barriers blocked disguise spells and artifacts, abilities were not included in this. It was the same with the academy, which had an anti-disguise barrier but didn’t block abilities morphogenesis or like Aurora’s Mask of Illusions.

My skin became a little paler, or rather, grayish. My hair went back to black and my appearance was more adult, looking decent, but without attracting too much attention.

Black horns protruded from my head, curved to the sides, and my tail appeared again; it was hairier and thicker than when I was demonized.

Everywhere I looked, I was a demon. The difference was that it was only in appearance. If I passed through the barriers like that, I would definitely be detected.

The Khaemdras race is a race that is not convenient, as they are semi-repudiated by other demons, let alone demons that have pure blood.

The only reason they are accepted is because they are intelligent and can socialize and reason, even though their culture is more of monsters than demons.

But there are many who don’t accept them yet, and if I meet an extremist, it would be dangerous. Such madmen exist everywhere.

Now, what I became the Umbraelis, is one of those races that call themselves ’pure blooded’. It is a race that, as far as I know, is the most abundant in number and can still be called pureblooded, so I will not draw attention to myself and I have many benefits just for being of this race.

I left the alley. Following the same pattern, I headed to a bar because I realized that, truly, when people drink liquor, information flows without even asking.

But I needed to be more selective, so I went to a high-class bar. I had to be sure and understand which of the two scenarios I am facing: the second or the third.

I had to gather as much information as possible.

*****

“I found out my mother wasn’t my real mother, sniff… I was fooled my whole life.”

“What, are you kidding! Mrs. Elma isn’t your mother? Then you’re not Mr. Steven’s son either, you’re adopted?!”

“No, you idiot! Yes I am my father’s son.”

“Impossible. Everyone knows how in love the two of them have always been. It is impossible for Mr. Steven to cheat on Mrs. Elma or vice versa even when they were young.”

“I’m not the product of a deception, it’s a long story, citing that I found out that my mother’s name wasn’t even Elma, her name was Lucy!”.

“What? Explain, you bastard, explain quickly! How is it, that possible, that happened with Mrs. Elma?”.

“It turns out that my mother, Elma, or rather Lucy, is a twin sister of my real mother, who died in an incident. She was also in that incident and lost her memory. She didn’t remember anything, or who she was.”

“No, wait, don’t you mean…?”.

“Yes. Since they were identical twins, my father, who went to rescue them, didn’t know who was who. According to him, they even had the same moles, and it didn’t help that she lost her memory.”

“Holy hell lord! So does that mean that…?”.

“Yes, recently, out of nowhere, she regained her memory and explained everything to us, you know? That happened when I was one year old. Now I’m 57 and I don’t even know what to think.”

“And so Mr. Steven is going to break up with your mom…? That means she’s single now!!… come on buddy, we have to go comfort her!, I’ll bring her that flowers she loves so much”.

“Why do you look happy? And she doesn’t need comforting, That old man loves my mother, aunt?…stepmother?….., like there’s no tomorrow…sniff…It didn’t even cross her mind that; she was just surprised. But it seems he always had that possibility in mind.”

“. /_ ..”

“hey idiot, why do you look, sad now?…sniff, whatever. the point is I don’t know not what to think, not how to refer to her now that I know this…that’s why I came to ask you for some advice, you who are my best friend.”

“tsk, I thought this was my chance.”

“Huh?!? What are you talking about… don’t change the subject, tell me what do you think I should do now?”.

*****

’damn, I’d like popcorn, that was an interesting story’.

Another time I went to a bar to gather information. I thought I might find more important information. Yes, it was a more expensive bar, but other than stuff about the ongoing war, I found nothing that was relevant.

Nothing except the story about that guy who looks like a gentleman. It was interesting, novel-like, although if I were that guy I would definitely watch out for that friend of his.

It was Tuesday, early at night, and I had been going from bar to bar for almost two days and I hadn’t gotten anything.

I thought about lowering the bar and going to taverns and more common places, but that didn’t work either and the information was more common and unverified, so I raised the bar again to see if I had any luck, but I hadn’t found anything.

I had also gone to several places trying to get information, while I took the opportunity to buy, in this demonic city, things that I could not easily find in the human world, with the money I got, selling some weapons that I did not need and useless things from my storage that I had in excess thanks to William’s legacy.

I didn’t think I’d get stuck on something like this. Although if I think about it, the information I’m looking for the city lord should definitely keep it absolutely confidential.

But I was hoping to at least hear something that would give me some indication of whether that guy had escaped and was on the run or had already been captured.

That’s sensitive information, so it would be rare to find a person talking about it openly. But at least I was hoping for little hints.

Now I’m thinking I came even much earlier than I thought and the guy was still with his family, which would lead me to the fourth and worst possible scenario.

But it’s still not certain. And since it was sensitive information, it seems I’m unlikely to find information like that unless I ask. But that could expose me if I do it carelessly.

’haaaah… I can’t waste my time anymore. It’s all or nothing.’

..

.

*****

“Hey, do you know of any place I can run an errand?”

“…what?”

“Yes, you know, I need… come, come closer.”

The man, who was the bartender, looked at me without understanding what I wanted to accomplish. But perhaps, because of my race, he played along and came closer.

When he was close enough, I said to him in a whisper:

“You know, a place where I can buy… information…”

“I’m sorry, sir, I’m just a simple employee. I don’t understand that sort of thing.”

’Tsh, it didn’t work.

Bartenders are supposed to be the ones who always know more than they appear to. That guy, if he’s not an informant per se, should know where one is.

It was a universal law that I wanted to believe, because, to tell the truth, I don’t even know where to start looking for an informant.

He was already the third bartender to intimidate. This one, especially, looked like he was hiding something, so I was more intense.

I looked intimidatingly at the guy to see if it wasn’t because I approached the wrong way or something. If they had passwords and all, I had no choice but to use force.

“This… excuse me, sir…”

Just as I was about to show my most intimidating face to the bartender, who was pretending very well to be scared, someone approached me.

“…Wait a minute, I’m having an important discussion here.”

“Sir, I hear you want to buy some information. If so, you could leave that part-timer alone. I don’t think I can get anything out of him other than the fact that he’s having an affair with his cousin’s wife.”

“Huh!?”

Putting aside the fact that this guy in front of me was scum, I immediately understood the implications of the guy behind me. I turned around and saw a greenish-skinned, black-horned demon.

He was small and, my first impression his face honestly is that he was a hustler, which greatly reduced my enthusiasm. But still, I’m going to give him the privilege of the doubt.

“Sir, if you want to buy information, there is a place you can go. Just follow me. I assure you, inside this city, there is nothing they don’t know…believe me, this is not something I tell just anyone. I’m only telling you because it’s you. ”

“…..”

The more I listened to him, the more my image of him as a con man solidified. He seemed nervous and did not exude any confidence.

He was a very dubious guy who approached me and asked me to go to an unfamiliar place, while still showing nervousness.

As much as I thought about it there was only one thing to do in this situation.

“Okay, lead the way.”

And that was to follow him.

..

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