Chapter 205: Place to buy information?”

“So that’s the reason everything looks so deserted around here. It’s not like we’re going to a dodgy place or anything like a trap sir.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Putting aside the fact that, after about ten minutes of walking, the man was clearly leading me to a more isolated and suspicious place, which, of course, wasn’t making me uneasy at all or giving me the slightest urge to turn back.

He told me many interesting things about the city. I didn’t know if I was really taking an informant with me, but just for what he told me it was worth coming to this dreary place, where a group of thugs would probably show up at any moment.

Apparently, ten years ago this town functioned as a normal one, dedicated to agriculture and, to some degree, to raising animals for subsistence. But when the crack appeared,

which indicated the possible beginning of the age of the gods, the city was turned upside down, and it was even more definitive, when the crack did not disappear with the passage of time and monsters and beasts began to come out more and more.

Being the closest city to the rift, as it basically appeared in their backyard, the city lord was replaced by one more capable of handling the situation.

The city became a middle ground for traders and adventurers who confirmed that the rift was safe, causing it to prosper, with the riches flowing out of it, under a shrewd policy.

However, a year ago, when the war began, mercenaries and soldiers began to frequent it even more and in large numbers causing a bit of a case to the quiet life of the citizens, who began to feel anxious, and it didn’t help that the possibility of le garre finally coming to affect them existed.

This led to more than half of the civilians, approximately 300,000 people, to start moving out. Instead, families of soldiers, more merchants and mercenaries arrived, though not enough to fill the gaps.

This left the city in a state where only the center was adequately occupied, while the residential areas were left semi-empty. The slum areas, on the other hand, are basically abandoned, as those who lived in the slums took the opportunity to move to better and empty places.

This only increased my doubts about where we were going. We were undoubtedly in a slum, and it was supposed to be empty. If they were halfway reliable, they would have occupied a more affluent residence in a better location.

’I know this has to be covert, but still…. Haaah, it’s definitely a trap. ’

..

.

“Sir, what information do you want to buy? We have everything from the latest from the battlefront to gossip from the local nobility. You can find it all here.”

“…”

“What’s the matter? Mikail told me you wanted information, didn’t he? Since you’re not from around here, and because it’s you, I’ll give you special discount, hoping that our collaboration will extend.”

“Wait… Is this really a place to buy information?”

“Sir, this is a legitimate place. Because our headquarters is undergoing renovations, we are temporarily moving to this place…”

I couldn’t believe it. Really that shady guy was leading me to a legitimate place.

I had serious doubts as we entered the basement of a ramshackle house in an abandoned slum neighborhood, with no sign of a soul around.

If it weren’t for me being the doppelganger, I wouldn’t have taken a chance on an obvious trap. I played along to see what he was getting at, as he obviously had ulterior motives.

Even the Resonance showed that I was really nervous and with dubious intentions, but a strange confidence in it led me to decide to take a bit of a risk.

Early on, I started blatantly asking the bartenders questions, not just because they were potential information peddlers, but because I wanted to see if anyone would approach me, which actually happened.

Although I honestly thought the last bartender was the one, in the end I decided to follow the guy who looked absolutely suspicious, I hoped he would drag me to do something to me, and I would take the opportunity to turn them around and get information out of them.

If they had people too strong, I would simply self-destruct. I had already wasted time and was a little impatient; any hint of something was good and I would spare no methods.

But, against all odds, when we got downstairs, the guy gave a signal to the guys guarding the door. Through a gem, they seemed to communicate with someone. After a few minutes, we arrived in front of someone who gave the impression of being the “big boss”.

He was one-eyed and had a tobacco or something similar in his mouth. He was of the same race as the guy who guided me, but bigger than me.

’well, let’s see how real this is, let’s go with what he said before’.

“Wait, before that. how do you know I’m not from around here and what do you mean by ’because it’s me’? Also, why did you lead me here?”

“uh!, you want to check our reliability? Well, this one’s on the house. You’re an Umbraelis, a rare breed around these parts.It’s easy, to know if someone of noble blood like you, lives, around here, since I can count them on the fingers of my hands and I know them all.”

“Oh!?”

It seems that although the demon race whose form I adopted is the most common among purebloods, they are rare in this place. I forgot to take that into account. I mean, even if they are common, it also depends on the place.

Even humans can be a rare species on certain continents where other races predominate. But at least they’re not totally rare here, there are just few of them. That’s good.

“And it’s always a pleasure to work with your kind. That’s why, just because it’s you, I’m happy to do business.”

Come to think of it, this breed is, in a way, greedy, as those who are not noble, tend to be successful merchants and big businessmen, who when they can spend money extravagantly and inordinately, buying everything they want.

Information about objects and things is always coveted by them and of course, if you work with guys like that, it means that the guy is the real deal.

“And, lastly, I’ve got my guys all over the bars and important places, you know? Those are the places to collect good, juicy information, and one of my guys recognized you as a possible client.”

’I knew it! It’s a normal standard to go to bars to collect information.’

The more I listened to this guy, the more I realized that he had common sense, seemed trustworthy, and didn’t seem to be lying.

Whether it was his intentions or his body language, everything indicated that what he was saying was true, at least for the most part, which was good enough for me.

“Well, what’s the cost?”

“That depends on the quality of the information. We accept gold, gems, weapons and artifacts. The latter have to be evaluated, but one of my guys has a good eye for that. So he’ll decide the price.”

“Good. I want you to tell me what you know about…”

Quickly, I began to get the information I so desperately needed. It seemed that even this informant was hesitant to tell me that information, but in the end he told me what I needed.

While it is possible that the guy is in contact with important figures, including the city lord, and that he was against me, I didn’t care, as my appearance was temporary and I would attack with everything the moment I noticed his intention towards me changed.

*****

POV:Big Boss

*****

“This, boss, is it okay for me to tell you that information? I know I pay him well, but, still, wasn’t that information the one you said you wouldn’t sell and that you would feign ignorance if they came to ask you?”

“Yes, but I was referring to the subjects of this place. You know, we searched for over two days for that guy’s origins to no avail. We have been watching him to decipher him and his intentions, but we had no results.”

“Yes, for some reason, every time he left the bars he would disappear into nothingness and we couldn’t even locate him with the best methods we had,”.

“yeah, that was suspicious and we put special efforts to find out what it was about, but the only thing we managed to find out from him is that obviously, he was looking for sensitive information, but he was showing it so explicitly, as if he was provoking us on purpose. You know, that guy is dangerous.”

“What? But, boss, I just felt he had four metamorphoses, how dangerous can he be?”

“You idiot! I don’t mean his personal power, I mean his affiliation. The fact that he appeared out of nowhere, suddenly, in the center of the city is something we shouldn’t overlook. I told you to act suspiciously to sound him out and understand him, but to no avail. He followed you, fearlessly, as if he had backup.”

“…”

“That he asked just what I thought only confirms it. whoever it is that the lord is holding captive, he’s someone important, and he’s already started his search. Maybe that guy was a decoy to get us to come over and give them what they needed. That’s why I told him everything.”

“Sir, but if it was like that, isn’t it better not to have made contact?”

“Silly, it was only by chance that we found out about this. If they lost patience, they would eventually get to us, one way or another, after all we are the best in the city at gathering information. If we didn’t take the initiative it would be worse. The fact that I started blatantly asking was a kind of last warning.”

“Oh, I didn’t think that far ahead. After all, you’re the boss for a reason.”

“we have to prepare . He may come back with more assignments that are more than just information. The next few days could be hectic; we have to take advantage and take advantage of whatever happens. ”

“Yes, sir. I will call in our Elites.”

“also, refuse any commissions that come in, until we are contacted again.”

..

*****

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