Chapter 50: Information

'Hmm, it will take me at least ten days to memorize the characters themselves. After that, I need to learn the meaning behind each character and put them into practicals.' Raven spent his time reading the basic Rune Language book for two more hours and then left the memory library.

Then, he looked outside and noticed it was already dark outside.

'I should go out and gather some information on the Holem Family first,' he said. But before going out, he decided to check something.

First, he took out the monocle from his inventory and wore it. Then, he took out the pair of shoes he got as a reward from Elizabeth and inspected them.

…

[Name: Shadow Boots

Rank: Uncommon

Item Statistics:

Movement Speed: Boost twice the amount of normal speed when activated (Works only up to Rank-2)

Special Effect: It has a Rank-1 Spell called 'Shadow Stealth' engraved on it. Upon activation, the user can erase his presence for five minutes. [Additional effect: This spell is 200% effective at night and will make the user almost invisible.]

Cooldown: 1hr.]

…

"Amazing! No wonder these boots cost more than 10,000 gold coins." If he were in Elizabeth's position, he would've never given away such treasure to a random stranger.

'I'll repay her one day!" He muttered to himself and soon furrowed.

'But how to activate this artifact?'

[First, find the array circle engraved on these two shoes. Then, inject a bit of your spirit power into the array circle and make a soul imprint. Only then can you form a connection with this artifact.] Zera spoke in his mind.

Raven listened to her words attentively and checked the shoes using his spiritual scan.

Soon, he found strange circular patterns drawn below the shoes.

He focused his attention on one circular pattern and realized it was a circle engraved with countless rune characters. At the center of the circle, he also saw a strange black hexagonal structure and thought that it might be the replica of the spell model!

He slowly injected his spirit power towards the array circle and noticed it started to flicker in bright light.

Simultaneously, a strange link appeared between his mind and the shoe in his left hand. He also did the same to the other shoe and imprinted his soul power into it.

After that, he wore them comfortably, changed into a formal outfit, and left his room.

He then went downstairs, arrived at the Inn counter, and made an order for dinner.

After that, he moved towards the table at the left corner and sat down quietly.

As the ordered items arrived, he started having dinner while eavesdropping on the other customers' conversations. He also asked two people about the Holmes Family and managed to get some information about them.

'First, the Holmes Family managed Azmar Town until 20 years ago. Although the Holmes Family had long declined from a powerful noble family to the lowest Knight rank, their influence in the town was pretty high. But during the monster goblin invasion, almost all of the Holmes Family members were annihilated, leaving only a single boy named Walter alone.

Although Walter Holmes survived, thanks to his admission to the Spade Knights Academy, he later quit the academy and married an orphan girl. They then gave offspring to a boy named 'Thomas.' Even though the noble family became a fallen one due to the loss of Azmar town, the small family lived a comfortable and normal life for the past two decades thanks to the earnings from Wine Factory and a few other small business shops in Giaris City.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

But another misfortune stuck the family two years ago. When Walter Holmes and his wife, Dorothy Holmes, went to visit the Capital City, their train compartment caught fire due to a gas leak, and both got killed in the accident. This incident was a great shock to Thomas. Due to the loss of his parents, he stopped going to school and became addicted to drugs and alcohol to forget the loss of his family members. From then onwards, he lived a secluded life.'

[But no one seems to care about his disappearance.]

'We need more information. If we go to his house, we might find some clues,' Raven said and slowly moved towards the counter.

'How should I pay for the information? Will two silvers okay?'

[Naïve. If you pay him only two silvers, you will only get the information you've gathered so far. Could you give him a gold coin? He might tell you a lot.] Zera said coldly.

'One gold coin?! Isn't that too much?' Raven asked in a shocked tone. In truth, one gold coin was enough for a poor family of four to live for a month!

[That's how precious the information will be. Even if the Innkeeper didn't have important information, he would do his best to gather from his acquaintances and tell you.]

Raven nodded at Zera's words and soon arrived at the counter.

The man who stood at the counter was the same middle-aged man he saw early in the morning. He had grey hair and dark olive skin and appeared to be around 160 cm tall. He wore a high-colored buttoned-up shirt and a heavier coat.

But the most unique thing about him was a strange tattoo on his left side neck. It was an owl with its wings spread wide, depicted in shades of black and gray.

As soon as he saw Raven walking closer to the counter, he bowed his head and greeted him.

"How may I help you, sir?"

"I want some information about Thomas Holmes. Can you help me with that, Mr?" he asked, taking a gold coin from his pocket and flipping it between his fingers.

When the Innkeeper saw the gold coin, he hurriedly closed the ledger and smiled politely.

"I'm Finn, sir. And are you talking about the Fallen Noble, who has been missing for quite a while?" the middle-aged man named Finn asked.

"Yes." Raven nodded and patiently waited for the Innkeeper's response.

Meanwhile, Finn slowly looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to their conversation and soon whispered while leaning forward.

"There has been a rumor that the Palmer Family might be involved in Thomas Holmes's disappearance, sir. Even when Watson Holmes was alive, they had been eyeing the 'Château Holmes Wine Factory' and threatened him with political ties. Three years ago, Watson also made an official complaint at the police station and even filed a criminal case in court on the Palmer Family head. But after the death of Watson, the case was nullified. Not only that, but the Palmer Family used their influence in the noble council and sealed the Château Holmes Wine Factory using random excuses a year ago. So, many guessed that Thomas's disappearance might be due to the Palmer Family." The Innkeeper paused for a moment, tore a paper from the ledger, and wrote down an address.

"This is the address of Holmes House in Giaris City. You might get more clues if you go there and ask the neighbors for more information, sir."

As he spoke, his eyes subconsciously moved toward the golden coin in Raven's hand.

Raven let out a chuckle and tossed the coin to him.

'Should I go back and focus on reading the Rune Language again?' After getting the crucial information, Raven felt he should take this case slowly and carefully.

[No. Let's check out the Holmes House first. We also need to go to the City's Museum Hall.] Zera said in his mind.

'At this time?' Raven furrowed his brows and soon turned around before walking out of the Inn.

As soon as Raven left the hotel, Finn suddenly turned his gaze towards the black-haired waiter who stood behind him and spoke.

"Do a background check on him. Also, inform Inspector Bennett that a stupid kid is searching for Thomas Holmes. Also, tell him that this kid seems to be from a wealthy family." The calm and polite smile was nowhere to be seen.

"You should also send a letter to the Falconcrest. I hope they give some big tips this time." His lips twisted, showing a cold smile.

…

In the meantime, Raven walked on the street road and quietly looked at the paper in his hand.

"Holmes Mansion, 21A Bristol Street, Salford Borough."

"Bristol Street… Didn't Daisy also say her house is located on Bristol Street? Where is it again?" Raven recalled his conversation with Diasy Spade and started remembering some things.

'She said there were four main Boroughs in Giaris City. Southward Borough, which I entered through the cargo train, is the main district where people gather and move to the nearby cities by train. Next is Eastmine Borough. It is also called Merchants District. The Inn I stay is also situated in the Eastmine Borough. Next is called 'North Borough' and also called the District of Industries. A lot of factories and large multinational companies' branches are situated in that district. And the final one is Salford Borough. It is a district of elites and nobles and always has tight security. Administration departments, County's High Court, Police Headquarters, City Museum, and even the Current Count Spade's residence also situated in this district.'

At that moment, he felt glad for learning the 'Instant Memory' skill.

Shaking his head, he focused his attention on the current situation. The gas lamps were installed all over the street roads, and people were moving here and there like daytime, to attend evening entertainment, social gatherings, visit theaters, concerts, etc.,

The main road was filled with noises!

Raven blended with the people, walked past many shops and houses, and soon reached a road connected to the Salford Borough. After walking for another half an hour, he finally managed to enter Bristol Street without encountering any trouble.