Chapter 3 – Rumors and hearsays

“I-I’m truly sorry young master…”

Walking behind Aiden in the streets of the border city of Cali, a depressed Lia was looking downwards wishing for the earth to open and swallow her.

“Haha, don’t worry Lia, I told you that it doesn’t matter.”

“B-But young master! T-There is a mark in your cheek! A-And everybody is looking to you with strange faces!”

“C’mon Lia, I think that the town's people are already used to us fooling around. Can you not see? These old ladies from behind are laughing at us.”

Turning around to the place where Aiden was pointing, Lia could no help but blush after seeing a group of women laughing at them and murmuring about the good what was being young.

Actually, from the day when Aiden and Lia arrived at this town, a bit more than two years ago, till now, they had become a bit famous. It was because a pair of a young master and servant were a rare sight in this parts of the continent; and though the current Aiden and Lia have a warm personality, a few years ago Aiden’s character was, though proper, very imponent and refined; leaving an impression of elegance and superiority, reason because they became rather famous quickly like “the fallen young noble and his maid in search for new ventures”.

Of course, now two years later, the form like the town saw them changed from the young noble and his maid to the bickering couple helpful in the different business (It was caused due Aiden and Lia working in various places during the past two years). Being it the main reason because the group of women laughed when seeing the red mark on the cheek of Aiden.

Doing her best to hide her embarrassment from hearing the voices of these women, Lia tried to drive her thoughts toward the current situation in an effort to forget the happenings from the morning, only to frown thinking about the place where they were going.

Seeing through her thoughts, Aiden tried reassuring her.

“Don’t worry too much Lia. After all, we had been staying for two years in this town and nothing had happened yet. And we cannot avoid going there; the information in that place could be useful.”

After the incident from the morning and under the insistence of Lia, Aiden decided left her to accompany him in completing the commission even though he thought that it was better for her to stay behind to stabilize her cultivation. Meanwhile, Lia thought that now she is at the peak of the core-forming stage, there wasn't a need for her to stay behind.

Reaching the conclusion that she can stabilize her cultivation in the middle of the path and take advantage of the wild beast they need hunt to acquire more battle experience, Aiden agreed that perhaps letting her come with him was a pretty good idea and allowed for her follow him.

Then, preparing the equipment they will use during the travel, the pair left for the town hall to receive the concrete information about the mission.

The reason for the uneasiness of Lia is due to a place where they were going to stop before going to the town hall. This place is a site that Aiden and Lia had visited regularly during the two years living in this town. Even before entering the town, they had gone inside different branches of this establishment situated in various cities.

Walking around for a few minutes, the pair stopped in front of a rundown store selling antiques which probably nobody is interested in buying. Pausing for an instant, the pair entered after a bit of hesitation.

Seeing a youngster sleeping in the storefront, Aiden coughed briefly before speaking without confirming if the youth was awake or not.

“I need to see the last merchandise.”

“… Which one?”

The groggy voice of the youngster answered.

“The one you don’t have here.”

A short pause after hearing Aiden, the youngster answered with a grunt. A moment later, a door that nobody would have noticed without previous knowledge, opened noisily as if indicating for the pair to enter.

Paying no more attention to them, the youth returned to sleep while Aiden and Lia, already used to it, entered the door.

Once inside, the two encountered a stair leading downwards. Following the path down, they heard the sound of the door above them closing with a bang strong enough to scare anyone out of his wits.

“I had never liked this place.”

“Don’t worry Lia. This place has a great reputation and I had never heard of someone being injured inside. Besides, we need to look for information, and this is the best place to search for it.”

“… I know young master, but I have this feeling that this place is dangerous. And every time I see that old man I feel like he knows all about us and is only playing us for fun.”

“That is only a feeling of yours, Lia. Peoples in this profession are trained to make others to feel it. I think it helps them with their business.”

Reaching at the end of the stairs, the pair found another door. Knocking on the door twice, Aiden and Lia waited for an answer.

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“Enter.”

An old and worn out voice called for them. Once they received permission, the pair opened the door and entered, Lia behind Aiden like a servant waiting for her master.

“Long time without seeing you two. It worries me when you two don’t visit me for a long time.”

The owner of the voice, an old man around eighty, was seated behind a desk in the middle of the room. A candle was the only source of light in the room, granting an oppressive feeling to the visitors and making the old man look even more terrifying. A chair was prepared on the other side of the desk for any visitors the room could have.

Sitting in the chair with Lia standing behind, Aiden frowned and spoke without paying attention to the old man words.

“I need information about the latest happenings like always.”

The same worn out voice spoke again, this time a bit more lively but equally eerie.

“Haha, so impatient like always, young boy. Don’t you think it is better if you relax a bit from time in time?”

Frowning even more at the behavior of the old man, Aiden spoke again this time slightly more annoyed.

“Could it be that you have not any interesting information?”

“Hahahaha! Such a joke boy! Do you think it is possible for any type of information to escape from Heaven’s Net!?”

“Then speak. We don’t have time to lose here.”

“Okay okay, the price will be the same as ever. Do you agree?”

Seeing the youth nod a put a few gold coins in the table, the old man changed his smiling face and put a more serious expression what could have surprised the pair if they don’t know about the old man eeriness from long ago.

“Mmm… Where can I begin?... Mmm… Ah! A trace of the supreme emptiness flame had supposedly been seen in the north of the Lion Empire, but I don’t know if you are interested in it… Mmm let me see… Apparently, the head of the Silver Dragon Palace fell in a fight near the lost forest, but the news had not been confirmed… A beast tide occurred around the borders of the Kieran Empire and the casualties are very high, but it probably won’t affect us… What else… Ah! A strange secret realm looks like will open in the lost forest ubicated south from here, but nobody is sure of the exact timing, we heard that various young geniuses are interested in going so it will be very lively… Mmm, I think that are all the pieces of information of relevant importance in the surroundings…”

“… Is it all? Looks like nothing could be of help.”

Hearing the depressed tone of the youth, the old man could not help but sneer and speak sarcastically.

“Hmph! Don’t make that face! We didn’t even say about the kind of information you are searching! Every time you come here you are only interested in hearing about the rumors in the surroundings without a specific topic...! Though, now I think about it, I guess I certainly heard about something you could be interested…”

“Uh?”

Tilting his head before the old man, Aiden could not help but notice the malevolent and expectant expression in the old man face.

“I heard that the young princess from the AllGod Kingdom broke through the late stage of the core-fusing realm being only fifteen years old. Everybody is praising her like a genius only seen every hundred years and various famous sects invited her like a disciple, though I think she didn’t agree.”

Hearing it, Aiden could not help but frown lightly, finding it hard to maintain the calm.

The old man could not help but sneer annoyed seeing his expression.

“Hmpm! I thought you would have a more interesting reaction than it! Sigh, what a letdown…”

At that moment, a strong killing intent fiññed the room. Surprised, the old man turned his gaze to look at Lia, regarding her again before laughing maniacally.

“Hahahaha! Yes! That reaction is way better! That is the way, missy! Hahahaha…!

“You–”

“Enough Lia! Let’s go!”

“But young master! That old man is–”

“I say enough!”

“... Yes.”

Gritting her teeth, Lia looked again at the old man before suppressing her emotions and walking out. But before they could let the place, the old man used his rusty voice to speak again…

“Hahaha! Wait boy, let me give you another two pieces of information like an apology for before. The first, I heard you chose a commission from the town hall right? I received a report with information saying that the comission is not so simple, so it is better if you are careful. As for the other, I only can tell you that a few troubles are coming to the town. Perhaps you will see yourself wrapped in them.”

Pausing slightly to hear the information of the old man, Aiden only nodded to show his understating before going outside without looking behind.

…

Once outside the rundown store, Lia looked worriedly at the furrowed brows in Aiden face.

“Young master, that old man already knows everything. I don’t know why he had not spoken to them yet but…”

Assenting, Aiden furrowed his brows even more before walking towards the town hall.

“You are right, I think we had spend too much time in this town. This is time for us left, though this is a shame I could not find an answer here…”

The reason because Aiden constantly visit the branch of Heavens’ Net is to see if any information useful for his situation appears. The thing is, even he is not sure about how to begin to search, reason because he couldn't so mora than ask about events of interest and search for a clue in them.

“Don’t worry young master. I’m sure you will be successful eventually.”

Smiling softly to the encouragement of Lia, Aiden nodded.

“Thanks Lia. I think that perhaps the supreme flame can be useful for me, but I’m not sure. The thing is, so much people had been searching for it during years without any clue that I don’t even know where in the continent begin to search for it… Sigh, leave it, if I’m fated to find it, I think it will fall in my hands.”

Thinking again about the words of the old man, Aiden affirmed his choice in his heart and continued forward.

“Once we completed this commission we will make the preparations to leave the town. I think that staying here anymore is dangerous.”

…

Inside the gloomy room in the basement of the store, the old man continued smiling while thinking in the two faces what left the place.

“Master, I don’t understand why you are doing it. Is it not better if you inform to his family about the young man? Even if we don’t need anything from them, I don’t see any problem in them owing us a favor.”

Hearing the young voice behind him, the old man only smiled mysteriously before saying.

“… Though that kid is a bit interesting, with his current state there isn’t much that bunch will give for the information; it is not worthy enough for me interfere. Moreover, the other kid besides him is also interesting, perhaps she will bring me a few surprises in the future, though I doubt it.”

“… If master thinks so, then I don’t have any opinion.”

Laughing entertainingly, the old man turned to look at the youth behind him. Then, changing his expression, he asked seriously.

“Tell me, had you found any clue about “it”?”

“No master. We had been unable to obtain anything. Are you sure the information is right?”

“Yes, the information must be right. The head is one of the best seers in the continent. It is impossible for her to be mistaken.”

Tapping lightly the table a pair of times, the old man thought for a moment before speaking once more.

“Go. Search again more carefully. Don’t left any stone without overturn. I want news of it the sooner the better.”

“Per you command, master.”

Nodding strongly, the youth disappeared strangely from the room.

If a Aiden would have been here to see the young man, he would have noticed that the youth was completely identical at the one sleeping in the counter even now.