Jacob walked silently along the dark streets of the city, gothic architecture made of wood and stone stood over him like giants to an ant, guards, from large animals to simple men walked along the walled grounds around the building, this was the richer parts of the city, where merchants and the wealthy often found themselves living in, it is to be expected that buying protection from thieves would an obvious thing for the inhabitants to do.

Feeling the comfort of lightheadedness that usually springs up whenever he takes peaceful walks, Jacob emotionlessly stared at the walls surrounding all of the buildings, even with all the artistic carvings depicting angels, gods, and the like, they still looked rather imposing. Along the four edges, archer towers were placed and the people manning them eyed Jacob warily but didn't do anything other than point their crossbow at him, in response, he walked faster as he tried his best to lose their line of sight.

For all the people here were trying to be unique with all the designs and art they placed on their property, Jacob quickly found the entire thing monotonous and he smiled softly as he welcomed the change of scenery when he entered the part of the city where the middle class lived. Or to the rich people he just passed- the poor.

There were farmers in a worse state than these people of course, but the rich couldn't really see that because what's the difference between having an education and finding a job that's barely sustainable compared to growing crops and barely being able to enjoy luxuries?

Nothing- the rich would undoubtedly say.

Though for Jacob, he'd only slightly agree with their words because really, the people here at least get to enjoy the luxury that the city offers, from simple restaurants- that are just bakeries disguised as such really, - to various other things such as being able to afford good shoes from a cobbler, enchanted items, toys, to even things that the farmer themselves sell whenever they go to the city to trade. Whatever those are.

Sure, that sort of life sounded hellish to the typical merchant but in the end, what's the difference? Bragging rights?

Had enough of that already, - Jacob thought with a shake of his head as he gave the "normal" buildings around him a bit of appreciation. Back in the richer part of the city, there were vast lands between houses so large that they might as well be mansions in their own right, here though? - well, the houses are built closely together so that each citizen has enough space for themselves, what would be considered as wide paths between rich houses are nothing more than narrow alleyways here, and Jacob genuinely did his best to ignore the sounds of smacking coming from some of them as he passed them by.

Prostitutes were common, that much he knew. But... being this blatant- well, it is night and he's the one who's technically intruding over on their "territory" but regardless, Jacob did his best to ignore the sex workers getting paid for the night as he made his way across the city.

Fortunately, the narrow street that he went into didn't have anyone poor enough to fuck a prostitute in the streets instead of an actual inn or something nor did it have anyone who wanted to buy a prostitute for the night because all 13 of them- he did count them, yes, - are currently sitting on the benches in front of the shady "herb" shop/bar that the broker is rumored to be in, all the pretty women looked agonizingly bored as they glared at the shop, which Jacob can sympathise to.

Also, back when he still had access to the internet, he did read something about drug addicts and drunkards not having enough money to buy two vices at once, and since sex is basically less addicting than a substance that's meant to be addicting, well, the answer as for what kind of "enjoyment" the people inside the herb shop would prefer over another.

Jacob looked at one of the prostitutes just in time as she rolled her eyes the moment they saw him enter the herb shop, in all honesty, it's pretty surprising for him to see them not be addicted to a substance of some sort, he knew that... a few people used drugs to make girls like them work for, essentially, free and seeing them looking fine with healthy cheeks is pretty odd, to say the least.

Though not as odd as Xecania, the Duke's daughter, knowing the location of a drug den within her father's city, which is ignored by the man even though his daughter goes here. And her reason for that- Xecania argued when Jacob asked her about going here - is simple, "I want alchemical materials for the stuff that I do okay?"

Chuckling, Jacob pushed the door to the herb shop open and sure enough, why Xecania would go here for alchemical materials seemed pretty reasonable given that the shop looked like it had everything one needed to make any common potion, testing things out, Jacob cast [Location] to search for materials to make a "love potion" and several of the stuff around him lit up, when that happened, Jacob quickly dismissed the spell and gave the place a reluctant nod of approval.

He heard a clap and turned to where it came, then blinked at what he saw standing behind the wooden counter.

"Welcome! How may I help you?" The tone was professional and the voice clearly came from a human woman and yet... Jacob blinked twice, but it was still standing there- Leafy hair in the color of the yellow summer grass that blended well with her peach colored skin, rough, bark-like skin full of tiny holes that expand every time she spoke, and entirely white eyes on an otherwise featureless face.

The creature straight out of the uncanny valley tilted its head, "it looks like you haven't seen a Dryad before," she said with a giggle that made the holes in her body rapidly expand and shrink, looking at them made Jacob's hair stand on one end and he tried his best to put on the best smile that can muster.

"I've been warned actually," he said casually, "I mean- sorry," he chuckled nervously, moreso because he's dealing with what the people of this world consider an actual Demi-god. He walked a single step forward, "Uh, I just... haven't seen a Dryad before,"

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"It's fine," replied the creature, "reactions like that are usually normal when people interact with me,"

"Right... sorry," Jacob apologized as he forced himself to get closer to the counter and got a much closer look at the Dryad's body, it was androgynous to the point that the only feature that told him the Dryad was female is her voice. He noted that her skin, even when it looked like bark, looked refined and smooth even from a distance, the tiny bumps that made ran across her body weren't like... pimples? Ew- no- the bumps across her body weren't... prickly, so to say, and were more of like hair, visible sure, but could barely be felt when touched.

Not that... he touched a Dryad before, but her body gave off that impression.

Jacob shook his head and pushed those thoughts away while silently hoping that the Dryad in front of him couldn't read minds, she was waiting for him to talk, that much was clear, so he did- "I'm looking for an information broker?" The Dryad didn't react, "his name is Gilde I think?" He tried to remember the name but that was as far as it can get.

It should be right though.

Also, looking around, Jacob saw that it was only him and the Dryad around and a quick search of the drug addicts using [Location] told him that they were all downstairs, presumably on the bar getting high alongside the drunkards. Come to think of it, [Location] could've also been used by him to find an information broker, though he'd still very much prefer the name that Xecania gave him, they should be trustworthy enough right?

"You're looking for me?" The Dryad- Gilde asked, "Why?"

"Wait, you're the information broker?" Jacob suddenly said and he tried to apologize the moment that his mind caught up but Gilde suddenly laughed.

"Sorry- I know it's unbefitting of me but yes," she nodded, "I am an information broker, plants like to listen to the conversations of different people you know? And as one of the strongest Fae of Nature, I am connected closely to them, thus I can talk to any plant I want, and they give me their secrets, too." She added with a childish giggle.

"I didn't realize that," Jacob replied, now realizing why the Duke didn't move against the woman in front of him or even why Xecania felt safe to come here. According to what he read about the Fae, they're as typical as it can get when it comes to contracts and deals, which means that even if the creature standing in front of him is a Demi-god of nature, she wouldn't be able to break a deal that, let's say, made her promise that she won't harm the citizens of the city if they don't attack her first.

Making a deal that kept Xecania- or even the people inside her "home", - safe is also a possibility.

Which means that right as long as he doesn't attack her first, he should be fine.

Sighing in relief, Jacob gave the Dryad an actual smile, "sounds like a fun ability," he commented, causing the lower half of Gilde's face to move in such a way that gave off the impression of a creepy smile, but that probably wasn't her intention. "I want to know about the state of one of the Towns further north,"

"Hm..?" Gilde hummed, "can I take a guess as to what you want to ask is?"

"Go ahead," Jacob agreed.

"Is it about the town of Vesiris?" She obligated, giving out a name that Jacob isn't familiar with, most likely sensing his confusion, Gilde explained further, "It's a Town ruled over by a young noble girl whose parents died lately, am I correct?"

"Yeah." Jacob nodded, oddly reminded of the name when his friends took him to "psychics", "That's the place."

"Hmmm... I see," Gilde nodded, "I know a few things about that place, what do you want to know?"

"The death of that girl's parents, what caused it?" He asked,

"Is that all?" Gilde asked with a tilt of her head. "I can tell you about the actual situation you know, you don't have to word it so pathetically,"

"Sorry," Jacob apologized.

"It's fine, you can try again but please know that I won't give you a third chance," Replied Gilde.

"What's the situation on that Town currently?" He asked.

"Well, for starters, the current ruler's parents have been assassinated last year," Jacob nodded grimly, that was what he came here for, to confirm the assassination of a competent general and his wife, but it seems that the Dryad has more to say so Jacob listened, "and there are a few results that came after the assassination- One, a Daughter who isn't ready to rule yet has taken over the lands, and so far, she doesn't know what to do other than trade and pay her Town's taxes, most of which are being taken from her family's personal treasury,"

"Fuck." Jacob cursed, Gilde smiled.

"Two, the morale of the Town's militia as well as its citizens went down, causing their production to plummet," Jacob nodded grimly, yep, the situation is getting worse and worse it seems. And what's more, Gilde still has stuff to say, "Three, for the past 13 months, the Dungeon divers in that town has died over and over again and even the Duke has decided to stop sending his best soldiers to dive there,"

"And Four, the enemy Kingdom that instigated the assassination has taken advantage of all the things that I mentioned by sending in spies for the last year to marry into the people of that Town and integrate themselves in preparation for an attack,"

"That's bad." Jacob said through his speechlessness. The situation in Asya's territory is worse than just a lack of resources because the Lezatian Dukedom is gonna get attacked by the neighboring Kingdom and her town is the first that'll get taken by them."

"Indeed," Jacob focused back on the Dryad and realized something.

The Dryad offered him to tell a lot of things, but he didn't really account for the payment, didn't he? He gulped and started speaking slowly and activated [Haggling] at the same "So... how much do I need to pay for this?"

"Hmm?.." The Dryad hummed before giggling, "Oh! I completely forgot about the payment!" She giggled again, "I forgot to ask you to make a deal with me to ensure that both of us would pay our dues it seems,"

Jacob smelled bullshit but he decided to play along, "I still want to pay, though. You helped me out so it's only right that I return the favor."

"Favor... hm?" Her white eyes narrowed into amusement, "how about that as a payment? A single favor."

"I'm fine with it," Jacob nodded.

"Good-" Jacob felt something heavy weigh everything down around him, "- do you swear an oath that you owe me a Favor?"

Jacob pushed past the pressure to speak, "What about names?" He asked but Gilde simply smiled in response, right, that's probably a bad thing, Fae and all, the pressure was getting stronger so- "I- I do. I owe you a favor." He answered.

He breathed a sigh of relief when everything went back to normal and Gilde clapped once more, "Good! Now we have ourselves a contract, isn't that nice?" She smiled, "I hope that you and I do this again in the future,"

"Yeah, me too." Jacob replied as he headed out, hoping that he didn't have to do this again sometime soon.

When he went back to the mansion, he thought about what he wanted to do with Asya tomorrow as well as the "dating spots" that Xecania had told him about earlier but his mind simply wasn't in the right place, he was too preoccupied thinking about what the hell the war could possibly mean. Solving Asya's problem is a given, obviously, but then what about the upcoming war?