Seeing this child obviously in danger, I rushed to their side, using my enhanced speed. To my surprise, when I do so, they seem initially frozen in shock, but then start fighting back furiously.
Their long brown hair continuously smacks me in the face as they move from place to place in my hands.
And it’s not the fight of someone who thinks they’re being kidnapped, but more of someone who’s angry and trying to get something done.
Is this kid trying to die?
To figure out what I’m clearly missing, I activate my scan.
I’m instantly surprised.
I release them, and they give me an angry glare before moving back to the street. The cart barrels towards us, but the child begins a running start towards it, holding their arms out and moving at a slight angle towards it.
Just as it looks like it’s about to make contact with their body, the kid jumps and spins on one of the rails on the cart. Landing safely upon it.
The driver of the cart seems unsurprised, and in fact leans in towards their new passenger.
My scan picks up the words passed to the driver.
“Thickening tundra leaves, 2 silver buy, 3 silver sell. Eastern market, Yan’s shop.
“Three turns enhancing spirit beads, ½ gold buy, 4 gold sell, southwestern stalls.”
She continues down a list of items and prices as the cart moves fast up on the road.
As it’s moving very quickly, it moves out of normal sight and only my scan keeps picking up what she’s saying.
She is an information trader, but specialized in market information for the inner city.
No wonder she was angry, as I was preventing her from doing her job. While I’m sure events like the one I was imagining happen, in this case, people are trying to make money at all ages and aren’t as naïve as the tropes from my world. Even at that age…
Having already caused a scene, I quickly use my scan to move into the proper lane for this road to the inner city.
After a bit of time, I see her running back and clearly on the lookout. Definitely in an angry mood.
I meld into the crowd, but begin feeling guilty as she continues to search.
Not only that, but I get the sense this will become a bigger headache, unless I address it now. It’s never a good idea to piss off the information movers of a city. It’s a good way of finding yourself at a regular disadvantage in trades.
Stepping out of the crowd behind her, I cough lightly to gain her attention.
Her ears twitch, and I see her head snap back toward me.
“You! Whadya’ go messing with my business for?”
The words come out in as a half-growl.
The fact that she’s angry at me is a good sign, as it’s showing that my disguise is working.
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“Sorry about that. I didn’t realize that’s how you did business. I’m not exactly from around here, so when I saw you in the street, I had assumed that you were in danger of getting hit by that cart.”
Her eyes squint at me as if questioning that, but she seemingly accepts it soon after.
“Fine. I guess I can let it go…”
… is what she says.
It’s easy to see she’s the type to keep her grudge. I might need to grease the wheels a bit.
“… I know I’ve done wrong on this and might have cost you some time for that cart run. Let me show you my sincerity.”
Discretely, I slipped her 10 big coppers, which is the same as she had gotten from the Cart merchant for the information.
A greedy smile blossoms on her face as she quickly pockets it.
“Glad to see you are a reasonable fellow.”
And she waits, just staring at me.
Just as I’m about to use my scan to figure out what she’s waiting for, she interrupts my thoughts.
“So. What’s your question?”
Well, I wasn’t really intending to ask anything, but this might be a good opportunity.
I quickly use my scan to determine what the right price for discretion, AKA silence, would be if I ask some sensitive questions. It lets me know that a silver would be enough.
Lowering my voice, I whisper to her.
“I have some information I would like to get before I go into the city. Do you have a place where I can ask some questions discreetly?”
I pass a half silver to her and then flash another one. Her eyes widen before getting quite serious.
She quickly takes me down an alleyway nearby, off one of the side roads from the main one that goes up the mountain. Even here, there are some small buildings clustered together.
From normal people, the distance up the mountain is long. So, it only makes sense that there would be places for people to eat, sleep, and do other things on the way up. There is even parking facility like areas, for merchants with gear that they may need to stow away securely as they rest.
It’s to one of these areas that she leads me.
Obviously, I have my scan on the whole time to make sure that I’m not being swindled, but she does actually take me to an area that seems relatively quiet and I don’t sense anyone listening in. Once stopped, she turns to me and gives me a look to start speaking.
I go down a list of different things that I wanted to know about the city and people that I should lookout for.
Things beyond what Mei Lin has already told me, as her focus was mainly on the outer city and what she knew of it. Of course, Mei Lin had knowledge of the inner city and had done business there, but she didn’t get a chance to explain that part yet.
Though she likely would have told me if I had stayed with her. But even she might not know everything an ear closest to the ground would, which would be a person like the girl in front of me.
Which reminds me, while my connection with the hero team assured me that everything is fine, I still should check on her.
Not only that, but Ai and Lin will probably be up the mountain by this point.
It will be good to see them and catch back up. Hope they are doing well… though, I don’t see any major issues on the healing side.
But I need to focus on the task at hand.
Snapping back to the current conversation, I now begin diving into the different factions of the city and using my scan alongside the questions, getting information that would cause some pain to find out.
As she answers, she gets uncomfortable with the amount and type of questioning.
I hand her the half-silver and then pull out another silver for her to continue. This solidifies her resolve and we continue.
I finish up that line of questions and then ask one of the more important ones I’ve been thinking about.
“Who are some influential people that need medical help, but either can’t afford it, can’t find a cure, or are in a troublesome spot to get it?”
While my scan can pick up some, this young lady has access to rumors and such. That can at least give me insight into whether something is true. Thus, lowering the cost to find it myself.
Her face turns curious and I have a suspicion she now knows who I am. But she stays quiet. My scan informs me I successfully bought her silence. Not just with my money, but because crossing a rising star isn’t usually a good idea. If you’re not Being forced into that position, at least.
In fact, she might even attempt to pass along more information whenever she gets a chance.
She continues to answer my questions. Giving me some information that I would have definitely struggled to find.
But soon enough, it ends.
We part ways, and I return to the Main Street.
Since I’ve gotten what I needed and don’t really have a reason to stay here, I take the cultivator pathways, which have others moving at high speeds up and down the mountain. Along with them, I use a different movement technique than the one I’ve been using previously.
This one is more focused towards speed, and using it, I bound up the mountain. Moving even faster than before.