Glenn patted the rock sitting in his breast pocket, before shrugging and turning away. Figuring out what was up with the sentient rock could wait a little longer. He'd have all the time in the world to experiment and test stuff once he'd get back Redan and have ripped that bastard Howard to pieces. The young man gritted his teeth just thinking of the dirty noble, already imagining himself slicing the cheap vampire to small bloody bits...
'So, let's ignore brother Pebble for a moment here,' Diamanes suddenly commented with a serious tone, '...and figure out what we're supposed to find in this black market. Because it's all great and all to be there, but what is it we're even searching for?'
The young man picked his ear while strolling through the black market, his face hidden behind the wooden smiling mask.
'It's pretty simple. There should be information dealers or even traces of the Thorn's Church. I'm sure if we look hard enough, we'll find an office or something...' Glenn pressed his lips together, his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword. There were so many booths, so many shops and dealers, there had to be one selling intel.
"Now, the actual question should be: what does an information broker look like?" Glenn muttered under his breath as he observed every booth.
"Maybe a suspicious guy wearing a robe standing in a dark corner should do the trick?" Nelg proposed, earning a sneer out of his host.
'Tsk, there's no way it's so simple. It should be some kind of secretive agency, with a name like "Hidden Moon", or "Camellia Secrets", or something along those lines, you know?'
Nelg smacked his lips, shrugging under his silver armor.
'I mean, I was saying that just because that guy is standing there, just...well, standing and looking kind of sus, so I thought...' he trailed off as Glenn quickly searched for said man. He didn't take long to find him, being the most conspicuous person in the whole black market, just standing there while trying to look mysterious. The suspicious man was wearing a hooded black robe, like most black-market customers, the only difference being that a purple ring was embroidered on the back of the robe.
Glenn blinked, before shrugging and deciding to try his luck. The black-robed man noticed him and rubbed his scrawny hands.
"What do you want?" He asked dryly. Glenn pondered for a few seconds before answering.
“Intel,” he replied briefly. The hooded man looked left and right, before gesturing at the young man to follow him. Glenn complied without saying a word, speechless.
'...As simple as that? Really?' The young man couldn't believe it, while the two voices in his head were taking the time of their life, filling his head with mocking laughter.
Glenn ignored the pair as he followed the suspicious guy. A minute or two later navigating the black market, they arrived in front of a new shop that possessed a more permanent look compared to the others. It was a small house with a black roof and worn-out walls. It looked almost like a ruin. Glenn glanced around, before recognizing the first booth he looked at, with the white bandana guy selling monster materials.
'...How did I not notice this house earlier...?' Glenn creased his eyebrows, his perplexity hidden under his mask. The mysterious robed guy knocked on the house's door. After a few seconds of waiting, the door opened and a hand strapped in bandages extended, dropping a few coins in the mysterious man's hand. The robed guy excused himself and swiftly left, leaving Glenn to enter the small house. The young man smacked his lips and entered.
The door closed behind him, leaving him alone in the dark room. A second later, purple flames came to life inside two dark metal braziers in each corner of the room, letting him see a little more of the room. There was a chair facing a wall, over which two holes had been carved, one in the shape of a slit, the exact size to let a coin slip through, and the other to let the sound pass.
At least, that's what Glenn guessed. The young man gave a last glance to the room, finding it extremely bare and basic, as long as the dark metal braziers were ignored of course. He looked at the chair facing the hole and was about to sit on it when he thought about something. He picked the chair up and placed it a meter to the side, just so he wouldn't be right in front of the hole.
'...Is this carefulness? Am I dreaming?' Diamanes commented with disbelief. Nelg echoed his words with a chuckle, before adding something of his own.
"After all the brushes against death Glenn experienced, it's only normal, isn't it?"
Glenn kept on ignoring the both of them. He heard a rustle on the wall's other side, the sound of a chair dragged against the ground, then nothing. The young man tapped his fingers on his knees, wondering whether he should speak first, or if he should wait patiently. Just in case, he remained silent and leaned back in his chair, trying to imagine the other person behind the wall.
"Welcome to the Indigo Bureau. Informations are divided into ten ranks," said a muffled voice suddenly. Glenn straightened himself up and listened carefully.
"They range from rank one to rank ten. The higher the information's rank, the more expensive it is. Ask your question, and you shall know the price to hear the answer," the muffled voice explained. Glenn rubbed his chin behind his mask.
'...Let's try to see how good they are first with something I already know, before asking about Redan,' He decided, before crossing his arms.
"What happened to Maron's expedition in Palancar?" It was direct, without any context or precisions. Glenn had specifically chosen something relatively simple to know since the workers were sure to spill the beans or even the mercenaries. Nonetheless, since the events of Palancar happened outside of King's Rise walls, he expected it to be in the lower ranks.
"...Information of rank one: a single gold coin," the voice replied after a few seconds. Glenn fished for the money and slipped it in the hole meant for this effect, secretly surprised.
'Lowest rank? Alright, I wonder how expensive the question about Redan will be.'
"The Maron's expedition encountered a remnant of an evil god, the Fallen Mother, that managed to take control of the town and prepared a city-wide sacrifice to power a ritual. The ritual was stopped thanks to the efforts of some Fixers Maron hired, namely the Dark-Gold Fixer Glenn, the Dark Gold Fixer Sahro, the Gold Fixer Javier, and the Gold Fixer Josh. There were many losses and was a complete disaster, be it for Palancar or the Maron's Company. Nonetheless, these kinds of events usually end with the entire annihilation for the region, so it's estimated as a positive outcome."
Glenn restrained a whistle from leaving his mouth, impressed. They had summed it up pretty well while presenting the individuals who had played an important part in the events. The young man leaned forward and took a deep breath before asking the question to which he needed an answer.
"What is the current status of Redan, the Ice Wolf?"
There was a long silence behind the wall, much longer compared to the first question he had asked.
"...Information of rank seven: three hundred and fifty gold coins, or the honest reply to three questions," the voice finally replied. Glenn gulped and passed his tongue over his teeth, his eyes wide open.
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'Three hundred and fifty gold coins! You can buy the whole Northern Town with that much money!' Even though he had earned quite a bit of money with all the recent events he took part in, his savings didn't exceed one hundred and fifty gold coins in total. He had managed to save eighty gold with all the jobs he had taken, and the rest had come from Maron as support, to thank him for saving his life both in Palancar and in the Blumar Quarry.
Nevertheless, it wasn't enough.
"I'll pay with the three questions," Glenn hissed through his teeth. He had to get the information on Redan, no matter the cost. If he couldn't pay with money, he'd have to be satisfied with any other choice he was presented.
"The Indigo Bureau warns you: we own ways to detect through lies. If you reply wrongly to a single one of the questions, the deal is void, and you will be banned from using our services for a year," the voice warned. Glenn bit down on lip, taking a few seconds to think about it.
'What questions could they ask of me?'
"...What if I do not know the answer to your questions?" Glenn asked carefully, refusing to let himself get scammed because he wasn't prudent enough.
"The Indigo Bureau knows which questions their customers can reply to, and which they can't. Of course, we can also see if you're telling the truth. If you don't know, then so be it."
Glenn sighed in relief before clenching his hands together.
"Let's go with the three questions then," He gritted his teeth, ready to hear them. They made him wait for a few more minutes, before asking their first questions.
"What events led to the metamorphosis of the CEO of the Maron's Company?"
The young man remained silent for a few seconds, baffled. If they asked that question, it's because they knew who he was. Nothing should give up his identity, and yet...
"Perhaps they deducted it by the questions you asked? First, something about the Maron Company, then Redan. The only common point between the two is that they're our allies," Nelg theorized, making Glenn regret asking the first question. That'll teach him to underestimate an intelligence agency.
'Now, let me take over. You're going to reply exactly that...' Diamanes suddenly interjected. Glenn listened to his instructions and felt the corner of his lips curve upward slightly. They wanted to show that they knew about him. Fine.
"Maron ended up this way due to an unfortunate encounter with Doyle, the Lightbringer," he replied, smiling widely under his mask. This was the complete truth. Had they never stopped by the Blumar Quarry, and met Doyle Malory there, Maron would have remained the annoying little merchant still corrupted by the influence of the Fallen Mother. The voice behind the wall remained silent for a few minutes, before asking a new question.
"Who is the Lightbringer?"
Glenn rubbed his chin, pleased.
'This wasn't the question they first wanted to ask of you, so you earned yourself a free one there. Thank me later,' Diamanes grinned under the bandages and the black glove covering him.
'Thank you, Diamanes.'
"The Lightbringer presented himself as Doyle Malory, who self-described as One Who Shall End This World, or a Fallen One. I don't know much else about him, except that he loves human flesh and is immensely old and insane."
'And that's one free question. Excellent. Nice job Diamanes. Now, the only thing I'd like them not to ask is where Doyle is since it's in the Laboratory that I'm already planning to go back to for more exploration. It would be sad for all those treasures of technology to fall into someone else's hands.'
The sound of a pen scribbling down came from behind the wall before silence occupied once again the room. Glenn straightened himself once more, ready to hear the third and last question.
"...Did the Smith of the Northern Town's Cleaner Workshop produce a new Soul Weapon?" finally asked the voice after long minutes of waiting. Glenn felt a chill in his back and sweat pearled down on his forehead, sticking to the wooden mask.
'...How do they know about that? Shit, are the Smith and Rusty in trouble because of Nelg?'
"Why would it be my fault? I didn't ask to be born!" The sword protested. Glenn shook his head and gulped heavily, before replying as succinctly as he could.
"...Yes."
'...Well, it doesn't matter if it's succinct or not if you just straight up reply "Yes", you bastard!' Diamanes laughed mockingly. Glenn dismissed the entity's voice away, much more concerned about listening to the Indigo Bureau's reply. Finally, he would be able to learn where Redan was. After a long while, probably around fifteen minutes of wait, the muffled voice finally replied.
"The Ice Wolf, Redan, was last seen five days ago in the Red District, in the company of Baron Conrad and ten of his knights, as well as one member of the Thorn's Church. The Ice Wolf was unharmed but remained extremely reluctant to proceed with the Baron. The lead dries up near Lark Avenue, where the presence of bandits and strange creatures forced us to stop our investigations. The suspected parties are Baron Conrad, an unknown upper echelon of the Thorn's Church, and a higher ranked noble pulling the strings whose identity is veiled under the King's Seal."
Glenn's grin grew widely as he tightly clenched his fist, feeling a surge of adrenaline enter his veins. He knew exactly where to start searching for, and that's exactly what he needed! He clasped his hand on the edge of his seat, biting down on his lips to restrain himself from pumping up his fist and exclaiming aloud his happiness and excitement.
'Fuck yeah! I love it when things go so well!' Exhilarated, he took a few seconds to calm his racing heart, the wide grin under his mask refusing to go away.
"Don't forget to thank me for finding the weird guy with a black robe," Nelg reminded his host proudly. Glenn let a sigh escape from his mouth. He already had everything he needed. What else could he ask the Indigo Bureau? And what was this "King's Seal"? Could the mysterious ruler of King's Rise be implicated with the Thorn's Church and Redan?
'The mystery deepens...'
Right when he was lost in his thoughts, the muffled voice suddenly talked again.
"The Indigo Bureau wishes to ask you another question, in exchange for an information we judge might be necessary to you. Would you accept?"
Glenn rubbed his wooden mask for a few seconds, before grinning widely. Too bad they couldn't see him do so, or they'd have seen wickedness in person.
"Ask away, and I shall see if it's worth it for me to answer."
There was a sound of rustling paper, soon followed by the voice once again.
"Where is Doyle Malory, the Lightbringer?"
The young man moistened his lips, hesitant.
'Should I tell them, or should I not? What would they get from finding Doyle anyway?'
Nelg didn't waste a second to come up with a reason.
"My best bet would be military might. They probably want to sell the information on how to metamorphose people into half-Blumar humans to nobles, so they can enhance their soldiers. Imagine a powerful Knight suddenly becoming almost immune to spells and Aura. They would become invincible."
Glenn grinned and crossed his arms.
'What they don't know is that the only reason Maron is alive is probably thanks to his god, Plutus, and that Doyle has nothing to do in Maron's transformation, besides ripping the poor merchant's limbs. Heh, maybe it will fuck over a few nobles...Let's pass them the ticking bomb, and I'll pick up the loot off their dead bodies in the Laboratory. Haha, I like that idea!' The young man tilted his head to the side, the grin on his face growing even wider.
"You'll find him somewhere in the Blumar Quarry's depths, the one situated near the Still Peak. I don't know where exactly, since it's underground, but I'm sure if someone searches hard enough, they'll find the bastard."
The sound of a pen scribbling paper echoed once more behind the wall. After a few more minutes, the voice finally gave away the promised information.
"The Church of Onnea is also implied in the affair. They sent their main forces to Lark Avenue three days ago, and they have yet to come back. This has caused unrest among the citizens of Eastern Town, and most criminals are using this opportunity to do as they please. Additionally, a strange influx of creatures has been noticed in the Eastern Town, and some of the local gangs are forced to deal with them to protect their members. Currently, the Eastern Town is at the lowest of the low."
Glenn nodded slowly, grateful for the knowledge. It probably wasn't worth as much as what he just gave away, but he didn't feel like it was a waste. No, it was more of an investment to maintain a good relationship with the information broker. The young man stood up dusted off his pants and headed for the door, stopping and turning around when the muffled voice spoke again.
"The Indigo Bureau is very thankful for your patronage. As a gift, any information on "Glenn, the Grinning Demon, the Hand of the Devil, or the Crazy Hero", has been locked behind rank 5 privileges. We're impatient to see you again."
The young man felt a shiver down his back, before shaking his head dejectedly. He already knew they were aware of his identity, but hearing them say it so clearly was something else.
'At least, you can consider this like your investment already starting to pay you back. And technically, you only paid a single gold! What a steal!' Diamanes remarked. Glenn grinned, before turning back toward the exit.
"...Likewise. Goodbye." He opened the door and left the Indigo Bureau, breathing out deeply in relief once he was away from there. He turned back to glance at the small ruined house, only for his heart to miss a beat.
The Indigo Bureau was gone. Completely gone, like a mirage.
"What the...?" He muttered, shocked.
'...So we're just not going to address your new nicknames? Hmm?' Diamanes laughed at him, followed by Nelg to add yet another layer.
"I don't know which one is my favorite...the Hand of the Devil is too associated with Diamanes, so no...The Crazy Hero just feels like you're an insane guy...Hah, the Grinning Demon is the best!"
Glenn crouched down and took his face in both of his hands, sighing deeply.
"Please...both of you...shut the fuck up for once..."
'Never!'
"Ditto!"