Chapter 21: Information
Alper POV
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Dara went over the same things Dix had promised, but with a slight twist. While I still got a place to sleep and a guild card, my access to information would be limited. It all depended on rank.
Despite being an unregistered guild, the Midnight Prowlers had its own rules and hierarchy. There were five ranks, arranged simply: Recruit < Member < Assistant < Manager < Leader. Each rank determined not only the missions you could take but also the level of information you were allowed to access. Thanks to my overachieving test results, I skipped the Recruit rank entirely and was granted the title of Member, along with a card identifying me as part of the organization.
I half-expected the guild card to be a forged mess, but to my surprise, it wasn’t. It was officially issued by a subsidiary of the organization—a front posing as a cleaning service, of all things.
“So, do you understand now?” Dara asked, her voice cool and authoritative as she sat in her throne—ahem, I mean chair. Dix, meanwhile, was utterly ignored, standing awkwardly to the side.
“Yeah,” I said, tucking the card away into my inventory. “So, what now?”
Dara sighed, rubbing her temples. “While it’s technically my job to show you everything, thanks to the mountain of work I’ve been saddled with—caused by a certain someone—” she shot a glare so sharp it could have cut steel at Dix, who flinched visibly, “I’m not available. Dix, you’ll handle it in my place.”
“Already on it, nya!” Dix chirped, grabbing me by the shoulders and steering me out of the office before I could say another word. “Nice seeing you, Dara, and thanks again!”
The door slammed shut behind us just as I heard the thud of something heavy—probably another book—hitting the other side of the door. Dix sighed in relief, leaning against the wall.
“Forgive her, nya,” he said, sounding exhausted. “She just got back from vacation… ny-only to deal with a month’s worth of paperwork and information sorting that I, uh, might have forgotten to do, nya.”
I stared at him, incredulous. “You’re a terrible brother,” I muttered, but something didn’t add up. Why was Dix assigned paperwork that Dara was doing in his stead?
“You have to do paperwork?” I asked, genuinely confused. The idea of Dix, of all people, being responsible for something so structured and meticulous seemed absurd.
“Well, nya, it’s because I hold a higher rank than her,” Dix said, puffing out his chest proudly. “I’m at the Manager rank, nya, while she’s at Assistant rank.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. “You… you’re capable?”
“Hey, nya! Don’t judge a book by its cover!” he shot back, his tail standing straight up in indignation.
Though I acted surprised, it was just that—an act. I’d dealt with people like him before: those who seemed aloof or scatterbrained, lulling others into underestimating them, only to strike faster and deadlier than anyone expected. The question wasn’t whether Dix was capable—it was how capable.
“Some brother you are, letting your sister do all the work,” I muttered, letting a bit of sarcasm seep into my tone.
He sighed, his ears flattening slightly. “Say what you will, nya. But everyone has their strengths—and their weaknesses, nya.”
As he led me down the hallways, his tail swished lazily behind him. “Nya, before I give you the orientation, you asked earlier why we needed more manpower, right?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, vaguely remembering.
“It’s because of Batman, nya,” he replied, making me sigh.
“Is he really that big of a deal?” I asked, tired of how my earlier stunt kept coming back to haunt me.
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“Yes, nya.” His tone shifted, losing its usual lightheartedness. He sounded serious now. “House Luminari has predicted his field of movement, nya. The latest intel we’ve got says he could be in this kingdom, a neighboring one, or the wilderness in between them.”
My eyes narrowed, my mind racing. This isn’t good. If the house was narrowing their search, I needed to gather information on them fast—especially whether joining them was a viable or dangerous option.
“They’re already searching the wilderness for any traces of the fugitive’s tracks, nya. But they’ve also requested the kingdoms to search their borders and interiors in case Batman shows up.”
I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. “I came in through the main gate,” I said. “Won’t that make them suspicious of me?”
Dix shrugged casually, as if the answer were obvious. “Maybe, nya? But as long as you’ve got our guild card, they won’t give you trouble.”
Dix stopped and turned to face me, his expression unusually serious. “This is why I nyeed manpower, nya. I’m taking my team to the neighboring kingdom of Severania to seawch for any signs of him there. Meanwhile, you’ll keep a lookout here nya.”
“But how am I supposed to know if someone’s the fugitive or not?” I asked, playing along. At this point, staying with these guys was definitely a good idea. If nothing else, it gave me a way to keep my other identity hidden.
“With this, nya!” Dix tapped my shoulder with a strange crystal ball he produced seemingly out of nowhere. The orb shimmered faintly as he held it in his hand.
“Nyaa… Let’s see,” he said, peering into the sphere. “Hmmm, a sentient core, huh? You fit the height category, but you don’t match the armor nexus core type. Oh, and you’ve got some really high intelligence, nya!”
As Dix rambled, my face grew paler with each word.
There’s an item that can read other people’s nexus cores and stats?!
“Hey! That’s private!” I shouted, snatching the crystal ball out of his hand. He grinned and tossed it to me nonchalantly.
“Nya, don’t worry. After about an hour, it’ll recharge, and you can use it on any suspect,” he said, completely oblivious to the rising panic in my chest.
I stared at the crystal in my hand, silently thanking God that my other nexus core remained hidden from this device. Before I could say anything, Dix carried on.
“Nya, you need to understand something, Adam,” he said, his tone unusually firm. “The major and minor clans are powerful, nya. Their rewards are life-changing—enough to completely transform someone’s future, nya.”
I caught the hint in his words and nodded slowly. “Alright,” I said. “I’ll try to search for the fugitive.”
“But the fugitive is you, Alper,” Nove chimed in, her voice calm but pointed in my head. I ignored her.
Dix’s usual playful grin returned, his tail swishing behind him. “Nya! I knew I could count on you!”
“Then can you tell me more about House Luminari?” I asked, shifting the topic. “What they’re offering, what kind of clan they are?” My main goal hadn’t changed: I needed to figure out everything I could about them.
Dix shook his head, his grin widening. “Nya, if you’re looking for information, use your card in ny-our data banks.”
I nodded and silently followed Dix as he gave me the grand tour. He showed me the cafeteria, the washrooms, the storage room, the barracks, and finally, the intel room.
The intel room was clearly the heart of the operation. The walls were lined with terminals, each glowing softly, and a few members were already seated at them, typing away. This was where everything happened—where they gathered, stored, and accessed the information that kept the Midnight Prowlers running.
Dix walked me through the basics of how to use the terminals. Once he was done, I headed straight to the showers. After days on the run, the idea of washing off the grime and blood was more enticing than anything else. Dix had even gone out of his way to order some simple clothes for me from the storage, and my damaged, filthy ones were sent straight to the laundry.
As I stepped into the bath, the warm water cascaded over me, washing away the dirt and tension that had clung to me like a second skin. For the first time in days, I felt a semblance of peace.
“What is the plan now, Alper?” Nove’s voice echoed softly in my mind.
“The same as it’s always been,” I replied, letting the hot water comb through my hair. “We’ll gather information, learn, and grow stronger.”
“This way, no matter what trouble we fall into, we’ll be able to save ourselves.”
Nove was quiet for a moment before replying with a simple, “Affirmative.”
Once I finished my shower, I changed into the plain black shirt and blue pants Dix had left for me. They were simple, but clean and comfortable. I didn’t know where Dix had wandered off to, but I had only one thing on my mind.
Knowledge.
I headed straight back to the intel room. Most of the terminals were in use, but I spotted an empty one in the corner and made a beeline for it. Sitting down, I inserted my card, and the terminal booted up with a faint hum.
What do you want to search for? the screen prompted.
Without hesitation, I typed in anything remotely related to the House Luminari.
Ding.
The terminal chimed, displaying 27 search results. Lines of text appeared beneath the notification, each leading to a different document or report.
Finally, a lead.
I scrolled through the list briefly, my heart pounding with anticipation. Before diving in, I noticed an option to open additional tabs. Curiosity piqued, I tried searching for Metalweaving arts and survival skills.
Ding.
This time, 79 search results popped up.
Ohohoho. Jackpot.
A grin spread across my face as I leaned forward, ready to dive into the treasure trove of knowledge before me.