CHAPTER 60: WITCH OF CALAMITY

It has been an entire hour since they started drinking. Hermes hated the taste of the beer and only managed to get through a single glass. The same could not be said about Mason and John, however.

"Ugh, that bastard, Frederick! Can you believe he ditched us mid-sesh? Hiccup! Blargh!"

Lance took a sip of his glass and smiled. "Let it rest, captain. He has much more important things to do than attend to your drunk ass."

"What?! Say that again, Lance! Don't make me spill the beans about your little rendezvous with Sophia two weeks back! Hehe..."

Lance's eyes opened wide. "Shut up!"

"Hahahaha! I got your attention now!" As the beer began to spill from Mason's glass, it trickled down his olive-textured beard like a frothy waterfall. Sitting beside him, Hermes quickly leaned away, deftly dodging the incoming liquid with nimble movements, all while trying to maintain his balance on the barstool.

John, on the other hand was completely incapacitated. He laid on the table, weeping. "oh.... My dear Emily.... You're all grown up now.... I am so proud... You don't need your father no more.... Hick...."

Hermes witnessed the debacle in shock. He glanced over at Lance, who was trying his best to cover Mason's mouth from spilling his secrets.

"Is it always like this for you guys?"

Lance turned to face him while shoving his hand across Mason's lips. "Pretty much. Well, this time, it's way less active. Half our comrades have passed on during that trip."

Hermes looked down at the table and frowned. "Sorry.."

"Sigh, you don't have to be. That's just the life of a mercenary. One day you are drinking with your buddies, the next day you're drinking with the grim reaper."

Mason shoved Lance off of him and began to blurt out his thoughts out loud once more. "Hiccup! Those Guardians, I tell ya! If they'd shown up sooner, we wouldn't be in this mess! And that bastard Linarias, don't get me started! He's as useless as—"

"Old man! Shut up!" Lance placed his hand across his mouth once more. Silence prevailed across the pub as all the mercenaries stopped what they were doing and began to stare at their table.

Lance looked over at Hermes and signaled for them to leave. Noticing the mood shift, Hermes decided to comply. He picked up John on his shoulder while Lance did the same for Mason as they walked swiftly out of the Mercenary Guild.

As they stood outside in the scented candle street, Lance began to rub his temples. "Ugh, I knew that was going to happen..."

"Why does Mason feel so strongly about... The king?"

Lance sighed. "It's because his policies so far have been extremely horrible. He has been crowned as emperor for about a year now, and in just that small time frame, famines all across the human domain have become a constant reminder of his reign. Instead of trying to find a solution by investing in new technologies to improve the soil or creating new fertilizers, he instead opts for religion."

Hermes furrowed his brows. "Religion? What do you mean?.."

"It's exactly how I mean it. Ever since he became king, the donations to the church of wisdom have increased by 40%. He has also divested away from the Guardian Regiments, saying that the inquisition should be given more instead. At the same time, he has implemented numerous policies that made heresy against the Monarch of Wisdom or the church extremely illegal. In the past few months, incarcerations by the inquisition have risen in number. Even minor infractions are seen as treachery in their eyes. What's even more worrying is how many people in the upper class support him..."

"That's... That's insane..."

"Yeah, just be sure to watch your words from now on. This idiot captain of mine might be immune to most things because of his rank and status as a Stage 8 Celestial. You, on the other hand, won't be amounted to the same privileges. Though, if something does happen, make sure to tell us. I owe you my life, after all."

Hermes nodded. "Understood."

Seeing this, Lance smiled. "Alright, I guess we should get going." He placed his arm up into the air and pointed. Moments later, a flying vehicle drifted in front of them, hovering above the air. Its colorful embroideries glistened in the faint light of the sun as it awaited its potential passengers. Lance quickly opened the door and shoved Mason inside. Then, he helped Hermes with letting John in as well, who was sleep-talking about his daughter's wellbeing.

Lance entered the front seat and glanced over at Hermes. "Alright, get in! Ill be taking you to our Mercenary Group Headquarters."

Just as Hermes was about to comply, he overheard a conversation between a few drunks stepping out of the Mercenary Guild.

"Hey, I wonder what that woman did to offend the king so badly..." His partner took a sip of his bottle and glanced over at him. "Ah, you mean that lass? The one the church condemned as the 'Witch of Calamity'? Who knows... I heard she was real pretty too. What a shame..."

Hermes' eyes widened. He had finally found a lead... A clue regarding how to complete his mission. He stood silently, contemplating his next decision. Lance saw this and frowned. "What's wrong?"

Straightening out his thoughts, Hermes looked up at Lance through the window of the vehicle and smiled ruefully. "Sorry, go without me. I have some things to do."

Lance looked at him for a few seconds before coming to his own conclusions. He realized that there was no point in trying to change Hermes' mind. "I see... Alright, catch this." he threw him a small gadget that Hermes promptly caught. He glanced down at it. "What is this?"

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

"It's a communication device. Simply press the button on the side and your message will be relayed to me. If you get lost, you can use this to ask me to come pick you up."

Hermes looked up at him and nodded. "I appreciate it." He swiftly turned around and began to run in the direction of the two drunks. Lance saw this and sighed. He signaled the driver to go. The vehicle swiftly picked up speed and merged with the stream of other vehicles in the air.

Hermes caught up the pair and grabbed one of their shoulders, stopping them in their place. "Huh? You brat! Why did you stop us?!"

"I just have a question to ask you, its fairly simple, I promise."

"Huh?! Who do you think you are?!" Hermes glared at them and began to exude a bit of his cosmic force in their direction.

"Please," he pleaded with determination in his eyes. Realizing that the man before them was a Celestial, they swiftly changed their demeanor.

"Uh, sir... Apologies, what would you like to ask..."

"It's simple. Who is this 'Witch of Calamity' you spoke of earlier?"

They both looked at each other dumbfounded, then back at Hermes. "Sir, did you not hear the news?"

He shook his head. "No, I just arrived in the city."

"I see... Well, you see, there was this noble lass who offended the king. The church has condemned her for spreading heresy. She will be executed in public on Saint Wisdom's Day..."

'This coincides with the information the system gave me...'

He decided to ask for more information. "Why is she being condemned so heinously? What did she do?"

They both shrugged. "Who knows... But if it's heresy of the grandest orders, then I say it is a deserved punishment. May the Monarch cleanse the filth from these lands..."

Hermes looked at the floor. "Is there a picture of this lady?"

"There might be? I heard she was very beautiful... A pity..." The man then widened his eyes; he had come to a certain conclusion. "Ah, I see... You are one of those kinds of guys, hehe..." He began to smirk lustfully.

Hermes furrowed his brows. "What kind of guy?"

The drunkard's smirk deepened. "Don't act stupid, hehe... If you want to find out more about her, you could probably look into paying a broker from Shadow's Hand. They are very well known around these parts for information gathering missions. All of their members are Gold-rank and higher on the mercenary ladder."

Confused about what they were insinuating, he decided to ignore their remarks. "Where can I find this 'Shadow's Hand' Mercenary Group?"

The drunkard pointed at the Mercenary Guild. "There should be an informant somewhere inside the pub. Simply go up to bartender and use this code..."

Hermes learned of what to say and thanked the two drunkards. He promptly went back into the Mercenary Guild and walked straight to the bartender. Unlike when they first exited the building, the liveliness of the Mercenaries had returned. Hermes assumed that they probably didn't care enough to continue gossiping about what Mason had said.

Sitting at one of the empty stools, he was greeted by an elderly man wiping a glass cup in his hand with a towel.

"Sir, what can I get you?"

Hermes remembered what the drunks told him to say. "Two empty cups, please."

"Hm, and would you like them small or large sized, sir?"

"Neither."

The old man gently set his cup down on the counter, then shot a subtle nod towards a figure seated at a distant table. Cloaked in a fedora, flannel buried under a jacket, and snugly encased in cowboy jeans, the man sauntered over, taking a seat right beside Hermes, who was just being handed another frothy cup of beer.

Hermes shot a sidelong glance at the newcomer. Reflected in his eyes was the nonchalant countenance of someone in their mid-twenties. His unkempt yet carefully trimmed beard spoke volumes about his indifference to appearances. With a casual glance toward the bartender, he placed his order for another cup of beer. Without turning to face Hermes, he spoke to him in a mellow voice.

"Do you have any requests?"

Hermes took a sip from his cup. "Yes. I would like to request information." He decided to not to mention what mercenary group he belonged to, as other patrons were still around them.

The man picked up his beer glass and began to admire the foam. "It will cost you."

"No problem. Money won't be an issue for me." He was not wrong in that assessment. He was currently sitting on a large amount of Sanctum that he had no use for. After all, none of it would matter once the trial ends, so whatever assets he had available to him would only be relevant to him completing the mission.

The man heard this and stood up with the beer glass in his hand. He looked down at Hermes and signaled for him to follow. Hermes did just that. The two men walked behind the counter and entered a door that was meant for the bar staff. Going past the kitchen, an inconspicuous door came to focus.

The man knocked on it three times. Suddenly, a slit was open as someone began to look at who was requesting entry. Noticing that it was his colleague, they opened the door, promptly inviting both of them in.

Entering inside, Hermes noticed a pool table and a few other guys playing some sort of card game that he was unfamiliar with. He ignored them and sat at an empty table. The man who led him there sat opposite of him.

Getting himself comfortable, he placed down his beer glass on the table then tipped his fedora upwards. "Alright sir, what kind of information would you like to request?"

Hermes took a deep breath before forwarding his query. "I am looking for information on the 'Witch of Calamity'." The man frowned at his request. Crossing his arms, he began to scrutinize Hermes' figure.

"Why are you requesting this information?"

"Am I required to say?"

The man shook his head. "No. But you do know that this information involves lots of risks, correct? This is something only very few know of. And with the recent crackdown on heresy, any action that goes against the church is punishable by death."

Hermes nodded. "Understood. However, I still want this information."

The man sighed. "Alright, I have a bit of information already gathered regarding her identity. As for her location, method of imprisonment, crime, and other details, covert missions will have to be conducted, which will cost even more."

Hermes smiled. "Understood. How much would you like me to pay you to disclose the information you already know?"

The man rubbed his chin. "750,000 Sanctum."

Hermes didn't hesitate. "Alright."

Hearing his answer, the man frowned. "You aren't going to negotiate?"

"Nope. How would you like me to send the money?"

The man quickly adjusted himself. "I can scan your Mercenary Badge and request the money that way. It's untraceable."

Hermes quickly complied and pulled out his badge. He ran it through a badge reader machine that was placed on the table. It swiftly blinked green, indicating a successful transaction.

The man smiled. "Thank you for the payment, sir... What's your name again?"

Hermes smiled. "My name is Hermes Wilson. Gold-rank mercenary. You?"

The man took a sip of his drink. "I go by Lucky around these parts."

'A pseudonym? Smart. I would have done the same, but there was no point in hiding my identity. They would have found it anyway...' Hermes took a sip of his own beer. "Alright, could you disclose the identity of this supposed 'witch' now?"

Lucky nodded. "The name of the woman who was incarcerated a few days ago is Elizabeth Lysange. A noble woman from the house, Lysange."

Hearing the name, he placed his glass of beer on the table as his thoughts began to click into place. 'I see... I expected it, but hearing it being confirmed eliminates all my doubts now. It seems the system behind the trial had decided to leave her identity the same.'

His thoughts continued to churn. 'Weird... As a noble lady, she should have had much more resources at her disposal to complete the mission the trial requested of her... Why did she struggle so much? What exactly caused her to be placed in death row...'

End of Chapter