The group walked through the hot streets of Starugnia, trying to find a place to ask for information about Levi while admiring their surroundings as they advanced. Ascalon noticed that, aside from the buildings and other details, the people here were also very different from those in New Lumingard.

Most had varying tones of dark skin, and their racial features clearly leaned more into those of desert creatures—like jackals, serpents, and scorpions—contrary to the more diverse citizens of New Lumingard. Most of them also wore veils and turbans, with clothes that were thin and soft in colors—logical choices for the harsh desert environment.

“There!” Lilithra suddenly exclaimed as she pointed with enthusiasm, prompting Ascalon to snap back to attention. He followed Lilithra’s gesture, and saw a building that struck out from the rest.

It had a more modern design, its walls made of a white, shiny material. The doors that gave way to the inside were similar to those he had seen back at headquarters—the kind that opened by themselves. Above such a doorway rested a sign that read ‘Exchange Hub’.

“Neat!” Selorien stated as the group marched toward the building. They headed inside without issues, and were immediately greeted by the cool interior air, a refreshing contrast to the heat outside. Without missing a beat, Selorien quickly beelined to an empty seat, and sprawled out on it with a contented sigh.

The rest giggled in amusement, while Ascalon took a moment to inspect the area. The hall was as large as it appeared from the outside, but wasn’t as crowded as he had expected.

Most people inside were clearly travelers rather than locals, suggesting that the building either didn’t serve much of a purpose to the citizens, or that they didn’t need to rely on the cool air as much. There was a particular individual nearby, his gaze intensely set on them through a pair of black sunglasses. Despite the intensity, Ascalon deemed the man as simply curious about them.

That aside, Lilithra approached an empty counter shyly, smiling to the woman behind it. The woman exhibited brown snake-like scales over her cheeks, partially covering her forehead, neck, and arms too. The girl returned a rehearsed smile, and spoke with a soft voice.

“Welcome, dear travelers. What can I assist you with?” She said with a cordial tone, her eyes slowly appraising the three guests one by one.

“Uhm, we would like some info on a certain person!” Lilithra responded, her first course of action to learn more about Levi’s whereabouts. The staff member nodded and traced the air with her fingers, clearly bringing up her network interface.

“Of course. Could you please provide your Guild’s name?” At the woman’s words, Lilithra froze for a second, her smile turning awkward.

“Uhm, I’m not part of a Guild… haha…” Lilithra’s words were coated with both embarrassment and hesitation, causing the woman to show a troubled expression.

“I’m deeply sorry, but this service is only available for Guilds.” The staff member replied as she bowed slightly. Feeling the growing awkwardness, Lyra mustered the courage to interject.

“I-I am in a Guild! The Guild’s name is F-Fluffy Warriors, and I’m the vice leader, Lyra.” The cat girl exclaimed with a mix of pride and nervousness, feeling she was finally being useful to the group. The attendant nodded once again, and started fiddling with her screen.

“Thanks, Lyra!” Lilithra beamed at the cat girl, relief washing over her. She was already feeling like they would hit another wall, so she appreciated Lyra’s intervention.

After a brief moment, the staff woman replied. “Alright. Please note that, since your Guild is fairly new, the amount of information I can provide might be limited.” She said in a matter-of-fact fashion, and Lyra nodded in acknowledgment.

“Perfect. Could you please tell me about the person you need information on?” The attendant asked, while Lyra fidgeted as she thought about what to say.

“Uh, I’m looking for Levi Summers! M-my brother, and leader of our Guild.” Lyra explained, and the attendant nodded as she worked. After a brief silence, she spoke again while shaking her head slightly.

“I’m sorry but there’s not much I can tell you, due to a lack of information.” She paused, looking at the group. Both Lyra and Lilithra showed concerned expressions, so the woman continued.

“I can tell you that he visited the Exchange Hub a few days ago, inquiring about an individual by the name of ‘Ian’, but we didn’t have any information on him.” She concluded, bowing slightly.

It seemed that the information they had on Levi went as far as confirming his presence in Starugnia, and nothing else. Despite that, Ascalon noticed Lyra clenching her fists with renewed determination.

“Thank you!” Lyra exclaimed with a more confident tone, smiling softly at the attendant. Lilithra beamed at her side, clearly happy about her friend’s enthusiasm. It was good to see Lyra in high spirits. Lilithra wanted to hug her, like a cat plushie, but held back for many reasons.

“At least, we know he’s been here!” Lilithra remarked, while Lyra nodded a few times. That’s right, they had confirmed Levi’s whereabouts to an extent, and now they just needed to learn about his current location.

Still, the lack of information on Ian wasn’t a good sign, Ascalon thought. Leaving that aside, he turned around to check on Selorien, and found him surrounded by three beautiful, veiled women.

The elf was looking at him with an intense stare, and moved his lips slowly, clearly spelling ‘save me’ in a hushed voice. Ascalon chuckled at the sight, an amused grin appearing on his face as he nudged Lilithra on the side.

Lilithra jumped slightly, startled by Ascalon’s sudden action, and looked in the direction he was focused on. Soon, a mischievous smile adorned her face, and Selorien glared at his friends with irritation.

Surprisingly, Lyra was the one who stepped up to assist the elf, approaching him with confidence. “S-selly, we’re going!” She said with her fists clenched, mustering all her strength to overcome her shyness with strangers.

Selorien looked at her with relief and admiration, as if she were a saint or a savior, and quickly stood up to walk toward the group. “Sorry, gotta go.” He remarked coldly, without even looking back. The three women who had been surrounding him squealed in delight, clearly enjoying the treatment.

Just what was it with Selorien’s charm? Ascalon was puzzled by the thought, but mostly, amused!

After a moment of Lilithra laughing and Lyra blushing at her own, unexpected actions, the group left the Exchange Hub and faced the heat once more.

“Actually, let’s go back inside.” Selorien suggested, turning around as he adjusted his cap. But Lilithra grabbed his arm from behind, and pulled with all her strength.

“Stop it~!” She said in a cheery tone, Lyra giggling to herself at the sight.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

As Ascalon let out a sigh of resignation, another figure crossed through the automatic doors, heading toward them with decided steps. Ascalon perked up, raising an eyebrow as he met the same man with sunglasses that had been staring at them inside the building.

“Greetings!” The unknown individual spoke with enthusiasm, and the rest of the group shifted their attention to him. “I am known as Rahmu, and I might know a thing or two about this Levi person~!” He added as he smiled with glee, his gold teeth greeting the light.

Ascalon took a moment to appraise the person more carefully, noticing his physical features. He was short, around the same height as Lilithra and Lyra, and his skin was of a copper-like tone. He wore a small, ragged turban and a tunic-like robe long to his feet, both white in color.

His face was sullied by an unkempt bear, but adorned with long, golden earrings that looked expensive. Rahmu, as he called himself, adjusted his sunglasses and waited patiently for an answer.

“I see, you must be an ‘spymaster’.” Ascalon declared, realizing the man was probably someone who dealt with information behind the scenes, in a more ‘unofficial’ way. He had seen a few of those back in Excadia, and could smell their greed from a mile away.

Rahmu looked a bit confused for a moment, unfamiliar with the term, but quickly pieced together its meaning. “Yes! Though I must admit, while I try to present myself as an information broker, spymaster sounds quite imposing!” Rahmu laughed to himself, amused by Ascalon’s choice of words.

Aside from Ascalon, the rest felt a bit wary of the man, and understandably so. It was too convenient that he happened to have the info they needed at just that moment.

“I guess you want to sell us this info, right? How can we know it’s legit?” Selorien suddenly addressed the man with an accusatory tone, his question posing a real concern. Ascalon nodded thoughtfully in acknowledgment, while Lilithra and Lyra observed from the sidelines.

“Ah, yes, I understand your suspicion!” Rahmu exclaimed, opening his arms wide, taking on a grandiose pose. “Allow me to offer you a glimpse of my knowledge, a token of my sincerity!” He concluded, making a swift reverence toward them.

“But first, please follow me!” Rahmu requested, swiftly walking toward a nearby alleyway, glancing back as if expecting them to follow. The group exchanged wary glances, but Ascalon nodded with a half smile, reassuring them.

They all knew that they had nothing to fear with Ascalon at their side, whether it was an alleyway or a dragon’s maw. With that in mind, the group followed. The alley itself was quite small, a simple space between two houses, and no one else but them seemed to be around. The best thing? It was pleasantly cool thanks to the shade provided by both buildings.

Once they gathered before Rahmu, he directed his words toward the cat girl.

“Your brother came in search of Ian, am I correct?” Said Rahmu, showing a smug expression, his smile widening as he gazed at Lyra. The girl nodded hesitantly in affirmation. “Well, I happen to know they actually met! And as you might expect, it wasn’t quite a friendly encounter!” Rahmu chuckled, finding the situation amusing.

Lyra, however, didn’t share his sentiment, and showed a desperate expression on her face. Her frown deepened and her eyes shimmered with concern as she replied. “What happened? Where is my brother?” She asked with a mix of agitation and urgency, her earlier calmness wavering under her impatience.

Her reaction was understandable, since the man was putting on a show before her, presenting the bits of information as if he were dangling a meal in front of a starving person.

Ascalon glared at Rahmu, and the man shuddered momentarily. Recomposing himself, he cleared his throat and continued. “I will answer all your questions once I see some coin.” Rahmu declared, crossing his arms with confidence, knowing he had the upper hand in the negotiation.

As per usual, such individuals were only motivated by money. Lyra, however, didn’t waste a moment as a palm-sized bag appeared in her hand, materializing from her inventory. She tossed it at Rahmu without a care in the world, probably feeling a bit irritated.

The man raised an eyebrow with suspicion as he caught the bag mid air, the distinct clinking of coins ringing from within. He opened it and his expression shifted into a lecherous grin.

“Yes, this will suffice.” He exclaimed, smacking his lips, the delight palpable in his voice. Promptly, the bag of coins disappeared, probably into his own inventory. Rahmu cleared his throat again and rubbed his unkempt beard as he prepared to speak.

“Levi and Ian clashed in the lower districts.” Rahmu began explaining with a chuckle. “A place I wouldn’t recommend visiting, hehe!” He continued, relishing in his own amusement, until Ascalon’s urging gaze made him reconsider his approach.

“Ehem. They had quite the vocal quarrel, and even fought for a while, until guards arrived—late, as usual.” Rahmu added, shrugging and shaking his head in frustration.

“They both fled, of course, and haven’t been seen in the open since.” He concluded, giving them a moment to absorb the information.

“And…?” Selorien asked, one of his brows raised in doubt.

“That is all.” Answered Rahmu with a satisfied, greedy smile. The elf frowned in irritation, realizing that Rahmu had already given them exactly what they had paid for.

“That’s it?!” Reproached Lilithra, fuming with anger at the man’s greediness. But Rahmu simply chuckled, rubbing his beard.

“My information is very valuable! If you want more, you’ll have to pay. It’s a simple transaction.” He replied matter-of-factly, brimming with confidence.

Ascalon sighed deeply and stepped forward. He planned to plead with the man, but Selorien stopped him, putting a hand on his chest.

“Do you know Lieutenant Ryan?” Selorien suddenly asked, and Rahmu narrowed his eyes.

“What of him…?” He replied, trying to hide a hint of nervousness. Selorien didn’t let the detail escape him, and his lips curled into a smug grin. It seemed that this Ryan had quite the authority for someone so young, that even a shady dealer was wary of the name.

“We happen to be his friends. Ascalon here saved him from a kaiju.” Selorien pointed to Ascalon, who stood tall and imposing, towering over the small Rahmu.

The broker gulped loudly, his eyes opening as the greed that had clouded his thoughts vanished. He recognized Ascalon’s oppressive presence, an air around him that screamed he shouldn’t be messed with; and, to top it all off, he supposedly had Lieutenant Ryan in his debt.

“Y-you can’t intimidate me like that! You want information, I have information. I want coin, you have coin! There’s nothing wrong with doing business!” Rahmu exclaimed, clearly shaken, his eyes darting toward the alleyway exit.

Ascalon realized Rahmu was probably going to try and run away if pressed further; and the man did have a point. Taking him into consideration, Ascalon decided to go with the swiftest solution.

“Selorien, could you pay the man? I will make it up to you.” He calmly stated, and Rahmu looked up at Ascalon with a mix of curiosity and relief, noticing the shift in his behavior.

“Aight, only because you asked.” Selorien answered, shaking his head with a resigned smile. At the same time, Lyra tugged at Ascalon’s shirt, looking up at him with a big smile.

“Thank you.” She whispered, her eyes shimmering.

Lyra was probably feeling very cornered by the situation, after all. Lilithra smiled at the exchange, as Selorien gave the man some paper bills. At first, Rahmu looked like he was going to complain, but quickly recognized their value. He promptly vanished the money into his inventory with a joyful expression, before speaking with enthusiasm.

“Very well! I will give you my priciest information. And know that this is something not just anyone can buy!” Rahmu boomed with confidence, and then looked around with a cautious gaze, as if making sure no one else was close by.

“There’s only one place these two could have gone to! In the underbelly of the city, there’s a very, very hidden entrance…” He started, speaking in a low voice. Everyone listened intently, their curiosity piqued. “If you manage to find it, there’s an intricate pathway leading to, and listen closely, a dungeon!” Rahmu concluded, raising a finger in a gesture of affirmation.

Everyone aside from Ascalon showed a confused expression, since he wasn’t aware of what this implied. “A dungeon?” Selorien asked with doubt in his voice, and Rahmu smiled boldly in response.

“Yes! And I kid you not, its existence hasn’t been revealed to the public yet.” He paused, his smile turning more confident. Everyone let out a surprised gasp, as Rahmu continued.

“The thing is, the dungeon isn’t behind some magic portal… it’s in this very world!” Rahmu declared, while Selorien, Lilithra and Lyra exchanged astonished looks.

A dangerous, yet curious notion had escaped the man’s lips, and Ascalon quickly grasped the implications of a dungeon being located beneath the city. It felt ominous, somehow.