Chapter 147: A Common Enemy, An Enemy Within (4)

"We're almost there!"

Raising her hand, Rena lowered her telescope and turned to face me. Sure enough, the city's outline was faintly visible in the distance.

It was about the same size as Grassmere, perhaps slightly larger. The setting sun cast a red glow over the city walls, tinting them with twilight hues.

So that's Aman?

It was my first time visiting. I knew almost nothing about the city. As we drew closer, its architectural details became clearer. Just as Isaac had mentioned, the city seemed heavily influenced by the western desert regions. The design of the walls encircling it was distinctive compared to other imperial cities.

"Aman... it's been almost three hundred years since I last visited..."

Isaac trailed off, reminiscing.

"It feels strange to be back."

I felt the same. Though I had never visited before, the mere fact that I could freely enter a human metropolis felt surreal. If I hadn't gained the ability to regress, I would have been left completely shattered, incapable of movement.

If Gith-Za-Rai hadn't given me the ability to absorb essences, it'd have taken far more time—perhaps an eternity—for me to reach this place. As it was already late in the evening, the queue at the city gates was short. The guards stood at attention, gripping their spears tightly, their wary eyes fixed on us as we approached.

"Identification, please."

"Here you go."

Rena handed over two fake identification cards that the Lord of Grassmere had prepared for us.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, everything looks perfect. You may proceed."

They didn't even ask us to remove our helmets. Aman's lord was no different from the others. He, too, was mindful of Grassmere's weapons supply.

Just like that, we had become Grassmere's envoys. With five horses, we entered the city boldly and without hesitation. The gatekeepers flung open both sides of the massive city gates, allowing us inside without delay.

As the sun sank lower, the streets grew emptier. Rena swiftly surveyed our surroundings, leading the way toward Daliac. The walls grew taller. Conversely, the alleys became narrower. Swinging my greatsword here would be inconvenient unless I decided to level everything.

Detect.

I activated my Detect skill, scanning our surroundings thoroughly once more. Still, nothing suspicious. There was no one tailing us. Rena, too, seemed unaware of anything unusual.

But back on the road, the wind had shifted so strangely, as if it had passed through an invisible obstruction. And even then, I'd detected nothing.

Inwardly, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew..."

"What's got you so spooked? If you're going, just go in already. Never seen a barrier before?"

I was so startled that I responded out loud to Isaac. "What?"

"Come on. I taught you this, and you still didn't recognize it right away?"

"A barrier?"

Rena's eyes widened.

"It's not a harmful barrier,"

Isaac explained.

""It calms emotions and makes you feel at peace. It's safe to enter."

"Hmm..."

I relayed Isaac's words to Rena.

"It's just a passive barrier that soothes people. What do you want to do?"

Rena shrugged. "They're probably trying to create an absolute safe zone inside. But honestly... I don't like the idea of just walking in like they expect us to."

"Then what do you suggest...?"

"Why are you even worried when I am here? Just walk exactly as I tell you. First..."

We dismounted, following Isaac's instructions step by step. One step, then another step. Isaac's directions were intricate. I wouldn't have understood a single word if I hadn't studied barriers while restoring his old temple's wards. Without realizing it, I had gained far more knowledge than I expected.

Isaac led us through a seemingly nonsensical path—retracing our steps, circling the same section of stone wall multiple times, pacing in patterns that would confuse an observer. But after nearly thirty minutes, we finally emerged in front of an inn.

Whoosh!

A massive establishment stood before us. There were more than thirty interconnected buildings. Several large torches flickered in the courtyard.

"Are you members?" asked a woman in a white mask.

Though she was the only visible person in the yard, I could feel countless presences hidden within the buildings. Each one felt dangerous.

"Blur your eyes. Act dazed. Pretend you're under the barrier's effect!"

Rena said, "No... we're just here for a night. Would that... be okay?"

"The non-member quarters are this way. I will guide you."

Was it because Rena's acting was flawless? Or did they not care enough to probe further? Either way, the woman led us toward one side of the inn without another word.

"This place is covered in barriers, too. Don't look at the flickering torches—just walk."

Isaac's words resonated clearly, and I made sure to relay them to Rena as well.

As we followed the masked woman's lead, I noticed something. Scattered among the guests were people with blank, dazed expressions.

"Those are the ones fully affected by the barrier."

I asked Isaac,

"Did you create this barrier?"

"Hah... no. This one has been here for three hundred years. It's a very high-level barrier."

"Who...?"

"I don't know who made it. And don't ask me every little thing. I'm not your private tutor."

He seemed annoyed that I had asked something he didn't know.

"Didn't you come here to find something? Just go join the auction already."

The masked woman informed us where to participate in the information auction. But aside from that, she said nothing else.

After leading us inside, she left without another word. I stepped outside our assigned room and scanned the surroundings. Besides that woman, there were no other masked individuals.

"Are they ordinary people?"

"They all have a stupid look on them."

"Rena, what about the room fee?"

"We pay for it at the end. They'll charge us when we check out."

Since the masked woman had explained nothing, I turned to Rena for a full rundown of the auction process.

She explained that a registered seller would submit information to Daliac's auction house. Then, a middleman, usually the auctioneer, would hold the information for a set period. When the time was up, the highest bidder would receive the information. In a case where the bid exceeded a certain amount, the information would be sold immediately. Aside from the middleman, no one could know who sold what or who bought what.

I entered the auction house alone, following the directions given by the masked woman.

***

Despite its name, the auction house was actually a small building. The rule was strict, and only one person was allowed inside at a time. Rena couldn't follow me in, and neither could Acorn. Of course, I could carry Isaac without problem since he was a medal.

"There won't be any problems, right? With Rena,"

I asked him.

"Violence of any kind is strictly prohibited in Daliac. It was created as a sanctuary for information brokers and assassins, a place where they could rest without worry."

"Who founded it?"

"One question at a time, you fool!"

"So, you don't know..."

A voice drifted out from beyond a curtain. "Are you here to purchase information?"

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Act dazed."

"

Hmm...

Yes, that's right."

"Tch. You can't even act properly?"

"You're not human. The barrier didn't affect you,” said the calm voice.

"...!"

I stiffened in shock.

"They already saw right through me..."

"Stop looking so pathetic. The ones running Daliac wouldn't initiate violence first. If they still uphold the traditions from three hundred years ago, at least."

Isaac was right.

"Well, being non-human doesn't matter. As long as you follow the no violence principle."

Thoughts raced through my mind. I hadn't removed my helmet, and yet, the voice beyond the curtain had seen through me instantly. They were the real deal.

When I thought about it, it wasn't so surprising. Running a neutral city within the Empire required immense strength. And considering that assassins and brokers came here for refuge... To grant peace to such dangerous individuals, one would need the power to crush them all.

"Hey, they're staring at you,"

Isaac said, urging me forward.

I addressed the figure beyond the curtain. "

Ahem

. I've come to buy information..."

"It's your first time, I see."

"That's right."

"Are you looking for this information yourself?"

"They're asking if you're working for someone. Just say you're here for yourself. Otherwise, this conversation will drag on."

"Of course. It's my own business."

"Of course, you say? Interesting."

There was a pause. It was difficult to get a read on them. Their age and gender were unclear. What kind of powerful organization did they belong to? Necron? T&T? Or—no, if Daliac were tied to a specific group, rival factions wouldn't be able to relax here.

The voice finally spoke again. "So, what information do you seek? The freshest news concerns recent events in the Central region. Given our location, we get a steady flow of updates, especially about the Imperial Capital."

Aman was only five days away from the Capital.

"I want to know about Marquis Leandro von Batyenne."

"Leandro? The master of the Blue Lion Order?"

"That's correct."

"

Hmm...

You're in luck. That information just arrived recently!" The response came immediately as if they had a ledger memorized. "This one is a fixed-price sale. No auction. No haggling. Pay the fee, and the information is yours."

"...How much?"

"Eighty seiron."

"Ha... That bastard!"

Isaac cursed.

"Is that expensive?"

"Of course, it's a rip-off! These kinds of reports are thrown together quickly and sold to whoever will pay. It's almost certainly low-quality information, yet they're demanding eighty seiron?!"

"That's way too much..."

"Fixed price. The value of information matters more than money, doesn't it?"

Unless I had gold bars stolen from the emperor's carriage, eighty seiron was not an amount I could casually throw away. I did a quick calculation. One seiron was worth a hundred roti. Eighty seiron was eight thousand roti. That was enough to buy two hundred full plate armors.

"If you don't want it, leave. It's information on one of the Empire's Four Swordmasters. Plenty of others will buy it."

"What do we do?"

"Hah. If you must buy it, use that."

"That?"

Isaac told me to show them the document that Grassmere's lord had given me. I held it up beyond the curtain.

The figure inspected it slowly. Then, they grinned.

"A genuine document. So, you're a guest of Grassmere. In that case, I'll bill them for the cost. If they issued this to you, your credit is more than sufficient."

"

Hmm...

"

I hesitated, then spoke to Isaac.

"The Lord of Grassmere—is he well-known to people like this? It feels like we're relying on him too much."

"Why do you care? Just focus on getting the information."

As I tried to process Isaac's reckless mindset, the figure beyond the curtain spoke again.

"Then, wait a moment..."

Rumble!

The ground shifted. Beyond the curtain, a solid stone floor sank downward.

"Not curious? You could follow them and take everything by force."

I had no intention of doing that, and Isaac knew it. It would be suicidal to charge in blindly. The entire place was littered with mechanical traps, magical defenses, and barriers. Even the single person I had met so far didn't seem easy to deal with.

After thirty minutes...

Rumble...

The ground lifted back up. The figure returned, holding a sealed scroll. The entire surface was coated in wax.

"Leandro von Batyenne. The latest information on the marquis. Our appraiser valued it at eighty seiron, so it should be worth the price. Use it well."

"..."

Fwoosh!

A fire flickered in a nearby furnace.

"You can read it here and burn it, or take it with you. Either way, leave in ten minutes. That's the time limit."

Before breaking the wax seal, I asked, "By any chance..."

"Yes?"

"Do you have any information on Kevin Ashton?"

The reply was immediate. "No."