Finishing his business at the guild, Liam informed Anya about everything that happened except for the matter of the black market. She gave him the details of the victims and handed him 10 gold.

“No matter what you do, finish it within five days. We’ll travel to Rodich next week.”

After going back to his room, Liam cast a sound barrier spell. “What do you think?”

“A bunch of reports and 10 gold?” Jade kicked the wall. “I was this close to attacking her.”

“It’s an appealing thought, but not what I asked.”

“We’re walking in blind. No one has seen a hair or hide of the attacker. From the reports, we know the criminal is quite strong. If Anya expects us to act as bait, she should at least provide us with some help,” Dunn said.

It was more than that. After talking to Laya, Liam understood how precarious their situation was. If the Ternac killer belonged to the faction opposing Alisha, they wouldn’t waste any opportunity to kill her soldiers. Among the people traveling to Rodich, everyone apart from Liam and his friends had a past that could be traced. The three of them were variables the other party couldn’t estimate.

By involving themselves in the mission, they were giving their opponents the perfect opportunity to attack.

The other problem was Anya. She neither shared her action plan nor gave them any resources. Liam and his friends were left to their own devices.

“How much is 10 gold worth?”

Jade snorted. “If you’re planning on buying the information with the meager amount, think again. Getting something out of the Black Trusk will involve a hefty favor. If you’re unwilling, then think of an alternative.”

Not having any viable plan, Liam could only start with what he had. “Go through the reports and try to see if you can find any patterns in the victims.”

“I’m sure a lot of people went through them without any success. You think we can find something?” Jade said.

Liam gave a wry smile. “If we don’t try, we’ll never know.”

Silence filled the room as everyone immersed themselves in the reports. Even after the sky turned dark, none of them made any progress. Though Liam expected it, he was disappointed.

“Let’s go. It’s time for the appointment.”

**********

The network of tunnels present near the harbor acted as Tightwood Creek’s black market. Wearing a black cloak and with a mask covering his face, Liam entered the tunnels.

The walls were moldy and the place wasn’t well lit. Torches present at irregular intervals lit the path, leaving large parts of the tunnel dark. When he walked, his boots splashed in the puddles of water. The entire place was filled with a musty smell.

While walking, Liam found it difficult not to bump into people. The tunnel could only accommodate seven people moving abreast, but the number of people going up and down made it difficult to not rush into someone. The subpar conditions of location didn’t put off people from visiting the place.

Lots of stalls were present along the walls, making it even harder to walk. Large sections of the tunnel were blocked, forcing Liam to push through the throng to reach the other side.

Some of the more well-established merchants had shops dug into the tunnel. Liam stopped in front of one particular iron door and knocked on it.

“What do you want?” A hoarse voice asked. Liam didn’t expect the Black Trusk to be an old man. From how feeble his voice sounded, the guy should be nearing the end of his lifespan.

“Information.”

“About what?”

“I’d like to talk in private.”

The old man scoffed. “Tell me what it is about, and I’ll decide if I want to let you in.”

“The Ternac killer.”

“So you’re the kids Laya mentioned.”

The words surprised Liam. He thought Laya suggested the Black Trusk out of concern, never expecting her to have direct contact with the black market.

The door opened showing a hunched figure covered in a cloak, with a mask hiding his face. “Come in.”

Liam stood still without entering the room. He warred with the decision to either go inside or leave. If Laya’s recommendation wasn’t out of goodwill, there was a high chance he would be in trouble. The old man didn’t force him and patiently waited for him to make a decision.

Eventually, Liam bit the bullet and entered the establishment. It wasn’t like he had a lot of options on his plate.

Apart from a table and a few chairs, the room was empty. To his surprise, he didn’t notice any guards. The only other thing present in the room was another door fixed to the wall. When he used mana vision, he didn’t notice any mana signatures apart from one coming from the old man. There was something strange about the movement of mana. He tried to figure it out, but couldn’t place his finger on it.

“I heard your group has three people. If I’m not wrong, your friends should be keeping an eye on the surroundings.” Rigidly walking towards a chair, the Black Trusk sat down. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Sitting down, Liam said, “I hope the information is useful.”

“I can’t guarantee that, but what I can provide you with has a lot of worth.”

“What’s the price?”

“Before beginning the trade, satisfy my curiosity.”

“Go on.”

“Laya mentioned you came from the holy city. It’s strange because I didn’t receive any information about it. It gets stranger when I consider the group’s composition. A blonde, blue-eyed handsome boy which is rare in these parts, and a northerner who is once again rare here.”

Even with the mask hiding the old man’s features, Liam could feel the intense scrutiny directed towards him. What bothered him was the confidence in the old man’s voice when he talked about not receiving any information.

“You men might have missed it.”

“Maybe.” The old man easily gave in confusing Liam. “There is another piece of information I recently received. Do you want to hear it?”

Liam didn’t answer.

“Three people matching the description of you and your friends appeared in Alisha’s camp. Do you want to hear the interesting part?”

Liam maintained his silence.

“Someone placed a substantial amount of bounty on their heads.”

Liam reached for the sword hidden under his cloak and attacked without any hesitation.