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「Come in, make yourselves at home. It's not a lavish store, but it serves its purpose.」

Nago owned a small general store in the lower corner of the northeastern market district. Old-fashioned and dusty, it had a certain charm to it.

The information broker had invited us to a spot of tea—both of us gladly took him up on his hospitality.

We sat at a table behind the counter and waited for the information broker as he prepared our drinks.

The thief girl held a handkerchief over the small cut on her neck. I urged her to seek medical assistance, but she said it was nothing a bit of spit couldn't fix.

Melyn's questionable health choices aside, I couldn't help but brood over Bayloth's sentiments. Much like Viridescent Queen, his anger was directed towards the Lakua District.

And just like my encounter with Seyna, his comments left a mark on me.

「That guy back there... he said the Lakua District abandoned him... What did he mean by that..?」

Nago glanced over at me as he heated a kettle over the gas stove. I overlooked the unusual juxtaposition between technology and period as my concerns festered.

「Well from what I can deduce, this master of yours, the Ashen Thief, has largely neglected the Yarzon city slum dwellers as of late. I don't know the details, but apparently, rumors of him prioritizing a slum dweller village to the west are circulating amongst the slum dweller population.」

「I-is that so..?」

A cold sweat ran down my cheek.

If these rumors are true then... a lot of things would make sense... But it also begs the question, what the hell is Rysef doing..?

Logically speaking, had I worked for a contemptible leader, the chances of me suffering increased tenfold.

Melyn, seemingly over the black market incident, took notice of my troubled expression and swiftly changed the subject.

「What ever happened to your stall?」

「My stall?」

「In the note, Rysef gave to Zozo, it said you owned a stall in the marketplace. We spent hours circling the square looking for you.」

「W-what? I haven't owned a stall in over five years... In fact, the last time the Lakua District contacted me was over five years ago... Why reach out to me now?」

「Ask Rysef. I can never read him.」

The inner thoughts of the Ashen Thief were a mystery. In more ways than one.

Crap... Melyn took over the conversation for me... I should deal with the task at hand first before zoning out like that...

「Ah right, sorry for how the Lakua black market guys acted back there. They don't take too kindly to outsiders, especially those from the northern countries.」

「O-oh yeah... You their representative or something?」

My attempt at rejoining the conversation was slightly ham-fisted but passable. I was now at the helm once more.

I nudged the thief girl to reassure her I'd returned.

「More of a friend really. My store's close to the slums so I'd always run into them by nightfall. They're good people at heart, just wary and misguided.」

I found his sentiments hard to believe but accepted them nonetheless. Nago seemed like a kind soul amidst this broken city.

No wonder he gets along with even the uncivilized rabble...

「Still though, a Beafrouxian and a Merulean? Where did Rysef pull you from? You can't have lived in Yarzon right? The accent isn't there. So are you from the northern Jazgan cities? Maybe the northern countries? Don't tell me he actually took you from your countries of origin...」

And there it was.

The flaw in his otherwise flawless nature.

His desire to gather information was obvious. His sociable and outgoing personality were assets in his quest for insight—put it simply he asked way too much.

I tapped Melyn on the arm as he bombarded us with inquiries. She was usually dense, but this time she caught on.

Is this friendly façade a front of his? Or is he just this tactless?

There was only one way to find out.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. It was the perfect opportunity to put the Hu technique into practice.

After steadying my respiration I intently listened for any irregularities in his breathing.

It was amazing—all noise within myself had disappeared. The sounds entering my ears became ever so crisp.

「Although... wasn't Rysef an avid traveler back in the day? His wanderlust must've led him to all sorts of places. Globetrotting all over Velatya... did he really do that? He must've told stories right?」

This breathing... hurried and excited... this could only mean...

Nothing.

He really was just a chatterbox. I was a fool to suspect him. It was par for the course to not trust the dolt in his underwear as far as I could throw him.

I ceased constricting my airways and tapped Melyn on the arm again. She too relaxed her respiration.

「What about you Nago? What's your story? You also don't speak with the slum dweller dialect. Are you not from around here?」

I deflected his flurry of questions and countered with a question of my own.

I stood nothing to gain from learning about our information broker, but there was no other smooth segue that could free us from the clutches of his naïve curiosity.

「My violet hair and amber eyes tell it all, I'm Jazgan. But I come from further up north.」

「Do they not use the slum dweller dialect up there?」

「Slum dweller dialect eh? It's strange how we call it that when most of Yarzon speaks it... Then again, I suppose Yarzon is called the slum dweller city by many...」

「The slum dweller city huh?」

「Yep. Poorest city in the poorest country. Founded by Ingvardian immigrants near the end of the Merulean era, hence the similar accents—a small piece of trivia I'll give away for free.」

「So if you're not from around here, then why move to Yarzon? You lost a bet?」

The kettle began to whistle following my frivolous question. The tea was done boiling.

「Because I wanted to prove them wrong.」

He set three cups in front of us and poured out a fragrant tea. The sweet aroma filled the room.

「Yarzon is universally known as a garbage dump, home to the corrupt and impoverished. So I moved in, opened a store, and talked with the people. And you know what?」

Just as the thief girl and I received our drinks, the sight of pink polka dots caught our eyes once more.

A friendly smile lined his lips.

「You guys are no different than the folks back home!」

He sat down with us and assumed a serious position.

「Now then, my personal thoughts aside, let's get down to business...」

Ka-chunk!

I dropped a small pouch of coins in front of Nago.

「Rysef said a little coin would loosen your lips.」

The information broker grabbed the pouch and inspected its contents. His smile faded as he counted every piece.

Twenty bronze pieces in all.

Pricey for the word of someone we just met.

Through digging I had formulated a rough comparison between Jazgan coins and real-world American dollars.

It wasn't accurate, but it gave me some sense of the currency's value.

From lowest in value to highest, you had copper coins, bronze coins, silver coins, gold coins, and platinum coins. Each coin was intrinsically indicative of its value.

Copper coins were roughly equivalent to a single dime. Virtually useless, yet depressingly what most of the slum dwellers lived on.

Bronze roughly equaled a dollar, silver roughly equaled ten dollars, gold roughly equaled a hundred dollars, and finally...

Platinum... a thousand smackeroos... what I wouldn't give to get my hands on a coffer-full...

「A little coin it is. Unfortunately, this isn't enough. Sorry, but the information I have is at least worth two gold coins. Come back when you have the proper payment ready.」

「Two... gold... coins..?」

I stared at him in disbelief.

Twenty bucks for him to tip us the wink was daylight robbery. Even then, he still had the gall to raise the price tenfold.

Seeing a fellow merchant overvaluing his wares really ground my gears. I burst forth from my seat, slammed the table, and swiftly voiced my objection.

「Listen to yourself! What the hell is that asking price?! Two gold coins?! How'd you even come up with that number?! Did you think you could swindle us you—?!」

「I believe my prices are justified. Hear me out.」

He held up his hand to shut me up. I backed down and awaited his reasoning.

「Firstly, there's the value of information. Unlike material objects, all information is unique. I only have one of each in stock. Once I sell it off, its value decreases.」

I nodded, understanding where he was coming from.

But is that truly enough to...

「Secondly... is the issue of safety.」

「Safety? On your end?」

「Yes... holding information regarding the drug peddlers comes with its own set of risks. If any dangerous party traces your knowledge of them back to me...」

「So... insurance basically...」

「Pretty much. I put my life on the line for this side gig you know?」

I collapsed back onto my chair.

His logic behind the pricing was sound—if I were in his shoes I would have done the same. I know that but...

Being on the other side of the negotiating table against a man who shares my shrewdness... frustrates me to no end...

Nago was an honest man at heart, but a seasoned merchant. He lived by money and avoided dying by money, much like me.

Realizing that, I grew desperate.

「Can't you give us a discount? What if I get the Ashen Thief to guarantee your safety?」

「Rysef? From what I've heard lately, that probably isn't the best idea. Besides, I'm not a slum dweller, so a guarantee wouldn't even be a total guarantee. I'm not high on the priority list now am I?」

「You really can't settle for twenty bronze coins? People are suffering out there you know? Your valuable information can save them...」

「Regrettable, but I'm not the only information broker out there. If you can't accept the cost, you're free to look for another.」

「And can you genuinely afford to turn this down? You're in the red aren't you?」

「I'm just barely hanging in there. A mere twenty bronze pieces won't change anything.」

I slumped over defeated.

Melyn quietly sipped her tea as she watched our back and forth. Seeing my crestfallen countenance, she consoled me with a head pat.

「Nago. Do you have no intention of relinquishing any information on the drug peddlers? Can twenty bronze coins buy us at least a smidgen of info?」

「Twenty bronze coins get you nada on the drug peddlers. And that's non-negotiable.」

「Then we have no further business. Come on Zozo, let's report back to Rysef.」

Melyn stood up and trudged towards the exit.

I stubbornly stayed and clenched my teeth. If the coin we had on hand wasn't enough, then we needed something to spice up our side of the bargaining table.

What can we offer that he doesn't have..?

As Melyn grabbed the door handle, it hit me.

「Nago. In return for everything you have on the drug peddlers, including locations, names and general information...」

「Hm?」

「What if I revitalized your dying business?」

I boldly offered with my head held high.

Melyn turned around, her crimson eyes widened. Nago also wore a look of bafflement.

I had a crazy idea in mind, but one I believed in. Only the great Lorenzo and his MMORPG experience could pull it off.

「Bwuh?! Zozo have you lost your marbles?」

「Oh no, I'm not pulling anyone's leg here Melyn. Expect profit margins through the roof after this scheme of mine.」

The information broker raised his brow, harboring visible skepticism.

「If you can bring what you claim into fruition, then I'll reveal every bit of intel I have on the drug peddlers... granted you do it cleanly. Don't commit any crimes or make any enemies for me. That being said, I find it hard to believe that a couple of kids can—」

「You needn't go on. I've got it all figured out. Just trust me.」

I gulped down the last drop of tea in my cup and rose from my seat.

「Ah—you didn't touch the creamer.」

Nago had provided us with small pitchers of milk to add to our otherwise bitter tea. I couldn't exactly do that though...

「I'm lactose intolerant. Keep the cream to yourself.」

「Lack toes..?」

In this world and the last, dairy products were my bane.

I wouldn't want an unpleasant visit to the bathroom, especially since our only toilets were shrubbery.

And I'd just gotten over the trauma of that purple steak aftermath...

「By the way, what do you primarily sell here?」

「It's a general store so...」

「Anything that sets you apart from the rest?」

「Oh. I do sell lots of clothes from back home.」

He directed me towards the assortment of unusual clothing articles displayed on the wall. Loud shirts, colorful underwear, and flamboyant hats.

Though Nago appeared happy with them...

I could barely hold in my laughter.

Geh... what's with this fashion sense? So this is why he can brazenly walk around with those ridiculous polka dots. Well, his shirt's still normal, so he's not far gone.

「Nago...」

「Think you can get people to buy these as well?」

I placed my hand on his back.

「Burn them.」

「WHY?!」

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