Ch. 250
Ash’s rival did seem pretty formidable.
And I was someone overflowing with self-love.
“…Can you do it?”
“I’ll try.”
“It’ll be difficult.”
“It’s okay. He can’t kiss you.”
Right. When I’m sharing a tender kiss like this, who cares about someone who can’t kiss me?
I can’t kiss myself. I can’t wrap my own arms around my neck. I can’t taste the tip of my own tongue.
Body heat only became real when there were two people.
—
The roadside fortune teller, wrapped in faded cloth, looked like she had no interest in doing business.
She didn’t solicit customers at all. If it weren’t for the makeshift table and the crystal ball sitting on top, she would’ve looked like a beggar.
It was strange for someone doing street business to be that indifferent to passersby.
The fortune teller, who had been muttering while stroking the crystal ball, stopped her hand and lifted her head the moment I stopped in front of her—as if she’d been expecting me.
Her face was completely swallowed by shadow beneath an unnecessarily large hood, and a black cloth covered her mouth. I couldn’t even see her eyes, so I couldn’t tell if she was truly looking at me.
From the voice drifting out of the hood’s shadow, I guessed she was a woman in her late thirties.
“Welcome. Customer, what are you curious about?”
She drew my attention by moving her pure white hands in a strange, deliberate way—the only part of her body left exposed.
“Ask anything. I’ll ask the crystal ball. As long as you pay a reasonable price.”
I was free, but not free enough to come get my fortune told.
If I had questions, the Tears of Truth would be far more accurate. The thing on my hand was the continent’s best lie detector—and if I wanted, I could easily fake being a fortune teller myself with it.
Without saying a word, I tossed a large silver coin onto the crystal ball.
The fortune teller flinched, then quickly covered the coin with her hand and pulled it into her arms.
She checked its authenticity with careful urgency, as if afraid someone might see. Just as I’d expected, she recognized what it was.
[Looks like she’s from the Information Guild.]
[That crystal ball is obviously a communication Magic orb.]
The silver coin—ornately embossed with rats and birds—had a high-quality ruby embedded at the center. It was an item used for purposes beyond currency.
A kind of Information Guild VIP pass, letting you view any information within the contracted grade in any city, without restrictions.
“If you’ve confirmed it’s real, guide me to the branch. I have something to receive.”
Truthfully, I didn’t use the Information Guild often enough to need a silver coin. I’d bought it simply because they were selling it.
It was annoying to search for guild members and their cities every time. And even if you found them, you still had to be guided to the branch for high-level information—yet those outside contacts rarely opened the way for someone with an uncertain identity.
The Information Guild, alongside the Thieves Guild, was one of the largest illegal private guilds on the continent. Their security was thorough. If you wanted to buy high-level information without exposing who you were, you needed a silver coin—or a gold coin, if you wanted to become a true VIP.
They said buying a gold coin let you view top-secret information, but I didn’t need to go that far.
‘I’m not interested. Top-secret information is for high-ranking nobles.’
The silver coin also helped avoid crackdowns, and it was a convenience for sensitive customers—people like me, with plenty of money and no desire to reveal their identity.
Of course, I knew they guaranteed anonymity while secretly investigating me anyway. But if they tried to follow me, I could solve the problem by killing about half of them a few times until they learned.
The fortune teller glanced around and whispered quickly.
“Ruby-grade pass confirmed. Please state your name.”
“What should my name be.”
“I asked for your name.”
“That’s what I’m saying. What should my name be.”
[That’s obviously fake! And you made it up so carelessly!]
Rai had transformed into a snake and was hiding in my clothes, so no one would notice him.
[What can I do? My real name sounds fake too.]
[God must’ve been dozing when he made Master! Why didn’t he give her naming sense along with Spirit Mage talent? How are those even related!]
[I know, right!]
The fortune teller used the communication orb disguised as a crystal ball to confirm whether I was an existing client.
After a slightly tedious process, the route to the branch finally opened. Without a silver coin, it would’ve been even more complicated—and sometimes you’d be rejected outright.
“Confirmed as a valid customer. Please verify your identity with the designated password.”
“What should my password be.”
[And Master lacks sincerity even more than sense! No sincerity, no sincerity!]
“…Yes, confirmed. I’ll guide you.”
[See? Even she gave up!]
[You’re noisy.]
As expected, money was the best solution.
The fact that this silver coin cost as much as three hundred horses meant nothing to me.
—
The fortune teller moved faster than she looked.
Following her, I weaved through alleys, entered a store within a store, slipped out the back, went down into a basement, passed a food warehouse, and finally arrived at a small windowless room.
It was a narrow space with nothing but emptiness. The actual branch office must’ve been separate—this looked like a simple meeting room for clients.
“Thank you for waiting. Customer What should my name be.”
One thing you learn from dealing with the Information Guild is that everything about them is secret.
Guild members intentionally never revealed names or identities.
The middle-aged woman who appeared before me was the same. On the outside, she looked kindly, like a bakery owner. But I had a feeling she was stronger than Gale or Enk.
That plump body beneath loose clothing was muscle. Her steps were light, like a thief’s.
She smiled warmly, but it was purely a business smile. Without bothering with introductions, she handed me several document envelopes, each tightly sealed.
I didn’t do anything as clumsy as asking an Information Guild employee for her name.
They only bought and sold information.
“The materials requested from Daniz have been prepared in advance. What should my name be…”
“Just call me Customer.”
“Please check that nothing is missing.”
Once my route to Heidrike was set, I’d requested information from the Information Guild.
The information you could buy largely fell into two categories: things that could be provided immediately, and things requiring a separate investigation period.
For the latter, they arranged delivery at your desired place and time—like now. It felt cumbersome to me, but in this world, it was considered extremely convenient.
‘Not having the internet is inconvenient.’
What I’d requested ranged from small details to items requiring additional fees. The big requests could be divided into four categories.
First—the most anticipated high-level information: everything about the Path of Trials, the Elan Imperial Family’s method for selecting the Crown Prince.
From minor internal rules unknown to outsiders, to punishments for violations, how princes revealed their identities to companions, and where those trials ended.
Second—everything about Ash’s rival, the First Prince.
Third—everything about Geenie Crowell, the symbol of sacrifice and the Saintess of this era, known by everyone across the continent.
And finally—the cheapest: Kenta’s recent situation.
[Who was Kenta…?]
[You said that when you requested this information too.]
[I want to erase that muscle idiot from my head.]
Maybe because he was a common figure with nothing to hide, his envelope was pathetically thin.
I cracked it open. Only two pages.
‘Figures.’
I skipped his origin, age, and personality, and skimmed what he’d been doing—when an unexpected detail caught my eye.
「Unmarried. Recently succeeded in being promoted to the highest-level mercenary. The 2nd leader of the Shavel Mercenary Corps, a high-level mercenary group. One of the Mercenary King’s close aides. It seems he built a friendship with the Mercenary King during the Northern Monster Subjugation War 8 years ago.」
[Oh, he’s a successful mercenary?]
[I know. I thought he might’ve retired, but he’s still active. And he’s unmarried…]
[Of course. With that face. Men are all about the face! Only Ash is acceptable!]
[Aren’t your standards too high? Kenta is normal.]
[I’m a Spirit. Of course my standards for beauty are high.]
Annie had been curious about her father, so I’d looked into it as a bonus. But Kenta was outside my interest.
Honestly, I didn’t even remember his face. I only vaguely recalled that he gave off the same impression as Chad.
I’d never look at this document again.
I planned to fold it and send it to big sister Annelia—then the rest was up to her.
“How is it? Are you satisfied with the information?”
“For now.”
“We always strive to provide high-quality information. If anything is lacking, please request it at any time.”
I gathered the documents. They were surprisingly heavy.
About the thickness of two or three books. I rolled them up and shoved them into the entrance of my expansion Magic bag.
My bag only allowed things that could pass through its opening, but the inside wasn’t organized at all—so it was a mess.
Because of that, things sometimes refused to go in properly. When they did, they ended up hanging out like this.
[…Master, that bundle is worth 100 gold. You’re going to drop it…]
I believed the stack of documents sticking out of my bag made me look intellectual.
[How?]
[Because you read.]
[Ah… yes.]
I ignored Rai’s unenthusiastic response and pulled out a crumpled paper I’d stuffed into the front pocket of my bag.
“And I need new information.”
“Tell me anything.”
“Since you’re the Information Guild, you know, right? Tell me how to get here.”
What I showed her was a crude promotional poster that had been scattered around the city.
It was covered in stars and fireworks to catch the eye—cheap at a glance—but there was something strange about it if you looked closely.
「Once in a lifetime opportunity! Don’t miss it. The only chance to meet the veiled mirror!」
The veiled mirror was one of the missing ancient relics.
Until three hundred years ago, it had been owned by the Queen of the North. Then it vanished during the rebellion and had never been recovered.
And now it was written plainly on this poster.