Vale sat in front of the scar-faced man.
He was curious about this person since the city prohibited the presence of Dark Arts Practitioners. However, he was here in the pub in plain sight! He even looks like a person who fits the description of an evil-looking practitioner!
He couldn't help but wonder how he wasn't escorted out by those Mystic Arts Practitioners yet.
In the meantime, the man was also carefully observing Vale. He seemed to be confused with the young man's Arcane Path, and he was trying to figure out whether the intelligence he got was accurate or not.
"Weird… How did you know that special drink? I don't think that there is a Summoner who was supposed to know that. Who are you?" He asked while keeping his hands in his pocket.
Vale could tell that this person was holding a Mystical Item in his pocket and was ready to attack at any time. He could understand the man's position since an unfamiliar Practitioner suddenly came and used their secret code.
"Good morning, Senior. Vice Captain Ashe sent me here. She said that you'll be able to help me with my mission." Vale answered, ignoring how he was referred to as a Summoner.
He also didn't introduce himself yet since he was unsure whether to assume another or use his Clovis Skye identity again.
He didn't plan to reveal his real identity, especially while conducting such a dangerous mission. So telling his real name wasn't his option.
"Vice Captain Ashe? Isn't she guarding the Academy? Are you a student there?" The man asked.
Vale smiled at this. "Her squad is now guarding the Airship's Dockyard instead of the Academy."
He answered. He didn't confirm that he was a student on purpose. In any case, he wasn't required to provide his information to this person.
"Very well… You can call me North. I'm one of the Order's informants in this city. I can't give you my real name. You also don't have to provide me with your real name."
"I understand, Sir North. Please call me Eustace." Vale replied as he decided to use this familiar name.
"Alright, Eustace… Before you ask questions, I must tell you that my information isn't free. It's only free for the members of the Order but not for others. In this city, I'm what you call an Information Broker. People would come to me for information, whether they were criminals, bounty hunters, law enforcers, and even Arcanists. This is why I'm still here, even if the city dislikes the presence of a Dark Arts Practitioner."
"I understand, Sir North. What's the price for the information?"
"It depends. You can buy information with money, which will be at a discounted price since you're referred here by Ashe. If you don't have money, you can use valuable information to trade with me."
Vale nodded as he didn't mind paying for information. As long as it was worth the price, he was prepared to spend a lot of money.
"That sounds good to me. Tell me something about the Murton Castle and the Viscount owning that Castle. If you have information about the young man they recently captured in the Vermont Academy, just let me know, and I'm willing to pay the price." Vale softly said while observing the surroundings with his Phantasm State.
Although he could tell that Sir North had already used an Isolation Spell to ensure that no one would eavesdrop on them, he couldn't help but be cautious.
"Hmm?"
North raised his brows after hearing the information that the young man wanted. He had a sudden realization as if he was able to realize Eustace's identity.
"So it was like that… This information was quite pricey since many people wanted to know about the handsome young man imprisoned in the Castle's dungeon."
Vale remained silent as he simply gestured for the man to continue.
Soon, he learned about Philip's situation and the people involved in this incident.
It turns out that Viscount Coulston was already bedridden due to sickness, and the one who was in full control of the Castle and their territory was his young daughter.
It doesn't seem suspicious initially, but Sir North further explains that the young daughter appears to be involved in a cult.
The cult was suspected to be the Secret Organization, but they couldn't confirm yet.
Nevertheless, they know that the Castle had four types of Arcane Arts Practitioners.
They were Shamans or Mystic Arts Practitioners, Aura Masters or Combat Arts Practitioners, Dark Magicians or Dark Arts Practitioners, and Elementalists or Elemental Arts Practitioners.
With such a solid lineup, it was no wonder gathering information would only be tasked to 9th-year and 10-year students of the Academy.
"So there are Rogue Dark Magicians in that Castle… However, the ones who attacked the Academy had False Priest… Are you telling me there are no Holy Arts Practitioners in that Castle?"
"Yes… They have already left, as far as I know. They are quite popular among criminal organizations after all."
"Hmm?" Vale was confused about why they were so popular.
Realizing that the young man was curious about it, North smiled and added.
"That's right… They are still Holy Arts Practitioners even if they are called False Priests. One of their useful abilities was that they could bless the corpses so they could not be used in Necromancy, Puppetry, or even as a Vessel for the wandering Evil Spirits."
Vale nodded in understanding as he continued to ask questions about Philip's situation. As soon as he was satisfied, he paid Sir North a total of 900 zen. It was costly, but Vale was satisfied with his service as North had even answered questions that weren't related to the Castle.
However, Sir North only looked at the money on the table as he looked at Vale seriously.
"Eustace, wait for a moment. If you tell me more about your connection with Vice Captain Ashe, you can take this money back…"
"Huh?" Vale, who was about to leave, was surprised as he didn't expect that this man would be so interested in his relationship with Ashe.
'Wait, is he jealous or something?' Vale frowned at the thought.
"Ahem… I'm just curious since you're a Summoner. The Order of the Vessels, or even our Dark Arts Faction, weren't that friendly to your Faction. I want to know the reason... It feels like I'm missing something important…" North eagerly said as he was genuinely baffled by this young man's identity.
Luckily, Eustace didn't seem to mind about it as he took back the money he put on the table and answered.
"I became Vice Captain Ashe's friend after I defeated her in a duel. I'm not a real Summoner. It is only a disguise similar to what you're doing now."
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m