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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Count Envelde da Bosha. That was the identity of the rampaging boar.
“Nobles, despite employing countless servants, tend to strongly believe their actions can remain secret. Some even believe that simply hiring outsiders and cleaning up afterward will perfectly conceal the truth. Even I, who’ve been so cautious, was caught by such an absurd coincidence. Does it even make sense that such flimsy measures could prevent information leaks?”
I was sure I’d only broken his legs, but perhaps I’d also injured his head, or maybe through sheer effort, he’d become remarkably intelligent.
Zikmel was truly eloquent.
Moreover, he wasn’t just eloquent; his thinking was incredibly logical and objective.
He seemed to be among the smartest people I’d ever met.
Was this really the Zikmel I knew?
It was truly awe-inspiring.
How diligently did he study to change this much in just four years?
“In that sense, Envelde is a very clever noble. He conducts important matters personally or through close aides and regularly rotates his servants. It seems he cultivates new talent from among them to become his aides… He does it so naturally that there’s no noticeable peculiarity. It’s easily dismissed as mere aristocratic whim.”
‘He utilizes the biases stemming from his status and doesn’t hesitate to spend money on people.’
That was Zikmel’s assessment.
“Therefore, there’s very little information available. Those trying to glean scraps of information from him have a bit more…”
“That’s enough.”
“Huh?”
“I can’t touch him anyway because of the temporary non-aggression pact. I only need information on the others. And I don’t need anything ordinary, just the illegal stuff you mentioned earlier.”
“Eh? You’ll buy it?”
“You’re an information broker, aren’t you? Nothing in life is free.”
If he was just half-heartedly threatening me, it would be a different story, but since I was being treated as a proper client, I was infinitely generous.
Past transgressions?
I wasn’t petty enough to hold a grudge over something that was already settled with two broken legs.
“But still, receiving money from Eldmia feels a bit…”
“I’m not going to draw my sword just because you offer a price. Fair compensation for honest work. Besides, your information is definitely valuable to me.”
Perhaps the trauma of the past still lingered, as Zikmel hesitated.
Normally, I would have smacked him, but I let it slide, considering him a positive beneficiary of my belief-instilling methods.
He realized his powerlessness against superior force and chose the path of an information broker…
People really do change in extreme situations.
“But how do you determine the price? Is there an industry standard?”
Normally, revealing ignorance in this kind of situation wouldn’t be good, but I didn’t think this intimidated guy would try to rip me off, so I asked directly, and he answered immediately.
“That kind of information is usually only available to information brokers who deal with adventurers. Information about noble gossip and trade between companies is worthless to the ignorant and valuable only to those in the know.”
“So it’s whatever you can get?”
“Pretty much. For a standard to exist, those selling the same information would need to be in contact or interact, wouldn’t they? But nobles and companies are the type who think it’s cheaper to kill someone if things go wrong, so it’s a very dangerous idea.”
“That makes sense.”
Even if Zikmel could ensure his own safety, it wouldn’t work if his informants kept dying.
Truly a professional perspective.
“Still, this information isn’t that expensive, considering its importance. Prices skyrocket when the royal family or the Adventurers’ Guild makes a request, but at least in my judgment, these guys have no connections.”
Those who could benefit wouldn’t have the justification with just overheard information, and others wouldn’t even profit.
“That’s good for me. First, it should be close to the capital. And it should be conducted as secretly as possible. And illegal. Do you have anything that meets these conditions?”
“There is… something. It involves slave traders.”
What?
Slave traders?
What nonsense is this?
“Wait, near the capital? Slave traders? Has slave trading become legal without my knowledge?”
“Ah, domestic slave trading and enslaving citizens is illegal, but that doesn’t negate the existence of slaves purchased from abroad. These guys specialize in capturing people, forging documents to make them appear as foreign slaves, and selling them amidst the chaos of war. Their business seems to have grown significantly about three years ago, likely exploiting the royal family’s lax oversight due to the prolonged war.”
Wow, truly amazing.
Well, maintaining a war for seven years isn’t easy.
As a modern person who lived in the 21st century, I couldn’t tolerate this.
I’ll have to give them a taste of the rage of a former wage slave.
“But are you sure about this? They’re connected to nobles.”
While I was sharpening my blades of fury internally, Zikmel cautiously spoke.
And his reaction was perfectly reasonable.
Even if they were traitors, no one was paying him to do this, and fundamentally, the opponents were nobles.
Even if he seized their privately raised troops, all he’d get would be their pockets, and raiding the slave market would only yield the pockets of the guards or mercenaries hired by the slave traders.
The former was because the traitors’ assets should be confiscated by the national treasury, and the latter because the illegal slave traders’ assets should be compensated to the remaining slaves.
Of course, he could secretly pocket some, but considering the scale, it wouldn’t be profitable.
On top of that, it wouldn’t be easy.
Those involved in illegal activities tended to invest heavily in security.
Of course, that wasn’t my concern.
“What do I care? They’re connected to Envelde, right? Then I have to make things difficult for them.”
Undermining from below didn’t suit my style, but since I couldn’t touch Envelde, I couldn’t be picky.
If I left them alone, it would only benefit Envelde, and I couldn’t stand for that.
“How are you even involved… Never mind. It’s probably better I don’t know.”
“You’ll find out eventually anyway, with your information gathering skills.”
A bloodbath was coming.
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The price Zikmel requested was four silver coins.
Honestly, it wasn’t a small amount.
It was almost a month’s living expenses for an adult male.
I thought it might be unprofitable, considering the cost of mobilizing people to gather information, but apparently, information doesn’t come in a one-piece-of-information-per-operation format.
Of course, from my perspective, it was a satisfactory result, considering I’d established a connection with an otherwise inaccessible information broker and obtained information very useful to me.
“Just so you know, someone was following you from the moment you arrived at our shop.”
“Yeah, I know. Two men and two women. Are they still there?”
“Yes. They’ve kept their distance, but they’re definitely watching.”
I wondered if they were planning to finish me off today, but I was also grateful for the heads-up, so I added another silver coin.
Zikmel, who gave it as a bonus to the reporting subordinate, rummaged through the shop’s wooden display and handed me a few rings and necklaces.
“Since we’re ostensibly a jewelry shop, take a few accessories so it looks like you’re shopping when you leave.”
“Those cost money, too, you know.”
“Eh, these are cheap trinkets nobles use to pick up women. They’re only worth a few copper coins, so just take them.”
Unlike his initial panicked demeanor, Zikmel treated me more casually now that I’d paid a fair price.
I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to face the unfortunate situation of the information broker closing shop overnight.
“Thank you for visiting, customer! Have a safe trip!”
As Zikmel’s subordinates shouted their farewells, I waved back and checked the shop’s sign.
“Mud Pearl. Not bad.”
Since they sold secondhand jewelry, it could be interpreted as pearls buried in mud.
Of course, it was an appropriate analogy from the perspective of stolen goods, and it also fit the context of buying and selling information.
Information, as Zikmel said, only revealed its true value to those who knew how to use it.
Whether he’d attended a naming academy or intentionally chose the name for his business, it was a brilliant choice.
“Now, how should I deal with those leeches…”
I was bothered by the fact they were carrying swords.
I wanted to know if they were simply for self-defense or if they were prepared to use them.
“Is there a suitable alley nearby?”
Unlike places like Ogwen, finding a secluded back alley in the neatly organized streets of the capital was difficult.
They weren’t entirely nonexistent, but such places were usually patrolled by the city guard, making them less than ideal for what I had in mind.
I needed some time to extract information after subduing them, and it would be troublesome if I encountered the city guard mid-interrogation.
But if I went somewhere too secluded, they’d get suspicious.
“Damn… I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t figure out who they are.”
If I couldn’t lure them and take them down, I could track them back to their base and take care of them there.
Eureka!
That’s what they call a paradigm shift!
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[It’s bone-breaking time]
I disagree with the use of paradigm shift, Eldmi…