“Oh, don’t be like that. No one likes a greedy boy.”
“Just hurry up and tell me what you know.”
“All right, all right. Hopes are high for the potential future hero, but Claus has some dark rumors dogging him. People are saying that he gives money to the Maginix—the underground organization that’s responsible for almost all crime in the capital. There are also rumors that he’s connected to the Under Eye—an underground group of excommunicated former adventurers.”
“Why would he do any of that? There’s nothing to be gained by taking risks like that when you’re in the public eye,” I said.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have any insights into his motivations. These are all just rumors, anyway. It’s entirely possible that they’re just being spread around by people who have something against him.”
“So there’s only a fifty-fifty chance that any of that’s true?”
“Well, I think it’s likely, personally. I can’t say for sure what he’s thinking, but if you want to be a real ‘hero,’ I think it’s only natural to need an underground organization or two at your beck and call. Also, I’ve heard that he formed some of those connections because he’s trying to find someone.”
The last piece of the informant’s intel made my heart almost leap out of my chest.
There was no way Claus was still looking for me...was there?
A long time had passed since Claus had tried to kill me, and I hadn’t left any trace when I disappeared. Besides, surely a farmer like me with a useless skill wouldn’t have even been worth his consideration?
But when I thought back to his bizarre grudge against me, I realized that it probably wasn’t out of the question.
“Anyway, that’s about all I know. So? What do you think? He’s a pretty nasty piece of work, that one. Personally, I can’t wait to see what happens next for him. Exciting stuff, isn’t it?”
“Yeah... I guess it is. Anyway, thanks for the information. Here’s a bit extra for everything you’ve shared with me.” I flicked another gold coin his way.
“What’s this? A bonus? One gold was perfectly adequate, though.”
“For all the intel you’ve given me. I’ll be back again if I need some more.”
“Just be careful, all right? Some of those things I told you haven’t been verified yet. I’m curious about Claus too, so I’ll look into it further.”
The informant seemed careful to add a disclaimer to the rumors that Claus was connected to any underground organizations, but I felt like there was a fairly solid chance those rumors were accurate.
And the odds that he was still chasing after me were very high.
I felt validated now in my decision not to accompany Hester and Ralph to the capital last time they’d gone, and now that I was here, I felt the risk increasing that Claus might find me if I stayed too long.
Actually, considering that I’ve been going in and out of the black market—and that I’ve just enlisted an informant’s services—it’ll probably be a matter of days before Claus gets wind of me sniffing around.
I should probably stop my investigation and leave the capital as soon as possible, I thought as Hester and I were leaving the bar.
There hadn’t been a chance to try Grabbel Hotel’s breakfast yesterday, since we’d had Ralph’s surgery, so I made sure to order it for our room today.
And since we’d had a pretty simple dinner last night, I was even more excited to see what they’d bring up.
“Man, how long’re we gonna have to wait for this food?!” Ralph exclaimed.
“Feeling all better today, Ralph?” I asked.
“Yep, I’m back to normal now that I’ve had some good sleep. My leg feels a little weird, but it doesn’t hurt!”
“Glad to hear it. Sounds like you’ll be able to head back home without any issues after the stitches come out in a couple of days.”
“Did you say that you’re leaving tonight, Chris? Was the intel you got yesterday really that alarming?”
“Yeah. I never would’ve thought Claus would still be putting in so much effort to find me. I figured it’d be fine to go looking for information now since he’d have already forgotten about me...but it sounds like our hunt for intel on each other is mutual. He might seriously come for my head if I don’t get out now.”
After giving it a lot of thought, I decided I’d better head straight back to Realzahd instead of waiting with Ralph and Hester to make sure Ralph’s leg had completely healed.
I still didn’t know if the information I’d gotten yesterday was actually true or not, but if it was, then it was simply too big a risk to take.
Now that I’d made up my mind to leave early, I decided to stay here at the hotel until sundown and head back when it was dark so people would be less likely to see me.
I was a little worried about leaving the other two behind, especially because Claus might go after Hester if he got word that she’d been with me...but I was the only one he was actually after, so leaving alone seemed like the best option.
“Your backstory sounded pretty outlandish, so it’s kinda shocking to learn it was all true. Who would’ve guessed all that stuff about your little brother being a potential future hero was legit after all?” Ralph said.
“I feel like you two’s backstory is way more outlandish, personally,” I shot back.
“Oh! It’s here!” Hester interjected, as a knock sounded at the door. “Our breakfast is here!”
She opened the door, all in a fluster, and a waiter entered, pushing a dining cart through.
“Thank you for your patience, and please enjoy your breakfast,” he said, placing the dishes on the table in an elegant and practiced manner.
Once he was done, he bowed his head deeply and left the room.
I’d never seen a breakfast as extravagant as the one on the table in front of us. When I thought about how it had only cost one gold coin total for the three of us, it really hit home just what amazing value for the money this hotel was.
“This is incredible! Is this really all for us?” Ralph exclaimed.
“Well, the waiter brought it all to our room, so...I think it’s safe to eat it, yeah.”
“I wonder if rich people get to eat a breakfast like this every day?” Hester mused.
“I couldn’t say, but I think it’s certainly possible. Anyway, let’s eat up, guys.”
After clapping our hands and expressing our gratitude, we started digging into the dishes on the table.
There were croissants with nuts and fluffy pancakes that came with options of butter, jam, and honey. There were even herb sausages and scrambled eggs, along with a medley of fruit and crisp vegetables covered in a delicious-looking dressing.
Add to that some tomato soup and yogurt, and it was hard to ask for more. It really did feel like the perfect breakfast.
The first dish I went for was the pancakes. I cut into one with my knife and put some butter and honey on top, spreading them so that they coated the inside too. Then I shoved the whole bite into my mouth.
It was heavenly. I felt like my brain was melting—that’s how sweet and delicious it was.
The pancake itself was amazing, but the honey was what really sealed the deal. And the butter, which complemented it perfectly, played an essential part in the perfect symphony that was harmonizing in my mouth.