Chapter Thirty-Four: Intelligence

Lando strode into the bustling inn. The building had five stories: the first floor sold spirits, the second served as a restaurant, and the upper three were for lodging. Perhaps because it was midday, every corner was packed to capacity.

A waiter hurried over, eager to assist. "Sir, will you be dining or looking for a room?"

“Dining,” Lando replied, already deciding that if he was told to wait, he’d simply turn and leave.

“Very well, please head upstairs—there are still seats available.”

When Lando reached the second floor, it was just as crowded. Only a window seat had just been cleared, as though the previous patron had left moments ago.

Because of lingering habits from his previous life, Lando had always favored window seats in restaurants. Yet, in places as exclusive as this, he’d never once dined in such a spot reserved for protagonists. Today, his wish was granted.

“Bring me some of your specialties, and a good wine,” he said, flicking a gold coin to the waiter.

Lando was in no short supply of money these days. Why? Well, don’t ask—let’s just say he found it!

The waiter’s eyes lit up. “Right away, sir, please wait a moment.”

It wasn’t long before the dishes arrived. Their color, aroma, and presentation were enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

The waiter carefully placed a bottle of red wine on the table and said with a smile, “Sir, you’re in luck. This is a red wine from the Redfield Winery outside the city. They only supply a limited batch to town at a specific time each month, and it usually sells out the same day. While I was selecting your wine from the cellar, I happened upon this bottle tucked away in a corner, likely overlooked that day. Judging by the date, it’s from last month, and it’s just now perfectly settled—this is the best time to drink it!”

This sort of thing had happened to Lando more than once lately. For example, when he was walking through the woods and feeling hungry, there would ‘coincidentally’ be a fat, slow-witted rabbit knocking itself out against a nearby tree. If he was thirsty and looking for water, he’d only need to part the grass to find a clear, running lake.

“Thank you.” He tossed another gold coin as he ate and asked, “So, tell me—what interesting news is there lately? Preferably from the big cities nearby, or the capital.”

The waiter gratefully accepted the coin. “Thank you for your generosity, sir!”

“If you’re asking about recent big events, it has to be the unrest in the capital!”

“Unrest?” Lando was a bit surprised. Though he’d caused quite a stir by killing Prince Shacas, it hardly amounted to outright turmoil.

“Yes!” The waiter glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned in and whispered, “It’s said to involve the Brasso family. For reasons unknown, the kingdom suddenly declared the entire family wanted. The Brasso family seemed to have caught wind of it beforehand, and both sides clashed violently in the capital. No word yet on what happened next.”

“Things seem to be unsettled lately—not just here. Visitors say that many city lords have started recruiting soldiers.”

“The second son of our own lord is about to be engaged to the youngest daughter of the lord of Roy City to the north!”

“Blah, blah, blah...”

“The Brasso family? Metal? Vengeful spirits?” The reason Lando hadn’t set out directly for the Kingdom of the Plains and was instead lingering in cities near the capital of Bisswater was because he kept thinking about the necklace Metal had hurled that night, which had released countless vengeful souls—a matter he couldn’t ignore.

Those vengeful spirits were undoubtedly connected to the undead. Finding any trace of the undead in this world was worth investigating, regardless of its usefulness. Besides, after that prince’s dungeon, finding the Brasso family’s stronghold might yield another bountiful reward.

Of course, Lando’s main purpose was to grant peace to those innocent souls, to make the world a better place, for CCTV...

The waiter continued with a torrent of recent events from the surrounding area, but nothing else piqued Lando’s interest.

After lunch, Lando booked a room for a rest. He’d been traveling constantly, preoccupied with thoughts and plans, and hadn’t had a proper break in ages.

He slept until dusk and woke up feeling refreshed. Instead of dining at the inn, he headed to a secluded tavern in the city. If one looked closely, a peculiar symbol could be seen on the battered sign.

Lando had stumbled upon this kind of tavern before—many towns had them. They were actually intelligence agencies, and as long as you had the coin, they claimed there was nothing they couldn’t find out.

The tavern was deserted, as expected; after all, few people who found this place came for the drinks, which were...

“A glass of White Moonlight.”

“Five gold coins!”

Normally, five gold coins would buy a dozen glasses of White Moonlight at a regular tavern.

Lando produced five coins—serving as his passkey—then said, “I want information on the Brasso family.”

The barkeep weighed the coins in his hand, grinned as he pocketed them, then mixed a glass of White Moonlight and placed it before Lando. “Sir, you’re not the only one asking about this lately. Prices have gone up a bit.”

Lando said nothing, simply sipping his drink.

Seeing this, the barkeep gave a slight bow and disappeared through a small door behind the bar.

Shortly after, he returned with two files. Pointing to the thinner one, he said, “This one’s ten gold coins—just the basics.” Indicating the thicker file, he added, “This one’s fifty. It’s got the basics and all the recent events—some explosive news in there.”

Lando pretended to search his pockets, then tossed over a pouch containing exactly fifty gold coins. Why did he have a pouch with exactly that amount? Naturally, he’d prepared in advance; he had pouches with fifty, a hundred, and even two hundred coins.

He stayed at the bar, drinking and reading through the intelligence.

After a long while, he set down his empty cup and the finished report, then left without a word.

The barkeep, unfazed, stowed away the still-pristine file and quietly awaited his next client.

“The Brasso family’s upheaval really is connected to those vengeful spirits. Could it be that this world once faced an undead invasion? Now that I know where they’re based, I should head there and take a look. After all, they’re a powerful clan, and it’s unlikely they’d abandon their stronghold overnight just for falling out with the royal family.”

This was typical of this world: even the weakened Bisswater Kingdom, let alone the mighty Kingdom of Flame, would never launch a military attack on a noble simply because of a falling out. That would be tantamount to declaring war on the entire aristocracy.

Of course, the Kingdom of Flame had other ways to make hostile nobles suffer or even disappear, but the Bisswater royal house clearly lacked such means.

“The next step is to pay a visit to the Brasso family’s stronghold!”