"Hey, sir. You don't seem to be from this district," the beggar said, he narrowed his eyes, looking at Lucian and Natty alternately.
"You also brought such a beautiful maid around you," he continued, his voice sounding like he was laughing, "It seems like you're from the rich class..."
Natty reflexively moved a little closer to Lucian, while Lucian only raised one eyebrow, looking at the beggar flatly. Lucian didn't care about the beggar, in a region like this such people were found very much, offering false information by deception. He wasn't too keen on wasting time either, steadily pulling his horse slowly, intending to pass the man just like that.
However, before he could go that far, the voice came again, "Are you looking for someone?"
Lucian's steps stopped for a moment after he heard that, though he didn't turn his head in the slightest.
"You know sir, in this district many passers-by come and go like the wind," the beggar continued, his voice a little flat than before, "But... I might be able to help, if you want."
Natty stared at Lucian's back worriedly, she was curious what her Young Master would do. The offer from the beggar was really like a trap.
Lucian finally turned his head towards the beggar, his eyes narrowing sharply. "What do you mean?" he asked.
The beggar grinned, revealing the row of teeth in his mouth that had mostly disappeared. He stepped closer, turned his head to the left and right for a moment and then whispered something.
"Information, Mr. Rich. In this district, information is more valuable than bread." He pointed at himself with his thumb. "And it just so happens, I sold it."
Lucian didn't immediately take it, he just kept staring at the man flat like before. Then, he quickly grabbed the beggar's shabby collar and shocked him.
In a single pull, he lifted the beggar a few centimeters off the ground and made his legs swing in the air. Natty who was beside him was startled and almost screamed, but he hurriedly closed his mouth with both hands.
Lucian brought his face closer to the beggar, he whispered in a low voice, "If you intend to play a trick on me, make sure you are willing to bear the consequences."
The beggar stammered, both of his hands trying to release Lucian's grip on his hand so strongly. However, either out of nervousness or stiffness, he laughed stiffly.
"O-of course not, sir...!" he stammered, "I'm just... Just wanted to offer you a little help."
Lucian held the beggar for a moment, staring at him intently as if to discover the middle-aged man's hidden intentions, before he finally let go.
The beggar fell tumbling to the damp ground, he coughed while rubbing his reddened neck. Lucian remained in place only looking at him from above with a sharp gaze.
"Do you know someone who often shouts about treasures or something? I heard he wanders around this district a lot." He asked.
The beggar blinked his eyes a few times, then hurriedly nodded, He wiped the corners of his dirty mouth with his sleeves.
"M-maybe that's what you mean... the crazy old man who used to sit under the fountain, sir?"
Lucian raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression remaining flat before. "It seems like that's the person."
The beggar fixed his sitting position on the damp ground, then shook his head gently.
"It's a pity... You're one day late, sir."
He looked around for a moment, as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping on his words with Lucian, then continued, "Yesterday he left this district. It is said... There is no point in shouting anymore. Not a single person here wants to believe his rant about treasures."
The beggar chuckled and then leaned against the wall behind him while grinning. "Maybe he finally gave up and went to seek his fortune elsewhere..." He said his voice was low at the end of the sentence, as if he was not confident in his own speech.
Lucian only observed the beggar's reaction for a moment, then lowered his head slightly. He didn't speak right away, letting silence press between them for a few seconds before finally asking, "Then you know where he's going?"
"Ah... Such information... Of course there is a price, sir." He held up two fingers, gesturing for something, money or anything equivalent. "I can tell you... As long as you pay only a little. Very little, compared to the treasures you might be chasing."
Natty, who was standing not far from Lucian while leading the horse, looked anxious. She gripped her apron tightly, hesitating whether to intervene or remain silent. Lucian just stared at the beggar without a change in expression. Then he groped the inside of his robe to retrieve some of the pieces of money.
He then showed three gold coins between his fingers, for the commoners and beggars, the three gold coins were equivalent to three months' living expenses. The beggar's eyes lit up slightly.
The beggar swallowed his saliva, his dirty hands shaking slowly rubbing the knees of his torn pants. There was a hint of doubt on his face, then he forced a small smile that was more akin to a cunning grin.
The beggar smiled awkwardly, revealing his rows of tattered teeth. "You seem to know how to do business, sir," he said in a half-joking voice.
Seeing the gold coin that suddenly appeared between Lucian's fingers, his eyes instantly lit up. As if forgetting the previous threat, he quickly reached out to grab the coin. However, in one subtle movement, Lucian pulled his hand back, keeping the coin out of the beggar's reach. The beggar froze, staring at the coin like a dog that had just been played with by its master.
"Remember," Lucian said in a low voice. "If you cheat, I'll completely finish you off."
The beggar swallowed his saliva and then nodded quickly many times, his face already filled with cold sweat. "I-I swear, sir! No lies!" He hit his own chest as a sign of seriousness, although it looked more like fear. With trembling hands, the beggar finally opened his mouth again.
"That person... The person you are looking for," he said, his voice trembling slightly, "used to sit under the fountain almost every day near the small market of the Western District. He likes to shout about treasures, prophecies, and the outside world... Most people think it's crazy."
Lucian just listened to the beggar's words in silence.
"Last week," the beggar continued, "he started talking about 'the door to another country'... about the 'key' and the 'driver'. It's getting weirder. A lot of people started avoiding it, afraid of being cursed or something like that."
Lucian narrowed his eyes slightly. "Straight to the point."
The beggar gasped then nodded quickly. "T-the day before you came, he disappeared. Some say they saw him talking to people dressed cleanly... not the residents of this district."
"No wonder I can't find anything here," Lucian muttered quietly, his eyes still sharp on the beggar. "Do you know where he is now?" he continued, his tone as if there was no room for lies.
The beggar lowered his head slightly, his face getting paler. "Unfortunately, no one knows where he is now, sir. But if you're pleased, I can suggest—"
Before he had time to finish his sentence, Lucian's hand had moved quickly again. He grabbed back the collar of the beggar's dirty shirt and lifted the thin body slightly off the ground. The beggar let out a choking sound, his legs trying to rest on the ground.
"Looks like you just want to play with me," Lucian said, his voice calm but containing a cold menace that made the air around him feel heavy.
"N-no, sir!" The beggar struggled smallly, his face pale with fear. "I'm telling the truth! An oath to all the gods I know!"
Lucian stared at him for a moment, considering everything the beggar had said. After a few seconds that felt quite long, he finally let go of his grip, letting the beggar fall to the ground again.
The beggar coughed loudly, while raising one hand as if asking for forgiveness. "I don't know if this information is true or not but,"
He paused for a moment, as if to think twice before continuing, "Lately, a lot of rich people have been asking for information about casinos... but it's not an ordinary casino, sir."
Lucian furrowed his brows, watching the beggar sharply. "What kind of casino?" he asked, his voice calm but full of alertness.
"That casino..." The beggar swallowed a spit, trying to regulate his panting breath. "It's actually not the casino you think it is. Whether this is a fact or not, behind the casino there is a pretty useful information guild."
Lucian observed the beggar carefully, there was no expression on his face except for sharp eyes. "Information guild?" he repeated slowly.
However, when the words came out of his mouth, something came to his mind, his eyes narrowed as if remembering something at this moment.
In the game The Luminious Hero of Avandor, there have been several times that information guilds have been mentioned. As Lucian recalled, the guild's name was Servent. The protagonist of this game is often in contact with them.
Lucian gasped for a moment, the memory coming so clearly. In that game, the information guild never came out open. They always operate below the surface, being inside casinos or hidden places that can only be accessed by those who know how. It was a place full of risks, but also full of opportunities.
He looked back at the beggar, "Do you know that place?"
The beggar nodded softly, sensing Lucian's increasingly serious change in attitude. "Yes, sir. The casinos across the street from this district are where they operate."
Lucian thought for a moment, there was no harm in trying to find out there, besides the guild could help him find the NPC character, as far as he could remember there was someone influential who was sponsoring the guild at this time, he had appeared in the early game, but somehow in the story after that it was never mentioned again.
"Let's go, Natty." Lucian said as he turned his body, he turned his head slightly towards Natty slightly signaling that they should leave immediately. Natty just nodded, then followed Lucian beside him.
However, before they could go any further, the beggar quickly called out to them, "Wait, Master, what about the payment?"
Lucian paused, then threw the gold coin behind him, the beggar quickly picked up the gold coin scattered on the ground.
Lucian observed the action expressionlessly, as if it was nothing more than an ordinary transaction. "That's for you," he said, his voice flat but sharp. "Now, be careful with the information you share."
The beggar could only nod hurriedly, holding the gold coins tightly, then bowing respectfully to them before finally turning his body around and returning to his place.
"That master is really creepy, I hope I never see him again