Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 124

Episode 124: The Dark Merchant (1)

Information manipulation?

No, that can't be. No matter how much I thought about it, there was no reason for it. Who on earth would arbitrarily manipulate the content in a newspaper?

'That means… … .'

Fernet slowly turned his gaze.

The person whose name was clearly listed in the newspaper was sitting calmly in his chair with his eyes closed.

It's always been like that.

He was usually deep in thought like that.

But that alone was mysterious.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about his appearance, strength, or personality. The same goes for his actions in the short time since he met Fernet.

'Is this really true?'

Perhaps so. Not only was the source of the information credible, but Pernet had also seen his appearance and actions over the years.

Of course, it's still just a suspicion… …but there is a way to confirm it.

Ask yourself this question.

That was the quickest and easiest solution.

Gulp.

Ferné swallowed and made up his mind. He walked carefully and slowly approached Berden.

He placed the duchy's newspaper on the table with trembling hands.

“Um… can I ask you one thing?”

"what?"

Verden opened his eyes.

The clear blue eyes stared straight at Ferné. With trembling hands, she gently pushed the newspaper towards Verden.

“Oh, is this really Asher?”

What are you talking about?

Verden tilted his head and picked up the newspaper. Looking at the overall shape, it seemed familiar somehow… … .

'Oh, are you from the Duchy of Riviant?'

I checked the newspaper and it appears to have been published in Lorien, the city where Verden subjugated the Soul Tree.

Each page was filled with small text, and upon reading it carefully, familiar content such as the Soul Tree, the Principality's agency, and the Marquis of Gardran came into view.

'I was wondering what it was.'

Fernet knew little about Verden.

So, such a reaction is completely understandable. Certainly, the incidents that Verden himself had resolved in the duchy were not ones that could be passed over lightly.

If it had been someone else, it wouldn't have been strange at all for them to have made it a lifelong boast.

But Verden was an exception.

It would be impossible to call something like destroying the power source of the Magic Tower, something no one had ever done before or even thought possible, an achievement. At least for Verden.

And from the beginning, Verden was not the type to be so open-mouthed as to go around talking about such things to the neighbors, and he was not the type to put makeup on his own face.

Proof of being a powerful wizard.

It is not something that can be understood by trying to make it understood, but something that the world cannot help but acknowledge. With an overwhelming power that no one can deny.

Those were Verden's values.

I put the newspaper down.

Ferné waited breathlessly for the answer. There was no need for a long explanation. Just nodding was enough.

Fernet screamed inwardly at the nod that was practically a definitive answer.

'Pale you, who did you send to me?!'

I knew that Verden was an extraordinary wizard, but I never thought he would be this big of a deal.

Hiccup.

Although I had prepared myself mentally, when I realized the truth, I hiccuped without realizing it.

I covered my mouth and held my breath to suppress the sounds that were escaping.

At the same time, Fernet thought about Verden, or more precisely, about the information he had requested.

The whereabouts of foreign player Linus Baltimog.

Interpretation of unknown relics.

An invitation to the Dark Market Auction House.

What is that intersection?

Ferné is Verden's information agent. He promised to do so and he intended to fulfill his responsibility as promised.

That's why I had to know this one thing.

After a while, the hiccups stopped.

Then, Fernet took a deep breath and carefully opened his mouth with a stern expression.

“……What is your purpose, Asher?”

It was a very fundamental question.

Not something like simple compensation, but something I want to achieve in the kingdom.

To which Verden replied:

"strength."

Just one word.

But it was enough for Fernet to realize.

What should we do as an information merchant who serves only one person, not as an information merchant who simply buys and sells information to customers?

* * *

What does it take for a wizard to become even more powerful?

If you ask them that, wizards will answer like this: knowledge, equipment, and training.

“As for training, Asher will take care of it himself, and there’s no way to gain knowledge…….”

All that remains is the equipment.

From that perspective, Fernet organized the information requested by Verden and the circumstances surrounding him in a pleasant order.

First of all, an invitation to the Dark Market Auction House.

As for the matter of the Blue Cloud, there was friction between the Warlock of the Union and Mildrun, but it is now over.

Second, interpretation of the relics.

A few days ago, he personally met with the relic exploration team explorers and signed a contract. I heard that they are looking for relics related to the relics, but it will take a long time.

It's not something to worry about right now.

Third, identify the location of the foreign currency.

I'm trying, but I haven't gotten even the slightest bit of information yet. So let's skip this too.

Fourth and finally, a request.

He needs more commissions now, which means he needs money.

By listing them like this, Fernet was able to see more clearly what Verden needed and wanted.

In conclusion, the above four are directly related to money and equipment. Relics are a bit ambiguous, but anyway.

“So, to sum it up, the first and fourth are the ones I can help with directly?”

Naturally, to get satisfactory results in the underworld auction house, you will need a large amount of cash.

But he must have paid a considerable amount of money to hire a team of relic explorers.

What Fernet has to do is arrange high-value commissions.

In addition, if there was anything else that could be of further help, it would be even better. Suddenly, a suitable client came to Fernet's mind.

“……Yeah, that person would be fine.”

After finishing his thoughts, Fernet immediately activated the information network at full power.

It cost several times more than usual, but it didn't matter. It wasn't something she earned herself; it was something Berden had given her.

Moreover, for Fernet, Verden is the lifeline of salvation itself.

But now, I will not stop at just catching it, but will climb up the rope. That is why I have no intention of sparing anything, whether it be information or money.

A few days passed since then.

* * *

Fernet brought a document to Verden.

“What is this?”

“I have some information that I think might be helpful to you, Asher. Do you happen to know anything about the types of information that the Kingdom Gray has?”

I don't know.

Because I wasn't interested in that kind of thing.

“Information brokers are basically people who handle and sell information like me, or act as intermediaries for commissions. However, there are some unique people wherever you go. Information brokers are no exception.”

Fernet unfolded the papers.

Inside was just one sheet of paper, packed with information about a certain person.

“The dark merchant ‘Kland’. On the surface, he deals in information as well as various items, but behind the scenes, he also works to hide information. He has a wide network of connections. And he himself makes high-value requests.”

“Not by mediating the request, but directly?”

“Yes, unlike other information brokers, Cland doesn’t mediate requests at all. He’s a very self-driven person, and he absolutely hates being the middleman.”

It's certainly unusual.

The profits you make by mediating commissions are by no means small, so who would have thought you'd give that up?

It was a type of information broker that Verden had never experienced before.

Fernet said.

“The requests are simple. They usually ask you to find information about valuable items, such as rare magical items. Due to the nature of the situation, I don’t usually get many requests… but as you know, things have changed a lot.”

The union is reeling.

Even the nobles who were watching from behind.

No matter how hard he tried to cut off the tail, he was not a loyal and noble knight, so of course no one would sit still and wait to die.

Those who have already caught wind of this are all packing their bags and trying to sneak into another country.

That is, Cland's request is to steal the wealth they have.

“I also heard that among the exiles there are some executives of the trading company, and that Cland is particularly interested in them. If you wish, Asher, I can arrange a request for you. What do you think?”

Of course, there's no way I could refuse.

Especially in a situation where you already have to work hard to save money.

“Please.”

“Please leave it to me.”

Fernet smiled.

“Oh, and there’s another reason why I recommended Cland.”

“……?”

“Cland is deeply connected to the underworld of the kingdom. Not only that, but he’s one of the people who runs the underworld auction house, so he knows what’s going to be up for auction.”

List of items for auction.

Knowing this will help you to conduct the auction to your advantage, as you can eliminate unnecessary expenses and focus only on the items you really want.

'So, that means we might be able to get a list from Cland.'

It certainly is tempting.

Artifacts sometimes appear in the Dark Auction House.

However, Verden was skeptical.

“……No matter how much I think about it, I don’t think that information would be easily sold.”

If we're not careful, the auction house run directly by the underworld could end up in complete disarray.

“Of course. If you say the wrong thing, you’ll get your head cut off by the assassins of the underworld. But Cland is also an information dealer after all. If you offer information worth more than your life, you won’t be able to refuse, right?”

Fernet brought other documents.

Unlike the others, it seemed very important, as it was sealed not only at the center of the entrance, but also throughout the entire area.

“Is that the price of life?”

“At least for Cland.”

She handed over the papers.

“This is information on someone that Cland has been searching for like crazy for a long time, and I was able to get my hands on it a while ago with great luck. It seems to be related to the underworld… I don’t know the details, but if you bring me this document, I’m sure Asher will spit out what he wants.”

Fernet assured.

Verden tilted his head inwardly at her appearance.

'I feel like something has changed recently.'

Information that Perne came up with on his own, even though he had never been told otherwise.

Judging by the tired look in his eyes, he must have put in quite a bit of effort. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't bad at all for Berden.

I immediately received the documents and put them in my suitcase.

“I will accept it gratefully.”

“Ah… not at all!”

Fernet answered awkwardly, seeming embarrassed.

“But when can I meet the dark merchant?”

“Tomorrow here at Aserne. I heard that Cland is scheduled to meet with Mayor Aserne. I’ll contact you in advance, so you can just walk there and back.”

No need to leave the city.

'Come to think of it, I think this is the first time something like this has happened.'

Anyway, it's good because it saves me some trouble.

So the day ended and the sun rose again.