Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 34

Episode 34 Information Pale

Verden headed straight for Cohen.

Since I had no companions to move with, I increased my speed without hesitation. It was quite tiring to maintain the flight for several hours, but it reduced the travel time by that much.

Rather than hiring people to camp comfortably, I decided it would be better to quickly go to the city and recover from the fatigue.

About three days passed like that.

As he washed his body with water created by magic and ate beef jerky and water, the city finally began to appear before him.

After a brief security check, we entered the city.

'It's bigger than Martes.'

Cohen is said to be a kind of industrial city, particularly focused on manufacturing.

Making necessities was a repetitive and uncomplicated job. It was by no means a high-income job, but it was also one that involved little risk.

It was natural for people looking for stable jobs without the risk of being attacked by thieves or bandits to gather here.

But the gap between rich and poor is also the same.

Due to the influx of people, the slums of Cohen are larger and more squalid than those of any other city in the Duchy.

A slum created by people who were left behind in competition because good housing conditions were limited. Because the population was large but public safety was lacking in many ways, it was the perfect place for someone to hide.

Verden had to find a place called 'Pale's Arrowhead' there.

'Let's get a seat first. I have some work to do in the workshop.'

We walked through the bleak streets of Cohen and stopped at the most agreeable-looking inn.

“Welcome…….”

The clerk's eyes widened.

A mysterious appearance with a wizardly attire. He was not an ordinary guest. Instead of the clerk who was blinking, the innkeeper quickly approached him and greeted him.

“Welcome to the Beehive. I am Fabre, the owner of this inn. If you would like, I would be happy to show you around. Would you like that?”

Verden looked around.

The faintly sweet smell and brightly colored interior. The faces of the customers drinking in the restaurant looked lively, unlike those walking along the street.

There seemed to be no need to look for another inn.

“Are there any vacancies on the top floor?”

“Of course. It is classified as a special room in our inn, and it is the only room in the city’s inn where you can enjoy the view of Cohen. It also has a magic elevator, so you can move around without any inconvenience. It costs 40,000 elk per night, and 53,000 elk including three freshly prepared meals.”

“I’ll rent a special room for two weeks. You can leave the food in front of the room.”

A rare and generous guest at Cohen. You can hear the sales skyrocketing.

When Verden held out the card, Fabre bowed deeply and received the card with both hands.

“I will serve you right away.”

* * *

There is still time before the sun sets.

Verden took Mahbat's leather and rusty ring and headed to the street where the workshop was. It was an unfamiliar city, but when he asked the innkeeper, he kindly gave him a map and explained it to him.

Soon the first blacksmith shop came into view.

Land! Land!

Blacksmiths were busy moving around, striking iron. They seemed to be so busy that it was hard to take orders. If you leave it to a place like that, not only will the quality suffer, but the order could be delayed by more than a month.

That's why I passed by the blacksmith shop that seemed to have a lot of customers.

"……hmm?"

A blacksmith shop nestled in a corner.

A middle-aged man with a bushy beard was sitting on a chair, nodding off, and he looked quite leisurely. I approached him and looked closely at the swords and armor on display outside.

'It looks okay.'

I'm not an expert so I don't know for sure, but it looked just as good as other blacksmiths.

I wondered why there were no guests.

At that moment, the blacksmith's head suddenly lowered.

“Oh my gosh, my neck…….”

After lightly rubbing his neck and stretching, he met Berden's eyes.

“Oh, you have a guest. Ahem, is there something you’re looking for?”

“I’ve come to entrust you with a custom order.”

Then the blacksmith frowned.

“Are you out of the shop? Sorry, but you should go to another blacksmith shop. I don’t make mass-produced products. The blacksmith shop over there is good at making iron utensils and training swords, so if you’re interested, go there. Bye.”

The blacksmith folded his arms and closed his eyes again.

There seemed to be some misunderstanding. Instead of saying a few words, Verden untied the pack he was carrying on his back. When the blacksmith opened his eyes to the rustling sound, he saw dark green leather.

What is this…? I stared blankly for a moment, then opened my eyes wide.

“Huh? Mahbat?”

He quickly grabbed the leather.

The rough texture and wild scent felt at the fingertips. It was the real deal in every way.

Verden said.

“I’m thinking of making it to match the top and bottom. Is that possible?”

“Of course it is possible!”

The blacksmith immediately put down the leather and coughed softly.

“I’m sorry about this. I didn’t recognize the right customer. I misunderstood that custom-made at Cohen means mass-produced products. So please understand.”

The blacksmith spread the leather on an empty table.

He glanced over briefly and stroked his chin.

“Even if I make the top into a vest, it’s still a bit tight… Would it be okay if I make it thinner?”

“It just has to act as a defensive device. For the rest, you can refer to this.”

Verden handed me a note about the production direction.

The blacksmith nodded after reading it roughly.

“I think I have an idea of how to make it. However, since it is leather, it will require a lot of work and will cost a lot of money. Is that okay?”

“Can I pay in advance?”

“No, that’s fine. If I get the money first, I’ll lose motivation. And judging by the customer’s face, it doesn’t seem like a scam. I have all the necessary materials, so it should take about six days. Do you need anything else?”

“There is one more.”

Verden took out a rusty ring.

The blacksmith took out his special magnifying glass and looked around.

“Well, it looks like it’s over thirty years old. Where on earth did you get such an antique?”

“Is it recoverable?”

“That’s easy. I’ll do it as a service, so I’ll have it ready for you when you come back.”

"thank you."

“I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, I got to do some blacksmith work for the first time in a long while. Then, take care.”

This concludes my work at the blacksmith shop.

Now all that's left is to find Pale's arrowhead in the slums. They said it wasn't hidden, so if you ask the locals, you should be able to find it.

Berden, who was being seen off by the blacksmith, turned his head and asked.

“Do you happen to know where Pale’s Arrowhead is?”

* * *

Cohen's slums.

Unlike the center, it was full of old and dirty houses. As I went further inside, the atmosphere became even darker, and I could feel the gazes from everywhere, perhaps out of wariness toward strangers.

'But it doesn't smell bad.'

It's cleaner than you'd think for its size. Of course, it's still a slum.

Compared to other cities I've visited so far, the environment is overwhelmingly poor.

Verden stopped in front of one of the buildings.

A store with a sign that says 'Pale's Arrowhead'.

Looking through the glass window, I saw a variety of bows and arrows on display.

'Is this where the information desk is?'

It looks ordinary on the outside. Since Gaulic said he would make a promise, should I just go in?

As I grabbed the handle and opened the door, a small bell rang softly. An old man with a pipe in his mouth and round glasses spoke without taking his eyes off the newspaper.

“We’re not accepting custom orders right now, so choose from the ones we have here. Prices are listed below.”

“I came for something else.”

“Something else?”

Only then did the old man raise his head.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again.

“Ashen hair, blue eyes… Just to confirm, what’s your name?”

“My name is Asher.”

“Asher. It’s just as you heard.”

The old man pointed to the inner door.

“If you go in there and go down to the basement, there will be someone who can guide you. Since you have the Butcher’s credibility, I’ll skip the procedure… but you’d better not cause any trouble. If you don’t want to tire each other out.”

A little warning from an old man.

Verden nodded and entered the building. He went down the stairs in the corner and an old warehouse appeared.

After a moment, someone appeared from the darkness. It was a man with bandages wrapped all over his body, wearing old cloth clothes over it.

“This way. Come. Sir. Asher.”

A voice that is cracking and hoarse.

Verden followed the man silently, secretly gathering his magical power and sharpening his senses, just in case something happened.

It was natural to be on minimal alert in a place where trust had not yet been built.

The bandaged man placed his hand on the wall, and a hidden passage was revealed with a clicking sound.

There was no magical reaction at all, so it seemed to be a mechanical device. As I followed him further down, a hallway appeared.

As I continued along that road, I came across an open space.

‘… … A tavern?’

A bartender wiping cups at the counter. And customers pouring drinks at their respective seats. Verden quickly observed their attire.

'One wizard, two inspectors, one archer, and one unconfirmed.'

Are they the ones guarding this place, or are they people who came to make a request like me? Judging from the atmosphere, they don't seem like ordinary people.

Whatever it was, it was clear that this was the Gray that Gauliak had spoken of. The bandaged man pointed to the door at the end.

“Guide. That’s it. Up to here. Next. Go down here. That’s it.”

The bandaged man bowed and disappeared the way he came.

Verden, who had been looking at her back for a moment, soon put his hand on the door.

Squeak.

The rusty door screamed softly.

Behind it was a strange sight, with iron bars and glass surrounding the area, and a chair in the middle. Soon, footsteps could be heard on the other side of the glass.

“Nice to meet you, Asher. My name is Pale, an information broker from Southern Gray in the Duchy of Riviant.”

He has a very skinny body, with his cheekbones showing. But his voice is full of strength.

“My name is Asher.”

“Yes, I heard from Lord Gaul through my contact. As I heard, you are indeed of exceptional appearance. Thanks to that, I had no difficulty finding you.

Pale pointed to the chair.

“Please sit down first. I would appreciate it if you could speak comfortably.”

“……Okay.”

"great."

Verden sat down on the chair.

Pale picked up a piece of paper.

“In the Pythian Territory, you subjugated the thieves who were former adventurers and the Ain who killed the gold-rank adventurers. Then, you saved the adventurers on the way to Martes and fought the assassins in the city. Finally, in the Biron Territory, you subjugated the undead called the Knight of Lamentation together with the butcher. You have achieved a brilliant record in a short period of time.”

“Did you do any background checks?”

“Because it’s necessary. As an information dealer, I’m also sensitive to rumors. Then, let me ask you first. For what purpose did you come to us, Asher? A request? Or information?”

Verden replied.

“I need both.”

“Both. Since Mr. Asher has a track record, we can connect you with a request, but requests with high remuneration or information are restricted according to our classification level.”

"rating?"

“The value of information always comes with responsibility. If you sell information to anyone blinded by money, the responsibility for the results naturally falls on the information dealer. It was like in the old days when there was a dispute between nobles, and one information dealer sold information to one noble and it was dealt with without anyone knowing. The same goes for requests.”

Pale said, clasping his hands together.

“Know your subject. It’s a phrase you must never forget to survive in Gray’s information system. There are no exceptions to this level, no matter what happens. That’s the rule of this world.”

The voice was so firm that it made me think that even a knife to my throat would be useless.

Of course, Verden had no intention of making such a threat.

“How can I level up?”

“To put it simply, the most important thing is strength and trust. No matter how high your trust is, if you pass information on to the weak, it can be stolen, and no matter how strong you are, if you don’t have trust, you never know what might happen.”

“Strength and credit…….”

'It's not something that can be solved right away.'

Breath of the Elements, Magic Crystals, etc.

The information needed to use the treasures of the Magic Tower would definitely be in the higher levels. I was almost certain of it without even asking.

But it doesn't really matter. The level is the level, but at the moment, I don't have money to buy the information, and I'm not in a situation where I can use it.

It's something you can do by leveling up and preparing at the same time. To do that, you need to take on Pale's request.

“Can I choose the commission?”

“We will select a few candidates and give you a choice. Before we accept your request, please fill out this questionnaire.”

Pale pushed the paper and pen to the other side of the glass.

He pulled him in with his telekinesis and looked into the contents. He was asking about Verden's disposition, such as whether he was averse to killing and whether he could commit a little illegal activity.

'Is this how you select the commissions you want to arrange for me?'

I wrote a brief answer and handed it over.

Pale read it silently and nodded.

“You seem more like an adventurer than a mercenary. Fortunately, we think you’ll fit in well. I have a request that would suit you, Asher.”

Exactly.

As Pale flicked his hand, a file flew from behind him.

It doesn't seem to be magic, as no magical power can be felt, but Verden's senses couldn't detect any signs of life.

Pale received the file without any problems.

He glanced at the bookmark, then grabbed the middle section and opened it.

“This request is not much different from what Asher has been doing. It is a very simple and clear task of subduing life forms that harm humans. I think this will be enough to prove Asher.”

“Are you going to subjugate even the Ainz race?”

“I do receive requests for Ainzara, but not this time.”

Pale carefully pulled a piece of paper out of the file.

Then he turned it around and showed it to Verden. The word 'Devil' was written in large letters at the top.

“Roar Wolf. The task is to subdue the evil spirits hiding in Count Ladran’s territory.”