Death's Favorite Child

7. Capital (2)

"A room for 5 nights with food and a spot for the horse at the stable. That's 2 bronze per night, 1 silver total. You can pay all in advance or just the first night." said the big burly owner of the Red Dragon Inn.

The customer, a young boy with a cape and hood covering most of his face, dropped a silver coin on the counter and took the key to room 15 on the second floor.

"If I want to buy information, where do I go?" asked the boy.

"The best place is the mercenary guild down the road, but it's expensive. You can ask the information brokers around the market as well, but they are not as reliable." said the owner and moved to serve another customer.

The Red Dragon Inn was an average establishment close to the commercial district. A 5-story building with a shared bath and a private stable. Its pub also served food and drinks at all times. It was always busy, and a short person with a cape was not someone to attract attention.

It was early in the afternoon, so the boy left the Inn for the Mercenary Guild, located a few hundred meters down the road. He had already purchased a few clothes, camping gear, survival equipment, and a magical ring. The cheap storage ring could fit a couple of trunks worth of items but was enough for the boy.

He bought some fruit to eat and strolled through the streets. Next to the Mercenary Guild, there were some blacksmith shops. He spent some time picking up two well-balanced obsidian daggers. The dark weapons he could materialize at will would kill anyone they wound. Sometimes, he might need to wound but not kill.

With the new daggers concealed under the cape, he walked into the guild.

"Where can I buy information?" he asked the excessively muscular lady behind the counter.

"Hmm. Go to that office and ask for Jake." she responded after taking some time to evaluate the financial status of the short person in front of her. From the clothes and the rigs, this was clearly a noble in disguise.

"I want information on the Thanatos territory." the boy said to the man that was pouring over a big pile of documents. The man in his 50s was slim with a worn look, a pair of round glasses, and a receding hairline.

"We have three packages—bronze, silver, and gold. Depending on the information you are looking for. The bronze concerns publicly available information but compiled and verified by us. The silver pertains to the same information as the bronze with the addition of in-depth financial and security analysis—safe routes, criminality, number of guards, etc. Finally, the gold one includes all the above and other rather sensitive information." replied the old man, without moving up from the papers.

"How much for the gold package and how many days to deliver?" asked the boy surprising the old man.

"Hmm. Thanatos territory is not huge but is far from the capital, so getting information is more expensive. It would be 50 gold coins, and the report is delivered in 3 days after payment."

"Make it 40 gold in 3 days, and we have a deal." answered the boy.

The older man expected the person requesting the information to run away after hearing the price, so he was surprised and finally raised his head. He was stunned to realize that his customer was actually a young boy.

"Do you have that kind of money?" he asked.

The boy threw a bag with 40 gold coins on the table.

"We have a deal. Come back in 3 days, Lord Thanatos." said the older man and returned to his documents.

The boy raised his eyebrow, impressed. As expected from the head of the information collection unit of the guild, he already guessed who his customer was.

The boy walked out of the guild and started walking around in the city. He still had a few hours until dinner, and he wanted to familiarize himself with the city layout. He visited the marketplace and the temple. Then, he went to the park and meditated for an hour. He saw the boarding school of his sister but didn't enter since it was heavily guarded.

When it was time for dinner, the boy returned to the Red Dragon Inn and took a seat at a table in the less crowded area of the restaurant. The good was covering half his face. Soon, a young girl with long black hair and black eyes came to serve him.

"Greetings, my Lord. We have chicken or pork today. What will you have?" said the girl.

It was evident that she was forcing herself to smile. Her eyes were darkened from sleepless nights, and her hands were harsh from the chores she must be doing at the Inn. She was barely 9 years old and had a delicate slender frame. She had a beautiful face that accentuated her already beautiful eyes.

"Chicken and a beer." the boy answered.

"Aren't you a bit young for a beer, my Lord?" the girl said without thinking. She immediately raised her hand to her mouth, realizing what she did and prepared to be scolded.

"You are right. Could you make it juice?" the boy chuckled.

The girl smiled, gave a slight bow, and left.

So, that's Helena?, Jon asked, and the boy nodded.

"I'm telling you, girl. If you come with me, you can make more in a night than you make here in a month!" a drunken voice could be heard over the pub noise.

The boy turned and saw a middle-aged man holding onto Helena's hand. She twisted herself to escape, but he pulled her close and smelled her hair. She immediately broke off and swiftly moved to the back of the kitchen, with her eyes clearly shining from the tears she was holding back.

The man laughed and turned to his group of 5 other burly men.

"Hey, boss. Will we snatch her soon?" asked one of the men.

"Nah. Not yet. She's too young and not desperate enough. We'll wait for a few more months!" said the boss and laughed.

They then proceeded to brag about their 'conquests' and other activities. Nothing worth repeating, though, since all six men were found the following morning dead in an alley close to the Inn. The city guards said their faces were distorted from fear and there was no blood or wounds on any of them. It was like their souls left their bodies. Since they were all known body criminals, no further investigation was deemed necessary.