Chapter 622 - Knowledge is power

Sofia woke up some time later, the outside sunlight weakly filtering through the abandoned house’ closed curtains.

“Uegh, that hurts…” Sofia complained as she sat up. Sleeping on the floor was not much of an issue but it seemed her legs had suffered a bit more than could be fixed by simply repairing the bones. “It’s a bit swollen…”

Giving herself some time to think, Sofia grabbed the still humid cape she had thrown to the side before falling asleep. It was still in a relatively good state despite the night’s adventures, but there was some tearing in the fabric. She hung it to dry on an open door and walked down to the first floor, finding Pestle looking outside with her head against a window.

“Hi Pestle. Anything new?”

“Sun,” the little fairy answered, turning to look at Sofia and nodding repeatedly.

“The rain stopped, huh. Let’s go out, you can hide here in the inside pocket,” Sofia told Pestle, showing her the inside of the brown fur mantle she had stolen the previous day.

The guards yesterday never saw my face… And they thought I was a man… I should be safe to go out, so long as nobody recognizes the clothes.

Sofia stepped outside with Pestle hiding in her pockets. It was a cold morning, the pavement still wet from the previous night’s rainstorm, the sky was a mix of clouds and blue sky peppered by the black plumes of chimney smoke, as a weak breeze swept through the city.

Now I just need to sell the jewelry and I’ll be all set to start looking for the others.

She did not have to search for very long for what she was looking for, she followed the housewives walking around with empty baskets, and soon found the closest marketplace. Now that she was properly clothed, she could see most people turning to watch her pass by, which was more in line with what she was used to, being taller than most.

She used about half of her remaining money to buy a jute bag and a bunch of hot meat buns. She had a use for them later, but if her plan failed, she would at least have a good meal for Pestle.

From there, she only had to look at the sky to find the poorest part of the city, the part where there were the fewest chimneys burning. Unsurprisingly, there was a poor district even in this luxurious lake island city, but it was not nearly as bad as Sofia expected it to be. The houses were simpler, but not in a terrible state, and there were not so many people outside.

But did a large human city without street-rat orphans ever exist? If it did, Sofia had not heard of it. Certainly this place was no exception, she thought.

As certainly as the sun comes up every morning, Sofia found her targets after some digging. She bribed a couple of kids with a blur-faced smile and lukewarm meat buns, and she got all the information she needed. She gave the kids the entire bag and found a hidden door behind an antique shop according to their instructions.

Sofia looked around, checking that there was nobody else nearby, and knocked on the door four times.

What followed was a long silence.

Hmm… I don’t think they lied. Did I get the wrong door?

Sofia heard the soft rustling of clothes, and suddenly felt the pressure of a cold blade against her neck.

A deep male voice came from behind, “Who are you and how di-”

He was interrupted by a growling tiny creature jumping out from inside Sofia's clothes, which grabbed the knife out of his hand and pressed it against his own throat.

“Pestle! Don’t kill him!” Sofia cried out as she turned around.

The man was immobile, not daring to move with his own knife turned against him. Like everyone else, his face was a blur, but he was dressed like any other man in this part of the city, though Sofia could tell he was hiding an impressive musculature under the ordinary clothes. Sofia grabbed Pestle and the knife, giving an innocent smile to the man, “I’m just a nobody with a few things to sell. Can we continue this inside?” she asked, patting Pestle’s tiny head.

The man was at a loss for words, but he eventually acquiesced with a sigh, “follow me…”

The door opened by itself after the man pressed on a loose brick of a nearby wall twice, and Sofia followed him inside of the real business of the antique shop. A small underground market for illegal and stolen goods.

After walking down a rather short tunnel, an obese guard barred the way to the main area with a few stalls. “Who are you bringing in this time, Ronas?” he asked the man.

“I don’t know. She says she had things to sell, and she’s protected by a corruptor. I had no choice but to let her in.”

“A corruptor?!” the obese man repeated with a hiss, looking at Sofia over the other man’s shoulder, “Have you lost your mind?”

“I’m serious!” the man defended himself.

Corruptor, is that right? So Velania’s class really had a link to the fairies…

Sofia brought Pestle out of her pocket putting the fairy on her shoulder without a word.

“Oh lords above!” the fat guard reacted panickedly, taking a step back and almost falling over.

“Is everything alright out there Jarod?” an old woman asked from one of the stalls which was lined up with all kinds of blades.

Jarod turned around, but said nothing, then he turned back to Sofia and the man who had brought her in. 

“H- Hide that thing. What do you want from us? We have nothing for the likes of you here…” the guard told Sofia in a hushed voice oozing with fear.

“Jarod?” the old lady in the back asked again.

“Pestle has a name,” Sofia answered, grabbing the fairy in her hands again, “As for what I want from you, this guy already told you, I have things to sell, I just want coins.”

“Everything’s fine!” the guard answered the old lady, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. 

Meanwhile the other guy spoke to Sofia again, “Listen… We’ll give you the coins, just don’t-”

“I don’t think you understand,” Sofia interrupted, “I’m not here to rob you, really,” she said, rolling her eyes, though blurry that they were, and fishing out a handful of golden jewels from a pocket in her breeches. “I’m here to sell this.”

“Wh- What about the corruptor?” Ronas asked, flabbergasted.

“Pestle is my friend. Any issues with that?”

“N- None, maam,” the fat guard answered, jumping back into the conversation.

“Great. So, where do I sell this?”

“I will handle it,” Ronas answered, after swallowing his saliva, “... and can I have my blade back?”

“Oh, right, sure, sorry.”

Out of the black market, Sofia was leaving the poorer part of the city, reevaluating the situation in her mind.

Twelve hundred Orms… Considering the price of things here, that feels like something around three to four gold coins? By weight there was about five or six gold’s worth. That’s a good value for a fence, I didn’t get ripped off. They were really scared of Pestle so that helps.

From this money, Sofia had already spent 400 Orms in the black market itself to buy some information. She now had a few useful things with her like a compass, a map of the city, basic medicinal remedies, which would help with her swollen legs, and most importantly, a list of contacts. It was a list of people likely to be able to help her find the others if they were also in the city.

After buying something to eat, Sofia sat down with the map in her hand on a dock bordering the lake.

So I landed there, near the Grand Theater.

The bell tower I supposedly fell from looks to be the same one that small dragon was perched on when it attacked us… Right next to the theater. It might be worth going there to check things out. Maybe the voice even exists in this reality as well.

The funeral parlor we first came from should be right there, Sofia thought, tracing a path from the theater to another place with her finger. Leaving a message there for the others could also work.

Then there’s that place the dead god supposedly is. Oviron’s spire… Doesn’t tell me much.

And then the Palace…

After that, Sofia looked again at the list of names for her possible informants.

‘Sorceress Alkaline Thunder - Fifth floor Sorcerers’ tower - high price but very efficient tracker and headhunter

Madame Seville - Last Flame Brothel - Good knowledge of happenings especially in the nobles circles, trades information for information

General Hipra Surran - Generally at the guards post near the palace entrance, tall blonde man with green eyes, you can’t miss him - Has full access to the city’s legal files and justice system, generally not very helpful but should be easily swayed by feminine charms

Last resort : Chancelor Izzaro - Everyone knows where he is, can find anyone, assuming you can even get an audience’

Well… That’s a start.

Sofia found each location on her map, trying to decide where she wanted to try her luck first, only for her eyes to stop on a name that commandeered a change of plan.

‘Queen’s rest’

In a secluded part of the inner city… There’s a chance it’s just a tavern’s name but I’m guessing it’s more literal than that.

It’s not far from the Palace and the Sorcerers’ tower… I have to go check it out.