Surprising Even Breathing

10 – Information Guild

Mansion near the academy.

I was accepting the acceptance letter.

Certificate of acceptance enclosed in a neat envelope. It has the seal of the Academy Dean.

“Wireka. I passed the academy.”

He said while placing the certificate of acceptance on the desk.

Wirecca, who delivered the envelope to me.

It waits outside the 5m range and reacts to my words belatedly.

“Ah, chu, congratulations!”

This is the answer I finally came up with after interpreting what I meant.

I said it simply because I wanted to boast about passing, but it must have been scary to him.

I received a flurry of congratulations, but I was still in a good mood.

To be honest, people were so afraid of me at the entrance exam center that I was worried if I would be able to enter the school normally.

I feel relieved when I receive the acceptance letter like this.

“The entrance ceremony is this week, and the first class is next week. There will be plenty of time.”

An admission guide was also attached to the envelope.

Introduction and schedule of the academy, special request to me.

After reading all the letters, I looked up.

“The emperor told me to visit the palace once.”

The letter also served as contact with the imperial family.

He asked to visit the imperial palace, which was delayed due to the entrance exam, this week.

“After the entrance ceremony, I will go to the imperial palace. know that.”

“yes! Demesis.”

When I mentioned the schedule, Wireka answered in moderation.

Since he was the captain of my escort, I informed him of the schedule in advance.

“Then this is what we have to deal with.”

I raised my left arm.

A thick silver bracelet attached to the wrist.

The court wizard asked me to wear it before leaving the kingdom.

It helped me control my magical power and suppressed the mana flowing out of my body, but it was gradually breaking without being able to withstand my strength.

Was it because I had some emotional ups and downs?

It looks like a magical tool made with special attention to durability, but it is already cracking.

In fact, my magical power was much more restrained than this magical tool.

Dragon Heart makes the entire surroundings vibrate with just one heartbeat, so if I don’t control it at all times, it will suffocate the people around me with just my presence.

If I hadn’t been breathing all the time, it would be impossible for Wireka to stand within a 5m radius.

To compare my current situation, it was like always repairing the barrier because the dam of the reservoir containing mana above the water level was about to collapse.

If you have ups and downs in your emotions or if you are preoccupied with other things, the strength of your body leaks out.

It can cause damage to others, so I pay attention to my strength more than anything else in front of others.

‘I can’t get excited.’

It was fun when I came to the ecliptic.

There were thieves who were arrogant towards me, and there was also a leader of the thieves who was angry.

The test taker who swung a sword at me in the entrance exam was also impressive, and I even had an interview with the dean.

I want to keep fighting bandits, taking entrance exams, and getting interviews all day long.

Because that would be more fun than reading a book alone.

‘It’s so much fun playing with others.’

If anyone hears it, they’ll say it’s not play, but what about it?

I’ve been alone all my life

There were no dragonians approaching me because I was afraid, and I spent 10 years lying in bed.

It was a monster that even monsters were afraid of and avoided, but it was just nice to be able to communicate with others in any way.

‘The court wizard said that magic tools for controlling magic can be upgraded.’

This bracelet needs to be fixed before it breaks.

If you go to a blacksmith or a wizard, there must be a way.

However, an ordinary blacksmith or wizard could not even touch this magic tool.

It was specially made by Drake and the court wizard of the kingdom.

‘I’ll have to find someone with skills.’

After thinking about it, I called Wireka.

“Wireka. Go to the information guild. I have something to ask you.”

He wants all the information about the reward and crafting of the bracelet, or the magic control items that can be additionally acquired.

*

The information guild in the imperial capital was attached to the mercenary office.

This is why information guilds are also classified as a mercenary group.

Since they are the ones who sell information for money, setting up a business in the mercenary office is convenient for attracting customers.

Mercenary office 1st floor.

It was always a crowded place.

The population was dense in the imperial capital, and as the population was dense, there were many mercenaries and requests.

Mercenaries from all over the continent were drinking and chatting.

If you are making a lot of noise, of course there will be a fight.

They continued an open discussion on a familiar topic today.

“No, northerners can only think of me! I’d rather team up with the orcs than side with the northerners.”

“You fool, what nonsense is that? Anyway, it’s because southerners can’t learn. Are you saying black people just rampage like savages?”

The mercenary in full armor and the mercenary in loose clothing holding an ax looked at each other and growled.

It seems that he has been entrusted with a request to accompany him to the south, but friction arises from the start.

“Hey, if you’re going to f*ck a nigger, I won’t.”

“Hey, are you done talking?”

“Two! Since you’re out of luck, you want me to team up with a guy like that?”

Northern and southern mercenaries looking at each other with stern faces.

There was no one to stop them.

Divided into northerners and southerners, they flirt with each other.

It wouldn’t be strange if a knife fight would happen soon, but even the office staff didn’t stop it.

The confrontation between the North and the South did not happen for a day or two, and they were mercenaries with their own power.

If you get caught up in their fight, it will be a headache.

“Niggers don’t always know how precious their lives are.”

“Your mother ran away after giving birth to a southerner.”

Eventually, he starts asking about his parents.

The northern mercenary drew a greatsword and the southern mercenary raised an ax with both hands.

The gang also split into two sides and confronted each other.

A dangerous situation where the sword and the ax were about to collide.

The heads of the two jerked toward the entrance at the same time.

Fluttering magic power, terrifying presence.

There was no time to worry about anything else.

It was wrapped in a gray cloak that blocked the sunlight, and it was just walking into the mercenary office without saying or doing anything, and everyone fell to their knees.

I can’t lift my head and look at him.

because i’m afraid

*

“Are you two brothers?”

I asked as I looked at the mercenaries kneeling down.

A tall, rugged white-skinned mercenary and a tanned-skinned mercenary sat side by side.

“Ah, yes, yes yes yes, yes?”

The mercenaries who were questioned stuttered.

It was terrifying to be questioned by me.

Both of them couldn’t answer and put on a dumbfounded expression.

“You look good. Just ask me something.”

I asked a question to the mercenaries who looked alike.

“I am looking for a decent information guild. Do you have any recommendations for this mercenary office?”

“That, it is…”

Why are you asking yourself questions?

That’s because these mercenaries are in the middle of the road.

They stood out to me because they were kneeling together in the most visible position.

“Third floor, bar, whispers in the night, Joe, good.”

He answered with a stutter.

You must answer quickly so that I can pass through this place.

They were mercenaries who became contemplative as if they were being asked a question that would decide life or death.

Together, they worked together to come up with an answer.

“A whisper in the night, I understand.”

After receiving a satisfactory answer, I nodded and headed upstairs.

Even though I was going up the stairs, silence continued in the hall.

creak, creak.

I hear the wooden scaffolding bending under my weight.

The mercenary office was a very quiet place.

Everyone looks good too.

*

Third floor, whispers in the night.

This place was larger than other places of business.

The information guild occupied the entire side corridor of the U-shaped mercenary office building.

I went inside through the front door.

“Welcome…Clothes.”

The employee who greeted me brightly at the counter sees me, covers his mouth and avoids his gaze.

The waiting guests got off their chairs and bowed down, and the quite secluded space stiffened for a moment, making it difficult to breathe.

“I came because I wanted to ask you something.”

“Me, me, me, me, me?”

The voice of the employee who had to answer the question trembled mercilessly.

He probably wasn’t stuttering.

I tried to talk to him from the farthest entrance because he was considerate, but he didn’t seem to be able to answer.

“Four, four, four, four, four people…”

I’ll call you.

I guess that’s what it means.

“I get it.”

I nodded moderately first.

He had no interest in scaring and stunning others.

I hope you find someone who can answer my questions properly.

“De, de, Demesis-sama…!”

The man she called saw me and hurriedly fell to the ground.

At first glance, I didn’t recognize my face, but I already knew my name.

Is it because it’s an information guild?

I think you have figured out the characteristics of me.

Gray cloak and hood.

I must be the only man who can scare everyone just by appearing.

Suddenly, trust in the information guild is gone.

Even so, they were afraid of me as well.

“Oh, eat inside. The owner will take you personally.”

“Are you the guild leader of this information guild?”

“No, that’s not it. He is the head of the 1st branch on the ecliptic side.”

“Okay, guide me.”

The night whispers seem to be a large information guild.

If it’s the 1st branch of the ecliptic, it means that there are other branches, so at least there must be a few businesses in the ecliptic alone.

Following the man’s guidance, I went inside and there was a room that was completely covered by a blackout curtain.

“This is it. Then I will leave.”

After guiding, the man quickly ran away.

“I am Demesis, the second prince of the Drake Kingdom. I will go inside.”

I knocked on the blackout room.

The branch manager will be inside, so he warns you before entering.

“Hey, please wait!”

A sharp voice came from inside the office.

A woman, and seems a little younger.

fast and high tone.

“Tell me with this, de, Demesis-sama!”

There was a vertical gap in the doorway connecting the outside and the inside.

A thick board protrudes from there.

“What is this?”

As I stared at the board, magic flowed out and letters were engraved on the empty board.

[Nice to meet you, Demesis. I didn’t expect you to come to the information guild, but I’m glad to see you like this. This board is a magic message input device. If you engrave a letter by using magic on a board, the letter is engraved on another board.]

The words on the magic board contained meaning.

I glanced inside the closed door.

“Did you write it?”

“yes… … !”

A cautious voice came from the room.

And the magic letters engraved on the board.

[Since I can’t talk to Demesis, I have come up with a countermeasure. I will answer with the magic board in this.]

“Why? Are you afraid of me?”

[Yes, excuse me, but looking at Demesis, I don’t think I can handle it. I will use a special tool for smooth conversation and information transaction.]

It’s kind of sad to keep looking at the letters slowly engraved on the magic board.

I want to see this woman’s face.

I stared at the closed door.