The town of Oakhaven was a rat’s nest beneath the roots of the southern border.
Built into the remains of an abandoned aqueduct, the heavy fog and the stench of burnt grease served as the best haven for anyone fleeing the law.
It was the perfect place to disappear…
or to buy forbidden information.
Haruto kept the hood of his cloak pulled low, concealing his face as his eyes scanned every alleyway.
Beside him, Aoi walked with her greatsword wrapped in burlap and rope to avoid drawing attention, though her posture still radiated the danger of a predator ready to pounce.
“Damp tunnels, garbage everywhere, and weirdos watching us from the rooftops,” Aoi murmured in Japanese, keeping her hands close to the daggers hidden at her thighs.
“Definitely wasn’t on the kingdom’s brochures.” “It’s the only place within a hundred kilometers where the Church lacks direct jurisdiction,” Haruto replied barely moving his lips, using the same language.
“Oakhaven’s black market is controlled by the Shadow Guilds.
If the tablet from the basement wasn’t lying, an ancient scribe expelled from the Vatican operates here.” “And we’re trusting a traitor?” “No.
We’re trusting his greed.” They stepped into a subterranean establishment dimly lit by rancid oil lanterns.
The murmur of the crowd died down for a fraction of a second as they entered.
Mercenaries, smugglers, and artifact traffickers evaluated them in silence: two youths alone, carrying gear, smelling of recent battle smoke.
A hulking man with a scar running down his cheek stepped into their path, resting a hand on the pommel of his axe.
“Lost kids,” the mercenary grunted with a rotten grin.
“Entry to the One-Eyed Tavern costs five silver coins…
or that girl’s sword.” Aoi didn’t blink.
She took a step forward, but Haruto raised a hand, stopping her.
“Flow sequence: Nerve Lock,” Haruto whispered in a flash.
Before the mercenary could react, Haruto stepped diagonally, deflected the man’s elbow with his left hand, and drove two mana-infused fingers precisely into his solar plexus and neck.
The giant froze instantly.
His eyes went wide as his legs gave out, collapsing to his knees on the stone floor, gasping for breath without making a sound.
“We aren’t here to cause trouble, but we don’t have time to waste either,” Haruto said calmly, meeting the gazes of the other patrons.
“We’re looking for Gid.” A decrepit old man sitting in the darkest corner of the bar, wiping a monocle clean, looked up.
“Learning to manipulate magic pressure points at that age is either the work of a genius…
or someone trained in the secret cells of the Vatican,” the old man said with a toothless grin.
“Step into the back, anomalies.
Information comes at a high price, but it seems you carry things far more valuable than gold.” Haruto and Aoi crossed the room under the stunned stares of the mercenaries.
In this underworld of shadows, the hunt was far from over, but they had just taken their first step into the depths of the game.