Chapter 83. Information Guild

“……Is this the right place?”

I arrived at the address written on the paper and felt the air around me make my shoulders hunch involuntarily. The alley, shrouded in night, was dark and eerie.

As I suspected, the gentleman might only appear to be a gentleman on the surface. No, judging by the atmosphere of this alley, it was certain.

He was definitely part of an underworld organization, sob sob.

I considered turning back out of fear, but after hesitating for a long time, I eventually chose to take the risk.

Just yesterday, after my resignation was rejected, Johann had threatened me with a fierce aura, saying not to even dream of quitting.

And then to go back the very next day and submit my resignation again?

It would be like pouring oil on a fire.

Not only was there no chance it would be accepted, but it would be fortunate if he didn’t just throw me into the Agulena Plains even more forcefully.

Chills!

Imagining the worst-case scenario sent shivers down my spine.

I had to prevent that at all costs. Participating in the Battle of Agulena was a suicidal act.

Resolutely, I steeled my heart and took a step forward.

Visiting at night made the alley feel even more secluded. Hmm… maybe it only feels this way because I came at night?

I tried to think positively.

If I had come during the day, it might have had a rather wholesome atmosphere…

Knock, knock.

I timidly knocked on the door when I arrived at the address.

From a few blocks away, I could faintly hear people chatting noisily. In contrast, this place was eerily quiet.

Squeak, squeak.

In the pale moonlight, I saw a rat scurrying past the corner of the building, letting out small squeaks.

This is definitely ominous.

Should I turn back now…?

While I was hesitating, the door opened.

“How may I help you?”

“Oh, I’m here for a request. I received something like this…”

A man stood beyond the suddenly opened door.

Since I couldn’t just say it was nothing after knocking, I quickly responded. Despite my hesitation, my answer and actions were remarkably swift.

When I handed over the paper with the address the gentleman had given me, the man’s eyes changed as if he recognized the handwriting.

He gestured for me to follow without asking further questions.

I’m glad I brought this paper.

I picked it up instinctively without much thought, but it seemed to serve as a token of invitation to this secretive place.

I followed the man inside.

An alarm rang loudly within me, warning that I was stepping into a dangerous place, but it was too late to turn back.

Ahead lay adventure, behind lay death.

Only forward, forward!

Contrary to the unsettling alley that made people uneasy, the interior of the building was surprisingly ordinary.

But one never knew. There might be a room somewhere in this seemingly normal space where bad deeds were being done.

I sniffed around, checking if there was any scent of blood.

“This way.”

The man, who had been walking silently, pointed to a staircase.

I nodded and followed him up the stairs.

Then I suddenly realized something strange.

Despite being a fairly large building, it was unusually quiet inside. There was hardly any sign of life compared to its size. Moreover, the candles were sparsely lit, making the interior quite dark overall.

The man guiding me knocked on a door at that moment.

It seemed to be the room where the gentleman was.

“Come in.”

As expected, I heard a familiar voice from inside.

“Then.”

The man who had guided me courteously bid farewell and departed. Given such treatment, it seemed the gentleman held quite a high position in this organization.

Perhaps he was an executive.

“Sir.”

I opened the door with some nervousness. The red-haired man, who had been looking out the window, slowly turned around.

“Looks like you failed to resign.”

He spoke with a tone that seemed slightly playful.

Having been hit right on the mark as soon as we met, I let out a deflated sigh with an awkward smile.

The gentleman chuckled lightly and offered me a seat.

“Please, have a seat.”

I sat on the reception sofa he indicated, looking at him with earnest eyes. He was my only hope right now.

“How can you help me?”

Unlike my anxious self, he appeared relaxed. However, he didn’t leave me in suspense, causing me to fret.

He got straight to the point smoothly.

“There are various ways.”

“I don’t have much time. Please help me resign as quickly as possible.”

“What do you mean by not having much time?”

“I have a dispatch scheduled in three weeks. I must resign before then.”

My voice must have sounded quite urgent.

Showing my desperation might lead him to extort more money in exchange for help, but in the face of death, such matters were trivial.

I wasn’t in a position to pretend to negotiate with composure. It was fortunate I wasn’t clinging to his leg, begging him to help me because I was on the verge of madness with anxiety.

“Hmm…”

The gentleman seemed lost in thought, stroking his chin with a pensive gaze.

I was anxious about what I would do if he asked why I had to resign before the dispatch in three weeks.

Should I explain in detail that I needed to escape because I was destined to die in the Battle of Agulena? But then I would have to say something strange about being possessed by a book, and would he even believe that? Would he reject the request, thinking I was crazy?

My anxious thoughts only spiraled in a negative direction.

I swallowed dryly, waiting for the gentleman to say something.

“Three weeks…”

He pronounced the timeframe I mentioned slowly, as if rolling a sweet candy in his mouth.

Gulp.

The sound of swallowing echoed in the quiet room.

The sharp-eared gentleman must have heard it, as he tightened his lips as if holding back a smile.

I’m just that desperate.

Stop smiling and give me an answer.

“It seems sufficient.”

Thankfully, he gave a positive response. He didn’t seem inclined to ask why I had to resign before the next dispatch.

Phew.

That was a relief.

However, his next words made my heart shrink.

“I’ll make you disappear without a trace.”

“……Disappear?”

Surely, he didn’t mean he would kill me without anyone knowing, right?

For a moment, I had a horrific vision of my body being split open, all my organs neatly separated and handed over to a dark mage.

“Do you know where the largest funds in the world are managed?”

Unaware of the thoughts in my head, the gentleman continued speaking nonchalantly.

Funds management…

Fortunately, it seemed that selling my organs to the dark mages lingering in the underworld wasn’t on the agenda.

Once normal conversation resumed, I answered with great relief.

“The National Bank of the Granz Empire, right? Because it’s backed by the imperial family.”

It was common knowledge even a child would know.

It’s also where my salary was deposited.

But the gentleman shook his finger side to side, indicating my answer was wrong.

“Think a bit broader.”

“……?”

“Not limited to banks.”

“Are you talking about the merchant guild? They handle large sums too, but as much as a bank?”

“Close, but not quite.”

He wrinkled his nose as if genuinely disappointed and handed me a pamphlet from the table. I hadn’t even noticed it was there.

“What is this?”

“An auction invitation.”

“……?”

I looked at him with puzzled eyes.

What does this have to do with the place managing the world’s largest funds?

Perhaps reading the question on my face, the gentleman smiled and explained.

“There are relics of fallen nations that fetch quite a high price. For example, those from the Kingdom of Charbon that vanished into history.”

“……I don’t have that kind of money.”

I had about two million shillings in my account. In terms of Yoon Jia’s life, that’s roughly 2 billion won.

However, acquiring a relic from the Charbon Kingdom would require at least 10 million shillings to even have a chance.

The world is vast, and there are many wealthy people.

I humbly set the pamphlet down and shook my head.

“It’s beyond my means.”

“I can lend you the money you lack.”

“……?”

Do you really have that much money?

My eyes widened in surprise.

After shocking me, the gentleman smiled naturally.

“Do you know the information guild?”

“Uh……”

Isn’t that a very shady organization?

I stammered in confusion.

Could it be…?

“It’s the guild that manages the largest funds in the world.”

“That’s……”

Isn’t that by using all sorts of illegal and dirty means?

I wanted to ask, but valuing my life, I barely swallowed the words. In a short moment, countless thoughts raced through my mind.

This must be one of the information guild’s bases. Its location in a secluded alley is because they have many secretive dealings, and the lack of people compared to the spacious interior isn’t due to absence of people, but because those skilled in stealth are hiding their presence.

So, it meant I had stepped into a very dangerous place.

My back straightened involuntarily.

“……The information guild is quite an impressive place.”

“Indeed.”

“Then, are you an executive in the information guild, sir?”

“Well, something like that.”

He revealed his identity without hesitation. And even the method for laundering money.

“If the money in the account disappears, the emperor will become suspicious.”

Having forgotten my earlier wariness of the gentleman, I listened to his words with eyes full of trust.

“In the future, we’ll use the merchant guild. Ah, it’s all connected to the information guild, so don’t worry about that.”

He then shared several codes that seemed known only to insiders. Methods for safely transferring large sums, living in hiding without being tracked, and using the money were detailed as they flowed from his mouth.

As we talked, hours flew by.

“We should also decide on a place to escape to.”

“Yes, somewhere the heroes can’t find.”

When I looked at him with bright, eager eyes, he nodded as if it was no problem.

The gentleman seemed incredibly impressive.

“Come back in three days. I’ll have it arranged.”

More so than my benefactor who shone like the wind on the wall that day.