SWY 6

The question of why they were meeting an informant at a gambling hall was soon answered.

“Oh ho, pretty ones really do flock together. A beautiful lady arriving with a handsome merchant, she must be…”

Just as the man was eyeing Sharhan up and down and trying to make small talk, Lestel kicked his chair. The man, who nearly toppled over with the chair, only chuckled as if he found it amusing. He looked to be around thirty, wore rings on every finger, and had earrings, bracelets, and a necklace. The buttons of his tight-fitting coat, smaller than his torso, were all top-grade gemstones. The outfit was so extravagant it somehow didn’t look vulgar.

“Looks like your eyesight’s bad. Or maybe your tongue’s just broken.”

Sharhan, irritated by the ‘lady’ remark, snapped back. The man only laughed crassly and extended a hand.

“Hahaha, feisty, huh? I like roses with thorns. I’m Yuel. Owner of the gambling hall, informant, and apothecary.”

“Sharhan. Mercenary.”

Sharhan ignored Yuel’s outstretched hand, unimpressed by the man who held not one, but three jobs. Even though his handshake was rejected, Yuel kept smiling.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. The flower of the Red Wolves, right? I thought calling a mercenary a flower was kind of off, but hey, even a piss flower’s still a flower, and now I see, you really are a flower.”

There actually was a flower called a piss flower. It looked like an ordinary wildflower but earned its name from the foul stench it gave off when picked.

“How do you know about me?”

“Well, I am an informant? I won’t claim I know the whole empire like the back of my hand, but I’ve got Verden and the surrounding cities locked down.”

Lestel scoffed at Yuel’s boast. Yuel glanced at him, then corrected himself.

“I only found out late that the Red Wolves had entered Verden because all my personnel were tied up on another job. Still, I’m a pretty capable informant.”

“If you’re so capable, then you must know who called me a flower and sold my info. I’d really like to meet the guy who supplied you that intel. How much?”

Sharhan ground his teeth. It was true that he’d been nicknamed the “flower” of the Red Wolves, but that name had faded after he beat up a few people who called him that mockingly.

“Well, I’m really good at protecting my sources…”

Yuel trailed off with mock difficulty, clearly enjoying himself, but Lestel cut him off.

“How about we skip the unnecessary chit-chat and stick to guarding me? Thought time was money for an informant. Why are you so talkative? What’s going on? When I was here a month ago, I didn’t see any Paphun addicts in Verden.”

The smile finally dropped from Yuel’s face.

“They started showing up one by one after you left. Damn it, I don’t even know when those peddlers snuck in like damn rats. We had eyes out everywhere, but they popped up all over the place.”

“Looked like they passed through again about a week ago.”

Lestel turned to Sharhan. As Yuel followed his gaze, Sharhan nodded.

“A peddler came to the inn where our guild was staying a week ago. Sold us some tea.”

“Sigh, and disappeared right after selling it?”

“Yes.”

“Sounds like he came into Verden a month ago, sold Paphun tea all over town while dodging us, then vanished. He hides well, reacts fast, and moves even faster.”

Was that true? Sharhan recalled the peddler he’d seen at the Blue Spider’s Goblet inn. The man had been smooth-talking, that was for sure. Beyond that, Sharhan wasn’t certain. But after he left, Abel mentioned that despite the fake cheer, the man gave off an assassin’s vibe. The others had laughed it off, but Abel had seemed serious.

“We’ve taken a massive loss. Some of our regular gamblers got addicted to paphun. They’re not working anymore, so they’ve got no money to gamble. Or maybe they can’t work. Either way, they just loiter around the gambling hall like ants… It’s been a real headache.”

“Just earlier, one of them lunged at me like a crazed rat.”

“Exactly! Even our wealthy clients are scared to come now. Who knows when those damn Paphun junkies might snap and attack? At this rate, I’ll be the one out on the streets begging. Think our handsome merchant here would take me in if I go broke?”

Yuel grinned and gave Lestel a suggestive look. Lestel shuddered like he’d seen something disgusting and answered coldly.

“Keep dreaming. With all the wealth you’ve stashed away like a squirrel hoarding acorns, you and your descendants could live comfortably forever. And if the hall shuts down, you’ve still got your informant and apothecary gigs.”

“You’ve got more money than me! Why won’t you take me in?! Would you at least give me some coins if I begged?”

“I’d gladly give you a kick or a punch.”

“So cold. But hey, that’s all we are, right? Money and information. On that note, fork it over.”

Yuel rubbed his fingers together, and Lestel pulled a money pouch from his coat and tossed it at him. The thunk it made suggested it was packed with gold coins. Yuel peeked inside and grinned with satisfaction.

“Judging by how confidently you’re handing over the money, I’m guessing you figured out where the paphun’s coming from?”

Lestel, arms crossed, asked with narrowed eyes. Yuel smiled smugly.

“Ever heard of Luhas?”

“Of course.”

Luhas was a territory located at the western edge of the empire.

“One of my agents got real lucky in Arbil. Managed to tail a peddler who was selling Paphun tea. Just so happens this agent used to be a guide, so they followed him without getting caught…”

Yuel paused dramatically, gauging Lestel’s reaction.

“Spit it out.”

“That peddler went straight back to Luhas after selling tea in Arbil.”

“Back to Luhas?”

“Do you know how strict Luhas is? Even with an identity badge, you can’t enter without the lord’s permission. The place is incredibly isolated. And yet, that peddler got in without any checks. That reminded me of something.”

“What?”

“The mystical herb, Rascul.”

Leaning forward, Yuel whispered like he was sharing a secret.

During the age of the ancient empire, monsters roamed freely and hunted humans. It wasn’t uncommon for entire villages to be wiped out overnight. These creatures fed on human flesh and blood, growing stronger and leaving less and less space for humans.

The land and water ran red with human blood, and even daytime wasn’t safe. To protect the land and its people, the emperor gathered knights, mercenaries, mages, priests, and paladins into an extermination force. Even commoners who had lost their families to the monsters took up farming tools as weapons and joined the fight.

After years of brutal combat, humanity triumphed. The monsters were sealed away in a forest at the western edge of the empire. Only a few hundred of the tens of thousands who had fought survived. It was a pyrrhic victory. The losses sustained during the sealing of the forest eventually led to the collapse of the ancient empire.

But humans didn’t give up. A handful survived and built a new nation, the Carlton Empire.

The first emperor of Carlton granted lordship over the sealed forest to Luhas, the sole surviving mage of the extermination force. The territory was named after him, and his descendants were tasked with guarding the forest for generations.

That was the history recorded in the books. But the hidden truth, unknown to the general populace, was far uglier.

There was a mysterious herb called Rascul. When dried in sunlight and brewed like tea, it made the body strong, the skin smooth, and slowed aging. But it also had a powerful aphrodisiac effect.

Rascul became a must-have luxury for nobles, royals, and wealthy merchants obsessed with pleasure. The ruling class of the empire became addicted to its delights. The problem was its extreme scarcity, Rascul could only grow using the flesh and blood of monsters.

Contrary to popular belief, monsters didn’t roam freely. They usually stayed within a set territory and weren’t dangerous unless provoked. The real issue was the ruling class, who discovered Rascul’s properties and began hunting monsters to cultivate it.

They dispatched mercenaries and knights to kill monsters for Rascul. As a result, the monsters began leaving their territory, and only then did the history books record them as hunting humans. The rest played out as history described.

“That’s… all true?”

Both Sharhan and Lestel looked unsettled after hearing the truth behind the history they had never known. Though they had since left their noble houses and become a mercenary and a merchant, they were both born into nobility. In fact, Sharhan’s house, Kaios, and Lestel’s, Ailun, were founding families of the Carlton Empire. They had grown up listening to the tales of the empire’s founding over and over.

“You don’t believe me? I’m an informant. I don’t peddle unverified facts.”

“So you’re saying… Luhas is processing and distributing Rascul?”

Lestel asked. Yuel nodded.

“That’s the most likely case.”

“But Rascul grows using monster flesh and blood. If the monsters are gone, how are they still cultivating it?”