Chapter 191: Fluxsoil Heart
Leo observed the man for a few seconds longer, eyes narrowing slightly as something tugged at his memory. Then it clicked.
"Werenât you there during our registration?" Leo asked.
"You have a sharp memory. Yes, that would be correct," the man replied. As he spoke, he lifted his head fully, letting his face come into view.
There wasnât much reaction from Leo or Lily, but Miho visibly startled. She gasped softly and immediately ducked behind Lily, clutching the back of her dress.
The archer noticed and exaggerated a wounded expression, pressing a hand to his chest.
"So cruel. Iâm not that ugly, hehe," he said lightly.
His face was sharp and angular, with a pronounced jawline and a lean, almost wiry build to match. But his most striking feature was his eyes. They were wide open, with both iris and pupil unnaturally constricted, leaving an unsettling amount of white exposed, with a tiny black point at the centre. They barely seemed to move, giving him a predatory and eerie stare.
"She is just shy. Donât mind her," Leo said calmly.
He didnât linger on it and moved straight to the point.
"So, what informants were you talking about?"
"Ohâright, yes, yes. Informants." The man brightened as if reminded of his role. "Nice to meet you. Iâm an informant. Nameâs Andrew." He extended a gloved hand toward Leo.
Leo noted. This guy really is eccentric.
"Hm. Iâm Leo." He shook the offered hand.
"Hehe, nice. A new client," Andrew said cheerfully, his grip light but confident.
"So anyway," Andrew continued, rocking back on his heels,
"for a brief introduction to my workâI move around the academy surroundings. That includes the wilds, student territories, andâ" He leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret."âthe academy premises."
Leo raised an eyebrow. This guy sounded less like an informant and more like a spy.
"As for my job," Andrew went on, straightening up, "you pay me for information on anything I know. And of course, I wonât lie. Lying makes me lose clients." He flashed a grin that didnât quite reach his eyes.
"Isnât that dangerous?" Leo asked. "I can understand student territories, but the academy premises?"
"The cost is similarly high, you know?" Andrew said, forming a subtle money-sign gesture just below his stomach.
"And donât worry," he added casually. "To be honest, if you manage to slip past academy security, they usually let you off after some punishment and fines. At the end of the day, youâre still learning skills for the benefit of humanity. Infiltration skills are highly sought after for missions in demonic and elven territories." He shrugged. "But yeahâsensitive stuff is still out of reach. Things like test leaks, locations of high-grade treasures, or some juicy tea about someone... those are within limits if you manage."
Leo nodded slowly. It made sense.
This guy clearly wants to establish a connection with me,
Leo thought.
But can a sophomore really have this level of skill? They all feel way too weak. And those eyes... straight out of a horror movie. Is that some kind of talent? A marksman-related mutation?
"So?" Leo said aloud. "What information are you selling?"
Andrew didnât answer immediately. He simply pointed toward the board.
"The exact thing youâre looking for. Hehe."
"The ones not mentioned here?" Leo clarified.
Andrew nodded.
"And the rarest ones?"
Andrewâs grin widened, and he nodded again.
"Which one, then?" Leo askedâonly to pause when Andrew made another money-sign gesture with his fingers.
"Tsk. Not even the name?" Leo frowned.
"What if you say something that isnât that rare?"
"The reason Iâm here," Andrew replied calmly, "is because I have confidence in myself. And once again, cheating isnât in my dictionary. It costs me valuable clients."
"How much?" Leo asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Five thousand," Andrew said simply.
"That much?"
"Well, you should be able to guess the value of that beacon from the price alone," Andrew said. "And Iâm already giving you a 95% discount since this is your first purchase from me."
"Hoh?" Leo muttered. "A beacon of information valued at a hundred thousand AC..."
Thatâs forty gold
.
Ack!
Then something clicked in his mind.
"Wait," Leo said sharply. "Are you trying to rip me off since you know I have the creditsâor worse, lead me into a trap because my girl handled that woman earlier?"
Andrew blinked, then stared at Leo in confusion. His perpetually constricted pupils relaxed slightly as he suddenly burst into laughter, slapping his thigh.
"Hahahaha! Youâre a funny guy," he said between laughs. "Me, leading you into a trap? Never once in my five years at this academy did I think Iâd hear that accusation." He shook his head, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "No. Iâd never do that."
He exhaled and smirked.
"To be honest, I was barely holding my laughter back earlier. That Karen bitch finally got her bitchy ass handled. It was hilariousâseeing her on the verge of tears after that yank." He grinned broadly.
"You know what? Iâll give you an extra one-thousand AC discount. On top of the fifty per cent. That scene was worth it. Hahahaha."
Leo was momentarily taken aback by the sheer enthusiasm. He didnât know why that girl was so universally hatedâbut it worked in his favour. Without hesitation, he initiated the payment of four thousand AC.
"Fluxsoil Heart," Andrew said the moment the payment went through, his voice turning serious.
Leoâs expression hardened instantly.
Thatâs the best treasure beacon.
He also noticed the sudden shift in Andrewâs demeanor.
Business voice,
Leo concluded.
"I donât need to explain the importance of that treasure, do I?" Andrew asked.
Leo shook his head. He absolutely understood its value.
"Send me a text," Andrew continued.
"Iâll forward the map. Itâll automatically integrate into your map function."
"Thatâs convenient," Leo said, sending a message to the unique ID heâd received during the transaction.
A moment later, a file arrived. When Leo opened it, his map interface expanded and marked a distant location with a leaf-shaped symbolâat least eighty kilometres away.
"So far?" Leo frowned. "Thatâll take time. What if I need to urgently return to the academyâor worse, if someone attacks my territory while Iâm that far away?"
Andrew once again formed a money sign with his fingers.
This time, Leo received a payment request.
5 AC.