Chapter Seventeen: The Information Broker

Departing from a certain ramen shop in the Fixed Wing District and turning one's back on the bustling commercial street, a ten-minute walk along winding paths brings you, amidst increasingly sparse crowds, to a garden-style residential area encircled by towering buildings.

After registering, Gongsun Ce led the Hunter through the main gate of the complex. The young security guard cast not the slightest curious glance at the oddly dressed woman; it seemed his years of service had exposed him to stranger sights still.

In stark contrast to the unflinching guard, Miss Alice openly admired the two-story houses, each with its own garden and garage, her face unabashedly glowing with envy. “Tsk, tsk... How wonderful…”

“Let me clarify, so you don't misunderstand: local property prices are much cheaper compared to elsewhere, and this area is quite close to the Dock District—relatively remote, not considered high-end.”

“Am I coveting the price? No, I want the house!”

“I recall the housing situation in your Kingdom isn't tight. Many families live in the kind of houses seen in TV dramas, don't they?”

The female Hunter's expression fell.

“You said it yourself—TV dramas. In reality, freelancers like me who struggle alone still rent apartments.”

Gongsun Ce was surprised. “Even those at the Divine Communication rank don’t earn much?”

“The numbers look impressive, but—heart-armored upgrades cost money, regular equipment costs money, and all the materials and tools lost during missions cost money. Deducting all these bits and pieces, the remaining figure isn’t so pretty. Ever since I joined the Wild Hunt, a lot of expenses can be reimbursed, so the account finally looks decent, but owning my own house is still a distant dream.”

“That sounds tough. Isn’t apartment living fine?”

“People must pursue the life they dream of... Are we almost there?”

“Just around the corner.”

She seemed a bit anxious.

Upon reflection, it made sense: she had to compete with foreign specialists like Agent White, guard against freelancers who might already be on the scene, and now could only rely on local information brokers. To be merely restless was already proof of impressive psychological endurance.

Frankly, if their roles were reversed, Gongsun Ce admitted he’d have no energy left to discuss property prices.

From this perspective, Miss Alice was quite the eccentric.

“Miss Alice, the person we're visiting is an amiable old gentleman, but he may not hand over the information directly. He might ask you a few questions alone—if you need help, just call me.”

“As long as he's not some reclusive weirdo who's gone deranged from staying home all year, that's fine.”

“I don't know any shut-ins like that.”

He stopped in front of a small house with a red roof and pressed the doorbell by the iron gate.

The electronic screen beside the bell flickered twice, broadcasting a robotic voice: “Who is it?”

“It’s me, it’s me.”

“What kind of old-fashioned scam is this? I’m calling security.”

“The lady beside me isn’t in the best mood—if you waste any more words, she’ll storm in and force you to spill information, and I won’t be able to stop her.”

Alice tapped her short arrows at her waist in a threatening manner.

The information broker laughed.

“That scary, huh? Come in—let me see what kind of client you are.”

The iron gate opened in response, and so did the sturdy wooden door.

Alice followed the young man through the entryway, observing the interior of the house.

Inside, the shoe cabinet was piled with all sorts of odd trinkets, and around the corner, the living room opened up with bright floor-to-ceiling windows. A long sofa, two wooden chairs, a central table, and a wall-mounted television occupying half the wall served as the information broker's reception room.

“I haven’t cleaned yet today—no need to take off your shoes. Come, have a seat!”

The host sat in the middle of the sofa, dressed in a loose T-shirt, short-haired, with a round, moon-like face and a belly still prominent despite the shirt. From the vanilla cola can in his right hand and the large bag of chips on the table, it was clear this information broker had moved beyond the “I can’t go on like this” stage of weight management, arriving at “Isn’t this fine?” as his final answer.

“Akai, you’ve kept your figure well.”

The portly young man widened his eyes. “Wow, you rascal! You don’t give me any dignity with guests here? Call me Mr. Mo!”

His concern lay in the title, not his physique. Had he ceased to care about his body altogether? The Hunter, silently muttering, resolved all the more to keep her own figure in check—she’d be helpless if she ever let herself go as far as this.

“What Mr. Mo? You’re only a few years older. Let me introduce you: this is our client, Miss Alice Aidal from the Kingdom.”

The young man surnamed Mo flashed a wide smile and waved his fleshy hand toward Alice. “Miss Aidal, hello. My surname is Mo—call me Yuan Kai. You can address me as Mr. Mo or just use my name. Here’s my card…”

His voice was deep, his pace neither hurried nor slow, creating an odd contrast with his salesman-like words.

The Hunter quickly waved her hand. “No, thank you. I’m only here temporarily and won’t stay in this city long. More importantly, have you found the information I need?”

“Please look.”

Without any obvious movement, the large TV in the living room lit up. Instead of the evening broadcast, it displayed photos of five people taken from various angles.

“That’s fast,” Gongsun Ce exclaimed in admiration.

Two of them were familiar rivals: the green-crested head in the upper left was unmistakably the Starborn, and the orange-haired man in the upper right was none other than Tyros K.

The portly young man pointed at the avatars on the screen. “Upper left, Kaplo Boryll: dealt with by Akai at the gate this afternoon. Upper right, Tyros K—full name Tyros Kobesh, defeated by you at the port an hour ago.”

He paused slightly when mentioning Tyros.

Yuan Kai pointed to the lower left, where a bald man with dark circles under his eyes was pictured. “Lower left, Higashijou Jouni. Last sighted early this morning in the Fierce Wing District. I suppose he was taken down by Miss Aidal?”

Of the remaining faces, one was a long-haired man with slanted eyes in the lower right, and the other a short-haired middle-aged man in the center.

The information broker summarized, “This group of dangerous infiltrators entered Skydome City today. Three have already been defeated by you and Akai. You seek the last two—my information should be accurate, yes?”

Alice’s expression was one of delighted surprise. “Those are the two! Tell me where they are—name your price, the Kingdom will reimburse everything!”

How forthright.

It’s always different when spending the government’s money.

“Price doesn’t matter! I invited you here mainly to see what kind of client you are, so I can decide. Akai, a friend just sent me a new ink painting—it's in the study upstairs. If you're free, take a look and tell me what you think.”

The bespectacled young man nodded knowingly and stood up. “I’m no expert—at best, I’ll offer my own opinion. Be careful, Miss Alice is sharp; if you lie, you’ll lose face.”

“I always keep my word, never lie. Relax, we’ll chat only a few minutes.”

The portly young man smiled as he watched Gongsun Ce ascend the stairs.

He leaned back against the sofa and waved his hand. The ceiling silently split open, and four thick metal walls descended and joined seamlessly, transforming the living room into an impregnable chamber.

It was hard to imagine such sturdy iron walls concealed within the ceiling of a bungalow. Was it the broker’s ability, or yet another scientific feat of the city’s lab-coat crowd?

“Mr. Mo, your home certainly has unique decor.”

Alice stared unflinchingly at the man on the sofa.

“This is a newly acquired set of soundproof walls—very effective. Their built-in field blocks most eavesdropping and surveillance. The university researchers claim it can even counter superpower users and freelancers, though I’m skeptical, and take it more as psychological comfort.”

Yuan Kai pressed his hands together, gazing at the Hunter seated on the wooden chair. “Miss Aidal, do you know how many people want this information?”

“I imagine quite a few.”

“A great many. Skydome City’s officials are searching, all sorts of outsiders are searching, and even some formidable figures I’ve only heard of are inquiring. I haven’t seen such a frenzy in ages. Now, you want information from me, but won’t share specifics—how am I to proceed?”

Alice pressed her lips tightly. “The information you hold will be worthless in half an hour, or an hour…”

“I don’t care.” The portly young man waved his hand.

“You came recommended by Akai—I wasn’t planning to charge you. What I want to know is: why are you dragging Gongsun Ce, who knows nothing, into this? If you can’t give me a satisfactory answer, then forgive me—I’ll only suggest some local tourist spots for your evening leisure.”

“I’d gotten the impression from Gongsun Ce that superpower users don’t pry into matters unrelated to them.”

“A friend’s business isn’t unrelated.”

The Hunter tapped the armrest. “You think I’m using him.”

“Miss Aidal, you are using him. No more unnecessary words—you’re much more anxious than I am. Whether you get the information is up to you.”

The longer she wasted here, the more likely the intelligence would become obsolete.

The broker, as an outsider, didn’t care, but the Hunter, seeing hope ahead, couldn’t let the opportunity slip from her grasp.

Both were keenly aware of this.

Alice understood: she was at a disadvantage. This was the broker’s domain, and his defenses surely extended beyond four walls. If conflict erupted, chances of things turning in her favor would be slim.

She felt another sigh coming. Yuan Kai looked barely college-aged—why were the city’s students all so hard to deal with?

She needed to make this quick.

“Fine. The information will be public soon anyway… Listen carefully: those lunatics plan to summon a dragon in this city.”

“Cough!”

The broker had just sipped his cola, and nearly choked at her words.

He raised his hand, signaling her to pause. After catching his breath, he spoke again. “Now I understand why Akai is helping you. And you? Do you want to capture these people and bring them back to the Kingdom for merit?”

The blue-haired woman shook her head firmly. “I didn’t want to say this in front of Gongsun Ce—I hope to kill them all before other specialists arrive.”

“I detest killing.”

The portly young man fiddled with his fingers.

“I don’t like killing either, but I detest dragon disasters even more. If those dragon fanatics’ wild schemes are real, then whether their secrets fall into official hands or into the lawless grasp of freelancers, it will only bring harm to the world.”

Alice stared at the young man. “Three years ago, I wasn’t an official agent, and felt little responsibility toward the Kingdom’s interests. My sole aim is this: as the first to uncover the situation, I want to nip the possibility of a dragon disaster in the bud.”

Yuan Kai raised his voice. “You were the first to uncover it?”

“Until this morning, I thought it was just a routine hunting mission, until I caught Higashijou Jouni. That soul-armored user, while delirious, told me the dragon was about to arrive—he was both excited and terrified.”

She spoke wearily. “I immediately relayed it to the Kingdom’s local agency, hoping they’d assure me it was just the fantasy of a dragon worshipper. I waited, but received no explanation—only urgent commands for all-out hunting and a stream of scattered intelligence. That’s when I knew this was big.”

The broker said nothing.

She knew he was still unconvinced.

Alice lowered her voice. “The Wild Hunt was only formed recently—you know what Hunters used to do? Though the job was called a gray area, plenty of it was black. We’d accept any commission that paid, not just Kingdom work, and sometimes even opposed officials. I’m no noble knight—I don’t feel much loyalty to the Kingdom’s interests.”

“…”

Yuan Kai’s expression softened slightly, and the Hunter pressed her advantage. “You know I’m from the Kingdom. I truly don’t wish to see another dragon disaster—surely you, living here, feel the same?”

The information broker finally nodded.

“I see... I understand your intent. I have no reason not to help you, but let me be clear—I can’t guarantee you and Akai will succeed, so after you leave, I’ll pass the information on to the authorities or agents as backup.”

Such certainty, as if his information was more timely than the officials’.

Were the city’s intelligence agencies all just wasting their salaries? How could their grasp of the situation lag behind a student?

Surely, his superpower played a role in this attitude.

The Hunter reached this conclusion internally.

Alice had no intention of probing further into the broker’s abilities. She had not caught a single lie—he had spoken candidly.

Once she knew his words were trustworthy, the decision was easy. She extended her hand. “I understand. I just need a chance.”

The portly young man shook her hand cheerfully. “Pleasure working with you.”

“Pleasure working with you.”

The two downstairs reached an accord.

Meanwhile—

In the study upstairs, a blank scroll slipped to the floor.

“…Ugh.”

Gongsun Ce staggered back two steps, slumped against the wall, and sat down, his arms limp at his sides.

His heart had stopped beating.