Chapter 367: Arriving at River Bend, Acting Separately (1/2)
“Teacher Rui, what are we going to be doing now?” Moss asked as he felt somewhat at a loss.
Moss and Rui were currently standing atop a street bustling with countless arcane teams and surrounded with shops displaying exquisite looking goods.
After traveling nonstop, they had finally arrived in Rapids City where River Bend Academy was located.
The moment the party of Holy Dawn Academy teachers and youths arrived in the city, they all immediately split up into different groups and went their separate ways.
Like the other cities located in the Golden Roses Plain, Rapids City was a bit more prosperous than an average city in the Kingdom of Eiche. Especially when compared with St. Laurens, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Accustomed to the calm of St. Laurens, Moss couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable after stepping into the bustling city.
Furthermore, Minlur, who had been teaching him all this time, had suddenly traded spots with Rui, making Moss feel even more out of place.
“Take this.” Rui didn’t respond to Moss’ question as he tossed Moss a clinking pouch of money.
“Teacher Rui, what is this?” Moss sputtered.
Just from the weight of the pouch alone, Moss was certain that the pouch in his hand contained many gold and silver coins.
Could it be that he was in charge of purchasing supplies for his entire team?
“If you follow this road, an antique shop called the Magic Snake Antique Shop should appear on your left hand side. According to our sources, the shop has supposedly been colluding with a team of ruthless bandit arcane masters known as “The Rippers,” who are extremely active around Maelstrom Island.” Rui turned and looked at Moss as he explained, “Our job is to lure them out and obtain information about House Baratheon’s Maelstrom Team from them.”
“So this is the case… we are already making preparations for our fight against the Maelstrom Team…” Moss mumbled.
“You have to understand that people of their level, including us, are completely different from you youths. We do not do things just for fun, and we absolutely do not take the matter of fighting lightly. Saying such words is the same as agreeing to put our lives on the line,” Rui replied in a low, but serious tone.
Sweat covered Moss’ back as he asked nervously, “So what should I do now?”
“First go and buy a pair of expensive looking clothes and make yourself look like a spoiled young master. Then, go into the Magic Snake Antique Shop and buy some things. It doesn’t matter if they are useful as long as they are flashy. But most importantly, make sure you are wearing this.” Rui took out a pendant which released strange arcane energy fluctuations and stuffed it into Moss’ hands, “Those Rippers cannot be moved by just anything.”
“What is this, Teacher Rui?” Moss asked as he observed the pendant in his hand, which consisted of a strange yellow amber encased around a diamond-like crystal.
“It’s an inheritance. Contained within the amber is the bloodline of an ice dragon. Although it is not extremely pure, it is still extremely attractive for arcane masters with ordinary bloodlines. It is something we found in Fallen Shadow Valley. Just wear it around your neck. The antique dealers should be able to sense it even if it is not visible.” Rui looked calmly at Moss, “After this, you will go by yourself towards the free trade market in the Eastern District. The hotel and black market areas there are the best places for them to make their move.”
“An ice dragon bloodline?!”
Just those words were enough to cause Moss to feel great shock. But Rui’s following words caused him to feel even more shocked. “Teacher Rui, is Rapids City an unruly place? How come these bandits dare to act freely here?”
Rui’s face remained calm as he replied, “The cities in the southern, northern, and central parts of the Golden Roses Plain were originally a gathering spot for craftsmen, painters, and artisans. But as more and more caravans began trading here, the number of people here exploded, as did the black market. As a result, this area grew increasingly chaotic. But this is not the main reason why it is so lawless here today. The main issue is that we lost approximately half of our arcane masters during the battle in Fallen Shadow Valley. These included various lords and members of the many Corps. This is why Rapids City, along with the vast majority of other cities within the Kingdom of Eiche, and even the Kingdom of Doa, have become several times more chaotic than before. For those with power, it has become a complete paradise.”
Without realizing it, such a massive shift in power had occurred?
Moss couldn’t believe it as he looked dazedly at the bustling people around him.
“Whatever happens, you must make sure that they do not realize that you are a student of Holy Dawn Academy. The reason I alone am with you is because I am the least recognizable of the six members of the Holy Dawn Evil Six. But do not worry. If they make a move on you, we will all appear to protect you,” Rui comforted as he patted Moss on the shoulder.
“I will complete the mission.” Moss began walking forward into the crowd, but then stopped and came back. In a puzzled manner, he asked, “Teacher Rui, why was I chosen for this task, and not the others?”
“It is because you look the most like a spoiled house disciple who doesn’t take learning seriously,” Rui replied in a serious manner.
“……” Moss didn’t reply as he almost tripped over his own feet.
……
Stingham’s eyes flit back and forth as he observed River Bend Academy before him.
Unlike Holy Dawn Academy, River Bend Academy was composed of numerous massive castle-like structures.
Furthermore, the academy was not surrounded by any walls and contained several large markets from which carriages were constantly coming and going.
Likely due to the openness of the campus, there were many small groups of students from other academies strolling around the grounds alongside the students of River Bend Academy itself.