Chapter 28: A Possible Lead
After collecting his items at the collection center, Vlad left the guild and made his way toward the slums located in the First Ring.
There, the air reeked with the stench of salt, rotting nets, and sun-baked fish. The houses were all one-story shacks made of wood and rusting iron.
The streets were narrow, showing the scarcity of land, and were made of gravel and dirt. From the residents’ appearance, it was obvious that decent living had long been a luxury they couldn’t afford.
Thalmaris was one of the wealthiest cities on the continent, but even here, poverty was abundant, with people doing all they could for just enough coins to barely keep them afloat.
In a city where seafood was the cheapest on any menu, being a fisherman with no real strength meant being expendable.
Vlad moved through the maze of alleys, guided by the details he had bought from the information ring. Eventually, he stopped before a shack at the end of a sharp turn.
He eyed the weather-beaten sign nailed above the door. The numbers were faded, half-swallowed by decayed wood splinters.
"House number 104," he murmured as his eyes scanned for nearby residents. "This is the one."
It would have been great if Vlad could see the fisherman’s body to confirm his suspicion, but if Garm had truly been a test subject of the Deceiver, digging him up would be as good as alerting the alchemist.
’Let’s hope I can get lucky, and this doesn’t turn into a complete waste of time,’ Vlad muttered to himself as he climbed the steps and knocked on the door of the house next to Garm’s.
He knocked twice. The door creaked open a few inches, and an old, bearded face emerged from the dim light, lined and leathery, watching him with wary eyes.