บท 56: Franco
Chapter 56: Franco
Albert Street, North Borough.
It was around 9. A.M
A young teenage boy with blonde hair and deep blue eyes arrived before a tall three-storied inn named 'Red Apple Inn' and pushed open the wooden door. He wore a worn-out white shirt, black pants, and an old white overcoat. He also wore a monocle on his left eye and a top hat.
He looked exactly like a kid from the rundown street.
'But why do I feel weird gazes from everyone?' Raven asked himself in confusion. In truth, his current appearance was completely different. When he sneaked into the North Borough yesterday night, he saw a bunch of beggars sleeping on the street's roadside and decided to use the 'Face Mimic' skill on a young beggar boy. Surprisingly, the bloodline spell reconstructed his facial muscles and changed him into a different person.
[That's because your current appearance looks more like a beggar boy. Well, it is also a good thing anyway.]
Upon entering, he noticed over twenty people gathered in the main hall, eating or chatting.
"What are you doing here, brat? This isn't a place where a rat from the sewers can walk in." A young man in his waiter dress suddenly blocked his path and spoke coldly.
He was around 20 years old, had short blonde hair, russet brown eyes, and a tall, muscular body. His words also caused the other three waiters in the hall to turn around and look.
"Hey! He might be a customer!" One of the waiters with a slim body shouted.
"There is no way he has money to stay in an inn. Look at his clothes and the torn shoes." The young waiter mocked while looking at him up and down.
"I'm here to stay for two days, though," Raven said as he put his hand in his coat pocket and took one silver coin from it.
"Stolen money? Where did you steal it?" The waiter grabbed his wrist and forcefully took the silver coin from his hand.
Then, he grabbed his collar and pushed him towards the outside while saying.
"Scram before I beat you up."
"You can try." Raven clenched his fist and stopped himself from moving backward.
Noticing that the young kid was resisting him, the waiter got annoyed.
"You dare?" He clenched his fist and hurled it towards Raven at an incredible speed.
On the other hand, Raven watched the fist move incredibly slowly and blocked it with his right palm.
Before the waiter could understand, Raven grabbed his hand, moved much closer to the waiter, and gave him a light punch in the stomach.
But the next second, the waiter felt a powerful impact from his abdomen and was pushed back more than five steps.
For a second, he felt the whole surrounding turn dizzy.
"F*cking beggar-"
He was about to shout at him angrily, but something obstructed his throat.
A second later, he showed an uneasy look and vomited everything he had during breakfast. Not only that, he even vomited blood, causing all the customers in the main hall to stop eating and looking in their direction.
"Y-You!" Rage and embarrassment appeared on the waiter's face.
But before he could stand steadily, a firm hand gripped his shoulder from behind and stopped him from moving.
He slowly turned his gaze and noticed it was the Inn owner of Red Apple.
"'Cough' Uncle Franco! That brat injured me-"
"Shut up, Palmer." The Inn Owner spoke.
'Franco?' Raven's eyes sharpened.
He instantly looked deeply at the middle-aged man and observed him.
He was a middle-aged man with a chevron mustache. He was around 180 cm tall, with olive skin, blue eyes, and brown hair.
Franco put together a stylish outfit, starting with a clean white shirt, a high collar, and a simple but elegant tie. He wore a deep burgundy waistcoat with subtle patterns perfectly tailored to accentuate his slender frame. His sturdy tweed trousers in earthy tones indicated his readiness for the challenges of innkeeping. They were held in place by a leather belt with a polished brass buckle. Completing his ensemble were his well-worn leather boots, polished to a shine despite their age. He wore a felt hat of a subdued hue on his head, which shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight coming through the entrance door.
"You aren't an ordinary brat, are you? Why are you causing trouble at my Inn?" As Raven was observing, Franco looked at him sharply and asked.
"Ask him who caused the trouble here," Raven said, pointing his finger at the waiter. He soon shook his head.
"I want to stay here for two days. Is there any vacant room?"
Franco looked at Raven for two seconds and soon nodded.
After that, he moved towards the counter and opened the ledger.
"Your name, please." He asked.
"Thomas," Raven said as he took another silver coin from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"Payment has been settled already, lad," Franco spoke as he pointed his finger at the panting waiter.
The corner of Raven's lips rose slightly.
"This is an advanced payment for some information I'm seeking."
"Oh? Who told you that I'm selling information?" Franco stopped his writing and looked at him in interest.
Raven suddenly leaned forward and whispered in a low voice.
"Velvet Eclipse."
The calm look on Franco's face disappeared in a blink and was replaced with a serious one.
"Where did you hear that name, lad?" Franco asked calmly, but Raven felt an invisible pressure descend around his body, causing him to freeze.
'If I say one wrong word, he will kill me without thinking much.' As he muttered inwardly, he looked at the information before his left eye.
…
[Name: Franco
Age: 68
Nationality: Zenith Empire (Arcane Mist Empire)
Affiliation: Red Apple Inn Owner (Elite Member of Velvet Eclipse)
Title: Bloody Fist
Class: Radiant Knight (8th Circle)
Health: Normal
Attributes:
Strength: 74.5
Agility: 73.00
Vitality: 76.5
Luck: 10.0
Spirit: 189
Class Skills:
Titan's Grip, Lightning Strike, Swift Stride, Guardian's Defense, Aura of Fortitude.
Additional Skills:
Intermediate Archery
Affinities:
Light: High
Lightning: Intermediate.]
...
'He is more powerful than my sister!'
Raven's mind raced at the upcoming danger.
He immediately thought of something and spoke confidently.
"I'm also a member of the Velvet Eclipse."
At the same time, he took the badge with the painting of a cockscomb flower from inventory and showed it to him.
"Oh? A new membership badge for apprentices? But how did you find my identity? Did your supporter tell you about me?" Franco slowly retracted the domineering pressure and asked.
"Yes, sir. But I won't tell anything about my supporter." Raven spoke firmly and patiently waited.
Meanwhile, Franco stared into his eyes for two seconds and soon nodded.
"As long as you don't cause me any trouble, everything will be alright. So, what kind of information do you seek from me? Be warned: I might charge you extra if it is confidential information," France asked as he continued to write down the ledger.
"I want information about the Gold Thieves members and base locations, as well as personal information about a member named Aron. If possible, I want his home address." Raven spoke.
His words caused Franco to stare at him in shock.
"What are you planning, lad? Those ruffians aren't some normal thieves but cold-blooded killers. I heard they are even involved in kidnapping and human trafficking nowadays."
Raven didn't answer.
Meanwhile, Franco rubbed his forehead and asked.
"How much you are willing to pay?"
Raven knew how the dark world works and spoke.
"I can give you a maximum of 10 silver coins. That's all I've right now." As soon as he spoke, Franco pointed his finger at the nearby slim waiter, who was serving food to the customers, and spoke.
"Magnus, search him."
Startled by Franco's words, the slim waiter named Magnus looked confused and soon rushed towards Raven.
He soon placed the food tray on the front desk and searched his pockets.
He first searched his shirt pocket, then his coat pocket, and finally moved to his pant pockets.
Soon, he took ten silvers from the left pant pocket and placed them on the table.
"So, you aren't lying." Franco nodded with a pleased smile and spoke.
"With this amount, I can only give you some basic information about Aron and the gangs. Three years ago, Aron was originally a main member of another gang called 'Greedy Chargers' and alone was responsible for managing more than three streets. But all of a sudden, another gang appeared. They are the 'Gold Thieves.
Unlike the 'Greedy Chargers' who mainly collect money for protection fees from stalls, pubs, and Inns, the Gold Thieves started their influence as loan sharks. They gave hefty amounts of money to the needy ones at the high-interest rates, ruined their businesses secretly, and made many shopkeepers go bankrupt. Then, they used legal moves with the help of police and forcefully took multiple shops in six months. During that time, Aron also suddenly betrayed the 'Greedy Chargers' and joined the Gold Thieves. After that, the 'Gold Thieves' formed their base in one of the three streets he controlled and started growing day by day. Currently, the Gold Thieves group is doing many illegal activities like kidnapping, blackmailing, contract killing, and even extorting money in the name of protection fees."
Franco ended his long speech and sat on the wooden chair.
"That's all the information I can tell." He added.
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