Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 409 Criminal

Hearing such wild claims, forget Adam, almost half of the tavern was flabbergasted.

Seeing that he had now grabbed the attention of most of the people around, the young man had an extremely smug expression on his face as he began recounting his tale, "Hear closely, my friends. It all began with the siren's song—"

However, before he could even continue his story, the drunk sailors nearby got up from their seats and started beating him up.

"Everyone, pound this kid!"

"He dares talk about banging a mermaid!"

"Getting our hopes up for no reason!"

"Where am I supposed to find a mermaid now?!"

"Beat him up! Teach him a lesson!"

Witnessing a sudden brawl taking place, Adam was taken aback. But then he burst into laughter.

He glanced at the young merchant being kicked all over his body and sighed, "Poor guy."

"Your seafood platter is ready." A barmaid, dressed in a simple dress and an apron, expertly weaved through the drunk crowd and kept the plate of steaming food in front of him.

Then, without speaking another word, she left to carry out her other duties.

Adam glanced at his dinner, his mouth involuntarily drooling. Although it didn't look that appealing, it sure smelled good.

The seafood platter was arranged on a polished wooden board, garnished with fresh seaweed and hastily cut lemon slices.

It contained a succulent lobster, a pile of mussels steamed in garlic broth, calamari rings, grilled shrimps, seared scallops, baked clams, and two golden brown crab cakes. Moreover, it was accompanied by bread and baked potatoes.

Without waiting another moment, Adam dug into the bountiful plate of seafood without care for proper dining etiquette.

Besides, displaying such decorum in a place like this would only bring unwanted attention to him.

Or so he told himself.

In truth, he was just really hungry.

With a mouth full of food, he glanced at the middle-aged bartender and gave a thumbs up. "This is good! Really good!"

The bartender simply nodded, before continuing to clean the ale mugs with a dry napkin.

In a matter of minutes, Adam had already finished the entire platter of fresh seafood. He felt like ordering another round, but in the end, he decided against it.

He still had to go back home and practice a round of mindfulness. Overeating would only bring him discomfort later on and he wouldn't be able to focus on extracting the mana from the surroundings.

"How much?" He asked the bartender.

"15 silver pieces."

Adam frowned ever so slightly but paid the man the money nonetheless. Then, he looked at him with a solemn expression and asked, "How much for information?"

The middle-aged man glanced at him with narrowed eyes. After a few moments of contemplation, he asked, "What kind?"

"You know, the regular." Adam shrugged. "What's been happening in Corvid lately? I'm new here so I'm curious to know the ins and outs of this district."

A greedy light flashed through the bartender's eyes. "I'll tell you everything I know. Give me another fifteen—"

"Piss off," Adam sneered. He got to his feet and turned around to leave.

"Wait!" The bartender hurriedly called out, knowing that he had gotten a little overboard. "Ten silver pieces will do—"

"Five," Adam once again cut him off.

"What?! Are you crazy?" The bartender looked at him like he was an idiot. "Eight! That's the lowest—"

"Three. Take it or leave it." Adam scoffed.

"Get lost!" The bartender roared.

"Fine, as you say." Adam shrugged and then turned around once again to leave.

"Wait, wait, wait!" The bartender called out yet again in exasperation. "Fine, just give me three, damn it!"

Adam's lips curled up into a sneer as he thought to himself, Heh, trying to scam me? Idiot!

He turned back around and took his seat on the wooden stool. Then, he tossed three silver pieces at the middle-aged man and warned, "If you lie, I'll know. Not today, but maybe tomorrow. And when that day comes, you'll regret ever lying to me."

The middle-aged bartender nervously gulped. This seemingly innocent young man sitting before him suddenly felt more dangerous than a magical beast.

"I-I understand." He nodded.

After carefully putting away the coins, he first began talking about the four neighborhoods that constituted the Corvid Quarter.

The Incus neighborhood was where the business took place. All goods brought in from the docks were taken here where they were carefully inspected, packed, and labeled before being sent to the warehouses.

Located on the western shore of Dundee Harbor was the Slate neighborhood. It had a few locations that provided entertainment and pleasure for the residents of this district. It housed several small businesses and housing for lower-

middle-class residents.

The Bosky neighborhood was the one they were currently in. It mostly consisted of slums and small tenement houses. It was almost a forgotten corner of the quarter where the poorest of residents lived.

Finally, the Blinder neighborhood was home to a large number of warehouses that lined the street along the Dell River. Few citizens visited this part of the district, except for the guards who had been hired to protect the goods by wealthy merchants.

Adam had to admit, he had learned quite a lot from this bartender. He almost wanted to tip him a few extra silver coins.

"Anything else?" Adam asked with a pleased expression. "You know, have there been any disappearances or killings lately? Things I should be wary of?"

"Hmph! Where do you think you are?" The bartender harrumphed in annoyance. "This is the Corvid Quarter. Things like that happen here all the time. One minute you're walking on the street, the next you're robbed of your wealth and life."

Adam's expression turned somber. Things like that indeed happen in such places all the time. However, the city officials would more often than not always turn a blind eye.

After all, the people living here were unwanted members of the society. The people of high stature would much rather see them dead than have a share of the resources.

Suddenly, the bartender's tone turned grim and he warned, "Beware of the Umbra Thieves."

"Umbra Thieves?" Adam's eyes narrowed. "Is that a thieves' guild or something?"

"Precisely." The bartender nodded. "They're a notorious criminal organization tormenting not only Corvid Quarter but the whole of Ravenfell.

"No one has yet to uncover the identity of its members. They're truly an enigma! If you ever come across a thief who has a tattoo of a dagger with a skull pommel, turn around and run for your life."

"This tattoo... is that the only thing we know about this thieves' guild?" Adam asked.

"Yes, nothing else is known about them," said the bartender in a serious tone, his eyes flashing with terror.

Adam was silent for a long time before finally confirming in his heart.

Another secret organization!