Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Lawless City Libertà
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Libertà was a city belonging to the Pratea Kingdom, and it had a laundry list of nicknames.
Paradise of outlaws, city of criminals, lawless zone, a place where every secret could be uncovered, a savage den where only money and power mattered, city of filth...
There were even more epithets than that, but the astonishing thing was that they were all spot on.
True to its name as the city of filth, Libertà reeked from the entrance onward, littered with discarded trash everywhere, pumping out a nauseating stench.
"Ugh, the smell... Do they not even clean up the garbage here?"
"You think anyone in this city does an honest job like hauling trash for pay? It's full of people who just let things go to hell."
All sorts of household waste, not to mention food scraps, were scattered about, and stray cats and sewer rats scavenging off the streets were a common sight.
Ravi, with her keen sense of smell, had already turned pale, pinching her nose and mouth shut so tight she could barely talk.
Clang!
As they walked, the sound of shattering glass rang out, followed by a chair flying out from inside a building.
Then came the shouts of people brawling from within.
"You bastard, I told you to bring booze, and you bring watered-down alcohol? You trying to kill me or what?!"
"Huh? Why the hell would I give good liquor to some broke-ass punk who can't even pay?!"
"Trying to rip off customers with that pea brain is why this dump looks like this, got it?"
"What? You done talking, punk?!"
"If I wasn't, you'd hear the rest, huh?!"
A customer trying to mooch free food and drinks without paying, and the shopkeeper who'd served him watered-down booze after taking his order.
Elfin, listening to the exchange between these two lunatics, dodged the flying chair with a look of utter bewilderment and pressed on.
"Are they insane? Is everyone here like this?"
"Most of 'em, yeah."
"And how do you know this place so well? You've been here before, haven't you? Even for you, I figured you wouldn't stoop to setting foot in a shithole like this..."
Elfin eyed me warily, noticing how oddly familiar I seemed with Libertà.
And honestly, it wasn't a weird reaction. The kind of scum who frequented Libertà were the bottom of the barrel everywhere on the continent, treated like human trash.
"Never been here myself. Just heard a lot about it and got the lay of the land from intel."
"...From where?"
"Trade secret."
Elfin, now on guard, put a little distance between us as we walked.
The deeper they ventured into the city, the more drunks, junkies, and homeless scavengers rummaging through trash they saw.
Pretty faces like Ravi's and Elfin's stood out like sore thumbs in a lawless hellhole like this—nothing good could come of it—so the two pulled their hoods and cloaks tighter over their faces and stuck close behind me.
When I'd just been walking for ages without turning into anywhere, an impatient Elfin called out from behind.
"Hey, Alvis. Where the hell are we even going? I really don't wanna stay in this city long. Look at Ravi—she's fighting off puke and can't even talk straight."
"Almost there. I've got the spot, so don't sweat it."
"Th-there... Do we have to go in? Charging into some indoor spot in a place this trashed for security doesn't seem smart..."
"My guess is it'll be better than out here."
Libertà had all those filthy nicknames, sure, but it had others that highlighted a different side.
A place where every secret could be uncovered, a savage den where only money and power mattered.
It wasn't just petty crooks crawling into Libertà.
Exiles from forbidden research, those hiding their true identities, people shaking off the law entirely to do whatever they wanted...
You'd spot those types here now and then.
Surviving long in this lawless wasteland meant they had the skills to protect themselves, and they spent their time here conducting whatever research they pleased, far from prying eyes.
In Holy Warrior Brayden NX, Libertà was a death trap where you could lose your head and game over at any street corner—but it was also a treasure trove of info, gear, and items you could only get here.
The place I was headed was the top spot in Libertà for the highest-grade, most valuable intel. Get the conditions right, and you could snag info that money couldn't buy—for free.
Libertà's layout matched my memory perfectly.
Back when I played that trash game, I'd spent ages scouring this place for a way to get a true happy ending for every character.
All I found out was 'no such thing exists.'
Reaching the northern district of Libertà, I passed a rickety fruit stand hawking rotten produce, turned a corner, and headed into deeper alleys.
The shops here were all shuttered and empty. Even in broad daylight, shadows from the surrounding buildings made it dimly eerie.
'Right twice, left once, then straight...'
At the end of the pitch-black alley stood a building with a barely hanging, dilapidated sign.
Oddly, instead of rising up, it had stairs leading underground.
"This is it."
Ravi and Elfin recoiled at the shady-as-hell entrance.
"W-we really going in there? Uwuk..."
Ravi cracked her mouth open and dry-heaved from the city's stench again.
"Hey... This is way too suspicious no matter how you slice it. If something goes down inside, we can't even call for help."
"Can't call for help? You think you could at a main-street shop? In Libertà?"
"Well... Yeah, but."
"If you're that spooked, you two can wait here. But I don't recommend it."
Ravi and Elfin exchanged glances, grumbled, and eventually followed me.
Figured sticking with the guy who knew something was better than wandering clueless in Libertà.
Down the stairs to the basement, a shabby wooden door stood alone, no lock or anything.
Opening it revealed a room worlds apart from the musty city air and dusty stairs: impeccably clean and tidy.
Curtains and wallpaper in a subtle purple hue filled the space. The ceiling dangled with scales and star ornaments. A fragrant incense burner sat on the front table, mirrors lined the walls, and shelves held crystal balls and all sorts of divination tools.
"Phew... F-finally, I can breathe. That stench was brutal..."
"This... a fortune-teller's? The alley was a dead zone out there—why's this tucked-away spot so pristine?"
"Hee hee hee... Customers? This is a rare treat."
The shopkeeper, sensing our arrival, parted a purple veil from the back and approached the front table.
A wrinkled old crone leaning on a cane with gnarled hands stared us down.
Her eyes bulged out freakishly, like she didn't have enough skin to cover the lids—compared to normal folk, anyway.
The old woman quickly sized up the three of us and muttered.
"Three crawling in here at once? Capacity exceeded. Minus two points... But ho ho, a party with racial diversity? Plus one."
Even without doffing their hoods, Ravi and Elfin flinched as she clocked their identities and yanked their hoods down tighter over their ears.
The crone turned to me and grinned.
"And you've got some intriguing power hidden away. Another plus one... Even score at zero. Unless you offer something to pique this old bat's interest, I'll be on my way."
I grinned back at her.
I smirked and triggered the ability.
All the lies cloaking this space—and the truths hidden within—laid bare before me.
I lunged at the old woman, clamping my hand around her nape. She spasmed, choking and trembling violently.
"Ghk... Gack..."
"Kyaaah! Granny!"
"Alvis! Are you nuts!? Let her go now!"
The crone in my grip convulsed like she was seizing, then went limp. Her body crumbled to dust and vanished without a trace.
"Wha...? Huh...? W-what just..."
"She... disappeared...?"
The old woman was gone, but the 'test' wasn't over yet.
With the ability still active, I whipped out a dagger from my belt and hurled it at the potted plant behind us.
Though it looked solid, the blade passed right through like an afterimage. At that instant, a stunning beauty with flowing blue hair materialized where the crone had vanished.
"Hahaha! You're more impressive than you look! Nice one—plus one point! Total plus one. Now, shall we talk? What do you wanna know that had you crawling in here?"
She burst into boisterous laughter, propping her long legs on the table and crossing her arms.
She was Libertà's top informant, one of the strongest beings in this world—and the NPC who'd played no small part in tanking Holy Warrior Brayden NX's reputation.
Linian, the Blue Dragon in disguise. From the glossary, her true name is Liniaras, but here it's 리니안 Linian. End with that.