Some began to complain that the commissions were too low.
Others boasted about how many magical beasts they had hunted yesterday.
The previous topic seemed to be nothing more than a brief interlude at the drinking table.
...
Matthew stood outside the crowd.
His expression didn't change at all.
It was as if he had only overheard it by chance.
Aidan, however, couldn't help but whisper:
“Brother Matthew,”
“it seems the royal capital isn't so peaceful either.”
Matthew didn't answer.
He simply replayed the words he had just heard in his mind. The Theater District. Dead bodies. Increased patrols. Blocked alleys. Missing vagrants. The authorities claimed the monster had been slain. Yet, the nighttime alert had not been lifted. What did this mean? It meant the matter was likely far from over. Of course, it could also just be an ordinary case. The guards might have simply increased patrols to be safe. A few casual remarks after drinking were not enough to draw a conclusion.
Matthew quickly pulled back his thoughts.
These matters had nothing to do with him for the time being.
At least, not yet.
His purpose today was to familiarize himself with the royal capital, not to investigate some monster.
With this in mind, he lightly patted Aidan on the shoulder.
“Let's go.”
“Let's keep looking around.”
Aidan nodded.
The two of them quickly merged back into the bustling crowd.
Laughter resounded in the tavern once more.
The previous topic was quickly drowned out by fresh boasting.
Someone bragged about just completing a caravan escort mission.
Someone complained that the Mercenary Guild's cut was getting higher and higher.
Others argued until they were red in the face over who should drink first.
The few casual remarks about the Theater District earlier seemed to be nothing more than a brief interlude at the dining table.
No one continued to discuss it.
Matthew didn't linger either.
He simply memorized those fragments of information and led Aidan deeper into the commercial street.
Compared to investigating rumors of dubious authenticity, he preferred to spend his time getting acquainted with the royal capital.
An unfamiliar city.
The streets, the shops, the crowds, the distribution of power...
These were far more important than some urban legend of unknown truth.
...
The two walked slowly along the way.
Shops on both sides of the street grew increasingly numerous.
Some sold jewelry.
Some sold silks and fabrics.
There were also chambers of commerce specializing in various exotic goods.
Exquisite wooden signs hung at the entrances.
Smiling workers behind the counters constantly greeted passing customers.
A few shops had even hired bards to stand at their doors and play music.
The lively melodies drifted down the street with the wind, making the entire commercial district exceptionally bustling.
Matthew looked around as they walked.
He couldn't help but marvel in his heart.
The royal capital was indeed the royal capital.
Here, as long as one had money, it seemed anything could be bought.
Even luxury items rarely seen in county seats were treated as ordinary goods here.
He even saw a large shop specializing in magical beast pelts.
It spanned three entire floors.
Various intact pelts hung at the entrance.
There was snow-white, silver-like snow wolf pelt.
There was patterned leopard pelt.
And there was even a giant python skin several meters long.
Many noble ladies were inside making their selections.
The prices were jaw-droppingly high.
Standing at the entrance, Aidan swallowed quietly.
“A single pelt like this... is probably enough to support an ordinary family for over a decade, right?”
Matthew smiled.
“The royal capital has no shortage of wealthy people.”
Aidan nodded.
He suddenly felt that the place where he used to live was indeed far too small.
...
Continuing forward,
many shops selling magical beast pets appeared along the street.
Iron cages held small beasts of various colors.
There were little foxes with fiery red tails.
There were palm-sized, glowing birds.
And there was a snow-white little beast that looked like a rabbit but had a pair of pointed ears.
Many children gathered around, letting out bursts of exclamation.
Matthew merely glanced at them.
These things held no attraction for him.
Aidan, however, watched with great interest.
“Brother Matthew, look at that one.”
“It actually glows.”
Matthew looked in the direction he pointed.
It was a fist-sized little beast.
Its two round eyes were curiously sizing up the passersby.
Its tail wagged gently.
Its body continuously emitted a soft white light.
The shop owner immediately smiled and introduced it.
“Good eyes, gentlemen.”
“This is a moonlight mouse.”
“It's exceptionally convenient for nighttime lighting.”
“Many noble young ladies love keeping them as pets.”
Aidan's eyes lit up.
However, upon hearing the price,
the smile on his face instantly froze.
“Twenty-five gold coins.”
Aidan gave a couple of dry laughs.
“...My apologies for troubling you.”
The owner wasn't angry either.
He watched them leave with a cheerful smile.
Matthew couldn't help but chuckle.
“Do you like it?”
Aidan scratched his head.
“It's pretty cute.”
“But it's too expensive.”
“Forget it.”
“I'd rather buy a set of good equipment.”
Matthew nodded.
Although Aidan was young,
he didn't waste money on novelties.
This was a good trait.
...
As they continued to wander,
Matthew gradually realized
that the prosperity of the royal capital was not just reflected in its buildings and population.
What was truly prosperous
was the trade.
At every single moment, someone was buying.
And at every single moment, someone was selling.
Gold coins circulated constantly here.
Goods circulated constantly.
Information circulated constantly as well.
New things happened here every day.
New opportunities.
New wealth.
And, of course,
new dangers.
Thinking of the things the mercenaries had been discussing earlier,
Matthew's eyes flickered slightly.
Danger never disappeared just because a city was prosperous.
On the contrary,
the more prosperous a place was,
the more things were hidden away.
It was just that the vast majority of people would never come into contact with them in their entire lives.
Just then,
at a street corner ahead,
an inconspicuous little shop caught Matthew's attention.
It was sandwiched between several large shops.
Its storefront was small.
Its sign was even somewhat worn.
There were no workers shouting out to attract customers at the door.
Nor were there many patrons.
What was displayed in the window was not weapons.
Nor was it potions.
Instead, it was rows of masks of various shapes and designs.
Some were wooden.
Some were metal.
Some looked like wild beasts.
And some were exaggerated theatrical face paints worn by actors.
The sunlight shone on those masks,
casting patches of mottled shadows.
Matthew's footsteps came to a halt involuntarily.
For some reason,
his gaze
suddenly fell upon a black-and-white, two-toned half-mask in the furthest corner.
Matthew stopped walking.
Aidan took two steps forward, and realizing no one was following behind him, he couldn't help but look back.
“Brother Matthew?”
Matthew didn't answer.
His gaze rested quietly on the furthest corner of the display window.
There hung a half-mask.
The mask only covered the left side of the face.
It was grayish-white overall.
Yet, dark red patterns were traced along its edges.
Those patterns were not complex—
just a few simple curved lines.
But for some reason,
Matthew felt a sense of discomfort.
It wasn't fear,
but an indescribable feeling of discordance.
He frowned.
He had seen countless films and television works in his previous life.
Masks of various styles were endless.
Logically speaking, there should be nothing strange about a theatrical mask like this.
Yet, it drew an extra glance.
It was like...
seeing someone in a crowd who kept staring at you.
You couldn't call it dangerous,
but you always felt something was slightly off.
Just then,
the familiar pale blue light screen suddenly appeared in his vision without warning.
Matthew's pupils contracted slightly.
【Abnormal item detected.】
【Name: Unknown Mask】
【Quality: ???】
【Status: Lingering weak special aura.】
【Tip: Further observation recommended.】
...
Matthew's breath caught slightly.
Here it was again.
Yesterday, with the Blood-Veined Rapier,
the panel had suddenly given a prompt in the same manner.
In the end, it turned out
that it was indeed a treasure with a value far exceeding that of a Blue-quality item.
Now,
the panel had actively appeared once more.
This indicated that this mask was likewise far from simple.
Matthew remained calm on the surface,
but waves of emotion had already risen in his heart.
Something that could make the panel actively warn him
would never be ordinary.
Yet this time,
the information provided by the panel was far less than yesterday.
No quality.
No function.
Even the name was listed as “Unknown.”
There was only one line:
Lingering weak special aura.
Matthew's eyes flickered slightly.
“Lingering...”
Not possessing.
But lingering.
In other words,
what was truly special might not be the mask itself,
but the person who had once worn it.
With this thought,
Matthew did not walk over immediately.
Instead, he stood in place and observed quietly for a moment.
The shop was very small.
The owner was an old man in his fifties.
He was leaning down, wiping the counter with a soft cloth.
Occasionally, a passerby would walk in,
pick up a mask at random, look at it for a few moments,
and then put it down and leave.
The entire process was completely natural.
There was nothing unusual at all.
Aidan followed Matthew's gaze and looked over.
He couldn't help but smile.
“Brother Matthew,”
“do you like this kind of mask?”
Matthew withdrew his gaze.
He said calmly,
“Just looking.”
Aidan nodded and didn't think much of it.
It was only normal for young people to occasionally like collecting novelties.
Just then,
the old man in the shop looked up and said with a chuckle:
“Gentlemen,”
“would you like to come in and take a look?”
“These are all the most popular theatrical masks from the Theater District.”
“Many young nobles love them.”
“And the prices aren't expensive either.”
When Matthew heard the words “Theater District,”
his eyes flickered imperceptibly.
Not long ago,
the mercenaries in the tavern had been discussing
the Theater District as well.
Now,
this mask shop
was also selling masks from the Theater District.
A coincidence?
Matthew didn't jump to conclusions immediately.
He had never believed in coincidences.
However, he wouldn't rashly assume a connection just because two events occurred simultaneously.
He stepped into the shop,
prepared to take a closer look at that mask.
Matthew slowly stepped into the shop.
Compared to the bustling commercial street outside, this little shop was exceptionally quiet.
As the wooden door was pushed open, a string of copper bells hanging on the doorframe jingled softly.
Jingle—
A crisp, light chime slowly echoed through the shop.
The shop wasn't very large.
The walls on both sides were covered with all kinds of masks.
Some were carved into the likeness of wild beasts.
Some were painted with exaggerated smiling faces.
And some were painted with the faces of various theatrical characters.
The air was filled with a faint scent of wood mixed with paint.
The owner was a white-haired old man.
He looked to be in his sixties.
An amiable smile was constantly on his face.
Seeing Matthew and Aidan enter, he immediately set down the rag in his hand.
“Feel free to look around, gentlemen.”
“These are all the most popular styles from the Theater District.”
“Quite a few young people like them.”
Matthew nodded gently.
He didn't ask questions immediately.
Instead, he unhurriedly took a turn around the shop.
His gaze slowly swept across the masks one by one.
At the same time, he was silently observing his surroundings.
Aside from the owner, there were no other customers in the shop.
The counter was neatly arranged.
In the corner, there were even a few unpainted wooden masks.
It looked like an ordinary little shop in every way.
If the panel hadn't suddenly popped up a prompt,
he would never have stayed here.
Finally,
Matthew stopped at the furthest corner.
The grayish-white half-mask hung there quietly.
Up close,
the feeling of discordance grew even more pronounced.
The mask was not ornate;
it was actually somewhat plain.
Yet, the dark red patterns on it looked as if they had naturally seeped into the wood.
They didn't look like they had been painted on.
Matthew slowly reached out his hand.
The moment his fingers were about to touch the mask,
before his eyes,
the pale blue light screen appeared once more.
【Unknown special aura detected.】
【Source: The item before you.】
【Danger Level: Extremely low.】
【Tip: Further observation recommended.】
Still, there was no name.
Nor was there any explanation.
Only a few short lines of prompt.
Matthew's eyes narrowed slightly.
Indeed,
it wasn't his imagination.
There was indeed something wrong with this mask.
However,
the danger level was only listed as extremely low.
This meant that it wouldn't pose any threat by itself.
With this in mind,
Matthew finally picked up the mask gently.
It felt very light in his hand,
like ordinary wood.
But it was cold—
unusually cold.
Even though it was daytime,
the mask still emitted a faint chill.
It didn't feel like metal;
it felt more like...
it had been kept in a cellar for a long time, never seeing the sun.
Aidan walked over as well,
looking at it curiously.
“This mask is quite unique.”
“The color is just a bit strange.”
The owner smiled upon hearing this.
“You have good eyes, sir.”
“This one has indeed been on sale for a long time.”
“No one has ever bought it.”
As Matthew toyed with the mask, he asked as if in passing:
“Why is that?”
The owner shrugged.
“The style is too old.”
“Theaters haven't used this kind of half-mask in a long time.”
“Young people prefer brighter colors.”
“This style was more common over a decade ago.”
Matthew nodded.
He didn't press further.
He merely rubbed his palm gently along the edge of the mask.
The chill remained.
And...
the closer he got to those dark red patterns,
the more pronounced the cold sensation became.
Seeing that he seemed interested, the owner smiled and added:
“It's actually quite a coincidence.”
“I didn't make this mask.”
“A customer left it here on consignment.”
“Unfortunately, it's been sitting here for several months, and no one has wanted it.”
Matthew looked up.
“Consignment?”
“Yes.”
The owner nodded.
“I heard that person used to work in the theater.”
“But they quit later.”
“When they were packing up their house, they dug up quite a few old masks.”
“The others were all sold.”
“Only this one, no one ever took a fancy to.”
He smiled as he spoke.
“I was actually thinking that if it didn't sell soon, I'd just break it up and use it as firewood.”
Matthew's heart stirred slightly.
The theater.
The theater again.
If hearing about the deaths in the Theater District in the tavern earlier was just a coincidence,
then now,
hearing about this place a second time
was worth noting down.
However,
he still didn't show any of this on his face.
He simply nodded gently.
“How much is it?”
The owner was startled.
He clearly hadn't expected anyone to actually buy this old mask from the bottom of his inventory.
He then smiled and held up two fingers.
“Two silver coins.”
“If you like it, sir, you can take it for one silver coin.”
“It's only gathering dust here anyway.”
Matthew looked down at the mask in his hand.
The panel didn't pop up any new prompts.
Yet, his intuition told him
that this single silver coin
might just buy him a clue.
Matthew didn't leave immediately.
He stood in place, his gaze still lingering on the crowd. There were many people coming and going outside a nearby tavern—mercenaries, guards, caravan workers, adventurers, and quite a few who had just come out of the Class Holder Plaza. Everyone was talking, and everyone was discussing their own affairs.
An ordinary person would only find it noisy.
Yet, the more Matthew listened, the more interesting he found it.
A city's true news was never what was written on the notice boards, but rather the casual gossip in taverns, markets, and among mercenaries.
Many truly significant events had already begun circulating in these places long before they reached the ears of the nobility.
He simply slowed his pace, walking slowly along the side of the street.
Voices drifted into his ears continuously.
...
A bearded mercenary was drinking while boasting to his companions.
“I took on an escort mission yesterday. Just traveled a few dozen miles and easily made five gold coins.”
Someone nearby immediately curled their lips.
“Keep bragging.”
“If it were really that easy, would it have been your turn?”
The bearded mercenary glared.
“What do you know!”
“The caravan hired an entire mercenary group. I was just tagging along to make a living.”
“The one who actually made the real money was the captain.”
With that, he lowered his voice.
“Though, I heard that many caravans have started raising their prices lately.”
“Why?”
“Why else?”
“I heard the roads haven't been peaceful recently.”
“While nothing has happened near the royal capital, it seems quite a few people have died on the trade routes heading north.”
The other person's face changed slightly.
“Magical beasts?”
The bearded man shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“The bodies were found, but none of the valuables were missing.”
“They don't look like bandits.”
“Some say it's a cult.”
“Others say they ran into some kind of monster.”
The group instantly fell silent.
Someone cursed in a low voice.
“Damn it.”
“How has it been getting more and more chaotic these past few years?”
...
Matthew didn't stop walking.
He simply memorized these words in his heart.
Cult.
Monster.
Death.
In the extraordinary world, these words were all worth keeping an eye on.
However, it was only keeping an eye on them.
Before obtaining more intelligence, he wouldn't easily make a judgment.
...
Continuing forward,
a few young mercenaries were gathered at another street corner.
One youth in his twenties was earnestly warning a lad younger than himself.
“Go out less at night.”
“Especially over in the West District.”
The lad was puzzled.
“Why?”
The mercenary glanced left and right, lowering his voice significantly.
“My brother is in the City Guard.”
“He said the number of nighttime patrols has doubled recently.”
“Although the higher-ups haven't given a reason, something has definitely happened.”
Someone nearby immediately chimed in.
“Is that true?”
“Of course it's true.”
“Would my brother lie to me?”
“He said several patrol squads were reassigned at night, and they seem to have been searching for something the whole time.”
“Searching for what?”
“Who the hell knows.”
“Just don't go to remote places.”
“Your life is your own.”
The young lad shrank his neck back.
“Got it.”
“I'll just sleep in the tavern tonight.”
The group burst into laughter.
...
Aidan had heard it too.
He spoke in a low voice.
“Brother Matthew,”
“the royal capital doesn't seem as safe as we imagined.”
Matthew's expression was calm.
“No city is truly safe.”
“The more prosperous it is, the more people there are.”
“And the more things are hidden.”
Aidan nodded thoughtfully.
...
The two continued forward.
Before long, they passed another small shop selling maps and travel supplies.
At the shop entrance, an old man was chatting with several merchants.
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