Scouting the Location

Nina kept the rest of her explanation brief.

Three days after her mentor left the royal capital, she had written a letter to Baron Raymond, informing him of what she had witnessed at the gathering and her mentor's unusual departure.

Afterward, Raymond had left his territory with Stine under the pretext of handling personal matters and traveled to Soloren City. There, he met Roger by chance and naturally commissioned him to investigate Augus.

As for why Raymond had traveled all the way to another count's domain, Roger guessed it was mostly to avoid drawing attention. Perhaps the baron had also sensed that something was amiss within the nobility.

“I'd also like to know when the next gathering is, and if you have an invitation from the last one,” Roger said, steering the conversation back to the practical matters at hand.

“You want to attend the gathering?” Nina's brow furrowed slightly.

Roger didn't answer directly, only offering, “I just think it might come in handy later.”

Nina shook her head. “I don't have anything like that. The invitation is with my mentor. Those who receive one can bring one or two companions inside, and I only managed to go because of him.”

“Then how does one get an invitation?”

“Once you make a name for yourself in the royal capital, Augus will naturally deliver an invitation to your doorstep,” Nina replied. “Or, you can find a sponsor who has attended before and have them bring you in.”

“Are there any alchemists among those who have attended?” Roger asked.

Nina nodded. “Yes, I saw the president of the Alchemist Association himself at the last gathering. Not just him, but several other alchemists permanently residing in the royal capital as well.”

Having gathered enough information about the gathering, Roger shifted his focus. “Is Count Augus a mage? If so, is he registered with the Mage Association?”

“He doesn't know magic. I've heard he's skilled in swordsmanship, though no one has ever seen him fight. According to rumors circulating in the noble circles of the capital, his extraordinary rank is at least Rank Four or Rank Five.”

“A Rank Four or Rank Five swordsman...” Roger mentally compared Augus to Irene and Stine.

Irene was Rank Four, and she had been able to go head-to-head with mutated goblin variants on the battlefield of the Cliffside Mountains. He hadn't asked Stine about his rank, but it was likely around Rank Four as well.

If Augus truly possessed that level of strength, his combat power would be roughly equivalent to an experienced, core knight—not quite a natural disaster, but formidable.

However, in a non-battlefield environment like the royal capital, it was more than enough to deter most people from rashly moving against him.

The real question was whether this rank was exaggerated by rumors or intentionally downplayed.

Confirming that Nina had no more information to share, Roger stood up. “One more thing. How much do you know about the Mercury Workshop?”

“The Mercury Workshop?” Nina tilted her head. “I only know it's located in Duke Annas's territory, Kelteray. It's the best magitech workshop in the northern part of the kingdom, and the quality of their magitech devices is quite good. I don't know much else beyond that.”

Roger didn't press further, simply nodding in understanding. He then asked Nina for a map of the royal capital and had her mark the location of Augus's residence on it.

“By the way, if you plan to stay in the royal capital for a while, I happen to know a landlord,” Nina added, handing him a slip of paper along with the map.

Roger didn't know much about how real estate sales and rentals worked in this world, or how they differed from Earth's medieval period. But since there was a place to stay, he certainly had no objections.

Following the address on the slip of paper, he found a wealthy merchant named Victor. The man appeared to be in his forties, with a light beard on his chin, dressed in clothes made of luxurious fabrics.

Aside from organizing merchant caravans for trade, this wealthy merchant also managed rental properties. He owned over a dozen properties scattered across various districts, primarily leasing them to outsiders who came to the royal capital for long-term prospects.

When introducing himself, Roger went by the alias “Gerald,” claiming to be an alchemist seeking opportunities in the capital. He specified that he was looking for a quiet house, preferably with few people around.

When traveling abroad, one's identity was whatever they claimed it to be. He wasn't worried about the man digging into his background.

As for how he had found the landlord, Roger merely said he was referred by an acquaintance, keeping Nina's name out of it.

“Of course, Mr. Gerald. I have several vacant properties under my name. You are welcome to take your pick,” Victor replied.

Victor's attitude was quite respectful, though Roger couldn't tell if it was because of his status as an alchemist or because he sensed Roger had deep pockets.

Or perhaps, in the eyes of ordinary people in this world, all alchemists were wealthy.

Afterward, Victor had his assistant take Roger to inspect the vacant houses, and Roger quickly picked the one he wanted.

The house was located in a quiet alley in the inner city. It was a two-story structure, with a living room and a small storage room on the first floor, and two or three rooms on the second floor.

What satisfied him the most was that there were few residents nearby, the alley rarely had passersby, and there was an operable skylight on the second-floor ceiling.

The rent was five silver coins per month.

Since he wasn't sure how long he would be staying in the capital, Roger signed a three-month lease for the time being.

Victor handed him the keys and offered a few polite platitudes, telling him to reach out if he needed anything. Roger simply nodded, took the keys, and returned to his rented house.

Closing the door, Roger spread the map Nina had given him across the table, finding the spot she had circled in ink.

Augus's mansion was situated at the boundary between the inner city and the noble district. Estimating from the map's scale, it was about a thirty-minute walk from the alley where he currently rented. Several private clubs frequented by nobles were scattered around the area.

Having confirmed the mansion's location, Roger put away the map and headed out.

The inner city of the royal capital remained bustling in the afternoon, with people coming and going along the paved streets.

Roger followed the route he had planned on the map, crossing several main streets and turning into the edge of the noble district. The noisy street cries and the clatter of carriage wheels over cobblestones gradually faded into the distance.

The walls lining both sides of the street grew taller, and behind the iron railings, he could catch glimpses of neatly trimmed hedges and meticulously maintained gardens.

Pedestrians became scarce. The occasional passersby were either decently dressed servants or nobles on horseback, none of whom paid any mind to a stranger wearing ordinary leather armor.

He circled halfway around the edge of the noble district, finally slipping into a relatively secluded alley to put on the Mask of a Thousand Faces. Disguising himself as another one of his college roommates, he continued searching for Augus's mansion according to the map.

Augus's residence was a three-story stone building. Directly in front of the mansion was a front yard enclosed by iron railings, with a small fountain in the center surrounded by a manicured lawn.

Roger stopped at the entrance of an alley diagonally opposite the mansion, half-concealing his body behind a stone pillar as he observed the people coming and going.

Before long, a carriage slowly pulled up to the gates of the mansion. The driver reined in the horses, hopped down from his seat, and opened the carriage door. A man stepped out of the cabin.

The man was tall and thin, with a thick beard and light brown hair neatly combed back.

He looked exactly like the mysterious man who had met secretly with Sargon in the forest and vanished into thin air after tearing a teleportation scroll when their conversation ended.