After a moment of silence, Matthew suddenly spoke.
“Aidan.”
“I’m here.”
“Do you have any feelings about today?”
Aidan thought for a moment and answered seriously. “The Royal Capital is very safe. But it’s also very dangerous.”
Matthew looked up and signaled for him to continue.
Aidan organized his words. “During the day, I feel like this place is much safer than the County Seat. There are many patrol knights, order is excellent, and almost no one dares to cause trouble on the streets. But at night...”
He paused, the image of that pitch-black alley and the serious expressions of the patrol knights when they stopped the drunkard reappearing in his mind.
“At night, I feel like there are many invisible things hidden here. It’s like...” Aidan frowned, unsure of how to describe it for a moment.
Matthew finished the thought for him. “A calm water surface, but you don’t know what’s hidden underneath.”
Aidan’s eyes lit up. “Yes! That’s exactly how it feels.”
Matthew nodded slightly. This was precisely the feeling the Royal Capital gave him. Prosperous, stable, and orderly. But the more it was like this, the more it indicated that the truly dangerous things were hidden extremely deep.
Ordinary people couldn't see them. Ordinary Class holders couldn't reach them. Even many nobles might not necessarily know about them. But they definitely existed. Otherwise, the Blood-Veined Rapier wouldn't exist, the rumors in the Theater District wouldn't exist, and that blocked alley tonight certainly wouldn't exist.
At this thought, Matthew reached out and tapped the table lightly.
“Starting tomorrow, I have a task for you.”
Aidan immediately stood up straight. “Please give me your orders, Brother Matthew.”
Matthew remained silent for two seconds before slowly saying, “Help me find someone.”
Aidan nodded without hesitation. “Alright. Who am I looking for?”
Matthew looked out at the dark night outside the window and slowly uttered one word. “Wizards.”
The room suddenly fell silent. Aidan was clearly stunned. “Wizards?”
He knew that word, of course. Figures of legend. Possessors of mysterious power. Beings that stood above ordinary Class holders. But he had only ever heard of them. He had never seen one, and he didn't even know if they were real or fake.
“Brother Matthew... do such people... really exist?”
Matthew didn't answer whether they existed or not. He just said calmly, “They exist. And they are right here in the Royal Capital. It’s just that ordinary people can’t reach them.”
Aidan hesitated. “Then... where do I go to find them?”
Matthew shook his head. “Don’t look for them directly. If you look directly, you’ll never find them.”
Aidan grew even more confused. “Then how should I look?”
Matthew’s gaze gradually deepened. “Look for abnormalities.”
“Abnormalities?”
“Yes.” Matthew stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the brightly lit Royal Capital. His voice was very soft. “If one person hides, they can leave no trace. But if a group of people hides, they will definitely leave traces.”
“Wizards won’t tell others they are Wizards. But their activities will always affect their surroundings. You don’t need to ask about Wizards. Go ask about things that others find strange.”
Aidan listened intently as Matthew continued.
“For example, areas that are suddenly cordoned off. For example, people who go missing consecutively. For example, places no one dares to approach. For example, strange urban legends, bizarre deaths, secret transactions, mysterious organizations... and even topics that nobles are unwilling to mention. All of these will do.”
The more Aidan listened, the brighter his eyes became. He finally understood. What Matthew was truly looking for was never a person, but traces. Any entity, as long as it was active, would definitely leave traces.
Matthew slowly turned around, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. “Go. There’s no rush. The Royal Capital is so large that secrets can’t stay hidden forever. Someone will always let it slip inadvertently.”
Aidan nodded solemnly. This time, he didn't immediately give a verbal guarantee like before. Instead, he lowered his head and committed Matthew’s words to heart, one by one. After a good while, he said seriously, “Brother Matthew, I understand.”
“In the past, I oversimplified things. I kept thinking about directly asking if there were Wizards. But no one would tell me about something like that to begin with.”
Matthew nodded slightly. “Good. Remember one thing. The more someone dwells in the shadows, the less likely they are to expose themselves. But the things they’ve done cannot be completely without a trace.”
“Hundreds of thousands of people come and go in the Royal Capital every day. As long as something has happened, someone will know something. Even if they don’t know the truth, they will leave behind rumors.”
Aidan looked thoughtful. “So... what I’m looking for are rumors, not Wizards.”
“Correct.” Matthew’s voice was calm. “Collect them first. You don’t need to judge whether they are true or false. Just record them all. Come back and tell me, and I will filter them.”
Aidan’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. “I get it! For example, the Theater District that mercenary mentioned today, the alley we couldn’t enter tonight, and those bizarre deaths... do all of those count?”
“They all count,” Matthew said. “And even small things that seem completely unrelated. For example, a certain mansion suddenly being placed under martial law, a certain noble suddenly going missing, a mercenary group vanishing overnight, or perhaps a certain merchant group buying a material no one knows the use for at a high price.”
“All of these are possible. Don’t think they are irrelevant. Many times, a major event is pieced together from countless inconspicuous trifles.”
Aidan couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air. He suddenly realized that his previous way of looking at things was far too simple. He saw events, while Matthew saw the connections between them.
Matthew glanced at Aidan and continued, “And one more thing. Don’t appear too curious. Especially, do not repeatedly ask the same question. Ordinary people chatting is casual talk, not an interrogation. If others start to become wary of you, it means you have already failed.”
Aidan nodded repeatedly. “I’ve got it. Listen more, ask less. Listening is more important than asking.”
Matthew showed a hint of satisfaction. Aidan’s greatest strength was that he could listen. Many people couldn't learn not because they were stupid, but because they always felt they already knew. Aidan was different. If Matthew told him something, Aidan would remember it. Even if he couldn't understand it for the time being, he would follow it first. This was more precious than so-called cleverness.
The room fell silent again. Outside the window, the night grew deeper. The sounds on the street gradually faded, with only the occasional light clatter of a carriage’s wooden wheels rolling over the flagstones.
Matthew walked to the window and gently pushed open a crack. The night wind blew in, carrying a bit of a chill. In the distance, at the center of the Royal Capital, a towering Clock Tower stood quietly. Magic crystal lamps illuminated the streets brightly. Even though it was already late at night, many pedestrians could still be seen coming and going. This city seemed as if it would never truly fall asleep.
Matthew gazed quietly into the distance. In his mind, he slowly organized the information he had obtained today. The Class Holder Plaza, the Materials Market, the Commercial District, the Theater District, the blocked alley at night, the taboos spoken of by mercenaries, and that Blood-Veined Rapier.
These clues seemed to have no connection, yet Matthew always felt there was some faint link between them. It was just that right now, the most critical link was still missing.
At this thought, Matthew suddenly spoke. “Aidan.”
“I’m here.”
“From now on, when you come back every night, tell me everything you heard that day. No matter how big or small, and regardless of whether it’s true or false. Even if it’s just a drunken remark in a tavern, do not leave it out.”
Aidan responded seriously, “Yes. I will record everything every day.”
Matthew nodded gently. He believed that one person’s observations were limited, but if he could collect ten or twenty pieces of news every day, he would have hundreds after a month. Among them, there would surely be something truly valuable.
This was also his greatest advantage. When others heard rumors, they would just laugh them off. But he would organize and analyze them, piecing those scattered fragments together one by one. One day, the secrets hidden in the shadows of the Royal Capital would surface on their own.
At this thought, Matthew slowly closed the window. The room returned to silence. The magic crystal lamp on the table emitted a soft white glow, making the entire room feel warm and bright.
Matthew didn't continue his cultivation, nor did he touch the Blood-Veined Rapier again. He had already obtained enough information today. He needed to digest it, to think, and more importantly, to wait.
The Royal Capital wasn't going anywhere, and neither were the secrets. Since he had already stepped foot here, he didn't need to be in a rush. A truly excellent hunter was never in a hurry to chase their prey; they were better at laying down patience and waiting for the prey to reveal a weakness on its own.
And the Royal Capital... was large enough to hide countless secrets, and complex enough that any secret, as long as it existed, would eventually leave a trace.
That night, Matthew slept very soundly. Perhaps it was because a portion of the pressure in his heart had finally been lifted after arriving at the Royal Capital, or perhaps it was because his brain was still constantly organizing the vast amount of information he had gathered today in his dreams. In any case, nothing unexpected happened that night.
...
Early the next morning, Matthew woke up on time as usual. After a simple wash, the two left the inn again. However, their purposes today were already different.
Following Matthew’s instructions from yesterday, Aidan prepared to go to places like taverns, the Mercenary Guild, and merchant caravan gathering spots—the places with the most information—to continue collecting all sorts of abnormal rumors.
Meanwhile, Matthew planned to head alone to the Materials Market, which he hadn't finished exploring thoroughly yesterday.
Before they parted, Matthew stopped and looked at Aidan. “Remember. Don’t ask intentionally. Listen. Listen a lot. If others start chatting, just chat along with them. If they don’t want to talk, don’t push.”
“Yes,” Aidan nodded seriously.
“Also, after you come back, write down everything you heard. Even if it’s just a drunken remark.”
“I understand.”
After saying that, the two of them walked off in different directions.
...
Matthew walked alone on the streets of the Royal Capital. The morning sun had fully risen, and the streets were as busy as ever. Yesterday, he had only taken a cursory glance. Today, he clearly slowed his pace and truly began to observe the city.
Along the way, Matthew discovered that the commercial system of the Royal Capital was even more mature than he had imagined. The same types of goods were often concentrated in the same district. For example, Weapon Street. An entire street was almost entirely weapon shops. Longswords, battleaxes, shields, bows and arrows, armor—they had everything.
The sound of metal clanging constantly came from the blacksmith shops. Ding— ding— ding— Sparks flew, and the blazing furnace fires dyed the entire shops bright red. Many Class holders stood at the counters, haggling with the owners.
Matthew didn't stop. As far as weapons were concerned, he had no needs for the time being.
Continuing forward, the street gradually became quieter. Various scents of mixed plants and herbs began to appear in the air. This was the Materials Market.
Compared to just passing through yesterday, Matthew only now realized after careful observation that the scale here far exceeded his expectations. Two whole streets were almost entirely material shops. All sorts of specimens were displayed at the entrances—dried magical beast bones, ores of various colors, and strange plants sealed in glass jars.
The air was thick with the special scent of medicinal herbs, resin, and mineral powder mixed together. Many shop entrances also hung a wooden sign listing the materials they were purchasing that day.
【Iron-Armored Lizard heart.】
【Fire-Feathered Bird tail feather.】
【Silver Moon Grass.】
【Crimson Flame Ore.】
...
Matthew looked through them all, his gaze growing more and more serious. Many of the things for sale here were items he had never even seen in the County Seat. Some materials weren't even recorded in the 《Basic Alchemical Materials Illustrated Guide》. This meant the resources circulating in the Royal Capital were more than a level higher than those in the County Seat.
Just then, an inconspicuous little shop caught his attention. The shop wasn't large, and there weren't many customers at the door. But on the counter sat a well-worn material catalog. The owner was a white-haired old man wearing a monocle, looking down as he organized a ledger.
Matthew walked in. The old man didn't even look up, just saying calmly, “Look for yourself. Ask once you’ve found something you like.”
Matthew nodded and didn't rush to speak. Instead, he picked up the catalog and began to flip through it slowly. The more he flipped, the more surprised he became. Many of the materials recorded inside had already exceeded the usage range of ordinary Class holders.
For example, the Moonlight Flower, which could increase Spirit recovery speed. The Eerie Blue Mushroom, which could be used to make Spirit potions. And some organs clearly belonging to extraordinary creatures. The prices were also shockingly high. Dozens of gold coins, hundreds of gold coins, and even rare materials priced at several hundred gold coins.
Matthew gently closed the catalog. He suddenly realized that he had previously thought the thousand-plus gold coins in his possession were considered wealthy. But after coming to the Royal Capital, that thought had begun to waver. For ordinary living, a thousand gold coins was a lot. But once he truly stepped into extraordinary resource trading, that little bit of money would likely be spent very quickly.
At this thought, Matthew suddenly felt a sense of urgency. He had to make money—he had to continue making money. And he had to earn even more. Otherwise, even if he found a true Wizard circle in the future, he might not be able to afford the truly precious resources.
While Matthew was deep in thought, the shop door was pushed open again. A set of footsteps approached, and the owner looked up, a smile appearing on his face for the first time.
“You’re here? Did you bring the item?”
The person at the door nodded slightly and then lowered their voice. “I brought it. But... I can only show it to you alone.”
Hearing this, Matthew wordlessly put down the catalog in his hand, but his gaze swept over imperceptibly.
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