Inside the city lord's office...
"Crowley, once again, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to you for protecting the citizens." Felix sincerely said before continuing: "However, even I wouldn't appreciate it if we started our conversation by talking about that darned terrorist of an adventurer so I shall first reward you for your heroic actions."
Retrieving a small box which he asked one of his aides to prepare in advance from below his desk, Felix placed it in front of Shye, urging him to open it shortly after.
Naturally, Shye wouldn't reject the city lord's rewards nor did he want to.
Carefully examining the box with an excited smile, Shye extended his hands to open the lid, revealing a single cloth-like item that appeared plain as heck.
He then gently grabbed it with a confused expression.
"City lord, this is..."
Having learned from his previous experience with Corvus, Shye didn't act like a know-it-all this time, allowing Felix to explain what the item was instead of using appraisal.
Doing so would reduce the risks of being under suspicion.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Felix would of course be all too happy to explain; after all, this item was something that he used a lot back when he was still an adventurer.
"I heard that you are rather fond of solo adventuring so I figured that this item would be of help to you." The city lord said with a smile before continuing:
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"That is an epic-tier item known as a Small Camouflage Camp. You can set it up just like a normal tent, and after doing so, it would grant invisibility to everything inside it through a high-level camouflage that could only be detected by (S)-ranked monstrous creatures."
"The only downside is that the item is rather...small, and could only fit a small campfire and two sleeping bags."
This could give him an idea about what happened to his parents so he had to learn all he could from City Lord Felix.
After all, it wasn't every day that one could request an audience with the city lord.
"Yes, City Lord Felix."
Noticing that Shye realized the gravity of the situation, Felix inwardly nodded in appreciation.
"For starters, I shall explain to you what that horned owl on the madman's chest was." The city lord began, "It was a seal placed upon the bottom-tier members of Hadean Varsa, a widely known terrorist group mainly operating in Valenzia."
"They were primarily known for recruiting skilled adventurers and deploying them as spies to monitor various cities. Then, if a city was found to be too weak to defend itself, they would then raze it to the ground. Their goal for doing so? Still unknown. Currently, two adventurer hubs and one academy city have fallen prey to their attacks."
"Moreover, the Varsals were notorious for numerous kidnapping incidents, targeting young adventurers who were identified as having innate talents, regardless of the talent's level."
"I'm certain that with your exceptional talent, you're already on their list of targets so you must stay vigilant at all times and carry a few high-grade life-preservation items with you."
Hearing Felix's explanation, the stern frown on Shye's face deepened.
Although he wasn't sure if these guys were connected to the disappearance of his parents, he was sure that he would cross paths with them as he indeed had shown too much talent in the past year.
The bastards would surely target him sooner or later.
'I should capture one of them if I get the chance...' Shye pondered, slightly unsatisfied with the level of knowledge Felix knew about the terrorist group.
It was understandable, though; after all, such organized groups were truly too slippery and would probably be very hard to eradicate.
"I see, thank you for this important information, City Lord Felix. I shall heed your advice."
"Good. Well then, that's all from me. I wish you great success. Even though you haven't been in Balkrow City for long, know that you can always return if you need help, and I promise you'll receive the city's full support if you ask for it. I expect to hear great things from you in the future, Crowley. Good luck on your journey."